BODYARMOR sports drink extends, expands partnership with Blaney, Penske

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Team Penske announced today that BODYARMOR Sports Drink has agreed to a multi-year extension that extends and expands its partnership with the No. 12 Ford Mustang team and driver Ryan Blaney through the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season and beyond. The 2018 season marked the first-ever race team partnership for BODYARMOR, which has enjoyed a personal relationship with Blaney since 2017.

“BODYARMOR has been a great addition to our team this season and we are excited about the opportunities with the company for the future,” said Roger Penske. “BODYARMOR brings a lot of energy and excitement to the partnership with Team Penske and we look forward to having them back with our team and Ryan (Blaney) for 2019 and beyond.”

Earlier this year, BODYARMOR Sports Drink served as a primary sponsor for Blaney and the No. 12 Ford Fusion in July’s race at Daytona International Speedway, in addition to this weekend’s event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The company has also been an associate sponsor with the team at four additional Cup Series races this season.

“Ryan Blaney and Team Penske have been tremendous partners this season,” said Michael Fedele, VP Marketing, BODYARMOR. “BODYARMOR Sports Drink is excited to continue this relationship and we look forward to hydrating Blaney and his team in 2019 and beyond.”

BODYARMOR Sports Drink launched its “BODYARMOR Heroes” promotion earlier this year. Consumers across the country honored a military hero of their choosing by posting to social media using the #BODYARMORHeroes hashtag with a photo and short description of their hero through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The winner, Marcus Hayward, had his image and likeness featured on Blaney’s No.12 BODYARMOR Ford Fusion at the Daytona race in July.

BODYARMOR Sports Drink, the better-for-you hydration option with natural flavors and sweeteners, first joined forces with Blaney last year when the brand partnered with the Team Penske driver before the start of the 2017 season.

“It’s great to continue to build on the relationship with BODYARMOR for the future,” said Blaney. “BODYARMOR continues to partner with some great athletes and organizations in many different sports and we look forward to increasing their presence and brand through our team in NASCAR.”

Posted on September 5, 2018September 9, 2018 by Zack Albert

If the final 11 races of the NASCAR season become part of a Kasey Kahne farewell tour, this weekend presents a special stop along the way.

Kahne enters Monday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, IMS/MRN, SiriusXM) as the defending race winner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 38-year-old driver has a long-held affection for the historic track, and his performance there has provided another source of anticipation.

“Very special place and always has been,” says Kahne, who’s scored top-10 finishes in half of his 14 Monster Energy Series starts there. “I always went into the Brickyard feeling really good about the opportunity to race at that track. I watched so many races there before I got to actually race there. To actually drive the track is pretty incredible, and to win there last year was unreal.”

RELATED: Full schedule for Indianapolis

Much like last year, Kahne heads to the Indianapolis race in a moment of career transition. Last season’s Brickyard victory came with rumors swirling about his future at Hendrick Motorsports. Two weeks later, the organization announced that Kahne would not return in 2018, setting the stage for his move to his current team, Leavine Family Racing.

This year’s Indy race finds him at another career crossroads, one where he dictated the terms. Kahne announced Aug. 16 that he would step away from full-time racing in NASCAR at season’s end, opting to spend more time with his son, Tanner, and to focus his motorsports efforts on his sprint-car operation.

Now nearly three weeks removed from his announcement, Kahne says he’s more convinced that the decision was the correct one.

“I kind of wondered how that would go, but actually I’ve just been way more at ease about it,” Kahne said. “Really happy with my decision and already trying to think ahead and think about things and ways to go racing with the sprint-car guys and enjoy that, spending time with Tanner, not just during the week but on the weekends. Vacations, things like that with him, and then I have some thoughts on other things to do as well. I’m really happy with my decision and think it’s the right time for it for numerous different reasons, but it’s going to be really nice.”

MORE: Kasey Kahne’s career in photos

Kahne will have plenty of reminders of last year’s triumph when he arrives for the storied Brickyard 400-miler, which will mark its 25th running this year. Kahne outlasted several late-race challenges, a pair of overtimes, chaotic crashes around him and a finish in near-darkness after an early race delay for a thundershower. The drain — both physical and emotional — was enough to send Kahne to the infield care center after Victory Lane for fluids.

Success has been tougher to come by this year, with Kahne sitting 27th in Monster Energy Series points and needing a Hail Mary victory to clinch a postseason berth. The goals for closing out the final 11 races this year are modest, with Kahne hoping to place LFR’s No. 95 on better footing for his successor.

“I want to finish the best that we can and enjoy it with the guys,” Kahne said. “It’s a good group there, so we’ll finish the best we can and go from there. I think they’re working on ideas and things for their future as well, which is going to be great for them.”

Posted on September 5, 2018September 10, 2018 by Sponsored Content

Voting begins soon in the Ford Hall of Fans Contest, and superfan Wallace Strader received the VIP treatment at Darlington Raceway after his son submitted his story to the contest.

Photo courtesy of Ford

Strader has been attending NASCAR races since the 1960s and is a Ford man through and through, owning more than 30 Ford vehicles throughout the years. It was only appropriate that Strader and his family meet one of the longest-standing racing families and Ford teams: The Wood Brothers.

With Strader’s two sons, Stephen and Kevin, two daughters-in-law and two granddaughters joining him for the 2018 Bojangles’ Southern 500, the Wood Brothers made it a true family affair. They gave the Strader family a tour of the No. 21 hauler and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage, plus one-on-one time with Glen, Leonard, Len and Eddie Wood. The Straders also attended the Southern 500 Driver/Crew Chief meeting, where they met No. 21 Ford driver Paul Menard.

Together, Ford and WBR surprised Strader with a decal commemorating his loyalty to both the sport and Ford. The decal featured Strader and was placed on the No. 21 car for the race.

Fan voting begins Sept. 16, when 16 semifinalists will be posted for public vote. Vote for who you believe is NASCAR’s biggest fan! The top six will be invited to Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, to compete for top honors. The two winners will receive a VIP trip to the 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony, along with a new Ford vehicle of their choice.

Do you want to win a trip to Ford Championship Weekend in Miami? Enter the Ford Hall of Fans Sweepstakes for your chance to win a VIP fan experience at FCW by going here.

NASCAR fans can follow Ford Performance NASCAR fandom and join the conversation at #FordHallofFans.

*No purchase necessary. Must be legal U.S. resident 21 or older. Promotion consists of sweepstakes and contest. Sweepstakes ends 11/5/18; contest ends 8/19/18. Contest finalists must attend Ford Championship Weekend, 11/18. For prize, entry, and eligibility details, see Official Rules for the Sweepstakes and Official Rules for the Contest.

Sponsor: Ford Motor Company. Not sponsored by NASCAR.

Posted on September 5, 2018September 9, 2018 by Reid Spencer

It won’t take a miracle for Jimmie Johnson to miss the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs for the first time in his career.

No, all it could take — potentially — is a continuation of the rotten luck and spotty execution that has mired the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team in mediocrity over the past 11 races.

Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway was emblematic of Johnson’s recent struggles, not to mention a paradigm for Murphy’s Law. After running fifth in the first round of knockout qualifying on Saturday, Johnson scraped the outside wall in the second round and had to settle for the 20th starting position.

RELATED: Full driver standings

Unapproved adjustments to his car before the race, however, sent the seven-time series champion to the rear for the opening green flag. Johnson made rapid progress in the early stages of the race.

After the first round of green-flag pit stops cycled out on Lap 54, Johnson was running 14th. That’s when the evening began to go horribly wrong. On Lap 60, Johnson returned to his pit stall with a loose wheel. To compound the issue, he ran too wide at the entrance to pit road and drew a pass-through penalty for a commitment line violation.

Johnson spent the rest of his time on track two laps down, until an oil pump failure knocked him out of the event after 227 of 367 laps. The resulting 39th-place finish added one point to Johnson’s total in the series standings, leaving him within striking distance of teammate Alex Bowman.

MORE: Current playoff picture

Johnson left Darlington 14th in points, 19 ahead of Bowman. Because Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon is locked into the NASCAR Playoffs with that victory — despite his 18th-place position in the standings — there are only two postseason spots left to be settled in Monday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

A four-time winner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Johnson can guarantee a berth in the NASCAR Playoffs by scoring 37 points or more. If Bowman wins the race and passes Johnson in the standings, Johnson is still locked in.

RELATED: Most likely to pull upset

But there’s a lot that can still go wrong. Bowman gained 13 points on Johnson at Darlington. If he beats Johnson by 20 points or more at Indy, that puts Johnson squarely in the danger zone. Why? Because four of the last eight winners at the Brickyard are lurking behind Johnson and Bowman in the standings, and a repeat victory by any one of them would eliminate either Johnson or Bowman — guaranteed.

In 2010, Jamie McMurray, then in a contract year, won the Brickyard 400 during his most successful season in Monster Energy Series racing. Currently 21st in points, McMurray hasn’t had the same level of performance as Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kyle Larson, but his cars have the potential for speed. And with NASCAR “Silly Season” in full swing, McMurray has every reason to be up on the wheel.

Paul Menard, 19th in points, won his first and only Cup race at Indy in 2011. That win came out of nowhere, preceded by consecutive 24th-place runs at Kentucky and New Hampshire. Could lightning strike twice for the driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford?

Ryan Newman, 17th in points, was an upset winner at the Brickyard in 2013, collecting his only victory of the season and one of two in the last six seasons.

Kasey Kahne, 27th in points, won last year’s race in double overtime after Johnson wrecked in a three-wide battle for the lead (with Kahne and Brad Keselowski) on the final lap of regulation. Kahne was driving Hendrick equipment at the time, a spot now held by Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender William Byron.

PHOTOS: This week’s paint schemes

And that brings us to another interesting wrinkle. Byron is 22nd in the standings, with a win-or-bust mentality entering the Brickyard 400. Last year, at 19 years, 7 months and 23 days, Byron became the youngest winner of a NASCAR race at Indy when he took the checkered flag in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event.

A breakthrough win by Byron would knock one of his teammates out of the playoffs. So the races within the race on Sunday could involve Johnson vs. Bowman, or potentially Johnson vs. Bowman vs. Byron.

In a real sense, Johnson and Bowman are on an island. The 13 drivers ahead of them are locked into the postseason and can’t be displaced. The only way either Johnson or Bowman could be “voted off” the island comes with an unexpected victory by a driver behind them in the standings.

In Bowman’s case, that’s unlikely, given that wins in 24 of the 25 races so far have come from drivers in the top 13 in the standings, the only exception being Dillon. In Johnson’s case, it’s a shoot-the-moon long shot, given that the seven-time champ also would have to finish 20 or more points behind Bowman in the race.

But quirky results have come at the Brickyard in four of the last eight years. So until the race is over and the playoff field is set, both Bowman and Johnson will have a reason to sweat that doesn’t have anything to do with the temperature inside their Chevrolets.

Posted on September 5, 2018September 6, 2018 by Staff Report

The Most Popular Driver Award presented by the National Motorsports Press Association and sponsored by Hooters is the only major NASCAR award to be determined solely by fan vote. This year, it will be the responsibility of the fans to choose a worthy candidate to succeed Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won the award for the past 15 years.

With Earnhardt Jr. retired, now is the time for fans to choose a new people’s champ — and actually it’s three champs because an award will be given out not only for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ most popular driver, but also for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The polls are open and will remain open until noon ET on Nov. 27. Vote at the link listed below — or bookmark https://www.nascar.com/mostpopulardriver — early and often. Fans can submit one vote per day. A vote shared on Facebook and/or Twitter will count as double, so be sure to jump on social media, let your friends know who you are voting for and use #MostPopularDriver.

The winners for the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series will be announced on Nov. 27. Then, the winner for the Monster Energy Series will be announced on Nov. 29 during the postseason banquet in Las Vegas.

Good luck with your decisions as you determine the outcomes for these major NASCAR awards!

MORE: See past Most Popular Driver Award winners

Posted on September 5, 2018June 17, 2021 by Staff Report

In his former role as a driver and his current role as a broadcaster for NBC Sports, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a keen perspective on the inner workings of the NASCAR “Silly Season” carousel. Wednesday morning, he used that insight to lob a prediction about a major personnel move that may or may not be drawing near.

On the heels of yesterday’s news that defending Monster Energy Series champ Martin Truex Jr. and his crew chief, Cole Pearn, will be on the move next season, Earnhardt opened up on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive” about a potential 2019 shift to Joe Gibbs Racing — a theory that would directly impact Daniel Suarez and JGR’s No. 19 team.

“It’s definitely going to move a lot of things around on the competition side with Truex and Cole Pearn going to Gibbs,” Earnhardt told SiriusXM. “It’ll be interesting to see where Daniel ends up, and where Daniel goes moves another domino and so forth. I think that this’ll be one of the most interesting offseasons or silly seasons that we’ve had in many, many years. Seems like there’s a piece of news or new domino falling every single day, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens through the rest of the year.”

Furniture Row Racing announced Tuesday that it would cease operations at season’s end, leaving driver, crew chief and other team personnel in limbo. Earnhardt speculated that whichever team brings Truex into the fold would strive to keep the chemistry of the driver-crew chief pairing with Pearn intact.

Pearn joined Furniture Row in 2015, one year after Truex landed at the Colorado-based organization. They have combined for 17 Monster Energy Series victories together, including the 2017 championship.

“I think they’ll both stick together and they’ll end up in the 19, more than likely. I think they both complement each other,” Earnhardt said. “I believe that Martin Truex Jr. is as good as anybody in the series, but without a great crew chief, no driver is going to be as competitive as they could be and reach their potential, so they both complement each other. I think they’re a good package if they can stick together.

“I worked with Martin for a long time and we’ve been friends for a long time, and I’ve always thought a lot about his ability. He’s a guy that comes to work, does his job. Anything that they ask of him outside the race car, he does. He’s no-nonsense.”

Posted on September 5, 2018September 6, 2018 by Staff Report

NASCAR discovered a lug-nut violation for the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series following last weekend’s racing action at Darlington Raceway.

That car, driven to a third-place finish by Kyle Larson, was found to have one lug nut not properly installed in post-race inspection, a violation of Sections 10.9.10.4 in the NASCAR Rule Book. Crew chief Chad Johnston was fined $10,000.

In addition, NASCAR issued an L1-level penalty to the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team in the Xfinity Series for failing pre-race inspection multiple times at Darlington. As a result, the team lost 10 driver points and 10 owner points. Brandon Jones drove that car to a 12th-place finish and is seventh in the driver standings with two regular-season races left.

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Staff Report

704Games, NASCAR’s exclusive esports partner for simulation-style video games on console platforms, announced it will host a weekly esports competition in the upcoming video game NASCAR Heat 3. Spanning the 2018 NASCAR Playoffs, NASCAR Heat Champions: Road to Miami will culminate at Homestead-Miami Speedway during Ford Championship Weekend with more than $500,000 in potential prize money up for grabs.

Players can compete online in NASCAR Heat 3 starting Sept. 10, 2018, through Nov. 11, 2018. Fans can qualify at home weekly by posting their fastest total race times to qualify for the final tournament in Miami. Weekly tournaments will alternate between the Xbox One and PlayStation^®4 computer entertainment system. Three additional finalists will race their way in at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“Fresh off the launch of NASCAR Heat 3, NASCAR Heat Champions: Road to Miami launches our first esports tournament so fans can literally play along with the real-world NASCAR Playoffs,” Ed Martin, President of 704Games, said in a press release. “NASCAR Heat Champions: Road to Miami is the first NASCAR esports competition of its kind on video game consoles, accessible to NASCAR fans across the U.S., making it a truly one-of-a-kind experience.”

704Games will fly weekly finalists and a guest to Miami for Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The NASCAR Heat Champions: Road to Miami finale will take place Sunday, Nov. 18, and award $10,000 in prize money, Audeze Mobius gaming headsets and an exclusive race weekend package from Homestead-Miami Speedway.

As a bonus, if the winner of NASCAR Heat Champions: Road to Miami correctly predicts the official total race time of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 within five seconds, they will win an additional $500,000.

“As we strengthen our position in the esports arena, tournaments like NASCAR Heat Champions: Road to Miami continue to enhance fan engagement with our sport,” said Blake Davidson, NASCAR Vice President of Consumer Innovation. “Fans will get a thrill from weekly competitions and finalists get to share this championship event with the best drivers in the world at Homestead, one of the most anticipated race weekends of the season.”

NASCAR Heat Champions: Road to Miami is the culmination of an effort from both 704Games and NASCAR to engage fans through esports. The mass-market reach of NASCAR Heat 3 creates an unparalleled esports opportunity for NASCAR fans around the country. In 2019, 704Games will look to expand NASCAR Heat Champions as a mainstay of the sport.

Fans can visit www.NASCARHeatChampions.com for further details and the official rules of NASCAR Heat Champions: Road to Miami.

Posted on September 5, 2018September 9, 2018 by RJ Kraft

Numbers mean plenty when it comes to building out your Fantasy Live teams each week. NASCAR.com will examine the stats outlook for each track to help give you an edge as you set your lineups and bonus picks ahead of the race.

Don’t forget to check back on NASCAR.com for additional insight from fantasy expert RJ Kraft as well as to watch Fantasy Fastlane with Jessica Ruffin and NBC Sports’ Steve Letarte.

Top five average running position at Indianapolis (per loop data from 2005 to the present):

Driver	Average Running Position
Erik Jones	9.547
Kyle Larson	9.855
Kyle Busch	10.882
Matt Kenseth	11.211
Jimmie Johnson	11.315

Top five in stage points earned at Indianapolis in 2017:

Driver	Stage points	Stage wins
Kyle Busch	20	2
Martin Truex Jr.	18	0
Ryan Blaney	16	0
Kevin Harvick	13	0
Joey Logano/ Matt Kenseth	10	0

Top five in points earned in last two races at Indianapolis:

Driver	Race points	Race wins
Matt Kenseth	81	0
Kevin Harvick	79	0
Joey Logano	78	0
Kyle Busch	68	1
Kasey Kahne	63	1

Most laps led in last two races at Indianapolis:

Driver	Laps led
Kyle Busch	236
Brad Keselowski	38
Matt Kenseth	21

Average starting position for last 10 winners: 7.4; Six of past 10 winners have started on the front three rows.

Active drivers to win pole: Kevin Harvick (2), Kyle Busch (2), Jimmie Johnson (1), Denny Hamlin (1), Reed Sorenson (1), David Ragan (1), Ryan Newman (1)

Active drivers to win at Indianapolis: Jimmie Johnson (4), Kyle Busch (2), Kevin Harvick (1), Kasey Kahne (1), Jamie McMurray (1), Paul Menard (1), Ryan Newman (1)

Most recent pole winner: Kyle Busch, July of 2017

Last time pole-sitter won here: Kyle Busch, July of 2016

Where stage winners started from: Pole (twice)

Winning manufacturers of last 10 races: Chevrolet-8, Toyota-2

Posted on September 4, 2018September 4, 2018 by Staff Report

Defending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. will race elsewhere in 2019.

Truex, a four-time winner this year, is in his fifth season with Furniture Row Racing. The Denver, Colorado-based team announced Tuesday that it will cease operations at the end of the 2018 NASCAR season.

Truex, 38, has four wins and four Busch Pole Awards this year for Furniture Row, which operates in partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing. His performance has placed him among the Big 3 championship contenders, alongside other series front-runners Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing and Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing.

RELATED: Truex Jr. through the years

He and crew chief Cole Pearn have emerged as one of the best driver-crew chief pairings in the garage, and the driver is in the prime of his career.

Truex brought Furniture Row’s No. 78 Toyota its first Monster Energy Series championship last season. The organization began racing operations in 2005.

“I’ve always felt that we could be a competitive team and run for a championship even when it seemed like a pipe dream to many racing insiders,” team owner Barney Visser said in a release provided by the organization. “But to be successful in any business you need to assemble the right people and make a strong commitment to succeed. We achieved what we set out to do and feel like we climbed Mount Everest. To continue with anything less than a competitive team would not be acceptable. It’s been one incredible ride.”

Truex indicated Aug. 17 at Bristol Motor Speedway that his future with Furniture Row was uncertain, saying, “I’m starting to hear rumors. That’s kind of how it works in this sport, I’ve been in this position before.” All but two of his 19 Monster Energy Series wins have come with Furniture Row and Visser.

“Barney Visser, Joe Garone and the entire Furniture Row Racing team took me in while my career was in a bad place, and together we reached the pinnacle of the sport,” Truex Jr. said. “I will forever be grateful to each and every one of them, and also to Furniture Row, Denver Mattress and the Visser family.

“But make no mistake this is not the immediate end. We still have unfinished business to attend to and that’s to give everything we have to successfully defend our Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. Right now that is foremost on my mind as it is with the entire team.”

Truex marched to his first title in NASCAR’s top division in 2017 by winning eight races, including the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He is also a two-time champion in what is now called the Xfinity Series, going back-to-back in 2004-05.

“NASCAR wishes the very best to Barney Visser and his family,” a NASCAR statement read. “Barney has been a successful owner and an amazing champion, and his presence will certainly be missed. We look forward to seeing Martin Truex Jr., Cole Pearn and the entire No. 78 team finish the 2018 season strong and competing for another championship. NASCAR will continue to work on growing the sport and working with the race teams on competitive and operational excellence. Much of those efforts have already been put in place, and will continue to be a focus.”