Posted on by Zack Albert

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Joe Gibbs Racing revealed a clean, new look for the No. 11 Toyota to be driven by Denny Hamlin in the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on Monday, carrying longtime sponsor FedEx’s familiar logo but as part of a prominent, brighter design.

Hamlin said Monday that he hopes the outlook is also brighter, as he tries to rebound from his first winless season since joining NASCAR’s top division in 2005.

“We had that (previous) one for two years,” Hamlin said. “I’m deeming that one as bad luck, and now we’re moving on from scratch.”

RELATED: See every angle of the new look | Sticker to honor J.D. Gibbs 

Denny Hamlin No. 11 car
Zack Albert | NASCAR Digital Media

The design breaks from the darker paint schemes that had adorned the No. 11 in years past, with large swatches of white on the hood and doors replacing the predominantly purple and black schemes from previous seasons. The patches of white evoke the classic design of FedEx’s delivery trucks and envelopes.

The new look debuted on Joe Gibbs Racing’s social media channels Monday morning. The first full glimpse of the No. 11’s primary design is scheduled next month at Daytona International Speedway, where Hamlin claimed the Daytona 500 crown in 2016.

SHOP: Hamlin gear | RELATED: Active drivers to win a Daytona 500

“Typically it’s either been all purple, kind of all black with a little bit of color, but bringing back the white, something we haven’t had on the FedEx car since the inaugural season; it’s awesome,” Hamlin said. “Just to me, I like white race cars — just very clean. And then when you add in the purple and the orange, it’s a great combination and it’s a car that will be easily seen on the race track, no doubt.”

The paint scheme ranks as one of several new wrinkles for Hamlin this season. Chris Gabehart will be the No. 11 team’s new crew chief, replacing Michael Wheeler, who joins Leavine Family Racing after a three-season pairing with Hamlin at JGR.

RELATED: Gabehart named Hamlin’s crew chief | On the move: 2019’s changes 

Gabehart has worked with Hamlin in a total of four NASCAR national series races, including an Xfinity Series victory at Michigan International Speedway in 2017. His challenge this year includes a jump to the premier series after three seasons on the Xfinity side, plus an adjustment to a new rules package for 2019.

“There is a lot of new, whether it’s the look of the race car, the look of the race team or the rules package, on pit road … there is a lot of new and a lot to look forward to,” Gabehart said. “Certainly the results aren’t anything that’s promised, you’ve got to go out and earn them, but I can promise you that the approach is going to be a lot different, by default.”

Posted on by Staff Report

All Joe Gibbs Racing teams will run a special sticker to honor the former JGR president and co-chairman J.D. Gibbs, who passed away on Jan. 11.

The team revealed the sticker via Twitter on Monday morning.

Denny Hamlin personally applied the J.D Gibbs Legacy decal to his No. 11 Toyota during a Monday morning paint scheme reveal. Hamlin said that he would honor Gibbs by personally donating $111 for every lap he leads this season to the J.D. Gibbs Legacy Fund.

RELATED: See Hamlin’s new on-track look

“J.D. did so much for my career,” Hamlin told NASCAR.com. “He was the person that drove to Hickory Motor Speedway while I was running a Late Model and watched me make laps around there and called his dad and said that, ‘Hey, I think we’ve got something here that we should pay attention to.’ He’s ultimately the guy that got me here. I’m driving his race car, his number. He was my car owner throughout my career, so it’s just special to be able to remember him in this kind of way — all the positives that he did for not only me, but for this organization. For me to be able to donate back to that legacy fund, it’s just a simple choice.”

Before joining the organization’s senior management, Gibbs was an over-the-wall crew member and a part-time driver, making 13 NASCAR national series starts from 1998-2002. Gibbs’ life was remembered during a service held in Davidson, North Carolina on Friday morning.

RELATED: J.D. Gibbs’ life in photos

JGR fields four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars for drivers Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones, as well as three Xfinity Series cars — two of which are driven by regulars in the series — Christopher Bell and Brandon Jones.

— Zack Albert contributed to this story

Posted on by Staff Report

Hooters unveiled its paint scheme for Chase Elliott’s 2019 No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on Monday morning, giving the Hendrick Motorsports driver and three-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winner a fresh look heading into a new year.

Earlier in the morning, Hendrick Motorsports revealed Elliott’s fire suit for when Hooters is the primary sponsor for the No. 9 car.

The company announced last year that it was expanding its relationship with Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports. The American restaurant brand will sponsor three races per season from 2019-2021.

2019 Jan 28 Chase Elliott Hooters

RELATED: Details on sponsorship

“We have a great relationship with Hooters,” Elliott said when the extension was announced. “It’s a place where you can just relax and enjoy yourself. Working with them is always a lot of fun, and their laid-back style is a really good fit for me. I’m looking forward to continuing the partnership with Hooters and doing more to build on their history in racing.”

SHOP: Buy Hooters gear

Posted on by Pat DeCola

With fewer than two weeks until racing activities begin at Daytona International Speedway for the start of the 2019 NASCAR season, drivers are doing their best to cram in their last-minute fitness workouts — and film them.

Well, Elliott Sadler just ain’t here for that.

The recently-retired driver chimed in on the social media craze of drivers posting videos of themselves running through grueling workouts to prepare for the demands of a long season. He then showed off his own current, very dad-like regimen sitting in what appears to be a breakfast establishment of some kind.

Classic Sadler right there.

And of course, almost as it it were on cue, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Aric Almirola drove Sadler’s point home just 48 minutes later.

Just look at those burpees. There’s no doubting Almirola will be ready for the Daytona 500 (Feb. 17, 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX), and Sadler will be ready to watch it.

(Likely in his La-Z-Boy, with a plate of bacon by his side. Just the way retirement should be. Chee-ahs!)

Posted on by Staff Report

Kevin Harvick’s “Happy Hours” radio show is coming back for 2019 in a big way, with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio announcing Sunday that the group will broadcast live from Super Bowl LIII’s pregame festivities in Atlanta.

Harvick and co-host Matt Yocum will air Friday’s special edition of “Happy Hours” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET, live from Radio Row.

RELATED: New-look Mobil 1 paint scheme for Harvick | Recap Harvick’s 2018 season

The list of scheduled guests features celebrities from all walks of life. Among those confirmed to appear:

  • Country music artist and three-time Grammy winner Zac Brown
  • Pro Football Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl winner Michael Irvin
  • Actor and comedian David Koechner
  • Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey
  • Actress and television host Jenny McCarthy
  • Three-time Super Bowl champ and the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdowns, Jerry Rice
  • Actor Luke Wilson

The broadcast is part of what’s scheduled to be a significantly busy day in the NASCAR world. Friday is the second day in a two-day organizational test of this year’s rules package for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. That evening, the five members of the Class of 2019 will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Posted on 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 feature: Front Row Motorsports and drivers Michael McDowell, David Ragan and Matt Tifft.

FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Manufacturer: Ford

Engine: Roush Yates Engines (technical alliance with Roush Fenway Racing)

Drivers: Michael McDowell, No. 34; Matt Tifft, No. 36; David Ragan, No. 38

Crew chiefs: Drew Blickensderfer (McDowell), Mike Kelley (Tifft), Seth Barbour (Ragan)

2018 standings: Ragan finished 25th in the final standings, while McDowell placed 26th. Tifft competed full time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2018, finishing sixth in the year-end rankings.

What’s new: Front Row Motorsports has expended its investment by adding a third team to the fray as Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Matt Tifft will join the organization for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. Tifft moved up after two full-time seasons in the Xfinity Series, competing with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2017 and Richard Childress Racing last year. The move to the sport’s highest level will see Tifft drive for his third different manufacturer, hopping in a new Ford Mustang after competing in Toyotas with JGR and Chevrolets with RCR.

A crew chief shakeup highlights another big change. The No. 34 squad of McDowell will be led by Drew Blickensderfer, making the jump from Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43 effort. A new team for Tifft means a new crew chief in Mike Kelley to lead the new No. 36 team. Kelley moves to FRM after spending 10 years at Roush Fenway Racing. Ragan will keep crew chief Seth Barbour for the upcoming season.

Aside from the personnel aspect, Front Row Motorsports has also relocated its race shop to Mooresville, North Carolina, in time for the 2019 season. The organization moved 18 miles south from Statesville, upgrading to a bigger facility after expanding to a three-car effort. An elevated partnership with Ford Performance will also see an enhanced technical alliance with Roush Fenway Racing.

“To expand our operation and to be three cars now is really big for Front Row Motorsports,” McDowell said in NASCAR’s Studio 3 when it was announced Tifft would be joining the team. “Not just having Matt, but it allows us to go and hire more people and to have more resources. That’s going to strengthen all three programs.”

RELATED: On the move — analyzing changes for 2019

Outlook: Team owner Bob Jenkins is hoping to reap the benefits of having a three-car operation with the addition of a young, talented driver in Tifft. Although McDowell and Ragan scored only one top-10 finish apiece in 2018, Ragan had 14 finishes of 20th or better, while McDowell earned 10 of the same results. The organization has been able to capitalize on restrictor-plate and short tracks in past seasons, so look for more of the same this year. The 2019 rules package could also play a little more into their hands, as well.

“Not only are we here to stay, we’re here to grow,” Jenkins said. “We already have two proven veterans in our lineup, and now we’ll get to add an impressive young talent and championship contender who will inject some new energy into the group. With the introduction of the Ford Mustang into the Cup Series, 2019 is shaping up to be an exciting season for us.”

DRIVER

Michael McDowell, No. 34 Ford: The 34-year-old driver heads into his second full-time season with Front Row Motorsports extremely hungry to earn his first career Monster Energy Series victory. In 2018, the closest McDowell came to potential victory was the Daytona 500, finishing a season-best ninth place. McDowell will look to improve upon last year’s 24th-place average finish.

“The biggest thing for us is to get a win,” McDowell said. “It’s really exciting what NASCAR has coming with the new rules package. A lot of unknowns but I do think it’s going to create opportunities where a team likes ours, like Front Row Motorsports, may put themselves in position to capitalize on a late-race restart and steal a win.”

Matt Tifft, No. 36 Ford: Tifft will be making his official first career Monster Energy Series start in NASCAR’s biggest race — the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17. That’s a lot of pressure for a 22-year-old up-and-coming driver, but Tifft has proven he can handle adversity before — both on and off the race track. For Tifft, the step up to the big leagues with Front Row Motorsports was a perfect fit.

“So pumped to be able to take the next step in my career,” Tifft said. “Last year in the Xfinity Series, I really felt like I started to take some big steps and move forward, but the opportunity just made so much sense to make the jump into Front Row Motorsports. But the opportunity to learn from these guys — David Ragan and Michael McDowell — was just so appealing to me to not only to achieve my dream of going to the Cup Series, but also to learn from some great drivers here.”

David Ragan, No. 38 Ford: The two-time Monster Energy Series race winner heads into 2019 looking to create another spark in his 14th year of competition at the top level. With only one top-10 result and a 25th-place ranking in the final standings last season, Ragan has room for improvement. The last time he visited Victory Lane was in the spring of 2013 at Talladega, 206 races ago. Ragan is positive the offseason changes are a step in the right direction for him and the entire team.

“Bob Jenkins and I have developed a good relationship over the years, both professionally and personally,” Ragan said in a team release. “I believe in this team and am proud to have been part of its growth and its successes. I’m excited that Bob and Ford have agreed to take the program to the next level, and I’m happy I’ll be here to help the team continue to grow.”

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 Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give you the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports Go | How to find NBCSN

MONDAY, January 28
Noon, ISMA Rolex 24 Recap, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

TUESDAY, January 29
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Fans Choice Awards, FS1/FOX Sports Go (re-air)

On MRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

THURSDAY, January 31
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Best of Radioactive, FS1/FOX Sports Go (re-air)

FRIDAY, February 1
7 p.m., IMSA Rolex 24 Recap, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)
8 p.m., NASCAR Hall of Fame Ceremony: Class of 2019, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
10 p.m., IMSA Rolex 24 Recap, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)

On MRN
8 p.m., NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

SATURDAY, February 2
9 p.m., IMSA Rolex 24 Recap, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (re-air)

SUNDAY, February 3
6 a.m., Beyond the Wheel, FS1/FOX Sports GO (re-air)

Posted on by IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.  – Heavy rains that began in the early morning hours on Sunday and continued throughout the day made the 57th Rolex 24 At Daytona a battle for survival, and the team that wound up to be the fittest was the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R squad of Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande, Kamui Kobayashi and Fernando Alonso.

 

With two hours and seven minutes remaining in the race, Alonso took the lead when 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Prototype champion Felipe Nasr spun off course in Turn 1 in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R. Ten minutes later, and with rains intensifying, the race was red flagged for the second time due to track conditions. It was the first Rolex 24 in history to have two red flags.

 

It was not restarted, giving the No. 10 Cadillac fielded by Wayne Taylor Racing its second Rolex 24 At Daytona victory in three years. Cadillac won its third consecutive Rolex 24 since launching its DPi program at the start of the 2017 WeatherTech Championship season.

MORE: How the Rolex 24 works

Jordan Taylor was the lone member of the driving lineup in both victories and now is a two-time overall Rolex 24 winner. His 2017 victory came alongside his brother, Ricky, as well as four-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon and longtime Wayne Taylor Racing driver Max Angelelli.

 

 

That victory helped to propel the Taylor brothers to five consecutive WeatherTech Championship victories and the 2017 Prototype title. Wayne Taylor Racing also won the Rolex 24 in 2005.

 

 

“I think it was an interesting race with the conditions changing, very tough, but I think, like everyone else says, everyone did their job,” said Jordan Taylor. “All four drivers led in their own right and drove to the lead, different parts of the race, and it was all about survival. You saw a lot of guys taking a lot of risk early in the race, but we waited with the game plan of running our own race and not getting caught up in anyone else’s battles.

 

 

“I think it was the right game plan. We stayed out of trouble, no car damage, no one went off the track. That’s the way you win these 24‑hour races, and we kind of came into the grid thinking almost every single car can win the race, and you see guys making little mistakes here and there, and this team has now done six out of seven years finishing on the podium without issues. I think it’s a huge testament to Wayne Taylor Racing.”

 

PHOTOS: Pics from the race

Alonso, the two-time Formula 1 World Champion, took his first victory in his second Rolex 24 appearance. He became the third Formula 1 World Champion to win the Rolex 24, joining Phil Hill and Mario Andretti. Hill was the 1961 Formula 1 champion and 1964 Rolex 24 champion. Andretti was the 1978 Formula 1 champion and the 1972 Rolex 24 champion. Alonso won his two world championships in 2005 and 2006.

 

 

Alonso’s victory comes on the heels of an overall win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans last June and comes in advance of a scheduled appearance in May’s Indianapolis 500.

 

 

“I’m very, very proud of the job that we achieved today, but it was not a one‑day job, it was a one‑month job,” Alonso said. “For me in December we started preparing the race and receiving all the documents, how the Cadillac works and how Wayne Taylor Racing, some procedures that maybe are different compared with other teams. We tried to have a quick integration, Kamui and myself, trying to learn as much as we could from the team in the Roar, and then on the race itself, it was very, very difficult. Conditions were changing all the time.”

 

 

It was the first Rolex 24 victory for both van der Zande and Kobayashi. Van der Zande was the 2016 WeatherTech Championship Prototype Challenge (PC) champion. It was the second consecutive victory for van der Zande, Jordan Taylor and the No. 10 team, as it also won the 2018 season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

 

 

“I’m super happy,” van der Zande said. “Fantastic. I think I said before the weekend, I think to the team, Wayne and Max (Angelelli), fantastic that they put such little pieces together. It’s a big puzzle, and it comes together in this victory here right now. Thanks a lot to my teammates, the whole team, and I’m very happy to bring home a watch and a lot of victory feelings. What more to say?”

 

 

The victory for Kobayashi comes in his first Rolex 24 and his first WeatherTech Championship start. The Japanese ex-Formula 1 driver is a full-time driver of the No. 7 Toyota LMP1 car in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

 

 

“I’m so happy to be here, and obviously I think like the 24‑hour race, it’s never easy even when you have a good car or whatever because you have so many issues, problems,” Kobayashi said. “I think today we had really extremely difficult conditions. I think all the team guys; the drivers did a great job. I think the team did a really, really good job, and obviously the car was really good.”

 

 

Despite the spin, Nasr was able to continue in the No. 31 Cadillac DPi and rejoined the race in second place, where he would finish with co-drivers Pipo Derani and Eric Curran. It was the second straight runner-up result in the Rolex 24 for Nasr and Curran, who went on to win both the WeatherTech Championship and IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype titles in 2018.

 

 

Derani, the 2016 Rolex 24 overall winner, joined the No. 31 team as Nasr’s full-time teammate for the 2019 season. Curran has moved to a Michelin Endurance Cup-only role with the team.

 

 

Completing the DPi class podium was the No. 7 Acura Team Penske Acura DPi squad of Ricky Taylor, Helio Castroneves and Alexander Rossi. The trio combined to lead a total of 78 laps during the race, but Rossi, who was driving the car at the time of the red flag, could get no closer than third place.

 

 

The Nos. 10, 31 and 7 cars were the only ones to finish on the lead lap. Finishing fourth, four laps down, was the No. 54 CORE autosport Nissan DPi quartet of Jon Bennett, Colin Braun, Romain Dumas and Loic Duval. The No. 85 JDC-Miller Motorsports Cadillac DPi team of Misha Goikhberg, Tristan Vautier, Devlin DeFrancesco and Rubens Barrichello completed the top five.

 

 

Next up for the WeatherTech Championship and Michelin Endurance Cup is the 67th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts on Saturday, March 16 at Sebring International Raceway. Tickets are available now at SebringRaceway.com.

 

RELATED: NASCAR ties to IMSA opener

 

No. 18 DragonSpeed ORECA Wins LMP2 at Daytona

 

Just prior to the red flag, Sebastian Saavedra crashed the No. 18 DragonSpeed ORECA into the tire barrier, significantly damaging the car’s bodywork. However, the Colombian eventually managed to get the car running and the well-timed red flag gave the No. 18 team its first Rolex 24 victory in the LMP2 class.

 

 

Saavedra joined co-drivers Roberto Gonzalez, Ryan Cullen and Pastor Maldonado in winning by three laps over the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports LMP2. It was the first Rolex 24 win for all four drivers.

 

 

“It’s absolutely crazy, to be honest,” Saavedra said. “On my side more than anything, a month ago I didn’t even have a ride, so of course thank you to Roberto and DragonSpeed for giving me the opportunity to be part of this amazing group.

 

 

“Overall it was a crazy race since the beginning. We were expecting it to be like last year with a few yellows, and that was not the case, and we knew it was going to be more of a survival type of event than most.”

 

 

I was the one who started the race,” Gonzalez added. “It was push from the start, it was fighting from the start. We did a couple of mistakes, but the crew did an amazing job to keep us in the front, keep us in the lead, losing the least amount of laps, and we kept fighting.

 

 

“Obviously a big thanks to them. I think they won the race for us today, and these guys, they drove perfect. Pastor didn’t put a foot wrong today, and Sebastian, Ryan and I, we were just hanging on and pushing for the win since the start.”

 

 

Cameron Cassels, Kris Wright and the father and son combination of Kyle and Robert Masson finished second in LMP2 in the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports ORECA. Henrik Hedman, Ben Hanley, Nicolas Lapierre and James Allen completed the LMP2 podium with a third-place run in the No. 81 DragonSpeed ORECA.

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – IMSA Chairman Jim France took time after Saturday’s drivers meeting to meet with the press before the Rolex 24 At Daytona green flag. With a 47-car field and a grid full of the world’s most accomplished drivers, this weekend’s 57th edition of the race is highly anticipated.

France, the longtime series executive – and son of IMSA co-founder Bill France Sr. – noted the significance of this season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. NBC begins its six-year television partnership with the series, Michelin is starting a multi-year deal as the “Official Tire of IMSA” and this week track records were set and racing champions honored.

“I think my father would be very, very proud, and [co-founder] John [Bishop], with the growth of the sport and sports car racing and its significance in the U.S.,’’ said France, also the chairman and CEO of NASCAR. “It’s a global racing platform that in the U.S. probably hasn’t had quite the attention as open wheel or the NASCAR stock-car racing has in the past, but I feel that’s changing, and this event was started by my father. He was a global motorsports guy, and he truly wanted this track here to be an international icon for motorsports when he built it.

“This sports car event is a cornerstone, a key part of that. When you see the drivers and the teams and the manufacturers, and most importantly the media that are in this room that come from all over the world to cover this event and be a part of it over its history, it’s really impressive.’’

RELATED: Rolex 24 tune-in, streaming, and other info

France acknowledged the star-studded grid that this year will include past Formula 1 stars such as Fernando Alonso and Rubens Barrichello, past NASCAR stars such as Juan Pablo Montoya and AJ Allmendinger, and several Indy 500 winners such as three-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves and five-time and reigning IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, who earned the 2008 Indy 500 win.

The field represents exactly the competitive spirit France’s father envisioned, even its earliest days as three-hour race before the twice around the clock existence.

“If you … look through the results on that thing, Dan Gurney won it,’’ France said. “I think A.J. Foyt might have been last. Roger Penske ‑‑ just go through the names that are in there, Jim Clark, just the names from around the world, Rodger Ward, Indy winner, there was that ‑‑ kind of where we’re back to today where you have really great drivers coming in.

France told a story of a recent discussion with 2007 Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice.

“He was running here, and he made this great comment to me,’’ France recalled. “He said, it’s unbelievable out there, I’m running up in the corner at 3:00 in the morning, I’m looking at who I’m racing over here, and it’s all these great guys from all over the world that are Formula 1 drivers or sports car drivers or whatever.

“He said, from a driver’s standpoint, it’s just a great experience. It’s that kind of feeling that you get from people that tell you how special this event is to everyone.

“And I think we’re going to have another barn-burner over the next two days here.”

Reflections from Bishop, Raffauf: The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is celebrating its 50th anniversary season this year, and to note the milestone, IMSA co-founder John Bishop’s son Mitch and longtime IMSA official Mark Raffauf spoke with reporters about the highs and lows, ebbs and flows, that have distinguished the series for multiple generations.

Asked what he considers to be perhaps the “best era” in the five-decade-old existence, Raffauf – the series’ senior director of race operations – didn’t hesitate. The Rolex 24 pole-winning DPi car, the No. 77 Mazda Team Joest Mazda DPi, broke a 26-year-old track record on Thursday that was set by P.J. Jones in the No. 98 Toyota GTP car.

“There’s obviously eras that are dictated by the regulations, as you know,’’ Rauffauf said. “I think the most innovative period was certainly the GTP era in the ’80s because the box within which we played was quite large, and it allowed it. It’s not the same today.

“That doesn’t mean the innovation is any different when you look at the track records set this weekend by a car that weighs about the same. It has quite a bit less horsepower, much smaller tires and a lot less aerodynamics. Granted, it took 26 years to break the GTP record here, but there’s an example of innovation; cars are going just as fast with a lot less of that.”

‘No regrets’ for Scott Pruett: Five-time Rolex 24 overall winner Scott Pruett is serving as the race grand marshal this weekend and, he conceded, it is a new role that he’s having to get used to.

“There is that transition point for me right now,’’ Pruett said with a smile.

The 10-time Rolex class winner concluded a 50-year career after competing in last year’s Rolex 24. He is a veteran of sports cars, IndyCar and NASCAR, and is one of the most popular drivers of his generation. Preparing for his first year of retirement from competition was something Pruett admits was challenging initially.

“My whole life, you get to New Years and you’re making plans for Daytona, preseason test, the Roar before the 24, you’re looking at New Years and that transition point of getting back in a race car, getting going and preparing for the Rolex 24,” said Pruett, 58. “When I got to New Years this year and I wasn’t planning on going or arranging everything to get to Daytona, I think that was the first realization I had that this has changed. That flood of emotion across the board came in. Did I make the right decision? I really want to get in a race car. I could go back and win another one. Then I settled back down and was like, you made an incredible decision to make my last here at Daytona. I have no regrets.”

Chip Ganassi sizes up competition: Even the Rolex 24’s winningest team owner, Chip Ganassi, said this week that this may be the most competitive Rolex 24 field in recent memory. Ganassi teams have six overall victories in the race. Its class win last year in the Rolex marked the organization’s 200th overall victory.

MORE: Rolex 24 in photos

In 2011, Ganassi’s teams finished first and second overall and the Rolex trophy wrapped up a historic run that featured the team winning the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 in 2010.

Yet even with that kind of track record, Ganassi says his organization realizes the tough competition this weekend.

“It’s more robust every year,’’ Ganassi said. “While a lot of these teams are the same teams, they’ve had three or four years of being here and they understand what it takes. Fortunately or unfortunately they all work in the offseason to come back and win. Everyone makes gains, you don’t know whose made more. It’s going to be an interesting race. There’s a lot of fast cars.

“I think we can win, but I think it’s going to take a lot of things to happen. For us to win we’re going to have to have a perfect race. It can be done, but it’s going to be a lot tougher this year than in past years.”

Ganassi’s No. 67 Ford GT rolled off the grid Saturday third in the GTLM class. The No 66 Ford GT started sixth in class.

Corvette Racing’s humanitarian efforts recognized: Corvette Racing was honored Saturday morning for its efforts with the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, receiving the organization’s Humanitarian Award.

“The involvement of one of auto racing’s top teams in our efforts really helps raise the level of engagement by fans, when it comes to educating them on the foundation’s mission to erase the effects of pediatric cancer,’’ the foundation’s chairman Jim Osborn said in presenting the award and recognizing the company’s generosity.

He also announced that Ford Chip Ganassi Racing received the charity’s 2018 Achievement Award for making the largest fundraising contribution from at-track auctions. Both IMSA and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta were formally recognized for their contributions to the organization as well.

Posted on by Holly Cain

NBC Sports officially begins its broadcast tenure with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this week with the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. And the broadcast team – including Leigh Diffey, Calvin Fish, Steve Letarte, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and the group’s new addition, A.J. Allmendinger – met with reporters Friday morning before final practice for the weekend’s 24-hour season launch.

Earnhardt, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, competed twice in the Rolex 24, famously finishing on the podium in 2001 co-driving a Corvette with his late father, Dale Earnhardt. Although he is retired from full-time NASCAR competition, Earnhardt Jr. indicated Friday he’d still be open to competing in the Rolex 24 – under the right circumstances.

RELATED: Rolex 24 schedule, tune-in info

He spoke admiringly of his previous experience competing in the race. He finished runner-up in in the GTO class co-driving a No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette with his father, Andy Pilgrim and Kelly Collins. He returned in 2004 and finished third overall co-driving a Pontiac Daytona Prototype with Tony Stewart and Andy Wallace.

“It’s a really incredible race and some great memories from running it two times,’’ Earnhardt said. “It’s such a different discipline and I made some great friends when I got the chance to do that. I always wanted to come back. Never thought it would be in this capacity.

“This is such an amazing, amazing event. I said on the way over here, they better be careful because we may come out of retirement and run this thing one more time. I’ve always had that in the back of my mind, coming back. Even the last several years I’ve watched this race from home from start to finish because I’m such a fan of it.”

Pressed to recall a favorite moment from his Rolex driving experience, Earnhardt talked about sharing the car with his father – who would pass away only weeks later after being involved in a last-lap accident in the 2001 Daytona 500.

“Watching dad get in the car here, that was awesome,’’ Earnhardt recalled of his first Rolex race, his face brightening with the memory. “… You go there 30 minutes to an hour early and dad was there [in the pits] and didn’t have to be. To see him getting ready, putting his helmet on. In NASCAR you really didn’t get the opportunity to see that side of him. So, I got to see a side of him a lot of people never do.”

And, Earnhardt added, “It was really cool for me and I was faster than him, even in testing. He wasn’t happy about it, but I was extremely proud.’’

IMSA’s 50th anniversary kicks off: The weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona marks the 50th anniversary season and the sports-car governing body will be celebrating the occasion throughout the year.

“I think it will be a fantastic year with a lot of great moments, tipping the hat back to the last 50 years of IMSA and hopefully looking forward to an exciting beginning to the next 50,’’ IMSA CEO Ed Bennett said.

Judging by the positive vibes in Daytona this weekend for the annual season start, good things are indeed ahead. There are a record 19 manufacturers between the WeatherTech Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2019.

MORE: Top NASCAR moments in the Rolex 24

Track records were established in all four classes in Thursday’s qualifying – including the overall pole winner, Mazda Team Joest’s Oliver Jarvis, whose time of 1:33.65 (136.792 mph) in the No. 77 Mazda DPi broke a 26-year-old mark formally held by PJ Jones in the series’ former GTP era.

Michelin is beginning the first year of a multi-year deal as the “Official Tire of IMSA,” and NBC begins its telecast partnership with the series – all significant signs the sports-car series is thriving.

“It’s an exciting time, these programs, all these different specifications that are a part of the IMSA family that are being optimized further and further, but I think it’s really an opportunity, and appreciate everybody that’s helped to build ‑‑ to get things to where they are today,’’ Bennett said.

The Zanardi factor: Popular driver Alex Zanardi met with reporters Friday, looking and feeling every bit ready to wheel the No. 24 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 in the GTLM class this weekend. His team will start seventh in class on Saturday.

This is Zanardi’s first race in America since losing both his legs while racing at EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Germany in 2001. The two-time CART champion has been busy competing both in touring cars and winning the 2011 New York City Marathon in the hand-cycling class, while also collecting gold medals in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London and the 2016 games in Brazil.

This will be the first time Zanardi has raced against some of his former IndyCar competitors since his accident, but the significance of that is not something he says he’s ever truly thought about.

“If you were to ask me, ‘Alex, would you like to go back in time and fix everything,’ I’d probably say, ‘yes,’ especially if I could live again the last 17 years because it would be a lot of fun trying to do different things had that not happened,” Zanardi said.

“But if you had just said, ‘Alex, would you like to change the outcome of that day and find yourself today with legs but without knowing how happy or sad you would be and live the last 17 years in a different condition in comparison to the one you have now?’ I frankly don’t know if I would take that change because I would also be taking the chance to wake up, not as happy, not as comfortable in my life as I am. I don’t know a better way to answer. I think everyone of us is different.

“But I can tell you that across my rehabilitation, I’ve met a lot of great people who have had to overcome particular problems in life without the headlines I normally get in magazines but they embrace the challenge with the same tenacity with the same enthusiasm because everyone of us has something, some energy that comes out when it is needed.

“The only difference is maybe, how rapidly you finally get on top of everything and gain that new mental condition where you say, ‘OK, now it’s time to do what I can, to take every day as a new opportunity, to make a small step in the right direction.’ ”

Acura trailblazers: The 47-car field entered for the Rolex 24 At Daytona includes one team comprised exclusively of female drivers. Katherine Legge, Simona De Silvestro, Ana Beatriz and Christina Nielsen will co-drive the No. 57 Heinricher Racing with Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3. Beatriz qualified the car 11th in the 23-car GTD class.

“I think we are all here to do really well and wanting to win the race and a podium is definitely realistic,’’ De Silvestro said. “For me it’s a bit different as I’ve never done a 24-hour race, but I think we are all capable race car drivers and if everything kind of goes our way I think everything will be OK.

“For me, it’s exciting. I’ve had the chance to drive in the Indy 500, and now having the Rolex is cool and I’m really looking forward to it.”

The driver lineup is certainly as accomplished as it is inspiring.

De Silvestro, of Switzerland, was runner-up in the 2013 Houston IndyCar race. The Brazilian Beatriz won two Indy Lights races (at Nashville in 2008 and at Iowa in 2009) and diverse British driver Legge made four NASCAR Xfinity race starts last year in addition to earning two WeatherTech Championship GTD class victories (at Detroit and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca) en route to second in the season championship. Danish driver Nielsen, who won the 2017 and 2018 WeatherTech Championship GTD titles, was part of the winning GTD class team at Road America in 2018.

“A lot of fans are coming up to us and wishing us luck,’’ De Silvestro said. “It’s definitely different. I’m sure a lot of people will keep an eye on where we are during the 24 hours, so that’s exciting and I think it’s cool to have that pressure a bit. It’s fun for us and we look forward to it.”

Corvettes, special edition: Chevrolet announced a one-of-a-kind honor for its four WeatherTech Championship GTLM title-winning Corvette drivers – Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia. The carmaker has issued special edition models of the sports car called the “2019 Corvette Drivers Series.”

Four new Corvette Grand Sport models will have a specific design for consumers to choose from that will include an exterior color and graphics package “inspired” by one of the four Corvette IMSA racers.

“All the drivers have always wanted to have some sort of driver edition,’’ Gavin said. “If any manufacturer was to come up with a car and it’s a driver’s edition, that’s just spectacular. So, when we started talking about this with (Corvette Racing Program Manager) Doug Fehan and the guys back at Corvette, the road car guys, this opportunity to have a driver edition, we were all over it.

“It was a tick straight away, yes, absolutely, all in. Then they came with a number of renderings, a number of designs, a number of different options and ideas, and we went through all of that. And we’ve come up with our cars and I think we’re all exceptionally happy with them. They’ve gone very, very well. Thrilled, delighted. And I’m just wondering if I can get my hands on number one.”