Posted on by @KESELOWSKI

Editor’s note: The following article was written by Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski.
Follow him: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Before every race, Paige asks me a simple question: “What outfit do you think I should wear?” (This is one of those questions that every man dreads.) She’ll usually follow that up with, “I’ve got this one, which is really comfy, and I’ve got this one, which would look really great if we win.”

When Paige asks this particular question, it’s a tough one, because what she’s really asking is how confident I am about that day’s race. Comfy, so we’re clear, is my shorthand for saying, “We’re not that good.”

Believe me when I tell you that before the recent races at Darlington, Indianapolis and Las Vegas, I gave her the same answer each time. “Go with comfy.”

PHOTOS: Brad and Paige through the years

Going into every race, three things are going to determine how you finish: speed, execution and luck. You can get a little tell on speed before the race starts. You don’t get a tell on luck, and you don’t get much of a tell on execution.

The truth is that the way this season had gone to that point — aside from our win in the year’s opening exhibition race — we just couldn’t get it together. We’d been pretty spotty. We’d had ups and downs all year on pit road. We’d definitely had them with the decisions I’d made. And for whatever reason on the luck side, it seems like whatever strategy we picked, the other side would come out. If we short-pitted, the race would go long. If we went with a long pit, we would get hosed on a short caution.

So heading into Darlington, Indy and Vegas, I wasn’t particularly optimistic. At all three of those races, we practiced somewhere around 10th to 15th. We qualified in the teens. I felt like we’d run OK, but I didn’t think we would win any of them.

And then we won them all.

DARLINGTON

As a track, Darlington is very, very unforgiving. It’s super narrow and requires extreme precision at high speed to drive it. Then on top of all the racing challenges, there’s the heat.

When Darlington arrives, it’s always the hottest part of summer in South Carolina, and there ain’t no hot like a South Carolina hot. I can put it this way: Two weeks later, when we raced at Vegas, it was 105 degrees. Darlington was probably 90, and it felt way hotter. Something about the humidity transfers the temperature to your body in such a different way. It’s like having a bucket of steaming hot water just dumped on you. You can’t do anything about it.

Brad Keselowski in Victory Lane at Darlington
Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

Once the race started, it was clear we were no better than a fifth-place car. But we had a pretty good strategy that played out for us luck-wise. We decided to long pit the race, which means we would stay out longer than everybody else and hope for a caution. And that happened.

We were running somewhere around sixth, and on the long pit we were second. Then as we pitted under yellow with the leader, Kyle Larson, we nailed the pit stop and came out in the lead. From there, we won the race. It really was that simple. It felt like redemption because in 2015, we led most of the race, and came out second in the last pit stop and lost.

It was a momentous win for a few reasons. Taking the checkered flag in a race like the Southern 500, with all its history and heritage — and to do it after winning the Xfinity race the day before — was about as special as it gets. It was also big for generating team confidence. After you win a race, everyone from me to Paul Wolfe to the engineers and mechanics that work on the cars want to work that much harder to find more speed.

BRAD BLOG: Visiting Germany

Finally, it was the first crown jewel I had ever won, and we had been trying really hard. We had been close to winning Darlington before. We’ve been close to winning the Coke 600. We’ve been close to winning Brickyard. And none of it would come together. It would always fall apart for us. Sometimes it was our fault. Sometimes it was just bad luck, and it is just so terribly frustrating to go through that.

But you keep the faith and you keep trying.

THE BRICKYARD

The following weekend, we were at Indianapolis looking to carry our momentum into the Brickyard. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans, and a storm postponed the race until Monday.

So we did what any good team does.

Paige and I took Scarlett to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and just chilled out. It was pretty cool. It’s a huge museum, the biggest museum for kids in the world. They had a working carousel there from the early 1900s that Scarlett loved, and she was big on the little tea houses and other things they had there, too. We all had a great time.

Brad Keselowski and family kiss the bricks
Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

As far as the race went, we had no idea whether we had speed or not going in because the storm kept us from practicing. And once the race began, it was pretty clear we didn’t have any. We didn’t run all that well. Again, we probably had what was, at best, a fifth-place car.

So we were setting up to have kind of a frustrating day when we decided to run a really long race on pit road. Again, we’d stay out for long stretches — similar to what we did at Darlington — and hope to catch a yellow.

Sure enough, we caught one just as we were pitting late in the race, which cycled us out to about 8th with brand new tires, and just a few laps to go. We had an opportunity to drive through the field, as hard as that might be, and went for it.

As we were going through those closing laps, I honestly didn’t think we’d be able to get through all the cars. Indy is such a tricky track to pass on. But we were so fast with the new tires that all of a sudden, we were able to make the pass on Denny Hamlin with one to go.

RECAP: Keselowski’s late charge, win

I have to tell you: It was like a dream come true, and that feeling didn’t fade. When it was time to kiss the bricks, it felt a little surreal. In my mind, I could see all the images of famous drivers having done it before: Dale Jarrett, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart.

It’s still almost hard to believe that I did it too, and got to add my name to that legacy.

Brad Keselowski and family kiss the bricks
Matt Sullivan | Getty Images

Scarlett definitely didn’t feel the same way about kissing the bricks. When the team was setting up to do it, Paige told her, “Hey, we won! Now we get to kiss the bricks with Daddy!” Scarlett looked at her mom like Paige had three heads. Not happening.

I think she got some of that stubbornness from me.

The win was also a big one for Team Penske. Roger Penske had never won a Cup race at Indy before either, and because of the storm, he’d actually had to leave on Sunday.

So it broke my heart a little bit for him that he couldn’t be there for it, but I was honored to get him that win.

LAS VEGAS

Before the race weekend had even started for Las Vegas, I was already gassed. One of the great things about winning is that everyone wants to celebrate those wins with you.

But after two weeks of sponsor meetings and media sessions, I was pretty exhausted. On top of that, we were traveling to the West Coast on a short week thanks to the weather issues at Indy, and it was the start of the Playoffs. By the time we got to the race, part of me just wanted to run it and get home — especially since it was 100-plus degrees out.

Then lo and behold, we won again!

PLAYOFFS: Standings heading into elimination race

Momentum is big in anything, and looking back, I think it played a big role in our success at Vegas. Having great pit stops at Darlington built the pit crew’s confidence. Then we went to Indy, and did it again. So we’d been executing at a very high level coming into the race, and the team kept it up for the South Point 400. We kept gaining positions with each pit stop. Then it was up to me to execute on the restarts, and once I got to the lead, we were able to keep it.

Like the others in this stretch of consecutive victories, this win was big. First off, it got us a pass to the next round of the playoffs.

But even bigger than that, it was the 500th win for Team Penske. Coming into the racing season, getting win 500 had been an overall goal for Team Penske, and as the IndyCar season was winding down, it was looking like it might not happen unless the NASCAR guys delivered it. So that wound up being one of the craziest parts of our three-week run: We actually got Team Penske wins 497, 498, 499 and 500.

It was an amazing accomplishment to be part of.

Brad Keselowski in Victory Lane at Las Vegas
Sam Wasson | Getty Images

THE TAKEAWAYS

I’ve been asked about what winning three races in a row means in terms of our championship hopes, but I don’t really want to think about the streak in that way.

I’d rather appreciate it on its own, and on its own, it’s special. (Incidentally, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it came after taking a break from racing, and traveling to Germany.)

We won three Cup races in a row. We swept the weekend at Darlington. We won two of the crown jewels in NASCAR, which is something I’ll never forget. We got Roger Penske his first Brickyard win, which was incredible, and then we got him win No. 500, too. To top it off, we got a Playoff win.

There’s almost too much packed in there for me to appreciate now. It feels like one of those things I’ll enjoy looking back on for years to come.

In the short term, though, I will say this …

Winning races without having the fastest car is one of the most challenging things you can do as a team. When it happens, your team is inclined to work harder to give you a fast car because they believe in you more. To win three straight races without the fastest car tells you something about the 2 team. It tells you we’re gritty. It shows that we’re committed to finding ways to win. And finally, it shows that we’re not going quietly into the night when we’re not the fastest car out there.

To me, that says a lot.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

The Big One is almost a guarantee when NASCAR visits a restrictor-plate track, and it’s no different in virtual racing — just ask NASCAR driver and NBC Sports analyst Parker Kligerman, who triggered a massive crash in his iRacing league race.

Thankfully, the carnage was calculated only in pixels.

iRacer and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron visited Martinsville Speedway this week to demonstrate iRacing to students.

Plus, newly crowned eNASCAR Ignite Series champ Zack Novak made a virtual appearance.

Christopher Bell competed against GameStop store managers at an iRacing display at an expo — and we’re guessing Bell, an avid iRacer and versatile real-world racer, won.

Chase Briscoe, winner of the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Charlotte road course, spoke about how iRacing helped him prepare for the event.

Camping World Truck Series driver Myatt Snider gave some insights on how to succeed at Talladega on iRacing. (Hint: it sounds quite simple. Don’t lift.)

NASCAR PEAK ANTIFREEZE iRACING SERIES UPDATE

In Tuesday’s NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series  race at Dover, Michael Conti won his second race of the season. Conti, already locked into the Championship 4, prevented other championship contenders from scoring a victory and racing for the title.

The 2014 series champ also earned the congratulations of NASCAR driver Timmy Hill, who competed in the event, finishing 15th.

Following Dover, the Championship 4 is set. The 2018 NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series champion will be one of Ryan Luza, Michael Conti, Matt Bussa, or Ray Alfalla. Luza, Conti, and Alfalla have won championships in the past, while series veteran Bussa looks to claim his first-ever title.

The championship — oh, and the winner of a $10,000 prize — will be determined Oct. 23 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

IRACING PAINT SCHEMES OF THE WEEK

Justin Marks made his final NASCAR start at the Charlotte road course. Justin Bland re-created Marks’ GoPro Motorplex Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for iRacing.

Justin Marks Iracing

Rick Carelli — mostly known today as spotter for Erik Jones — used to race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in the mid ‘90s before Jones was born. Scott Mitton brought Carelli’s old truck to life on the 2018 version of the Chevrolet Silverado race truck.

Iracing Rick Carelli

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME

Because we’ve vowed not to let Parker Kligerman live down his iRacing league crash, here’s the video of the biggest Big One you might ever see.

Posted on by

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — With an exciting weekend of racing ahead at Charlotte Motor Speedway, NASCAR today will recognize the industry’s pioneers of diversity at the 12th annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards hosted at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Industry leaders and personnel will gather Thursday morning in Charlotte, North Carolina, for an awards ceremony that will honor NASCAR drivers, pit crew members and industry partners and ambassadors for their work promoting diversity and inclusion across the sport.

“There is shared commitment across the NASCAR industry to champion diversity and inclusion, and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards celebrate the individuals and organizations whose contributions are making a difference,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR president. “We’re pleased to recognize this year’s award recipients whose efforts and accomplishments are helping drive our sport forward.”

This year marks the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards’ first ceremony at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte after several years at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The awards will highlight exceptional accomplishments by diversity champions from across the industry, including participants of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver and Pit Crew Development Programs and the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program.

Notable past award winners include Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers and NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program graduates Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez and Bubba Wallace, and NASCAR K&N Pro Series driver Hailie Deegan.

2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Award recipients:

National Series Driver Award: Martin Truex Jr. — The 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion established the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation in 2007 with long-time partner, Sherry Pollex, with a mission to support those who have been affected by cancer, specifically ovarian and pediatric cancer. The foundation began its partnership with Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2015.

Diverse Driver Award: Ruben Garcia Jr. — K&N Pro Series East driver Ruben Garcia Jr. is a native of Mexico City and is in his fourth season with Rev Racing as a member of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. A NASCAR Next alum, Garcia is the reigning two-time NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series champion and the youngest driver to win the series title.

Partner Award: Dow — Dow’s commitment to diversity is highlighted through its program support and engagement with Richard Childress Racing. Dow’s sponsorship of Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team has provided a platform to highlight teamwork and diversity at trade shows and industry events across the country.

Crew Member Award: Derrell Edwards — Baltimore native Derrell Edwards is the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program affiliate to win the Daytona 500 as an over-the-wall crew member. Following a successful career as a basketball player at High Point University, Edwards became a jackman at Richard Childress Racing. Since joining the team, Edwards has embraced the sport and has served as a positive ambassador. He volunteers to attend partner and philanthropic events within the local community and uses his experiences to shine a light on NASCAR and the opportunities the sport has afforded him.

Young Racer Award: Lacy Kuehl — Sarasota, Florida, native Lacy Kuehl is a 13-year-old member of the 2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program. In 2018, she raced in a dirt oval flat kart at tracks such as Florida Dirt Motor Speedway, Crossroads Motorplex, Ambassador Racing School and Space Coast Full Throttle Speedway. She and her family started the charity Drive for Diabetes Awareness, dedicated to Type 1 Diabetic Ketoacidosis education, after losing her younger brother, Rocco, to the disease at the age of 1.

Outstanding Intern Award: Maxwell Miranda and Isaiah Wright — Maxwell Miranda and Isaiah Wright made an impact as standout participants in the 2018 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program. Miranda interned in NASCAR’s licensing and consumer products department where he excelled with key contributions around NASCAR’s gaming efforts and trackside reporting, as well as researching new business opportunities. Miranda received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Sports Marketing and Analytics from Mercer University in May and was recently hired to work full-time in NASCAR’s Analytics & Insights department. Wright interned at Richmond Raceway in the consumer marketing department. His commitment to diversity was displayed in his recruitment of Virginia State University classmates, fraternity brothers and professors to support the nearby track. His relationships led to more than 20 students working at Richmond Raceway throughout the season. Wright is a current graduate student at Old Dominion University.

Institution Award: The NASCAR Foundation’s Speediatrics Children’s Fund — The NASCAR Foundation’s Speediatrics Fun Day Festival began in 2017 as a small effort and grew to a multi-city program reaching hundreds of children. The event takes place in six race markets (Phoenix, Dover, Chicago, Daytona, Michigan and Martinsville) with more than 100 children participating in each. The Fund provides more than $100,000 in grant funding to local community organizations focused on the overall health and well-being of children, and directly impacts children in the community with NASCAR-themed programming.

Track Award: Richmond Raceway — Richmond Raceway’s relationship with Virginia State University, a nearby Historically Black University, grew rapidly in 2018. Richmond strategically aligned its marketing efforts to reach the local colleges and universities within its market through on-campus promotions and a pre-race concert with local artists. While the students received real-world work experience at the track, Richmond has found a valuable local community partner.

Team Award: Stewart-Haas Racing — Stewart-Haas Racing has continued to grow its reach into Hispanic markets with the addition of Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 41 Ford Mustang. In the four months since Suarez joined the team, Stewart-Haas Racing has supported the Daniel’s Amigos campaign at Auto Club Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Returning Stewart-Haas driver Aric Almirola has continued his community involvement with partner Smithfield through its Helping Hungry Homes initiative targeting race markets such as Dallas/Ft. Worth, Charlotte and Las Vegas.

Industry Ambassador Award: Jose Cervantes, Watkins Glen International — Jose Cervantes has been instrumental in creating various relationships within the Latino community at Watkins Glen International. Since joining Watkins Glen, Cervantes has coordinated appearances with Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suarez in each of the track’s key markets — Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. He established a new partnership between the City of Buffalo, the Puerto Rican and Hispanic Day Parade of WNY Association and Watkins Glen International in 2017. As part of the partnership, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown proclaimed Wednesday, July 12 “Daniel Suarez Day” in Buffalo.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 will be broadcast live from Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

Posted on by Team Release

Old World Industries, the makers of PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid and Equipment, has partnered with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), the championship-winning NASCAR team.

PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid and Equipment will be the primary sponsor for driver Clint Bowyer and the No. 14 team for three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races in 2019 with associate sponsorship on the No. 14 Ford Mustang at all other races.

“Old World Industries has successfully leveraged motorsports for decades to build strong brands and we’re incredibly proud to be a part of their history by representing PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid and Equipment,” said Mike Verlander, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, SHR. “They have a lineage with Clint that goes back to his dirt late model teams and we’re happy to transcend PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze’s and BlueDEF’s grassroots racing efforts with Clint to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.”

“PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze and BlueDEF are synonymous with racing, from grassroots dirt late-model racing to NASCAR and NHRA and even Formula One,” added Bowyer, a winner of 10 Cup races, including two this season that have earned him a spot in the exclusive NASCAR Playoffs. “They know that you have to have the best to compete and win, and it’s an attitude they promote on the racetrack because it’s the same attitude they use to make their products the best in the business. That’s the kind of mentality we have here at Stewart-Haas Racing. It’s a true partnership.”

This agreement expands an already aggressive and diverse motorsports portfolio for PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze and BlueDEF, with the leading automotive brands enjoying relationships in NASCAR, Formula One, NHRA and the Late Model Dirt Series. It also augments Old World Industries’ existing partnership with Haas F1 Team, which will expand in 2019 as the PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze and BlueDEF brands move from the nose of the race cars driven by Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen to the much more visible rear-wing endplates.

“We get the best of both worlds with Haas F1 Team and Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Bryan Emrich, Chief Marketing Officer, Old World Industries. “The PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze and BlueDEF brands get global exposure and continued recognition domestically. The technology of Formula One and NASCAR help sell our products, as do the personalities we’ve aligned ourselves with. Clint Bowyer, Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen are genuine people who engage well with our customers. Racing is a relationship business, and we’re extremely proud of the relationships we’ve fostered with Haas F1 Team and Stewart-Haas Racing.”

Old World Industries has been a leader in the development and distribution of high-quality automotive and heavy-duty products for more than four decades. For nearly the same amount of time, PEAK has been actively involved in motorsports as a way to highlight the excellence and competitive quality of its family of brands. From partnerships with such racing icons as Dale Earnhardt and John Force to title sponsorships of international series, specifically, the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series, PEAK has successfully utilized motorsports to showcase PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid and Equipment.

PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze features patented, advanced technologies allowing for superior protection for all vehicles, both on pavement and off-road, and BlueDEF is the number one brand of Diesel Exhaust Fluid in the United States.

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, NC – Team Penske has announced a new partnership with VF Workwear. Under the multi-year agreement, VF Workwear’s Wrangler Riggs brand will be the primary sponsor of the No. 12 Ford Fusion driven by Ryan Blaney in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, beginning with this weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway. The new partnership also includes VF brands serving as a primary sponsor on the No. 12 Ford for races at Michigan (June) and Kansas (October) in both 2019 and 2020.

The VF Workwear family of brands features names that are very familiar to NASCAR fans, including Wrangler®, Dickies®, Timberland Pro®, Red Kap®, Kodiak®, Bulwark® and Horace Small®.

“We are excited to welcome VF Workwear as a new partner to Team Penske and we believe the company and its brands will bring new energy and vision to our organization,” said Roger Penske. “All of the VF Workwear brands are well known to motorsports fans and this represents a great opportunity to connect the Wrangler brand and its heritage in racing to our team. The VF brands also align well with Ryan (Blaney), a terrific young driver on the track and a great representative off the track as well. To me, Wrangler and Ryan just represents a great combination.”

VF Workwear is part of the VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), which outfits consumers around the world with its diverse portfolio of iconic lifestyle brands, including Vans®, The North Face®, Timberland®, Wrangler® and Lee®. Founded in 1899, VF is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies with socially and environmentally responsible operations spanning numerous geographies, product categories and distribution channels.

“VF Workwear is proud to partner with Team Penske and Ryan Blaney and we think it’s a great fit across the board,” said Chris Holcombe, President of VF Workwear. “Consumers already know a lot about our brands, and NASCAR fans have an affinity with our Wrangler name and the history it has in the sport. So, to bring a brand onboard like Wrangler Riggs – and have it associated with someone like Ryan who is sort of a throwback in this younger generation of drivers – is a perfect fit for us. We are excited and look forward to having our other brands involved in the future.”

At just 24 years old, Blaney is a key pillar of NASCAR’s youth movement. Competing in his first full-season with Team Penske in the Cup Series in 2018, Blaney captured his second career victory at the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on September 30. Blaney has already eclipsed his career-best totals in top-five finishes and laps led this season as he’s advanced to the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 12.

“I’ve always loved the history of our sport and there is definitely a lot of history with Wrangler in racing,” said Blaney. “Knowing that I will have that Wrangler name on my car this weekend – and hopefully have the chance to help introduce some of the other VF brands to the sport – will be awesome. It’s great that VF Workwear is coming back to our sport and I’m excited for the opportunity to represent them.”

The 2018 season continues with the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, October 21 with race coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.

Posted on by Staff Report

Just in case Kurt Busch ever finds himself in a position again where he 1. Has won the pole, 2. Has led a race-high 56-percent of the laps (108 of 193) and 3. Appears headed to a long-awaited first victory at Talladega Superspeedway, his kind neighbors offered a helping hand Monday.

Busch shared via Twitter that his neighbors know what might have helped him snag that checkered flag Sunday — something his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola did, instead, as Busch’s No. 41 Ford slowed while it approached the finish line.

Yup, some extra gasoline.

At least Busch has retained his sense of humor — something that is probably a little easier considering he’s still ranked sixth among 12 NASCAR Playoffs drivers.

RELATED: Busch runs dry, finishes 14th | Playoff standings

Posted on by NASCAR Official Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Twelve drivers from across the United States and abroad have been invited to try out for NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, the top driver developmental program in motorsports, at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway and Bethune-Cookman University on Oct. 22-23.

 The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Combine invites promising ethnically diverse and female drivers to test their skills over a two-day period as NASCAR evaluates talent for the 2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development class. 

In partnership with Rev Racing, NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program offers racing opportunities in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and U.S. Legend Cars International for one full season, providing selected drivers with equipment, mentoring, and competition experience. The goal is to provide top diverse talent with a path for development in order to improve participants’ chances of being identified as a prospect by NASCAR’s national series teams, sponsors and manufacturers.

Candidates for the 2019 class have competition experience throughout North America, Asia and Europe. All will vie for an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ drivers Daniel Suárez, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson, the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver to qualify for the NASCAR Playoffs. 

“The drivers invited to this year’s NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Combine represent a wide range of diverse backgrounds, both in terms of heritage and driving disciplines,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR senior manager of racing operations and event management.  “The combine has been tremendous in helping the NASCAR industry identify and develop top diverse talent and this year is no different.”

The combine, which will serve as a key element in the selection process for setting the driver lineup for Rev Racing in 2019, will evaluate participants on their driving skill and work ethic on and off the track, as well as their marketing and media skills. Each driver will also take part in a physical fitness assessment at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach. Additionally, Rev Racing and NASCAR will work with B-CU communications students for additional training and evaluation of the combine participants that will include a mock press conference and one-on-one interviews.

Since the inception of NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, Rev Racing has earned 19 wins, 88 top-5 finishes, and 186 top-10 finishes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program driver Rubén García Jr. won the K&N Pro Series East season finale at Dover International Speedway in early October, the Mexico native’s second win of the season. García Jr. is also the current Championship points leader in the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series. 

“As we embark upon our 11th year managing the Drive for Diversity program in partnership with NASCAR, we couldn’t be more excited about the evolution of our driver development program,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Rev Racing. “Through selection process and training program we look forward to selecting and developing some of NASCAR’s brightest stars.”

In addition to Garcia Jr., drivers under consideration to return to the team in 2019 are Chase Cabre, Ernie Francis Jr., Nick Sanchez and Ryan Vargas. Vargas is a two-time NASCAR Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award winner and has won three NASCAR Late Model races. In 2018, Francis Jr. achieved four wins in the Trans-Am Championship presented by Pirelli and currently leads the series standings. He has won the series championship for four consecutive years. 

This year’s participants also include Juan Manuel González, Loris Hezemans, Perry Patino, Brooke Storer, Ryu Taggart, Gracie Trotter and Britney Zamora. Storer is the 2016 Desoto Speedway Sportman Champion, while Zamora became the first female driver to win the Northwest Super Late Model Series Championship in 2017. In 2015, Taggart earned a third-place finish out of more than 7,000 drivers in the Red Bull Kart Fight in Japan. 

Rev Racing also operates the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program, which targets drivers 12 to 17 to compete in the U.S. Legend Cars International (USLCI) and serves as an entry point to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. The deadline to apply for the youth program is Oct. 31, 2018.

 2018 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Combine drivers:

DRIVER

HOMETOWN

2018 RACING EXPERIENCE

Chase Cabre

Tampa, Fla.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East & NASCAR Whelen All-American Series

Ernie Francis Jr.

Southwest Ranches, Fla.

Trans Am TA Series & NASCAR K&N Pro Series East

Rubén García Jr.

Mexico City, Mexico

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East & NASCAR Peak Mexico Series

Juan Manuel González

Mexico City, Mexico

NASCAR Mexico FedEx Challenge Series NASCAR K&N Pro Series East

Loris Hezemans

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Blancpain GT Sprint Series & NASCAR Whelen Euro Series

Perry Patino

Montgomery, Ala.

Pro Late Model & Late Model Sportsman Series

Nick Sanchez

Miami, Fla.

NASCAR Whelen All-American Series & Bojangles Summer Shootout Pro Legend Car Class

Brooke Storer

Land O’ Lakes, Fla.

Wheelman Series Late Model/Sportsman Division

Ryu Taggart

Jefferson City, Mo.

Pro Late Model Division at Lebanon I-44 Speedway and USRRA A-mod on dirt

Gracie Trotter

Denver, N.C.

CARS Tour & PASS Series, USLCI Legend Cars & Bojangles Summer Shootout Semi Pro Division

Ryan Vargas

La Mirada, Calif.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East & NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

Brittney Zamora

Kennewick, Wash.

NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, Budweiser Crown Series & Northwest Super Late Model Series

 

 

Posted on by

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Martin Truex Jr. called his No. 78 car “evil” after Sunday’s event at Talladega Superspeedway.

Evil enough that he went from a comfortable 36 points above the playoff cutline heading into Talladega to dipping dangerously below the bubble in the waning laps.

Truex knew where he was in the point standings as he ran — but couldn’t do much about it with his handling struggles.

RELATED: Playoffs pulse after Talladega | SHR teammates run out of gas, Almirola wins

“I rode around all day broke, hanging on, miserable,” he said after the race. “I couldn’t even race my car was so screwed up. I feel like the rear end house was falling out of it.”

The late caution triggered by Alex Bowman was a break for the No. 78 team, who ended the race with the final spot above the cutline in the playoff standings with one race to go before the field dwindles from 12 to eight Oct. 21 at Kansas Speedway.

“Just to deal with that all day long and catch a little bit of a break at the end with that caution and being able to get tires. Because I could run hard for three laps. That was it,” he said. “Tires would give me enough grip that I could just hold it wide open for three laps and then I was hanging on after that. We almost had a good run going there when they crashed in front of me. … So, we definitely lost some spots there from where I think we were going to end up.

“But overall it was a positive finish and we went from what was going to be a real bad day to not such a terrible day.”

Sunday’s overtime event in the Yellowhammer State shook up the playoff standings with Aric Almirola — a driver who entered Talladega below the cutline — breaking through for the win. Almirola’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Clint Bowyer’s runner-up result and valuable stage points also moved him from the dangerous side of the bubble to 21 points to the good.

Others weren’t as fortunate, with several NASCAR Playoffs drivers running out of gas when the race extended into overtime; Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney’s unexpected trips down pit road put both Team Penske vehicles 18 and 22 points outside the top eight, respectively, heading into elimination next week.

MORE: Complete Talladega results

“Ol’ Bowyer passed me, huh?” said Keselowski, whose race-favorite No. 2 sputtered out of fuel to end the day 27th after leading 21 laps.

“The 88 was in there and he was kind of banzai, win at all costs and just kept making moves that just killed everybody else and didn’t help himself,” he continued. “Without that, we were kind of shot. I kept trying to get my teammates with me and every time we about got ’em lined up, somebody would banzai them and we just couldn’t do anything.”

The nature of Talladega is famously fickle, the chaos so anticipated that it almost becomes the expectation.

Sunday’s show was different, as Stewart-Haas Racing limited the chaos by dominating the majority of the race and controlling the top pack single file. But the shakeup in the playoff standings was an outcome all too familiar with the superspeedway.

It’s in instances like that where sometimes a little luck goes a long way.

“It’s just Talladega, it’s a crapshoot,” Truex said. “We went from three points out in half a lap to being 18 to the good. I tried not to get too stressed out. (Crew chief) Cole (Pearn) was getting pretty stressed out toward the end of the race once he realized, ‘Oh, man this isn’t getting better.’ We thought there’d be some big pileups earlier and there wasn’t. We were looking pretty stupid there at the end of the race having rode around all day…

“But we’re lucky to finish and we’re lucky to be in a decent spot leaving here.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Kurt Busch was one corner and a straightaway from his second victory of the season and an automatic ticket into the Round of 8 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

But Busch’s No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford ran out of gas in Turn 4 on the final lap of the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Busch steered to the bottom of the track and watched helplessly as teammate Aric Almirola charged past him and claimed the overtime win.

RELATED: Almirola claims ‘Dega win | Complete results

Busch started from the pole led a race-high 108 of 193 laps, as Stewart-Haas dominated the event in unprecedented fashion, grabbing the top four positions in qualifying and finishing 1-2-3-4 in both stages before Almirola took the checkered flag with teammate Clint Bowyer behind him.

“It was a very different Talladega for me,” said Busch, who rolled across the finish line in 14th place. “I really enjoyed leading the race, working with my teammates. I’m really happy a Stewart-Haas car won, but the four of us, I’ve never seen so much synergy.

“We knew we were going to have to race when we got to Kansas (next Sunday). It would have been nice to have the win. We’re here to win.”

RELATED: Playoff standings | SHR puts on drafting clinic

Almirola got the ticket into the Round of 8 with the victory, but Busch leaves Talladega 30 points above the cut line, a relatively comfortable margin.

“That’s good stuff,” Busch said. “We had 21 (points) coming into this, and if you can bank nine and get the heck out of Talladega, that sounds good.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Kyle Larson’s balky No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet qualified 34th on Saturday. After unapproved adjustments to the car, Larson started last in Sunday’s 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

After that, things got worse. On lap 104 of 193, Larson blew a left rear tire and spun on the backstretch, losing a lap in the process.

WATCH: Larson goes for a spin

Timely cautions and attrition, however, came to his rescue. Larson got his lap back as the beneficiary under caution for the end of Stage 2, and after spending most of the afternoon running mid-pack, he dodged late accidents to finish 11th—a miraculous result given the lack of strength in his car.

“We just had a terrible race car and were really slow all weekend,” Larson said after the race. “We were able to salvage a decent finish, but the Fords are so fast here and can rack up a lot of stage points.

“Even when they have a bad day, they still gain points on us. It is what it is. We’ll just go to Kansas and try and win.”

RELATED: Playoff standings

With the Round of 12 cutoff race at Kansas set for next Sunday, Larson faces elimination from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. He’s 11th in the standings, 26 points behind reigning series champion Martin Truex Jr., who is currently in eighth place.

Larson finished fourth at Kansas in May.

“Yeah, Kansas is a good track for us,” Larson. “We’ve challenged for wins there in the past, and hopefully we can go there next week and be strong.”

“Strong” might not be good enough. Given his position in the standings, Larson may have to win to advance.