We are now exactly a month away from the 2019 Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 17 on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Preparations are ramping up. Anticipation is building.
During Sunday’s NFC Championship Game between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams, FOX will air an ad promoting the Daytona 500 focusing on some of the races biggest moments throughout its history and the legends that have triumphed.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When it comes to past success and high expectations, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more heralded group of teammates than the Acura Team Penske lineup for the Jan. 26-27 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
As it has done seamlessly in the past, the team has brought together a diverse and accomplished group of drivers to contend for the season-opening trophy in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s annual twice-around-the-clock event.
Penske’s high-achieving lineup this year features three Indianapolis 500 winners, a pair of IndyCar champions and some of the finest sports car competitors in the world.
The No. 7 Team Penske Acura ARX-05 DPi will be driven by three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves and 2017 WeatherTech Championship Prototype champion Ricky Taylor on a full-time basis, with help next weekend from 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi, whose lone Rolex 24 appearance to date came in 2014 as part of the DeltaWing driver lineup.
The No. 6 Team Penske Acura will again be driven full time this season by two-time Indy 500 winner and former NASCAR and Formula 1 star Juan Pablo Montoya and 2016 WeatherTech Championship Prototype champion Dane Cameron. Joining them for the Rolex is Simon Pagenaud, who won the 2016 IndyCar title with Team Penske.
And judging by their time both in front of the cameras and in the garage during the recent Roar Before the Rolex 24 test weekend, the group has already begun to gel in an effort to land the big trophy in the season-opening event.
“There are so many things we developed in the offseason and now hopefully we’ll be able to deliver,” Castroneves said. “Alex [Rossi] has joined us and good news is he’s using the same seat as [last year’s Penske driver] Graham [Rahal] so he ‘fits right in.’ Hopefully we’ll get the results we deserve.”
Certainly, this race is an important part of Penske’s illustrious racing contribution. He’s won the Rolex three times, including overall in 1969 with the late Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons.
Last year, the two-car Acura Team Penske program returned to sports car competition full time and placed ninth and 10th overall at Daytona. In qualifying, Castroneves put the No. 7 car on the outside pole position, and both cars ran competitively before mid-race issues ended their hopes of winning.
Castroneves and Taylor scored the only victory for the team in its sports car return at the Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course in May. They led a 1-2 sweep for the team, with Montoya and Cameron’s No. 6 entry crossing the finish line close behind.
A victory at Daytona this year would go a long way to setting the tone for a championship-contending season. Taylor was third and Montoya was seventh in the qualifying session that concluded the Roar and set the order for garage and pit selections.
“We learned a ton in our first season, so I think we’re really ready to hit the ground running and make a push for the championship,” said Cameron.
For Rossi, who competes full time for the Andretti Autosport team in IndyCar, this race is essentially opportunity with expectation.
“Our expectation is to win,” Rossi said smiling. “I think we have the platform to do that. If you look at the success the team had last year as a new team coming in, they had a learning curve to catch up to the other teams and I think they did an amazing job with that.
“Already going into this year there’s a lot of talk about how much progress they’ve made, so I think that warrants good expectations. These teammates are some of the best on the grid, I think, and I feel fortunate to have them coach me up as quickly as possible.”
Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? Where can you watch the Rolex 24? We answer that and give you the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.
Ten days from now, on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 2:30 p.m. ET, the green flag will fly over a 47-car field in the 57th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. It marks both the start of the IMSA 50th Anniversary Celebration and the beginning of an exciting new era for the sanctioning body and its flagship IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The field will include 47 cars spread across four classes of competition: Daytona Prototype international (DPi) – for factory-supported prototype sports cars, teams and drivers; Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) – a prototype class for Pro-Am driver lineups; GT Le Mans (GTLM) – the most competitive form of GT racing in the world with factory teams, drivers and race cars; and GT Daytona (GTD) – ultra-fast GT cars built to international GT3 technical specifications fielded by professional teams with Pro-Am driver lineups.
In those cars will be many of the world’s best sports car racers whose names have been etched on everything from the Bishop-France Trophy to the back of Rolex 24 At Daytona winners’ watches, and in record books from Le Mans to Sebring. Joining them will be Formula 1 World Champions, NASCAR race winners, Indy 500 winners, champions from various other forms of motorsport, and uber-successful business people.
It will be the first WeatherTech Championship race with the entire field riding on new Michelin tires as part of a new multi-year partnership between IMSA and the global tire brand, which also includes exclusive-supplier status for what now is known as the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the IMSA Prototype Challenge. It also kicks off the four-race IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, encompassing the four endurance races on the WeatherTech Championship schedule.
Live race coverage will be provided for the first time by NBC Sports, which kicks off its multi-year partnership with 18 hours of coverage on NBCSN starting at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 26 and seven more live hours on the NBC Sports App. IMSA Radio continues its longtime coverage throughout race week on IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and SiriusXM Radio.
Here’s a closer look at the 47-car field on the entry list.
· There are a total of 11 DPi cars, four LMP2 entries, nine GTLM entries and 23 entered in GTD. The field includes cars from 13 different manufacturers led by Cadillac (6 DPi) and Porsche (2 GTLM and 4 GTD) with six entries each. Lamborghini has five GTD entries, Acura (2 DPi, 2 GTD) and Ferrari (1 GTLM, 3 GTD) and Audi (4 GTD) have four entries each, with three BMWs (2 GTLM, 1 GTD) and two each from Mazda (2 DPi), Chevrolet (2 GTLM), Ford (2 GTLM), Lexus (2 GTD) and Mercedes-AMG (2 GTD). Nissan has one DPi entry.
·No. 44 Magnus Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 driver Andy Lally has the most Rolex 24 At Daytona wins of any driver in the field with five (all class wins – SRPII 2001; GT – 2009, 2011, 2012; GTD – 2016). He is tied for second on the all-time Daytona winners list with three other drivers: Peter Gregg, Hurley Haywood and Bob Wollek. Scott Pruett, the 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona grand marshal, is the winningest driver in the Rolex 24 with 10 class victories.
·Three drivers come into this year’s Rolex 24 with three career overall victories in the race: No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R co-drivers Joao Barbosa (2010, 2014, 2018) and Christian Fittipaldi (2004, 2014, 2018) and No. 6 Acura Team Penske Acura DPi driver Juan Pablo Montoya (2007, 2008, 2013). As participants in the DPi class, all three have an opportunity to pick up their fourth and move to within one of the record of five overall wins shared by Pruett and Haywood.
·There are a total of 51 previous Rolex 24 winners on the entry list. Twenty-seven of the 47 cars have at least one former winner in its driver lineup, including 10 of the 11 DPi entries. Only the No. 50 Juncos Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R does not have a previous winner among co-drivers Will Owen, Rene Binder, Agustin Canapino and Kyle Kaiser. Owen is the team’s only driver with a previous Rolex 24 start, which came in 2018.
·Ford Chip Ganassi Racing has the most Rolex 24 wins in the field with eight, including each of the past two years in the GTLM class. The team’s other six – all overall victories – came in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2015. There are a total of 14 teams in the field with at least one Rolex 24 victory.
·Porsche is far and away the winningest manufacturer in Rolex 24 history, with a total of 69 victories (22 overall, 47 class) since the race’s inception in 1962. Mazda is second on the list with 22 victories, all of them class victories. A Mazda overall victory in 2019 would be the manufacturer’s first overall win in the race.
·The 2019 Rolex 24 field includes 40 drivers with one or more top-level IMSA championships, 33 drivers with at least one victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, five IndyCar/Champ Car Champions, four Indianapolis 500 winners, three drivers with Formula 1 Grand Prix race victories, two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race winners and one Formula 1 World Champion.
Christian Fittipaldi, Joao Barbosa and Felipe Albuquerque celebrate with Rolex watches in Victory Lane after winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona IMSA WeatherTech Series race at Daytona International Speedway in 2018. (Brian Cleary | Getty Images)
Previous Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners in 2019 Rolex 24 Field (51) Andy Lally (5) – SRPII – 2001; GT – 2009, 2011, 2012; GTD – 2016 Joao Barbosa (4) – P/Overall – 2018, 2014; DP/Overall – 2010; GTS – 2003 Christian Fittipaldi (3) – P/Overall – 2018, 2014; DP/Overall – 2004 Scott Dixon (3) – DP/Overall – 2006; P/Overall – 2015; GTLM – 2018 Juan Pablo Montoya (3) – DP/Overall – 2007, 2008, 2013 Bill Auberlen (2) – GTS-3 – 1997; GT3 – 1998 Dirk Mueller (2) – GT1 – 1998; GTLM – 2017 Timo Bernhard (2) – GT/Overall – 2003; GT – 2002 Dominik Farnbacher (2) – GT – 2005; GTD – 2015 Spencer Pumpelly (2) – GT – 2006, 2011 Antonio Garcia (2) – DP/Overall – 2009; GTLM – 2015 Joey Hand (2) – DP/Overall – 2011; GTLM – 2017 Filipe Albuquerque (2) – P/Overall – 2018; GT – 2013 Rene Rast (2) – GT – 2012; GTD – 2016 John Potter (2) – GT – 2012; GTD – 2016 Sebastien Bourdais (2) – P/Overall – 2014; GTLM – 2017 Ryan Briscoe (2) – GTLM – 2015, 2018 Fabio Babini (1) – GTU – 2000 Patrick Long (1) – GT – 2009 Justin Marks (1) – GT – 2009 Mike Rockenfeller (1) – DP/Overall – 2010 Ryan Dalziel (1) – DP/Overall – 2010 Jonathan Bomarito (1) – GT – 2010 AJ Allmendinger (1) – DP/Overall – 2012 Oliver Jarvis (1) – GT – 2013 Jon Bennett (1) – PC – 2014 Colin Braun (1) – PC – 2014 Patrick Pilet (1) – GTLM – 2014 Nick Tandy (1) – GTLM – 2014 Alessandro Pier Guidi (1) – GTD – 2014 Townsend Bell (1) – GTD – 2014 Jeff Segal (1) – GTD – 2014 Jan Magnussen (1) – GTLM – 2015 Ben Keating (1) – GTD – 2015 Pipo Derani (1) – P/Overall – 2016 Stephen Simpson (1) – PC – 2016 Chris Miller (1) – PC – 2016 Misha Goikhberg (1) – PC – 2016 Oliver Gavin (1) – GTLM – 2016 Tommy Milner (1) – GTLM – 2016 Marcel Fassler (1) – GTLM – 2016 Marco Seefried (1) – GTD – 2016 Ricky Taylor (1) – P/Overall – 2017 Jordan Taylor (1) – P/Overall – 2017 Kyle Masson (1) – PC – 2017 Nicholas Boulle (1) – PC – 2017 Daniel Morad (1) – GTD – 2017 Richard Westbrook (1) – GTLM – 2018 Rolf Ineichen (1) – GTD – 2018 Mirko Bortolotti (1) – GTD – 2018 Rik Breukers (1) – GTD – 2018
IMSA Champions in 2019 Rolex 24 Field (40) Oliver Gavin (7) – American Le Mans Series GT1 – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009; American Le Mans Series GT – 2012; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2016; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2016 Joao Barbosa (6) – WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2014, 2015; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Christian Fittipaldi (6) – WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2014, 2015; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Jan Magnussen (5) – American Le Mans Series GT1 – 2008; American Le Mans Series GT – 2013; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2015; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2017, 2018 Andy Lally (4) – GRAND-AM SRPII – 2001; GRAND-AM SGS – 2004; GRAND-AM GT – 2006; GRAND-AM North American Endurance Cup GT – 2012 Patrick Long (4) – American Le Mans Series GT2 – 2005, 2009; American Le Mans Series GT – 2010; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2014 Jeroen Bleekemolen (4) – American Le Mans Series GTC – 2010, 2013; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2017, 2018 Antonio Garcia (4) – American Le Mans Series GT – 2013; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2015; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2017, 2018 Bill Auberlen (3) – IMSA GTS-3 – 1997; GRAND-AM GT – 2002, 2004 Dirk Mueller (3) – American Le Mans Series GT – 2000, 2011; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2018 Timo Bernhard (3) – American Le Mans Series GT – 2004; American Le Mans Series P2 – 2007, 2008 Dirk Werner (3) – GRAND-AM GT – 2007, 2009; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2017 Tommy Milner (3) – American Le Mans Series GT – 2012; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2016; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2016 Jon Bennett (3) – WeatherTech Championship PC – 2014, 2015; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup PC – 2014 Colin Braun (3) – WeatherTech Championship PC – 2014, 2015; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup PC – 2014 Eric Curran (3) – WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2016, 2018; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2018 Christina Nielsen (3) – WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2016, 2017; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2016 Romain Dumas (2) – American Le Mans Series P2 – 2007, 2008 Jeff Segal (2) – GRAND-AM GT – 2010, 2012 Timothy Pappas (2) – American Le Mans Series GTC – 2010, 2011 Joey Hand (2) – American Le Mans Series GT – 2011; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2018 Cooper MacNeil (2) – American Le Mans Series GTC – 2012, 2013 Jordan Taylor (2) – GRAND-AM DP – 2013; WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2017 Dane Cameron (2) – WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2014; WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2016 Townsend Bell (2) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2014; WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2015 Patrick Pilet (2) – WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2015; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2017 Ben Keating (2) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2017, 2018 Felipe Nasr (2) – WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2018; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2018 Ian James (1) – American Le Mans Series P2 Andrew Davis (1) – GRAND-AM GT – 2011 John Edwards (1) – GRAND-AM North American Endurance Cup GT – 2013 Simon Pagenaud (1) – American Le Mans Series LMP – 2010 John Potter (1) – GRAND-AM North American Endurance Cup GT – 2012 Renger van der Zande (1) – WeatherTech Championship PC – 2016 Ricky Taylor (1) – WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2017 Filipe Albuquerque (1) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2017 Kyle Masson (1) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup PC – 2017 Mario Farnbacher (1) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2017 Bryan Sellers (1) – WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2018 Luca Stolz (1) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2018
Previous 24 Hours of Le Mans Winners in 2019 Rolex 24 Field (33) Oliver Gavin (5) – GTE Pro – 2015; GT1 – 2006, 2005; GTS – 2004, 2002 Timo Bernhard (3) – LMP1/Overall – 2017, 2010; GT – 2002 Jan Magnussen (3) – GT1 – 2009, 2005; GTS – 2004 Marcel Fassler (3) – LMP1/Overall – 2014, 2012, 2011 Nicolas Lapierre (3) LMP2 – 2018, 2016, 2015 Dirk Mueller (2) – GTE Pro – 2016; GT – 2000 Patrick Long (2) – GT2 – 2007, GT1 – 2004 Mike Rockenfeller (2) – LMP1/Overall – 2010; GT2 – 2005 Romain Dumas (2) – LMP1/Overall – 2010, 2016 Tommy Milner (2) – GTE Pro – 2015, 2011 Toni Vilander (2) – GTE Pro – 2014, 2012 Earl Bamber (2) – LMP1/Overall – 2017, 2015 Fabio Babini (1) – GT – 2001 Jeroen Bleekemolen (1) – LMP2 – 2008 Antonio Garcia (1) – GTE Pro – 2011 Ryan Dalziel (1) – LMP2 – 2012 Pedro Lamy (1) – GTE Am – 2012 Loic Duval (1) – LMP1/Overall – 2013 Olivier Pla (1) – LMP2 – 2013 Harry Tincknell (1) – LMP2 – 2014 Nick Tandy (1) – LMP1/Overall – 2015 Jordan Taylor (1) – GTE Pro – 2015 Andrea Bertolini (1) – GTE Am – 2015 Joey Hand (1) – GTE Pro – 2016 Sebastien Bourdais (1) – GTE Pro – 2016 Townsend Bell (1) – GTE Am – 2016 Jeff Segal (1) – GTE Am – 2016 Oliver Jarvis (1) – LMP2 – 2017 Daniel Serra (1) – GTE Pro – 2017 Dries Vanthoor (1) – GTE Am – 2017 Fernando Alonso (1) – LMP1/Overall – 2018 Laurens Vanthoor (1) – GTE Pro – 2018 Matt Campbell (1) – GTE Am – 2018
IndyCar/Champ Car Champions in 2019 Rolex 24 Field (5) Scott Dixon (5) – 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 Sebastien Bourdais (4) – 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Alex Zanardi (2) – 1997, 1998 Juan Pablo Montoya (1) – 1999 Simon Pagenaud (1) 2016
Indianapolis 500 Winners in Rolex 24 Field (4) Helio Castroneves (3) – 2001, 2002, 2009 Juan Pablo Montoya (2) – 2000, 2015 Scott Dixon (1) – 2008 Alexander Rossi (1) – 2016
Formula 1 Grand Prix Winners in 2019 Rolex 24 Field (3)
Fernando Alonso at the 2018 Rolex 24. (Brian Cleary | Getty Images)
Fernando Alonso – 32 Rubens Barrichello – 11 Juan Pablo Montoya – 7
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race Winners in Rolex 24 Field (2) Juan Pablo Montoya – 2 AJ Allmendinger – 1
Formula 1 World Champions in 2019 Rolex 24 Field (1) Fernando Alonso (2) – 2005, 2006
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson moved one step closer to earning his first career Chili Bowl Midget Nationals title after winning Tuesday night’s preliminary qualifying night feature in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
After starting second in the A-Main, Larson took over the lead on Lap 6 and never looked back, cruising to victory in the No. 01 McDonald’s Keith Kunz Motorsports dirt midget. Larson is now locked into Saturday night’s finale where a Golden Driller trophy and a chance to etch his name in history are on the line.
“It’s always good when you get locked in,” Larson told NASCAR.com Wednesday. “I like racing early in the week so you can see how your mood is going to be for the rest the time here in Tulsa.
“Car was really good, and I feel like I ran a nice, smooth race and did what we needed to do to get locked in for Saturday.”
Locked in!! Got the win. Car was great! Thanks @McDonalds@iRacing and all other supporters! Let’s try and get a Driller Saturday
Last year, Larson won his respective qualifying night, but an expired engine while leading the A-Main finale with 10 laps remaining allowed NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Christopher Bell to earn his second straight Chili Bowl triumph.
With a win under his belt and confidence always running high when he’s on the 1/5-mile indoor clay oval, Larson is reluctant to get too anxious or excited based on previous experiences.
Credit: @KyleLarsonRacin
“I literally had bad luck for the past six years or seven years,” Larson said. “If it doesn’t happen on a prelim night, it seems to happen to me on a Saturday. I don’t know. Every year I come in hoping and praying this is the year I don’t have bad luck.
“Hopefully this year is a little different and we can get up front, lead the race and not have anything crazy happen to us,” he added. “We’ll just wait and see. I don’t get too worked up about it anymore or get too stressed out just because of all the bad luck I’ve had. It’s kind of humbled me where I’m just thankful to be out there racing.”
But in the meantime, Larson has plenty of time to prepare, relax and enjoy time with his fellow dirt-racing peers before it’s time to hop back into the car for Saturday night’s marquee event, cluing us into what he’ll be doing to pass the down time.
“It’s a fun week of racing and hanging out with your friends because you don’t get to see them much,” Larson said. “Just try to relax and get prepared at the same time for Saturday. I brought my golf clubs out here. Maybe do some golfing one day. It’s supposed to warm up even more throughout the week. We’ll just lay back and enjoy it.”
MBM Motorsports announced Wednesday that Joey Gase will be its driver for the full NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019. The team added an extra dash of newness with its car reveal.
Gase, 25, joined team owner Carl Long at the NASCAR Hall of Fame to take the wraps off a No. 35 Toyota Supra, the automaker’s long-anticipated model of choice for the Xfinity Series. The car, sporting sponsorship from Eternal Fan, was believed to be the first Supra shown in NASCAR race trim since the manufacturer’s official unveiling last summer at Daytona International Speedway.
“First time I saw it in person was this past weekend. I think it looks really cool and really different, not quite like a traditional stock car, for sure,” Gase said. “But I think it’s going to be really fast and I think we have a really awesome looking Eternal Fan car.”
Besides the Xfinity Series duties, Gase is scheduled for multiple races — as much as 90 percent of the schedule, Long said — in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 66 MBM team. That partial schedule will start with MBM’s attempt to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500 (Feb. 17, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“For the most part, I’m just happy to be on this side of it,” Long said, “and to have an experienced driver like Joey to get into this thing and start off the year running with performance, something that we feel like we’ve already achieved and we’re only going to get better.”
The organization also plans to field a No. 66 entry on the Xfinity side. Long indicated the crew chief hiring process was underway, with Gase’s involvement to help find the right fit.
Gase has made 30 Monster Energy Series starts over the past five seasons, running eight races last year for four different teams. He has been a full-time Xfinity Series competitor since 2014, driving last season for Go Green Racing and team owner Archie St. Hilaire.
Despite the switch, Gase will continue to fly the No. 35 he piloted last year — a car number that dates back to his days racing Late Models.
“The 35 number means a lot to Joey,” Long said. “The only thing I did was gave him a little design on the number, I thought. We’re all good.”
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver’s car will sport a little more blue on the hood and in front of the grille. Another subtle difference is a white streak on the side of the car leading to the number. The splitter is also white instead of blue as it was in 2018.
The 26-year-old is entering his sixth season in the sport’s top series. The 2018 campaign saw Larson make the NASCAR Playoffs for the third straight year and finish ninth in the standings. He tallied 12 top fives, 19 top 10s and three poles on the year.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR has named industry veteran Jay Fabian as its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director.
A respected leader within the garage area, Fabian previously served as the managing director of technical integration at NASCAR, where he oversaw post-race technical inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. A consistent presence in all three NASCAR national series garages, Fabian’s versatile career has included roles as an over-the-wall crew member, a crew chief and, now, the managing director of NASCAR’s premier series.
“With his vast experience across the industry, Jay Fabian is uniquely suited for this position,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “Jay’s steady leadership and depth of knowledge are tremendous assets that will greatly benefit the series and all of NASCAR.”
Prior to joining NASCAR in April 2016, the Everett, Penn., native worked at Michael Waltrip Racing. During his 10-year tenure, MWR teams qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs in 2012, 2013 and 2015.
“This is a fast-paced sport that is constantly evolving, and I’m thankful for this opportunity and eager to take on the challenge,” Fabian said. “Racing has been my passion for as long as I can remember. There is growing anticipation for the 2019 season, and I’m looking forward to being a part of an outstanding team that will help build our sport.”
Fabian, with more than 25 years of motorsports experience, and NASCAR’s two other national series managing directors — Wayne Auton (NASCAR Xfinity Series) and Brad Moran (NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series) — will report directly to Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition.
Mooresville, N.C. – Ryan Truex will pilot the No. 71 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet in an attempt to make a start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
Taking after family history, Ryan Truex has ascended to the top of the motorsports ladder in just a few short years competing throughout the top tiers of the sport. Driving for several well-acclaimed teams such as Joe Gibbs Racing, Pastrana Waltrip Racing, BK Racing, Biagi DenBeste Racing and Hattori Racing Enterprises, Truex has made starts in all three top NASCAR series. This will mark Truex’s second attempt at qualifying for the Daytona 500.
“I am very thankful to TBR and Tommy Baldwin for this opportunity and can’t wait to get to Daytona and back in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car,” commented Ryan Truex. “The pressure is on to make it into the race, but Tommy is a true racer, and I know he will put everything into the car to give us a great shot.”
“I’m excited to have Ryan back in a Tommy Baldwin Racing car,” team owner Tommy Baldwin said. “We had success at Daytona in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the past. I’ve known the Truex family a very long time, and it’s special that we’ll be able to compete in the Daytona 500 together, and hopefully more races as the year goes on. We are still in search of a primary sponsor that we’re hoping to put together in time to give TBR a great run this year.”
Mention the words “Chili Bowl” to a non-race fan and they’re likely to think you’re talking about what is on that day’s lunch menu. But for those within the racing community the Chili Bowl has nothing to do with food; instead it’s one of the most competitive races in all of motorsports. The event, which began Monday night and culminates with a 55-lap race on Saturday, brings together a diverse field featuring drivers across the motorsports spectrum — including some of NASCAR’s top talents — and represents a sort of “unofficial launch” of the 2019 racing season.
For those unfamiliar with the Chili Bowl, or for those seeking to better understand the buzz surrounding the annual event, here is a primer on what you need to know.
The Chili Bowl Nationals is a multi-day event that sees drivers from around the world wheel Midget cars on a temporary quarter-mile dirt track constructed inside the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Okla. This year, 360 drivers representing 33 states and five countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States) are entered.
How does the format work?
Because of the volume of entries, multiple preliminary races are held Monday through Friday where each night two drivers lock themselves into the 24-car main event held on Saturday. That is the straightforward answer, though the actual procedure of how the field is whittled down each night to determine who advances out of each heat is far more complicated. Even the most ardent fan can be confused by the “alphabet soup” format that not only includes a driver’s finishing position but also has an element that takes into account how many passes they made in a specific heat. Honestly, if you would like a detailed breakdown the best thing to do is read this step-by-step process click this link.
How did the Chili Bowl did it get its now well-known name?
A race coined the “Chili Bowl” would seemingly have an interesting backstory on how its name came to be. In actuality, however, there is a pretty straightforward reason for how the Chili Bowl got its moniker when it was conceived by co-founders Emmett Hahn and Lanny Edwards: Sponsorship. When the first event was held in 1987, Bob Berryhill came on board to serve as the primary backer through his family-owned food company, The Original Chili Bowl. Berryhill continued sponsoring the race for the next three years and by that time the name stuck. And 33 years after its inception, the race continues to be called the Chili Bowl.
What is the difference between a stock car and the Midget cars used in this event?
As opposed to a NASCAR stock car, which is heavier and bulkier, a midget car is quite nimble with a high power-to-weight ratio. Midget cars also have open wheels, a feature that often results in drivers banging wheels during races causing cars to flip. During Chili Bowl week the number of cars that tumble are tallied with an official “flip count.”
What is Tony Stewart’s role?
A common sight at the Chili Bowl is Tony Stewart, himself a two-time race-winner, meticulously inspecting the racing surface. Not because he trying to glean advantage in pursuit of a third victory, but because the three-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion is in charge of track preparation. It is a role the Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner takes quite seriously. Stewart begins grooming the track two weeks before the event, and during race week he devotes countless hours each day to maintaining the track with intent care.
5 nights of track prep. 1 more marathon day left. Not ready for this to be over yet @cbnationals
The Golden Driller is a 76-foot tall statue of an oil worker stationed outside the River Spirit Expo Center, representing an industry synonymous with the Tulsa area. It is the sixth-tallest statue in the United States, and Oklahoma recognizes it as a state monument. Thus, when a trophy needed to be designed for the Chili Bowl it was natural that the winner receive a smaller version of The Golden Driller.
Who are some drivers entered with NASCAR connections?
There are several drivers with direct ties to NASCAR among the gaggle competing this week. Christopher Bell, who won a rookie-record seven Xfinity Series races in 2018, is the two-time defending champion and is a strong contender to score a third consecutive victory. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson is again entered and he has made it known how badly he wants to add a Chili Bowl win to his extensive résumé. Larson locked himself into Saturday’s main event with a dominant victory Tuesday night.
Other NASCAR drivers (past or present) entered include Rico Abreu, Justin Allgaier, Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe, Landon Cassill, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and JJ Yeley.
Who are some of the other prominent drivers entered?
No driver has won more Golden Drillers than Sammy Swindell, who is back to pursue a sixth title this year. Bell (2017-2018), Abreu (2015-2016), Tracy Hines (2005), who previously competed full-time in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series, and Tim McCreadie (2006) are the other former winners entered.
Also worth noting is IndyCar driver Conor Daly; Karsyn Elledge, the niece of Dale Earnhardt Jr.; 2018 Knoxville Nationals winner Brad Sweet; and Toyota Racing Development prospect Logan Seavey, who’s drawn comparisons to Bell.
