Posted on by Steve Luvender

eNASCAR.com Launches

Last week, eNASCAR.com launched as a destination for all things eSports in NASCAR, from news and information on NASCAR’s three official eSports series to streaming video broadcasts of eSports events. Give it a bookmark if you’re a fan of eSports or you want to get involved.

Check out eNASCAR.com


Real Drivers’ iRacing Ratings

Plenty of pro drivers partake in virtual racing for fun. We explored and ranked some notable racers by their iRating, iRacing’s ranking system.

NASCAR Drivers and their iRacing Rankings

Yes, please.

 

PEAK iRacing Series Draft Results

The eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series held its first-ever draft between 24 pro iRacers and 12 teams — some real-world NASCAR teams, including Wood Brothers Racing, JR Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. In addition to joining these organizations, each drafted driver earned an additional $500 bonus on top of the $100,000 of prizes that will be awarded throughout the 2019 season.

Full PEAK iRacing Series Draft Results

 

Drivers, Teams React to PEAK iRacing Series Draft

Both teams and drivers expressed their excitement over the results of the eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series draft.

 

eNASCAR Heat Pro League Showcase Races

With the 100 finalists named, it’s time for NASCAR Heat 3 racers to show their stuff. The next leg of the eNASCAR Heat Pro League process is the Showcase Race series — a platform for racers to prove they’ve got the on-track savvy to back up their numbers.

The first Showcase race takes place Thursday at the virtual Daytona International Speedway.

https://twitter.com/ChrisMorseJr1/status/1092547691375140865

 

iRacing Paint Schemes of the Week

With the Daytona 500 right around the corner, Mike Holloway painted a modern version of Derrike Cope’s 1990 Great American Race-winning paint scheme for the modern-day Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

Iracing Cope Camaro

Oh, and Mike Wood created the same paint scheme for iRacing’s Super Late Model for those who’d like to rock that 1990 style on short tracks — mustache not included.

Iracing Cope Slm


iRacing Video of the Week

You never know what’s going to happen at Daytona when the Big One strikes. Except, somehow, the driver whose sixth sense helped safely weave through this major incident.

 

NASCAR Heat 3 Video of the Week

Ninth to first? Now this is a serious start.

Posted on by Staff Report

Matt DiBenedetto likes his chances of winning the Daytona 500 (Feb. 17, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), but the Las Vegas betting odds for him aren’t so confident.

The new driver of the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota took to Twitter to voice his opinion on his 200/1 odds of hoisting the Harley J. Earl Trophy in the 61st running of “The Great American Race” later this month.

RELATED: Drivers on the move for 2019 | Team preview: Leavine Family Racing

This season, DiBenedetto teams up with LFR and Toyota Racing Development, forming a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing after spending the past two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series seasons with a smaller Go Fas Racing team.

There are also some statistics to back up DiBenedetto’s claim. Last year in the Daytona 500, DiBenedetto was running in the top five with two laps remaining before a crash in front of him took him out of contention for victory and led to a NASCAR Overtime finish. In addition, the 27-year-old driver finished seventh in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona last July and ninth in the 2017 running of the 500.

With those numbers in mind, if you’re looking to open up your pocketbook to place some bets, DiBenedetto might be the move to potentially secure a decent showing at the pay window.

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILE, N.C. — Front Row Motorsports (FRM) today announced a new season-long partnership with SelectBlinds.com, the leading online retailer of custom window coverings, that will begin on NASCAR’s biggest stage, the Daytona 500.

SelectBlinds.com will be the primary sponsor of David Ragan and the No. 38 Ford Mustang beginning this weekend in Daytona Beach and will be Ragan’s primary sponsor during the “TicketGuardian 500” at ISM Raceway in Phoenix, the prestigious “Coca-Cola 600” at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the “South Point 400” at Las Vegas Motor Speedway later this year. The company will be an associate sponsor all season.

The partnership with SelectBlinds.com began after Rick Steele, co-founder and CMO, recently purchased a No. 38 Shriners Hospitals for Children Ford from Ragan and the team at the Barrett-Jackson auto auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, to support the children’s hospital. Steele has since begun a relationship with Ragan, leading to the sponsorship that will introduce SelectBlinds.com to the millions of NASCAR fans.

SelectBlinds.com is the online home for all your window covering needs. The company offers child-safe cordless blinds to prevent injury along with a wide variety of blinds and shades for your home or business. Their online home makes it easy, affordable and secure for fans to purchase new window coverings. They are excited to enter the sport and introduce their products.

David Ragan paint scheme

“You really can’t find more passionate and dedicated people than NASCAR race fans,” said Steele. “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Front Row Motorsports and David Ragan to introduce our products to them. Meeting David, his values align with ours. He puts family first and thinks of others, too. This is going to be a great partnership and we can’t wait to start at Daytona.”

Ragan is ready to return to Daytona where he has one win and three top-five finishes. He is thankful for SelectBlinds.com for coming on board and has enjoyed getting to know their team.

“Rick and the team at SelectBlinds.com have been great to work with,” said Ragan. “They have really stepped up in a big way to support our race team and they’ll make a big impact at the Daytona 500. It makes me excited to get to Daytona, kick off our season, and have a great run with them. I’m looking forward to it.”

The No. 38 SelectBlinds.com Ford Mustang will make its race debut at the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. The Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 17. The race will be televised live on FOX at 2:30 p.m. ET and broadcasted on the Motor Racing Network and SIRIUS/XM NASCAR radio.

Posted on by Team Release

WELCOME, N.C. — Richard Petty Motorsports today announced that AfterShokz, the bone conduction headphone brand known for its unique open-ear listening experience, will be the primary partner of Bubba Wallace in his return to the Daytona 500. The company will support Wallace after he finished runner-up in a historical run during his rookie year. AfterShokz, which also has a personal agreement with Wallace Jr., now steps up to support the famed No. 43 on the sport’s biggest stage.

AfterShokz was introduced to Wallace Jr. last year when they began a personal services agreement together. Wallace Jr. was attracted to the company after wearing their open-ear headphones and quickly became a spokesperson for the brand. AfterShokz watched Wallace Jr. make history last season in his rookie campaign and are thrilled for the opportunity to support RPM in the Daytona 500, as well as bring a fresh sponsorship to the sport.

RELATED: Full schedule for Daytona Speedweeks | New crew chief named for Bubba

“Bubba Wallace made a historical impact on the sport last year and specifically in his first Daytona 500,” said Bill Kimball, Chief Operating Officer, AfterShokz. “This is an amazing opportunity for us to join Richard Petty Motorsports and continue our journey with Bubba. We are looking forward to our first Daytona 500 and we hope it’s just as memorable as last year, with a finish one spot better.”

The announcement comes the day prior to a scheduled appearance by Wallace, Jr. on the TODAY Show on NBC. Facebook documented Wallace Jr. and his Daytona 500 run and features on ESPN, FOX and others made Wallace Jr. the most-watched driver before and after the Daytona 500. The exposure made it easy for AfterShokz to commit with Wallace Jr. returning to Daytona.

“After last year, we know we can win the Daytona 500,” said Wallace Jr. “Our team at Richard Petty Motorsports knows how to put together a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that is capable of giving me the handling and speed I need. We raced up front last year at Daytona, both in the 500 and in July, so I expect us to do it that again. That’s going to make a great day for AfterShokz, too. I’m thrilled they are joining us in the journey this year. They have become friends of mine and we’re going to Daytona together to win it.”

Richard Petty Motorsports and the Petty brand have a long, winning history in the Daytona 500. Lee Petty won the first Daytona 500 and Richard Petty has won the race a record seven times. Petty Enterprises holds the record for the most wins of the race with nine. “The King” Richard Petty is now ready to see Wallace Jr. compete again for the win.

“Last year, I was really proud of Bubba and what he did at Daytona,” said Petty, co-owner, Richard Petty Motorsports. “He had the most pressure and people watching him, but he did a great job behind the wheel. We now have the support we need from AfterShokz and Bubba has the opportunity to focus on the race and do what we know he can.”

The Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway is scheduled for Sunday, February 17. The race will be televised live on FOX at 2:30 p.m. ET and broadcast on Motor Racing Network and SIRIUS/XM NASCAR radio.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

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: Hendrick Motorsports and drivers Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson.

Hendrick Motorsports

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: Hendrick Engines

Drivers: Chase Elliott, No. 9; William Byron, No. 24; Jimmie Johnson, No. 48; Alex Bowman, No. 88

Crew chiefs: Alan Gustafson (Elliott), Chad Knaus (Byron), Kevin Meendering (Johnson), Greg Ives (Bowman)

2018 standings: Elliott, 6th in final standings (eliminated in Round of 8); Johnson, 14th in final standings (eliminated in Round of 16); Bowman, 16th in final standings (eliminated in Round of 12); Byron, 23rd in final standings

What’s new: The big change at Hendrick Motorsports is the organization’s crew chief shakeup that was announced last October. The seven-time championship pairing of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus has been split apart after 17 years with each tackling new challenges. There is sure to be a friendly competition between both sides to see who can reach Victory Lane first without the other by his side.

Johnson will be paired with Kevin Meendering, who comes over to Hendrick from JR Motorsports. Meendering has plenty of experience in the organization as an assistant engineer and engineer from 2008 to 2015. This will be Meendering’s first season atop the box at the Cup level following three years with Elliott Sadler.

“I think he has been rejuvenated,” Meendering said of Johnson. “After the struggles he had last year I think he wants to win. That is his mentality. He is going to do whatever it takes. He is going to push himself past the limit. We will be back in Victory Lane this year.”

Knaus moves over to guide rising talent William Byron in his second full-time season at the sport’s top level. The move to the No. 24 is a homecoming of sorts for Knaus as well, as he was a member of the “Rainbow Warriors” crew under Ray Evernham in the mid-1990s that was instrumental in leading NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon to multiple championships.

“You guys don’t understand my passion for the 24 team; it just goes so deep,” Knaus said. “It’s in my blood. Even when we were winning championships for the 48, I’m still paying attention to what the 24 was doing. So, to be back on the 24 car is really a dream come true. When I came to Hendrick Motorsports, my goal was to be crew chief on the 24 car.”

Outlook: Last year was a time of transition for Hendrick Motorsports as it consolidated all four teams into one shop, had a new Chevrolet model in the Camaro to take to the track and two new full-time drivers (Byron and Bowman) to break into the fold. With all that, the organization still got three of its four cars into the playoffs and William Byron took home Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Still though, much more is expected from this organization, especially when NMPA Most Popular Driver winner Chase Elliott was the only driver to reach Victory Lane for the four-car stable. The company is coming off its lowest win total as an organization since Jeff Gordon’s rookie season of 1993 when the then-three-car outfit won one race.

The crew chief shakeups for Johnson and Byron should provide some added juice. The seven-time champion gets a fresh start coming off his only winless full season of his career, while the second-year man Byron gets a steady, championship hand to guide his path in the iconic No. 24.  In his second full year in the No. 88, Alex Bowman should build off a solid 2018 campaign that saw him reach the second round of the playoffs. Elliott is a certified title contender, who really hit his stride after reaching Victory Lane for the first time at Watkins Glen.

“For us as a company, I’m going to use a phrase that Mr. Hendrick pointed to at the start of the year. ‘Whatever it takes’ is our mentality going into the year,” Jeff Andrews, Hendrick’s vice president of competition told NASCAR.com. “We have got to get a car to Homestead at the end of the season, 2019, and anything short of that would be a disappointment for us as a company.”

DRIVERS
Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet: After two-and-a-half seasons of near-misses in reaching Victory Lane, Elliott got there in 2018. “I underestimated how it was wearing on him and how personal he was taking not winning races,” crew chief Alan Gustafson said. “And once he won, I realized, wow, it was something he was taking very personal and something that was weighing on him.” After nabbing the win at Watkins Glen, Elliott didn’t stop – adding playoff victories at Dover and Kansas in the Round of 12. The 23-year-old capped off his year with his first NMPA Most Popular Driver Award – inheriting the mantle from 15-time winner and former teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. Entering 2019, Elliott is looking to build off his strong second half with Gustafson and continue his rise to title contention in the Monster Energy Series. The two enter their fourth year together – the longest current tenure among the Hendrick pairings.

“It’s nice to have won a couple races,” Elliott said. “I’m not sure how much of that you can really ride into the next year. It’s kind of a fresh start in a lot of ways. … But we’ll try our best and try to get rolling.”

William Byron
(Sean Gardner | Getty Images)

William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet: Byron made quick splashes in one-year stints in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (seven wins) in 2016 and the NASCAR Xfinity Series (four wins and a championship) in 2017. His maiden Monster Energy Series voyage saw the young driver struggle a bit with just four top 10s and 13 lead-lap finishes. While he did not qualify for the postseason, he did take home the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award for the third straight year in a national series. The expectations have been ratcheted up with the move to put Chad Knaus, a seven-time championship-winning crew chief, atop the pit box for the 21-year-old.

“This year working with Chad is going to be exciting,” Byron said. “I feel like we’ve started that process already, just doing things together as a team. I feel like it is growing, and I feel like by the time we get to Daytona, we should be up and rolling.”

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Chevrolet: The 2018 season was a trying one for Johnson as he posted a career-low in top fives (two), top 10s (11), laps led (40) and final standings position (14th). He also went winless for the first time to date in his 17-season, full-time career and brings a 59-race winless drought – the longest of his career – into 2019. All that added up to some changes for the seven-time champion. Most notable among them is a new crew chief, Kevin Meendering. There is also a change for Johnson on the sponsor side with longtime sponsor Lowe’s departing the racing side, while Ally slides in on a two-year deal to sponsor the team. Despite last year’s down season, the fire still burns strong for the elder statesman of the Hendrick stable.

“It’s honestly never been higher,” Johnson said of his fire to win a record eighth championship. “The past is great and I’ve won seven championships and 83 races, but that’s then and this is now and I’m still as hungry and focused and dedicated as ever. And, having a year like I did last year also ramps-up the intensity some, so I’m just ready to get going.” Johnson also indicated in the preseason that his role with the team is “changing and increasing and being more of a leader for the team.”

Alex Bowman
(Streeter Lecka | Getty Images)

Alex Bowman, No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet: In his first full season behind the wheel of the ride previously driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Hendrick, Bowman qualified for the playoffs and reached the Round of 12. Bowman came out of the gate strong winning the pole position for the 2018 Daytona 500. The 25-year-old Arizona native notched his first top fives in the sport’s top series (three in 2018) and set career bests for top 10s (11), standings finish (16th) and average finish (17.0). That season – his first full time run since 2015 — set up some solid ground work for Bowman, crew chief Greg Ives and the No. 88 team to build off in 2019.

“I felt like last year, from a Hendrick Motorsports standpoint, you always looked at Alex like, ‘Oh that 88’s doing well,’ kind of leading that charge, that banner,” Ives told NASCAR.com. “I know Chase came up and was able to get those three wins. That’s what I am kind of looking at Alex to make that next step. Grow with the other drivers whether its Chase, William or Jimmie. Grow into a healthy competition with them to be able to lean and rely on them to not only make himself better but make our cars better.”

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 Track Release

LOUDON, N.H. — New Hampshire Motor Speedway‘s Full Throttle Fall Weekend is back by popular demand on September 20-21, featuring two days of heart-pounding short track racing. Whelen Engineering Company, longtime speedway partner and leader in the emergency warning industry, has added its name to the main event‘s marquee. The two-day event will be headlined by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour who will take center stage for the longest mileage and richest purse race on the Tour — the Musket 250 presented by Whelen on Saturday, September 21.

“We are thrilled to build on our already longstanding partnership with a company as innovative as Whelen,” said David McGrath, executive vice president and general manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “Our Operations and Maintenance teams rely on Whelen products every day to ensure the safety of our staff, guests, drivers and fans, and what better way than to add their name to the most intense race on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.”

Whelen has been a longtime partner of New Hampshire Motor Speedway dating back to when the facility opened in 1990 and served as the entitlement sponsor for the Whelen Modified All-Star Shootout in 2014 and 2017. All of the speedway‘s safety equipment, such as cleanup trucks, jet driers and sweepers, are outfitted with a variety of Whelen lights. Additionally, the green, yellow and red warning lights used to keep the drivers safe on the race track as well as other portable lights used around the NHMS grounds are all from Whelen.

“We are very excited to continue our relationship with New Hampshire Motor Speedway,” said Peter Tiezzi III, motorsports general manager at Whelen Engineering Company. “Full Throttle Fall Weekend will continue to deliver exciting racing for everyone in attendance.”

For more than 25 years, Whelen has supported NASCAR and its grassroots racing series. A privately-owned company that began in 1952, Whelen is in its 15th year as the title sponsor of the Whelen Modified Tour, the longest-running series in NASCAR. With New England-based factories in Charlestown, N.H. and Chester, Conn., Whelen is recognized as the only United States manufacturer of emergency warning equipment to still fabricate its products entirely in the U.S.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Musket 250 presented by Whelen serves as the main event in a tripleheader weekend of racing that also features the NASCAR Pinty‘s Series in only their second appearance in the United States and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East racing in the Apple Barrel 125.

For ticket information for events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, including the June 8-16 Motorcycle Week at NHMS, the July 19-21 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 race weekend and the September 20-21 Full Throttle Fall Weekend, visit the speedway website at NHMS.com or call Fan Relations at (603) 783-4931.

Musket 250 Presented By Whelen 2019 1500x942

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR competition officials announced Monday that post-race inspection for all three national series will have a new model for 2019, introducing a system where race-winning teams found in violation of the rule book would be disqualified.

The rules change signals a shift in a long-standing tradition of penalizing an offending race winner with fines, suspensions and/or points deductions, but allowing victories to stand. The new system also accelerates the timetable for thorough post-race technical inspections, which will now be conducted at the track soon after the checkered flag instead of midweek at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

“I think for us, we’re really looking at a total culture change,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer. “We’ve been through a deterrence model where we’ve really worked with the race teams at the track and probably been more lenient than we should in terms of the number of times teams can go through inspection and pass, fail and there’s almost incentive to try to get something by NASCAR, so we want to really reverse that trend.

“We’re going to put it on the teams to bring their equipment right. When they come to the track, we’ll be much less lenient as they go through technical inspection with stiffer penalties in terms of qualifying, and then ultimately during the race, obviously we want everyone to be racing straight up.”

RELATED: More competition tweaks for ’19

The cars of the first-place and second-place finishers, plus at least one randomly selected car, will undergo post-race inspection at the track. Competition officials said they are targeting a time frame of approximately 90 minutes to two hours to complete the inspection and confirm the race winner.

Should one of those cars fail the post-race inspection, the driver and team would receive last-place points and the rest of the finishing order would move up. Disqualified teams also would be stripped of the benefits of playoff points, stage points and automatic postseason berths and playoff advancement.

The shift in rules marks a distinct break from a longstanding, unwritten company policy. Series organizers have avoided taking wins away for decades, adhering to a belief that fans should leave the race track with an assurance that the first finisher was indeed the winner.

Current-day officials acknowledged that break in tradition, saying that a goal of the new procedures was to accelerate the inspection process and avoid the potential pall that midweek penalties can cast over both the previous week’s result and the following week’s race.

RELATED: Target date for Gen-7 set

“Times have changed. We’ve moved forward with a lot of things,” said Jay Fabian, who was named the new Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series managing director on Jan. 16. “There’s always been different thoughts on what the right way is to do it and it’s migrated to saying, hey, we really need to do this as more of a real-time thing and make sure it’s right post-race and move on with it from the weekend.

“We want to be able to avoid the Tuesday, Wednesday announcements of penalties. We want to take that story line away and we’ve got to be rid of all that. So it’s up to the teams to behave the right way and if they don’t, they’ll get a DQ and we’ll move forward from that on a Sunday or Saturday whenever we race instead of a Tuesday or Wednesday.”

Said O’Donnell: “I think it’s evolved over time as you look at it. Certainly we wanted to declare a winner at the track, but what was happening was a potential negative story line that just stayed with the sport and really for the fan base for too long. So with the ability now with Jay Fabian coming into the director’s seat, and we have the capabilities to conduct a thorough post-race inspection at track and do it in a somewhat efficient timeline and still be able to declare that winner that night, put it to bed, celebrate that winner and go on from there.”

NASCAR’s history of disqualifying drivers can be traced all the way back to the first race for the Monster Energy Series (then called Strictly Stock) in 1949. Jim Roper was declared the winner at the old Charlotte Speedway after the car of apparent first-place driver Glenn Dunaway was found with illegal springs.

Last year, a rash of five penalties in the first three months of the season were issued for rear-window modifications. That outbreak prompted Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, to indicate that the sanctioning body was exploring harsher punishment for such violations.

The Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 team drew the heaviest penalty of last season after an illegal rear spoiler was found on Kevin Harvick’s race-winning car from Texas. That infraction became a headline-grabbing story line with two races left in the playoffs, something Miller said the sanctioning body hopes to avoid this season.

RELATED: Recapping No. 4 penalty

“I don’t know that our hand was necessarily forced,” Miller says, “but really and truly a lot of the team owners, we have this culture of playing these cat-and-mouse games between us and the teams, and that’s really kind of a lot of wasted energy on both sides of the fence and I think that the best way for us to get our arms around that is to have a little bit stiffer deterrent.

“Then there was also, I think every time we had a penalty on Wednesday, there seemed to be an outcry from a lot of the fans about how can you not take the win away if there was something wrong with the car, so I think there’s a lot of factors that went into us moving in this direction for this season. But I think it’s been, as you’ve probably seen, it seems to be pretty well received so far with most all of the industry.

“They kind of asked for it, and it was time. Definitely a departure for us, but times change and I think this is just one of those things of us changing with the times.”

Miller and Fabian said NASCAR will continue to focus on certain “hot” areas of vehicles in inspection, including parts and components designed to fail over the course of a race to gain an advantage. Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Vice President of Officiating and Technical Inspection, said officials still will inspect cars at the R&D Center to explore trends as teams search for gray areas in the rule book.

RELATED: Triple Truck Challenge program

Sawyer said the potential for penalties to emerge from the R&D Center still is a possibility, but that likelihood is remote with at-track inspection becoming more rigorous. Sawyer also indicated penalties still will be classified as either L1 and L2, following a structure that was introduced before the 2017 season.

“I think the positive was that disqualification, it’s really clean,” Sawyer said. “It’s simple. Our fans will understand it. It won’t be that someone won the race and had an L1 or L2 and they get no benefit from it, but the second place, third place and fourth place on down, they were somewhat penalized. They basically ran second, third or fourth to a vehicle that was not in compliance to the rule book.”

According to a survey of NASCAR statistics, the most recent instance of a premier series driver’s disqualification from the finishing order came Oct. 7, 1973, in the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Team owner Nord Krauskopf ordered driver Buddy Baker to park his No. 71 Dodge nearly 100 laps short of the finish, saying carburetor rules had made the car uncompetitive. Krauskopf refused to let NASCAR officials inspect the car, resulting in the DQ.

The last known disqualification of a race winner in NASCAR’s top series came April 17, 1960, at Wilson (N.C.) Speedway. Apparent winner Emanuel Zervakis was demoted to last place after his car was found with an oversized fuel tank. NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Weatherly was elevated to first place, credited with leading one lap.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Discussions and development of a next-generation stock car are well underway for NASCAR’s competition arm and the racing departments of the sport’s three participating manufacturers. As the goals for a seventh-generation racer become clearer, so has the target launch date — 2021.

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, provided a progress update on the Gen-7 car for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series last week, giving the best timeline yet for the evolutionary vehicle’s schedule. Officials have indicated that this season’s rules package would serve as a bridge to the next-generation car, which is meant to attract new Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to compete alongside current participants Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota.

“I think it’s important to note that the reason we headed in this direction with the 2019 rules package was really to line us up for where we wanted to go in the future from a racing standpoint, both on track from a car’s look and feel and then under the hood from an engine perspective,” O’Donnell said. “If you look at a lot of the dialogue we’ve had with our existing OEMs, potential OEMs, there’s a lot of interest to do some things differently in terms of making the cars look even more like they do on the street, making sure that we can evolve some of our engine technology as well.

RELATED: Qualifying tweaks among changes

“So what we’ve done is spent the better part of a year putting together a Gen-7 model. We’re in process now of going out and talking to OEMs, talking in the industry and getting their feedback on what they like and what they may want to see tweaked, but the goal for us is to roll this out fairly quickly with an accelerated timeline to 2021, but again this rules package — particularly the engine horsepower — allows us to have some discussion around a more relevant engine that can be around the 2021 package.”

Relevance in car-speak means a closer correlation between a highway-going consumer vehicle and its NASCAR counterpart, a move that also means increased brand identity. The primary areas for that strengthened resemblance are the car body and the engine, both of which are expected to evolve as the sport moves forward.

Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Performance Motorsports, said that Ford has been supportive of the move to a Gen-7 stock car, even as racing engineers have diligently worked to make the debut of the 2019 Mustang in the Monster Energy Series a successful one.

“As much as we like that we’ve been able to make our new car look like a Mustang, we’d like the ability to do even more in that area,” Rushbrook said Friday during a preseason media session at the automaker’s sprawling Ford Performance Tech Center. “In terms of what you see on the outside of the car, we’d like to see a few changes — nothing major, but a few changes underneath the car for a little bit of technical relevance. We want to make sure that we can keep using our technical tools and learning like we do today. We don’t want to lose that with any changes.

“I think that’s the right step for the sport to take to get a new car in those different areas. Then after that step is taken, then look at something for the powertrain. I think it’s too much to do the engine at the same time, but I think it’s something that can follow after the new car.”

MORE: Triple Truck Challenge announced

Doug Yates, whose Roush Yates Engines supply the factory-backed horsepower for Ford’s premier series entries, said he agreed with Rushbrook’s proposed two-stage transition to Gen-7: car first, engine next. He also expressed hope that such a process, done right, could create efficiencies and cost effectiveness alike.

But Yates also indicated that the industry needed to “continue to move the ball forward” to keep manufacturers — both current and prospective — interested in the sport’s potential for showcasing new technology.

“I always tell my staff, if we come in the shop 20 years from now and it looks the same as it did today, then we haven’t done our job,” Yates said. “I think the same way about the race cars and the engines. When we open up the hood five or 10 years from now, it needs to look different than it does today, and it needs to look more production-based, and that’s exciting. There’s a lot of questions there. The main one is, what does that cost? What are the financial implications, but if we can work together with NASCAR and the other OEMs to make a smart step forward — and that may include electrification on these cars at some point — I think that’s something we need to embrace as a sport.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR officials revealed Monday a more compact schedule for national series qualifying procedures at the majority of its tracks in 2019.

At both short tracks and intermediate speedways, the first of three rounds will be shortened from 15 minutes to 10. The other rounds will remain 10 minutes for Round 2 and five minutes for the final round.

At every national-series track next season, the down-time intervals between rounds will be trimmed from seven minutes to five.

“Really as we looked at what was going on, it was obvious that we didn’t need that extra five minutes,” said Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition. “Tightening that first round up a bit and tightening up the time between the rounds, we think that was somewhat with TV partners and just making a tighter, more interesting show out of it for our fans.”

Qualifying at superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega) will remain two untimed rounds of single-lap qualifying. Road-course qualifying will continue to be two rounds — 25 minutes followed by a 10-minute final round.

RELATED: Gen-7 target date set

Participation guidelines announced

The national series driver participation guidelines remain mostly unchanged from 2018. Drivers with more than five years of full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series experience are eligible for a maximum of seven NASCAR Xfinity Series starts and five NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts.

Drivers who elect to accumulate Monster Energy Series points are not eligible to compete in any Dash 4 Cash or Triple Truck Challenge races, or the final eight races in either the Xfinity Series or the Gander Outdoors Truck Series. In addition, drivers who earn points in the Xfinity Series are ineligible to compete in Triple Truck Challenge races and the championship race for the Gander Outdoors Truck Series.

MORE: Triple Truck Challenge announced

Kennedy’s role grows

Ben Kennedy, the great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., will expand his leadership in the family business in 2019, becoming the managing director of racing operations and international development.

Kennedy, 27, was named managing director of the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series one year ago. In his new capacity, he will work alongside Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer, and others in the sport’s front office.

O’Donnell said Kennedy will take ownership of new projects and expand his reach globally to include NASCAR’s racing series in Canada, Mexico and Europe.

“I’m still going to stay actively involved in the Truck Series as well, but taking more of a broader approach this year and focusing a little more on competition,” Kennedy said. “We have so many different projects and things that we’re working on, not only in 2019 but for beyond as well. The next few years are going to be very exciting.”

Getting specific

NASCAR also announced Monday that its three national tours will have dedicated, series-specific officials conducting inspections in 2019.

Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Vice President of Officiating and Technical Inspection, said there will be 12 officials devoted to the Monster Energy Series, 10 for the Xfinity Series and eight for the Gander Outdoors Truck Series.

“We felt like when we sat down and we looked at this and we put this model together that the efficiencies are going to come with the fact that those highly skilled inspectors are going to be in those individual garages and living in those garages,” Sawyer said. “The scrutineering of the vehicles, whether it be trucks or cars, those are the things our inspectors will be living with all weekend. That’s not to say they won’t work in other garages, but 95 percent of the time, they’ll be right there in that garage and working with the teams and trying to correct any issues they may have.

“We feel like this model sets us up for those efficiencies as well as more success across the board as far as the inspection process and making sure ultimately that our fans are seeing a great race with a level playing field.”

Posted on by RJ Kraft

The Advance Auto Parts Clash is a preseason race held at Daytona International Speedway. The race is held following the first Busch Pole Qualifying session of the season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019. Here’s a look at how the field is determined, the format and much more.

RELATED: Buy tickets for Daytona Speedweeks | Full Speedweeks schedule 

Programming info for the Advance Auto Parts Clash:
When: Feb. 10, starting at 3 p.m. ET
Where: Daytona International Speedway
TV: FS1
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

What is the format?
The Clash is a 75-lap race with a competition caution that will come at Lap 25. In total, the race is scheduled to go 187.5 miles.

How is the lineup set up for the race?
A random draw to be held at 6:30 p.m. ET in the Fan Zone will determine the starting spots for each of the drivers in Sunday’s field.

How are drivers eligible for The Clash?
The Clash field is comprised of:
1. Drivers who won a Busch Pole Award the previous season
2. Drivers who are former Clash winners that competed full time the previous season
3. Former Daytona 500 winners that competed full time the previous season
4. Former Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full time the previous season
5. Drivers who qualified for last season’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

Who is eligible for the 2019 Clash?
Twenty drivers are eligible for this year’s event. Here is the full list and how they qualified:
Aric Almirola (2018 Playoff driver)
Ryan Blaney (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Alex Bowman (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Clint Bowyer (2018 Playoff driver)
Kurt Busch (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Kyle Busch (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Austin Dillon (Former Daytona 500 Busch Pole Award winner)
Chase Elliott (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Denny Hamlin (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Kevin Harvick (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Jimmie Johnson (Former Daytona 500 Busch Pole Award winner)
Erik Jones (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Brad Keselowski (2018 Playoff driver)
Kyle Larson (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Joey Logano (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Jamie McMurray (Former Daytona 500 winner)
Paul Menard (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Ryan Newman (Former Daytona 500 winner)
Daniel Suarez (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)
Martin Truex Jr. (2018 Busch Pole Award winner)

Which drivers will be in new rides at The Clash?
Kurt Busch: No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Jamie McMurray: No. 40 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Newman: No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Daniel Suarez: No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr.: No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

RELATED: Drivers on the move for 2019 | See drivers in their 2019 fire suits

Who are the active winners of The Clash?
Brad Keselowski is the defending race winner. Active drivers to have won this race in the past besides Keselowski are:
Joey Logano (2017)
Denny Hamlin (2016, 2014, 2006)
Kevin Harvick (2013, 2010, 2009)
Kyle Busch (2012)
Kurt Busch (2011)
Jimmie Johnson (2005)