Anticipation builds as Daytona 500 Qualifying approaches

Posted on February 8, 2019February 8, 2019 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, FL — It is the most celebrated Busch Pole Award in NASCAR racing.

The top qualifier for the Daytona 500 gets a full week to proudly navigate one of racing’s most celebrated accomplishments. And the pressure of depending on the outcome of the typically dramatic Gander RV Duel at Daytona qualifying races instantly turns instead to an opportunity to fine-tune and prepare for the sport’s grandest event a week later — the Great American Race.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams have arrived at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway ready for this first test of the 2019 season with pole qualifying scheduled for high noon on Sunday, Feb. 10 (on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The front row for the Daytona 500 will be set with the remainder of the field to be settled in Thursday’s two 150-mile qualifying races.

MORE: Full Daytona Speedweeks schedule

Motivation to lead the field to this first green flag of the season is easy to come by.

Chevrolet has won 10 of the last 11 Daytona 500 pole positions and Hendrick Motorsports drivers have earned the last four – Jeff Gordon (2015), Chase Elliott (2016-17) and Alex Bowman (2018). The lone outlier in that time was Carl Edwards who won the pole for Ford in 2012 driving for Roush Fenway Racing. A pole win for Chevrolet would be the make’s 700th pole position in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

There are only five former Daytona 500 pole-winners entered this week – Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Austin Dillon, Elliott and Bowman – meaning there’s a good chance for someone new to earn that season-opening spotlight.

History indicates that it may be a tall task, however, as Johnson, Elliott and Bowman make up three-fourths of the Hendrick Motorsports team that holds the all-time record for Daytona 500 pole positions (12) – twice that of any other team (Richard Childress Racing has six).

Five times Hendrick Motorsports has swept the front row. The last time, in 2015, Gordon won the pole, Johnson qualified on the outside pole and Dale Earnhardt Jr. started third.

“It was important for my Hendrick Motorsports team to start off strong in Daytona last season,” said Bowman, who won the pole position last February in his first full season in the famed No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 long driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“Starting off a season strong helps set up your momentum so early in the year. This No. 88 team has done a lot of work in the offseason to make our plate-track program that much stronger. Hendrick Motorsports has a reputation for being pretty good on these tracks, so I am excited to see how we unload this weekend and how we qualify and race in The Clash.”

MORE: NASCAR’s top drivers to ‘Clash’ on Sunday

It’s a familiar sentiment for NASCAR’s premier drivers this weekend. In Brad Keselowski’s case, winning the pole position isn’t just a personal goal, but something he knows would be extremely important to his Team Penske organization.

“Probably one of the things that stands out to me, it’s one of the few accomplishments in all of motorsports that Roger Penske doesn’t have, being on the front row for the Daytona 500, at least the pole,” said Keselowski, who is looking for his first Daytona 500 victory as well. Teammate – and newly-crowned Monster Energy Series champion Joey Logano – won the 2015 Daytona 500.

“Boy, would we like to change it,” Keselowski said. “I know it’s high up on his list as something he wants to cross off. We put a lot of thought into it. I’ve tried to put a lot of emphasis on it.”

The 2012 Monster Energy Series champ even went so far as to offer his No. 2 crew a special incentive should he earn his first Daytona 500 pole position.

“I told all our guys that I would give them all the money [earned] if we won the pole,” Keselowski said. “They’re pretty excited about that. That’s been kind of neat to see their faces light up.

“But hopefully, we can get it done.”

Posted on February 8, 2019February 8, 2019 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, FL — Brad Keselowski likens his current state of mind to the times when he was younger anticipating that first day of school. Only now, it’s more of a graduate education, as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series prepares to open its 2019 season at Daytona International Speedway this weekend.

MORE: Full Daytona Speedweeks schedule

“It’s certainly the race I would think of myself being the most prepared for just by the nature of it being the first race of the season,” Keselowski, 34, said. “It reminds me a little bit like when I was in school, the first day of school.

“The night before I would kind of lay out all my clothes, have my backpack packed with pencils, notebooks whatever it might be.

“Of course you get a little bit later into the school year, you’re getting dressed the morning of, you’re barely finding your clothes, your backpack is a mess, all that kind of stuff.

“That’s probably the best way I know how to explain the Daytona 500, it has a lot of that first-day-of-school feel, everybody is super prepared, sometimes a little too anxious as well.”

The 2012 Monster Energy Series champion and a consensual superstar on the sport’s big restrictor plate tracks like Daytona, Keselowski is still missing that one most sought-after trophy in the “Great American Race.” He shows up in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang this week as the defending winner of Sunday afternoon’s Advance Auto Parts Clash (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), non-points race with his sights set high – as always.

2019 team preview: Team Penske | Full 2019 schedule

His sights are set on victory in the Feb. 17 Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“It’s something I thought a lot about,” Keselowski told reporters Thursday. “Before last season I had never really won a major NASCAR race. I won the championship (2012), done a lot of those things, which is certainly great. I hadn’t won a major. Last year after winning Darlington and Indianapolis, gosh, the thrill from that, I’m still kind of on a high from that. That was almost six months ago.

“But Daytona is — the 500 — one major I don’t have. I feel like it’s a race we’ve been competitive at. We had opportunities to win it. For a number of reasons, it hasn’t come together, which is sometimes unsettling. People ask me all the time, ‘what race is the one that got away?’ It’s the 500, so far. I want to change that.”

Keselowski’s work on restrictor plates makes him a favorite from the time he shows up in Daytona Beach. He won his first-ever Cup race on the Talladega high banks in 2009 and has six of his 26 career wins at the Talladega and Daytona superspeedways.

STATS: Brad Keselowski’s career

The route to victory and the disappointment of defeat, however, is always unpredictable. And at Daytona, especially in the Daytona 500, it’s exaggerated and an intense sense of desire and emotion. Sometimes the best car, the keenest strategy, the star performer doesn’t win. That has been the case for Keselowski more times than he’d like to think about. He’s won on restrictor plate tracks leading a lot and he’s won leading a little.

For example, Keselowski led a dominating 115 of the 161 laps in his lone Daytona win in July of 2016. Yet in four of his five Talladega triumphs, Keselowski led 12 laps or fewer. Last year Austin Dillon won the Daytona 500 leading only the final lap to the checkered flag.

In all, Keselowski has led only 38 laps total in nine Daytona 500s and his best finish was a third-place in 2014. Since then he’s only finished three of the last four races and has finishes of 20th or worse in all four of those.

Last year Keselowski won the Advance Auto Parts Clash 75-lap exhibition race and has finished an impressive ninth or better in five of the six Clash races he’s run. Yet his only top five in the Duel at Daytona qualifying race was a fourth place in 2017.

Robert Laberge | Getty Images

It’s the kind of hit and miss that characterizes restrictor plate tracks, but for a driver so skilled and accomplished on them, the mixed bag is hard to reconcile.

As he’s proven over his nine-year Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career, however, that only motivates Keselowski more. He’s a champion and he’s always a favorite at Daytona.

“I feel like the Daytona 500 is one of those races, a lot of restrictor plate races are this way, in my mind, one of those races where one year it takes smarts and great execution and one year it takes a lot of luck,” Keselowski explained. “It seems to rotate back and forth.

“I went back and watched a lot of film. Joey Logano (2015) won the race two or three years ago and the same thing with Denny Hamlin (2016), they made smart and courageous moves to win the race. They really really earned it.

“Then I’ve seen other races – not to pick on anybody – where I would say that’s not the case. Someone was lucky enough to be running at the end of the day. The 500 kind of fell into their laps. That can be really frustrating when you feel like you’ve done everything right, the luck side is not in your favor.

“You got to get back up on the horse and ride. I feel like a number of opportunities we’ve had to win fell through our hands and there’s nothing we could have done differently. We go back there, we keep our hope, we do all the right things and control all the things we can control, knowing that will give us our best chance of winning.”

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.