The No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series received an L1-level penalty for an infraction found following Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway, according to the NASCAR penalty report.
The team was in violation of Section 10.9.9.d of the NASCAR Rule Book, which covers the Damaged Vehicle Policy and mechanical repair. That rule states that regardless of how damage to a car occurs, the team only is permitted to reattach original body parts of the car to their original locations with fasteners and/or tape only. The No. 42 team reattached parts via metal tabs following an on-track incident.
As a result, team driver Kyle Larson will lose 10 driver points, and owner Chip Ganassi will lose 10 owner points. Crew chief Chad Johnston is fined $25,000, and car chief David Bryant is suspended from the next Monster Energy Series event this weekend at Kansas Speedway.
The L1 penalty is a blow to Larson’s playoff chances. Entering the Round of 12 finale at Kansas Speedway, Larson now is 36 points behind the cutoff line to advance once Wednesday’s 10-point penalty is deducted.
Also on Wednesday’s penalty report:
• The race-winning No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford was found to have one lug nut not properly installed during post-race inspection. As a result, crew chief John Klausmeier has been fined $10,000.
• Three teams in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series were issued L1-level penalties for issues found during pre-race inspection — specifically violating Section 20.4 of the rule book that states air is not allowed to pass from one area of the interior of the vehicle to another or to the outside of the vehicle.
The teams in violation are the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet, the No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet and the No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Chevrolet. Crew chiefs Chad Kendrick (No. 02), Joel Shear Jr. (No. 21) and Graham Bruce (No. 52) all were fined $5,000.
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The 10-point penalty handed to the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team and driver Kyle Larson on Wednesday following an infraction at Talladega Superspeedway sets up one, and only one, scenario at Kansas Speedway — Larson must win to advance to the next round of the playoffs.
Larson left Sunday’s race at Talladega 26 points below the cutline. While challenging, he may have been able to advance to the Round of 8 on points — and a little help from fellow playoff drivers’ race circumstances.
The penalty, which subtracted 10 points from the driver and 10 points from the owner after NASCAR deemed the team violated the Damaged Vehicle Policy, puts the No. 42 in a different situation.
Now entering Kansas 36 points below the cutline, Larson must win at a track where he’s never won before.
He’s come close, though. Larson’s last trip to the 1.5-mile Kansas resulted in a fourth-place finish after leading 101 laps, and he finished a career-best second in 2014. His most recent playoff run at Kansas, however, resulted in heartbreak for the No. 42 team, as his engine expired less than 100 laps into the race resulting in his elimination from the playoffs.
Larson will have his shot at NASCAR’s version of a buzzer-beater win on Sunday, when the series takes on Kansas for the Round of 12 finale (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Postseason eligibility is at stake in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (1 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM), the final race in the second round of the Monster Energy Series Playoffs. The postseason field will be whittled from 12 drivers to 8 after the race at Kansas Speedway.
Only two drivers have clinched automatic berths in the Round of 8: Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola, on the basis of their wins earlier in the round.
With the remaining nine spots up for grabs, here’s what drivers who haven’t clinched need to do to avoid elimination and advance to the next round (drivers listed in order of their points ranking):
Kevin Harvick – Harvick would clinch on points with 11 points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer or Martin Truex Jr.), he would clinch regardless of finish.
Kyle Busch – Busch would clinch on points with 28 points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer or Martin Truex Jr.), he would clinch with 10 points.
Joey Logano – Logano would clinch on points with 35 points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer or Martin Truex Jr.), he would clinch on points with 17 points.
Kurt Busch – Busch would clinch on points with 44 points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer or Martin Truex Jr.), he would clinch on points with 26 points.
Clint Bowyer – Bowyer would clinch on points with 52 points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch or Martin Truex Jr.), he would clinch on points with 35 points.
Martin Truex Jr. – If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch or Clint Bowyer), Truex would clinch on points with 38 points. Could clinch on points with a new winner and help.
Brad Keselowski – With a win, Keselowski would clinch a next round spot on wins. Could clinch on points with help.
Ryan Blaney – With a win, Blaney would clinch a next round spot on wins. Could clinch on points with help.
Kyle Larson – With a win, Larson would clinch a next round spot on wins. Could clinch on points with help.
Alex Bowman – With a win, Bowman would clinch a next round spot on wins.
Facing an imposing 22-point deficit, Ryan Blaney and his Team Penske No. 12 bunch might be excused for being slightly on edge for this weekend’s elimination race in the Monster Energy Series playoffs. To hear crew chief Jeremy Bullins describe the team’s current vibe, they’re not.
“No, there’s no reason to panic,” Bullins said Tuesday, ahead of this weekend’s Round of 12 finale at Kansas Speedway. “I’m a firm believer that you’re never at the mercy of one week if you look at the playoff format. The only round where one week dictates what happens is Homestead. Obviously, we had opportunities to get points the last two weeks and we’re in the situation that we’re in and there’s no reason to panic.
“We’re not out of it by any means and we couldn’t be going to a better track for the 12 car, so for us it’s just a matter of preparing the same way we do every week and doing our jobs, and if it’s good enough, great, and if not, we’ll move on and try to win some races before the end of the year.”
A shortage of fuel before an overtime finish last weekend at Talladega left Blaney, Bullins and Co. staring at a 29th-place finish that pushed them below the provisional cut-off line for advancement in the 10-race postseason. They’re joined outside the bubble by teammate Brad Keselowski (-18 points), Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson (-26) and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman (-68).
Though Blaney and Bullins aren’t facing a must-win plight, they likely will have to make up ground in the early stages of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM) and then rely on a strong finish relative to their fellow playoff hopefuls. Though there might be temptation to employ an alternate strategy to target either stage points or a win, Bullins says the No. 12 crew won’t deviate from its standard game plan.
“I think it’s the same as it’s been every other week, honestly,” Bullins said. “I mean, if you look at our approach this season, we’ve led a lot of laps, won some stages and tried to put ourselves in position to win races. It’s no different an approach than any other week for us, to be honest. I know what the situation is and I know people probably expect different, but our approach is how we’re going to prepare for this week (and) is how we prepared for every other week before this one.”
Joey Logano is the only Team Penske driver currently above the cut, holding a moderately comfortable 39-point cushion. Though the spirit of teamwork may not be as evident at Kansas as it is with the assistance of aerodynamic drafting at Talladega, Bullins expects that the three-team effort will collaborate through the weekend, leaning on their practice and qualifying data, plus the help from its alliance with Wood Brothers Racing and driver Paul Menard.
“I think if you look at how we all work together as a team, everybody’s aware of what everybody’s doing from a set-up standpoint,” Bullins said. “Everybody will pay attention to things that their teammates learn. We’ll do all those things like we normally do every week, and just like every other week, when it’s time to go racing, we’ll respect each other and race each other hard but clean and fair. At the end of the day, we’ve all got a job to do and everybody understands that.”
If there’s another advantage, it’s the venue. Blaney made his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Kansas City track in 2014, and he’s taken a liking to it ever since. Blaney finished in the top five in three of his last five Kansas starts, and he’s started from the front row in two of the last three Kansas events.
While Blaney has performed well at the 1.5-mile track, this year’s “Big 3” drivers — Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. — have swept the last five Kansas victories, with Harvick and Truex each winning twice and Busch once. Still, Bullins says there’s cause for the No. 12 team’s optimism that goes beyond the 140 total laps that Blaney has led in his last three Kansas efforts.
“I think our intermediate program is really strong. I think we’ve developed some really good set-up information for there,” Bullins said. “I think the track fits Ryan’s driving style and he likes the fastest intermediates — Kansas, Michigan and places like that, we tend to be strong at, places where you’re in the throttle a lot and get to run really fast and can move around the race track. It all just kind of works together to become successful there. Given the situation, there’s no other track I would rather go to this week than Kansas.”
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 16, 2018) — DGR-Crosley announced Tuesday that newly crowned NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Champion Tyler Ankrum will drive for the team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Ankrum will pilot the No. 54 May’s Hawaii Toyota Tundra in his NCWTS debut.
The San Bernadino, Calif. native will be making his Truck Series debut just three weeks after being crowned the 2018 K&N East Champion. In his rookie season, the 17-year-old scored four wins, nine top fives and finished outside of the top-10 in only two races. Ankrum and his No. 17 Modern Meat Co. team led nearly 300 laps during the 2018 season and had an average finish of 4.8.
Ankrum will have a team of familiar faces with him as he takes on the 0.526-mile track of Martinsville. His crew chief, Seth Smith, and many other members of his K&N East Championship team will work on Ankrum’s No. 54 truck next weekend.
“Making my Truck Series debut at Martinsville is huge. So many big names in the sport have made their national series debut at Martinsville,” said Ankrum. “I’ve been dreaming of this day for so long now, I can’t believe it’s actually happening. It’s going to be really cool having Seth [Smith] and my K&N guys there with me.”
Ankrum has one previous start at the paperclip shaped track which occurred in 2014 when he raced a Late Model Stock Car in the MDCU 300.
“Martinsville is an aggressive track, I’ve raced there one other time in a late model. I think that little bit of experience will be an advantage and help with the transition. I’ve already been racing on the simulator and practicing live pit stops with the 54 pit crew because this will actually be the first live pit stop for me. There’s a little bit of pressure, but I’m ready for it. I know the DGR-Crosley guys are going to bring me a fast truck, and hopefully we’ll be able to get them a solid finish.”
Aside from having his K&N East team coaching him along, Ankrum will also have veteran Cup Series driver and team co-owner David Gilliland at Martinsville to lean on for advice.
“We are extremely excited to have Tyler in the truck at Martinsville,” said Gilliland. “He’s been such an important part of our team this year, and it’s been awesome to watch him progress and learn each race in the K&N Series. He’s proven that he’s ready for the next step and I’m glad that everyone at DGR-Crosley is going to be a part of his Truck Series debut.”
Qualifying for the Texas Roadhouse 200 will take place on Saturday, Oct. 27, at 10 a.m. ET with racing action beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Both qualifying and the Texas Roadhouse 200 will be broadcast live on FS1.
With Aric Almirola’s last-lap pass for the win Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, Stewart-Haas Racing drivers have racked up 11 wins through 31 races. Almirola is locked into the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs, while Kevin Harvick is as close as possible to advancing to the next round. Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch are above the cutline and in position to advance.
Should all four Stewart-Haas Racing drivers advance, they will be the first to see its entire four-car organization move into the Round of 8 under the elimination format since Joe Gibbs Racing did so in 2016. That begs the question: Is the 2018 edition of Stewart-Haas Racing with past champions in Harvick (2014), Busch (2004) and resurgent seasons from Bowyer and Almirola among the best single-season organizations of all time?
NASCAR.com’s RJ Kraft and Zack Albert debate the possibility.
KRAFT: SHR certainly is in the conversation for the most successful single season by an organization, and how the end of the season plays out remains to be seen. A season capped off with a championship for one of their drivers and an additional driver reaching the Championship 4 would certainly elevate their status in the conversation — frankly, it is a must to reach the same heights as the best single season for an organization in my view, the 2007 Hendrick Motorsports quartet.
The Hendrick group of Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears — a fleet that included a 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee and two sure-fire Hall of Famers when their careers end — saw all four drivers win races, and the organization as a whole won half of the season’s races (18 of 36). Johnson and Gordon were in a season-long battle for the championship that would result in Jimmie’s second of five straight titles while the driver of the No. 24 came home second in the standings. Busch finished fifth in his final season with the organization before moving to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008.
That Hendrick group was a little more top heavy with Johnson and Gordon, while this SHR has a clear-cut favorite in Harvick. The big difference is this SHR squad is deeper as a whole since its remaining drivers reached the postseason and are still alive in the postseason hunt.
ALBERT: Not to diminish what Stewart-Haas Racing has been able to do this season, but let’s feather the brakes just a little before making an all-time comparison. Five races remain in an unpredictable playoff format with no guarantees. Should another driver break through in the championship finale (Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. raise their hands), SHR’s season of dominance would be missing its coronation, a glaring omission that would stick out like a typo on a job application.
The 2007 Hendrick example RJ provides is an apt one, but here’s a tip of the cap to the 2015 Joe Gibbs Racing lineup. That roster was stacked with four future NASCAR Hall of Famers in Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth. Each driver scored multiple victories that year, and Busch sped to his first series title at Homestead. And if we’re truly talking “all time,” there’s an argument to be made for the revolutionary vision of Raymond Parks and Carl Kiekhaefer, who were ahead of their time with successful multi-car teams in NASCAR’s pioneer days.
This is a discussion worth having, but the full context for Stewart-Haas Racing won’t be revealed until the final checkered flag at Homestead. If SHR manages to make a four-car march to the championship round, such a sweep would make it safe to include them on a very short list.
Editor’s note: The following article was written by Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski.
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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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Welp… I did something incredibly embarrassing tonight. Was running in @Sim500_Racing new league at Daytona & about 20 laps in, I pushed a guy in the LR top of 3 wide for the lead. Caused the biggest wreck ever on @iRacing …. I gave myself a voluntary 1 race suspension pic.twitter.com/yFH8ibZfrI
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.)
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.
Going to race in tonight’s @iRacing Peak Series race at Dover. Been a long time since my last Peak race but Dover has always been a super fun track. Feel free to tune in and watch my stream this evening! 👍https://t.co/jQLhExBjNI
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
