Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give you the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports Go | How to find NBCSN

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

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

Posted on by Staff Report

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

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

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

MORE: IMSA action begins at Daytona

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on by Staff Report

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on by Team Release

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTOS: Truex’s career through the years

Posted on by Staff Report

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

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

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

RELATED: Who’s eligible for The Clash

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

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

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

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

Posted on by

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on by IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Following last month’s announcement of the 47-car entry list for this weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona, more than 150 drivers were unveiled in an updated entry list today to participate in this weekend’s annual three-day test session for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“The Roar” as it’s become known over the past several years, serves as the kickoff to the upcoming season. This year, it takes on added significance, as the IMSA 50th Anniversary Celebration that will take place throughout 2019 gets underway.

In addition, this weekend serves as the public unveiling for Michelin’s new relationship as the “Official Tire of IMSA.” All 47 WeatherTech Championship race cars will be riding on Michelin tires this weekend and throughout the 2019 season, in addition to 40 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge machines — 31 Grand Sport (GS) and nine Touring Car (TCR) — that also will participate in three days of testing.

RELATED: Rolex 24 ride for Kurt Busch in the future?

The 2019 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season opens with the four-hour BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, Jan. 25, the day before the green flag drops on the Rolex 24 At Daytona. On top of WeatherTech Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge testing, this weekend also features the first IMSA-sanctioned race of the season, with 19 IMSA Prototype Challenge LMP3 race cars — also riding on Michelin tires — ready for a three-hour race on the Daytona International Speedway’s high banks beginning at 12:15 p.m. ET Saturday.

Among the drivers on the WeatherTech Championship entry list this weekend are 18 with at least one series title under their belt since 2014. Ten of those drivers will participate in the flagship Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class, which has been separated into its own class for 2019, with LMP2 becoming its own, Pro-Am class.

On-track testing for WeatherTech Championship machines at the Roar begins at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 5. The DPi, GTLM and LMP2 classes will have a total of seven practice sessions between Jan. 4 and Jan. 6, with five practice sessions set for the GTD class on Jan. 4-5.

As was the case for the first time in 2018, qualifying for garage allocations and pit lane assignments again will take place for all classes in 2019. The 15-minute GTD qualifying session starts Saturday, Jan. 5 at 4:30 p.m. ET. GTLM qualifying runs from 11:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 6, followed by DPi and LMP2 qualifying from 12:15 to 12:30 p.m. ET.

In addition to WeatherTech Championship testing, the Roar also includes six test sessions for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge throughout the three days of on-track activity. Also, the IMSA Prototype Challenge opens its 2019 season with a three-hour race beginning at 12:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 5. The race will be streamed live on IMSA.tv.

All three days of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona are open to the public, with free admission for 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona ticket holders. Tickets are available now at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com.

Posted on by Staff Report

Germain Racing announced Wednesday that it has relocated its operations to Welcome, North Carolina, a move that will bolster its technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing.

The Bob Germain-owned organization fields the No. 13 Chevrolet for driver Ty Dillon in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The team indicated that it has been based in Mooresville, North Carolina, for the last decade.

RELATED: Tracking 2019’s changes

“We are committed to our technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing,” Germain said in a statement provided by the team. “As we prepare for this upcoming season of competition, it is logistically beneficial to be closer to their headquarters. We are looking forward to strengthening our relationships with our alliance teammates in order to advance our engineering strategies and improve on-track performance.

“This is an exciting move for our team and partners, and I know it will be a valuable one for our overall race program.”

Dillon has been with the Germain Racing organization since 2017, when he joined the Monster Energy Series full-time.

Richard Childress Racing will celebrate its 50th anniversary season in 2019, fielding Chevrolets for Ty Dillon’s brother, Austin, and Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Daniel Hemric.

PHOTOS: RCR’s special 50th anniversary paint schemes