Posted on 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.”

HAMPTON, VA - JUNE 23: Ryan Preece, driver of the #6 TS Hauler Chevrolet, smiles after winning the pole award for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour WhosYourDriver.org 150 at Langley Speedway on June 23, 2018 in Hampton, Virginia. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

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

“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.”

Ryanpreece 2016newsmyrnamodifiedwin

Posted on 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.

Img 4074
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.”

Posted on by RJ Kraft

NASCAR Fantasy Live is back for the 2019 season with a few tweaks from last year’s game. Players can sign up right now to be ready to go for the start of the season – the 2019 Daytona 500 on Feb. 17. Pro tip: One bonus pick must be set by Feb. 10 for qualifying — more on that below!

Accessing the game to set your roster can be done by logging into your account and going to the Fantasy page (NASCAR.com/Fantasy). You also can access the game by opening the NASCAR Mobile App, logging into your account and clicking the Fantasy icon on the bottom of the app. Mobile users can also opt in to receive fantasy alerts to help you stay on top of your roster each week.

As you read, listen in to our first episode of the Fantasy Fastlane podcast.

What is the roster composition?
The roster will consist of five starting drivers as well as a garage driver in reserve (more below on that). Driver and garage selections lock five minutes before the race start time.

How does the garage driver work?
Players can substitute their one garage driver for any starting driver up until the start of the Final Stage. Once the Final Stage starts, there are no more switches allowed.

So which drivers end up scoring points?
The drivers ending the race in your main roster will comprise the drivers that make up your total score. These are also the drivers who will be counted as being used for that particular race. A driver that ends the race in the garage would not count as being used nor would their results count toward your score.

Are there any limits to how much a driver can be used?
Yes, players can only use a particular driver up to 10 times over the 26 regular-season races. A usage tracker will be displayed on your roster screen, showing the number of remaining driver uses you have during the season.

What is the scoring system?
The scoring will reflect the NASCAR’s scoring system. For example, if Kyle Larson wins Stage 1 & Stage 2 and wins the race, he will earn players 60 fantasy points for that particular race just as he would earn 60 points for himself in the season standings.

Drivers running in the top 10 at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2 receive points, starting with 10 points for first, nine for second, etc. The race winner receives 40 points, while second-place receives 35 points, third receives 34 points and all the way down to 1 point for drivers that finish 36th through 40th.

Will the new competition model have an impact on scoring?
The results won’t be official until the at-track post-race inspection is complete — that should be about 90-120 minutes after the race. Since scoring mirrors that of the drivers in real life, that means that if a driver in your lineup fails post-race inspection, your lineup would be subject to the same impact as the driver is — last-place points. On the positive side, if you didn’t have a penalized driver in your lineup, the rest of the finishing order moves up meaning you could potentially pick up points.

What is new for the game in 2019?
Two main things are new this year. The race winner bonus pick is now only worth 10 extra points. Also, your previous week’s roster will be carried over to the next race – meaning it is on you, the owner, to make swaps ahead of the upcoming race to avoid burning uses you may want to reserve for future weeks.

Are there any additional bonus picks?
Yes, players can make bonus picks for the pole winner, Stage 1 winner, Stage 2 winner, race winner and manufacturer winner. The pole winner bonus pick selection will lock approximately five minutes before the start time of qualifying; Daytona qualifying picks must be set before Feb. 10’s pole qualifying day that is scheduled to begin at 12:10 p.m. ET. All other bonus picks lock five minutes before the race start time. Bonus picks DO NOT count against driver usage.

What is the value of each bonus pick?
Pole Winner (5 points for correct pick)
Stage 1 Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Stage 2 Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Race Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Winning Manufacturer (10 points for correct pick)

Fantasy Live welcome page
(NASCAR Digital Media)

Will my leagues and teams from last year be available?
Yes, any team or league that was active at the end of last season will be available once you log in.

Can I copy my roster for multiple leagues?
A new feature for 2019 allows you to copy your picks from one entry to another by using the copy icon located next to your entry name.

How long will the Fantasy Live regular-season game last?
The game will cover the 26 regular-season races — from the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17 to the Brickyard 400 on Sept. 8.

What happens for the playoffs?
Fantasy Live will continue during the playoffs with an additional bonus pick (the champion), unlimited uses for drivers and one less driver in your roster. You can also expect to have to utilize playoff and non-playoff drivers in the game.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

With the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season fast approaching, it’s time to get set for the 2019 NASCAR Fantasy Live game. There are a few tweaks to this year’s game but nothing too big. Leagues are open to sign up and you can set your lineup picks today!

NASCAR.com fantasy expert RJ Kraft has some guidelines for you to keep in mind while setting your fantasy roster weekly. Some of these carry over from last season, while others are new based on lessons learned from the 2018 campaign. Will these guidelines guarantee you league superiority? Hopefully, but not every situation is as cut and dried as “leave the gun, take the cannolis.”

On a weekly basis, Fantasy Fastlane will provide insight into each race weekend. But before we get into that, having a code or guidelines can be helpful in building out a roster, especially at the start of the year, so here are 10 helpful nuggets for playing.

RELATED: Sign up for Fantasy Live right now! | Fantasy FAQ: How to play the game

As you read, listen in to our first episode of the Fantasy Fastlane podcast.

1. Have a routine and stick with it
When I am plotting out my fantasy roster for the week, I typically set it initially on Tuesday when the week changes over. Then, I circle back after qualifying and practices while evaluating 10-lap averages to set my final roster and bonus picks. You don’t have to do it that way, but the point is to get into a pattern — based on that weekend’s schedule — where setting your roster and making changes becomes a habit. NEW THIS YEAR: Rosters will carry over from the previous week – meaning it’s on you, the owner, to make changes ahead of the next race unless you want to burn through the uses of your initial lineup.

2. Scripting out certain driver usage is advisable
With a cap on using drivers for 10 races, owners need to be judicious about how certain drivers — namely how the big point scorers like Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick — are used. For example, you want to devise your strategy to take advantage of the natural speed that a team like the No. 4 of Harvick has right off the truck every weekend. For me, that means keeping him on the bench for the Daytona races and Talladega, as well as races where strategy may see drivers pit before the stage break and forgo stage points like we saw at Sonoma and Watkins Glen in 2018. By the same token, you want to know where to avoid certain drivers as well. In the case of Kyle Busch, who’s good nearly everywhere, those tracks would be Talladega, Michigan and Daytona.

Martin Truex Jr.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images

3. Don’t hoard all of your uses for the very end
I got a little burned by Martin Truex Jr. in the 2018 game. I built a strategy around him being in my lineup for all 1.5-mile tracks and was too rigid on moving off of it. That cost me two really good fantasy days from him at Auto Club and Pocono last season. And then, as a result of my conservative usage of him early, I had four uses left in the last six races of the game. Through a series of circumstances – pitting a few laps before the stage ended at Pocono in the summer and some so-so results, I had Truex at my disposal for Indianapolis. That was all fine and well until he wrecked out 41 laps in, forcing me to put him in the garage and essentially leave a use of Truex on the table. For a driver that was one of the top three to have in the regular season, that’s a wasted opportunity for me in Fantasy Live.

Las Vegas test
David Becker | Getty Images

4. Be prepared to veer from the script, especially with the new rules package
While we like scripting out driver usage, sometimes life is like a Bruce Springsteen concert where the set list changes on the fly and ad-libbing and audibles are called. The real wild card here is the new rules package – in which we could see some unexpected teams and drivers find early success if they hit on something right away. This is an unpredictable variable that could see plenty of comers and goers in a race if the Las Vegas test was any early indication. In the same vein, a driver might start to get on a roll and you need to adjust to take advantage of that. With the number of young drivers coming into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ranks in the past few years, it will be difficult to rely on track history. Owners will need to rely on the eye test, lap times, speeds and more. Doing that will require being willing to drop the script like it’s hot in favor of who looks particularly strong over a consistent stretch.

5. Get ready to go to the garage
The garage driver feature is back for 2019! If a driver in your main lineup has trouble or gets in a wreck, no problem: Just go to your garage and swap him out. If you play other fantasy sports, consider this your bench for the given race. However, unlike other sports you can dip into the garage mid-race to make a change if you so desire due to performance or an incident/wreck by one of your starters. Last year, I used the garage for two main purposes: to either 1. hold someone in reserve that I was trying not to use but thought could be really good in a particular race or 2. stash somebody who looked good during the weekend on lap times but I wasn’t as certain on. The latter strategy will be my plan to start this season. There’s a host of intriguing drivers with something to prove or strong candidates to bounce back from disappointing 2018s like William Byron, Jimmie Johnson and Daniel Suarez, among others. Utilizing the garage play means having your finger on the pulse of what is happening in a race. This is an application that can pay big dividends on your roster over the course of the season.

6. Going bonkers for bonus points
Bonus points are an added way to earn points in the game. In addition to selecting the race winner (NEW THIS YEAR: 10 points for the correct pick) and winning manufacturer (10 points for correct pick), players can now select a pole winner (five points for correct pick) and Stage 1 and 2 winners (10 points for correct pick). The race winner bonus point total is decreased from last year, which means using that spot to put someone you want to roster but maybe don’t because of usage issues isn’t as advantageous for players. A tip for qualifying picks: Teams typically do a run in qualifying trim at some point in an early practice session. Qualifying picks have to be set ahead of the qualifying session as picks should lock about five minutes before it starts. Selecting Stage 1 and Stage 2 winners is far from an exact science, but it’s usually solid reasoning that the cars that look strongest in practice with solid starting points can be expected to be up front in the end.

7. Scoring stage points should be a priority
With the scoring mirroring how drivers earn points in races, stage points should be something fantasy owners target. Stage points are a valuable added benefit for fantasy plays to target. Strategy plays can shake up the order in a race — especially at short tracks, road courses and Talladega and Daytona — but using last year’s stage point totals can also serve as a bit of a guide early on in the season.

Chase Elliott
Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

An example of this comes from last year’s Sonoma race. It was the 16th race of the season so by that point the playoff picture was taking shape and drivers and teams had a pretty good handle on if they needed a win to make the playoffs or if scoring stage points and having a solid points day was enough to keep their head above water in a quest to make the postseason. Strategy at Sonoma saw drivers like Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer bypass stage points in a quest for a race win. On the other hand, Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, Aric Almirola and Denny Hamlin went hunting for stage points to better their position to make the playoffs. I will certainly be looking for drivers in need of a points boost for this race in 2019. This is an example of knowing what factors drivers and crew chiefs are considering and taking into account how past races have played out to make the best informed decisions when it comes to your lineup.

8. The not-so secret sauce
It’s one thing to look at speeds from practice, but those do not tell the full story for the race weekend. 10-lap averages paint a more complete picture of what could be in store for the race. The 10-lap averages are an invaluable fantasy tool to measure longer run speed over 10 consecutive laps of practice. These stats are more frequent for the last two practices of a three-practice weekend and give a solid indication of who are the drivers that should have the speed to be factors in the race. These numbers tend to have little importance at Daytona or Talladega but carry major value at the intermediate tracks.

9. Go with your gut
I am fan of the TV show “NCIS” and the lead character, LeRoy Jethro Gibbs, is known for following his gut while working on cases and investigations. And that is my closing message to you, the fantasy player: Follow what your gut tells you. Your intuition is usually right. I get myself in more trouble than it’s worth when I start to overanalyze and second-guess every aspect of my roster on race day morning.

10. You can’t control everything
There is nothing you can do to prevent someone on your roster from getting disqualified in post-race inspection, so don’t drive yourself nuts trying to anticipate that. The points hit — any disqualified driver will receive last-place points while the rest of the finishing order moves up — will hurt your lineup if it happens, but there is literally nothing you can do about. Worrying about a post-race infraction when setting your lineup is like stressing over who may have an engine failure or be involved in a wreck. You can’t control it. So as Frankie says, “Relax.”

Posted on by Track Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2019) – International Speedway Corporation (ISC) announced today a multi-year, multi-unit partnership with MoneyLion, America‘s most powerful financial membership. Beginning at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, MoneyLion will have presence at six ISC motorsports entertainment facilities across seven event weekends throughout the 2019 race season, with the goal of bringing fans closer to the sport they love.

In 2019, MoneyLion will offer fans unparalleled access to the sport by providing MoneyLion members 5% cash back on up to $2,000 in annual purchases of NASCAR tickets from authorized ticket sellers, at-track purchases from official vendors and all purchases at NASCAR.com.

“In 2018, we told our members and motorsports fans that MoneyLion would commit deeply to this sport. Our partnership with ISC is not only further proof of our commitment, it connects us with a partner that supports our vision to bring the most unique and innovative financial tools to motorsports fans,” said Dee Choubey, CEO and co-founder of MoneyLion. “A goal of ours is to make the race experience as accessible to as many fans as possible. Through the highest incentives, MoneyLion members will have access to unique experiences at some of the sport’s most storied racetracks.”

18 Moneylion 300 C1

The most significant element of the ISC-MoneyLion partnership is MoneyLion’s recently announced entitlement sponsorship creating the MoneyLion 300 at Talladega Superspeedway during the track’s 50th Anniversary. Building off MoneyLion’s alliance with Team Penske in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, MoneyLion will deliver unique fan experiences at the midway at ISC racetracks including Darlington Raceway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Watkins Glen International. Soon, the brand will reveal an exciting promotional experience that fans can engage with at track and across MoneyLion’s social channels.

MoneyLion also celebrates its relationship with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) as they become a multi-year sponsor of Caution Flags during broadcasts of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series events. In addition, MoneyLion will fuel fan excitement by owning the command to ‘start your engines!’ that will be known as the “MoneyLion Roar.”

“MoneyLion is a cutting-edge financial technology partner committed to working with us on ideas that will not only entertain our fans, but help improve their financial health,” said Frank Kelleher, ISC Vice President, Chief Sales Officer. “MoneyLion wants to create a new financial lifestyle for all NASCAR fans to improve their financial literacy and achieve their dreams — whether that is getting rid of debt or building their savings – and that goes above and beyond our traditional partnerships.”

Launched in 2013, MoneyLion is disrupting the traditional banking model by creating new tools for Americans to manage their finances and achieve their dreams. Through their partnership with Team Penske, MoneyLion has brought the most advanced and innovative online and mobile financial tools to race fans. This season, Austin Cindric, who finished eighth in the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings, will pilot the No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang in 18 Xfinity Series races, including the MoneyLion 300. Beyond MoneyLion’s sponsorship of Cindric in 2019, MoneyLion will also serve as a primary sponsor for Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in select races.

Posted on by Staff Report

Dr. Robert Hubbard, who made major advances in motorsports safety with the invention of the HANS device, died Tuesday.

Hubbard’s passing was announced on the HANS website, which read: “Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends. Bob’s invention truly changed the world of auto racing safety and he was a kind hearted person who would help anyone in need. He will be missed greatly.”

Hubbard’s Head and Neck Support (HANS) system was a breakthrough in minimizing the risk of whip-like head and neck movement in the event of a crash. Hubbard, a professor of biomechanical engineering at Michigan State University, developed the safety restraint after discussions with Jim Downing, his brother-in-law and an accomplished sports-car racer.

“Dr. Robert Hubbard’s contribution to NASCAR safety remains unrivaled,” said John Patalak, NASCAR senior director, safety engineering. “In helping develop the HANS device, Hubbard sparked a safety evolution that continues to this day. His ground-breaking work has elevated driver safety to unprecedented levels. NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to the friends and family of Dr. Hubbard, a giant in motorsports safety.”

NASCAR mandated the use of the HANS device (or the similar Hutchens device) in October 2001. NASCAR drivers showed their appreciation for Hubbard’s work through social media upon learning of his passing:

Posted on by Pat DeCola

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 feature: Joe Gibbs Racing and drivers Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin Erik Jones and Martin Truex Jr.

Joe Gibbs Racing

Manufacturer: Toyota

Engine: Toyota Racing Development

Drivers: Kyle Busch, No. 18; Denny Hamlin, No. 11; Martin Truex Jr., No. 19; Erik Jones, No. 20

Crew chiefs: No. 11: Chris Gabehart; No. 18: Adam Stevens; No. 19 Cole Pearn; No. 20. Chris Gayle

2018 standings: Martin Truex Jr. nearly won his second straight championship, finishing second in the No. 78 Toyota for now-defunct Furniture Row Racing. Kyle Busch was close behind as a fellow Championship 4 contender, wrapping up the season fourth in the No. 18. Denny Hamlin placed 11th in the No. 11, with Erik Jones finishing 15th after a NASCAR Playoffs berth. Daniel Suarez piloted the No. 19 that Truex will inherit, falling shy of playoff contention in 21st.

What’s new: Joe Gibbs Racing landed arguably the best free agent on the market in years in Martin Truex Jr., forming a formidable twosome at the top of the roster in he and Kyle Busch. The pair combined for 12 race wins in 2018 alone, and mark two of the past four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champions. Denny Hamlin will also work with a new crew chief in Chris Gabehart after his former pit boss and friend Mike Wheeler departed to work with Matt DiBenedetto at Leavine Family Racing. Speaking of LFR — it is now the beneficiary of the technical alliance with JGR previously held by Furniture Row Racing. That partnership resulted in the 2017 title for FRR, but time will tell how it will fare for the current alliance.

Outlook: JGR enters the 2019 Monster Energy Series season as one of three clear favorites to start the year along with Stewart-Haas Racing and defending champion Team Penske. Until we see what kind of speed each of these outlets brings to the track the first few weeks of the season it’ll be a tossup, but there’s an extremely likely chance the long-standing organization could place two drivers in the Championship 4.

DRIVER

Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&Ms Toyota: I’m expecting Busch to come out of the gates like a man on a mission in 2019. He’s raced for the title in each of the past four seasons, winning just one of them (2015). If you know anything about “Rowdy,” you know that’s not enough to satisfy the ultra-driven driver.Kyle

Busch is in the absolute prime of his career and only appears to be getting better. Since his 2015 title, he’s picked up 17 wins and clocked in a career-best average finish of 8.3 last year — more than two full spots better than his previous low of 10.8 in his title season.

With another close-but-no-cigar at Miami motivating him, a new championship-caliber teammate in Truex to push him to new heights and another year of working with mad genius Adam Stevens, there’s little reason to think Busch won’t make another Championship 4 appearance. A second Cup title wouldn’t be a surprise at all, either.

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Toyota: Hamlin started the 2018 season off well with a pair of top fours and was firmly inside the top 10 in points the entire regular season … but a lackluster NASCAR Playoffs sunk his season and he never found the top 10 in points from post-Indy on. It was just the first time he had done that in a full 36-race season since 2007.

DennyCombine that with the fact that he had his first-career winless full-time season and least top 10s since 2013 and there might be some cause for concern.

The 31-time Monster Energy Series winner certainly wants to shed his “arguably best driver to never win a title” moniker by, you know, winning a title, but it’s hard to see that happening coming off the season he had last year. It’s definitely not impossible, though, as he’s still in the right place to do it (JGR) and you never know what magic could spark when there’s a new crew chief/driver pairing.

Hamlin has a great shot to get back to Victory Lane, but has some work to do to make it to the Championship 4 in Miami once again, as he did in 2014.

Erik Jones, No. 20 GameStop Toyota: Jones took a solid step forward in his sophomore campaign — and first at the Cup level with Joe Gibbs Racing — winning his first race and improving on his top fives, top 10s, average start and average finish. He tossed in a playoff berth to boot. Erik

Jones should only continue that trend in 2019, with multiple wins and a deeper postseason run on the table. He seemed to really take to intermediate track racing last year, being a constant presence in the top 10 at nearly all of the races. If he turns some of those top 10s into top fives and top fives into wins, Jones could be looking at a true breakout campaign a la 2017 Kyle Larson.

There’s always a chance of regression, of course, but at 22 years old in some of the best equipment the series has to offer, the sky’s the limit for Jones in 2019.

Martin Truex Jr, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota: And then there’s this guy.

MartinThe question isn’t if Truex Jr. will win in 2019 and be successful in his first year at JGR, it’s how many wins will he have and will it be in double figures?

I’ll give it about a one percent chance that Truex goes through an adjustment period with his new team and starts the season a bit slow. It’s way, way more likely that he and crew chief Cole Pearn, who also made the leap from Furniture Row Racing, will hit the ground running now that they’ll be working out of the JGR shop and not from a satellite location half the country away with shared data.

Truex is as good of a preseason pick for 2019 champion as it gets, and I anticipate he’ll be leading the field for a good chunk of the season.

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 by FOX Release

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Just hours after NASCAR RACE HUB debuted FOX NASCAR’s brand-new, state-of-the-art, multi-purpose virtual studio in Charlotte (Monday-Thursday at 6:00 PM ET on FS1), FOX Sports finalizes the lineup for its shows emanating from the innovative set with two new faces.

The latest additions to the FOX NASCAR roster are veteran TV hosts Lindsay Czarniak and Sara Walsh, who come aboard as studio hosts for NASCAR RACE HUB: WEEKEND EDITION and Thursday NASCAR RACE HUB shows. Czarniak and Walsh, who split weekend hosting duties for FOX NASCAR, have forged similar career paths on their journey to FOX Sports.

Czarniak’s on-air resume includes anchoring “NASCAR Now,” “SportsCenter” and a myriad of other roles while at ESPN. She also served as a pit reporter for NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage, in addition to her roles as a prerace host and pit reporter for Turner Sports’ NASCAR coverage.

Walsh, a four-time Emmy winner, joined the FOX Sports family for the 2018 NFL season, reporting from the sidelines for several games. She previously spent seven years as a “SportsCenter” anchor, in addition to her time hosting a variety of other sports programs.

RELATED: FOX NASCAR reveals on-air for Daytona and beyond

PRE-RACE BROADCASTERS:
Multi-sport broadcaster Shannon Spake continues to expand her on-air resume by hosting FOX NASCAR’s coverage of all Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series races. She also anchors NASCAR RACEDAY, FOX Sports’ prerace show for the Cup Series, and NASCAR RACEDAY-Xfinity, its prerace show for the Xfinity Series.

Joining Spake in the Charlotte virtual studio for the aforementioned programming are FOX NASCAR analysts Larry McReynolds, Jamie McMurray, Ricky Craven, Bobby Labonte, and on occasion, Michael Waltrip and Regan Smith. The group’s insight is integrated into FOX Sports’ live-race coverage from the track, with the on-site FOX NASCAR broadcast booth regularly tossing to McReynolds for in-race, instant 3D analysis of action and storylines unfolding during an event.

Meanwhile, Kaitlyn Vincie steps up with a move from pit road to the prerace anchor chair, hosting NASCAR RACEDAY-NGOTS prior to each NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race, alongside Jeff Hammond and two-time series champion Todd Bodine.

NASCAR RACE HUB
Spake pairs with longtime FOX Sports co-host Adam Alexander to anchor the 11th season of NASCAR RACE HUB (Monday-Thursdays at 6:00 PM ET on FS1), the sport’s most-watched daily show. The 2019 season debut airs Monday, Feb. 4, at 6:00 PM ET on FS1. Offering analysis on the hour-long program are McMurray, McReynolds, Michael Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Smith and Labonte.

NASCAR RACE HUB features a rotating cast of active drivers and crew chiefs that includes: 2018 NASCAR champion Joey Logano; 2014 champion Kevin Harvick; 2012 champion Brad Keselowski; seven-time champion crew chief Chad Knaus; Austin Dillon; Drew Blickensderfer; David Ragan; and Blake Koch. Craven and championship-winning crew chief Cole Pearn join the Hub stable this season.

Longtime Hub reporters Alan Cavanna and Vincie return with daily reports from NASCAR race shops. NASCAR RACE HUB debuted on FOX Sports’ SPEED in October 2009 and celebrated its 1,500th episode last May. Additionally, veteran motor sports journalist Bob Pockrassjoins FOX NASCAR in 2019 as an insider.

NASCAR RACE HUB WEEKEND EDITION, hosted by Czarniak and Walsh, continues as a Friday and Saturday fixture on FS1, delivering at-track updates and news as it breaks throughout the course of the race weekend.

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – This Sunday afternoon’s Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) features a group of 20 drivers with vastly different experience levels in the 75-lap exhibition event – but all highly motivated to make this first race of Daytona Speedweeks a statement-maker leading into the Feb. 17 season-opening Daytona 500.

There are only two multi-time Clash winners in the field – three-time champs Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. Only seven of the 20 have ever won the race before. Former Cup champion Brad Keselowski earned his first Clash win last year leading his Team Penske teammate – and the reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion — Joey Logano across the line in the thrilling traditional first taste of Cup racing action.

CLASH: Full entry list | FAQs

Hamlin is unique in that he took to this race quickly. And often. He remains the only driver to ever win the Clash (2006) as a rookie. He answered with victories in 2014 and 2016 and his 142 laps led total is most among anyone competing this weekend – proving Hamlin both a quick learner and a perennial favorite when it comes to this sprint race.

He’s certainly never been more motivated than this weekend.

Hamlin shows up in Daytona Beach paired with a new crew chief in Chris Gabehart and a new car chief in Eric Phillips – both moving up in-house from the Joe Gibbs Racing team’s Xfinity Series level.

As for Hamlin, he is eager to quickly regain his footing as a perennial Cup winner. He did not win in 2018 – the first season in his 13-year full-time career without a victory.

A win in the Clash is a solid season start for any driver. For Hamlin and his team, it’s a specific goal that may well supply the championship boost this longtime title contender is seeking to reclaim.

“Certainly it’s not up to the expectations of what I believe we’re capable of, but sometimes in sports you just have those seasons where things don’t go right or you just don’t get the job done at the level you expect to and you’ve got to reset and refocus from that,” Hamlin said of last year’s struggles.

The Clash provides a high-energy opportunity to do just that. And Hamlin – the 2016 Daytona 500 winner — certainly will be considered a favorite in any event at Daytona International Speedway during the next two weeks.

Its field is comprised of drivers who won a Busch Pole Award in 2018, are former Clash winners who also competed full time last season, former Daytona 500 winners who competed full time last season and all the drivers who qualified for the 2018 Monster Energy Series Playoffs.

It has certainly created a diversely experienced field  – with 10 drivers in Sunday afternoon’s race having five or fewer starts in the event. Four drivers – Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez – will be making only their second appearance in the race.

It was a good debut for Blaney last year, running competitively with his 1-2 finishing Team Penske teammates for much of the event and ultimately finishing fourth – best among the 2018 first-time “Clashers.” Jones was eighth. Bowman made his only start in 2017 finishing third and Suarez returns to the Clash field after an eighth-place finish in 2017.

Bowman’s third place effort in his only start technically gives him the best average finish in the field this weekend, but the defending winner Keselowski’s 7.8 average is best among those with at least five starts.

MORE: All-time Clash winners | Full Speedweeks schedule

Joining Hamlin, Harvick, Blaney, Keselowski, Logano, Jones and Suarez this weekend will be Aric Almirola, who is coming off a career-best fifth place in the 2018 championship standings. Clint Bowyer, a two-race winner in 2018, Kurt Busch and his younger brother, last year’s eight-time race winner Kyle Busch ,will also be on the grid. Defending Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon, the sport’s Most Popular Driver Chase Elliott — who picked up his first three career Cup wins last year — seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman, and 2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. fill out the starting lineup.

Interestingly, the Clash winner has gone on to win the Daytona 500 the following week only six times. Hamlin was the last to do it in 2016 and is the only active driver with that distinction.

The competition, however, lies in wait. Just returning to the track is a big deal for most of the field – many who did not have the chance to test during the recent offseason.

“For me, I haven’t been back in the car since Homestead,” said Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, whose best showing in two previous Clash races is seventh (2017).

“It will be nice to get in a race and make sure everything looks right and feels right and those cars are really similar to one another usually from the Clash to the 500. So yeah, I’m sure there’s things to learn.

“Obviously the distance is much shorter in the Clash but car-wise it will be a good start, good look at things.”

With so many different variables coming into the 2019 season, Hamlin is optimistic his enviable track record at Daytona can provide exactly the kind of positive launching point for the season as a whole.

“I think this year with there being so many different changes within the cars themselves, it’s going to be pretty much a reset for everyone,” Hamlin said. “That allows us to get back to square one. I’m working with a new crew chief who’s coming from the Xfinity side, so he’s got more of a clean slate to kind of work from now.

“He doesn’t have to look at too many old notes because of the drastic change in the cars, so it allows us all to just come in here like a new race team, like a lot of our teams will be this year, to come in there refocused and get ready to hopefully win the first race of the season.”

Posted on by Team Release

Bob Germain, team owner of Germain Racing, has announced that he will field a second car in the 2019 Daytona 500 alongside his No. 13 GEICO Camaro ZL1. Veteran NASCAR driver Casey Mears is set to drive the No. 27 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, built and staffed in collaboration with Jay Robinson, owner of Premium Motorsports. Pat Tryson will lead the team as crew chief.

This season will mark Germain Racing’s 11th year of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing.

“I have considered running a second car in the Daytona 500 for years,” said Germain. “My immediate focus is still on our No. 13 team and the full season that Ty Dillon will run. However, when the chance to field a second car with Casey Mears came together this year with Jay Robinson building the car and providing the at-track crew, I wanted to jump on it. The Daytona 500 is a race that our team, sponsors and fans are all passionate about, and I am too. In a race where anything can happen, having a second entry is an exciting opportunity. Casey has been a part of our Germain Racing family for years, and I’m grateful that he’s willing to get behind the wheel for me again in this one race.”