Posted on by Staff Report

Keith McGee, the first Alaskan to race in the K&N Pro Series, is planning to make his second career start next month at Tucson Speedway.

The Eagle River, Alaska native will be driving for Jefferson Pitts Racing and has partnered with the American Cancer Society for the Port of Tucson Twin 100s.

“In 2018 on the day of my very first professional race, I received word that my mother had been cleared of Stage 4 Follicular Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” McGee said on his GoFundMe page. “It was the best news on the best day I could have received. In the same breath, I was notified that she now had Late Stage Breast Cancer. After several surgeries, her strong will and support, she is currently a winner and is cancer free. However, her fight is not over as well as millions of others as they continue with their fight or their loved ones battle.”

McGee has one prior start coming at Kern County Raceway Park last season. He was forced to retire after 16 laps.

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Gateway Motorsports Park and World Wide Technology announced a long-term naming rights commitment Wednesday, shifting the motorsports facility’s moniker to “World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.”

WWT, founded and headquartered in the nearby St. Louis region, also becomes the official technology partner of the track and will use the venue to advance development programs for the company and its community outreach initiatives.

“The support of WWT will help ensure that our track will compete for North America’s most elite races and offer an innovative and exhilarating fan experience for years to come,” said Curtis Francois, CEO of Gateway Motorsports, in a track release. “The relationship with WWT will help us tremendously as we continue to grow World Wide Technology Raceway into one of the premier racing facilities in the country.”

The announcement was made during the 2019 Global Leadership Forum Summit taking place at WWT. The track plans to utilize the many advanced assets and knowledge that WWT and its partners are developing in an ever-evolving marketplace. From STEM initiatives, technological enhancements for fan experience or community outreach and diversity, the raceway will serve as a cutting-edge proving ground.

The new partnership furthers WWT’s tie to racing, as the company is the official Technology and Analytics Partner of Richard Petty Motorsports and a primary sponsor of the team’s No. 43 Chevrolet in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. As part of the partnership, WWT provides data analytics, consulting and technology solutions to help improve performance for Bubba Wallace and his team.

The track will host the Gander Outdoors Truck Series on June 22 at 10 p.m. ET (FS1).

MORE: Buy tickets for Gateway

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (April 17, 2019) – For the fourth-consecutive year, Comcast, Pocono Raceway and Dover International Speedway are coming together to bring NASCAR to the city of Philadelphia on Tuesday, May 14 and Wednesday, May 15. The NASCAR Xfinity Series Philadelphia Takeover will bring 18 drivers to the city to greet fans and promote the upcoming Pocono Green 250 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons (June 1 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in the Philadelphia market.

“Comcast’s involvement in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is something we’re very proud of and this celebration is the perfect opportunity to showcase the partnership in a great race town like Philadelphia,” said Matt Lederer, Comcast’s Vice President for Brand Partnerships. “Xfinity is focused on giving awesome entertainment experiences and access to passionate fans and loyal Xfinity customers at the race track. This event will provide those same VIP experiences, all while introducing new people to the sport and driving awareness of the Pocono and Dover NASCAR race weekends.”

RELATED: Xfinity Series schedule | Latest Xfinity Series news

Festivities will kick off on Tuesday, May 14 with NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Justin Allgaier, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Philadelphia Phillies MLB game against the Milwaukee Brewers (7:05 p.m. ET). On Wednesday, May 15, events featuring the 18 NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers will take place throughout the city with the Comcast Center Plaza acting as the hub for race fans.

Beginning at 10:45 a.m. ET on Wednesday, May 15, the Mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, will welcome fans to a special event on the Comcast Center Plaza with executives from Pocono, Dover, NASCAR and Comcast. Immediately following the opening remarks, a military appreciation ceremony will take place in front of friends, family, fans and NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers before the fan autograph session prior to the start of the parade. Interactive fan displays will also be setup at the Comcast Center Plaza for the public to enjoy.

A group of NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers will also branch off to explore “The City of Brotherly Love” through various events including the Franklin Institute for a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)-focused Q&A session and Geno’s Steaks in South Philadelphia to enjoy an authentic Philly cheesesteak experience.

BUY TICKETS: Dover races | Pocono races

The highlight of the day will come starting at 12 p.m. ET as some of the drivers will strap into their 700hp race cars for a parade and “smoke show burnout” on JFK Boulevard around Philadelphia City Hall to Market Street, returning to the Comcast Center.

“What Comcast does for our series is really second to none,” said Justin Allgaier. “The time and effort that they, along with Dover and Pocono, put in to make the Philadelphia Takeover happen is incredible and it just keeps getting better every year. The energy and excitement of everyone in the city when we drive through the streets is insane. It’s just a fun event. I can’t wait to get back there next month.”

The 18 NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers scheduled to be in attendance are: Justin Allgaier, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Brandon Brown, Austin Cindric, Cole Custer, Chad Finchum, Joey Gase, Gray Gaulding, Noah Gragson, Kaz Grala, Justin Haley, Brandon Jones, Vinnie Miller, Matt Mills, John Hunter Nemechek, Tyler Reddick and Zane Smith.

Posted on by Staff Report

Ryan Preece is making his return to the New England racing scene this season.

While he continues his full-time effort with JTG Daughtery Racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Preece confirmed via Twitter Wednesday that he will be competing during the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in June.

Preece, the 2013 Whelen Modified Tour champion, has three victories in 44 starts at Thompson. He won two of the four events at the Connecticut oval in 2017, and has finished fourth or better in four of his last six starts. He has 22 career Whelen Modified Tour wins over 12 years of competition.

At Thompson specifically, Preece has two career Sunoco Modified championships (’12 & ’14) running in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

In his first nine races with JTG this season in the Cup Series, Preece has a best finish of eighth, which came in the 61st annual running of the Daytona 500.

The June Whelen Modified Tour race at Thompson will be the second of four appearances at the .625-mile oval this season. Justin Bonsignore won the Icebreaker 150 on April 7.

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NASCAR docked the No. 2 team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for one lug nut not safe and secure following Friday’s race at Richmond Raceway.

The team’s crew chief, Randall Burnett, was fined $5,000.

Tyler Reddick drove the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing to a fourth-place finish in a race won by Cole Custer. Reddick is one of four drivers eligible for the Dash 4 Cash prize in the series’ next race on April 27 at Talladega Superspeedway (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Staff Report

When the season kicks off at Bowman Gray Stadium this weekend, one family of racers will suit up with a combined 120 wins among them.

And all three drivers will race against one another in the same division for the first time.

The Clifton family — Ronnie, Michael, and Zack — will all race in Bowman Gray’s modifieds division this season. Michael has seen the most success in the track’s highest NASCAR Whelen All-American Series division, with 22 modifieds wins.

But his success at the track overall is unmatched to his brother, Ronnie, who has 73 career victories, all in the sportsman division, where he won eight straight championships in the early 2000s. Ronnie has been racing modifieds for the last eight years, and this year he’s made it a goal to pick up his first win there.

But he’ll have some stiff competition, none closer to him than his son Zack, who also found success at Bowman Gray in the sportsman division, winning 22 races and one championship. Zack will move up to the modifieds division for the first time this season.

“We’ve never all three of us been on the race track at the same time,” Michael said.

Bowman Gray Stadium, a quarter-mile flat asphalt oval in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, that is NASCAR’s first and longest running weekly race track, will open its 71st season on Saturday with the Hayes Jewelers 200 presented by Q104.1 for the Division I Modifieds. The opening night will also include a 40-lap Sportsman feature as well as street stock and stadium stock division races.

Bowman Gray Stadium | Facebook | Twitter

This week will be the first race back for Ronnie and Michael, who both took last season off. Ronnie took the time to help Zack get a car ready for Martinsville Speedway’s year-end late model race. He wasn’t planning to come back this season, but some crew members came to him wanting to help him get back on the track, so he decided to give it one last go-round.

Michael also felt burnt out from racing and decided to sit out 2018, but after racing at The Stadium for more than 30 years, it didn’t take long for him to get the itch to get back on the track.

“We went camping and took the boat out, and on the weekends I would be like, ‘Why aren’t I at the racetrack?’” Michael said. “Because I missed it.

“I thought I’d come back this year and see how things worked out.”

Michael Clifton | Facebook

During Ronnie’s year off, Zack decided to take his dad’s modified for a test drive, and instantly fell in love with the extra horsepower. Ronnie said his son moving up a division came as a surprise, but it should help with getting more sponsors. The brothers went to New York to get Zack’s new car this offseason, and he’s put in the hours to make sure he’s ready for Saturday.

“We brought it to the shop and we had to replace pretty much everything on it,” Zack said. “Me and my guys, we worked on it and got it to the way we want it with all of our stuff on it. I’ve learned a lot about the modifieds. I still have a whole lot to learn about them. We’ve been to practices and I really wish there was a lot more practices so we can know what this car likes and doesn’t like, but we’ll just have to figure it out one week at a time.”

Zack Clifton Racing Facebook | Twitter

Ronnie moved up to the modifieds division when Zack started racing sportsmen at Bowman Gray, so the father and son have never actually raced against each other. Zack and Michael have only raced once, but Zack wrecked early and didn’t get a chance to get near his uncle.

While Ronnie and Michael have been racing together for nearly a decade, this weekend will be a new experience for all of them.

Zack and Ronnie Clifton Clifton

“We pick at each other all the time but when it comes down to it we help each as much as we can,” Ronnie said. “I’ve always enjoyed racing against Michael. When we were younger we were really competitive against each other, but the older we get the more we help each other and cheer for each other. If one of us is not running well we try to help the other one out. I think it’ll be about the same with Zack. We’re gonna try to help Zack out as much as we can. He adapts well to everything we tell him.”

“I’ve already made up my mind that we’re probably going to qualify right near each other,” Zack said. “We’ll probably qualify within one or two spots of each other I feel like. I’m just interested to see how it’ll all play out.

“I’m really excited to be able to run against him and hopefully benefit from it and not the other way around.”

“We’ve got a lot of respect for one another,” Michael said. “I feel like we’ll show a lot of respect for each other. I feel like if something goes down with one of us we’ve got each other’s back. I just feel like we’ll look after each other.”

Ronnie Clifton Racing Facebook

All three Clifton’s have something they’re racing for this season. Ronnie is hoping to get that first modified victory before hanging up his firesuit for good. After that, he’ll get to not only help Zack, but watch him every week.

“I’ll probably be nervous racing with him,” Ronnie said. “But he’s a good driver. He’s adapted well to the modified, better than most people do. He’s a pretty smooth driver. I think he’ll hold his own pretty good. I’ll try to help him out as much as I can. If he needs any help I’ll help him out. If he needs my car I’ll give him my car. I’m just there for him more or less to help him transition to the modifieds.”

Zack, too, is looking for a win of his own.

“I get to run for rookie of the year again,” he said. “So I’m up there every weekend to try to at least win a race this year. If not, I would be happy to get rookie of the year.”

“Everything I’ve learned in the past I can just throw away and have to start fresh because the modifieds is a whole different ball game.”

While Michael doesn’t have any specific goals, racing again will be enough for him.

“I’m just looking forward to getting out there and having fun and just enjoying it,” he said. “I hope that we have good nights and don’t tear up a whole lot.”

Bowman Gray Stadium Schedule

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Jimmie Johnson took on the Boston Marathon, and his peers took notice.

Several of them, including 2019 winners Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, took to social media to congratulate the seven-time series champion on his showing in Monday’s 26.2-miler.

Considered one of the most prestigious marathons in the world, Johnson — who had been training for months and started his run just 36 hours after racing at Richmond — logged a time of 3 hours, 9 minutes and 7 seconds.

RELATED: Johnson: ‘It’s been an amazing experience’

From Kyle Larson in a baby stroller to his post-race brews, here’s what NASCAR Nation was saying after Johnson’s epic run.

Posted on by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson knows plenty about training, about pace and about racing. He is a seven-time champion and 83-race winner at the sport’s highest level, after all.

But Johnson applied those same principles that helped him develop into one of NASCAR’s all-time greats to a different kind of course — the 26.2-mile 123rd running of the Boston Marathon on Monday morning, only 36 hours after competing in NASCAR’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series night race at Richmond Raceway.

Johnson woke up this morning preparing his gear, stretching and doing some laps to get himself ready.

Fittingly wearing bib No. 4848, Johnson completed the marathon with an unofficial time of 3 hours, 9 minutes and 7 seconds. That means he ran approximately 8.24 mph (with a pace of 7 minutes, 13 seconds per mile), and according to Johnson, it wasn’t easy.

He finished in 4,155th place overall and 3,746th among males. In his division (Male 40-44), Johnson finished 641st.

Johnson began the race at 10:25 a.m. ET and hit the 5K mark 21 minutes, 22 seconds later.

Pacing himself for the long race ahead, at 1 hour, 31 minutes and 38 seconds, Johnson made it to the halfway point.

The most famous part of the course is Heartbreak Hill, between the 20th and 21st mile. It’s an uphill portion near Boston College and is considered the most difficult stretch of the race.

“I wish I had my car for Heartbreak Hill, it would have made that a lot easier,” Johnson told CBS Boston after finishing the race. “What an incredible experience. … The stories that people have told me that have been in this before don’t even come close to what it’s like in real life. The first half was so easy, and I heard so much about that. To see the pace you’re like, ‘Oh wow, I got this, no problem,’ and then the work starts. You realize you probably got on too fast. Just thankful that this worked out.”

And now, he has another piece of hardware to add to his growing collection. Former Boston Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi presented Johnson with his medal.

“I wanted to race it, so I went out with a heart rate and time in mind. I came up a little short, but still to do that well, still to be that low in the threes (three hours), I’m really happy with it,” Johnson said. “It’s been an amazing experience. I’ve learned so much about myself. I just can’t believe how this city supports all the runners on course.”

Considered one of the most prestigious marathons in the world, Johnson had been training for his first Boston Marathon for months. An avid fitness buff, he already ran a half-marathon at Daytona Beach, Florida, earlier this season during Speedweeks.

“It’s not like I’ve not run before, but to increase the volume and the daily miles required — it’s crazy what you put your body through,” Johnson told the Associated Press. “I’m enjoying this taper right now. But honestly, I’ve loved the experience and enjoyed all the pain and suffering that comes with it.”

In case you missed it, here are Johnson’s marathon numbers:

10:25:00 a.m. ET – Johnson started the Boston Marathon but first, he had to take care of some racing business.

10:46:24 a.m. ET – Johnson hit the 5K mark with a time of 00:21:22 with a pace of 06:52 minutes per mile.

11:07:50 a.m. ET – Johnson hit the 10K mark with a total time of 00:42:48 and a pace of 06:55 minutes per mile. He is currently running at 8.70 mph.

11:29:36 a.m. ET – With a time of 04:04:34, Johnson made it to the 15K spot, running 07:01 minutes per mile.

11:51:51 a.m. ET – Twenty-two minutes and 16 seconds later, Johnson hit the 20K mark. His total time is 01:26:49.

11:56:40 a.m. ET – Halfway! Johnson is at the half marathon split of the Boston Marathon after an hour and 31 minutes and 38 seconds.

12:14:01 p.m. ET – At 01:48:59, Johnson has passed the 25K split, pacing himself at 07:10 minutes per mile.

12:37:25 p.m. ET – Johnson hit the 30K mark with a total time of 02:12:24.

12:47:45 p.m. ET – 20 miles down!

01:01:02 p.m. ET – At a 07:10 minutes per mile pace, Johnson hits the 35K split.

01:26:44 p.m. ET – Almost there! Johnson passes the 25.2-mile mark, with a time of 03:01:42.

He did it! Johnson finished the Boston Marathon with a time of 03:09:07, unofficially, at 01:34:07 p.m. ET.

Posted on by Staff Report

Martin Truex Jr’s racing-winning No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has passed post-race inspection with no issues at Richmond Raceway.

The No. 19 Toyota was found to be compliant with the 2019 NASCAR Rule Book following Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400. With the post-race teardown complete, the race results are official.

RELATED: Race results | Full schedule for Talladega

Officials have randomly selected the No. 11 JGR Toyota of Denny Hamlin back to the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina for routine evaluation. Hamlin finished fifth in Saturday night’s race.

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 Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

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 scrutineering. 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 to evaluate technical trends, 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 Staff Report

RICHMOND, Va. — Clint Bowyer stalked race leader Martin Truex Jr. over the final 50 laps Saturday night at Richmond Raceway, saving his tires and using his long-run speed to eventually track down and catch Truex Jr.’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Catching him, yes. Passing him was a different matter.

Bowyer pulled his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford right alongside Truex Jr. several times in the waning laps, but couldn’t quite make the race-winning pass in what was a thrilling conclusion to the Toyota Owners 400.

MORE: Truex wins at Richmond | Race results

“We were the fastest car on the long run,” said Bowyer, who methodically moved his way up from the 14th starting spot. “We were clearly not the fastest car. One of the fastest cars is sitting over there in Victory Lane. We had better long-run speed than them. We raced better than them. We made some good adjustments that woke our car up, and we did a good job of working on our car because no, we unloaded and qualified terrible.

“Good track for me and good adjustments on his behalf, and our pit crew was good. It’s a team effort and we pulled through and prevailed with a good finish, but damn, you get that close, you want to win that thing.”

Seeking his first win of 2019 and third career victory at Richmond, Bowyer gradually eased into contention and benefited from his car’s long-run capabilities when the final 148 laps went caution-free. As he continued to chip into the lead margin, his spotter, Brett Griffin, kept up the encouragement: “Sittin’ pretty, man. My money’s on you.”

That challenge, though, faded over the final five laps after a scrape of the wall as Truex held on for his first career win at a short track. The extra wear on Bowyer’s equipment in chasing down Truex allowed Joey Logano to slip by for second place with the laps dwindling.

“I don’t know what I could have done any different,” Bowyer told FOX Sports right after the race. “You hate to get that close. I thought this was our night.”

For the No. 14 bunch, there was some consolation in bringing home the team’s fourth consecutive top-10 finish. Saturday night’s effort followed another strong run last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway and marked the second straight year that Bowyer notched top 10s at the Martinsville-Texas-Bristol-Richmond spring stretch.

“Regardless of what some people may think, I really felt like the last four weeks, we’ve had a car that was just as capable of winning as the guy who won,” said crew chief Mike Bugarewicz. “Just can’t seem to close it out.”

Contributing: Zack Albert