Posted on by Zack Albert

When Toyota Racing Development and Joe Gibbs Racing began work on finding a new affiliate team to replace Furniture Row Racing next season, car owner Bob Leavine stepped forward, eager to help his organization gain a competitive boost. 

Leavine Family Racing announced the anticipated switch from Chevrolet to the Toyota Racing banner Wednesday, jointly presenting Matt DiBenedetto as the No. 95 team’s driver for 2019. The organization will share a tight technical alliance with JGR, Toyota’s flagship operation.

That partnership will fill the void that Furniture Row will create when it leaves the series at season’s end. The Colorado-based operation switched from Chevy to Toyota in 2016, winning the Monster Energy Series championship with Martin Truex Jr. the following year.

RELATED: Leavine Family Racing tabs DiBenedetto for No. 95 car in 2019

While LFR stands to improve from its current 25th-place perch in the series’ team owner standings, Leavine cautioned against heightened expectations that any performance upswing would fall on a similar arc to Furniture Row’s. Breaking into the 2019 playoff field, for instance, may be a heady goal.

“Sixteen is going to be really difficult,” Leavine said, noting the standings’ threshold number to qualify for the postseason field. “In fact, the number we looked at and did our pro forma for financial is 18, so top 20 because you beat a lot of good cars to get to there. We are going to a superior engine program with great bodies and chassis and all that, but we’ve still got to put it together with the people and the car, crew chief, engineers — it’s a changeover. … It’s progression.

“I know people are going to look, well, Furniture Row. We’re not Furniture Row. We haven’t been racing as long as Furniture Row did when they got their (first) win and got their championship. So we’ll take it, we want to get better, we want to progress. If we put unrealistic expectations on us, this ain’t going to have no fun. And it’s still got to be some fun. It’s tough, but it’s still got to be some fun.”

RELATED: DiBenedetto ‘at home’ with JGR-aligned LFR, Toyota

Indeed, Furniture Row had already started contending and winning by the time it entered into the agreement with Toyota, and team owner Barney Visser’s outfit had a six-year run of full-time competition before its manufacturer change. In contrast, Leavine Family Racing competed on a full-time basis for the first time just last season. 

Leavine said locking in its driver and manufacturer for 2019 was roughly a six-month process. LFR will remain a one-car operation next year in an effort to build a better foundation for the future, but the team owner indicated that the progress was ongoing, with decisions still to be made on key personnel. Helping those people click, all while tempering expectations, will be the next challenge. 

“They don’t have the same people that Furniture Row has, and that can’t be understated,” said David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development. “It’s one thing to have hardware, but in Furniture Row’s case, to have guys like (crew chief) Cole Pearn and (lead engineer) Jeff Curtis and those guys, that’s a big part of it. …

“No doubt, it is a taller hill to climb and we’re starting from lower, in the foothills. And again, we’ve had very candid, honest conversation with Bob and they realize that, but as I said, Bob had the vision and the courage to raise his hand and say, I want to put myself in a better position, I want to take the next step competitively.”

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CHARLOTTE, NC — For Matt DiBenedetto, the opportunity to pilot the No. 95 with Joe Gibbs Racing-aligned Leavine Family Racing in 2019 is a return to his roots.

In 2009, 17-year-old DiBenedetto made his first start in the K&N Pro Series – and his car owner was JD Gibbs.

“I couldn’t possibly script my career or control it to know how it was going to turn out,” DiBenedetto said Wednesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “You just never know what could happen. This is a perfect testament to it; I started my career with Joe Gibbs Racing, with Toyota and for it to all come around full circle and for me to develop such a good relationship with all those folks at Toyota; (Toyota Racing Development President) David Wilson, (Group Vice President, Technical Director for Toyota Racing) Andy Graves, all the guys at Toyota and then all the folks at Joe Gibbs Racing, to have developed those relationships many years.

“And then look nine years later for me to still have those relationships and for it to all come full circle where we’re going to be working together again is pretty unbelievable.”

MORE: LFR taps DiBenedetto for No. 95 in 2019

Joe Gibbs Racing gave DiBenedetto one of his first instrumental chances in racing; he won twice in seven starts in the No. 18 K&N ride, also making a lone start in the Xfinity Series (14th-place result) under the JGR umbrella that year. Both of the K&N wins came in Toyotas.

“They’re a very small group and they do nothing but the best,” DiBenedetto said of the manufacturer. “I think the transition is going to be very comfortable because I know … all the folks at LFR very well. I’m obviously really familiar with the Toyota family.

“It’s kind of in a lot of ways, being at home where I belong.”

RELATED: Key players in Silly Season 2018

But when DiBenedetto “bet on himself” on Sept. 8 by choosing to step away from Go Fas Racing without another ride in his pocket, he had no idea of his future homecoming — or anything.

With nothing lined up, he knew he could potentially end up jobless in 2019, a thought that ran across his mind during that period.

“I was a tough person to be around, I’m not going to lie,” he said.  “Just emotionally. It’s tough not to get down. I’ve been very persistent my whole career and I’ve had to overcome some things that made me who I am today. Goodness, just the thought of potentially having nothing, that even crossing my mind. I knew what I was getting into when I bet on myself but those thoughts cross your mind that ‘this could be it.’

“Everything I’ve worked for since I was seven years old and invested my whole life into could be over, would devastate me.”

His struggle made his triumph that much sweeter, though; when DiBenedetto received the phone call from Bob Leavine, asking him to come pilot the No. 95 Toyota in 2019, it made him “1000 times” more appreciative for the opportunity.

“I believe in my heart that everything happens for a reason and everything has happened for a reason to get me where I am today,” he said. “I think our paths were just meant to cross and for us to be together and that’s what’s meant to be.”

The announcement is also a homecoming for Toyota, who will put its emblem back on DiBenedetto’s fire suit after giving him one of his first opportunities nine years ago.

“This is a people business and we tend to focus on parts and pieces a lot but it boils down to people and Matt is just a good guy,” Toyota Racing Development President David Wilson said. “And we enjoyed working with him. As a fan, I’ve watched him progress through NASCAR and I’ve always wanted him to have better opportunities. So, you can see excitement.

“He realizes that this is a tremendous opportunity for him. … Just like when we reunited with Martin Truex and Furniture Row, this has a similar feel to it.”

RELATED: Smith will finish ’18 season as driver of No. 95

DiBenedetto doesn’t know if his time with Leavine Family Racing will have the same level of success as Truex Jr. did. But he does know that Leavine Family Racing “pours their heart and soul” into bettering the team. He knows firsthand how Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing operate.

And he’s wearing a smile Wednesday because of it all.

“Oh, man — it’s crazy to have (JGR Senior Vice President) Jimmy Makar here from Joe Gibbs Racing,” he said. “All those guys, everyone at Gibbs. JD Gibbs was a huge part of me getting the opportunity with them to start my career … It’s a big blast from the past and pretty special.

“It just makes me feel really lucky that I’ve been able to build these relationships and it makes me feel really lucky that they think enough of me that they put a word in for me and they thought I was the right man for the job.”

Posted on by Staff Report

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 10, 2018) – Comcast announced today the finalists for the 2018 Comcast Community Champion of the Year Award, an annual award created to recognize the philanthropic efforts of individuals within the NASCAR industry. Comcast‘s Xfinity brand has been the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2015.

The 2018 finalists are:

• Joey Logano, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver and founder of the Joey Logano Foundation

• Ryan Newman, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver and co-founder of Rescue Ranch

• Steve Page, President of Sonoma Raceway and board member of the Sonoma chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities

“One of Comcast’s most important pillars is re-investing in our local communities, and it has been incredible to see this come to life through our NASCAR partnership with the Comcast Community Champion of the Year Award,” said Matt Lederer, Executive Director of Partnership Marketing at Comcast. “This annual award, now in its fourth year, has given us a platform to highlight members of the NASCAR family who truly embody a generous and benevolent spirit.”

The 2018 Comcast Community Champion will be selected by a panel comprised of Comcast and NASCAR executives, as well as the Chip Ganassi Racing Pit Crew Department, which won the award in 2017 and will be represented by pit crew coach Mike Metcalf. Comcast will award $60,000 to the winner’s affiliated charity, and $30,000 on behalf of the two remaining finalists’ selected charities. The 2018 award winner will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 15 at W South Beach Hotel in Miami as part of NASCAR Championship Weekend.

In the first three years of the award, Comcast has donated more than $350,000 to nine different NASCAR-affiliated charities, furthering the impact of philanthropic efforts from NASCAR industry members. The Chip Ganassi Racing Pit Crew Department has been able to continue their efforts with the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, a home-away-from-home for families with children in nearby hospitals. The Department is well-known for visiting the House to assist in cleaning and cooking meals for families, as well as hosting a bicycle drive during the holidays to provide bikes of all different sizes for children staying at the House.

“Our team has been incredibly honored to receive this kind of support from Comcast through this award,” said Metcalf. “Thanks to their $60,000 donation, we have been able to take our commitment to the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte to a new level. We are thrilled to be a part of the process of selecting the 2018 champion.”

Comcast has a long track record of community service, aiding in the advancement of local organizations, developing programs and partnerships, mobilizing resources to connect people and inspiring positive and substantive change. To learn more about the Comcast Community Champion of the Year Award, please visit ComcastCommunityChampion.com.

2018 Comcast Community Champion of the Year finalists:

Joey Logano (Charlotte, North Carolina) founded the Joey Logano Foundation in 2013 to support organizations across the United States that provide aid to children and young adults during times of crisis offering them a second chance. Since its inception, the Joey Logano Foundation has invested more than $2.7 million to hundreds of organizations through a multitude charitable programs. The Joey Logano Foundation created the JL Kids Crew to help provide opportunities for children with serious illnesses to spend time at the race track and be part of the No. 22 race team. Part of this special race package includes Logano gifting each JL Kids Crew recipient with their own matching fire suit and placing their names on his No. 22 Ford Fusion. Through JLF’s Grant Funding Program, the Foundation delivers grants to organizations dedicated to helping families that care for sick children, foster children and children of veterans. Over the course of the NASCAR season, the Joey Logano Foundation also has a program that brings Comfort Care Backpacks to multiple race markets. The Joey Logano Foundation has donated over 600 backpacks filled with essentials to underprivileged, foster and terminally ill children. The Joey Logano Foundation also uses its powerful platform during NASCAR’s Playoffs to aid 10 non-profit organizations in 10 different NASCAR markets, via their Chasing Second Chances program, an effort to help racing communities prosper.

Ryan Newman (Statesville, North Carolina) and wife Krissie founded Rescue Ranch, an 87-acre facility that works to promote respect for all animals, the earth and the environment through a wide variety of educational programs in the community, in 2012. The Ranch is home to more than 85 animals that receive around-the-clock care, and serves as host to various school curriculum-based field trips, Scout badge programs, summer camps and more.  In an effort to increase programs available to children and adults with special needs, Ryan and Krissie raised $500,000 for an inclusive playground where kids of all abilities can play together. The Ranch also incorporated additional Special Needs Summer Camp weeks to create more opportunities for children to have a successful camp experience. Most recently, Rescue Ranch provided Search and Rescue aid to animals affected by Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas, and is continuing to gather and donate items needed for their care to the community. When he’s not on the track, Newman dedicates his time to maintaining the Rescue Ranch grounds to provide a safe environment for the animals, as well as a fun and educational atmosphere for the children who visit. Outside of Rescue Ranch, Newman plays an active role in supporting the NASCAR Green initiative, helping to plant trees with the Arbor Day Foundation in various regions across the country to honor fallen soldiers.

Steve Page (Sonoma, California), President of Sonoma Raceway, has shown long-standing commitment to the people of Northern California through his work with the Sonoma chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, along with his efforts to assist in supporting and rebuilding areas affected by last October’s devastating wildfires. To help provide relief to those impacted by widespread fires, Page opened the gates of Sonoma Raceway to provide a refuge for those who were evacuated from their homes, hosting more than 100 campers and serving as a temporary evacuation center. Page, whose family was also evacuated, served meals and sorted donations to provide clothing and necessities to evacuees. He also helped mobilize the local community in thanking public safety personnel, spearheading a “Laps of Appreciation” fundraiser that generated more than $72,000 for the Sonoma County Resilience Fund and the Redwood Valley and Santa Rosa Community Recovery Fund. Throughout the raceway’s NASCAR race weekend in June, Page oversaw “Sonoma Rising,” an initiative designed to honor fire survivors, salute first responders, and lend support to the North Bay’s ongoing rebuilding efforts. As part of that effort, the raceway distributed more than 1,100 tickets to allow fire survivors to attend the 2018 race at no cost. Since 2001, Page and Speedway Children’s Charities have distributed more than $6 million to Sonoma County organizations that serve local youth. This year the Sonoma chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities established a ‘Fire Resilience Fund’ to distribute grants to youth-serving groups that have increased or created programs to support the amplified needs after the fires.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Chad Knaus will serve as crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet for driver William Byron in 2019, a move that will end the longest current driver-crew chief pairing in the NASCAR garage with Knaus and Jimmie Johnson.

Hendrick Motorsports announced the news Wednesday as part of a reshuffling of crew chiefs for two of its four teams in the Monster Energy Series. Johnson will be paired with Kevin Meendering, currently a crew chief for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, on the No. 48 Chevrolet operation next year.

The Knaus-Johnson partnership produced a record-tying seven championships.

“Chad and Jimmie will go down as one of the greatest combinations in sports history,” team owner Rick Hendrick said in a release provided by the organization. “They defied the odds by performing at a championship level for longer than anyone could’ve possibly imagined. What they’ve accomplished together has been absolutely remarkable and will be celebrated for generations. This has been an incredible, storybook run.”

MORE: Jimmie through the years

The move reunites Knaus with Hendrick’s No. 24 team, where he served as a key member of the “Rainbow Warriors” pit crew for driver Jeff Gordon. Knaus oversaw body development and was part of the over-the-wall personnel as a tire changer for two of Gordon’s four series titles.

“You can’t quantify how much Chad’s leadership and championship experience will benefit William, who is a special talent,” Hendrick said. “The two of them are a great match, and I’m excited to see what they can do together. Chad has the Rainbow Warriors pedigree and truly appreciates the history of the No. 24. I’ve asked him to build another winner and given him the green light to put his stamp on the team and do it his way.”

MORE: Track Silly Season moves

2018 Oct 10 Chad Knaus
Getty Images

Darian Grubb, who returned to the pit box full time this year to guide Byron’s rookie season, will be promoted to the role of technical director. He previously held roles of vehicle production director and director of competition systems on Hendrick’s executive side.

Knaus, 47, has called the shots for the No. 48 team since 2002, Johnson’s rookie season in NASCAR’s top series. Their 17-year partnership has yielded an unprecedented run of five straight series titles from 2006-10, longevity in a span of nearly 600 starts, and 81 victories together (Johnson scored two wins at the start of the 2006 season with Grubb filling in for the suspended Knaus).

But for all its cumulative successes, the No. 48 team has struggled for more than a year, enduring the longest drought of the Johnson-Knaus era. Johnson has gone winless since June 2017, a stretch of 53 races.

“It’s no secret that Chad and Jimmie have experienced their ups and downs over the years,” Hendrick said. “They’re fierce competitors, great friends and have immense respect for one another. They also fight like brothers. All three of us agree it’s finally time for new challenges and that a change will benefit them and the organization.”

PHOTOS: Every Jimmie-Chad win

Johnson tweeted after the news came out.

The 37-year-old Meendering has guided the JRM No. 1 Chevrolet for veteran Elliott Sadler the last three seasons in Xfinity competition. The team has advanced to the NASCAR Playoffs each year, with Sadler twice finishing as the series’ runner-up.

Meendering previously had a 16-year association with Hendrick Motorsports that started as a high school intern with the organization’s chassis shop. He eventually grew into the role of lead engineer for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevrolet in 2011. Meendering’s next assignment will be to develop chemistry with a championship-caliber driver and help boost the performance of one of the sport’s most formidable teams.

“Over the last couple of years, he’s been one of the most sought-after talents in the garage,” Hendrick said of Meendering. “Kevin is an impressive person who came up in our organization and will hit the ground running on day one. We already know how well he works with our people and that he’s a respected, forward-thinking crew chief. Having worked with a veteran driver like Elliott Sadler for three years is extremely valuable experience.

“He’s the right fit for Jimmie at the right time. With an established No. 48 team behind them, I believe they will perform at a winning level next season and chase that eighth championship.”

Posted on by Jason Lofing

Michael Conti made his second visit to Victory Lane in the 2018 NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series, taking the checkered flag at Dover International Speedway to wrap up the first round of the playoffs. Conti led 79 of 200 laps and beat championship competitor Ryan Luza by 3.1 seconds. Fellow playoff driver Bobby Zalenski was third but failed to advance into the Championship 4. Michael Guest finished fourth, the highest finishing non-playoff driver. Nick Ottinger rounded out the top five and he, too, fell just short of making the finale.

The final four contenders are set heading into the championship race, headlined by three former series champions. Conti, with two wins and the 2014 championship under his belt, comes in as the favorite with his first-round performance. However, he will face tough competition from last year’s champion Luza and three-time champion Ray Alfalla. Matt Bussa, the underdog of the group, has his first shot at a title.

RELATED: Full iRacing schedule/results

At Dover, Corey Vincent captured his first pole of the season but led only six laps before losing the lead on pit road under the first caution flag. Zack Novak decided to stay out since only a handful of laps were run and assumed the lead. On the restart both Conti and outside polesitter Keegan Leahy got the jump on Vincent, dropping him to fourth.

Novak could hold the lead for only three laps after the restart before Leahy motored around him, bringing Conti along as well. The duo looked to check out on the field as the field strung out. The race would go green until Lap 51 when Novak got together with Timmy Hill and crashed, bringing out the second yellow flag of the evening.

The caution drew the leaders into the pits for service with Leahy’s crew holding serve, returning him to the track in the lead. Leahy looked to have the better short run car as he quickly gapped Conti on the restart. Conti, however, had the speed on the long run and by Lap 90 was filling up Leahy’s rearview mirror. Passing Leahy proved difficult, though, and Conti’s attempt was interrupted by the third and final caution flying on Lap 98 for Taylor Hurst’s crash on the backstretch.

This time Conti won the battle off pit road and took over the lead. Unlike the runs before, Conti found short run speed as well, pulling away from Leahy a few laps after the restart. Leahy would reel Conti in but started to falter again once the gap had closed. Instead of riding in Conti’s tire tracks, Leahy chose to attempt an undercut and pit on Lap 138 hoping his fresher tires would put him far enough ahead of Conti when the pit cycle completed.

Conti waited until Lap 146 to pit and emerged several seconds behind Leahy, albeit with fresher tires. He quickly closed the gap, slicing through traffic as he went. With 40 laps to go Conti had nearly erased the gap and looked to make his move. Leahy successfully held him off for a few laps by running a defensive line, but Conti’s tire advantage was too much and with 36 laps remaining he surged back in front.

From there Conti had clear sailing to his second victory as Leahy slipped all the way to eighth with his older tires.

Homestead-Miami Speedway once again plays host as the finale with the champion being the driver of the four who finishes best. Conti has looked extremely strong the last couple months and seems poised to capture his second title. Can anyone stop him? Find out in two weeks as the 2018 NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series comes to a close in Homestead!

Posted on by Staff Report

The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season will be filled with changes for Leavine Family Racing — with a new driver on board, new manufacturer and a new technical alliance.

Matt DiBenedetto will join the team with a two-year contract to drive the No. 95 car, the team announced Wednesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. LFR will also enter into a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing and move to Toyota.

RELATED: Key players in Silly Season 

DiBenedetto comes to LFR after four seasons in the Monster Energy Series driving for BK Racing and Go Fas Racing. The 27-year-old California native announced in September he was going in a “different direction” and leaving Go Fas to “take a leap of faith” and bet on himself. That leap of faith also involved making frequent calls to his connections in the NASCAR industry, including the LFR organization.

“I’ve been lucky to develop quite a great relationship with Bob Leavine and the folks at LFR over the past couple years, just strictly through being persistent and bugging them,” DiBenedetto said. “Bob is a very straightforward guy, and so I knew when he said that, I knew it was real, that I had an opportunity to get in the door there and be a part of the team. To say I was persistent is an understatement, and I exhausted all resources.”

DiBenedetto’s social media engagement with fans and fellow drivers has helped him gain support off the track. On the track, DiBenedetto has four top-10 finishes in 134 starts in the sport’s top series as he enters this weekend’s race at Talladega.

RELATED: Full schedule for Talladega 

The move to a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing brings LFR into the Toyota stable just as Furniture Row Racing is departing at year’s end. Furniture Row had been with Toyota since the 2016 season.

Leavine said that his agreement with DiBenedetto was a two-year deal, and that the TRD/JGR partnership was also for two years with an option for a third. A crew chief and other team personnel will be named later, he said.

“I really like his desire, determination,” Leavine said. “Good kid. … We think the world of him and his ability.”

The involvement with JGR will also serve as a reunion of sorts for DiBenedetto, who was at one time a development driver for the organization. He made seven Xfinity Series starts for JGR in 2009-2010. He also won two races in the K&N Pro Series East driving a car owned by Joe Gibbs son’, J.D. Gibbs.

LFR was a Ford organization from its inception in 2011 until the end of the 2015 season. The company then shifted to Chevrolet with a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing for the past three seasons.

In eight seasons, the Bob Leavine-owned organization has fielded cars for David Starr, Scott Speed, Blake Koch, Scott Riggs, Reed Sorenson, Michael McDowell, Ty Dillon, Kasey Kahne and Regan Smith. McDowell’s and Kahne’s fourth-place finishes in the July Daytona races of 2017 and 2018, respectively, stand as the company’s best race results to date.

RELATED: Kahne announces he’s out for the year | Kahne’s career highlights

Kahne was the primary driver for the 2018 season before he sought treatment for heat exhaustion after the Darlington race, and Smith has filled in since then. In August, Kahne announced he was stepping away from full-time NASCAR racing, which opened up the No. 95 seat for the upcoming season.

LFR also announced on Wednesday that Smith would fill the seat for the rest of the season.

Posted on by Team Release

Hunt Brothers Pizza, the nation’s largest brand of made-to-order pizza in the convenience store industry, announced a major expansion of its partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), the championship-winning NASCAR team and its driver, Kevin Harvick.

From its booth inside the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Hunt Brothers Pizza unveiled the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang Harvick will drive in select Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races in 2019.

RELATED: How Harvick’s playoff position looks after Dover

This endeavor marks the latest evolution in a partnership that began in 2008 when Hunt Brothers Pizza made its initial foray into NASCAR with Haas CNC Racing, the precursor of SHR. Known for its offering of all toppings at no extra charge, the convenience store pizza brand then joined Harvick in 2010 at his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team, Kevin Harvick Inc. It is a relationship that has grown since, with Hunt Brothers Pizza pairing with Harvick at SHR in 2014, first serving as an associate sponsor on his No. 4 machine before transitioning to a full primary sponsorship for select NASCAR Xfinity Series when SHR debuted its Xfinity Series program in 2017. Harvick carried Hunt Brothers Pizza to Victory Lane earlier this year at Atlanta Motor Speedway when he won the Atlanta 250 on Feb. 24 to notch SHR’s second Xfinity Series win and first of 2018.

“We’ve enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Stewart-Haas Racing and Kevin Harvick from the very beginning,” said Scott Hunt, chief executive officer of Hunt Brothers Pizza. “We find great value in the relationship and have seized the opportunity to move from a major associate partner of the No. 4 Ford to a full primary partnership where the green, red and white colors of Hunt Brothers Pizza will be seen from bumper to bumper on Kevin’s 2019 Ford Mustang.”

The 2019 season will mark the 10-year anniversary of Hunt Brothers Pizza and Harvick.

“The folks at Hunt Brothers Pizza make great pizzas and are great partners,” said Harvick, the 2014 Monster Energy Series champion. “I’m proud of my longstanding relationship with Hunt Brothers Pizza and appreciate their commitment to Stewart-Haas Racing and the No. 4 team. We work hard to provide their team members and customers an unmatched experience on and off the racetrack.”

The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off with the 61st annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway with live television coverage provided by FOX.

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Speed, coverage and control are critical elements of putting on the race day show for television audiences worldwide. NASCAR officials, drivers and broadcasters discuss innovations in broadcasting that help bring fans the best experience possible in the video series “Xfinity Presents: Technology that Defines NASCAR.”

“A big race years ago was 12 cameras and now we’re up to 50 or 60 cameras,” Steve Stum, VP of Operations and Technical Production for NASCAR, explains about the wider coverage of race day. “Cameras in the track … cameras above the track flying around.”

Inside access is what it’s all about: Bringing fans to the track through their televisions and mobile devices or even adding to the experience in the stands.

“There’s more radio coverage that we can listen in on the drivers,” says NBC broadcaster Marty Snider. “There’s a lot more elements. The coverage has gotten a lot more advanced.”

Speed is critical, as well.

“The speed and efficiency with which you cover the race is very important because with social media and everything else, the story lines change every 30 seconds,” says former crew chief and NBC broadcaster Steve Letarte. “The fan today expects answers right away.”

Controlling that information through so many cameras and on-air personalities is the art form that creates top-flight NASCAR viewing every race weekend.

Change the way you WiFi with Xfinity xFi. Xfinity xFi gives you the speed, coverage and control you need for the ultimate in-home WiFi experience.  Learn more at xfinity.com/xfi.

Xfinity. The Future of Awesome.

Posted on by Staff Report

YRB, meet The Black Mamba.

NASCAR’s Ryan Blaney, fresh off his win at the Charlotte road course, spent time with another winner in Las Vegas earlier this week — five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant.

In addition to both having phenomenal nicknames, both also are sponsored by BODYARMOR, which is what brought the two together.

Blaney presented Kobe with his fire suit from the regular-season finale at Indianapolis and spent time chatting with a man widely regarded as one of the NBA’s greatest competitors and players.

We know Blaney can hoop, as he’s a regular in Denny Hamlin’s basketball leagues. But can Kobe drive? (And we don’t mean to the rim.)

Perhaps it’s a question we can answer when NASCAR returns to Auto Club Speedway next year.

What do you say, Mamba?

Ryan Blaney poses with Kobe Bryant

Posted on by Staff Report

Joe Gibbs Racing announced Tuesday that Dave Rogers will replace Scott Graves as crew chief of the No. 19 Toyota driven by Daniel Suarez for the rest of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

The organization indicated in a news release that Graves is leaving the company, effective immediately. Graves, who paired with Suarez to win the Xfinity Series championship in 2016, was in his second season working with the No. 19 team at the Monster Energy Series level.

Rogers moves back atop the pit box after operating as JGR’s technical director for its Xfinity Series program since June 2017. Rogers has 18 Monster Energy Series victories and 20 Xfinity Series wins as a crew chief. He has served in that role for JGR from 2006-17 across both series.

Rogers was originally tapped as Suarez’s crew chief for his rookie season last year, but stepped away from the position after five races to take a personal leave of absence in March. Graves replaced him, finishing out the season.

Suarez, 26, has missed the NASCAR Playoffs in both of his Monster Energy Series seasons. He currently sits 18th in the standings, and this season also brought Suarez his first career Busch Pole Award, at Pocono Raceway in July.