Posted on by Staff Report

Editor’s note: Today begins NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the Monster Energy Series season, ranked in order of best finish in last year’s owner standings. We’ll kick off  with teams that finished outside the top 30 or are new for 2019 (listed alphabetically).

RELATED: On the move: Tracking 2019 changes

GO FAS RACING

Manufacturer: Ford

Engine: Roush Yates Engines

Driver: Corey LaJoie

Crew chief: Randy Cox

2018 standings: 31st

What’s new: LaJoie steps in as the replacement for Matt DiBenedetto, the No. 32 team’s driver the last two seasons. It’s a step up for the 27-year-old journeyman, who has run partial schedules in recent years while maintaining a number of duties — from driver to crew chief to seat welder for his father’s business. The organization will also use pit crew service from Team Penske, a shift from Hendrick Motorsports that’s intended to bolster its ties to Ford.

Outlook: The organization made incremental gains during DiBenedetto’s term, notching its first top-10 finishes since team owner Archie St. Hilaire first joined NASCAR’s top division. The team aims for a quick adjustment to a new rules package in 2019, with hopes to shoe-horn its way into the next tier of competition. “We’re probably the best of the small teams, but every week we race with that middle bunch — with the 34, the 38, the 95 and those guys — so we think we’re going to beat some of those this year, especially with this type of racing,” said team owner Archie St. Hilaire. “We need to be patient and just take advantage of every move we can and I think we’ll have some decent finishes and move up continually.”

•  •  •

MBM MOTORSPORTS

Manufacturer: Toyota

Engine: Race Engines Plus, former Triad Racing Engines inventory

Drivers: Timmy Hill, Joey Gase

Crew chiefs: TBD

2018 standings: 41st

What’s new: Gase joins the organization for a full-time effort in the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 35 Toyota Supra with the potential for some Monster Energy Series starts. Hill indicated he’ll return to the Carl Long-owned team for 2019. The No. 66 appeared in 20 races last season, but Long indicated he hoped to increase his participation to as much as 90 percent of the schedule this year.

Outlook: The team’s battle to crack the higher reaches of the standings will come on a budget, with Long in negotiations with Toyota Racing Development for additional manufacturer support. The next task for Long and his drivers: Trying to find the right fit for hands-on crew chiefs ahead of Daytona.

•  •  •

OBAIKA RACING

Manufacturer: Toyota

Engine: TBD

Driver: Tanner Berryhill

Crew chiefs: TBD

2018 standings: 46th

What’s new: After fielding cars in three Xfinity Series campaigns (2015-17), team owner Victor Obaika announced a full schedule for its No. 97 Camry with Berryhill entered in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year race. The remaining details for its Monster Energy Series operation are still coming together with Daytona’s Speedweeks approaching.

Outlook: Obaika got a jump on 2019’s move up by participating in the final three races of last season, with Berryhill starting two and veteran David Starr in one. Expect a tall learning curve for the upstart group, even with a new rules package that may level some spots on the playing field.

•  •  •

PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: ECR Engines

Driver: Ross Chastain

Crew chiefs: Pat Tryson

2018 standings: 32nd

What’s new: The Jay Robinson-owned team is set to bring back Chastain with what’s been described as a handshake deal, as reported by RacinBoys.com. Chastain competed in all but two Monster Energy Series events last year, but earned championship points in the Xfinity Series.

Outlook: Details for the season ahead should come into clearer focus closer to Speedweeks. Chastain was among the busiest drivers in NASCAR last season, with 74 starts across all three national series, but he was also among the biggest overachievers. Known for getting the most out of his equipment, Chastain will need to punch above his weight as the No. 15 team adjusts to a new rules package.

•  •  •

RICK WARE RACING

Manufacturer: Chevrolet, Ford

Engine: TBD, Roush Yates Engines

Drivers: TBD

Crew chiefs: TBD

2018 standings: 36th; 45th

What’s new: RWR announced earlier this month that it had acquired a second charter with the intent to field two entries — Nos. 51 and 52 — in the Monster Energy Series this year. The team is assembling other details ahead of Daytona with personnel moves to be announced shortly, but the organization has scooped up what it has termed as “a fleet of cars” from Leavine Family Racing and Front Row Motorsports. According to a report from NBC Sports, 59-year-old veteran Mike Wallace says he is in negotiations with the organization in an attempt to return to the series for the first time since 2015. After a nearly two-year hiatus, Rick Ware Racing is also planning an Xfinity Series entry — No. 25 in honor of the organization’s silver anniversary.

Outlook: The Ware group competed in a full Monster Energy Series schedule last season, fielding a two-car effort in five of those events. A total of 16 drivers split time in RWR’s seats last year, with BJ McLeod getting the most reps (14). Though there’s a risk of spreading the team’s resources too thin with expansion, Ware hopes the move to two full-season entries will foster data-sharing and enhanced teamwork. “It’s been a busy offseason for our team since Homestead but we’re embracing 2019 with a wide-open approach,” team owner Rick Ware said in a news release. “By acquiring a second Cup charter it will allow us to have two full-time cars at the race track each weekend where we hope it will allow the two teams to work together and improve the team performance overall from the 2018 season.”

•  •  •

SPIRE MOTORSPORTS

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: TBD

Drivers: Jamie McMurray, Quin Houff, others TBD

Crew chiefs: TBD

2018 standings: none

What’s new: Almost everything. Spire Sports + Entertainment, a North Carolina agency that represents multiple types of motorsports clients, purchased the No. 78 charter from Furniture Row Racing with the intent to go full-time racing. Spire employs several former team principals — Joe Garone, Ty Norris and T.J. Puchyr among them — who should be able to steer the start-up effort. The organization announced that through a partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing, it will field a No. 40 Chevrolet for Jamie McMurray in what’s expected to be his final Monster Energy Series start. The entry will then carry No. 77 with rookie Quin Houff jumping in for a partial schedule. Beyond that, details for the rest of the season are still taking shape.

Outlook: Spire’s possession of the Furniture Row charter will add a level of stability and financial incentives based on that team’s finishes of first (2017) and second (’18) the last two seasons. The team has as good a shot as any in the opener with former Daytona 500 champ McMurray in the fold, but may face an uphill path with Houff, a veteran of just 10 Xfinity Series starts. Until the placement of more key personnel — most notably, more drivers and a crew chief — becomes clearer, the performance bar for 2019 will be tough to gauge.

•  •  •

STARCOM RACING 

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: ECR Engines

Driver: Landon Cassill

Crew chief: Wayne Carroll

2018 standings: 34th

What’s new: There’s plenty of new to go around in the organization’s second full go at Monster Energy Series competition. The team has purchased the charter it leased last season from Richard Childress Racing, which will provide support through a technical alliance and a new contract with ECR Engines. StarCom will also move to a new 20,000-square-foot shop in Salisbury, North Carolina. Veteran crew chief Wayne Carroll, who spent time last year with StarCom’s No. 99 entry, will shift to the team’s flagship No. 00 Chevy.

Outlook: Cassill’s return offers a dose of continuity to StarCom’s efforts after the two joined forces for 29 races last season. The additional technical support from RCR should assist the cause for a team hoping to fortify its foundation in its second full campaign.

•  •  •

TOMMY BALDWIN RACING

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: TBD

Drivers: Ryan Truex

Crew chiefs: TBD

2018 standings: none

What’s new: Tommy Baldwin Racing announced Jan. 16 that Truex would drive its No. 71 entry in the Daytona 500. The Baldwin-Truex partnership marks a series of returns to the Monster Energy Series: TBR will be back on track for the first time since an 11-race slate in 2017, and Truex — an Xfinity Series regular last year — will attempt to make his first Cup Series start since 2014.

Outlook: TBR indicated that it’s seeking sponsorship for more events beyond Daytona, and that more announcements are forthcoming. In the meantime, the new partnership offers a chance at redemption for Truex, who was a heartbreaking DNQ for the Daytona 500 in his only other attempt at the race — for BK Racing in 2014.

TEAM PREVIEWS
• Jan. 22: Assorted teams
• Jan. 23: Richard Petty Motorsports
• Jan. 24: Germain Racing
• Jan. 25: Leavine Family Racing
• Jan 28: Front Row Motorsports
• Jan. 29: JTG Daugherty Racing
• Jan. 30: Wood Brothers Racing
• Jan. 31: Roush Fenway Racing
• Feb. 1: Richard Childress Racing
• Feb. 4: Chip Ganasssi Racing
• Feb. 5: Hendrick Motorsports
• Feb. 6: Joe Gibbs Racing
• Feb. 7: Stewart-Haas Racing
• Feb. 8: Team Penske

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — One by one, they took a seat smiling. Wayne Taylor Racing’s all-star driver lineup stopped by the Daytona International Speedway media center ready to reinforce to reporters of the high expectations they carry into this weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Taylor, the team’s namesake, owner and himself a former winner of this IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opening race, sat proudly alongside his son Jordan – a two-time IMSA champion – full-time team co-driver Renger van der Zande, and Rolex-only drivers two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso and FIA World Endurance Championship standout Kamui Kobayashi. It’s an all-star driver lineup with fantastic reason to give Taylor confidence and optimism for the weekend’s race.

Handling high expectations may be as important as anything else and that’s a good problem to have.

RELATED: Where to watch the Rolex 24

Their No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi operation is as top-shelf as it gets in the Rolex 24. For five years — between 2012-2017 — Taylor’s car finished on the podium. In 2017, it won overall, earning NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon — another high-profile co-driver — his first Rolex victory. A year earlier, former F1 driver Rubens Barrichello co-drove with the team for a runner-up finish overall.

“At this point, we’re optimistic,’’ said Jordan Taylor. “From a car point of view, we made a lot of progress with some changes. It was also good to get Alonso and Kobayashi through the car to get them comfortable driving-wise and seat-wise and ergonomics.”

And, he confirmed, “They bring so much experience and information from what they’ve done in Formula 1 and WEC and in Japan to help us learn, and hopefully we’ll be ahead of the curve all through race weekend.’’

SHOP: Rolex 24 gear

This is the second Rolex 24 for Alonso, who drove last year in an LMP2 car for United Autosports and briefly led overall in the race. That team ultimately finished 38th overall, but Alonso was pleased with the orientation lesson and is ready to improve on the result this week.

“I definitely feel I am in a much better position this year compared to last year,’’ said Alonso, who stepped away from F1 at the conclusion of the 2018 season. “Last year, this was my first U.S. sports car race and my first closed-cockpit experience and definitely this year, I’m ready to enjoy it a bit more and use the experience of my first WEC season as well.

“Everything is much more open than racing in Europe. The target this year is definitely to be more competitive on the track and I’m happy. I’m sure that with the Konica Minolta Cadillac and Wayne Taylor Racing, we can be in that position.”

The atmosphere of the twice-around-the-clock event — with a full international slate of racers, dramatic turns of fate and a vivid full-on embrace from a crowded Daytona International Speedway — is something the 2005-06 F1 champion Alonso said he immediately became fond of.

The racing venue provides carnival-like appeal for the young and the old — with a Ferris wheel in the infield, impressive manufacturer displays filling up the midway, vast memorabilia sales and genuinely exciting, suspenseful racing even in a test of endurance. The 47-car field this week is filled with the biggest names in racing — the starting grid a Who’s Who for any race fan.

RELATED: See the field for the Rolex 24 at Daytona

“There were a lot of good moments last year and already this year with a couple kids that were even jumping in the car at one point,’’ Alonso said recalling the reception with a smile. “They get really close to the teams, to the drivers, to the cars. They can even touch the car if they want.

“It’s just something unthinkable in Formula 1 or racing in Europe, so I think that’s the nice part of this atmosphere and this race. I know it will be even bigger with all the fans here and how close they are on pit lane as well. When you jump in the car, you’re still signing autographs and taking pictures even with the helmet on, waiting for the car to come to pit lane – sometimes you need to tell them you are in a critical moment and you should be ready to jump in.

“But at same time if you embrace that and enjoy that, it is a very nice event and very nice emotion to see all the passion from the fans when they see the cars.’’

Beyond the feel-good moments, this Wayne Taylor team is once again considered among the legitimate favorites to earn Rolex watches in the winner’s circle come Sunday. They finished third in the 2018 season championship by a mere seven points, concluding the schedule with a dramatic final-minute victory in the famed Motul Petit Le Mans 10-hour race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. And van der Zande — who drove that final stint at Petit Le Mans — concedes he was almost immediately ready to leave that Victory Lane and start preparing for the Rolex 24.

“I’m happy to go racing and happy to be back in the car,’’ van der Zande said with a grin. “For sure, Wayne has brought us some incredible things to this team, including the pair of drivers who will be joining us.

“Overall I’m excited about our chances. We have Fernando Alonso and he’s a legend. You can feel that in everything he does. Heading to Daytona with him and also Kamui as a teammate, I think is very special.’’

Qualifying for the Rolex 24 At Daytona is scheduled for Thursday and will be televised live on NBCSN at 3 p.m. ET with final practice on Friday. NBCSN kicks off its race telecast at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Live IMSA Radio coverage throughout the week will be available on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com, with race coverage also available through both online outlets as well as SiriusXM Radio.

Tickets for the Rolex 24 At Daytona are available for purchase at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com.

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Heading into the 2019 season, Kyle Busch sits at an astounding 194 wins across all three NASCAR national series — 51 each in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series and 92 in the Xfinity Series. That places the 33-year-old driver just six victories behind a major round number — 200.

Whether Busch’s quest for a combined 200 wins should compare with Richard Petty’s 200 victories (all in NASCAR’s top division) has prompted spirited debates already, but is a discussion for a later time. For now, less than a month away from Daytona’s Speedweeks, the question is whether Busch can reach the 200 threshold this season, and when and where might the historic moment take place?

RELATED: All of Kyle Busch’s Monster Energy Series victories

NASCAR.com’s Jessica Ruffin and Zack Albert tackle the issue in the latest of our preseason conversations ahead of the 2019 campaign:

RUFFIN: If anyone can comfortably reach six victories across all three series in a single season, it’s Kyle Busch. The No. 18 driver has averaged 12 NASCAR victories a season for the past two years, nabbing eight wins alone in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018. NASCAR’s participation guidelines put a limit on Busch’s number of races run in the Xfinity (seven races) and Truck Series (five races) and will do so this season, too. But looking at his 11 trips to Victory Lane in 2018, that doesn’t seem to affect “Rowdy” too much in the win category.

My prediction? Kyle Busch reaches his 200th win before the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs begin during the weekend of the Bristol Night Race (Aug. 15-17). It only seems fitting that the track where Busch has won 21 times in his career across all three series is the site where he taps an impressive milestone. And who knows? He could sweep the whole weekend on top of reaching No. 200.

ALBERT: Within reach? Absolutely. Last season, Busch amassed 11 national series wins (eight in the Monster Energy Series, one in Xfinity and two in Trucks). The only limits to Busch’s ability to cross this latest career milestone off the list are how quickly Joe Gibbs Racing adapts to the 2019 rules package and the participation guidelines for Busch’s chances at winning on the other tours.

In terms of when 200 might happen, here’s looking toward the end of the regular season at two storied venues — Darlington and Indianapolis — where history seems to unfold naturally.

RELATED: Where does Busch stack up on the all-time combined wins list?

Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C.  — Leavine Family Racing (LFR) is proud to welcome back Dumont JETS as a primary sponsor with the organization for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. The Wilmington, Delaware-based company is a full-service aircraft charter, sales, maintenance, and parts organization who made the foray into NASCAR during the 2018 season.

Dumont JETS has three primary sponsorship events slated for the 2019 season after they experienced tremendous success from the partnership their rookie season.  The sponsorship, which came about initially because key members of the company were fans of Kasey Kahne and NASCAR, sparked from fandom into a successful overall marketing strategy for the company.

RELATED: Procore back as primary sponsor for DiBenedetto

The benefits from their sponsorship are less traditional than a simple consumer-facing angle since the typical NASCAR fan is not the company’s consumer base for jet cards and retail charter sales.  Connecting the Dumont JETS corporate aviation world with NASCAR was a leap of faith for the organization, but they were able to develop connections with Fortune 500 companies as well as additional race teams, they earned name recognition on the car throughout the season, and were able to realize first-hand the many benefits that a NASCAR sponsorship can provide.

“We are looking forward to Matt DiBenedetto piloting the Dumont JETS Camry this upcoming season,” said Amber Martin, Director of Corporate Relations for Dumont GROUP.  “We at Dumont JETS are very pleased of our partnership with Leavine Family Racing. One might rightly suggest that an aircraft charter company and a NASCAR race team make a strange pair. However, the principles at LFR worked to understand our business, and how the unique B2B environment in NASCAR could deliver value for our organization.”

The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season brings numerous advances for LFR as the organization transitions to new manufacturing partnerships with Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and Toyota Racing Development (TRD).  The addition of Matt DiBenedetto as the team’s new driver, as well as crew chief Mike Wheeler, showcase the team’s quest to continually improve upon their racing program.

MORE: LFR adds DiBenedetto, moves to Toyota for 2019 season

“Dumont JETS returning for the 2019 NASCAR season illustrates that businesses do in fact see value in NASCAR” said Jeremy Lange, Vice President and General Manager of LFR.  “We are excited about introducing their jet services to more people within the sport and increasing the return they see from their partnership with LFR. We have some fun activation concepts we are working on with them and are appreciative of the support they are committing to LFR and the sport as a whole.”

Dumont JETS will make their 2019 debut aboard the No. 95 Toyota Camry for their first primary sponsorship of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 3, 2019 in the Pennzoil 400.  The No. 95 will sport the Dumont JETS paint schemes at Dover International Speedway in October as well as ISM Raceway in November.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

Winning the season-opening Daytona 500 is a prestigious honor. Winning multiple Daytona 500s puts you in select company with some of the best in the sport. Richard Petty (seven wins), Cale Yarborough (four wins), Bobby Allison (three wins), Dale Jarrett (three wins), Jeff Gordon (three wins), Bill Elliott (two wins), Sterling Marlin (two wins), Michael Waltrip (two wins), Matt Kenseth (two wins), Jimmie Johnson (two wins) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two wins) are the 11 drivers who have multiple Daytona 500 wins.

Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch and Austin Dillon are the active full-time drivers who have at least one “Great American Race” victory on their resume. Which driver is the best bet to add another Harley J. Earl Trophy to their trophy case? NASCAR.com’s RJ Kraft and Jonathan Merryman debate.

PHOTOS: Every winner of the Daytona 500 | Multi-time winners of the Daytona 500

KRAFT: This question is making me flash back to the most recent race on a superspeedway in October of 2018 at Talladega, a race in which Stewart-Haas Racing led a dominating 155 of 193 laps. Kevin Harvick led 46 laps that day and consistently was part of the lead pack. I realize Talladega and Daytona are separate and distinct animals, but some similar characteristics abound when it comes to plate racing — note that this will be the last plate race.

I am taking Harvick to be the next driver to add another “Great American Race” win to his ledger. He narrowly won here in a fabulous 2007 finish against Mark Martin. He led a race-high 50 laps in 2017 and finished second and first in the opening two stages. “Happy” also finished fourth in the 2016 race and second in the 2015 race. With the exception of Austin Dillon (who has 24 fewer Daytona starts than Harvick), he has the best average finish at Daytona over the entire category of his Cup career among previous Daytona 500 winners. Plus, I think the sting of losing the 2018 title at Miami in the manner he did — without his regular crew chief and car chief — is going to put an extra chip on Harvick’s shoulder out of the gate, and I expect him to come out blazing in the 2019 Ford Mustang.

RELATED: See the new 2019 Ford Mustang on track | Every angle of the 2019 Ford Mustang

MERRYMAN: Harvick was a solid pick from 2010 to 2016, but as of late, I think Joey Logano is your guy.

In the last four Daytona 500s, he has one win and four top 10s. His worst finish in that run is sixth. While their averages at Daytona are similar, this debate is more of a “what have you done for me lately,” and the front-runner has to be Logano.

The driver of the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang is one of the best plate racers in the Monster Energy Series and has one of the best spotters at superspeedways in TJ Majors. The duo paired up last season and nabbed the win at Talladega in the spring en route to their first Monster Energy Series championship.

That brings me to my last point: Momentum. The No. 22 team is riding that championship wave all the way to Daytona Beach so look out for Joey nabbing his second Harley J. Earl Trophy.

Posted on by Staff Report

Christopher Bell entered the record books Sunday morning by becoming just the second driver in Chili Bowl history to win the prestigious dirt Midget race three consecutive years.

His performance this week in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was one for the ages.

Bell, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, didn’t lead the 24-car A-Main championship race until the final turn of the final lap. The Oklahoma native took advantage of leader Kyle Larson getting stuck in traffic, then beat the full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver to the line in an epic last-lap finish after Larson oh-so-slightly mishandled the final lap.

For Larson, it was heartbreak for the second consecutive year. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver was leading late in last year’s race, too, when engine issues forced him to retire with 10 laps to go. That opened the door for Bell to win his second consecutive event in 2018.

“(Larson) is the most talented race car driver a lot of us have ever seen,” Bell told reporters after the 2019 win. “Yeah, it’s pretty surprising that he did slip.”

A dejected Larson approached Bell during the winner’s celebration and shook his hand, but the disappointment was evident as pics rolled in on social media.

“Coming to the white, I missed (Turns) 3 and 4 and lost some time,” Larson said. “I glanced at the monitor and hoped he wouldn’t be there. He was. I missed the corner and he got inside me.”

“Yeah, yeah, it was fair game,” Larson reiterated to reporter Jeff Gluck following last-lap contact between him and Bell. “I tried to squeeze him to the bottom. If anything, I was the dirty one.”

In addition to becoming the second driver to win three consecutive Chili Bowls, Bell is just the third to win three overall since the event began in 1987 — and he’s the only one without the last name of “Swindell.” Sammy Swindell is the all-time leader with five Chili Bowl wins. His son, Kevin, has four, including four in a row from 2010-2013.

Justin Grant finished third, followed by Brady Bacon and Zach Daum to complete the top five. C.J. Leary took eighth in an Alex Bowman-owned car, with 2018 NASCAR Next product Tanner Thorson finishing 10th.

PHOTOS: Scenes from the Chili Bowl

The Chili Bowl is an annual dirt Midget race that has been held since 1987 and always draws interest from some of auto racing’s most talent drivers. The week-long event boasts six days of practice and qualifying events to set the 24-car field for the main event, all of which culminated Saturday — and eventually, early Sunday morning — in a full day-plus of racing.

Saturday’s action is known as “Alphabet Soup” as drivers who had not previously qualified for the championship race had to drive their way in through a series of transfers, starting with two O-Feature races. The top-six finishers from each O-Feature event advanced to the corresponding two N-Feature races (in which there were already several drivers qualified). Then the top six finishers from each N-Feature race advanced into the M-Feature races, where other drivers were also waiting.

The format was used all the way up to the A-Main finale, although the number of drivers advancing upward dropped to five starting at the G-Feature, then jumped to seven for the B-Feature races.

Drivers also could qualify for the A-Main throughout the week, which Larson, Bell, Logan Seavey, Tanner Thorson and Rico Abreu, among others, did.

Brad Sweet, Larson’s brother-in-law, won the first B-Feature, a superbly contested 20-lap event that also saw Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. advance to the main event by finishing fourth. Sweet would finish seventh in the title race, with Stenhouse Jr. taking 22nd.

Additional noteworthy results include:

• Chase Briscoe, who will drive full time for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this year, missed making the A-Main by an agonizing one position. He finished eighth in the first B-Feature — the top seven advance.

• Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman, in the Chili Bowl as both a driver and as the owner of a car, started the day in the C-Feature based off his performance throughout the week. But Bowman slapped the wall with just a couple of laps to go, dropping him from third to seventh at the checkered — and the top five advanced into the B-Feature. His car made it to the championship, though, after driver C.J. Leary piloted it to victory in the second B-Feature.

• Obaika Racing’s Tanner Berryhill, in contention for Sunoco Rookie of the Year in 2019, and JR Motorsports veteran Justin Allgaier both were impressive in the second C-Feature race before being caught up in wrecks not of their own doing. Both failed to transfer.

• NASCAR driver J.J. Yeley, one of the top dirt drivers around, faced a long road to the title race and didn’t get there. He had been disqualified during heat races earlier in the race and was first to start his journey in the O-Feature and work his way up. He made it to the L-Feature before being eliminated after a flip.

• StarCom Racing Monster Energy Series driver Landon Cassill also flipped in the L-Feature and was eliminated.

• Karsyn Elledge — the 18-year-old daughter of Kelley Earnhardt Miller and niece of Dale Earnhardt Jr. — had impressed on track earlier this week. She won her first heat Saturday, the H-Feature, but flipped in the G-Feature following contact and was eliminated.

• Kasey Kahne, who retired from full-time NASCAR competition following 2018, started Saturday in the F-Feature and was eliminated in the E-Feature following a wreck.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Heading into Saturday night’s Chili Bowl Nationals championship race, Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson are heavy favorites, but they know there will be other stiff competition.

Both Bell and Larson are locked into the 55-lap A-Main event at the indoor Tulsa Expo Raceway. Although they are expected to dominate, there are other fast drivers who are threats for victory on the team, including former Gander Outdoors Truck Series driver Rico Abreu and dirt-racing ace Logan Seavey, both of whom won their respective qualifying nights earlier in the week to make the big show, as well.

RELATED: Bell eyes three-peat after feature win | Larson hopes bad luck stays away

“Larson is one of the most talented race-car drivers of all time, so you know he’s going to be up there,” Bell told NASCAR.com. “But there’s a lot of other great race cars and in the Race of Champions (held earlier in the week), Larson didn’t win it. There’s just a lot of people here that could step up to the plate and become favorites or be hard to beat.”

Bell, winner of the past two Chili Bowl championships, is looking to become the third driver to win three or more and only the second driver to earn three consecutive triumphs in the prestigious race.

The 24-year-old Norman, Oklahoma native won Thursday night’s preliminary round. Despite making it look easy, Bell said the speed in his No. 71W Keith Kunz Motorsports midget was a bit of a cause for concern after seeing his teammates — including Larson — win a little more easily during their qualifying nights.

“We don’t really know who was good and who was bad because of all the yellow flags,” Bell said about Thursday’s preliminary race. “We never really got to race it out. Especially Thursday night kind of left us wondering a little bit, but we know from watching the other prelim nights, Larson is good.

“Rico looks like he’s back and hungry again,” he added. “It’s just tough and there’s a lot of great race-car drivers and fortunately, a lot of them are in my same camp.”

Bell says he will need to rely on his past experience to put up a fight against a fleet of talented drivers with extensive dirt-racing prowess.

“Just being in the event in the past, knowing how the track changes and stuff like that, it should help me,” Bell said. “We kind of have an idea of what’s going to happen. Normally they do a full track re-work, so the track starts really wet and it goes really slick by the end of the race.”

GALLERY: Best scenes from the Chili Bowl

For Larson, the Chili Bowl has been bittersweet for him in the past. Last year, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular was leading inside 10 laps to go when engine issues forced him to retire — paving the way for Bell to win again.

Larson said if he wants to earn his first Chili Bowl victory and take home the Golden Driller, he’ll need to beat out his own teammates.

“Logan (Seavey) was really impressive on Monday,” Larson told NASCAR.com. “He was really smooth and had a lot of speed. Honestly, I really don’t look to anybody else besides Christopher Bell, really. He’s the guy you’re going to have to beat if you’re going to win the Chili Bowl.”

Although it’s a unique dynamic for Bell and Larson to compete for the same 11-car Keith Kunz Motorsports camp, both feel the combination gives them the highest chances for success.

RELATED: Guide to the Chili Bowl

“I would say Keith has had a pretty good package the past few years,” Larson said. “I think the cars have been equally as good the past three years ago or so. I know I’m with the best team in the building, so that gives me a lot of confidence.”

Bell echoed Larson’s sentiments for the Keith Kunz-led organization that has been dominant year-in and year-out.

“It’s completely up to them and I have all the faith in the world that they’re going to make the right adjustments, but our cars are really good,” Bell said.

Along with Bell and Larson, there are NASCAR stars and affiliations looking to make the it to the main event through Saturday’s last-chance qualifiers.

NASCAR Next’s Tanner Thorson transferred into Saturday night’s A-Main after finishing second in Friday night’s preliminary feature, while Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won a heat race during Friday’s final qualifying night and finished fourth in the feature, and will roll off fifth in the first B-Main.

Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, Obaika Racing’s Tanner Berryhill, StarCom Raciong’s Landon Cassill, former full-time driver Kasey Kahne, Xfinity drivers Justin Allgaier, J.J. Yeley and Chase Briscoe will also be on track throughout the day.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s niece, 18-year-old Karsyn Elledge, is also in the mix after winning her heat race on Thursday.

Below is the full schedule for Saturday’s last-chance qualifying races and main event:

Posted on by Team Release

NASCAR Xfinity Series winner Ross Chastain will pilot the No. 45 TrüNorth Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports during the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway.

Chastain and Reid Wilson will share the No. 45 TrüNorth Chevrolet Silverado during the 2019 NGOTS season.

“We are thrilled to have Ross with us again this year, and to have Reid join the team,” said Niece Motorsports General Manager, Cody Efaw. “As a team we really feel like we made a lot of progress in the caliber of our trucks last season, and we are excited to continue that momentum with two drivers who can really showcase their abilities. We’re excited to see what we can accomplish together this season.”

The paint scheme that Chastain will run at Daytona was designed by Paul Teutul, Jr. of Paul Jr. Designs and star of “American Chopper,, in partnership with TrüNorth. Paul Jr. will be in attendance at the NGOTS event at Daytona International Speedway in February as the TrüNorth/Paul Jr. Designs No. 45 takes to the track.

TrüNorth, the leading provider of commercial asset related warranty programs and services for dealers, fleets, owner-operators, and commercial finance companies, partnered with Paul Jr. to build the first TrüNorth™ custom bike, which was unveiled in early November at the UTA Convention in Orlando. That bike build will appear in the second episode of the new season of “American Chopper” on Discovery Channel in February.

“I’ve worked with some great folks to build amazing bikes over the years, but the TrüNorth bike is one of my favorites,” said Paul Jr. “I love the ongoing relationship we’ve built with TrüNorth. Being a part of TrüNorth’s NASCAR racing program is a terrific way to engage with our common audiences and share the work we’re doing together.”

Additionally, Paul Jr. will build a second TrüNorth custom bike for the launch of a new brand from TrüNorth. This bike will be unveiled at Daytona in conjunction with the NGOTS race.

“Paul Jr. is not only great at what he does – his creativity goes way beyond expectation, he is also wonderful with people, not just fans, but everyone,” said TrüNorth CMO Barry Wilson. “We have a common audience, and these folks love NASCAR, so it’s a perfect match to have Paul as part of our racing program. We believe Cody and the Niece team will put our brand up front.”

Last season, Chastain made three starts with Niece Motorsports — at Bristol Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway — earning a best finish of 12th at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“I really enjoyed working with this Niece Motorsports team last season, and I’m excited to continue that this year,” said Chastain. “I know everyone at the shop has been working hard to prepare for this season, and I’m just fortunate to get to drive these trucks. I feel confident that we can have a successful year together.”

The 2018 season was a busy one for Chastain, who competed in all three of NASCAR’s major series. Chastain made 34 starts in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, 33 starts in the NXS, and seven starts in the NGOTS last season.

In September, Chastain broke into the Winner’s Circle in the NXS, after putting on a dominating performance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, winning each stage of the race and leading 180 of 200 laps.

Wilson, who will split the No. 45 ride with Chastain, competed in three NGOTS events in 2018; at Martinsville Speedway, Iowa Speedway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Wilson’s best finish of 16th coming at Martinsville Speedway.

“I can’t wait to get this season started,” said Wilson. “We really got our feet wet in the Truck Series last season, and I’m excited to continue that into this season. I can’t thank Al Niece and TrüNorth enough for this incredible opportunity.”

Before moving into the NGOTS, Wilson competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, where he had a 50 percent top-10 rate. In 2018, he was named No. 46 in MotorsportsAnalytics.com’s ranking of the top 75 NASCAR Cup Series prospects. “Reid hasn’t competed regularly in a NASCAR ladder division, but when he does appear, he’s proven formidable,” stated David Smith, president of Motorsports Analytics.

“I’m so proud of the effort of each and every employee at Niece Motorsports,” said Team Owner Al Niece. “To look at where we’ve come in such a short amount of time – it’s due to the hard work of everyone at our organization. I’m really looking forward to 2019, and having Ross, Reid and TrüNorth™ at our organization are huge pieces of the puzzle. I know that we can put together trucks that are capable of winning, and that’s certainly our goal this season.”

The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season will kick off at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, Feb. 15.

Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C. — Spire Motorsports, through a partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR), announced that 2010 Daytona 500 Champion Jamie McMurray will drive the No. 40 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2019 Daytona 500. McMurray will be making his 17th start in the “Great American Race,” when the Daytona 500 kicks off the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) regular season on Feb. 17.

McMurray’s Daytona 500 race car will carry sponsorship from several companies that have been integral to his NASCAR career. The No. 40 Chevrolet will feature branding from Bass Pro Shops, McDonald’s and Cessna to recognize the long-standing partnerships that the companies have had with McMurray over the years. Bass Pro Shops and McDonald’s have been on McMurray’s cars since 2010, while Cessna has been with him since 2013. Bass Pro Shops was the primary sponsor on McMurray’s car for all three races that he won in 2010 (Daytona, Indianapolis and Charlotte)

RELATED: Driver moves this offseason

“The Daytona 500 is the one race that every NASCAR driver would want to win,” McMurray said in a team press release. “For the rest of your life you get to be introduced or recognized as a Daytona 500 champion. I’m excited to have the opportunity to potentially be a two-time winner of the race and it would mean so much to celebrate one more win with all of the great partners that have been with me for so many years.”

Posted on by RJ Kraft

A list of full-time drivers and their rides in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for the 2019 season (This will be updated as drivers are announced for 2019):

*-indicates a change from the 2018 season

RELATED: Keep track of all the movement for 2019 | 2019 series schedule 

Car No. Driver Team Notable
00 Landon Cassill StarCom Racing Social media darling returns for second season at StarCom.
1 Kurt Busch* Chip Ganassi Racing Veteran carries six straight playoff trips into Ganassi move.
2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske His 26 wins in last eight years are fourth-most in series.
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing With new crew chief, AD eyes fourth straight playoff trip.
4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing “Happy” reached Champ 4 for fourth time in five years.
6 Ryan Newman* Roush Fenway Racing Veteran takes over for Bayne/Kenseth combo at Roush.
8* Daniel Hemric* Richard Childress Racing Renumbered car, Sunoco rookie battle on tap for Hemric.
9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Breakout three wins in 2018; much more to come in 2019?
10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Upstart driver reached Round of 8 in first year at SHR.
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Can new crew chief snap Hamlin’s 47-race win drought?
12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Led seventh-most laps; knocking on door of multi-win year.
13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Third-year man looks to rebound from 27th in standings.
14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing With two wins, Bowyer looks to build off best year since ’12.
17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Avg. start (14.8) was career-best in ’18, but missed playoffs.
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Four straight Champ 4 appearances, coming off best season.
19 Martin Truex Jr.* Joe Gibbs Racing ’17 champ moves to JGR with Cole Pearn in tow as well.
20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Scored first Cup win at Daytona, primed for a breakout year.
21 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing Tallied most top 10s (7) since ’14 in first year with Woods.
22 Joey Logano Team Penske Reigning champ aims to be first since Johnson to repeat.
24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Paired with Chad Knaus, much is expected of this youngster.
32 Corey LaJoie* Go Fas Racing Looks to carry momentum of DiBenedetto’s two-year stint.
34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Matched career-best standings finish — 26th — in ’18.
36* Matt Tifft* Front Row Motorsports* Rookie joins up with expanded three-car team.
37 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Texas native becomes experienced hand of JTG stable.
38 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ragan’s avg. finish of 22.9 marks his best since 2011.
41 Daniel Suarez* Stewart-Haas Racing After two years at JGR, he slides into Kurt Busch’s old seat.
42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing A repeat of last year’s winless season would be stunning.
43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Sophomore season in iconic car should see gains for Bubba.
47 Ryan Preece* JTG Daugherty Racing Part-time bet on self pays off with a Cup ride, rookie battle.
48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Seven-time champ starts anew with CC Kevin Meendering.
88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports More top 10s, top fives on his agenda after playoff berth.
95 Matt DiBenedetto* Leavine Family Racing Alliance with JGR brings Matty D back to beginnings.