Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday that Nationwide has agreed to a two-year extension with the organization, a deal which increases its primary sponsorship of Alex Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet to 20 races beginning with the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

Joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2014, Nationwide served as a primary sponsor for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 from 2015-2017. The Columbus, Ohio-based insurance and financial services company is in the middle of a 19-race majority sponsorship agreement with Bowman at the helm.

RELATED: Memorable Nationwide paint schemes

“It’s been great to work with Nationwide. It’s been so much fun,” Bowman told NASCAR.com following Thursday’s trip with Earnhardt and Xfinity Series driver Tyler Reddick to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. “Whether we’re doing stuff up at Children’s Hospital, or wherever we’re working together, it’s just been awesome. The program works really well for them and it’s been working really well for both sides.”

“It definitely says a lot about the sport and where we’re at as a team and the confidence that Nationwide has to keep coming back on,” Bowman added.

Bowman’s relationship with Nationwide dates back to before his Monster Energy Series career began. It’s a partnership he has developed into a personal connection over the years.

RELATED: Dale Jr. glove auction supports Nationwide Children’s Hospital

“It’s a very real relationship for me,” Bowman said. “I drove the first ever Nationwide Children’s Hospital car in 2013, back when it was the Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series). It’s a relationship I’ve had with them for quite a while … Everyone on the Nationwide team is awesome to deal with and it’s a great family to be a part of.”

In conjunction with the continued partnership, Hendrick also has signed Bowman to a one-year contract extension through 2020.

In five of the past six races, Bowman has finished 11th or better, including a career-best third-place result in the Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono Raceway last week. Bowman currently holds the final spot for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with five races remaining in the regular season. He is 56 points above the cutoff line.

“It’s awesome to be able to extend the relationship and sync the two deals together,” Bowman said. “It’s been a great couple years driving for Hendrick Motorsports and a great couple months driving the 88 car full time. It gives me a lot of confidence going forward that they believe in me and everybody at HMS believes in me. It’s exciting for me and lets me focus on just going out and doing my job.”

RELATED: Bowman’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital paint scheme

Hendrick Motorsports tabbed Bowman as a substitute driver in the No. 88 while Earnhardt Jr. recovered from a concussion in 2016. Bowman stuck with the company in 2017 working in the simulation department and was promoted to full-time driver of the No. 88 in 2018 following Earnhardt’s retirement.

Bowman gave credit to Earnhardt for molding him into a driver that Nationwide could get behind for years to come.

“For him to help me as much as he has through my career has been huge,” Bowman said. “Every little piece of advice that he gives … before I go and make mistakes on my own has been super helpful. I think that’s been great for the relationship. He’s still a huge partner of theirs, so getting to do some things with him has been really cool.”

In his first full-time season with Hendrick, Bowman earned the Busch Pole Award for the 60th annual Daytona 500. He has eight top-10 finishes after 21 of 36 races.

“We have such a strong partnership with Nationwide,” team owner Rick Hendrick said in a press release. “From doing great things in the community with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to driving significant value back to their business, it’s truly impressive to see how they consistently make the maximum impact with their racing program. We appreciate the incredible relationship with their whole team and look forward to more great things in the coming years.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 2, 2018) – Following a national talent search and annual combine event in May, NASCAR® and Rev Racing today announced the latest participants in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program.

Seven former collegiate athletes were selected based on strong, individual performances during a series of crew member assessments and strength and agility drills at the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Combine in Concord, N.C. on May 25.

NASCAR Drive for Diversity provides opportunities for multicultural and female athletes to “go pro” in NASCAR following college careers in football, basketball, track and field, and other sports.

The Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Combine
The annual Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Combine drew scores of athletes to Charlotte, North Carolina, in May. Matt Sullivan | Getty Images

This year’s participants will relocate to North Carolina and train as tire-changers, carriers and jackmen with Rev Racing with hopes of joining more than 50 NASCAR Drive for Diversity alumni working in the sport’s national series.

RELATED: Athletes put to the test in May

“These are top-flight athletes who’ve earned the opportunity to train with the best pit crew development program in the industry,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR senior manager, racing operations and event management. “We believe these athletes have what it takes to compete on pit road in our national series like so many of our NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduates.”

Brandon Banks is among the new NASCAR Drive for Diversity pit crew participants. Banks starred as a defensive lineman at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and was part of the Washington Redskins’ active roster in 2017.

A pair of former North Carolina A&T State University student-athletes, Joshua Patrick and Keiston France, were also selected for the pit crew program. Patrick played football for the Aggies, while France was a member of the school’s tennis team.

Keiston France changing a tire
Keiston France was named to this year’s program. Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Joshua Patrick changing a tire
Joshua Patrick joins teammate Keiston France. | Getty Images

In September, the seven athletes selected to the program will begin 12 months of pit crew training with Rev Racing.

“We look forward to welcoming this year’s class to NASCAR’s most comprehensive pit crew training and development program,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Rev Racing. “Coach Phil Horton and the Rev Racing competition staff continue to attract the top emerging talent in the country and produce some of today’s most successful crew members.”

Since the pit crew program’s inception, more than 90 athletes have participated in NASCAR Drive for Diversity with 25 currently working at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ level.

In February, Derrell Edwards became the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity pit crew member to be part of a DAYTONA 500 championship team when driver Austin Dillon raced to Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway.

RELATED: Derrell Edwards makes history

Former Norfolk State University women’s basketball player Brehanna Daniels made her debut in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series alongside NASCAR Drive for Diversity tire-changer Breanna O’Leary at Daytona International Speedway in July.

RELATED: O’Leary, Daniels in the spotlight

Daniels, who joined the diversity program in 2016, is believed to be the first female African-American crew member to compete in the sport’s top series.

First Hometown University Primary Sport
Brandon Banks High Point, N.C. University of North Carolina at Charlotte Football
Evan Clay Franklin, La. Morehouse College Football
Jarren Davis Jacksonville, Fla. Bethune-Cookman University Football
Keiston France Amelia, Va. North Carolina A&T State University Tennis
Ernest Holden Hampton, Va. Norfolk State University Football
Jerick Newsome Memphis, Tenn. Alcorn State University Basketball
Joshua Patrick Decatur, Ga. North Carolina A&T State University Football
Posted on by NASCAR.com

Name: JJ
​Current City: Chesterfield, Virginia
Member since: 2011

Getting to KNOW JJ

​Q. How did you first become interested in NASCAR?
“My father introduced meet NASCAR back in 1992 when he had me sit down and watch a race with him. I have been hooked to the sport ever since. Now I have both of my kids interested in watching on a weekly basis as well. My entire family looks forward to go to both Cup and Xfinity races at Richmond Raceway every year as well as our local short tracks over the summer time!”

Q. What makes NASCAR special for you?
“I enjoy the speed, sounds and overall competition that each race brings. Having both of my sons watching it with me makes it even more enjoyable.”

Q. Do you have any favorite NASCAR memory?
“My favorite NASCAR memory would have to be going to my first race back in 1994. My father took me to a race at Richmond race way back then it was called Richmond International Raceway and it was the most exciting event I’ve ever been to. I remember early in the race there was a wreck in the turn one right in front of us and it peeled the side of Harry Gant’s car off. Also my favorite driver Rusty Wallace almost won the race. It was the first time my father and I spent the entire day together and it was a great bonding experience for both of us.”

Q: Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?
Drivers: “Kyle Busch and Erik Jones because I feel like these two would not only be the most entertaining to hang around because of their personalities but I feel like they would be very open to my kids and they would make them feel welcome and they could be themselves around them.”

Sponsor: “My favorite NASCAR sponsor would have to be M&M’s because Kyle Busch has been one of my favorite driver since he entered the Xfinity series. So my favorite snack on any race weekend would be any candy that Mars M&M’s makes.”

Favorite Place to Watch a Race: “My favorite section to watch a race when my family goes to Richmond Raceway will have to be the Commonwealth Tower. And this section you can see the entire race track and the view is amazing.”

​Q: Do you have any race day traditions?
“Our family’s race day traditions is to bet on who will win the race. We put the kids 1:64 scale diecast cars in a bag and for each car you pull out you bet a dollar. It brings even more excitement to the race when my kids and I are watching it. Not only do they cheer on their favorite drivers, but they also cheer on whoever they pull out of the bag that day.”

​FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK JJ FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HIM IN 2018!

Posted on by

Team owner Joe Gibbs said Wednesday on SiriusXM’s “The Morning Drive” that Christopher Bell is “scheduled” to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next year. But if it were up to Bell, who has won three consecutive Xfinity Series races in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, he’d move up to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series — if there was a spot.

MORE: Bell leads Xfinity standings | No. 20 goes for fourth straight win

“Going into next season, I am set for another year of Xfinity, and there are no holes in the Cup side, so that’s what makes it difficult,” he said on a NASCAR teleconference Wednesday. “But as far as what I need, honestly I don’t feel like I need another year of Xfinity.

“I think the best way for me to win at the Cup level is to get there and start trying at it.”

Gibbs stressed the importance of keeping Bell in the Toyota/Joe Gibbs Racing family, saying “he’s a future star.” With all four JGR Cup spots filled, though — the No. 77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota (an associate team of Joe Gibbs Racing) not active right now, and Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 78 Toyota appearing unavailable — finding a spot for the 23-year-old driver is difficult.

Bell does “have every intention of staying with Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing” when he moves up to the next level, he said. His entire NASCAR career, which began with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series in 2015 and has seen 12 Xfinity/Truck wins since then, has been with the manufacturer.

“Toyota was the one that really ‑‑ they’re the reason why I’m here,” he said. “I would love to stay with them, and hopefully it works out in the future.”

Bell also called driving for Gibbs a “dream come true” and was honored to hear Gibbs speak highly of his talent.

“The biggest thing is I’ve learned throughout my years, and especially in NASCAR, is you are only as good as the race car that you sit in,” he said. “Right now I’m at the best organization that I can be at, so I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else, honestly.

“Even if the Cup deal doesn’t work out for next year, which it looks like it’s not going to, I’m still going to be sitting in a really fast race car at a level in motorsports where I never really dreamed I’d be at. So I’m going to be thrilled either way.

“But I definitely ‑‑ like I said, I’m 23 years old. I feel like I’m at my prime, and I don’t want to waste another year if the opportunity comes to make the jump.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

Two days before Kyle Busch’s victory in last Sunday’s Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono Raceway, Denny Hamlin provided a precise blueprint for his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate’s sixth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win of the season.

MORE: Paint schemes for Watkins Glen | Fantasy: Knowing the numbers

A post-qualifying inspection failure knocked Busch’s No. 18 Toyota off the front row and back to a 28th-place starting position. In short order, however, Busch charged through the field, and a pit stop with four other Toyotas three laps before the end of Stage 2 allowed him to stay out under the caution at stage’s end and ultimately take the lead.

Busch survived two late restarts and held off teammate Daniel Suarez for his 49th career victory, a triumph that tied him with Tony Stewart for 13th on the all-time list.

In a sit-down with reporters on Friday afternoon at Pocono, Hamlin explained how his teammate has been able to separate himself from the rest of the JGR drivers.

“They out-execute what their car is capable of every single week,” Hamlin said of the No. 18 team, led by crew chief Adam Stevens. “He qualifies well. He doesn’t lose his track position throughout the course of a race. At the end, the pit crew picks up three or four spots. The next thing you know he’s restarting on the front row.”

 Hamlin acknowledged that his No. 11 team hasn’t been able to match the performance of the 2015 series champion.

“That’s something we have not done, to execute to the level that the 18 has,” Hamlin said. “He’s really good about being able to finish better with a car that’s not quite as good. In general, at JGR, we have our struggles, but they do a phenomenal job. You just look at execution, and that’s the biggest difference I see between him and us.” 

As an organization, JGR is also working through a transition from experience to youth. Gone are Carl Edwards to retirement and 2003 series champion Matt Kenseth to make room for Erik Jones in the No. 20 car. Both Jones and Suarez are in their sophomore seasons at NASCAR’s highest level, and both are still learning.

“Certainly, when we had myself, Carl, Matt and Kyle, you weren’t having to think about, ‘Well, this is Daniel’s or Erik’s first time at a track, and they’re leaning on you for information,” said the 37-year-old Hamlin, the senior member of the JGR driver corps. “So how much information do you really lean back on them, because they are inexperienced, and they have to go through that struggle period, where we would always talk about, ‘Hey, a few years ago we did this, and it really worked well.’

 “Things just clicked, and things were good. But sometimes those things take time. As an organization, we probably weren’t totally patient with Joey Logano, and look how it all worked out. He moved teams (to Team Penske), and all of a sudden—bam—it clicked for him. I think you have to be patient and go through the process to hopefully have the fruits and the benefits later.”

While Hamlin waits patiently, Busch keeps winning. But that doesn’t mean Hamlin has lost confidence, either in himself or in his team.

 “Anybody who thinks I can’t win any given week is crazy,” Hamlin asserted. 

Posted on by Staff Report

Two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams have been docked both driver points and owner points, according to the official penalty report NASCAR issued Wednesday following the race weekend at Pocono Raceway.

The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team and No. 95 Leavine Family Racing team each were assessed with the loss of 10 driver points and 10 owner points. Both penalties were the result of post-qualifying inspection failures.

The No. 4 of driver Kevin Harvick and No. 95 of driver Kasey Kahne both failed post-qualifying technical inspection three times, which resulted in the points penalty. Both teams also were sent to the rear of the field for Sunday’s race and saw their respective car chiefs ejected for race day.

For Harvick, his hope of claiming the Regular Season Championship takes a hit. The veteran driver had reduced Kyle’s Busch’s lead in the standings to 48 points with five races to go, a deficit which now jumps to 58 points — essentially the equivalent of a full race. The Regular Season Champion earns 15 playoff points to carry with him through the postseason.

Also on the penalty report:

• David M. Little Jr. and Douglas E. Chouinard have been indefinitely suspended due to behavioral penalties.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR fans again have the opportunity to pick the very best Darlington throwback paint scheme for the 2018 Bojangles’ Southern 500 on Sept. 2 at Darlington Raceway.

RELATED: See the schemes and vote now!

Polls are open for the 2018 contest from now until Aug. 31. The first stage of voting lasts until Aug. 15. Starting on Aug. 16, the field will be narrowed to the eight highest vote-getting schemes. Those schemes will be placed in a bracket, and fans will determine how the field gets cut to four, then two, then to an eventual champion.

Past winners of the contest include Kyle Larson, Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart. Don’t delay, pick your favorite Darlington paint scheme today and see if your favorite driver can win this contest, as well as the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at 6 p.m. ET on Sept. 2 on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and the NBC Sports App.

Click the link above or visit https://www.nascar.com/throwback.

MORE: Buy tickets to Darlington

Posted on 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 go to set your lineups and bonus picks ahead of the race weekend.

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

RELATED: Set your Fantasy Live roster now | How the new Fantasy Live works | Driver stats

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

Driver Average Running Position
Daniel Suarez 5.967
Erik Jones 10.578
Kyle Busch 11.226
Brad Keselowski 11.487
Martin Truex Jr. 11.565

Top five in stage points earned at Watkins Glen in 2017:

Driver Stage points Stage wins
Martin Truex Jr. 18 0
Kyle Busch 12 1
Daniel Suarez 10 1
Brad Keselowski 10 0
Chase Elliott/
Matt Kenseth		 8 0

Top five in points earned in last two races at Watkins Glen:

Driver Race points Race wins
Martin Truex Jr. 93 1
Denny Hamlin 82 1
Kyle Busch 78 0
Matt Kenseth 74 0
Brad Keselowski 72 0

Most laps led in last two races at Watkins Glen:

Driver Laps led
Brad Keselowski 48
Kyle Busch 25
Martin Truex Jr. 25

Average starting position for last 10 winners: 6.1, only two of the last 10 winners have started outside the top six

Active drivers to win pole: Kyle Busch (3), Jimmie Johnson (2), AJ Allmendinger (1), and Kurt Busch

Active drivers to win at Watkins Glen: Kyle Busch (2), AJ Allmendinger (1), Joey Logano (1), Kevin Harvick (1), Martin Truex Jr. (1) and Denny Hamlin (1)

Most recent pole winner: Kyle Busch, 2017

Last time pole-sitter won here: Kyle Busch, 2008

Where stage winners started from: First, fifth

Winning manufacturers of last 10 races: Toyota-4, Chevrolet-3, Ford-3

Posted on by @nascarcasm

Post-race fireworks went off again at Pocono Raceway, as the brash, ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, in-your-face, trash-talking Aric Almirola once again found himself on the receiving end of another driver’s ire — Matt DiBenedetto. Aric’s arms must be sore from stirring the pot all the time.

MORE: Watch the confrontation

DiBenedetto confronted Almirola after the race. Almirola kept his helmet on, I’m presuming because DiBenedetto strikes me as the kind of guy who coats himself in Old Spice body spray, but regardless, the two are clearly still at odds with each other.

On behalf of the motorsports media corps, of which I am a fringe member in that I’m allowed in the media center but only to charge my phone and stuff my jacket full of free bottled water, which I then go out to the grandstands and sell at a markup, I make a humble request — please broker a peace accord and end this.

Granted, it’s not that we don’t want you two to come to fisticuffs in the garage after the race — the virtual tsunami of clicks would do WONDERS for us. I mean I can picture the headline now: “YOU’LL NEVER GUESS WHO GOT IN A FIGHT AFTER THE RACE — IT MAY SHOCK YOU.”

No, we want this feud to end because we don’t want to have to spell “DiBenedeterotto/Almirolanon” over and over again. The risks are too great. It’s too hard to spell. And if you say it out loud, it sounds like a Harry Potter spell or something.

Have you ever been driving down the road and then suddenly you hit traffic (NOTE: Charlotte residents who drive on I-77, no need to answer) or hit a giant speed bump? That’s what it’s like when you’re typing a story or a tweet and then reach the part where you’d have to type “DiBenedegettio/Halmirola.” You suddenly have to slam the brakes and double and triple check it to make sure it’s spelled right. It completely screws up the rhythm. Actually, that’s just for the stories. Spelling doesn’t matter anymore with tweets.

Plus we think the fight might be one-sided. You may not know this by following Matt DiBenderito’s Instagram account, and I may be doing him a disservice by letting this little-known morsel of information loose onto the internet, but the dude works out occasionally. The fight would have three times as many syllables as punches.

Instead of feuding, you should be bonding over your last names. Hang out. Get to know each other. The collective smell of bacon and Dude Wipes is the aroma of peace and harmony.

Editor’s Note: To the author of this post’s point … we agree.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

With competition in NASCAR at a high, particularly surrounding this year’s “Big 3,” race teams have employed new and sophisticated ways to conceal secrets and strategies from rival organizations. In the same way fans at home can listen to Kyle Busch’s team radio during the race on TV or the NASCAR Mobile App, competitors can eavesdrop just the same, perhaps gleaning some insight into race strategy or car adjustments that might help more than just the team discussing the race.

Enter team code words.

At Pocono Raceway on Sunday, Kyle Busch made a pit stop and asked for an adjustment to his car, but in a slightly atypical manner. Instead of requesting the usual changes — a looser car, a tighter car, more drive off the corner, an ice pack — he asked for “strawberries.” Yes, strawberries. No, that’s not a typical term for a change to a NASCAR race car.

We never found out for what “strawberries” stood, exactly, but they must have worked, considering Busch won the race.

In the spirit of the No. 18 team’s “strawberries”, we’ve created a new generator to help teams come up with their own code words for discussing race strategy. Who knows — maybe the next time you’re listening, you’ll hear a team ask for “sweet potato” and know it means “take two tires”, or you’ll hear a crew chief shout “pumpernickel” over the radio and know it means “pit next lap.”

We hope you’re hungry.