Life in the fast lane takes on new meaning for Ben Kennedy

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Kenny Bruce

CONCORD, N.C. – His driver’s suit has been put away, but Ben Kennedy hasn’t stopped racing.

No surprise there. The great-grandson of NASCAR founder William H.G. France continues to work his way up the corporate ladder, absorbing as much as he can along the way.

Kennedy recently was named Managing Director of Racing Operations and International Development. It’s a title that encompasses a lot but focuses on competition-related issues in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. The international portion means he’ll be diving into NASCAR’s efforts in Canada, Mexico, Europe and elsewhere.

MORE: Regional, International Local Series

Although he’s grown up in NASCAR, it’s still a bit of a culture change for the 27-year-old who spent several years looking at the sport through the windshield of a race car. His last stint behind the wheel came in 2017.

Kennedy won twice in 42 starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, picked up a victory in the Truck Series where he made 73 starts, and managed one top-five finish in 17 Xfinity Series attempts.

“I enjoyed it; I was very passionate about it,” Kennedy says of his driving career. “I learned a ton but it just kind of felt like the right time for me to make the move. I thought about it for several months; it definitely wasn’t an overnight decision.

“I just made the leap of faith. I’ve always been passionate about the business side of motorsports, specifically NASCAR.”

Kennedy, son of International Speedway Corp. CEO Lesa France Kennedy, spent the ’18 season as general manager of the Truck Series, working with series director Brad Moran and his team.

He remains a team owner, with Ben Kennedy Racing fielding Late Model entries as well as those in the K&N Series. The group’s 2019 driver lineup consists of Daniel Dye and Anthony Sergi. It’s his lone remaining tie to that side of the sport.

“He’s obviously grown up in the sport and he’s been behind the wheel, so when he took the step to jump outside the car and … work at the (NASCAR) R&D Center, I’m sure that came with some question marks about ‘What do I do and how do I do it?,'” said Steve O’Donnell, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer for the sanctioning body.

“He jumped in and did an incredible job with the Truck Series … and he wants to grow and learn as much as possible. He’ll continue to learn the ins and outs of the business, but also have some ownership of a number of key projects. Part of that will be as we look to expand our presence internationally. Ben’s been a key asset in that.”

MORE: New competition model in 2019

There’s no lack of things to keep him busy as Kennedy becomes an integral part of the overall NASCAR leadership team. There’s work to be done on upcoming schedules — the 2021 season could see a major shift in venues and/or dates — NASCAR hopes to roll out the new Generation-7 car by the start of the 2021 season, “and you have charters, sanctions, all that going on,” Kennedy said.

“With (NASCAR President) Steve Phelps and Jim (France, CEO) in office, it’s neat to see the momentum and energy we have internally to help continue to drive the sport forward. There’s a lot on our plate, a lot of exciting things, too.”

Some of those exciting things is talk of schedule changes, whether dates or venues — typical hot-stove fare for offseason conversations.

Since 2012, the Xfinity Series schedule has consisted of 33 points races. The 35-race schedule from 2005-10 was the most in series history.

The Truck Series schedule has consisted of 23 points events since 2015. It’s featured as many as 27 races, in 1998, and as few as 20 for the inaugural 1995 season.

RELATED: Full Truck Series schedule

Now, Kennedy is on the front lines for these discussions.

“We looked at it for both series, and landed on the current schedule,” Kennedy said. “It feels like the right number to us. Twenty-three (for Trucks) isn’t as much as the Cup schedule, but it’s still a decent amount and it’s spread out enough that it gives some of the teams, especially some of the smaller teams, an opportunity to catch their breath and get back up to speed on inventory.

“We’re always looking at the number of events and the places we go … it’s always on the table. We’re in a lot of really neat markets right now but we’re always looking at new opportunities out there.”

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C., (Feb. 6, 2019) – NASCAR’s Winningest Team, Roush Fenway Racing today announced a partnership with Acorns, the fastest way to invest. For the 2019 season, Daytona 500 Champion Ryan Newman will represent Acorns and race the No. 6 Ford Mustang.

This will be Newman’s first season behind the wheel of the iconic Roush Fenway No. 6 Ford. Acorns will be featured for multiple races in 2019, making its debut with Newman and the team during the second race of the season on Feb. 24 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Newman, who enters the 18^th season of his celebrated career, makes his Roush Fenway debut a week prior in the season-opening Daytona 500. Newman boasts seven poles and nine top 10 finishes at Atlanta.

“Winning is everything to me, it’s what drives me to become a champion in our sport,” said Newman. “I came from humble beginnings; my father was an auto mechanic who wanted to race but never had the chance to do so. He taught me to invest in myself and never stop growing. I’m excited to represent a company like Acorns that is encouraging all Americans to invest in their future. With the support of like-minded individuals, I hope we can share our successes on and off the race track this season.”

RELATED: 2019 Roush team preview

Newman, a native of South Bend, Indiana, becomes the sixth driver to pilot the No. 6 for Roush Fenway. The No. 6 Ford has visited victory lane 36 times, captured 41 poles and led over 11,400 laps under the Roush Fenway umbrella.

Newman has led over 4,800 laps, and his 51 poles are the ninth most in NASCAR history. He was named the Cup Series rookie of the year in 2002 and won the 2008 Daytona 500 and the 2013 Brickyard 400. He has finished inside the top 10 of the final Cup standings on seven occasions, including a second-place finish in 2014, and he has qualified for the NASCAR Cup playoffs on eight different occasions since its inception in 2004. He was also named NASCAR Driver of the Year in 2003.

“NASCAR is the ultimate representation of the American dream,” said Noah Kerner, CEO of Acorns. “With the help of Rocketman we hope to reach all Americans who want to race towards a better future.”

Acorns helps America’s up-and-coming by automatically investing spare change from everyday purchases into diversified ETF portfolios. It also helps these customers grow their knowledge, earn extra money and save for retirement with the launch of Acorns Later, the first automated retirement account, which has welcomed nearly 350,000 investors who have invested $40 million to date.

Posted on February 8, 2019 by

Editor’s note: NASCAR.com continues its countdown of team previews for the Monster Energy Series season, ranked in order of best finish in last year’s owner standings. Today’s features Team Penske and its drivers Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano.

TEAM PENSKE

Manufacturer: Ford

Engine: Roush Yates Engines

Drivers: Brad Keselowski, No. 2; Ryan Blaney, No. 12; Joey Logano, No. 22

Crew chiefs: Paul Wolfe (Keselowski), Jeremy Bullins (Blaney), Todd Gordon (Logano)

2018 standings: Logano clinched his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title with a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway, ending his season with a first-place ranking. Keselowski finished the 2018 eighth, while Blaney ranked 10th at year’s end.

What’s new: The driver and crew chief lineup remains the same, but the end of 2018 brought a different morale to Team Penske, with Logano winning the championship. The title marked Team Penske’s first Cup championship since 2012, when Keselowski hoisted the trophy.

The three drivers will also wheel a new car this season, with the Ford Mustang making its debut on the track at Daytona International Speedway. It marks the first time the Mustang, Ford’s oldest car model, has raced at NASCAR’s premier level.

Outlook: In the first season with all three drivers under the Team Penske umbrella, they combined for seven victories — and all three of them reached Victory Lane. More of that is expected in 2019 with the sport’s reigning champion in house and plenty of momentum that’s derived from late surges in 2018. All but one of Logano’s, Keselowski’s and Blaney’s wins came in the final 15 races of the 2018 season, indicating the growth and gains of the organization — and perhaps, a foreshadow of 2019.

DRIVERS

Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford: Keselowski saw a slight dip in overall performance in 2018, notching less top fives, top 10s and laps led than his previous two seasons, but still carried strong statistics at year’s end. He also kept at least three wins in his yearly win column, a streak he’s had since 2016, notching three straight victories at Darlington, Indianapolis, and Las Vegas, the first race of the 2018 Playoffs.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

The No. 2 team was also one of the 14 Monster Energy Series teams at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the rules package test on Jan. 31-Feb. 1. Keselowski was positive about his progress in Las Vegas, putting up top-seven speeds both days.

“I thought we had a really fantastic test,” Keselowski said in a Thursday teleconference. “I’m feeling pretty confident that we’re going to be able to head to Vegas, Atlanta here in a few weeks after the 500, be pretty strong.”

The key for Keselowski and the No. 2 team as they approach the 2019 season with the new rules package is strategy. The package requires strategy, both mental and on the rack track — and strategy is an area where No. 2 crew chief Paul Wolfe excels. If the pair can capture some of the magic from last year’s three-race winning streak, the 2019 season could be a strong one for the No. 2.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Menards Ford: In his first year with the No. 12 team, Blaney earned career-best numbers in yearly top fives (including two runner-up finishes), top 10s and poles. He more than doubled his laps led total from 301 in 2017 to 660 in 2018, ranking seventh among all active drivers last season. The 25-year-old driver also capitalized on late-race chaos at the Charlotte Road Course during the playoffs to notch his second career win.

Blaney and crew chief Jeremy Bullins — whom he brought from his No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford team — showed growth in 2018, implying there may be more glimmers of greatness from the young driver in the future. If Blaney can turn a day with multiple laps led and time up front – something he did plenty in 2018 — into a win, he may be a dark horse in the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs.

Joey Logano, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford: The 2018 season was a season of redemption for Logano and the No. 22 team; after missing the Playoffs in 2017, the group rallied back in 2018 for three victories and ultimately, the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship title.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

The 2018 title provides momentum for the No. 22 group — and also a bit of pressure to repeat upon last year’s success. Only six drivers have repeated championships back to back in NASCAR’s modern era; five of those are Hall of Famers with the sixth (Jimmie Johnson) a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame once he retires.

While still strong throughout 2018, Logano and crew chief Todd Gordon experienced a late surge last season, finishing eight of 10 Playoff races in the top 10 and winning twice. They’ll look to build upon that in 2019 — but start that hot streak earlier in the season, perhaps earning a second Harley J. Earl trophy for Logano in the season-opening Daytona 500.

TEAM PREVIEWS
• Jan. 22: Assorted teams
• Jan. 23: Richard Petty Motorsports
• Jan. 24: Germain Racing
• Jan. 25: Leavine Family Racing
• Jan 28: Front Row Motorsports
• Jan. 29: JTG Daugherty Racing
• Jan. 30: Wood Brothers Racing
• Jan. 31: Roush Fenway Racing
• Feb. 1: Richard Childress Racing
• Feb. 4: Chip Ganasssi Racing
• Feb. 5: Hendrick Motorsports
• Feb. 6: Joe Gibbs Racing
• Feb. 7: Stewart-Haas Racing
• Feb. 8: Team Penske

Posted on February 7, 2019 by NBC Sports

STAMFORD, Conn. – NASCAR America, NBCSN’s daily motorsports show, returns for its sixth season this Monday, February 11 at 5 p.m. ET, and will feature an all-new look, theme, studio and weekly schedule.

Airing weeknights at 5 p.m. ET, NASCAR America will originate directly from NBC Sports Group’s updated studio in NASCAR’s heartland of Charlotte, N.C.. As part of the show’s rebranding, each weeknight will showcase a different theme focused on the sport of NASCAR, its drivers, teams, fans and the motorsports industry at large. In addition, select episodes will include opportunities for fans to call in live and speak with NASCAR America hosts, analysts, drivers and other guests.

Listed below is the season six linear and digital episode debut schedule for NASCAR America.

Monday, February 11

NASCAR America Monday: Hosted by NASCAR on NBC’s Race Team including the “Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton, Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett, and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte, NASCAR America Monday will focus on the previous weekend’s races, and include highlights, “Turning Points”, driver interviews, expert analysis, and signature NASCAR America segment Scan All.

Tuesday, February 12

NASCAR America Presents The Dale Jr. Download: Every Tuesday, NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver for an unprecedented 15 consecutive years (2003-17) and winner of two Daytona 500s, Dale Earnhardt Jr. co-hosts NASCAR America with Mike Davis. Produced on-site at Dirty Mo Media Studios in Mooresville, N.C., episodes on Tuesday will expand to one hour, and feature the same unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and first-person insight of The Dale Jr. Download that fans have come to love.
NASCAR America Splash & Go: In addition to NBCSN’s linear telecast on Tuesday, NBC Sports Digital will feature multiple editions of NASCAR America Splash & Go segments, featuring the news of the day, breaking news, race shop reports and interviews. NBCSports.com’s lead motorsports writer Nate Ryan will host Splash & Go digital segments and will be joined by a collection of NASCAR on NBC analysts. NASCAR America Splash & Go will be available on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

Wednesday, February 13

NASCAR America Presents Motormouths: Hosted by NASCAR on NBC’s Rutledge Wood and Marty Snider, alongside auto racing icon Kyle Petty, Motormouths Wednesdays will feature a light-hearted approach to the traditional show, and include regular opportunities for fans to call in to NASCAR America and speak with hosts, analysts, drivers and other guests live on TV.
NASCAR America Debrief: As a compliment to Wednesday’s telecast of NASCAR America on NBCSN at 5 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Digital will present NASCAR America Debrief, a digital exclusive show available on the NBC Sports YouTube Channel beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Nate Ryan will host NASCAR America Debrief, and will be joined by select NASCAR on NBC analysts and guests from that day’s linear telecast. NASCAR America Debrief will follow the same light-hearted approach as Motormouths, with an emphasis on additional viewer and fan engagement.

Thursday, February 14

NASCAR America Presents The Motorsports Hour: Featuring NASCAR on NBC host Krista Voda, with NASCAR drivers and analysts A.J. Allmendinger and Parker Kligerman, NASCAR America’s Motorsports Hour on Thursday will highlight the upcoming weekend’s NASCAR races, and also shine a light on the latest news surrounding IndyCar, IMSA, American Flat Track, Supercross, Motorcross, Mecum collector car auctions, and all of motorsports. Additional analysts will include former IndyCar driver Townsend Bell, former IMSA GT driver Calvin Fish, former IndyCar driver Paul Tracy, as well as Motocross and Supercross legend Ricky Carmichael.

NASCAR America’s Fan Fridays will return to NBCSN in July, live from the site of select NASCAR on NBC races, and will be broadcast from NBC Sports’ Peacock Pit box set located on pit road.

NASCAR America is also available on the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TV’s.

NASCAR ON NBC

NBC Sports Group returns for its fifth season of NASCAR on NBC coverage beginning Sunday, June 30 from Chicagoland Speedway.

The official home of the NASCAR Playoffs, NBC Sports Group will present the final 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, and select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events in 2019. NBC Sports Group’s NASCAR programming also includes NBCSN’s daily motorsports show NASCAR America, coverage of NASCAR’s Awards Ceremonies, the annual NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony, as well as original programming specials.

Posted on February 7, 2019February 8, 2019 by Staff Report

Chase Elliott will return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway to pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro, JR Motorsports announced Thursday.

Elliott, the 2014 Xfinity Series champion for JRM, will debut the No. 8 car for JRM with primary sponsorship from AfterShokz headphone brand for the NASCAR Racing Experience 300 (Feb. 16, 2:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Full Speedweeks schedule

“I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel for JRM in Daytona,” Elliott said in a team release. “Kelley, Dale and the entire organization have been so great to work with over the years. We won this race back in 2016 and this year we’re looking to get back into victory lane with AfterShokz.”

Along with his title, Elliott has earned five victories in 80 races for JRM. Elliott’s last trip to Victory Lane came in the the 2016 Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona, driving the No. 88 entry in the first of six races that season. Elliott also competed in eight events throughout the 2018 season, including one race for JRM and seven starts in the No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet.

The No. 8 car is officially slated thus far to compete in 24 events this season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has indicated he will drive the Darlington Xfinity Series race himself. Below is the full driver schedule for JRM’s No. 8 team in 2019:

— Elliott will make his JRM debut at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 16)

— Spencer Gallagher will drive the car at Talladega Superspeedway (April 27) and Daytona (July 5).

— Ryan Preece will compete in races at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Feb. 23), Auto Club Speedway (March 16), Pocono Raceway (June 1) and Watkins Glen International (Aug. 3).

— Zane Smith will make his NXS debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 2. He will also compete at Bristol Motor Speedway (April 6), both Richmond Raceway events (April 12 and Sept. 20), Dover International Speedway (May 4 and Oct. 5) and Iowa Speedway (June 16 and July 27) events.

— Ryan Truex will drive for the organization at ISM Raceway (March 9), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sept. 14), Charlotte Motor Speedway (Sept. 28) and Kansas Speedway (Oct. 19).

— Jeb Burton will drive at both Texas Motor Speedway events (March 30 and Nov. 2), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 25), Chicagoland Speedway (June 29) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 16).

Taylor Moyer will be the crew chief for the No. 8 all season.

Posted on February 7, 2019February 7, 2019 by @nascarcasm

Announcing year two of the @nascarcasm Fantasy Dumpster Fire NASCAR Fantasy Live league!

Dear friends, followers, race fans, and people who have muted me on Twitter,

The start of the 2019 NASCAR season is so close that you can hear the revving of the engines, the roar of the crowd, and Jimmie Johnson accidentally calling crew chief Kevin Meendering “Chad” over the radio.

This also means the kickoff of 2019 NASCAR Fantasy Live season. And that means the triumphant return of the @nascarcasm’s Fantasy Dumpster Fire fantasy league! That’s right friends — I did so bad last year that I’m bringing it back to see if I can top last year’s futility. I think the best week I had was the one where I forgot to set my lineup. Click the link below to join in the fun.

JOIN NOW: @nascarcasm’s Fantasy Dumpster Fire

Everything in NASCAR has changed completely, but over in the Fantasy Dumpster Fire, the rules are the same as last year – the overall winner gets hot passes to a race of their choice in the 2020 season. It will be open to the first 10,000 participants – roughly the same number of people driving the JR Motorsports No. 8 car this year.

(Note: If you played last year, don’t sweat — you’re already in.)

So much is new this year – drivers with new teams, new cars, etc. That means this year will be quite the challenge in the world of fantasy NASCAR, as opposed to last year, when you ran out of your Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. uses by the second week of March. That’s what happened to me.

That’s why this year, I proposed that every week when you load your team, Harvick, Kyle Busch and Truex are already given to you. It’s sort of like how “Wheel Of Fortune” eventually gave up and gave you RSTLN and E on the final puzzle. But no one listens to me.

MORE: Really bad suggestions for your fantasy team name

I’m taking a moment right now to enjoy the days before the first race, when I’m actually tied for first place with everyone else.

Anyways, looking forward to another great year on track and in the fantasy league. Tell your family and friends to join, too – preferably ones that are worse at fantasy sports than me. I’m that desperate to improve this year. Deal with it.

Your friend and perpetual fantasy loser,

@nascarcasm

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Chase Wilhelm

Editor’s note: NASCAR.com continues its countdown of team previews for the Monster Energy Series season, ranked in order of best finish in last year’s owner standings. Today’s features Stewart-Haas Racing and drivers Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Daniel Suarez.

STEWART-HAAS RACING

Manufacturer: Ford

Engine: Roush Yates Engines

Drivers: Kevin Harvick, No. 4; Aric Almirola, No. 10; Clint Bowyer, No. 14; Daniel Suarez, No. 41

Crew chiefs: Rodney Childers (Harvick), John Klausmeier (Almirola), Mike Bugarewicz (Bowyer), Billy Scott (Suarez)

2018 standings: Harvick, third in final standings (advanced to Championship 4); Almirola, finished fifth in standings (eliminated in Round of 8); Bowyer, finished 12th in final standings (eliminated in Round of 8); Suarez, finished 21st in final standings (with Joe Gibbs Racing)

What’s new: Daniel Suarez moves to the No. 41 Ford Mustang after two seasons at Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 19. Suarez replaces Kurt Busch, who will move over to Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 1 effort after five seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing. During his time at JGR, the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion racked up four top fives, 21 top 10s and one pole. The 27-year-old Mexican-born driver is looking to revitalize his career with what he feels like is a second opportunity at success with the Tony Stewart-led organization.

The brand-new Ford Mustang is also another change for the teams this year. Following the Organizational Test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the beginning of February, it appears SHR may already have a good grasp on the new model and 2019 rules package as Clint Bowyer finished in the top seven in all three sessions of the two-day affair.

Outlook: Last season, Stewart-Haas Racing landed all four of their drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs — with all of them made it through to the Round of 8. Coming off of a 12-win year, SHR will be another top favorite, along with Joe Gibbs Racing and championship-winning Team Penske. There’s the potential for some growing pains with the new Ford Mustang, but the chances are unlikely between the depth of driver talent and engineering prowess at the Kannapolis, North Carolina-based shop. Although Suarez is still searching for his first career win at NASCAR’s highest level, look for all four drivers to be major threats for playoff contention this year.

DRIVERS

Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Busch Beer Ford: After making the Championship 4 in 2018, expect Harvick to pick up right where he left off. The Rodney Childers-led No. 4 squad earned eight of SHR’s 12 wins last year and we should expect more of the same in 2019.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

The 2014 champion started out last season strong, winning three races in a row (Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix). It wouldn’t be a surprise if he did more of the same over the next few weeks, including the potential of adding a second Daytona 500 victory to his resumé on Feb. 17. Look for Harvick to earn a win to lock himself in the Playoffs early, continue to rack them up throughout the regular season and make a Championship 4 appearance for the third consecutive year.

Aric Almirola, No. 10 Smithfield Ford: Although we didn’t fully know what to expect out of the Almirola in his first season with the organization, the No. 10 team came out of the box strong at Daytona last year, coming within two corners of winning the Daytona 500 before getting taken out by Austin Dillon on the white-flag lap. But Almirola’s superspeedway prowess eventually paid off, scoring his second career Monster Energy Series victory in the fall race at Talladega to lock himself into the Round of 8.

Almirola is more determined than ever to build off of a career-best season in 2018, one where he earned a win, four top-five and 17 top-10 finishes to finish fifth in the final standings. Look for Almirola to land the No. 10 Ford Mustang in Victory Lane early this year, with a Championship 4 bid not out of the question if the team comes into 2019 even stronger than last year.

Clint Bowyer, No. 14 Mobil 1/Rush Truck Centers/Haas Automation Ford: Bowyer heads into his third season with SHR teamed back up with crew chief Mike Bugarewicz, a pair that seems to really click and continues to get stronger. A pair of victories at Martinsville and Michigan gave Bowyer new life in 2018 and he also tacked on nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. The performance was good to make the Playoffs through the Round of 8, coming up just short of the Championship 4 after a struggling in the third round with finishes of 21st or worse.

David Becker | Getty Images

After enjoying his best Monster Energy Series season since 2012, it’s highly likely that Bowyer and the No. 14 gang will one-up themselves this season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bowyer make another deep post-season run this year and if the team can avoid a huge hiccup seen in last year’s three-race stretch before Homestead, a Championship 4 bid is definitely not out of the question.

Daniel Suarez, No. 41 Haas Automation/Arris Ford: If you ask Suarez, he feels the move to SHR’s No. 41 team is a second opportunity, a chance that not many drivers get to experience over the course of their careers. After two seasons of ups-and-downs with JGR, Suarez thinks he has all the tools for success at his disposal, including being teamed up with former JGR driver and team owner Tony Stewart.

“You know, something I really like about Tony is that he’s a very straight-forward guy and what you see is what you get,” Suarez said. “I’m like that as well. So I feel like, to have the support of someone like him, I know he won’t hesitate to say anything to me and I know it’s to be a better race car driver and better person.”

Look for Suarez to potentially rack up his first career victory (or two) in the Monster Energy Series over the course of the regular season and make the Playoffs.

Posted on February 7, 2019February 9, 2019 by Staff Report

Get ready, all you Glassholes — the Glass Case of Emotion podcast is coming to you live from Daytona International Speedway this weekend.

Yes, it’s true. On Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, GCOE will fire up live from the UNOH Fan Zone in the infield of the World Center of Racing. You can catch all the action by watching here on NASCAR.com and NASCAR’s YouTube channel.

Fans in Daytona are welcome — and encouraged — to stop by. There will be a stage with bleachers and special guests joining hosts Ryan Blaney, Kim Coon and Chuck Bush.

DIS President Chip Wile will be among the first to drop in, with other drivers in the mix following Wile.

For those not in Daytona (and why aren’t you?!), go ahead and update your Google calendar for this can’t-miss event.

Posted on February 6, 2019April 1, 2021 by Staff Report

Two former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champions are going back to New Smyrna Speedway with different overall agendas, but the same goal of winning races — something they both have a track record of doing.

Doug Coby and Ryan Preece want to win as much as possible during the 53rd annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, but they also will be heading in different directions by the end of the week.

Coby will chase a sixth Whelen Modified Tour championship driving for Mike Smeriglio Racing for the 2019 season. Preece, who won the 2013 Whelen Modified Tour championship, is making the step to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series full-time with JTG Daugherty Racing. He will run the DAYTONA 500 for the first time on Sunday, Feb. 17.

For Coby, the opportunity to head to New Smyrna’s World Series will come with the chance to rebound from a 2018 season that didn’t live up to his standards. The Milford, Connecticut, driver, who won four straight titles from 2014-17, finished third in the championship standings in 2018 and watched fellow LFR Chassis driver Justin Bonsignore dominate the series — much like Coby did himself for many years.

RELATED: PIT BOX: New Smyrna Set To Host 53rd World Series

He is hoping to use New Smyrna as a way to find some additional speed and get a jump start before the Whelen Modified Tour takes the green flag at Myrtle Beach Speedway on March 16. It will be his first attempt at the entire week.

“We want to keep the bar set high and this is our opportunity to finally say that someone else has proven that they can’t only knock us off for wins, but a championship. Our thought is we need to get the car on the track before the season starts,” Coby told NASCAR.com. “Myrtle Beach comes so quickly, and South Boston is right after that. We have to get the car on the track to try some different things.”

Over his tenure as champion, Coby was dominant for much of the season — winning seven races in 2015 and coming back to win five in 2016. But, over the last two years, Coby has just one win during each campaign. For the veteran, he feels like it’s time for a few changes.

“When you win a lot of races and championships in all different ways, you really can’t change that much about your program,” Coby said. “As we were winning the championships, we saw it happening, and we knew we had to run the same setups at the tracks we were fast at and last year was finally the year where someone else had stepped up their game so much that now we have to make changes.”

RACING-REFERENCE: Coby’s Whelen Modified Tour History

Preece, on the other hand, is going to be in Florida for more than just a week. He will compete in practice and qualifying for the 61st annual Daytona 500 this weekend, before moving over to the high-banks of New Smyrna starting on Monday night. Preece will run the first three tour-type Modified division races of the week — Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday — before turning his focus to winning NASCAR’s most prestigious event.

The Berlin, Connecticut, driver won three straight championships at the World Series from ’15-’17, but came up short of a fourth straight last year. He did wrap last year’s week of racing by winning the prestigious Richie Evans/Ted Christopher Memorial 100 for the third time in four years.

“It’s just a place that I got my feet wet with the modifieds. I’ve been going there a long time,” Preece told NASCAR.com. “There really isn’t anything like it. Dirt racing has race weeks like this all the time, but we don’t. Any chance we have like this to race five nights in a row, it’s a good opportunity to go out, try some new things and jump start your season.”

Preece was part of a test session last weekend, preparing the best he could for the week, knowing that when he shows up to jump in the car on Monday, it’s going to be time to get right down to business. Last year, he struggled early in the week with mechanical issues in the rear-end of his car.

“I did as much as I possibly could. I think every person can ever say that you never feel like you had enough time to get the car done,” Preece said of his preparation. “But trying to get the JTG deal ready, every waking minute that I have had outside of the Cup car, I have been at the modified race shop. The track hasn’t changed. I’m going there with something a little bit different, because we weren’t able to carve through the pack like we had in the past. We got our mechanical problems out of the way, so now we just need to go down and fine-tune and have some really good speed off the truck.”

WORLD SERIES: Division Entries | Event Schedules | More Event Information

Both Coby and Preece are among a stout list of drivers set to compete for the title in an effort to get momentum rolling. The World Series begins on Friday night with the Super Late Models as the headliner of opening night, but the tour-type Modifieds will roll in on Monday for the first time. Teams will compete in five races from Monday through Friday — including the John Blewett Memorial 76 (Wednesday) and the Richie Evans/Ted Christopher Memorial 100 (Friday).

Eight nights of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing, including the five Modified nights, will air via a live stream on FansChoice.TV.

The Modified entry list includes stout competition of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, with names like Timmy Solomito, 2018 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Tommy Catalano and Patrick Emerling among those ready to compete. Jimmy Blewett, who won the title in the SK Modified division at the World Series in the past, is also heading down looking to return to winning form as well.

Even though Preece has plenty of experience racing the half-mile, Coby can’t say the same. He does have one start at New Smyrna, back in 2014, but even that didn’t give him much time on the track.

“I had never seen it before 2014,” Coby said. “I hadn’t even gone down as a spectator. Qualifying got rained out and we had to start last and I think we finished fifth, but this is going to be different. I’m not going down there with any knowledge of how the car is going to be from the 35-lapper to the 76 and the 100. It’s a good challenge. It puts me in a spot where it’s good for Myrtle Beach and South Boston because I’m not good at Myrtle Beach. We need to build a notebook and hopefully building one at New Smyrna will help us build one for other tracks.”

Coby made his first Whelen Modified Tour start in 2002, but won the Late Model championship at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1998, so he has been part of the grassroots racing environment for his entire career. Preece, who won the 2013 Whelen Modified Tour championship, made his first start in 2007, and also has experience running in the short tracks of the northeast at Stafford, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and Riverhead Raceway, just to name a few.

Coby is staying in the Modifieds and will look to continue to etch his name deeper into NASCAR’s record books. Preece is taking an opportunity to go Cup Series racing and trying to be successful at his own endeavor. Through it all, both of them still find the time to have some fun over social media.

WATCH WORLD SERIES ACTION LIVE: FansChoice.TV

For the @RyanPreece_ fans wishing for bad karma to come my way after I wrecked him @NHMS you may have gotten your day: today while he tests his new @MonsterEnergNCS ride @LVMotorSpeedway I am here at his old condo taking listing photos to put it on the market. Fair trade off. pic.twitter.com/5xFnRf2pdA

— Doug Coby (@doug_coby) January 31, 2019

Who would of thought ud83dudcad https://t.co/IkLJHP61Ca

— Ryan Preece (@RyanPreece_) January 31, 2019

“I’ve been in the modifieds forever. I have a lot of passion for it and it is something that has helped build my career. You heard Kevin Harvick talk about it last year, there was a disconnect between NASCAR and the grassroots. I’ve done the grind and I’ve struggled,” Preece said. “I got the opportunity that a lot of us try to get. Am I going to forgot about going to the shop on Monday and working Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, then racing Thursday, Friday and Saturday and running all of these races? No. I don’t forget about those things. That’s what made me who I am today.”

Coby is ready to begin his quest for another title next month.

“For me, it’s just getting back to the consistency of top three and five finishes every week and that’s how wins come your way. I think we lost that the last two years. We quietly had a strong second half of the season last year, but we have to make sure the whole season goes that way,” Coby said. “Our goal is to step up and spread the wealth out a little bit more, and that’s I’m sure what all of their goals were when I was winning six or seven races. I’d be really happy to win six of eight. Just because we didn’t win in 2018 doesn’t mean we can’t pick up where we left off.”

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Marissa Fuller

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Obaika Racing unveiled its Daytona 500 car and new sponsorship deal on Wednesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

The first ever African-owned team plans to compete full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with driver Tanner Berryhill behind the wheel of the No. 97 Toyota Camry.

With primary sponsorship from WAVE Sports for Daytona, Obaika Racing has intentions of running the entire season, making Berryhill a Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, with WAVE continuing to be associated throughout the season. VroomBrands will also continue its partnership with Obaika.

WAVE Sports will use this sponsorship opportunity to expand its content and collaborate with Obaika Racing and Berryhill throughout the season.

“I think the bigger picture here is about a younger audience that we represent, largely on social,” said Greg Bobolo, senior vice president of strategy and partnerships at WAVE Sports. “We love to work with teams, groups like Victor, like Obaika Racing, with a progressive attitude and a mentality towards growing their brand.”

Obaika and Berryhill will kick off the season by making their first attempt at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway in the matte black Toyota with crisp white lettering and defined yellow numbers on the side.

Zack Albert | NASCAR Digital Media

Berryhill, 25, is excited to finally have his chance at a Daytona 500 run but knows he’s not guaranteed a spot once he gets there.

“The Daytona 500 is where every young race car driver wants to get to at some point in their career. Being able to attempt the Daytona 500 has been a dream of mine ever since I started racing,” Berryhill said. “I just have to do my best to stay focused on driving and that’s my job at the end of the day, to do the best I can behind the wheel and where we end up is where we end up.”

Team owner Victor Obaika understands the importance of making the race and is already feeling the pressure as an owner heading into the 500 for the first time. He knows how difficult it’s going to be for the team to make the race but finds that the motivation comes from the extra pressure.

“It’s extremely important to make the 500, we want to make the 500, we need to make the 500. But, if we don’t make the 500, we’ll still be here,” he said.

Obaika Racing competed in 78 Xfinity Series races and three Monster Energy Series races. Now more than ever, they are hoping this season will bring a change to their growing program.

Dan Stillman has served as crew chief in 61 Cup races and will be atop the pit box for Berryhill and the No. 97 in 2019. Obaika and Stillman have a history with one another, as Stillman was Obaika Racing’s first crew chief.

There’s also a good chance the industry will see Obaika Racing compete in some of the other series throughout 2019.

“In a perfect world, I want to run everything,” Obaika said. “We do have Xfinity plans and we actually have a few other plans that are the lower series, like possibly doing a couple ARCA races, maybe some K&N races.

“The exciting part for me, particularly in 2015, was to give drivers opportunities.”