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.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Kyle Busch’s victory Sunday at Pocono Raceway not only earned the former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion a series-best fourth win of 2019, but was also another milestone toward a certain NASCAR Hall of Fame distinction.

The 34-year-old Busch hoisted his 55th career Monster Energy Cup Series trophy, tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace on the all-time wins list – the ninth most career wins in the sport’s storied history.

RELATED: Busch tames Pocono | Rusty Wallace through the years

In just the last 10 seasons, Busch has won 39 races – or 70.9 percent of his career total. And the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry has finished runner-up 34 times in that span – 25.1 percent of his top-five finishes.

“It’s pretty special,” Busch said of his milestone win mark. “We just keep doing what we’re supposed to do. It’s pretty cool to get with and eclipse many of these great names that helped build our sport to what it is today and have been icons, for that matter.”

The number 55 (wins) is certainly important, as is Busch’s ninth place on the all-time list. Perhaps, however, it’s the number 34 – Busch’s age – that drops jaws and sends the mind into high-speed calculation.

Wallace was 48 years old when he earned his 55th trophy.

Only three of the eight drivers ranked ahead of Busch on the all-time wins list were age 34 or younger when they won their 55th race. NASCAR’s original seven-time champion Richard Petty along with four-time champion Jeff Gordon were the youngest of all – both only 29 years old.

MORE: All of Kyle Busch’s premier-series wins

Petty won his 55th at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in 1967. It was part of an unmatched 27-win effort in a single (48-race) season.

Gordon, who was just inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, equaled Petty’s high achievement, earning the 55th of his 93 wins at the age of 29 – at Martinsville Speedway in 2001.

Another seven-timer, Jimmie Johnson was 33 years old when he won his 55th race – at Fontana, Calif. in 2009.

David Pearson – a 105-race winner was 34 years old, as is Busch – when he won his 55th race in 1969 at Bristol, Tenn.

Next up on the milestone victory list for Busch is the late, seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt, who has 76 wins.

It’s an interesting perspective to look at those drivers currently ranked ahead of Busch on the Monster Energy Series win list – every one of them a NASCAR Hall of Famer. Earnhardt was 42 years old when he won his 55th race in 1993 at Charlotte. Cale Yarborough, who is tied with Johnson at 83 wins, was 38 when he won his 55th race at Dover, Del.

Darrell Waltrip, who is tied with Bobby Allison at 84 victories each – won his 55th race at Bristol, Tenn., at the age of 36. Allison was 41 years old when he won his 55th race – in 1979 at Riverside, Calif. – the only member of this elite list to have scored his milestone 55th win on a road course.

Also noteworthy about these men, all but one of the eight drivers ranked ahead of Busch won championships beyond their 55-win milestone. Five of them won the title the same year they won their 55th trophy – Petty (1972), Pearson (1969), Earnhardt (1993), Gordon (2001) and Johnson (2010).

Petty won three more titles. Earnhardt won one more. And Johnson has won two more and counting.

Allison answered his 55-win mark in 1979 with a season championship in 1983. And Yarborough won all three of his consecutive titles – 1976-1977-1978 – after earning his 55th victory.

Waltrip, a three-time series champion, is the only driver with at least 55 race wins not to win a title afterward.

And while Richard Petty’s 200 series victories has long been considered an unreachable tally, Busch has valiantly set a different win threshold. He has 206 victories across NASCAR’s three national series – including 56 in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series and 95 wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in addition to his 55 Cup trophy haul.

“It’s amazing to watch him and all of us that are in the sport at the same time as he is, I think we will be thankful later that we got to watch him because he is fantastic and unquestionably one of the best that’s ever strapped into a stock car,” NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Monday morning.

Posted on by Staff Report

This story was originally published on Feb. 4, 2019.

Things just got a lot more exciting on the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series circuit.

As if that was possible.

Already considered one of the most intense and exciting series in auto racing, the Gander Outdoors Truck Series will get an additional jolt of adrenaline in 2019 thanks to the new Triple Truck Challenge, a three-race program that provides drivers in the Truck Series an opportunity to win up to $500,000 in bonus money.

Slated for consecutive stops at Texas Motor Speedway (June 7), Iowa Speedway (June 16) and Gateway Motorsports Park (June 22), the Triple Truck Challenge will award a $50,000 bonus to the race winner of any one of the three events; win two of the three races and pocket an additional $150,000; win all three and collect a cool half a million dollars.

MORE: Destiny Homes’ giveaway (cheer for Moffitt)

Similar to the current Dash 4 Cash in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the program is different enough to give the platform its own identity.

“It’s neat in the sense that it’s a little bit different,” said NASCAR’s Ben Kennedy, managing director of racing operations and international development. “There’s no qualifying ahead of time or any of that. It’s solely focused on the Truck Series drivers — you have to declare driver points in order to participate and then you’ve also got to win. It focuses on winning.”

Kennedy said there was much discussion internally as well as with series sponsor Gander Outdoors — “They were very involved in the process; they’ve really been involved a lot (transitioning) from Camping World to the Gander Outdoors brand. They’re really excited about the Truck Series and what we’re going to bring to the table this year.”

RELATED: Biffle wins first leg

A three-race program wasn’t the only idea considered, and the three specific tracks selected weren’t the only ones on the table. But Kennedy said after officials threw “a ton of ideas and concepts at the wall,” the Triple Truck Challenge at Texas, Iowa and Gateway made the most sense. Additionally, only drivers declared for points in the Truck Series will be eligible to enter these events.

As a former racer (he made 17 starts in the Xfinity Series, 73 in the Truck Series and 49 in K&N Pro Series competition), Kennedy knows how important finances are to teams in the series. The opportunity to win anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000 is huge.

“Putting half a million dollars on the line is certainly a big number for any team,” he said, “let alone a Truck Series team. I think anytime you can shake it up, especially in the summer, and especially at stand-alone tracks, it’s big.

“We learned on the Xfinity side that running consecutively really helps build that energy and excitement. You don’t forget about it; it’s fresh on your mind.”

Johnny Sauter won last year’s spring Truck race at Texas while Brett Moffitt and Justin Haley were the respective winners at Iowa and Gateway.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

With three laps left in the second stage of Sunday’s Pocono 400, Chase Elliott tossed away 10 stage points and a playoff point.

But it wasn’t a mistake. Though Elliott held the lead at Pocono Raceway at the time, pitting was a big-picture decision, because it produced a significant gain in track position when most of the lead-lap cars came to pit road after the stage ended.

RELATED: Race results | Kyle Busch wins at Pocono

Elliott restarted fifth on Lap 106 and improved one spot by the time the race ended 55 laps later. Elliott’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson, had the luxury to make that call, given that Elliott already had a race win at Talladega and a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.

“Playing the strategy game was really important,” Elliott said. “Pitting before the stages (ended) was giving up stage points doing that, but ultimately having track position in the back half (of the race) was where it was worth it. Luckily, Alan and our group saw that earlier in the race, and we kind of jumped on board with that strategy.

“It worked out for a top five. I’m proud of the effort. We’ve had some good NAPA Chevrolets the last couple of weeks. We’ve been good, just not great, and you have to be great to win these things. I’ll go to work and try to do a better job, and we’ll see what we can do next week.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The race-winning Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota for driver Kyle Busch has passed post-race inspection at Pocono Raceway with no issues.

The No. 18 Toyota was found to be compliant with the 2019 NASCAR Rule Book after Sunday’s Pocono 400.

The No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driven by Daniel Suarez to an eighth-place finish was found with one lug nut not safely secured, a violation that would result in a fine for his crew chief according to the rule book’s guidelines. The SHR No. 14 Ford that Clint Bowyer drove to fifth place will go to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina for evaluation.

RELATED: Race results | Kyle Busch holds on at Pocono

With the post-race teardown complete, the race results are official.

The post-race process is part of a new, more timely approach to inspection for all three NASCAR national series. Competition officials announced in February that thorough post-race inspections would take place shortly after the checkered flag at the track instead of midweek at the NASCAR R&D Center.

Those inspections come with a stiffer deterrence structure that includes disqualification for significant rules infractions — “a total culture change,” according to Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer. In the past, race-winning teams found in violation of the rules were penalized with post-race fines, points deductions and/or suspensions, but victories were allowed to stand.

Competition officials introduced the quicker post-race inspection timetable in an effort to make the results official on race day, aiming for a 90-minute target time frame to complete their scrutiny. The new post-race inspection process was also designed to deal with potential violations more promptly, avoiding any midweek news that might cloud the previous week’s results or the build-up to the following week’s event.

NASCAR will still inspect cars and parts at the R&D Center as needed, but the more comprehensive at-track inspection will take priority.

According to NASCAR statistical archives, the last time a premier series driver was disqualified occurred in 1973, when early retiree Buddy Baker was demoted to last place in the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The last time an apparent race winner in NASCAR’s top division was disqualified came on April 17, 1960, when Emanuel Zervakis’ victory at Wilson (N.C.) Speedway was thrown out because of an oversized fuel tank on his No. 85 Chevrolet.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

LONG POND, Pa. — The quickest way to forget about a bad weekend is to rebound with a really good weekend. That adage played to form for Erik Jones and the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team in Sunday’s Pocono 400.

Coming off a 40th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600, Jones used a combination of speed and strategy to score a third-place finish at Pocono for his third top five in five starts at the 2.5-mile track. The result was also his third top-six finish in the last four races.

RELATED: Race results | Kyle Busch prevails at Pocono

“Anytime you have a bad week you want to come back and rebound well and the only way you can rebound much better than we did is winning,” Jones said. “I feel like our year has been just a weird year. We’ve had probably some of the fastest cars I’ve had any year and we just haven’t been able to capitalize. Weird things happen. Things not going our way.

“We need days like today and to keep that momentum going. Running in the top five, wins are going to fall your way eventually. We just need to keep putting ourselves up there.”

The day was nearly much more for Jones, who lined up next to eventual race winner and teammate Kyle Busch for the final restart on Lap 152. Restarts had been wild all day at Pocono and the need for a good push was crucial at that late stage of the race.

“I was just hoping we were going to get a good push,” Jones said. “Unfortunately, the 14 got split there and put three wide and from then it’s kind of like I’m on my own. The 18 was getting a shove. You’re just trying to maintain. A lot of scenarios go through your head about how you’re going to the lead. It just didn’t play out.”

Even with a good push, though, Jones wasn’t sure it would have been enough to beat Busch. In the final round of pit stops, Jones took two tires in what he said was doing what was needed “to get track position” while the 2015 champion came for four fresh Goodyears.

“I don’t know that we really had anything for Kyle at the end,” Jones said. “We were on two tires and he was on four. I mean you put us both on four, put me out front, we probably hold him off. Put him out front, he probably holds us off again.”

RELATED: Scenes from the weekend at Pocono

Crew chief Chris Gayle told NASCAR.com that he had one item he wished he had a mulligan on that could have set Jones up for greater success.

“Looking back at the end of the race, I wish I would have taken two tires on the competition caution (on Lap 20),” Gayle said. “Then I would have had all those guys that had right-side tires and had a buffer to anybody with four. Tires didn’t matter today and it was totally track position — being able to hold someone off so that could have put us in position to be further up at the end.”

All in all, the podium finish coming off a race where the team ran just 22 of 400 laps was a welcome one for the third-year Cup crew chief.

“It helped get back some of the points we gifted everyone last week,” Gayle said. “It’s big — I feel like we just needed to have a clean race. That’s what we had today.”

The third-place finish is Jones’ fourth top five of the season and leaves him 15th in the point standings, one point ahead of Kyle Larson and Jimmie Johnson, who are tied for the final spot that would provisionally make the playoffs. But Jones isn’t worried about the playoff picture just yet — the lone JGR driver without a win believes that the victory is coming.

“We’re still confident we can get a win,” Jones said. “We’re not in that mode yet (of looking at the playoff picture). We know as long as we can run well, points come with that. We’ve had some unfortunate circumstances this year and as long as we can keep running well we’ll be fine. Ask me in a month and if we’re still in a bad spot, then I’ll probably say yes (to looking at the playoff picture).”