Posted on by Reid Spencer

AVONDALE, Ariz — Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will get his first taste of action in a Formula 1 car, and he’ll go halfway around the world for the opportunity.

In the same session at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso of Spain will test his skills in one of Johnson’s road course cars.

“It’s our back-up car from the (Charlotte) Roval event,” Johnson said. “The way the timing worked out, it worked out well, we figured we would have a road course car freshly prepped and ready to go. We kicked around other dates where we were going to swap cars and (thought about) somewhere in the U.S.

“The opportunity in Bahrain developed, and just made a lot of sense. Obviously, it’s just something really different, and that was of importance to me. Let’s do something different, and let’s truly get time in each other’s cars.”

RELATED: Two champions, one track

The No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has already left for Bahrain in a container. Johnson will attend the F1 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and take part in the car swap on Nov. 26, 2018.

“Immediately after the ROVAL race, we needed to get the container packed and put that on a ship, and the ship has arrived in Dubai, and there are a few more stops that it needs to make,” Johnson said. “But it should arrive in Bahrain probably a week before the event takes place and will be transferred over to the race track

“And then our guys will get there probably a day or two in advance and start unpacking, unloading and getting the pit stall set-up and everything up and running. And then it’s got to come all the way back, obviously, after that.”

Alan Gustafson, Chase Elliott’s crew chief in the Monster Energy Series, will lead the Hendrick Motorsports team in Bahrain.

Alonso is just as excited by the opportunity as Johnson is.

“Well, the first thing I think is going to be to have fun,” Alonso told reporters in Phoenix via Skype from Brazil, site of this weekend’s F1 race. “I think we all love racing, any type of racing, and to test for the very first time a NASCAR car with the huge following and all the repercussions that NASCAR has in the world of motorsports… I want to experience that, and I want to have that opportunity in life, and it’s happening now in a couple of weeks’ time.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Chase Elliott arrives in Phoenix needing to overcome a 17-point deficit to advance to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship race next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

He has an outstanding record at the ISM Raceway 1-miler and a track record to be envied – four top-10 finishes in five starts. He was the runner-up to Matt Kenseth in this Playoffs race last year.

For the 22-year-old Georgia native, the outlook for Sunday’s Can-Am 500 (at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is pretty simple: Win and he’s in the Championship 4. It’s not a complicated formula and doesn’t require sleepless nights. His No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team just needs to perform.

RELATED: Playoff standings

And that wouldn’t be any different if Kevin Harvick’s points from winning at Texas Motor Speedway had held up, instead of him being docked 40 points Wednesday after officials found an illegal spoiler on that Texas car.

So the field is closer. Instead of an automatic berth to the title race, with the penalty, Harvick is now only three points ahead of fifth place Kurt Busch. And only Martinsville Speedway winner Joey Logano, has locked in a position in the Championship 4.

RELATED: No. 4 team penalized | How No. 4 penalty reshapes playoffs

“Well, someone’s misfortunate shouldn’t be a morale boost for your team, first off,” Elliott said when asked about benefitting from Harvick’s penalty.

“Yeah, we are in a position anyway where I feel like we have to win and honestly, that needs to be the mentality, anyway. Because if you were to make it to Miami next week you are going to have to win down there, so you might as well embrace it and like it and move on.”

Elliott didn’t mince words in his press availability trackside at the new-look ISM Raceway. He insisted his motivation to win was not affected by the points-shuffle as a result of Harvick’s mid-week penalty.

And he also bluntly downplayed any title talk by Logano, who told reporters this week that he should be considered the title favorite based on his playoff work – a 6.0 average finish through the opening eight weeks of the playoffs. And he is also the top points-earner during that time frame.

“I mean, I don’t really care what he thinks,” Elliott said when asked about Logano’s proclamation.

RELATED: Logano says he’s the favorite, competitors shrug

It’s hard to argue with Elliott’s focus. The son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott is having the best season of his three-year Cup career. He scored his first career Cup victory at Watkins Glen this summer then followed it with playoff wins at Dover International Speedway and then Kansas Speedway. He now has more playoff wins than any other driver in the field, and he comes to a track where he is considered among the best. His average finish of 6.8 in five starts is best on the grid and his driver rating of 110.3 is second only to nine-time Phoenix winner Harvick (110.9).

Since a crash in the Las Vegas playoff opener, Elliott has finished seventh or better – and won twice – in six of the last seven races. He was seventh at Martinsville two weeks ago and sixth last week at Texas.

And there is some thought that the new track look is less consequential for the young drivers with fewer starts there anyway. The start/finish line now is near the old Turn 2 and Turns 1 and 2 are now Turns 3 and 4. And vice versa.

RELATED: Shakeups with new ISM Raceway configuration

The vibe Elliott gave off Friday was unmistakable.  A championship points shuffle? A new track layout? None of it ultimately matters more than being first to the checkered flag Sunday.

“Yeah, the track to me is the same, which is a good thing,” Elliott said. “I think this is a great track that we come to.”

And he’s hoping to give his fans there plenty to cheer about when the checkered flag flies.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Going into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series elimination race weekend at ISM Raceway, Joey Logano remains the only driver currently locked into the Championship 4 after his victory at Martinsville Speedway.

With nothing to sweat about as seven playoff drivers vie for three remaining championship spots in Sunday’s Can-Am 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Logano made known the confidence he has in himself, stating he believes the No. 22 Team Penske squad is the favorite to win the title in next Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

RELATED: Full schedule at Phoenix

“Honestly, it’s funny. … I was talking with Todd (Gordon, crew chief) on the way out here, and I told him, ‘When the playoffs started I kind of felt like we were an underdog of making it,’ ” Logano told a group of reporters at a Team Penske event in Phoenix on Thursday night. “And honestly, the last six or seven weeks we’ve led a lot more laps, we’ve won a lot of stages, won a race, was fast at Kansas, was fast at Texas, you know what, I think we’re the favorite now to win.”

Other postseason contenders did not share that opinion when asked about their reaction to Logano’s bold belief. Those assessments came from “Big 3” drivers Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr., along with three-time 2018 race winner Chase Elliott.

Kyle Busch: “Uh, sure, he’s the only one locked in to go to Homestead. He’s the only guy racing right now. He can be the favorite if he wants to.”

Chase Elliott: “I mean, I don’t really care what he thinks.”

Kevin Harvick: “I’m just worried about Phoenix.”

Martin Truex Jr.: “Good for him. I mean, I really don’t care. I think it’s good for the sport. It’s good for the fans to get them fired up. For me personally, I know what I have to do, I don’t need to tell anyone. Talk is cheap. Put it on the race track and show us what you got. That’s all that matters. That’s what I focus on and that’s what I plan on doing if I get there.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 9, 2018) – NASCAR today announced that it has submitted a non-binding offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock of International Speedway Corporation (“ISC”) not already owned by the controlling shareholders of NASCAR. The intention is to combine ISC and NASCAR as one privately run group of companies led by the France family.

“In a highly competitive sports and entertainment landscape, a more unified strategic approach is important to our future growth,” said Jim France, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, NASCAR. “We believe the industry requires structural changes to best position the sport for long-term success and this offer represents a positive step forward in that direction.”

NASCAR has retained Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC as its financial advisor and Baker Botts as its legal counsel in connection with the negotiation and consummation of a mutually acceptable transaction, and BDT & Company is serving as financial advisor to the France family. NASCAR’s offer will be reviewed by a special committee of independent ISC board members advised by independent legal and financial advisors. In the interim, NASCAR and ISC will continue to operate separate as independent entities working to deliver great racing experiences to our fans everywhere.

The outcome of this prospective offer will not impact the France family’s long-term commitment to the sport, nor its interest in maintaining its current ownership in ISC, as the France family is not interested in selling its shares of ISC at this time.

Posted on by Staff Report

Erik Jones rose to the top of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series leaderboard in Friday’s opening practice at ISM Raceway in Phoenix.

In the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota, Jones checked in with a fast lap of 137.862 mph around the 1-mile Arizona track. He was just ahead of JGR teammate Kyle Busch, who was .007-second slower at 137.825 mph in the No. 18 Toyota in a 1-2 sweep of cars owned by Coach Joe Gibbs.

RELATED: Practice 1 results | Full schedule for Phoenix

Chase Elliott posted the third-fastest lap at 137.815 mph in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson completed the top five.

Kevin Harvick, a nine-time Phoenix winner, was 10th-fastest at 137.200 mph. His Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Ford team was docked 40 points and denied an automatic championship berth after infractions were discovered in a post-race inspection after Harvick’s Texas win last weekend.

Defending race winner Matt Kenseth was eighth-fastest in the Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 Ford.

Cody Ware brought out the practice’s lone caution period, crashing hard in Turn 3 with 30 minutes left in the 50-minute session. His Rick Ware Racing No. 51 Ford made heavy contact with the Turn 3 retaining wall.

Two teams were penalized with deductions from their practice time at the end of the session. William Byron’s Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 team lost 30 minutes of practice time after failing pre-race inspection three times. The Obaika Racing No. 97 for Tanner Berryhill was penalized with a 15-minute hold for being late to pre-race inspection.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR announced before the season that it will standardize at-track team rosters across all three national series in 2018, providing a structure for the number of personnel working on each vehicle during the course of a race weekend.

Official team rosters for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at ISM Raceway in Phoenix (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) have been released. Click the print icon above, or the link below.

ROSTERS: ISM Raceway rosters

RELATED: Overview of 2018 rules updates

Posted on by Staff Report

Ross Chastain is getting his shot — and on a full-time basis.

Chip Ganassi Racing officials announced Friday morning that the 25-year-old will drive the organization’s No. 42 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series full time beginning in 2019, with sponsorship from DC Solar.

It’s quite a jump for a driver who, midway through the 2018 season, bet on himself and won. When a three-race opportunity with Ganassi materialized, Chastain opted to take it and forego a paycheck, betting on the experience paying dividends in the future instead.

“I’m just trying to not to throw up, honestly,” an emotional Chastain joked during a press conference. “It’s unreal.”

RELATED: ‘Silly Season’ roundup

In August, after CGR had announced Chastain had come on to drive the car for three races, the Florida native consistently was one of the fastest drivers on the track. He won the Busch Pole Award in his first race with Ganassi at Darlington, then won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway while leading 180 laps and driving a DC Solar-backed Chevy. The stint concluded with a runner-up showing at Richmond.

Driving for JD Motorsports in the Xfinity Series and Premium Motorsports in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Chastain has displayed a knack for getting the most out of his equipment.

Chastain has one win and four top-five finishes in 137 career Xfinity Series starts — two of those top-five finishes came in three races with Ganassi this year. The other two were at Iowa in the No. 4 Chevrolet for team owner Johnny Davis.

Additionally, he’s known for being a watermelon farmer back home in Florida. He smashed a watermelon in celebration at Las Vegas and has had watermelon-based sponsorship in his NASCAR career.

“I’m an eighth-generation farmer from Florida who was fortunate enough to get a shot in top-flight equipment,” Chastain said. “I didn’t think anything like this would come about, at least not this soon,” Chastain said. ” … I felt like I made so many mistakes (driving the No. 42) … but they reassured me the entire time while I was thinking about all my mistakes. I knew that was my chance.”

DC Solar co-founder and CEO Jeff Carpoff had a major hand in Chastain’s opportunity as well. He met Chastain at the track, got to know him and eventually talked to Ganassi about the three-race trial run. His performance there was an eye-opening one to the team owner.

“From the moment I met Ross, I knew there was something special about him, so the decision to support him came easy,” Carpoff said in a release. “Witnessing his raw talent, as well as his humility and gratitude for the opportunity, only confirmed that he would be a great representative for the DC Solar brand.”

Ganassi reiterated during the press conference that he also hoped to keep John Hunter Nemechek in the Ganassi fold. Entering Phoenix, Nemechek had run 16 Xfinity Series races in the No. 42, winning once at Kansas Speedway and logging five top-five finishes.

“I like the kid,” Ganassi said of Nemechek. “I’d love to have him around.”

Posted on by Jordan Bianchi

Ahead of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Can-Am 500 at ISM Raceway in Phoenix (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — the final race in the Round of 8 — we take a look back on the 2017 event where Matt Kenseth won what could be his final victory, Chase Elliott exacted a measure of revenge on Denny Hamlin and the Championship 4 field was confirmed.

Previously: 2014 classic | 2015: Junior’s last win | 2016: Logano’s charge

The scene

Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. knew where they stood coming into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 elimination race at ISM Raceway, with each assured a spot in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Busch and Harvick by virtue of winning the prior two races within the round (Busch at Martinsville, Harvick at Texas), and Truex due to his commanding points tally.

The one remaining position would be settled among Brad Keselowski (+19 points above the provisional transfer line), Denny Hamlin (-19), Ryan Blaney (-22), Chase Elliott (-49) and Jimmie Johnson (-51). Keselowski’s points cushion placed the onus on the other four drivers to either win, or have a great finish accompanied with Keselowski turning in a subpar performance.

Any playoff elimination race is tinged with an extra level of intensity, but there was a heightened sense at ISM that Elliott and Hamlin might add a new chapter to their budding rivalry because of what transpired two weeks before at Martinsville Speedway. During that race Elliott had been leading late when Hamlin’s aggressive move wrecked Elliott with only a handful of laps remaining. Afterward the normally mild-mannered Elliott confronted Hamlin making it known he would race him vastly different going forward.

Although Elliott never definitively said he would extract payback on Hamlin, that Hamlin had prevented him from automatically advancing to the Championship 4 and essentially placed him in a must-win situation for the remainder of the Round 8 was something Elliott hadn’t forgotten coming into the penultimate playoff race.

The action

For much of the afternoon, Hamlin didn’t have to concern himself with Elliott; Hamlin had the fastest car and was running well ahead of his rival, leading 193 of the first 231 laps. But the two eventually found themselves next to one another and it was then Elliott appeared to get payback, nudging Hamlin up the track and into the frontstretch wall off Turn 4.

The contact caused an immediate tire rub on the right rear of Hamlin’s car. A few laps later the damage punctured the tire and sent Hamlin crashing. Elliott had his retribution; Hamlin was out of the race and also now eliminated from the playoffs.

“Oh, well, I’m going to race guys how they race me and keep a smile on my face regardless,” Elliott said later of the incident. “I’m happy to race guys how they choose to race me, and that’s the way I see it.”

Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin at Phoenix
Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

With Hamlin in the garage, Elliott and Matt Kenseth emerged as the likely winners. They would jostle for the lead over the final 80 laps, with each passing the other in a battle that represented NASCAR’s old guard versus its future generation.

The winner

Kenseth doggedly ran down Elliott and made the winning pass with 10 laps remaining, denying Elliott a win to clinch a berth in the Championship 4.

The impact

For Kenseth, the triumph carried great significance beyond it just being the 39th victory of his career and snapping a 51-race winless streak. On this same weekend he had publicly announced that he would stop racing full-time at the end of the season. Joe Gibbs Racing did not have a place for him on its 2018 roster, and Kenseth had not found an opportunity elsewhere, so he was going to step back until a suitable option materialized.

And the magnitude that this may be his final visit to Victory Lane was not lost on Kenseth, who showed some rare emotion in celebrating the accomplishment. “It’s a pretty special day — hard to describe,” he said.

The Elliott and Hamlin rivalry had been settled with each costing the other a potential spot in the Championship 4. There have been no incidents between the two since.

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Team Penske announced Thursday that 20-year-old Austin Cindric will compete full time in the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang. In the midst of completing his NXS rookie season in 2018, Cindric will get the opportunity to build on that success as he works to bring another driver’s championship to the No. 22 Ford team next season.

“I have had such a unique opportunity this year to learn from so many people, and to learn quite a lot in a short amount of time,” said Cindric. “To have the chance to apply that experience for a full season with Team Penske in 2019 is a huge step in my career. I am so grateful for the confidence Mr. Penske, the 22 team, Ford Performance, Team Penske and all of their partners have put in me. I can’t wait to see what we’ll be able to accomplish together.”

Cindric began the 2018 XFINITY Series season competing for Roush Fenway Racing and made nine starts in the No. 60 Ford Mustang over the course of the year. The Mooresville, Nortgh Carolina driver also competed in eight races behind the wheel of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang, but the majority of Cindric’s NXS experience, and his best results, have come while racing the No. 22 Ford Mustang this season.

MORE: Austin Cindric career stats | Xfinity Series standings

“Austin has done a solid job in his rookie season in the XFINITY Series under some tough circumstances,” said owner Roger Penske. “He has earned the opportunity to compete full time and fight for the championship in 2019. We are excited to continue to see him develop his stock car skills and he should be one of the exciting young drivers to watch next season.”

In a corresponding move, MoneyLion, America’s most-powerful financial membership, announced an enhanced, multi-year partnership with Team Penske, beginning with the 2019 NASCAR season. It will support Cindric as the primary sponsor for 18 races, beginning with Daytona all the way through the season-finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The company is also going to support Team Penske’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series efforts as well, as the primary sponsor on the No. 22 Ford Mustang, driven by Joey Logano, at the spring Talladega race and Watkins Glen race and for the No. 12 of Ryan Blaney at the spring Phoenix race.

“Team Penske has shown uncompromising support of our efforts thus far, and we only aim to reciprocate that to Team Penske and NASCAR fans everywhere,” said Dee Choubey, CEO and co-founder of MoneyLion. “We’re thrilled to show our commitment to the sport and its fans in new and exciting ways that fans can truly experience. We’re so proud to support Team Penske’s team’s efforts, and look forward to growing our support of the broader team next season with Austin, Joey, Ryan and their crews.”

MoneyLion served as the primary sponsor of Team Penske’s NASCAR XFINITY Series No. 22 Ford Mustang, piloted by Cindric, at Las Vegas, Richmond and Charlotte, and will once again appear on the car at Homestead in the season finale.

In celebration, MoneyLion and Team Penske are making the NASCAR experience more accessible and more rewarding than ever before by providing fans everywhere with more affordable access to the sport. MoneyLion has committed to providing racing fans across the country with 5% cashback on tickets to the track, 5% cashback on NASCAR.com purchases and 5% cashback on all at-track purchases.

Team Penske will continue to run the No. 12 Ford Mustang on a limited basis in 2019 with Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Paul Menard sharing the driving duties.