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.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It may still be three weeks until the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500, but there is a distinct NASCAR presence at Daytona International Speedway this weekend for IMSA’s Rolex 24 endurance race (Saturday, 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be working for the NBC Sports crew covering the Rolex 24, a race he competed in twice.

His newest NBC broadcast teammate A.J. Allmendinger will be pulling double duty at Daytona – working on television and racing in the No. 86 GTD Class Acura NSX GT3 for Meyer Shank Racing.

RELATED: Rolex 24 classes, TV/streaming info

It is the 13th Rolex start for Allmendinger, a former Monster Energy Series race winner who recently stepped away from full-time NASCAR competition. He was a member of the 2012 overall winning Rolex team and he is co-driving with another NASCAR veteran this weekend, Justin Marks – a former NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner.

“For me, it’s an honor to be a part of NBC Sports and have this opportunity,’’ Allmendinger said.

“… I’ve still got a lot of work to put in (for television), but I’m learning from two of the best [in veteran sportscar broadcasters Leigh Diffey and Calvin Fish]. It’s unique this weekend, kinda running back and forth. Usually, before the race, you’re kinda standing around a lot, don’t have a lot of time before you get in the race car, but they’ve definitely got my schedule busy and I’m enjoying it. I have this unique challenge and I feel really fortunate.

“Looking at this Saturday and Sunday schedule, they didn’t write in anywhere that I’m sleeping, so trying to get as much sleep as I can on Wednesday and Thursday and tonight,’’ he said smiling. “It’s awesome, though. The Rolex 24 is one of my favorite races I’ve ever been a part of.”

Joining Allmendinger and Marks on the grid is another former Cup driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, who now leads one of Acura Team Penske’s full-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championships efforts.

Austin Cindric, a 19-year-old Team Penske Xfinity Series star, will co-drive a GTD class Lexus for the AIM Vasser Sullivan team in the Rolex 24. He warmed up with a fifth-place finish in Friday afternoon’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race, teaming with another NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Chase Briscoe.

MORE: Rolex 24 at Daytona photos

Last season’s Xfinity Series championship runner-up Cole Custer competed in Friday’s race, teaming with part-time NASCAR driver Ty Majeski and Scott Maxwell to earn a ninth-place finish. Another popular NASCAR driver, Kaz Grala, made his second start in the Michelin Pilot Challenge Race, but his Grand Sport (GS) class Audi had mechanical problems and he finished 39th in the 49-car field.

“This was definitely a wild one, an eventful weekend,’’ Grala said smiling. “I just like to come do this because it’s a total change of pace. There are very few similarities between the NASCAR garage and over here in IMSA.

“I love doing NASCAR and want to keep doing that, but this is a lot of fun to do every now and then to have a change of pace and see how they do things.’’

Although Grala was disappointed with Friday’s results in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, he said he leaves the track hopeful of good news soon and to announce plans to race in the upcoming Xfinity Series schedule.

Posted on by Staff Report

It’s good to be The King, in motorsports and apparently in billiards, too.

Richard Petty and the No. 43’s current driver, Bubba Wallace, made an appearance in San Francisco on Friday evening, meeting Jeanette Lee, pool’s “Black Widow.” The two exchanged autographed cue balls, and Petty delighted onlookers by converting a trick shot.

Wallace also captured the mic-drop … er, cue-drop moment.

RELATED: Richard Petty Motorsports 2019 team preview

Posted on by Staff Report

The No. 8 car is returning to the organization co-owned by a driver well-known for sporting that number on the side of one of his premier series rides.

As part of an overall team car number shuffling at JR Motorsports for the upcoming season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced in a video on the organization’s social media channels that the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro will be driven by a host of drivers, including Jeb Burton, Spencer Gallagher, Ryan Preece, Ryan Truex and NASCAR Next’s Zane Smith.

RELATED: 2019 Xfinity Series schedule | Drivers on the move | Zane Smith set for eight-race JRM deal

Noah Gragson will pilot the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro in his first full-time Xfinity Series season, while Michael Annett will shift to No. 1 on the side of his door, previously piloting the No. 5 for the team. Justin Allgaier will continue to drive the No. 7 ride.

In 2018, Tyler Reddick won the Xfinity Series championship with the No. 9 car in his rookie season, while William Byron also took home the title as a rookie piloting the same number in 2017.

JR Motorsports new No. 8.
(Credit: JR Motorsports)

Below is the full driver schedule for JRM’s No. 8 team in 2019:

— Gallagher will make his JRM debut at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 16) and serve as the team’s restrictor-plate racer. He’ll also drive the car at Talladega Superspeedway (April 27) and the return event at Daytona (July 5).

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on by Zack Albert

DAVIDSON, N.C. — The NASCAR family paid its respects to J.D. Gibbs on Friday, mourning a devoted father and team owner who touched many facets of the stock-car racing community.

J.D. Gibbs died Jan. 11 after a long-fought battle with a degenerative neurological condition. He followed his father, Coach Joe Gibbs, into a life immersed in sport, from football to extreme sports and ultimately to auto racing.

RELATED: J.D. Gibbs’ life in photos

Though tears flowed freely during Friday’s service, there were many moments of levity as the congregation remembered J.D. Gibbs’ reputation as a practical joker and a rambunctious, fun-loving team member. A montage of light-hearted videos starring Gibbs played at the conclusion of the service as well-wishers formed long receiving lines to share their memories with the family.

But Gibbs was also remembered for his devotion to his religion and his family, a theme that resonated through the 90-minute service.

J.D. Gibbs Memorial Service
(Zack Albert | NASCAR Digital Media)

“We were young kids, but they just had a passion for what they were doing and loved it, and we loved them. You were just a part of the Gibbs family,” said Bobby Labonte, who brought Joe Gibbs Racing its first premier series championship in 2000. “They welcomed you in. J.D. was amazing as far as that smile and all that stuff that you see and you hear, it’s so true. There’s so many stories, but the bottom line is the fact that he rubbed off on people the way they said today. I’ve always said that for my career at Gibbs, it was not only about winning the championship, which we were able to do, but they helped me in my life more than anybody will ever know.”

Gibbs’ wide-reaching impact could be measured by attendance from representatives from the NFL’s Washington Redskins and from all corners of the racing industry. Current and former Joe Gibbs Racing drivers joined NASCAR officials, track owners, and executives and crewmembers from rival teams and manufacturers — competitors on the track united in their respect for J.D. Gibbs.

His embrace of life was also remembered, as were his numerous roles growing up in sports. Gibbs was recalled for his maturation in football, his role as a young tire-changer for Dale Jarrett’s first victory in the Daytona 500 in 1993 and his growth into a top team executive with the family racing team. Kyle Busch recalled Gibbs as a mentor who would make periodic check-ins with his drivers and often placed high expectations on him, pushing him to be better.

“We just tried to keep that relationship not always a business one,” Busch said at a productions day last week at Kyle Busch Motorsports. “We’re all in this together to strive and achieve the same things, but he was instrumental in some of my growth, even though my growth wasn’t as fast as he probably would’ve liked to have seen, but he was instrumental in that. It’s probably a bad thing for giving him some of the credit because I was so bad. It doesn’t come off very well for him, but he’s a part of the reason and he’s a part of the story of what Joe Gibbs Racing is and was and forever will be.”

The event was held at Davidson College’s Belk Arena, where the Gibbs family attended basketball youth camps and held season tickets. Melissa Gibbs said they raised their children in Davidson, making the college town a sentimental choice for Friday’s memorial.

The team last week established the J.D. Gibbs Legacy Fund to honor his memory and to benefit the Young Life Ministry, a non-profit organization that Gibbs supported for more than two decades on a local and national level.

RELATED: NASCAR community mourns loss of J.D. Gibbs

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After two-and-a-half weeks as unofficial track record holders, Oliver Jarvis and Mazda Team Joest can finally, officially, call themselves track record holders on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road circuit after qualifying for this weekend’s 57th Rolex 24 At Daytona.

With six minutes and 10 seconds remaining in the 15-minute qualifying session Thursday afternoon, Jarvis took the Motul Pole Award with a lap of 1 minute, 33.685 seconds (136.792 mph) in the No. 77 Mazda RT24-P DPi car. And with that, PJ Jones’ track record of 1:33.875 (136.521 mph) set in 1993 in the No. 98 Toyota Eagle Mk III for Dan Gurney’s All American Racers fell.

RELATED: How the Rolex 24 works

It wasn’t quite as fast as Jarvis went back at the Roar. On that picture-perfect Sunday afternoon, with near-perfect track conditions, Jarvis went 1:33.398 (137.212 mph) in the car he will share with Tristan Nunez, Timo Bernhard and Rene Rast in the twice-around-the-clock classic. But on a day that started with thunderstorms, with rains falling until midday, it was fast enough.

“I just feel proud that I was able to reward the boys and girls who’ve worked so hard,” Jarvis said. “This has been a serious effort to come here, over the winter, all of last year. To put it all together, to put it on pole, we know it doesn’t mean much in a 24-hour race, but I think it represents what we’re here to do.”

Jarvis’ qualifying run continued what has been a terrific 2019 so far for Mazda Team Joest. In fact it’s been a good couple of months for the program, as it finished a program-best second and third at Motul Petit Le Mans to close out the 2018 WeatherTech Championship. But Mazda is still looking for that elusive first victory in the series and all involved are hoping it finally comes this weekend.

“We’re here to show that we’re capable of winning races,” Jarvis said. “Hopefully we can do it here, but I think people now realize we’ve made that step that we needed to make last year. For (Mazda Motorsports Director) John (Doonan) I’m just so happy, he’s put his heart and soul into this project, so it’s a special day for us.”

RELATED: Rolex 24 TV coverage

Ricky Taylor qualified second in the No. 7 Acura Team Penske Acura ARX-05 DPi at 1:33.873 (136.518 mph), quicker on the clock than Jones’ previous record, but slightly slower in miles per hour owing to a minor change in track configuration. Nevertheless, the No. 7 will start second for the second consecutive year with Taylor and Indianapolis 500 winners Helio Castroneves and Alexander Rossi.

When they take the green flag at 2:35 p.m. ET on Saturday, the second row of the grid will feature cars from the same manufacturers and teams, but in a different order.

Juan Pablo Montoya qualified third in the No. 6 Acura DPi at 1:35.095 (136.198 mph) that he will co-drive with Dane Cameron and Simon Pagenaud. Jonathan Bomarito qualified fourth in the No. 55 Mazda DPi with a lap of 1:34.212 (136.027 mph). Bomarito’s co-drivers will be Harry Tincknell and Olivier Pla.

Felipe Nasr, the 2018 WeatherTech Championship Prototype co-champion, rounded out the top five with a lap of 1:34.479 (135.642 mph) in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R. Nasr will share the car with his 2018 co-champion, Eric Curran, and his new-for-2019 season-long co-driver, Pipo Derani, the 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona winner.

The top seven qualifiers in the DPi class were covered by less than one second.

Allen Scores Motul Pole Award in LMP2 Class for DragonSpeed
Australian driver James Allen proved to be a quick study on Thursday afternoon as he took the Motul Pole Award for the LMP2 class in qualifying for his first Rolex 24 At Daytona. Allen posted a best time of 1:35.904 (133.627 mph) in the No. 81 DragonSpeed ORECA LMP2 machine.

“That was really good, quite the ride,” said Allen, who will share the car with Henrik Hedman, Ben Hanley and Nicolas Lapierre in the race. “I trust the team to build the car up to last the 24 hours. It should be good, its good, year.”

Gabriel Aubry qualified second in LMP2 at 1:36.427 (132.902 mph) in the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA. Qualifying third in LMP2 was Roberto Gonzalez in the No. 18 DragonSpeed ORECA at 1:37.377 (131.606 mph).

Posted on by Zack Albert

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 owners standings. Today’s feature: Leavine Family Racing and driver Matt DiBenedetto.

LEAVINE FAMILY RACING

Manufacturer: Toyota

Engine: Toyota Racing Development

Driver: Matt DiBenedetto

Crew chiefs: Mike Wheeler

2018 standings: LFR netted just one top-five finish and dipped one spot to 27th in the team owner standings. A medical condition knocked Kasey Kahne out of the No. 95 car after 25 races, and super-sub Regan Smith drove the remaining 11.

What’s new: A manufacturer shift to Toyota, a new technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, plus transitions for a new driver (DiBenedetto) and crew chief (Wheeler) mark all the major boxes in the overhaul checklist. The organization threw in a typeface change for their car number last month for good measure.

Outlook: Team owner Bob Leavine made a major investment in linking his organization with powerhouse associates in JGR and Toyota, aiming for a seismic upswing in performance. The new-found alliance has been likened to the former partnership that transformed Furniture Row Racing into a championship contender, but Leavine insists his goals for 2019 are more modest for now.

DRIVER
Matt DiBenedetto, No. 95 Toyota: DiBenedetto leaves Go Fas Racing after two seasons with Archie St. Hilaire’s No. 32 group, a tenure that netted three top-10 results and finishes of 32nd (2017) and 29th (2018) in the Monster Energy Series standings. That stint, plus his two seasons at the former BK Racing team, were marked by difficulties but also underdog stories, none better than his spirited drive to sixth place at Bristol in 2016.

If the increase in manufacturer support provides the performance bump for Leavine Family Racing that’s anticipated, DiBenedetto stands to take a similarly upward path. Having Mike Wheeler, a reassuring figure atop the pit box for Denny Hamlin the last three seasons, as his new crew chief provides more optimism for the No. 95 driver’s fortunes.

“I don’t like to try to put numbers on these things,” DiBenedetto said of the expectations. “I just know that in general, with the switch to Toyota and being part of the TRD group, being with Leavine Family Racing, which is a team that I have seen that they’ve done nothing but dump their heart and soul into, and they want to be better. You can tell these guys want to perform at the highest level, so to answer your question, I just think we’re going to be able to go out there and really shock some people next year, show everybody what we’re made of, and I’m lucky to be a part of a growing team.”

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 Holly Cain

His name is spoken in automotive rarefied air. And as a NASCAR team owner, an engineer, an innovator and all-around highly respected member of the sport, Jack Roush will be formally inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Feb. 1.

For so many, Roush’s official new title as “NASCAR Hall of Famer” was inevitable and necessary. Not only did the former Ford Motor Company engineer field championship cars at every level of NASCAR competition, but he is also considered one of the sport’s most important innovators.

From helping to create the “roof flaps” installed to keep cars from easily launching off the ground to running championship race teams across all of NASCAR’s primary series, the 76-year-old Roush has been a staple of the sport and now he will be ceremoniously celebrated as a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2019. He joins team owner Roger Penske, the late Cup champion Alan Kulwicki, the late Davey Allison and four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon in this year’s Hall of Fame class.

RELATED: Meet the 2019 Hall of Fame class

“It’s awesome and on the back of giants,’’ Roush said after his name was announced.

“Who would have thought it,’’ he added. “Thirty-one years ago when we first got started, I was just hoping to stay in the sport a little while.

“I cannot imagine my name is with the 45 people already inducted and all the things they accomplished. And of course with Mark (Martin) being in there, Roger Penske being in there and my Wood Brothers friends being in there. It’s rarefied air and I have to take a while to think about it and all it means to me. But it’s certainly taking my breath.”

MORE HALL PROFILES: Roger Penske | Alan Kulwicki

Roush’s former and longtime Cup series driver Mark Martin — a 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee himself — wasn’t surprised about his longtime friend and team owner earning the sport’s greatest honor. A Hall of Fame voter, Martin was among the very first to congratulate Roush and remind everyone of the important contributions his friend has made to NASCAR and racing in general.

“It means everything in the world to me,’’ Martin said. “I’m so happy with this class and so happy for Jack.

“Jack Roush did so much for so many people, not just for me, in giving me my second chance when no one else would but so many other great race car drivers and all the other people in the shops he mentored, encouraged and gave the all the tools that were it not for Jack Roush wouldn’t have had the opportunity to succeed. … Just the kind of person Jack is and has been and what he’s meant to all those people we celebrate today because of him.”

Roush joked that he was just hoping “to stay in the sport awhile” when he initially became involved in NASCAR 31 years ago after a celebrated career at Ford Motor Company — an association still so important to Roush today that he has only ever fielded Fords in competition.

His first full-time Cup season was 1988 when he fielded a Ford for Mark Martin. The team’s first victory came the following year at Rockingham, North Carolina. And Martin answered that maiden win with three more the following season and finishing runner-up to the late Dale Earnhardt by 26 points in the Cup championship.

RELATED: Class-by-Class look at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Including that first victory at Rockingham, Roush has 137 total wins at the Cup level — second only to fellow Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. He led his team to back-to-back Cup titles — for Matt Kenseth in 2003 and then Kurt Busch in 2004. And in addition to the big trophies, he finished championship runner-up another eight times — including four seasons with Martin.

Roush teams earned 137 wins in the Xfinity Series and five championship trophies, including current Roush Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s back-to-back titles in 2011-12. His last came with driver Chris Buescher in 2015.

RELATED: Top career moments for Roush, other inductees

His teams have 50 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series wins and the 2000 series championship with driver Greg Biffle. Twice more Roush truck teams finished runner-up with Biffle in 1999 and Kurt Busch in 2001.

In all, Roush has 324 NASCAR premier series victories — most all-time. Fellow Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick has 301.

And yet if you were to ask Roush what he considers the most important victory of all, he undoubtedly will say his very first.

“I’m most proud of winning that first race with Mark in 1989 in Rockingham, because what it meant to me was I could find a sponsor to keep going. And what it meant to Mark, the team would be solid and keep putting cars under him,’’ Roush explained. “There was some doubt in both our minds if we were going to be able to turn the corner and both stay.”

That staying power has been crucial and well-praised. Even at the age of 76, he is a staple in the garage and on the pit box. This season he will field Fords in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Newman.

The expectations remain the same through all these decades — succeed and lead. It’s a theme Roush has stayed true to.

“I can’t believe I’ve been the recipient of so much great schooling and great support to accomplish all the things I dreamed of and some of the things I never dreamed of,’’ Roush said.

Posted on by Track Release

BRISTOL, Tenn.  (Jan. 24, 2019) – Alsco, a global leader in uniform and linen rental services, has signed a multi-year agreement to become the title sponsor of the April NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, track officials announced today.

The race boosts Alsco’s NASCAR Xfinity Series entitlements to three, as the company also recently extended Xfinity Series event sponsorships at BMS sister tracks Kentucky Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. Alsco is the only company with multiple race sponsorships on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule in 2019.

The Alsco 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway will be held Saturday, April 6 with television coverage provided by FS1.

MORE: Buy tickets!

“We are thrilled to welcome Alsco into the family of sponsors here at Bristol Motor Speedway,” said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager, BMS. “It’s exciting to be the first race of an Alsco Xfinity Series tripleheader in 2019 along with our sister tracks at Kentucky and Charlotte. We look forward to helping Alsco achieve their marketing objectives and increase their brand awareness while they help us put on one of the most action-packed Xfinity Series races of the season on the high banks of The Last Great Colosseum.”

The Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be held Saturday, May 25 and the Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway takes place Friday, July 12.

“We are proud to expand our level of involvement with NASCAR by adding a third Alsco 300 to the Xfinity Series schedule, this one at Bristol Motor Speedway,” said Jim Divers, Alsco’s director of sales and marketing. “The folks at Bristol go out of their way to make sure everyone feels like they’re at home when they visit there. It’s such an incredible experience. We felt like it was the perfect place to add another race entitlement. Our partnerships across the racing world, together with Red Kap, have given us great exposure, opened doors, and have given us opportunities for valuable business partnerships.”

In addition to the trio of Xfinity Series races, Alsco has expanded its hospitality package in 2019 with Speedway Motorsports, Inc., in order to provide race experiences for employees, customers and prospects at more venues, including Atlanta Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. Alsco also provides sponsorship on the NASCAR team level with Richard Petty Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing. Look for another team announcement from Alsco later this month.

The Alsco 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway is part of a NASCAR weekend that also includes the Food City 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, April 7 and the NASCAR K&N Series Zombie Auto 150, also on the 6th.

Tickets for all three races are still available. Alsco 300 tickets start at $30 and are free for kids 12 and under with a paid adult. Race weekend packages start at just $80 for adults and are $10 for kids. For more information, visit www.BristolTix.com or call 423-BRISTOL.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. took a class in 1998 that impacted his professional career for years to come.

The course taught him how to navigate an interview and conduct himself in a professional setting. Today, he credits that class as the start of his off-the-track growth as a professional driver.

Those lessons are among the ones the JR Motorsports co-owner wants to provide to up-and-coming drivers in the Drivers Edge Development program, which JR Motorsports and GMS Racing jointly announced Thursday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame with its inaugural six-driver class.

“That class I was in taught me how to cut down on a lot of terrible habits when you’re in an interview,” Earnhardt said. “… I wasn’t amazing right out of the gate — but it helped me understand to be able to identify them through the years and get better. … We’re going to help them understand how to identify these issues and these things as they go through their years in driving.

“Just like when your dad would tell you something and you didn’t get it right away, but then down the road, you go ‘Aw, I see what he meant,’ ” he continued with a chuckle. “Maybe that’s what this is all about.”

In addition to off-track lessons on branding, social media and professional imaging, the program will provide a racing path for up-and-coming drivers to move up through the series, beginning with JR Motorsports’ Late Model program and eventually leading to potential opportunities in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series and Xfinity Series with GMS Racing and JR Motorsports, respectively. Former NASCAR driver Josh Wise will also help the drivers foster and improve their physical fitness.

The idea is to provide a way to cultivate drivers’ talent and development to prepare them to move up the ladder in NASCAR’s ranks — and offer accountability while doing so.

MORE: JR Motorsports, GMS Racing launch Drivers Edge Development

“They’re going to be held accountable to, ‘Hey, man, you took advantage of this course, you took advantage of these tools, you progressed … If they don’t take it seriously, they’re going to be left behind,” Earnhardt said. “They’re going to struggle to get that next opportunity. And that’s always going to be kind of a question mark about that particular individual. I guess as much as it helps them be better outside the car and so forth, it helps us sort of learn more about them individually, about what they’re capable of and how marketable they are, how they’re evolving through the program.”

The six-driver class includes novice NASCAR drivers like Sam Mayer and Adam Lemke, as well as more seasoned ones like Xfinity drivers John Hunter Nemechek and Noah Gragson, who steps into the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet for his first full season in the series.

MORE: Drivers on the move for 2019 | Nemechek reveals paint scheme for ’19

The former Kyle Busch Motorsports wheelman said he’d “be lying if (he) said there wasn’t pressure” to perform with a team that’s won the last two championships in the Xfinity Series with Tyler Reddick (2018) and William Byron (2017). But having the tools in a good opportunity with a strong team only gives him “more confidence and more motivation, knowing that they can do (it).”

In a similar facet, the Drivers Edge Development program gives the 20-year-old the necessary tools he needs to be successful in his off-the-track growth.

“Really just trying to develop my skills, whether it be public speaking or it be developing my brand or what not,” Gragson told NASCAR.com. “I feel like I could grow and these are years where I really mature as a person. My late teens/early 20s is when people really start to mature and figure out who they are and I feel like surrounding myself with a great group of people, whether it be the drivers or the upper staff at GMS and JR Motorsports.”

Social media is a growing area Earnhardt identified Thursday as important for young drivers’ branding in the Drivers Edge Development Program, citing it as a space where fans have begun to consume more content. Gragson in particular has become well-known for his playfulness on his accounts; when asked, he smiled and said he hopes to keep having fun on social media.

“I’m a guy who’s, I would say a little,” he paused. “… a lot of weird. I kind of (march to a) beat of my own drum, but I come from the fan side of things before I started racing. I was a fan of the sport and I really enjoyed the personalities like Clint Bowyer, where they were just themselves.

“There’s times to be professional but I feel like there’s also times where you can sit down and have some fun,” he continued. “I just want to relate to the fans and show them that I’m one of them.”