Posted on by Steve Luvender

Setup Time, Majeski

The holiday season usually means plenty of time driving to visit friends and family, but this is likely a first: Ty Majeski pulled over on the highway and fired up his laptop to send an iRacing teammate some setup notes.

It’s a questionable way to trim time off the GPS calculation, but maybe his teammates picked up a few tenths with Majeski’s setup under the virtual hood.

Priorities, Spencer!

Xfinity Series driver Spencer Boyd spent Christmas Eve turning laps in an interesting combination on iRacing — Watkins Glen International in Gander Outdoors Truck Series-style trucks.

When did he have time to do his holiday shopping?

Like a Rock

Newly minted Gander Outdoors Truck Series Rookie of the Year Myatt Snider threw it back by running some practice races at Rockingham Speedway.

Those modified cars are wider than they appear.

Gettin’ Chili With It

iRacing recently released the Chili Bowl race track, site of one of the year’s most prestigious dirt races.

NASCAR drivers spent some of their offseason time turning some laps in a different discipline of racing from their day jobs.

Just remain on the lookout for Noah Gragson — er, Riley Herbst. (Sure, Noah. Sure.)

The PEAK Gets Higher

While it’s already quite prestigious to win the eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series, the stakes just got a little — well, a lot — higher. In 2019, the series’ 10th season, the top 40 drivers in iRacing’s premier oval series will now compete for $100,000 in prize money. That’s a lot of dough.

iRacing Paint Schemes of the Week

The iRacing community wastes little time in recreating real-life cars. Ben Horton painted a virtual version of Daniel Hemric’s recently-announced No. 8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 — complete with rookie stripes.

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And, in the spirit of the holidays, George Simmons designed a helmet that looks like it was designed with gift wrap and shiny gold ribbon.

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Video of the Week

Check out a replay of YouTube user Maratio expertly splitting the middle to win an iRacing Truck Series race at Talladega — not to mention a four-wide finish for second place.

Posted on by Staff Report

On the day after Christmas Kevin Harvick unwrapped a new black Mobil 1 scheme that will adorn the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford for nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races in 2019.

The sleek new look will make its debut on March 17 at Auto Club Speedway in Harvick’s home state of California for the Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Harvick through the years

Harvick won eight times in 2018 en route to finishing third in the Monster Energy Series final standings. Two of those victories (Texas and Michigan) came in a Mobil 1 paint scheme.

Here’s a preview of the new scheme:

Kevin Harvick Mobil 1 scheme

Posted on by Staff Report

Christopher Bell shared some holiday joy through social media Friday, revealing his engagement to longtime girlfriend Morgan Kemenah.

Bell’s news comes five days after his 24th birthday. The NASCAR Xfinity Series regular indicated that he and Kemenah had dated for 4 1/2 years before his proposal.

Bell scored seven wins and five pole positions in the Xfinity Series last season for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Posted on by Staff Report

Fans got their first on-track look at the 2019 Ford Mustang in a video released by Ford Performance last week. Now, there’s a behind-the-scenes clip of the entire day to digest.

Ford Performance released that clip as well, showing the set up and execution of one of the more memorable “reveal” videos of the year.

PHOTOS: The day in pictures | First look: 2019 Ford Mustang

Ford officials had previously announced that the Mustang would make its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2019.

Watch below to see Team Penske driver and 2018 champion Joey Logano and drifting driver Vaughn Gittin Jr. behind the scenes.

Posted on by Zack Albert

It’s been a whirlwind holiday season so far for Corey LaJoie.

First, Go Fas Racing announced Thursday that LaJoie will drive the team’s No. 32 Ford full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series next season. That professional news precedes a big event on the personal side: tying the knot with his fiancée, Kelly, in the coming week.

“This is the best holiday ever,” LaJoie said. “I’m really excited about it. Just, God’s got me in a really good point in my life right now.”

RELATED: On the Move: Tracking changes for 2019

LaJoie, 27, will replace Matt DiBenedetto, the team’s driver for the last two seasons. LaJoie was introduced at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where the Archie St. Hilaire-owned organization also unveiled a show car to highlight sponsorship from Keen Parts, Schluter Systems and ZAK Products.

LaJoie has 57 starts in NASCAR’s top series spread over three seasons. After a season at BK Racing, LaJoie shifted to TriStar Motorsports for the 2018 campaign, splitting time with Cole Whitt in the No. 72 Chevrolet.

Those roles with lesser-funded teams came after paying his dues with various odds-and-ends jobs to keep his hand in motorsports. In the last handful of years, LaJoie has served as a crew chief for driver David Mayhew in the K&N Pro Series, manufacturing racing seats for his father’s business, and was offered a position as a car chief by Chad Knaus within the Hendrick Motorsports pipeline. Ultimately, LaJoie still felt the itch to be behind the wheel.

“There were times where Sunday nights, I was just wondering what I was doing,” LaJoie said. “You know, if I should go back welding seats or go be a crew chief. Man, there was a lot of obstacles to get to being a full-time Cup driver. If I need to be careful, I might make a career out of this thing before long. I don’t think there’s been any other Cup guys that were flying out to K&N West Series, crew chiefing for any guys three years ago. To rewind now, it’s pretty crazy.”

PHOTOS: First look at 2019 Ford Mustang

Corey LaJoie to drive at Go Fas Racing
Zack Albert | NASCASR Digital Media

St. Hilaire said that his contract with LaJoie called for a one-year deal, a length of time that he said has been customary with his organization. The team owner said he’ll also receive some technical assistance from Ford and that he’ll have pit-crew service next season from Team Penske, a switch from Hendrick Motorsports in order to maintain manufacturer unity.

St. Hilaire added that he was open to expanding to a second Monster Energy Series team on a part-time basis, but that for now, his focus was on adapting to a new rules package in 2019 and building a relationship with LaJoie.

“We’re a blue-collar race team and Corey’s a blue-collar driver,” St. Hilaire said. “He can build a car, he can fix a car, and he can drive a car. I think that’s exciting.”

LaJoie has three ARCA Racing Series wins and six victories in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, where he was the series’ runner-up in 2012. He was selected for the NASCAR Next class of rising stock-car talent in 2011 and 2012, the program’s first two seasons.

MORE: DiBenedetto joins new-look LFR effort

DiBenedetto ended up 29th in the final Monster Energy Series standings last season, notching a best finish of seventh in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in July. He was announced in October as the full-time driver next year for Leavine Family Racing, replacing Kasey Kahne in the No. 95.

LaJoie and DiBenedetto both were chosen for the NASCAR Next roster in its first year, when the initiative was known as Next 9. Five of the nine drivers in that initial class are now Monster Energy Series regulars.

Posted on by Staff Report

Richard Petty Motorsports announced Thursday that World Wide Technology will return as a sponsor for Bubba Wallace’s No. 43 Chevrolet next season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

The St. Louis-based tech solutions provider will provide primary backing for multiple races in 2019, with specific events to be named later. After signing with RPM last May, WWT backed the No. 43 for seven races during Wallace’s rookie season, providing not only sponsorship but technical support.

RELATED: On the Move: Tracking changes for 2019

“I’m excited about that,” Wallace said. “Huge thanks to everybody in that corporation to first, take the big step in believing in our team last year and bringing in a new sponsor for us is a big thing for the sport, bringing in a new company like World Wide Technology that can do so many things just beside being a name on the side of your race car. They’ve helped us out in a lot of background ways, from software and data analytics that we can use behind the scenes to help our program.

Bubba Wallace World Wide Technology Car

“The extension couldn’t come at a better time as we’re getting ramped up for the 2019 season. We’re excited to see the direction we head, especially with all the new changes that are coming with the new (rules) package.”

RELATED: Bubba Wallace career highlights

The agreement means that World Wide — which brands itself as “Silicon Valley in St. Louis” — will remain RPM’s official Technology and Analytics Partner. Last season, WWT embedded data scientists to work alongside the team’s engineers to develop new performance systems.

Wallace opened last season with a runner-up finish in the Daytona 500. He added two more top-10 results and ended up second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contest to William Byron.

“In a short time, we’ve seen the immediate impact World Wide Technology can make on our race program with their big data analytics,” RPM Chief Executive Officer Brian Moffitt said in a team release. “Their continued partnership will have a significant impact on the performance of our race team through data analytics, application enhancements and creation of proprietary performance focused applications. We are fortunate to have WWT as a partner and they are  committed to making Bubba and the No. 43 team a winner.”

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Walking through the Richard Childress Racing shop, Daniel Hemric can feel the shift in the atmosphere.

A sense of rejuvenation that comes with change.

Richard Childress Racing has seen plenty of that; the Welcome, North Carolina, team announced Hemric as a new Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver to pilot the historic No. 8, made famous by Dale Earnhardt Jr. The team will also celebrate its 50th anniversary in NASCAR in 2019, which will be commemorated with a special exhibit titled “RCR 50: Only in America” at the NASCAR Hall of Fame beginning in May.

RELATED: See special RCR paint schemes | RCR: Plans for 50th anniversary

“It’s a complete rejuvenation for the entire organization from what I can tell,” Hemric said Wednesday, following the team’s 50th anniversary exhibit announcement at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “I’ve been in the shop a good bit, preparing for the obstacles that are going to be ahead that we’re all going to have to face. To see the morale, it’s unbelievable. Not that the 31 was ever anything to look down on at RCR, but … it’s change and people embrace change and I feel like I’m trying to do the same thing and I know the folks at RCR are doing that and when you have something like that, it’s all good.

“Everybody at the shop is pumped up, they’re going to get new number decals for their pit boxes. The little things that go into a big transition for the number switch … and driver change with myself coming in, it’s cool to see how everybody’s spirits are. There’s nothing you can do better than just build off of that.”

MORE: Hemric to drive the No. 8 for RCR

Team owner Richard Childress, who has overseen his namesake organization since its inception in 1969, called the team’s rejuvenation a “bounce in their step,” as it heads into its 50th year of racing.

“Fifty years is quite the milestone in anything, but for it to be with RCR and be in the sport, which is so demanding, so time consuming to be around for 50 years and I haven’t missed many of the races in those 50 years,” he told NASCAR.com. “So, it’s amazing and to see the sport ride the highs and lows and everything throughout the sport. I’m just honored to be here.”

In its 50-year existence, Richard Childress Racing has housed many premier drivers, including Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and, perhaps the team’s most famous wheelman, Dale Earnhardt.

“The Intimidator” is one of the reasons a young Hemric became an RCR fan years ago. The young driver knows and appreciates its history as he looks to make his own history in the No. 8 Chevrolet – which he laid eyes on for the first time in Wednesday’s event.

PHOTOS: See every No. 8 driver | Childress: ‘Originally got the 8 … for Ty’

“Today was the first time seeing it,” Hemric said of his gold car. “I actually went to RCR yesterday and just posted, ‘Hey, I get to go see the car for the first time.’ I get there and it was already gone.

“Walking out here on stage and getting to see the gold car and to be able to reflect and kind of praise RCR on their 50th anniversary and know that Austin (Dillon) and I get to be teammates in two identical cars — which the spotters are going to completely hate once we get to Daytona — but the cars look incredible and it’s cool to be able to have a partnership with the Hall of Fame to be able to do something like this.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick explained earlier this month that his move to Richard Childress Racing gave him “a clearer path” to his ultimate goal: a ride in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Wednesday, at an event celebrating RCR’s upcoming 50th anniversary season, team owner Richard Childress indicated that the first steps on the path to a Cup Series debut may come as soon as 2019.

“Don’t be surprised to see him in a (Cup) car before the year ends,” Childress told NASCAR.com, lauding the 22-year-old newcomer to the team. “We’re just real impressed with him and what he’s been able to do so far in his career. He’s just a great young talent.”

Reddick won twice last season for JR Motorsports, book-ending his oh-so-slim victory in the Daytona opener with a title-clinching triumph in the Homestead-Miami finale. The championship wound up being a cherished send-off gift to JRM as he previously announced his shift to the Childress operation on Oct. 31.

RELATED: Reddick explains RCR move

At the banquet celebration of his 2018 crown, Reddick said he hoped that his full-time Xfinity Series ride with RCR would lead to a handful of starts on the Monster Energy Series side. That would closely mimic the course of Daniel Hemric, who made two premier series starts for RCR last season before jumping to the Monster Energy Series full time in the No. 8 Chevrolet.

“I think Tyler’s always kind of held true to himself about where he was at,” Hemric said of Reddick’s progress. “Obviously, the guy’s an Xfinity Series champion now and rose to the occasion throughout the playoffs, and because of that emotionally and the things he went through throughout his playoff run, I think that prepares him way more advanced than what he would’ve been maybe three or four months ago.

“I think he would sit here and tell you he’s not ready to go full-time Cup racing, and I don’t know if anybody really knows they are or not until they get kind of immersed in it. I know I’m happy to get that shot for myself, but I think if the call comes that Tyler could rise to the occasion and get the job done.”

MORE: On the Move: 2019’s changes

Hemric knows Reddick’s trajectory well. The two raced against each other in the Xfinity Series for the past two seasons and both were part of the Championship 4 field this year at Homestead. But further back, the two drivers were also teammates for Brad Keselowski’s Truck Series operation in 2016, giving Hemric an even closer perspective about Reddick’s abilities.

“It is a reunion. I actually ran into Tyler yesterday at the shop and to have him back, he’s a huge asset,” Hemric said. “He’s a guy who gets every bit out of his race car, and I learned that being teammates with him at Keselowski’s. Sometimes it got him in trouble, and I was kind of the steady Eddie with consistent finishes, but the days when he was on, he could do just like he did at Homestead and put it to everybody.

“So he has the knack and the ability to reach out and get everything out of the race car. We’ll be able to use that on the Xfinity and hopefully somewhere along the line, he can help us on the Cup side of things. Tyler’s still so young and he’s still got so far to go, but what he’s done to this point is incredible, so I look forward to be able to work with him again and obviously, everybody at RCR getting to know Tyler a little better as time goes because he’s good kid, he’s a racer and he just wants to be the best he can be at it.”

Posted on by Track Release

Formosa Productions Inc. and Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) have today reached an agreement to explore bringing major NASCAR racing events back to Nashville. The joint effort intends to combine local racing and other major motorsports events that once made Fairgrounds Speedway one of the premier raceways in motorsports.

Formosa Productions has a multi-year contract with the Metro Nashville Board of Fair Commissioners to promote and manage the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and operate a limited number of local racing events. BMS and Formosa Productions, who will continue to lead local racing efforts, have signed a contract to work with Metro Nashville and the Board of Fair Commissioners, owner of the historic raceway at the Nashville Fairgrounds, on a long-range plan of significant track improvements and high-profile race events that could include NASCAR events upon the facility meeting standards.

“This is terrific news for fans of racing and drivers all across the country and will bring a brighter future for Nashville Fairgrounds,” said Tony Formosa, president of Formosa Productions. “I’m excited to work with Bruton and Marcus Smith and the Bristol team who I feel will bring this historic facility back to where it belongs. Today marks an exciting new beginning for the Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville.”

Claire Formosa, vice president of Formosa Productions added, “This is exactly what the Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville needed. This is one of the most historic short tracks in the country. To know that we now have the chance to bring back NASCAR and restore this facility to what it once was, without losing any of its history is remarkable. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this facility and everyone involved.”

Said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway, “Tony and our team both see the same bright future for Fairgrounds Speedway. Nashville has a special reputation as one of the most exciting tracks in the history of motorsports, and the region has a remarkably large and passionate fan base. The motorsports industry — the sanctioning bodies, drivers and race teams — is excited about Nashville’s potential to be a regular site for major events. With Metro supportive of that vision, we are eager to start working tomorrow with the city, Tony and other stakeholders at the Fairgrounds and beyond, to develop a first-class racing facility and program.”

Posted on by Staff Report

STAMFORD, Conn. – NBC Sports Group today announced it has reached a multi-year agreement with former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger, who will join the network’s motorsports coverage beginning in January 2019.

Allmendinger will work on various properties across NBC Sports’ unparalleled motorsports portfolio, including as a booth analyst for the network’s exclusive coverage of the IMSA SportsCar Championship. Additionally, he will contribute regularly to NBCSN’s daily motorsports show NASCAR America. Allmendinger will make his broadcast debut during NBC Sports’ coverage of the 57th running of the iconic Rolex 24 at Daytona on Saturday, Jan. 26, where he is also expected to race as part of Meyer Shank Racing (MSR).

RELATED: McMurray joins FOX | Key players in Silly Season 

“AJ loves to race and is passionate about IMSA,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer and President of Production, NBC Sports. “His career as a driver across IMSA, NASCAR and Open Wheel will bring a unique mix of experience and insight to the NBC Sports team.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to begin this new chapter in my life alongside some of the most knowledgeable and influential voices in motorsports, and to be a part of NBC Sports’ second-to-none coverage,” said Allmendinger.

Allmendinger joins NBC Sports after competing in NASCAR for 13 seasons, most recently driving JTG Daugherty Racing’s No. 47 Chevrolet in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. He garnered his first career Cup Series win in 2014, and made his first playoff appearance that same year. Allmendinger also drove part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he earned two victories (both in 2013).

In 2012, Allmendinger was part of the overall-winning team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. In 2006, he earned five wins and placed third overall in the Champ Car World Series.