Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Four talented youth drivers have been selected to hone their racing skills as participants in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program after a national talent search in March.

NASCAR and Rev Racing hosted a youth driver combine at GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville, N.C., where drivers ages 12 to 16 were evaluated during practice sessions and heat races.

RELATED: Learn more about NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity

Four drivers were selected to the 2019 class, including Rajah Caruth, 16, an iRacing competitor from Washington D.C., with aspirations of a traditional racing career. Among the new participants are Lacy Kuehl, 12, of Sarasota, Fla., who has experience racing dirt oval flat karts, and Blake Lothian, 16, a World Formula Kart driver from Wellesley, Mass.

Fourteen-year-old U.S. Legends car driver Isabella Robusto of Fort Mill, S.C., returns to Rev Racing having trained with the youth driver development program in 2017 and 2018.

“We were very impressed with what we saw from these drivers at the combine in March,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR director, racing operations and event management. “Each driver demonstrated strong potential and we believe will be successful in racing. The four selected stood out based on their abilities both on and off the track, have great experience and left quite the positive impression on our evaluators.”

NASCAR Drive for Diversity and Rev Racing seek the highest quality candidates from diverse backgrounds and develop them into successful NASCAR drivers. During the summer, the youth program provides selected drivers with equipment, mentoring and competition experience.

Rev Racing, the competition arm of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program, will put the four drivers in INEX Legend Cars in 2019. Each driver will compete in the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway in June and July, and several other events throughout the summer.

“We have really taken an in-depth look at how we develop and train our drivers at the youth level,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Rev Racing. “We’ve seen the program grow over the last 10 years and make a substantial impact in NASCAR. The level of talent and enthusiasm we are already seeing in these young individuals is both promising and exciting. Connecting with drivers as early as possible allows us to have a greater impact on driver development on and off the race track. Our goal is to see these drivers move through the pipeline and into the national series.”

The youth development program serves as a stepping stone for drivers to eventually move to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and NASCAR K&N Pro Series race cars with the goal of one day competing for a NASCAR national series team.

The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, a separate program that will host its combine later this year, introduces talent to Late Model Stock cars and offers opportunities for drivers to compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and Whelen All-American Series with the Rev Racing team.

Graduates of the youth development program include NASCAR K&N Pro Series West driver Hailie Deegan, 17, and Rev Racing Late Model driver Nicholas Sanchez, 17. In 2018, Deegan became the first female driver to win a K&N Pro Series race after taking the checkered flag at Meridian Speedway in Idaho. Deegan won her second K&N Pro Series race in 2019, finishing first at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track.

Sanchez raced in last year’s Bojangles Summer Shootout with Rev Racing’s Legends Car program and recently completed his rookie season in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

The 2019 class features the following drivers:

Rajah Caruth: In 2018, Caruth raced the Legends ’34 Coupe in the inaugural season of the eNASCAR Ignite Series, NASCAR and iRacing’s youth series created specifically to identify and attract young and diverse talent. He made 18 starts in the eight-week regular season, where he finished second seven times, made the playoffs and advanced to the championship round. Caruth has raced in more than 230 races on iRacing thus far in 2019 with 21 wins and more than1,600 laps led.

Lacy Kuehl: Kuehl has raced in a dirt oval flat kart 32 times with one first-place finish. Notable accomplishments include winning at the Inverness Grand Prix and racing for Diabetic Ketoacidosis survivors. Kuehl would eventually like to earn an invitation to the Maxxis Nationals.

Blake Lothian: Lothian raced nine of 10 races in a World Formula Kart in the 2018 New Hampshire Karting Association (NHKA) Outdoor Series in New Hampshire. His highest finish was third place and he finished the season seventh out of more than 20 drivers. In 2017, he was the NHKA Briggs and Stratton LO206 Senior Champion with seven first-place finishes and three second-place finishes.

Isabella Robusto:  A current youth development driver, Robusto competed in the 2018 Bojangles Summer Shootout 10-race series where she finished sixth in the overall points standings. She won Battle at the Big Top at Texas Motor Speedway, a U.S. Legends National Qualifier.

Posted on by Staff Report

All three NASCAR national series are headed to Dover International Speedway this weekend, and all three will be on display as NASCAR.com live streams the first four events on Friday from the “Monster Mile.”

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers will get things started with their opening practice from 11 a.m. to noon ET. Bookmark NASCAR.com/live and don’t miss any of the action as the top drivers return to the track following Chase Elliott’s victory last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

RELATED: Full Dover schedule

After that, the Xfinity drivers will hit the track for their first practice from noon to 1 p.m. and again from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sandwiched in between is qualifying for the Gander Outdoors Truck Series from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

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:
— 11 a.m.-noon ET: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series opening practice
— noon-1 p.m. ET: NASCAR Xfinity Series opening practice
— 1-2 p.m. ET: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series qualifying
— 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice

Fast Friday will kick off on FS1 and the FOX Sports App at 3 p.m. ET with NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition. Monster Energy Series Busch Pole Qualifying will follow on FS1 and the FOX Sports App at 3:30 p.m. ET.

NASCAR RaceDay, at 4:30 p.m. ET, and then the Gander Trucks race, the JEGS 200 at 5 p.m. ET, will round out the day on FS1.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Kyle Petty has placed a generation’s worth of effort into his philanthropic work. It’s a milestone he never quite saw coming back in 1995, when a handful of friends and motorcycle enthusiasts started discussion about the ultimate road trip for a good cause.

Some 25 years later, the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America has grown into an annual highlight of the stock-car racing community’s calendar of charitable deeds. With many miles of crisscrossing the country already in the books, Petty says he knew the ride’s silver-anniversary edition was one worth celebrating on an extreme scale.

“This has been on our radar screen for a number of years, but we kind of saved it for the 25th,” Petty says. “We wanted the 25th to be something special — the longest, going corner to corner, the most bikes we’ve had in forever. We’re going to some new places and we’re going to some old places that have been favorites of the riders through the years that we have fond memories of. … We just thought, hey, the 25th. Might as well blow it out big-time, man, and do it corner to corner.”

Logo for the 25th anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across AmericaThis year’s Charity Ride route is the most ambitious in the event’s history, with 250 riders embarking on a scheduled distance of some 3,700 miles from Seattle to Key Largo, Florida, over a stretch from May 3-11.

The ride will again benefit the Victory Junction camp for chronic and critically ill children in Randleman, North Carolina. The facility, established in 2004 to honor the memory of Petty’s son, Adam, received $1.3 million from last year’s event. The outpouring of support in recent years has meant that more than 8,000 children have attended the camp at no cost.

“It’s crazy, and I say that all the time. The NASCAR community, I shouldn’t be amazed by it any more by all that they do,” Petty said “When one person in the community does something, everybody kind of chimes in and helps. … When you look at the drivers and the people in the NASCAR community, they’ve always supported it. I look at it that this is my community because I grew up traveling week to week with the same group of people. When your community supports you, that’s big. So I think it means everything to me.”

LEARN MORE: Kyle Petty Charity Ride | Victory Junction

Petty calls this year’s nine-day itinerary “a mix of the old and the new, the favorites and soon-to-be favorites.” Both endpoints of the route are new to the ride, as are stops in Oregon and Utah. Glenwood Springs, Colorado and Santa Fe are familiar return trips for past riders, as is Childress, Texas, where Petty says he’s experienced uncommon kindness from the local townsfolk.

“A couple of our guys had left their luggage at the last hotel, which was about 400 miles away,” Petty says, “and when we got there, the lady that worked at the front desk of the hotel where we were, took their clothes to her house, washed them, dried them, and brought them back for them — all in about an hour and a half. I thought, ‘You just don’t get that. People don’t do that for you.’ That was amazing.”

Kyle Petty savors the sights on his annual charity ride.
Kevin Kane Photography

Among this year’s participants are his father, “The King” Richard Petty, current Monster Energy Series driver David Ragan, and former drivers Donnie Allison, Harry Gant and timeless wonder Hershel McGriff, a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee who plans to join in at age 91. Petty will also have support from NBC Sports colleagues Rick Allen, Krista Voda and Rutledge Wood.

The planning and logistics of organizing overnight stays, fueling stops and three daily meals for nearly 250 people typically hasn’t given Petty much time for reflection. When the ride got its start, Petty figured he’d give the event a solid five-year run before moving on to other projects. Then five years prompted talk of a 10-year mark. The rides accumulated, and the 15-year milestone immediately spurred Petty’s group to the goal of a quarter-century.

This year, Petty is taking that moment for himself to reflect.

“When you get to 25 and look back, and I will say this is probably the first year that I’ve ever really sat down and thought about all the people that have been a part of the ride through the ride, the people that are not with us any more that have been part of the ride from the very beginning,” Petty says. “And I think about Adam and so many things that the ride has meant through the years to so many people, there’s 10 riders that have been on all 25 rides, so that’s all so special. You look back a bit at 25, but we’re still looking ahead, too.”

And looking ahead might mean another decade or two.

“I figured if Hershel McGriff can ride at 91, then we’re going to get 50 years out of this thing,” Petty says with a laugh. “I figure I’ve got another good 25 left in me, know what I mean?”

Posted on by Nascar

Name: Mike
Current City: Des Moines, Iowa
Member Since: 2014

Getting to know Mike

Q. How did you first become interested in NASCAR?
“My earliest memories of NASCAR go back to the early 80s. When I was a little boy our weekends revolved around racing. On Friday or Saturday, my dad would take me to the local short tracks to watch sprint car and stock car races. On Sundays we’d come straight home from the morning church service to watch the big boys race. If we had chores to do, the radio would be on or a TV turned towards our work. The voices of Ken Squier, David Hobbs, and Ned Jarrett still bring me back to those days.”

What is your favorite part about NASCAR?
“My favorite part of NASCAR is the storied heritage and tight knit community of fans. I have traveled extensively for the last decade of my life. No matter where I have gone, I have been able to find another passionate fan to share stories with as we experience the race together (sometimes at very odd hours).”

Q: Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?
Memorabilia: “I have a collection of door numbers. My most prized is the Dale Earnhardt Jr autographed National Guard door.”

Sponsor: “I like the excitement and youth the Monster Energy sponsorship has brought to the sport. My use of their product has certainly increased once they came on board. I definitely consider supporting all brands that are represented by the sport when making a purchasing decision.”

Race Day Snack: “It is tough to beat the pork burgers, courtesy of Iowa Pork Producers, served at Iowa Speedway.”

What are some of your hobbies?
“As a father of four, my hobbies are my kids. I coach my son’s Little League team, act as chauffeur for my daughter to volleyball and basketball, and attempt to help them with homework. Beyond family life, I spend 80 hours a year volunteering with Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity. This includes the construction of homes as well as organizing events for large volunteering teams. I also enjoy small wood working projects, hunting whitetail deer, and I aspire to be a BBQ pit master.”

​FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK MIKE FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HIM IN 2019!

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR issued an L1-level penalty to the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 team Tuesday for infractions found during last weekend’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event at Talladega Superspeedway.

Competition officials discovered a rear deck lid on the No. 3 Chevrolet that did not comply with the 2019 NASCAR Rule Book before Sunday’s GEICO 500. Officials determined that body filler was added and confiscated the unapproved part before Saturday’s Busch Pole Qualifying.

RELATED: Officials confiscate part from No. 3 | Talladega results

As a result, NASCAR deducted 10 points from Austin Dillon’s total in the driver standings and 10 points from Richard Childress in the team owner standings. Officials also issued a $25,000 fine to No. 3 crew chief Danny Stockman Jr., and suspended car chief Gregory Ebert from the next Monster Energy Series event.

A spokesperson for Richard Childress Racing said that the team has no plans to appeal the penalty, which will sideline Ebert for this weekend’s event at Dover International Speedway. The infraction knocks Dillon from 13th to 14th in the Monster Energy Series driver standings.

NASCAR also handed down a penalty to the Team Penske No. 12 team after one lug nut was found not safely secured in a post-race check after Sunday’s 500-miler. Officials fined crew chief Jeremy Bullins $10,000. Ryan Blaney drove the No. 12 Ford to a 15th-place finish at Talladega.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR on Tuesday lifted the suspension of NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series driver Austin Wayne Self, who has successfully completed NASCAR’s Road to Recovery Program after a violation of the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.

NASCAR announced April 1 that Self had been suspended indefinitely. The 23-year-old driver was required to complete the Road to Recovery Program before reinstatement and receiving clearance to resume competition.

Self has made 66 career starts in Gander Trucks competition, with a best finish of second place in the 2017 season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway. He had made three appearances this season for AM Racing — the Gander Trucks organization owned by his father, Tim — before his suspension.

Monster Energy Series regular Bubba Wallace filled in driving the AM Racing No. 22 Chevrolet at Martinsville Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway while Self was sidelined.

The Gander Outdoors Truck Series’ next race is scheduled Friday (5 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) at Dover International Speedway. AM Racing’s No. 22 is on the preliminary entry list for the JEGS 200 with the driver to be announced.

Posted on by Staff Report

Mother Nature just wasn’t ready to kick-off Stafford Motor Speedway’s season.

Persistent rain the Connecticut region forced officials to postpone the 48th annual NAPA Spring Sizzler weekend to May 4-5, including the fourth race of the season for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

NAPA SPRING SIZZLER 200 AT STAFFORD MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Justin Bonsignore has the speed to get the job done.

After two practice sessions prior to rain last Saturday, Bonsignore made it clear he had the fastest car in the field, at least for one lap speed. He drove the No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet to the top of the speed charts in the final minutes of each session, sweeping practice, and setting himself up on a quest to score two consecutive Stafford poles.

2019 Sizzler LogoAs the 48th annual event gets set to take the green flag again, Bonsignore is hoping he can have that speed when it matters most — in the final laps of the 200-lap marathon. In 34 career starts at the half-mile, he has just 10 finishes inside the top five, and has failed to visit Victory Lane. Leading just 170 laps, the defending series champion will look to shake the monkey off his back in one of the most prestigious races in all of Modified racing, nicknamed ‘The Greatest Race in the History of the Spring’.

Doug Coby, an 11-time Stafford winner, wasn’t far behind in the two practice sessions. Coby was second in both, posting laps that were right on top of Bonsignore’s speed, and the Milford, Connecticut, driver has a long history at his home track, including multiple wins in the Spring Sizzler.

Defending Sunoco Rookie of the Year Tommy Catalano, South Boston winner Ron Silk and former Stafford pole winner Craig Lutz were the only other three drivers to post times inside the top 10 in both practice sessions. Silk has one victory in 46 Stafford starts, while Catalano and Lutz share just 13 combined starts between the two of them.

Stafford’s five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions will also open their season over the course of the two-day event.

RACE FACTS

RACE NAPA SPRING SIZZLER 200
PLACE Stafford Motor Speedway, Stafford, Conn.
DATE Sunday, May 5
TIME 3:30 p.m. (approx.)
TELEVISION FansChoice.TV, 3:30 p.m. (live streaming)
TRACK LAYOUT Half-mile paved asphalt oval
2018 WINNER Ryan Preece
2018 POLE Chase Dowling
EVENT SCHEDULE Saturday: Garage Opens: 9:45 a.m., Final Practice: 12:30-1 p.m., Group Qualifying: 2:30 p.m.

Sunday: Garage Opens: 9:30 a.m., Autograph Session (on track): 11-12 p.m., NAPA Spring Sizzler 200: 3:30 p.m. (approx.)
TWITTER @StaffordSpeedwy, @NASCARHomeTrack
HASHTAG #NWMT, #NAPASpringSizzler

RACE CENTER | ENTRY LIST | SCHEDULE & TICKETS

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: 

The starting field for the NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 is limited to 33 starters, including provisional positions. The first 27 drivers will secure starting positions based on the group qualifying process. The remaining six positions will be awarded through the provisional process.

NASCAR group qualifying is in place for this event. Qualifying groups determined during the rained out event last weekend will be used for this event. Each group qualifying session will be five (5) minutes in duration and the fastest single lap speed of each vehicle will determine the first 27 starting positions.

Any teams who did not attend the original race weekend will be allowed to attempt to qualify.

Adjustments or repairs may not be made on a vehicle after the vehicle enters the track to begin the qualifying session. Vehicles may not return to the track to make any further qualifying laps unless directed to do so by a NASCAR Official or in the event of a caution. Once a vehicle‘s qualifying attempt is complete, the vehicle must proceed directly to the designated impound area once it enters pit road. In the event of a caution, all vehicles must exit the track.

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eleven (11) tires per team. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. The tire change is four (4) tires, any position. Tires were impounded at Stafford and will be used this weekend. Qualifying tires will remain in impound until pre-qualifying inspection.

MEDIA CENTER

RaceDayCT.com: Justin Bonsignore Completes NAPA Spring Sizzler 200 Practice Sweep at Stafford | Riverhead Raceway Pits at Capacity For Practice Day

WWLP.com: Glen Reen Returning To SK Modified Division at Stafford | Johnny Walker Returning To Street Stock Division at Stafford

Speed51.com: Martinsville Winners Share Spotlight in Motor Mile Return

NASCAR.com: Justin Bonsignore Tops Both Stafford Practice Sessions | NASCAR Modified Champion Bugsy Stevens Recovering Following Bike-Riding Crash

Posted on by Pat DeCola

Lost in the shuffle of one of the most intense, dramatic Talladega Superspeedway races in recent memory was an equally dramatic trip to pit road for a former champion.

With the final 30 laps bearing down and pressure at its highest, cars came to pit road for late-race stops. Entering the pits, Brad Keselowski was tucked neatly between teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney at the front of the field — until he wasn’t.

The 2012 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion got loose and spun shortly after making the commitment to pit … landing backward in his stall, which conveniently was the first box on pit road.

The No. 2 Team Penske crew fueled him up, changed his tires and — once he spun back around — sent Keselowski on his merry way. It was one of the more impressive maneuvers we’ve seen, and Kes recovered to finish 13th. It was so smooth, it almost looked as if the team had planned it all along.

A representative from Plan B Sales was on hand behind Keselowski’s pit stall and caught the black magic on film from a different angle — check it out.

Talk about right place, right time.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has unveiled his paint scheme for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Aug. 31 at historic Darlington Raceway when he returns to the track.

Earnhardt Jr. will honor his late father, Dale Earnhardt, by sporting a Hellmann’s Chevrolet with designs inspired by a paint scheme Senior ran for his first premier series start, the 1975 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Earnhardt finished 22nd that day, but that historic start was only the beginning of his legacy.

SHOP: Buy Junior throwback gear

The look that Junior will display in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet includes the vintage style No. 8 and a blue and yellow paint job that offers a modern look of the car that his father piloted almost 44 years ago.

This will be the fourth time that Junior has run a special paint scheme to honor an Earnhardt family member.

“This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while,” Earnhardt Jr. said in a press release. “We had the perfect opportunity with the Darlington throwback race and I couldn’t pass up the chance. Hellmann’s has been completely supportive from the beginning and the whole concept aligns well with their core values.”

Earnhardt Jr. retired from full-time racing following the 2017 season. He competed in one Xfinity Series race last season, a fourth-place effort at Richmond in which he led 96 laps.

RELATED: Darlington tickets

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell joined SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Monday morning to discuss Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway in detail, particularly how NASCAR officials viewed and officiated the final-lap wreck.

Chase Elliott notched his first victory of the year Sunday after 15 different drivers led laps. The Hendrick Motorsports driver claimed the victory under caution following an incident involving David Ragan, William Byron, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jeffrey Earnhardt and Larson evolved into a wreck near the middle of the field. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver was hit on the outside, contact that sent his No. 42 Chevrolet careening toward the inside retaining wall and ultimately flipping down the apron.

Larson exited the car under his own power and was later checked and released from the infield care center (along with the others involved in the wreck), and NASCAR officials will take a closer look at that wreck this week.

RELATED: Larson: ‘Longest flip I’ve ever had’ 

“A lot of work goes into it even prior to the race in the wind tunnel, looking at what the liftoff speeds were,” O’Donnell said of Larson’s car getting into the air. “We’ll have to look at a couple of things; the initial impact of the car on the side around the right rear. Maybe that contributed to the air getting under the tire there, as it headed toward the wall. We’ll look at all that.

“We’ll certainly make any adjustments we need to. We obviously want to keep the cars on the ground, but on the good news front glad to see Kyle was alright. Talked to him after the race and he was certainly shaken up from the wild ride, but he was in a good spot.”

Shortly before that wreck occurred, Stenhouse Jr.’s solo spin sent his No. 17 Ford into the outside wall at the back of the lead pack. NASCAR did not throw the caution immediately upon impact, but made the decision to put out the yellow shortly after.

“Our desire for the fans is to always, always finish under green,” O’Donnell said. “You want to let the race play out as much as we can, and that starts almost with (Erik Jones’) 20 car (spinning) going into (Turns) 3 and 4. Do you throw that caution or do you hold off and see if that car is able to roll off? Certainly, if he was stalled out on the apron, that caution comes out, but we saw that he was able to drive off. So, that’s kind of our philosophy in the closing laps.

“When it comes to the 17 hitting the wall and going down to the apron, then what we’re looking at is does he have the ability to fire the car back up and drive off or not and is there anything on the track? We’re going 200 miles per hour, so to quickly look at that takes a few seconds. By the time that happens, cars are out in 1 and 2 … his car doesn’t roll off so we throw the caution. That caution flag was almost the exact time when the (Larson) incident started unfolding on the backstretch as well. Even if there was no incident on the backstretch, that caution would have come out.”