Jimmie Johnson is feeling confident about his chances at Dover

Posted on May 3, 2019May 5, 2019 by Holly Cain

Jimmie Johnson is a seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup champion, an 18-year veteran of the sport and an 83-race winner. And with 11 previous Dover International Speedway trophies, he is also the winningest driver in history at this week’s venue.

All that good juju in his corner and an omnipresent competitive desire for victory and most would assume Johnson is a perennial favorite for Monday’s Gander RV 400 (noon ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). It’s hard to believe, but a triumph this weekend would be Johnson’s first points-paying trophy hoist since Dover’s Victory Lane two years ago.

The 2018 season marked the first time the champion has gone a full season without a victory and Johnson is long tired of predicting when his ship will right its course. Every week he feels it is possible.

Of course a record 11 victories, a record 3,105 laps led at this week’s track certainly makes this weekend a good option in furthering Johnson’s certain NASCAR Hall of Fame-bound trajectory.

As is so typically the case, Johnson showed up in the Dover media center Friday afternoon looking settled and sounding optimistic.

“Clearly, I’m very biased about this race track,” Johnson said smiling. “I think it’s the best one out there. I think all drivers appreciate just the challenge that comes with this track, the banking, the speed, the transitions from the straightaways through the corners.

“I noticed on social media before we got here that drivers and crew members and crew chiefs were all talking about how much they love coming here. It’s just a very unique challenge and a totally different race track than anything else we race on.”

Johnson’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was 10th fastest in opening practice on Friday and all three of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates were also among the top-10. It’s a good sign going forward as is the momentum in general for Chevrolet and the team.

Johnson brings an enviable record to Dover – an 10.9 average finish and 9.9 average start. He has maintained that average with 34 starts. He won the first two races he ever competed on at the track and has won back-to-back trophies three different times in his career.

Since his victory in the Spring, 2017, Johnson has a pair of top-10 finishes on Dover’s “Monster Mile,” including a third place in the Fall of 2017 and a ninth place in this spring race – won by Kevin Harvick – last year.

Johnson has four top-10s – including a season best of fifth at Texas Motor Speedway, where he also won the pole position. He suffered his worst finish of the season last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway after running over debris and getting a flat tire less than 30 laps into the race.

However, he had to leave Alabama feeling encouraged. Johnson’s teammate Chase Elliott led a Chevrolet 1-2-3 sweep at Talladega – the first win for the manufacturer this season. Elliott is also the most recent winner at Dover, claiming the Playoff win here last October.

“I think we’re all trending in the right direction and getting better each and every week,” Johnson said. “Hendrick Motorsports has improved and is doing better. So, I’m optimistic and certainly very happy to be at the track that I love so much and I feel like we can hopefully string together a couple of really strong weeks here.”

Posted on May 3, 2019May 3, 2019 by H.A. Branham

DOVER, Del. – The atmosphere was festive Thursday at Dover International Speedway, which should’ve surprised no one in attendance at the latest installment of The NASCAR Foundation’s Speediatrics Fun Day Festival.

“Celebrations with a cause” – that’s one way to describe the fun-filled events, which have found several homes throughout the United States and are held in conjunction with NASCAR Cup Series race weekends. At each festival, children flock to participate in a variety of group-oriented activities that promote exercise and healthy lifestyles.

NASCAR drivers are always waiting for them, ready to make an afternoon special … and memorable.

Teamwork makes the dream work. A memory this kid will never forget. #Speediatrics | @WilliamByron pic.twitter.com/i6m5V0mNzA

— The NASCAR Foundation (@NASCAR_FDN) May 2, 2019

That was the case again on Thursday, with festival attendees and volunteers gathering at the speedway, as the iconic “Miles the Monster” statue loomed in the background. The five-driver group attending included the driver of the famed No. 24 Chevrolet, William Byron, as well as Ross Chastain, Vinnie Miller, Matt Mills and Reid Wilson. The drivers interacted with the foundation mascot, “Chase,” and nearly 80 children, the majority from the Dover YMCA.

“Having so many of our drivers join us for the Fun Day Festival is so very important to the success of the event – and the enjoyment of the children,” said NASCAR Foundation’s executive director Nichole Krieger. “We are so appreciative that they found time during a race week to take part in our Fun Day Festival.”

Special to NASCAR.com

Children participated in four activities: the Pit Stop Challenge, Gas Can Relay, Goodyear Tire Race and “Looking for Lug Nuts,” a new activity. A highlight of those competitions was seeing Miller try to bump Mills, his NASCAR Xfinity Series teammate, off the course – and almost take him himself out of the action instead.

Children also received a NASCAR Foundation “fit kit” that included an activity book, jump rope and pedometer watch. The pedometers will facilitate participation in a “step challenge” to see who can walk the most steps between now and May 23 – with bragging rights on the line, as well as a chance to win prizes from The NASCAR Foundation.

The event at the “Monster Mile” marks the first time The NASCAR Foundation has hosted a Speediatrics Fun Day Festival in the Dover area. It is also the second in a series of six events that will take place throughout the 2019 season. The first event took place surrounding the March race weekend at ISM Raceway, with the remaining events scheduled for race weekends at Chicagoland Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Michigan International Speedway (August) and Martinsville Speedway.

To learn more, visit NASCARfoundation.org.

Posted on May 3, 2019May 3, 2019 by Staff Report

Under the light of the moon, before and during Prohibition, moonshiners would gather in private locations throughout the rural south to brew homemade spirits which they would later sell secretly to avoid alcohol taxes and bans. Dating back to the 1700s, and even more during Prohibition, production skyrocketed.

Today, things are done a little differently. Sugarlands Distilling Co. based out of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, uses award-winning spirits, along with a barn house location, to complete a new, different and modern distilling experience.

The proud, locally owned brand has been around since March 2014, but the history of moonshine dates much further back. And both have deep ties to NASCAR.

Back in the old days, moonshiners needed runners – drivers that could smuggle the moonshine to ready customers. The cars looked normal enough to avoid any type of unwanted attention but were set up with heavy-duty shocks and springs, keeping the moonshine safe on the backwoods roads. High-powered engines gave cars extra speed to outrun cops or tax agents along their routes.

After Prohibition ended, drivers found themselves with these unique, fast cars — but no work.

That is until Dec. 14, 1947, when Bill France held a meeting with drivers, owners and mechanics to put in place rules for a unified racing series – and then there was NASCAR.

“You’ve got all these guys that are running moonshine in the backwoods and around the countryside in these souped-up cars and they started getting together to race those cars. That was the start of NASCAR,” said Sugarlands Distilling Co. head distiller Greg Eidam.

So, moonshine and NASCAR go way back. But the whiskey is still just as relevant today as Sugarlands Distilling Co. has partnered with NASCAR to become the Official Moonshine of NASCAR.

“NASCAR has such a loyal following of fans,” Eidam said. “We’re excited to introduce our moonshine to a group of people who appreciate the history of the sport – and enjoy celebrating it with good spirits.”

MORE: Get your own jar!

Last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, fans were able to enjoy hand-crafted cocktails made with Sugarlands Shine. Sugarlands, in partnership with Talladega Superspeedway, also introduced a limited-edition Corn Whiskey created specifically to celebrate 50 years of speed and shine.

The traditional, unaged corn whiskey is similar to that of the spirits previously bootlegged throughout Appalachia, which mirrors Sugarlands’ goal to never stray from its roots.

“We strive to keep the history in each bottle,” Eidam explained. “It (the recipe) came out really good and it was fairly simple. … We’ve got a strain of yeast that we really like here. It has produced some really great characteristics for our whiskey, we’ve experimented with different strains of yeast in the past and this one has done really well for us. We are extremely proud of the Talladega 50th Anniversary Corn Whiskey, it is a smooth shine that we know fans will enjoy.”

Spread across the country, the 50th Anniversary Corn Whiskey can be found in retail liquor stores or at Sugarlands’ Gatlinburg, Tennessee distillery. To learn more about this authentic whiskey, and to find a store with Sugarlands Shine near you, visit www.sugarlands.com/NASCAR.

As an official partner of Talladega Superspeedway, Sugarlands also is the entitlement sponsor of the fall race for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. On Saturday, Oct. 12, the Gander Trucks Series will compete in the Sugarlands Shine 250.

“We’ve got very exciting plans in the works for the fall race and we can’t wait to share a sip or two with fans of speed and shine,” Eidam said.

Posted on May 3, 2019April 1, 2021 by Staff Report

Gary Putnam has been through just about everything in racing.

From winning at the highest level as a car chief in the Daytona 500, all the way to buckling the belts behind the wheel of an open-wheel modified, Putnam has absolutely no regrets for a path that has taken him all around the block in the last few decades.

He was born in Connecticut, but moved down south, where things really took off. Throughout his journey, he has been part of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

“I got to be working in the Whelen Modified Tour and I was good friends with Tommy Baldwin and Kevin Manion, and when they moved down south, they called me up and said they had an opening and I went down there and started working with Ricky Craven,” Putnam said.

Since then, it’s been a wild ride. Among some of his highlights down south, Putnam competed with Richard Petty Enterprises (now Richard Petty Motorsports) as a crew chief, and that wasn’t his only job calling the shots.

“After the crew chief role with Petty, I went over and worked with Joe Nemechek on a NASCAR Busch Series (now Xfinity Series) car and won a race with him at Kansas,” Putnam said. “I ended up with DEI after that.”

Above all, the marquee moment was winning NASCAR’s most prestigious event as a car chief in 2010.

“I would have to say winning the Daytona 500 with Jamie McMurray was definitely the most memorable moment,” Putnam said. “Being able to sit on the pit box, being the car chief, after going there for over 20 years and working with Bono Manion (crew chief at the time), my good friend, it was something else. Listening to the spotter on the last lap and watching the T.V. on the pit box, while the T.V. does have a slight delay, getting the live action from the spotter was incredible.”

Before making the trip south, it was a former NASCAR Modified winner Charlie Pasteryak with whom Putnam worked with while up north

“Charlie Pasteryak, growing up, he really taught me a lot and gave me my first opportunity. I got to work on his car and his brother’s car full-time,” Putnam said.

Now, Putnam finds himself behind the wheel of a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour car at least for a partial schedule each year. He does work during the week for Chip Ganassi Racing in the shop, but still finds the time to wrench on his car and make the trip to specific events.

In 21 career starts, Putnam has a best finish of ninth, at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 2017.

RACING-REFERENCE: Putnam’s Whelen Modified Tour Career

“I do it for fun, it’s really my hobby. It helps me to be a better mechanic and work on race cars. It helps my day job quite a bit, just being able to know what the drivers are talking about and feeling in the car” Putnam said. “At Myrtle Beach this year, I really had a great car. I feel like I would’ve probably finished in or near the top five before a crash.”

He has prior history of being a car owner in the Modifieds as well. Last year, Monster Energy Cup Series driver Ryan Newman competed in Putnam’s car in July at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, finishing third after starting from the pole. In September, Ryan Preece drove the car and was challenging for the lead entire the final corner of the inaugural Musket 250 at New Hampshire, before a crash took him from contention.

“I look forward to the Musket 250 and actually being able to drive it myself this year,” Putnam said. “I think it’s a really cool race with a nice throwback feel to it. It reminded me of the Thompson 300 or the old Race of Champions at Pocono.”

“I am 100 percent content with where I am right now. I’ve been very fortunate to experience everything that I have, and if it all ended tomorrow, I would be ok with it.”

Posted on May 3, 2019May 5, 2019 by Staff Report

Kurt Busch assembled the fastest lap Friday morning in opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Dover International Speedway.

Busch pushed the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 1 to a best speed of 168.445 mph on the 1-mile concrete layout. His fastest lap was the best among 23 drivers who unofficially topped the track qualifying record of 164.444 mph, set by Brad Keselowski in 2014.

RELATED: Practice 1 results | Dover schedule

“It’s fast,” Busch said of the effect of higher downforce leading to fastest corner speeds. “It’s really fun. The guys nailed the setup. We were a little loose to start, a little tight on our second run, and then that run right there, it’s one of those laps where you say, ‘go have at it. Knock it off the top.’ But we’ve got to back it up later.”

Kyle Larson, Busch’s teammate with the Ganassi organization, was second-fastest at 168.106 mph ion the No. 42 Chevrolet. Defending race winner Kevin Harvick turned in the third-fastest lap in the 50-minute session in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Ford.

William Byron was fourth-fastest, and Ryan Blaney completed the top five in the opening tune-up for Monday’s Gander RV 400 (noon ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Jimmie Johnson, who leads Dover’s all-time win list with 11 victories, was 10th-fastest in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet. Teammate Chase Elliott, last weekend’s winner at Talladega and Dover’s most recent victor last fall, was ninth-best in the No. 9 Chevrolet.

Competition officials penalized four teams by deducting 15 minutes of practice time for inspection issues.

• No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet of Kurt Busch (multiple inspection issues at Talladega)
• No. 15 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet of Ross Chastain (late to inspection)
• No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet of Chris Buescher (late to inspection)
• No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford of Cody Ware (late to inspection)

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Staff Report

Here is the order that cars will qualify in for single-car qualifying at Dover International Speedway on Friday. NASCAR announced a new format that takes effect this weekend at the “Monster Mile.”

#	Car	Driver	Team
1	95	Matt DiBenedetto	FDNY Foundation Toyota
2	37	Chris Buescher	Degree Chevrolet
3	00	Landon Cassill (i)	KODRA Communications Chevrolet
4	24	William Byron	Axalta Chevrolet
5	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Office Toyota
6	18	Kyle Busch	Pedigree Toyota
7	32	Corey LaJoie	CorvetteParts.net Ford
8	52	BJ McLeod (i)	RWR Chevrolet
9	27	*Reed Sorenson	Chevrolet
10	20	Erik Jones	Sport Clips Toyota
11	47	Ryan Preece #	Kroger Chevrolet
12	6	Ryan Newman	Wyndham Rewards Ford
13	48	Jimmie Johnson	Ally Chevrolet
14	15	Ross Chastain (i)	Low T Center Chevrolet
15	77	Quin Houff	Chevrolet
16	51	Cody Ware (i)	Jacob Companies Ford
17	43	Bubba Wallace	World Wide Technology Chevrolet
18	19	Martin Truex Jr.	SiriusXM Toyota
19	14	Clint Bowyer	Mobil 1 Ford
20	42	Kyle Larson	Credit One Bank Chevrolet
21	8	Daniel Hemric #	Caterpillar Chevrolet
22	34	Michael McDowell	Dockside Logistics Ford
23	21	Paul Menard	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
24	13	Ty Dillon	Twisted Tea Chevrolet
25	12	Ryan Blaney	Menards/Duracell Ford
26	41	Daniel Suarez	Haas Automation Ford
27	88	Alex Bowman	Nationwide Small Business Chevrolet
28	36	Matt Tifft #	Surface Sunscreen/Tunity Ford
29	3	Austin Dillon	AAA Chevrolet
30	9	Chase Elliott	NAPA Brakes Chevrolet
31	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Little Hug Ford
32	22	Joey Logano	Shell Pennzoil Ford
33	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Ford
34	10	Aric Almirola	Smithfield Ford
35	1	Kurt Busch	Monster Energy Chevrolet
35	4	Kevin Harvick	Jimmy John’s Ford
35	38	David Ragan	MDS Transport Ford

Posted on May 3, 2019May 3, 2019 by Steve Luvender

Here at NASCAR.com, we’re appreciators of all forms of racing — horses included. With the Kentucky Derby just around the corner, we’re giving you the opportunity to create your very own NASCAR-themed horse name using our random generator.

Maybe when NBC’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. reports for duty at Churchill Downs Saturday, he can find us some insider info as to how these horses get whimsical names like “Maximum Security” or “Cutting Humor” or “Plus Que Parfait.”

Until then, simply press the button below, and we’ll unleash a stable of one-of-a-kind horse names with just a touch of NASCAR magic.

Posted on May 3, 2019May 3, 2019 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 3, 2019) – NASCAR and Genius Sports, the global leader in sports data solutions, today announced a landmark deal that will see Genius Sports develop an official NASCAR gaming offering for legal sportsbooks. The new agreement is the first step toward creating an advanced live betting product that will drive fan interest and deepen engagement around NASCAR race events.

Genius Sports will utilize NASCAR’s official data feed to build a high-end live betting product to be sold to legal sportsbooks around the world. Exclusive access to NASCAR’s official data will allow Genius Sports to create a real-time gaming platform that provides up-to-the-minute odds and a suite of traditional wagers and prop bets. The new initiative will enhance the race day experience and keep fans engaged with the sport for longer periods of time.

“Partnering with Genius Sports allows us to deliver a dynamic fan engagement platform in the rapidly-growing world of legalized sports gaming,” said Brian Herbst, senior vice president, broadcasting and innovation, NASCAR. “This new relationship will provide another entry point to the sport and complements our strategy to create a more immersive experience for fans.”

As a result of the agreement, Genius Sports becomes the exclusive provider of NASCAR data to licensed sportsbooks. The new data partnership marks NASCAR’s first in the growing U.S. sports betting sector.

“NASCAR fans are some of the most devoted in the world, and we look forward to helping them to create a deeper, more connected experience that is both safe and secure as the business of sports betting continues to evolve in the U.S.,” said Mark Locke, Genius Sports CEO. “Furthermore, our global relationships will help bring the excitement of NASCAR racing to new audiences both within the U.S. and in new territories around the world.”

With 40 cars on the track reaching speeds of more than 200 miles per hour, NASCAR’s official data is vital to the development of a gaming platform. Only licensed sportsbooks in regulated territories will have access to the official data, providing greater transparency, accuracy, and cooperation to monitor and safeguard NASCAR events.

Before the start of the 2019 season, NASCAR developed a comprehensive sports integrity program and gambling policy in which the sanctioning body granted all teams and tracks the ability to sell marketing sponsorships to sports-betting companies and licensed sportsbooks.

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Holly Cain

Saturday’s Allied Steel Buildings 200 at Dover (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is the fourth and final round of the popular Dash 4 Cash incentive program. Last week’s Talladega Superspeedway winner Tyler Reddick, along with Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell and Gray Gaulding are eligible for the final $100,000 bonus. The highest finisher among the four Saturday will win the money.

Bell (at Bristol), Cole Custer (at Richmond) and Reddick (at Talladega) are the previous three 2019 bonus check winners.

RELATED: Full Dover schedule | Xfinity standings

Bell is the only driver among the four currently eligible with a previous Xfinity Series victory at the notoriously tough Dover “Monster Mile.” He won in the series’ last visit to Dover in October 2018. He has finished top-five in his two starts on the track and led 110 laps. Reddick won the 2015 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at Dover. He has one top-five in three Xfinity starts and led 23 laps. This is only Briscoe’s second Xfinity race at Dover. He finished 19th in his debut last Fall. Gaulding also has only one previous series start at the track, finishing 34th in 2017.

JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier is the defending race winner. He joins Bell, Jeff Green and Morgan Shepherd as the only former winners entered.

Reddick – the reigning series champion – leads the Xfinity Series championship standings again, 32 points over Bell and 73 over third-place Austin Cindric.

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Track Release

Charlotte Motor Speedway is set to host its two biggest races of the year … and they’re going to do it with “Flair!” Eight-time WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair – a native of Charlotte, North Carolina – will assume honorary pace car driver duties for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 26.

The WWE royalty will lead a field of NASCAR stars including Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and more before the green flag drops on the iconic event.

Flair has won more women’s titles than any superstar in WWE history and is the daughter of 16-time world champion Ric Flair. Flair also became the first female superstar in WWE history to main event a singles match on Raw, SmackDown LIVE and a pay-per-view.

RELATED: Buy tickets!

FOX will carry the Coca-Cola 600. Additionally, FOX will become the new broadcast home for WWE SmackDown LIVE starting Friday, Oct. 4. Fox Sports 1 will also be the new home of a Tuesday-night WWE studio show which will cover all the happenings in the WWE universe.

Prior to the green flag, Coca-Cola 600 ticketholders can also enjoy a FREE pre-race concert featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Cheap Trick.