SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. has spent this season working in the broadcast booth for the first time in his career, but he will make another “first” in two weeks at Richmond Raceway. Although he has retired from full-time racing, he will make a one-race start in a JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Sept. 21 Xfinity Series race at the track.
It will be his first NASCAR start since he climbed out of his Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 after the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season finale in Homestead, Florida, last November — and it might just be his last, he hinted.
“I’m looking forward to it,’’ Earnhardt said of his Xfinity Series debut this season. “I didn’t miss racing at the start of the year at all. I didn’t miss driving much. When I got back to the broadcasting and started to really plug into what the races were like and what was going on, you see moments in the races that make you wish you were out there doing that. And so, I started to miss it a little bit.
“I like Richmond as a track. And it’s a pretty straightforward little race track. We have had success there. I’m not really putting any expectations or pressure on myself as far as performance. I just want to go run and have fun.”
And, Earnhardt said, it just may be the last time he enters a major NASCAR race.
“It’s the only time I’m going to race a car this year. And it may be the last time I race a car,’’ he said.
“I really don’t know what our plans are going forward. I don’t really have any initiative to drive a ton of races. So, we’ll just kind of see what kind of opportunities there are down the road with the sponsorships and so forth that help the rest of the company. But, hopefully I get to run all the laps and just enjoy driving the car.
“The only reason you get behind the wheel of a race car is because it’s fun and you enjoy the competition. Hopefully those are things that I get out of it and try not to get real competitive about it. I don’t want to sweat over every lap and how fast we are in practice and all those things, and make it a miserable experience because most race car drivers tend to do that if you’re not careful.”
Friday, September 14
2 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS1
7:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
8:30 p.m.: NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, FS1
9 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series World of Westgate 200, FS1
On MRN Noon: The Inside Line (with host Tyler Burnett)
Saturday, September 15
6:30 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series World of Westgate 200, FS1 (re-air)
1 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series DC Solar 300, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Post Race, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
Sunday, September 16
11:30 a.m.: Classic NASCAR: 1998 Daytona 500, FS1
1:30 p.m.: NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Post Race, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
9:30 p.m.: Glory Road: IndyCar/NASCAR Crossover, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
10 p.m.: Glory Road: Dirt Roots, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
The Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard has been postponed to Monday due to inclement weather. The race is now scheduled for 2 p.m. ET with coverage on NBCSN, IMS Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
It will be part of a unique Monday doubleheader with the Xfinity race, the Lilly Diabetes 250, which is set for 10 a.m. ET.
Rain has been steady throughout the weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, washing out practices and qualifying and postponing the NASCAR Xfinity Series race originally scheduled for Saturday.
The wet weather continued Sunday, dampening the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale. Green flag was scheduled for 1:06 p.m. ET.
A Toyota Tundra track-drying team of 19 vehicles is on hand to dry the track if still needed Monday, along with 10 jet dryers and four vacuums.
Kyle Busch is on the pole for Monday’s Monster Energy Series race with Kevin Harvick joining him on the front row. Busch is a two-time winner at the Brickyard. There will be two competition cautions on Lap 10 and 30. Teams will not be allowed to take fuel until after the second of those competition cautions.
Fourteen of 16 spots in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are set, with two still up for grabs when we go racing Monday.
NASCAR Fantasy Live’s Playoff game will cover the 10 races in the playoffs and function similarly to the regular-season edition of Fantasy Live. There are some changes to this game from the regular season, which are explained below. Leagues put together in the regular season will be kept intact, although scoring will go back to zero for the playoffs.
Accessing the game to set your roster can be done by logging into your account and going to the Fantasy page (NASCAR.com/Fantasy). You also can access the game by opening NASCAR Mobile, logging into your account and clicking the Fantasy icon on the bottom of the app.
Here is a primer to get you up to speed on the playoff game for 2018.
How is the playoff game different? The first major difference is that there is no limit on how many times you can use a driver in the playoffs. If you are thinking that means you can roster all of the “Big 3” of Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. — there is a twist there that we will get to below. The roster composition of teams is different from the regular season as well (further explained below) and there are some limits on how you can utilize the garage driver. There also is an additional bonus pick that must be set by the playoff opener in Las Vegas.
What is the roster composition?
Players will be able to field a roster of starters with two active playoff drivers and two non-playoff drivers. You have one driver in your garage. Driver and garage selections lock five minutes before the race start time and do not carry over week-to-week, meaning you need to set your roster for each race.
How does the garage driver work? Players can substitute their one garage driver up until the start of the Final Stage. Once the Final Stage starts, no more switches are allowed. However, if your garage driver is in the playoffs, you can only swap him for one of your two playoff drivers. If your garage guy is a non-playoff driver, you can only swap him for one of your two non-playoff drivers.
Example: Your active roster for Las Vegas is Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch as playoff drivers with Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard as your non-playoff drivers. Martin Truex Jr. is your garage driver. Truex can only be swapped for Harvick or Busch. You CANNOT replace Truex for McMurray or Menard.
Which races make up the playoffs?
The playoffs, which start Sept. 16, consist of 10 races: Las Vegas, Richmond, Charlotte road course, Dover, Talladega, Kansas, Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami. Only the Charlotte road course and Homestead-Miami have not held a race this season before the playoffs.
Do eliminated drivers shift from playoff to non-playoff? Yes, drivers that are eliminated from the playoffs will see their designation (playoff or non-playoff) transition at the start of a new round. This will give players fewer playoff options to choose from as we get deeper into the playoffs but more non-playoff options to choose from at the same time.
So which drivers end up scoring points?
The drivers ending the race in your main roster will comprise the drivers that make up your total score. A driver that ends the race in the garage would not see their results count toward your score.
Are there any limits to how much a driver can be used?
No. Unlike the regular-season game, there are no use limits on any driver. In theory, you could field the same lineup every week if you choose.
What is the scoring system?
The scoring will reflect the NASCAR Official Scoring System. For example, if Chase Elliott wins Stage 1 & Stage 2 and wins the race, he will earn players 60 fantasy points for that particular race just as he would earn 60 points for himself in the season standings.
Drivers running in the top 10 at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2 receive points, starting with 10 points for first, nine for second, etc. The race winner receives 40 points, while second-place receives 35 points, third receives 34 points and all the way down to 1 point for drivers that finish 36th through 40th.
Are there any bonus picks?
Yes, players can make bonus picks for the pole winner, Stage 1 winner, Stage 2 winner, race winner and manufacturer winner. The pole winner bonus pick selection will lock approximately five minutes before the start time of qualifying. All other bonus picks lock five minutes before the race start time. Bonus picks DO NOT count against driver usage.
NEW FOR THE PLAYOFFS: Players can choose a playoff champion pick that is worth 60 points. This pick will lock five minutes before the green flag of the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This bonus will be added to your score at the completion of the 10-week playoffs following the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale.
What is the value of each bonus pick?
Pole Winner (5 points for correct pick)
Stage 1 Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Stage 2 Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Race Winner (30 points for correct pick)
Winning Manufacturer (10 points for correct pick)
Playoffs Champion (60 points for correct pick)
Will my leagues and teams from last year be available? Regular-season leagues will see their full membership move over to the playoffs while scoring will reset to zero.
The start of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard has been delayed because of inclement weather.
Rain begin to fall this morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, putting a hold on the Monster Energy Series regular-season finale. Green flag was scheduled for 1:06 p.m. ET.
A Toyota Tundra track-drying team of 19 vehicles is on hand to dry the track as quickly as possible, along with 10 jet dryers and four vacuums. Wet weather has been a factor this weekend as neither the Monster Energy Series nor the NASCAR Xfinity Series have gotten on track at Indianapolis. The Xfinity Series Lilly Diabetes 250 was moved from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning at 10 a.m. ET (NBCSN, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) due to rain.
Kyle Busch is on the pole for today’s race with Kevin Harvick joining him on the front row. Busch is a two-time winner at the Brickyard. When racing does get underway, there will be two competition cautions on Lap 10 and 30. Teams will not be allowed to take fuel until after the second of those competition cautions.
Coverage from the 2.5-mile Indiana track is on NBCSN, IMS Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Ever wonder what goes on in a driver meeting? We’re here to help.
This year, we’ll publish the actual rules video your favorite Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers will watch before climbing into their stock cars. Above is the video for the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard (Monday, 2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Two-time Indianapolis winner Kyle Busch will start out front for Monday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard (2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, IMS Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) after qualifying was rained out and the field was set by owner points. Drivers got no track time Saturday as both practices were rained out, so fantasy players have to go by their instincts. For me, that means placing value in 2018 results and some stock in the most recent Indianapolis races. We’ve dissected the numbers to offer a suggested lineup worthy of your Fantasy Live consideration as you make roster decisions for the final race of the regular season. Remember that the garage locks at the end of Stage 2.
RJ Kraft’s revised Fantasy Live lineup following the lineup being set:
1: Joey Logano
2: Brad Keselowski
3: Chase Elliott
4: Erik Jones
5: Kurt Busch
Garage: Martin Truex Jr.
Cars to the rear: Martin Truex Jr. (failed pre-race technical inspection three times) and Daniel Suarez (failed pre-race technical inspection four times) | Read more
Analysis: With no practices or qualifying, I’m sticking with the lineup I initially planned on. Why no Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch or Kyle Larson you ask? I am out of uses with that trio so I don’t have the option of utilizing them here. If you have any uses with those three, by all means, play them.
For me, this race weekend is about trusting your gut. Logano has turned it on of late and is very good at Indianapolis — with a 4.5 average finish in his last four starts here. Keselowski was the runner-up in this race last year and is coming off a win at Darlington. The Elliott, Jones and Kurt Busch plays tend to ignore the Indianapolis history in favor of drivers who have been performing very well in the here-and-now. That trio has been strong over the past two months. By that token, Ryan Blaney would also be a strong consideration for lineups.
With one use left, I’m putting Truex in my garage. I really don’t want to leave a use on the table with him and I want the option to go to him if he surges after having to start at the rear of the field. I expect a likely competition caution could help him gain a chunk of track position, and in Cole Pearn I trust. Remember, this is the final race of the regular season and uses will NOT carry over to the playoff game. There are no use limits for the playoff game, which starts next weekend with the Las Vegas playoff opener.
As for the bonus picks, it’s Kyle Busch all across the board. He has turned Indianapolis into his personal playground in recent years. He won here in 2015 and 2016, was the runner-up in 2014 and was running neck-and-neck up front with Truex in 2017 before the two tangled and wrecked each other out of the race in the final stage. Since I am out of uses with him, this is my way to get points out of him.
