Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — A clean slate and second big-time opportunity lies ahead for Daniel Suarez heading into his third full-time season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Following four years with Joe Gibbs Racing — a relationship that saw him win a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and make a rapid move to the Monster Energy Series after Carl Edwards’ retirement — Suarez will face the task of learning a new organization, team and manufacturer with Stewart-Haas Racing. The team announced Monday that Suarez will drive the No. 41 this year.

Known for its old-school racing culture, SHR is a whole new world to learn before the 27-year-old driver even turns a lap in the new No. 41 Ford Mustang.

RELATED: Suarez through the years

But Suarez feels his racing background aligns with that of team owner Tony Stewart and new teammates Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick, all of whom have reputations for being hard-nosed racers.

“That’s something I really like because the way I have become a race car driver was from hard work and working with old cars,” Suarez told NASCAR.com. ” … I got into this sport with my father, he was my mechanic and I was the driver and we were working together, and we didn’t have the budget or the money to buy an organization to help us. I feel like that’s something that fits very good with the background of Kevin, Tony and these guys.”

Despite the new elements with his move, Suarez said he already feels accepted at Stewart-Haas Racing.

“Honestly, it’s only been a couple months of being in close contact with everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing, but I really feel like home already,” Suarez said. “These guys have made me feel like I’m at home.”

RELATED: Other drivers on move

From cycling with Almirola to asking Harvick for advice during his Xfinity days, Suarez earned the respect of his new teammates before the move was even made official — which will make the transition into a new ride even more seamless.

“When you do that, share something other than racing, you talk about many different things,” Suarez said. “Clint, every time I get to talk to him, it’s always about something funny. I feel like it’s gonna be great. I feel like I have a funny personality as well. So, I’m really looking forward to having fun with those guys, racing up front and helping each other.”

Suarez feels he and Stewart have more commonalities than one might think. Both were bred under Joe Gibbs’ leadership style at the beginning of their careers. Suarez also feels he shares a similar personality trait with Stewart, which has potential to cultivate into a powerful driver-owner relationship for years to come.

“You know, something I really like about Tony is that he’s a very straight-forward guy and what you see is what you get,” Suarez said. “I’m like that as well. So I feel like, to have the support of someone like him, I know he won’t hesitate to say anything to me and I know it’s to be a better race car driver and better person.”

MORE: Key players in Silly Season

Said Stewart, offering his endorsement in a statement provided by the team: “In each series Daniel has raced in, he’s advanced quickly from rookie to race winner. In four years, he went from the K&N Series to the NASCAR Cup Series. In between, he won an Xfinity Series championship, and he did it all while learning a new language and a new culture. He’s dedicated, he’s talented and we’re proud to have him as a key part of our race team.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — It’s been a little easier for Daniel Suarez to keep a secret this offseason, with winter vacations and trips back to his home country of Mexico providing a welcome distraction. Detaching from social media and keeping his distance from the NASCAR rumor mill have been an additional help.

The wraps came off one of the final pieces to the 2019 Monster Energy Series driver roster Monday with Stewart-Haas Racing announcing that Suarez would join the organization in the No. 41 Ford for 2019. The official news comes as a special gift to mark a personal milestone — Suarez’s 27th birthday.

“It’s been a really exciting time for me. It’s been a little bit hard as well,” Suarez said of his offseason state of limbo. “A lot of people ask me those questions and I’ve been trying to avoid those answers, but I’m very excited that finally the word is going to be out and I’m going to be able to be more relaxed and more comfortable without feeling like I’m hiding something.

“I’m just really excited to be a part of Stewart-Haas Racing, a great organization. So far, everybody here has been making me feel at home.”

RELATED: Suarez through the years

Suarez replaces Kurt Busch, who departed in December for Chip Ganassi Racing after five years with SHR. The third-year driver joins an experienced bunch that includes former champ Kevin Harvick and veterans Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola.

Crew chief Billy Scott will return to the No. 41 team, marking his fourth season atop the pit box for the organization. Sponsorship will be shared by returning backer Haas Automation and by Arris, a telecommunications equipment company that also supported Suarez in his first two seasons in NASCAR’s top division.

The move also places Suarez firmly in the Ford camp after a long-running association with Toyota, which nurtured his development as he climbed the stock-car ladder. Suarez’s growth included a place in the NASCAR Next youth initiative, the 2016 Xfinity Series championship and an eventual spot as a Monster Energy Series regular, spending the last two seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 team.

RELATED: Other drivers on move

“It is different, for sure,” Suarez said of this year’s shift in manufacturer support. “If you look at it, I had a long career with Toyota, pretty much my entire career in NASCAR — not just in the U.S., but in Mexico. They were nothing but great to me. Great people, great company and I have nothing bad to say about them. They were nothing but great to me all the time, 100 percent. But you know, sometimes you have to make a change and things work out differently. … I made great friends over there, and we’re still friends. Now, I’m extremely excited to be part of the Ford family.”

Suarez missed the NASCAR Playoffs the last two seasons, and though his average finish and other stats dipped in 2018, he improved his output in other areas with three top-five finishes and his first Busch Pole Award.

His new scenario places him with a team that’s fresh from a dominant campaign where all four of its drivers visited Victory Lane at least once last season, a performance bar that raises the expectations for the organization’s newest member.

“There is pressure for sure, but I like that,” Suarez said. “That’s where I live. If I wasn’t good under pressure, I don’t feel like I would be a race car driver. I just love that and I know that I’m going (with) if not the best, one of the best teams right now and I’m really looking forward to that challenge. I feel like the 41 group is extremely good. Billy and the rest of the guys, they’ve been nothing but great to me so far. They have made me feel at home in just these weeks of working together, so really looking forward to working with these guys, to learn from them and to put the 41 Ford Mustang racing up front.”

MORE: Key players in Silly Season

Suarez says he’s made efforts to get better acquainted with his new group, meeting Scott and the rest of the No. 41 crew for lunch last week and finding his way around the new shop. He anticipates chemistry to build quickly with Scott, whose technical know-how and calming demeanor helped to guide Danica Patrick (2016-17) and Busch (2018) in recent years.

Scott’s first trip to Victory Lane came last year at Bristol Motor Speedway’s annual night race with Busch, who also rocketed to a series-best five pole positions last season. Now he’ll work to forge a bond with Suarez, who says he won’t be bashful when it comes to learning the ropes in his new digs.

“I’m never shy to ask anything and I’m not a quiet guy, either, and I feel like he’s the same,” Suarez says. “The communication is going to be good back and forth. He’s a very good crew chief. He has shown that in the last couple of years. I’m really looking forward to learning from him and the rest of the group and to work hard to put the 41 car up front and hopefully put the car contending for victories, playoffs and who know what else. I feel like we’re going to start setting our goals as we go, but for sure, the expectations at least on my side, they’re high.”

The career transition also places Suarez behind the wheel of Ford’s new model for the 2019 Monster Energy Series — the Mustang. The model replaces the venerable Fusion, which won 19 of 36 races in its farewell season.

The Mustang’s graduation to the premier series level has been reason for anticipation within the Ford ranks as the circuit inches toward the Daytona 500 next month. But it’s also a motivating factor for Suarez, whose passion for classic cars has been well documented.

“I’m a car guy, so I’m extremely excited to drive a Ford Mustang,” Suarez said. “My dad’s first car actually was a Ford Mustang and I feel like it’s now a good excuse for myself to build one.”

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

THURSDAY, Jan. 10
On MRN
1 p.m.: Throwback Thursday: 1972 Miller High Life 500 from Ontario Motor Speedway

SATURDAY, Jan. 12
1 p.m.: Beyond the Wheel, FS2 (re-air)
2 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Features: Part 1, FS2 (re-air)
3 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive, FS2 (re-air)
4 p.m.: NASCAR Race Hub: Season Recap, FS2 (re-air)

Posted on by Staff Report

Speeds continued to climb on the second day of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona under Chamber of Commerce weather conditions in front of a huge crowd at Daytona International Speedway.

Jonathan Bomarito ended Saturday atop the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship time charts by the slimmest of margins, posting a best lap of 1 minute, 34.533 seconds in the No. 55 Mazda Team Joest RT24-P Daytona Prototype international (DPi). Bomarito’s time, which came under the bright lights of the 3.56-mile circuit Saturday night, was just one-thousandth of a second quicker than Renger van der Zande’s lap of 1:34.534 in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R from the afternoon session.

Both laps were well under the current WeatherTech Championship track record of 1:36.083 set last year in Rolex 24 qualifying by van der Zande.

MORE: IMSA action begins at Daytona

Nicolas Lapierre owns the fastest LMP2 lap of the Roar so far with a 1:36.553 in the No. 81 Dragonspeed ORECA. Richard Westbrook is the fastest in GT Le Mans (GTLM) with a lap of 1:43.148 in the No. 67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT and Trent Hindman tops GT Daytona (GTD) in the No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 at 1:45.533. All three laps took place in the Saturday afternoon session.

Sunday’s activities at the Roar include two more WeatherTech Championship practice sessions, as well as pit lane and garage qualifying for the DPi, LMP2 and GTLM classes. There also will be two IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice sessions.

–  The all-female No. 57 Meyer-Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 team will have prime real estate to work with on Rolex 24 At Daytona weekend after Bia Figureido was the fastest qualifier in Saturday’s WeatherTech Championship qualifying session for GT Daytona (GTD) pit and garage allocations. Figureido, who was known as Ana Beatriz to U.S. fans when she raced IndyCar from 2010-13, posted a fastest time of 1:45.537 (121.430 mph).

She and the No. 57 car were second on the time charts at the end of the 15-minute session, but the session-leading No. 71 entry had all of its times disallowed as the Gold-rated Dominik Baumann drove the car during the session. IMSA rules require Silver- or Bronze-rated drivers only to participate in all GTD and LM2 qualifying sessions.

“I thought I was P2, but then with the disqualification, this is a very good position,” said Figureido, who will share the car in the Rolex 24 with Katherine Legge, Christina Nielsen and Simona De Silvestro. “It shows that we’re really competitive, so I’m really happy for everybody with our car.”

–   Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2004 champion Kurt Busch was an interested visitor to the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing pits at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday. Busch, who is joining Ganassi’s NASCAR Cup Series team in 2019, has raced twice in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

He drove a Ford Multimatic Daytona Prototype along with fellow NASCAR drivers Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle and sports car ace Scott Maxwell in 2006, then drove a Pontiac Riley DP for Penske-Taylor Racing in the 2008 race, finishing third alongside co-drivers Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves.

“It’s been like a decade since I ran a prototype,” Busch said. “I live just down the road in Wellington, Florida, during the offseason. I saw a practice on the schedule, I love seeing cars, tires and burning fuel, so I’m here checking it out with the Ganassi team.”

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The first day of on-track activity at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona was a busy one, with practice sessions for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, in addition to practice and qualifying for the IMSA Prototype Challenge. The event continues through Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.

  • Two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi is driving in his first Rolex 24 At Daytona this year in the No. 24 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class. In addition  to it being his first WeatherTech Championship experience, it will be his first race in North America since losing both legs in a Champ Car crash at EuroSpeedway Lausitz (Germany) in 2001. “In life, it’s a question of opportunities, and I had this one, which is certainly one of the opportunities I would choose,” he said. “The Rolex 24 At Daytona has always been, the 24-hour race for me in my eyes. Being European, people would probably be used to believe that I would want to go to Le Mans, but in reality, I grew up as a race car driver here in America. I’ve always heard about this race many stories from many colleagues who were involved at some points with this great event. I always dreamed to be here. I’ve been around a long, long time and it’s almost off time right now, but luckily, before the last curtain came down, here I am involved with BMW with a works machine for RLL, and I’m very, very excited to be here.”
  • Double Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso is back for his second consecutive Rolex 24 At Daytona, this time as part of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R driver lineup with co-drivers Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande and Kamui Kobayashi. In a news conference Friday afternoon with his teammates, Alonso introduced the possibility of more IMSA action in the future. “It’s definitely a possibility that I can race in different venues in IMSA in the future, and why not maybe do the full championship one day?” Alonso said. “Not in the short term, let’s say, more medium- or long-term.”
  • On the racetrack, Oliver Jarvis posted the fastest time in WeatherTech Championship practice in the No. 77 Mazda Team Joest Mazda RT24-P Daytona Prototype international (DPi) entry. Jarvis’ best lap of 1 minute, 35.989 seconds was quicker than the existing WeatherTech Championship track record of 1:36.083 set by Renger van der Zande in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R in Rolex 24 At Daytona qualifying last year. While Jarvis’ quick lap in the DPi class came in the first of two WeatherTech Championship sessions, the fastest times in the other three classes all were posted in the second practice, despite heavy rains that abbreviated the session. Gabriel Autry led LMP2 with a lap of 1:39.575 in the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA, with Davide Rigon leading the way in GT Le Mans (GTLM) in the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE at 1:44.718. Jeroen Bleekemolen led GT Daytona (GTD) at 1:46.452 in the No. 33 Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports GT3.
  • Alexander Rossi, the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner, is participating in his first Rolex 24 At Daytona since 2014 as part of the driver lineup for the No. 7 Acura Team Penske ARX-05 DPi with co-drivers Ricky Taylor and Helio Castroneves. Rossi’s last Daytona run came in the DeltaWing with co-drivers Katherine Legge, Andy Meyrick and Gabby Chaves. They finished 16th in the Prototype class.“Being able to race the 24 Hours of Daytona with Acura Team Penske is a pretty great opportunity,” Rossi said. “Obviously, the pedigree of Team Penske and their competitiveness really across all series in motorsports gives us a great opportunity and a great platform to start from, but then as well, being able to continue my relationship with Acura and stay within the Honda family outside of the IndyCar Series is a pretty cool thing for me and to be able to continue that relationship is great for the future. I’m excited to get started here. I don’t know a whole lot of what to expect because the last time I was here was almost five years ago. This have definitely changed for me since then.”
  • Scott Pruett, the winningest driver in IMSA history with 60 career victories and a five-time overall winner of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, was introduced today as the Grand Marshal for the 57th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 26-27. Pruett shares the overall victory record at the Rolex 24 with Hurley Haywood and is the event’s all-time leader with 10 class wins. He retired from driving after last year’s Rolex 24. “It’s impossible for me to sum up, in just a few words, how honored I am to be chosen as Grand Marshal for the 57th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” Pruett said. “This track is truly special to me for so many reasons. To be the Grand Marshal in itself is wonderful and to be it while ushering in the 50th Anniversary of IMSA makes it all the more special. It’s going to be an emotional weekend and start of the race for me personally, as I’m sure I will miss suiting up and taking the wheel.”
Posted on by Staff Report

Team owner Chip Ganassi announced Friday that his organization will not run the No. 42 car in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019.

The team had signed Ross Chastain to drive the car for the upcoming season following a part-time stint in which the Florida wheelman won a race and finished second in a three-race deal in 2018.

“Due to a lack of sponsorship funding we will cease operation of the No. 42 Xfinity team in 2019,” Ganassi said in a team statement. “This was a difficult decision for me to make and it comes with much anguish as this is a championship caliber team (having won six races and finished second in the owners championship) and more importantly because it affects a number of good people’s livelihoods. Running a car without proper funding is difficult to do.”

Posted on by Team Release

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 4, 2019) – Bass Pro Shops, North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company, today announced it will continue its long partnership with Martin Truex Jr., joining the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion in his transition to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2019. Bass Pro has signed a multi-year agreement to serve as the primary sponsor of Truex’s No. 19 Toyota Camry.

As primary sponsor, Bass Pro will be prominently featured on the hood of the No. 19 Camry for 24 races in the 2019 NASCAR season, starting with the season-opening DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 17, 2019. This relationship continues a strong partnership that has helped raise broad awareness for significant conservation initiatives and the great outdoors.

RELATED: Truex among drivers on the move in 2019 | Truex’s 2018 year in review

“We’re fired up to keep rolling with Martin in 2019. His spirit and passion for hunting and fishing makes him a great ambassador for Bass Pro and the outdoors,” said Bass Pro Shops founder, conservationist and avid racing fan Johnny Morris. “Martin is a true champion in racing as well as in life, and I’m honored to call him my friend and fishing buddy of more than 15 years.”

Morris and Truex have built a longstanding friendship and successful partnership since Truex’s NASCAR career began in 2001. Since that time, Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER Boats served as primary sponsor for Truex during two Xfinity Series championships in 2004 and 2005 as well as his first three seasons in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Most recently, Bass Pro proudly sponsored Truex during his 2017 championship season and title defense in 2018. Truex and Morris both share a love of the great outdoors and work together to advance key conservation causes by leveraging NASCAR’s national platform and audience.

“I’m pumped to have Bass Pro with us again,” said Truex. “Johnny Morris has supported me throughout my career. I can’t thank him and the entire Bass Pro Shops organization enough for their support. I look forward to continuing our success together for many years to come.”

PHOTOS: Truex’s career through the years

Posted on by Staff Report

The 2019 Daytona 500 start time is 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 17, kicking off the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. FOX will broadcast the Daytona 500 with radio coverage from MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR.com will feature live coverage of the 2019 Daytona 500, including leaderboards, live video, breaking news stories, fantasy updates, in-car cameras, 360 video and more.

Watching in person? Get tickets here, including camping packages and VIP experiences. Speedweeks Monster Energy Series events kick off Sunday, Feb. 10, with the Advance Auto Parts Clash at 3 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.)

RELATED: Who’s eligible for The Clash

Next up are the Duels at Daytona, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET Thursday, Feb. 14 … all leading up to the Daytona 500 main event, which features plenty of intriguing story lines.

Starting at Daytona, Joey Logano is pursuing the first back-to-back Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships since Jimmie Johnson racked up titles No. 4 and 5 in 2009 and 2010.

Logano brought Ford its first championship since 2004 in a fiercely fought 2018 NASCAR Playoffs, and Ford is making more moves this season, bringing the Mustang to Monster Energy Series racing for the first time.

Defending race winner Austin Dillon is looking to strike gold again at Daytona as Richard Childress Racing celebrates its 50th anniversary in the sport. He will have a new crew chief in Danny Stockman, amid many driver and crew chief changes for 2019.

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Daniel Hemric knows the legacy of Richard Childress Racing and the No. 8.

Growing up in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the name “Earnhardt” was a commonality in the local community. As a young racing fan, Hemric called himself a fan of the “Intimidator” and his team, Richard Childress Racing.

To drive the same number that Dale Earnhardt Jr. made famous for a team that he grew up watching is indeed special for the newly minted Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver.

But he also wants to built his own legacy in the car and with Richard Childress Racing.

“… To see the pride in the employees’ eyes and how that catapulted RCR to what it is today, 50 years later, for me that is what I’m most looking forward to is the opportunity to add to that legacy and to do it in a number that many unbelievable drivers that came before me,” Hemric said during RCR’s 50th anniversary celebration announcement on Dec. 19 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “To be able to have that number… but somewhere along the way to make it my own as well. I want to make sure the folks at RCR understand not only where I’ve come from, but I want the fans to understand where I’ve come from and why that number means what it means to myself and the entire sport.

“When it’s all said and done, I want to make sure we add to that legacy.”

MORE: Hemric to drive the No. 8 in 2019 | Other No. 8 drivers

Hemric’s beginnings with a RCR Cup ride begin the same year the team celebrates its 50th anniversary in NASCAR. The 27-year-old driver has already driven for the team’s Xfinity Series program for two years, but he feels like he’s “been a part of this family for way longer than that.”

“Austin (Dillon) and Ty (Dillon) and I grew up at the race tracks when we were 14, 15, 16 years old together,” Hemric said of his fellow drivers and team owner Richard Childress’ grandsons. ”So, I’ve been around this family and this atmosphere for a long time and to be able to run my first full season in the Cup Series – (and) do it on RCR’s 50th year – it’s crazy to think how far this place has come since 1969.

“And to know I get to be a part of a huge milestone of RCR’s history, it’s a lot to take in but unbelievable to know I get to run my first Daytona 500 with a group and organization I consider family.”

MORE: Return of the No. 8, 50th anniversary bring rejuvenation to RCR

The milestone of stepping into Richard Childress Racing’s No. 8, starting with the season-opening Daytona 500, is the first line of Hemric’s legacy. But what will the rest of it look like? Hemric doesn’t know — no one knows yet. Perhaps that’s the exciting part about a new venture; he has an opportunity to mold it however he wishes.

And, maybe, inspire a kid from a small town with big dreams – just like himself – along the way.

“I think that’s all to be seen and to be written, really,” he said. “I think my path and my journey to get here, to have the opportunity to drive the 8 car in the Cup Series is its own story. Hopefully that in itself will be enough to motivate some kid throughout the country that wants a shot and doesn’t know how to do it. Through hard work and dedication and committing yourself to something. … I think what I can do with RCR at the Cup level is to be seen and I want to know as time goes, I can make it my own.

“And I don’t want to take away the history of what the 8 means to the sport but also want to make sure when it’s all said and done, there’s a good amount there under my name as well.”