Stewart-Haas Racing reveals Daniel Suarez’s Daytona paint scheme

Posted on January 24, 2019January 26, 2019 by Staff Report

Stewart-Haas Racing revealed Daniel Suarez’s paint scheme that will take the track at Daytona International Speedway next month.

PAINT SCHEME REVEAL: Ask and you shall receive, #SHRFans. 💪 Here's your first look at @Daniel_SuarezG's No. 41 @Haas_Automation Ford Mustang. It'll make its debut appearance at @DISupdates. Whatcha think of his new ride, fans? #SHRacing pic.twitter.com/sZUGqJoGvG

— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) January 24, 2019

Earlier this month, Suarez was named as the driver of the No. 41 Ford, filling the open seat left vacant by Kurt Busch’s move to Chip Ganassi Racing. Suarez will team up with Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola at the four-car outfit.

The 2019 campaign will mark the 27-year-old’s third season in the sport’s top series. He spent the previous two seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing and also won the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Building on a successful technical alliance, JR Motorsports and GMS Racing jointly announced today the establishment of Drivers Edge Development, a program presented by Chevrolet aimed at grooming the next generation of racing superstars through a tiered competition pipeline coupled with comprehensive off-track education.

Drivers Edge Development will give participating drivers, all with differing levels of experience, the opportunity to race in five types of developmental series with JRM or GMS-fielded entries while staying aligned with Chevrolet. The program allows the two teams to complement each other by offering participants competition options with JRM’s regional late model program leading into GMS’ NASCAR K&N Pro Series and ARCA entries. The next tier presents potential seat time in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series with GMS. Finally, at the program’s top level, JRM entries await in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Equally as important as the competition focus, Drivers Edge Development provides added training to enhance participants’ professional growth off the track. Drivers will have access to a host of programs focusing on their physical, mental and technical development. An emphasis will be placed on educating them in areas such as brand building, social media and digital content, media training and fan relations as well as support for partner procurement and retention.

“We have always prided ourselves on being a stepping stone for drivers that want to get to the top level of racing,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr., JRM team owner. “JR Motorsports was designed with that in mind, and now with the help of GMS and Chevrolet, Drivers Edge Development will provide a clear-cut path and more options for drivers to get there.”

Although mainly performance-based, there are no set criteria for selection into the program. Ideally, drivers between the ages of 14 and 21 years old will be considered. Currently, six drivers are enrolled in the Drivers Edge Development program:

Noah Gragson (NXS driver for JRM)
John Hunter Nemechek (NXS driver for GMS)
Zane Smith (NXS driver for JRM in eight races)
Sheldon Creed (Truck driver for GMS)
Sam Mayer (Truck/ARCA/K&N driver for GMS and Late Model driver for JRM)
Adam Lemke (Late Model driver for JRM)

“We couldn’t be more pleased to get this program off the ground,” said Mike Beam, GMS team president. “Between GMS and JRM, I feel our two programs are very complementary of each other and will give Drivers Edge Development participants multiple series options.

“We have to give Lorin Ranier some credit, too. He has been working behind the scenes and is a great help in scouting drivers for the program. He is really plugged into the local and regional short-track scene and has already worked with some of the drivers in the program.”

Drivers Edge Development participants will also benefit from the mentoring of veteran racers from both the JRM and GMS stables.

“Drivers Edge Development is going to be critical to the future of the sport and our race team,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, JRM general manager. “The fact that you have JRM, GMS and Chevrolet involved in getting this off the ground speaks to that importance.

“We’re emphasizing on-track experience in multiple series while still keeping the drivers under the Chevrolet umbrella. Off track, we’re going to offer these drivers decades of industry knowledge and best practices with the goal of helping them become the best versions of themselves in all aspects of the sport.”

The six drivers enrolled in Drivers Edge Development are joining established and successful operations. The JRM late model teams have delivered 40 wins in the last three seasons and own a total of four championships. GMS Racing has nine wins and a championship with its ARCA program. Its Truck teams have amassed 23 wins along with a championship in 2016. Over 13 years of competition, JRM’s NXS program lays claim to 44 wins and three championships, including consecutive titles in 2017-18.

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Staff Report

Pressure can provoke people in different ways. For some, it leads to a quiet, Zen-like focus. And yet for others, it forces them to come out of their corner ready to fight.

Which side are you on?

Better yet, which personality traits will NASCAR fans see from the drivers under the most pressure in 2019?

NASCAR.com’s George Winkler and RJ Kraft debate which drivers are likely to feel the most heat this year in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

MORE: Drivers on the move for 2019 | List of full-time drivers in 2019

WINKLER: The clock is still ticking as we wait for Brad Keselowski to win his second Monster Energy Series title and cement his status among the elite. And now that teammate Joey Logano is coming off his championship season, there’s more pressure on the No. 2 team to follow suit. Keselowski clicked in a three-race win streak in 2018 that stretched into the first week of the playoffs, but then the bottom dropped out at the Charlotte road course (31st) and, of all places, Talladega (27th). As a result, Keselowski failed to make the Championship 4 for the second time in the past three seasons, and that’s not something we expected to see from someone who had three or more victories in each of those years. Entering his age-35 season, it’s time for Keselowski to re-establish his dominance deep into the playoffs.

KRAFT: Solid point there on Keselowski’s early postseason exit, and that is going to guide my selections as well. The 2018 season had to be disappointing for Denny Hamlin on a number of levels — his worst finish in the standings (11th) in a full season since 2007, an exit in the Round of 16 of the playoffs and a winless campaign for the first time in his Cup career. He has a new crew chief in Chris Gabehart with longtime team member Mike Wheeler shifting over to Leavine Family Racing and the No. 95 operation. Since making it to the Championship 4 in this format’s first year in 2014, Hamlin has not gotten back there in the past four years and hasn’t been able to shed the “most accomplished driver yet to win a title” label. With the Toyota pipeline continuing to churn out talent, the pressure is on for Hamlin to produce.

WINKLER: Speaking of talent, take a poll of his peers and you will likely see Kyle Larson right up there with Kyle Busch as the most talented driver on the Cup level. But the express train to title town took a detour in 2018 when Larson put up a goose egg in the win column. After breaking through for his first Cup victory in 2016 and adding four more wins in 2017, Larson appeared poised to take the No. 42 team to the next level. But that didn’t happen and now Larson is left to refocus and pick up the pieces entering the 2019 season. The good news is, at 25 Larson still has plenty of time to improve and is just scratching the surface of his prime years. Plus, he’ll have a new teammate to lean on in Kurt Busch, who’s a former champ. But at some point, all of Larson’s talent needs to translate into a Championship 4 bid.

KRAFT: I feel differently than you about Larson, but I’m sticking with the Chevrolet camp for my second selection. It feels weird to say a seven-time champion is under some pressure this season, but to me Larson’s fellow California-born Cup driver, Jimmie Johnson falls in that camp. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is coming off his worst full-time season with just two top fives, 11 top 10s, 40 laps led and no wins — all career lows. The veteran will also have a new voice atop the pit box with Kevin Meendering coming over to run the No. 48 team with former crew chief Chad Knaus shifting over to the No. 24 team. That’s quite a bit of change for a driver that hasn’t seen a lot of it during his Cup career. Adding to the intrigue, “Seven-Time” will have a new look and a new primary sponsor this season on his No. 48 Chevrolet. A final concern is that Johnson has struggled in the elimination format — reaching the Championship 4 just once in the five years of its existence. Since the advent of stage wins in 2017, he has just one — those are a must in racking up playoff points to advance during the early parts of the postseason.

Posted on January 24, 2019January 24, 2019 by Staff Report

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: Germain Racing and driver Ty Dillon.

Germain Racing

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: ECR Engines

Driver: Ty Dillon, No. 13

Crew chief: Matt Borland

2018 standings: Dillon competed in his second full season at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series level and finished 27th in the standings. The No. 13 car was 29th in the owner standings.

What’s new: The biggest move has nothing to do with on-the-track maneuvers, but off-the-track location: Germain Racing relocated its operations to Welcome, North Carolina, to be closer to the source of its technical alliance, Richard Childress Racing. Previously, the Bob Germain-owned organization had been based in Mooresville, North Carolina, for the last decade.

Outlook: With Ty Dillon and Matt Borland entering their second season of partnership and a closer physical proximity to its technical alliance partner, it wouldn’t be surprising to see things move in a positive direction for Germain Racing this season.

DRIVER

Ty Dillon, No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet: Dillon’s sophomore season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018 didn’t quite go as planned — his average finish actually worsened to 24.1 from 20.7 in his inaugural year at NASCAR’s highest level. Maybe that was because he was working on a new partnership with crew chief Matt Borland, or maybe that’s because he was trying to get adjusted to the then-new Camaro ZL1. One thing’s for certain: with a full season spent building chemistry with Borland and his shop moving to be closer to its technical alliance with the team that Dillon’s grandfather, Richard Childress, owns, things should improve. Highlights in 2018 included three laps led and a sixth-place finish in the July race at Daytona, along with a pair of 15th-place finishes at both Talladega stops, and a 13th-place showing at the April Texas race.

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 January 23, 2019January 24, 2019 by Pat DeCola

Just minutes after his hometown Kansas City Chiefs were eliminated from the NFL Playoffs, Clint Bowyer sent this tweet.

Well now that @NFL football is over, let’s all get ready for the best damn year @nascar has ever had. 💪

— Clint Bowyer (@ClintBowyer) January 21, 2019

NASCAR is coming. Giddy up.

Bowyer’s tweet was enough to get us all jacked up for Daytona – which, remarkably, is just a few short weeks away – so just imagine how anxious he is to get going, heading into such an exciting time for the sport and Stewart-Haas Racing as an organization.

Coming off arguably the best overall season in SHR’s history in which Bowyer put his career back on track after several meandering years, the team’s trajectory continues to point upward. Ford will debut a brand-new Mustang in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series after several years of running the Fusion, and the team recently announced the signing of a promising, young talent in driver Daniel Suarez.

MORE: Clint Bowyer 2018 season recap | Stats

SHR was the only organization to place all four of its drivers inside the Round of 8, with Kevin Harvick coming up just short of the title at Miami. The banner year set the bar high, but don’t assume a new rules package and body will be add any sort of wrinkle to start the season.

“There ain’t no wrinkles in a Ford Mustang, boy,” Bowyer told NASCAR.com Wednesday afternoon. “It’s a damn Mustang.”

Well, there you have it.

PHOTOS: New 2019 Ford Mustang

As for the 2019 rules package – something all manufacturers will be working with, not just Ford – the excitement is there, too.

“To be dead honest with you, generally speaking, I don’t know what to expect,” Bowyer said on a Wednesday conference call. “I don’t think anybody can expect too much right now or know what to expect. I’m going to a test in Vegas out here next week. I’m looking forward to going out there and getting, I guess, that idea of the expectations going into the season under my belt, firsthand.

“This is a drastic rule change. … Time will tell what opinions are made, and certainly I’ll form my opinion when that time comes. Testing is one thing. It’ll be, what, 14, 15 cars out there next week? When you get out there with 40 nut jobs, it’s a whole different story.”

Bowyer will represent SHR when drivers test Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend. He’ll join former teammate Kurt Busch, who opened the seat for Suarez after a move to Chip Ganassi Racing, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon, David Ragan, Matt DiBenedetto, Ryan Preece, Bubba Wallace, Paul Menard, Ty Dillon, Ross Chastain, Landon Cassill, Drew Herring. Cody Ware, Noah Gragson, Riley Herbst, Zane Smith and Chase Briscoe.

Suarez participated in a smaller test earlier this month at Auto Club Speedway, so SHR has a bit of data already.

With that many drivers and cars taking to the track in Vegas, it should offer a glimpse into what we’ll see with the package once the series breaks it out in full form post-Daytona.

“Looking forward to the test next week, as I said, but definitely looking forward to once you get out of Daytona 500 — Daytona is always going to be Daytona,” said the two-time 2018 winner.

As far as his new teammate, Bowyer admits he “didn’t have much of an opportunity to get to know (him) a lot” prior to now, the veteran sees big things on the horizon for the 27-year-old – and the energetic, affable driver may have actually found someone that, shockingly, he can’t keep up with.

“I always thought I was excited and got excited in conversations. People have told me slow down. I had to say, ‘hey, Daniel, slow down, I’m way too country for all this’,” Bowyer said about a recent trip to Texas for Mobil 1 in which they “talked for six hours roundtrip.”

MORE: Suarez joins SHR, will drive No. 41 Ford | Roundtable: Previewing the move

It’s invigorating to be around, it seems.

“Man, it’s fun to be around kids like that that are full of talent; full of piss and vinegar,” Bowyer said. “He’s set on kill. He’s excited about his opportunity, as he should be. He’s in good equipment. I know the equipment he’s going to be sitting in; the team that he’s going to be with. They were on fire last year with (crew chief) Billy Scott and all those guys. He’s got a good future ahead of him for this year. I’m excited for him.”

After altering its driver lineup for the third straight year, it’s beginning to feel as if SHR could ride with the current stable – Bowyer, Harvick, Suarez and last year’s breakout Aric Almirola – for years to come.

Four strong in strong Fords.

“The strength comes with numbers in our sport, and having four cars is such a powerful thing; the difference that Aric Almirola brought in and making that fourth car real … ” he continued. “And what I mean by that is as you’re going through practice sessions, as you’re going through changes and decisions and making those decisions with the setup one way or another, to be able to have the confidence in what he’s saying and the lap times to back it up gives you a lot of confidence in a decision to go that way if that opportunity is there, and certainly that opportunity is going to be there having Daniel in that fourth car just like it was with Kurt in it or anybody else.

“It’s important for all of us to get Daniel caught up and up to speed on everything, and we’ll all benefit from that; Kevin, myself, Aric, everybody at Stewart-Haas will benefit on him being up to speed as soon as possible.”

The sooner that happens, the sooner SHR will resume its dominance, and it could be as soon as Daytona.

DEBATE: Which multi-car team has best shot at all drivers winning?

Posted on January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – NASCAR fans old and new will tell you that Alan Kulwicki represented the best of “old school” tradition while embracing the concept of progress and hard work. His NASCAR Cup championship career was simultaneously heralded by those watching his work and especially appreciated by the people competing against him in the garage.

It was an unusual dichotomy of respect and awe.

And while tragedy claimed his life in an April 1993 plane accident the weekend of the Bristol, Tennessee, spring race – a mere five months after the 38-year old won the sport’s grandest title – Kulwicki continues to inspire now just as he did then. In memory as in life.

His renowned work ethic, his much-celebrated independent nuance and the fantastic story of one of the greatest championship runs in the sport makes him an enduring and important part in NASCAR history. All of that will be celebrated on Feb. 1 when Kulwicki is formally inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame alongside team owners Roger Penske and Jack Roush, the late Davey Allison and four-time Cup champion, Jeff Gordon.

Kulwicki, a hard-nosed late model racer from Wisconsin, was a man who bridged eras and expectations. As with many competitors who preceded him, Kulwicki worked on his own cars, pulling into the garage after driving laps on track and then jumping out of the drivers seat and going under the hood.

He also realized the growing importance of succeeding on the buttoned-up corporate side of things, how to attract sponsorship and just as crucially, how to optimize and retain it.

And all of this was tied together by the fact he was an incredibly talented competitor, whose intelligence and drive took him to the highest level of his sport on track. The Hall of Fame recognition rightly places his legacy alongside the most celebrated people in the sport.

“From the very get-go when he was nominated [for NASCAR Hall of Fame consideration] in 2015, I said, it’s gotta be his year sooner or later and I’ve been saying that ever since,’’ said Tom Roberts, a longtime Kulwicki publicist and friend.

“I think it took time to really educate the voters as to how special and how incredible what Alan was able to achieve was. So many times I’d been in discussions just relative to his overall statistics. When you look at it from that perspective, it may not be the very best. But when you consider not what he did, but how he did it, is what accentuates how incredible it was.’’

In some ways, Kulwicki ultimately won that 1992 premier series championship in the same sort of dramatic circumstance that produced his very presence at the sport’s highest level.

Six drivers showed up for the 1992 Atlanta Cup Series season finale eligible to hoist the big trophy, including five-race winner Davey Allison – who won that year’s Daytona 500 – and NASCAR Hall of Famer (Class of 2015) Bill Elliott, who had won four straight races (at Rockingham, Richmond, Atlanta and Darlington) earlier in the season. Kulwicki was a bona fide contender too, but definitely not the odds-on favorite.

It was already an important day in NASCAR as that season finale marked the end of seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty’s career and very start of Jeff Gordon’s.

The championship contest – on a cold, overcast November day – didn’t disappoint. Kulwicki’s NASCAR Hall of Fame classmate Allison led the points standings entering the last race, but was involved in an accident 43 laps from the checkered flag that eliminated him from title contention.

The championship fittingly came down to the very end, the utmost of detail. Elliott won the race and led 102 laps. Kulwicki finished runner-up and led 103 laps. And the five-point bonus Kulwicki received for leading the most laps was the difference in earning him the season trophy.

Kulwicki, the independent, the “underdog” as he was affectionately referred to, had pulled off one of the greatest championship runs in NASCAR history – defeating the season-long favorites who drove for the sport’s biggest names. It made him a classic NASCAR hero – so many diehard fans appreciative of the work it took for a true grassroots competitor, a driver and team owner – to claim the title over the sport’s traditional marquee names.

With only seven years of full-time Cup competition, Kulwicki had earned the sport’s highest acclaim. And he did it his way. That was crucial.

Kulwicki’s legacy carries on in other important ways even today – nearly three decades since his championship trophy hoist.

He is having a very real impact on the future because of his unique past. Equipped with a college degree in engineering, Kulwicki used a different path to his racing success. At various times and junctures in his career Kulwicki was the lone driver on the grid, even a rare mechanic in the garage, who had formally studied engineering and received a college degree.

Today, Kulwicki’s work and vision is remembered at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, where one of the buildings in the engineering department is named for him and where a scholarship bearing his name has paid the way for others inspired to work in the racing industry. The school has one of only two engineering programs in the country specifically designed for mechanical engineers interested in a racing career. And there are approximately 100 students currently on the motorsports engineering tract.

“The laboratory facilities are fantastic and without that gift from the family we wouldn’t have the space we have,’’ said Dr. Robert Johnson, dean of the UNCC College of Engineering. “It is absolutely crucial to having a program so we are exceedingly grateful for that gift.

For those that knew Kulwicki, this legacy would be the ultimate way of honoring his illustrious, inspiring career. His NASCAR championship run remains legendary. As does Kulwicki, who proved what determination can produce even for a beloved “underdog.”

“He had this long desire to do it on his own and once he figured out he could do this, it meant so much to him to excel and achieve on his own,’’ Roberts said.

“And he did.’’

Posted on January 23, 2019June 23, 2021 by @KESELOWSKI

Both Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus will vie for their eighth title in NASCAR’s premier series in 2019.

But for the first time, they’ll look to do it apart from each other.

“I’ve never been in this position; I know that much,” Johnson said, on having a new crew chief for the first time in 17 years. “There is a lot of ‘new’ to it, there’s no way around that.”

Even with separate team goals for 2019 – Johnson with new crew chief Kevin Meendering and Knaus with No. 24 driver William Byron — both men emphasized their lasting brotherhood that extends beyond the race track. Would it be bittersweet to watch one win a championship without the other? Yes, of course, Knaus said.

With nearly two decades of collaboration between the two, their bond, however, goes beyond wins and titles.

“I would have loved to have done that with Jimmie,” Knaus said on winning an eighth championship, while at the Hendrick Motorsports’ campus Tuesday. “That is going to be painful in one respect, but I will be proud as heck of the guy. That is a huge accomplishment. I really hope he does get it. I really do.

“I say that saying I hope he gets it if (Byron and I) don’t, right?” he clarified. “My goal is for us to be battling in the (Championship) 4 at Homestead this year and racing tooth and nail for it coming across the start/finish line on fire, upside down, all that stuff just like you want to see it, that is the goal. …

“Look, everybody is like ‘Man are you going to get the first win or is Jimmie going to get the first win?’ … Who cares as long as we are both going out there, we are having a good time, we are racing and we are being successful. I’m not worried who gets the next one. I’m worried about remembering what it is we accomplished, what we did for (17) years, I think that is the most important element in this whole dynamic.”

It’s been an offseason of many changes for Hendrick Motorsports. Knaus takes his veteran knowledge to Byron, who just completed his rookie season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Atop the No. 48 pit box for Johnson will be Meendering, who has a proven track record with retired driver Elliott Sadler in the Xfinity Series and his previous years at Hendrick before moving to JR Motorsports.

“A few cold beers help,” Johnson said on the getting-to-know-you process with Meendering. “We’ve done that a couple of times. And, we’ve had some great, team-kind of hangouts, as well. …We’ve stayed in communication multiple times during the week and the progress of cars and builds and ideas and the hiring of some new people; so we’re off to a great start. And thankfully, I have some history with Kevin, and worked closely with him when he was the lead engineer on the No. 88 car.”

Despite the prestige that the No. 48 label carries, Meendering doesn’t seem fazed by the pressure from his new position. After serving as crew chief of the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet for three years, he’s wanted to come back to Hendrick Motorsports.

“There’s definitely pressure when you’re at this level competing,” he said. “It’s what I live for. I’ve always enjoyed that side of it. It definitely helps having all the resources we have here at Hendrick, all the smart people that have your back, give you ideas. So, you don’t feel like you’re going in alone.”

For Johnson, the crew chief change marks a shift in his role with the No. 48 team. He’ll keep the core group of crew members in 2019, but with Knaus’ departure, the group’s culture shaping has shifted more to him.

“In the end, Chad has a strong personality,” Johnson said. “And that has led the team, you know, everybody’s going to be clean-shaven, dressed right, shirts tucked in … The leadership role that he had carried into many facets. Kevin is much more laid-back … Of course, guys need to look acceptable and look fine on pit road but there are just other layers that are now open for me to join in and help take leadership on …

“I keep telling my guys the ‘locker room’,” he said. “I want to create a locker room that’s never been seen before in our sport. And the unity among our 15 road crew guys that just stands out on pit road that people see and know, ‘There’s the 48.’ So, that’s kind of my new role or where I’m expanding in my role.”

Knaus’ role shifts a bit, too; he’ll go from directing a veteran driver to young driver trying to soak up knowledge about his still-new series. Byron was only four years when Knaus first started as Johnson’s crew chief in 2002.

“Look, William and I said this; he’s 21 and I’m 47,” Knaus said. “So, we’re not going to be best friends. It’s not going to be the same relationship that Jimmie and I have. It can’t be, it’s inevitable, there’s too much of a gap. But we have a great relationship, it’s been a lot of fun. He’s very receptive to getting together, he’s very receptive to policies, he’s very receptive to what his expectations are from a team standpoint. He offers up what his expectations are … We text a lot; he’s been here probably six to eight times in the offseason, which is pretty amazing.

“I’ve really enjoyed it so far, I really have. It’s only going to get better and grow more, we just haven’t had an opportunity yet.”

Byron compared his new leader to his former Gander Outdoors Truck Series crew chief Rudy Fugle, who helped him win seven races his first season at the Truck level.

“I think it is a great learning opportunity for me,” Byron said, “His experience level is really high, but he’s not set in (his) ways. That is what I have noticed about him; he’s open to do new things. I feel like that is important as a crew chief and a team member.”

When the green flag waves at Daytona in February, it will be strange to not see Knaus and Johnson together. Knaus joked he’d probably walk into the wrong transporter or call William “Jimmie” at some point. It will be interesting, he said, but exciting.

Ultimately, it’s a dream he’s always had, since he was a part of the Rainbow Warriors pit crew with Jeff Gordon.

“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.”

When Knaus and Byron break through for their first win together, Johnson said he’ll be there. Whether or not they’re paired together on track, they remain friends.

“He’s a brother,” Johnson said. “I have the utmost respect for him … I can’t wait for him to win. I’ll be the first guy in Victory Lane. …

“He’s going to win plenty, we’re going to win plenty and people will say, ‘Well damn, they’re both pretty good.’”

Posted on January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 by RJ Kraft

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ahead of its 25th season, JTG Daugherty Racing unveiled a new sponsorship strategy with Kroger behind its two fully-funded cars for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season with drivers Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece.

The cars and plan were made public on Wednesday morning during an announcement at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The No. 47 Chevrolet of Preece will highlight Kroger’s shopping and delivery options including online ordering. The No. 37 Chevrolet of Buescher will carry seven different shopper themes with each theme carrying a specific group of brands to communicate with fans when they are most likely to be focused on specific buying occasions such as spring cleaning in April or grill season in June and July.

“It’s huge,” team co-owner and five-time NBA All-Star Brad Daugherty said. “Sponsorship is the lifeblood of the sport. We’ve got two fully-funded race teams and it’s just remarkable. … We’ve been fully funded the last several seasons so now we are getting to the point where we have our relationships in place, our drivers in place, our personnel, people in place, so it’s time for us to have some success because we feel we’ve done everything we need to do to in order to be better.”

The team is also introducing a new mobile technology where fans will be encouraged to text a key word from JTG Daugherty Racing advertising that directs fans to fun tips, sweepstakes and savings from Kroger for the various brands highlighted on the cars.

“It’s the biggest blessing ever,” team co-owner Tad Geschickter said of the Kroger partnership. Geschickter’s wife Jodi is also a team co-owner as well.

“It’s really like having big brother in the room when you are talking to sponsors. They’ve got a lot of stores and they sell a lot of products, so it’s fun.”

The organization moved to two cars ahead of the 2017 season and this season will see Preece and Buescher behind the wheel. Buescher, 26, is the “veteran” of the group, having spent three seasons at the Cup level – the past two with JTG. The 2018 season saw Buescher post his best average finish (21.0) in the sport’s top series.

“It is really nice to have that relationship and be able to be in the same place and the same car without a bunch of moving pieces for now the third year,” Buescher said. “For me, that’s something I haven’t had in a long time and can really appreciate. I feel like that can only help going forward.”

(Twitter: @RyanPreece_)

Preece enters the year with just five Cup starts to his name and spent the past two seasons running part-time with Joe Gibbs Racing. Two wins for JGR over the past two seasons impressed plenty around NASCAR and showed what the 2013 Whelen Modified Tour champion can do in a national series. The 28-year-old Connecticut racer will be competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors against Daniel Hemric (RCR), Matt Tifft (Front Row Motorsports) and Tanner Berryhill (Obaika Racing).

DEBATE: Who will win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year in 2019?

“I’ve never won a rookie of the year to this date,” Preece said. “At the same time, I’m focusing on it but I’m focusing more on our team and achieving goals that we have set throughout the year and if we can achieve those goals, that’s going to put us in that hunt for that. Right now, if we obtain those goals, we are going to be fine.”

Optimism is high heading into the season for the two-car operation especially with the team building its own cars (except for superspeedway cars) and Hendrick providing engines and pit crew support.

“This is our 25th year in NASCAR and it started in a barn and every time we made a buck, we invested in more equipment,” Geschickter said. “We worked a long time to get here just like Ryan Preece has—pulling his own cars around the country and racing. Just like Chris Buescher has living above an ARCA shop trying to get a shot. I love the people we got in the cars. I love how everything has kind of come together after 25 years. We got all the tools. We got smart people. We got great partners. I really think it’s going to be a breakthrough year.”

Posted on January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 by Chase Wilhelm

Last season, Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske were the only two organizations to see each one of their drivers reach Victory Lane in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

All seven drivers from both stables won 19 races — just over half of the 36-race schedule — with Team Penske’s Joey Logano conquering the field to win the 2018 championship.

So, can Stewart-Haas and Penske do it again, or will Joe Gibbs Racing or Hendrick Motorsports get hot in 2019 and steal the show? NASCAR.com’s Jessica Ruffin and Chase Wilhelm make their cases.

RUFFIN: Joe Gibbs Racing collected nine wins in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but only two of its four drivers reached Victory Lane. That should change this season; Martin Truex Jr.’s move to the No. 19 JGR Toyota almost ensures a win from that team, as Truex has won at least four races a year since 2016. Growing pains of moving to a new team will be minimal, too, as Truex’s former team Furniture Row Racing was aligned with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Moving to the team’s returning pair of veterans, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin: anything less than a multiple-win season would be surprising for Busch, who notched eight wins in the Monster Energy Series in 2018. The 33-year-old driver has won at least one race a year since 2005, when he began racing full-time in the Monster Energy Series. While Busch’s teammate Denny Hamlin went winless in 2018 for the first time in his previous 12-year full-time seasons, the No. 11 still ran up front often, tallying 17 top-10 results and leading 380 laps. His drought will likely be short-lived.

DEBATE: How will Truex fare with JGR? | Who will the title: Busch or Truex?

The youngest Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones showed he could win in the Monster Energy Series, breaking through for his first Cup win at Daytona in July. If Jones and the No. 20 team can build on the gains they made in 2018, there’s no reason why they can’t notch another W (or more) in 2019.

WILHELM: While it’s hard to bet against the JGR squad in 2019, I’m going to do just that. Stewart-Haas Racing proved — once again — just how strong an organization can be when you put together a crew of old-school racers and tell them to go win races. That combination is hard to beat.

Kevin Harvick led his SHR teammates in the win column last season, scoring eight race victories on his way to a Championship 4 bid, while Clint Bowyer collected two triumphs and Aric Almirola and Kurt Busch scored one apiece. At Michigan in June, Bowyer’s victory led an SHR 1-2-3 result, a first for them and a big statement for Ford Performance in Detroit’s backyard. The icing on the proverbial cake came when all four competitors made it through to the Playoffs Round of 8.

Although he has yet to score his first career win, the addition of Daniel Suarez as the new No. 41 Ford Mustang driver just adds another layer of talent. Suarez has already praised team owner Tony Stewart in their short time together, expressing confidence that the organization has what he needs to reach Victory Lane in his third full-time Cup season.

WATCH: How will Suarez do in his first year at SHR? | Almirola makes hometown visit

The debut of the new Ford Mustang in NASCAR’s top level has the potential to throw SHR a curveball, but I wouldn’t count on them having any issues. As the old saying goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” That holds true for SHR this upcoming season as they will likely replicate or better their 2018 accomplishments.

Posted on January 23, 2019January 25, 2019 by Staff Report

Richard Petty Motorsports

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: ECR Engines

Driver: Bubba Wallace, No. 43

Crew chief: TBD

2018 standings: Wallace competed in his first full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season and finished 28th in the standings. The No. 43 car was 30th in the owner standings.

What’s new: After a full season paired with crew chief Drew Blickensderfer, Bubba Wallace will have a new partner atop the pit box in 2019.

Outlook: With a full season of experience under his belt, Wallace will undoubtedly have learned much to help him in his sophomore season. Problem is, he’ll have to adjust to a new crew chief, now. If he can meld quickly with the new partner, he might be able to work his way into contention in races.

DRIVER

Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Chevrolet: Despite immense focus and anticipation for the only full-time African-American driver in the Cup Series, Wallace started 2018 with a bang — finishing second in the Daytona 500. He wept tears of joy and celebration after the race. “I’m competitive. I love to win. I hate to finish second, and obviously that shows for everybody, but I’m human,” he said. “No matter if I race cars for a living and enjoy doing it, at the end of the day, we all get emotional about something.”

It would end up being the 25-year-old’s best finish of the season, but his up-and-down season showed definite signs of growth. Wallace forged a jovial mentorship relationship with boss Richard Petty — despite a 56-year age difference. He took a some big hits throughout the season, including one at Pocono, and struggled at the Charlotte road course, but also showed signs of promise at restrictor-plate tracks and at Bristol. In all, he led a total of 19 laps and had an average finish of 24.5, with standout performances at Phoenix’s ISM Raceway (finishing 10th) in November, Texas in April (eighth) and two top-20 finishes at Talladega (16th and 19th).