If Bubba Wallace wants to replicate or better his runner-up finish from the Daytona 500, much of it lies out of his control.
Like every one of the four restrictor-plate races on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule, anything can happen — and likely will — in Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The rookie Richard Petty Motorsports driver is well aware that disaster can strike in an instant during the 160-lap patroitic summer classic at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, while he’s also experienced the reward for avoiding all the mayhem in the 500-miler back in February.
“The biggest thing is surviving,” Wallace told NASCAR.com. “We had two or three wrecks that I should have been a part of, but somehow we came out on the other side — on the clean side of it. …It’s all about if you can survive the madness or not.”
As far as expectations this time around, Wallace is cautiously optimistic that he can make another run to the front at Daytona happen, keeping in mind a 16th-place finish at Talladega in May doesn’t exactly make him a restrictor-plate track guru.
In Bubba’s eyes, second place was happenstance mixed with putting the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro in the right place at the right time.
“A top five would be awesome,” said Wallace. “I don’t want people to start thinking I’m a speedway racer now. We just happened to miss all the wrecks and set ourselves up for a good finish.”
Wallace, sounding calm and cool, says superspeedway racing makes the No. 43 crew anything but relaxed because at Daytona, anything can occur.
“This is one of the most stressful weekends for everyone at the shop because you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Wallace said. “The speedway races are insane. They’re wild. We’re going 200 miles-per-hour the entire time, so you’ve got to be mindful of what’s going on.”
As for Wallace’s stress level going into the race weekend, he says it’s not as high, taking a veteran-like approach.
“The only thing that I can control is everything that has to do with my race car and that’s it,” Wallace added. “Then anything outside of that is not up to me. I don’t stress about what I can’t control.”
Keeping realistic goals in mind, Wallace hopes Round Two at Daytona will play out similar — or even better — than the first.
“If we can manage to get through the last five laps of the race and go have some fun, like we did at Daytona, I think that would be a great weekend for us.”
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 3, 2018) — Less than two years after relocating to North Carolina to pursue careers as professional tire-changers, NASCAR Drive for Diversity pit crew members Brehanna Daniels and Breanna O’Leary will go over the wall together in Saturday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway.
The crew members will both pit for Rick Ware Racing and Ray Black Jr., driver of the No. 51 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Daniels will be making her debut in the sport’s top series at the World Center of Racing on Saturday. Since early 2017, she has pitted in more than 25 NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Series races.
The former Norfolk State University women’s basketball player is believed to be the first female African-American crew member to compete in a NASCAR national series event.
“It’s hard to believe I’ve only been changing tires for two years and now I’m here at the Monster Energy Series level,” said Daniels. “What I’m doing in NASCAR is so much bigger than me. It’s been so rewarding to be part of history while at the same time inspiring others to take on challenges they thought might not be possible.”
O’Leary will be making her third appearance in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and second this season. She changed tires for the No. 51 car at Michigan International Speedway on June 10.
O’Leary and Daniels, who are roommates and share an apartment in Charlotte, North Carolina are the fifth and sixth female NASCAR Drive for Diversity crew members, respectively, to reach NASCAR’s highest level.
Previous alums to pit in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series are Nicole Addison, Stephanie Russo, Pyper Braly and Shannon Sands.
“The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is unlike any other series,” said O’Leary. “There’s a certain energy and hustle and bustle – both in the garage and on pit road. But as a tire changer, the mindset is still the same. Five lug nuts on and five off.”
Both Daniels and O’Leary were recruited to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development program in 2016 by longtime pit crew coach Phil Horton as part of a nationwide talent search conducted by NASCAR and Rev Racing, the program’s operational arm.
At the time, Daniels was preparing to graduate from Norfolk State and O’Leary was working in the strength and conditioning department at Alcorn State University after completing her career as an outfielder on the softball team.
The women were among 20 former college athletes invited to compete in the inaugural NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Combine in Concord, North Carolina. Following strong individual performances at the combine, both were selected to join the crew member program and train year-round as tire-changers with Rev Racing.
The athletes now split their training during the week between Rev Racing and the Xcalibur Pit School in Mooresville, North Carolina before traveling to join NASCAR national series teams on race weekends.
“We knew upon their arrival that Brehanna and Breanna had the potential to one day compete on pit road in our top series,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR senior manager, racing operations and event management. “They’ve demonstrated the commitment, put in the work and earned the opportunity to go over the wall as teammates on NASCAR’s biggest stage – Daytona International Speedway.”
Daniels and O’Leary are among more than 50 graduates of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development program currently working in the NASCAR industry. Twenty-five are pitting in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
In February, Derrell Edwards became the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity pit crew member to win the DAYTONA 500 when driver Austin Dillon raced to Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Coke Zero Sugar 400 will be broadcast live on Saturday, July 7 at 7 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.
On his way to the virtual Flavortown? Maybe. While visiting Sonoma Raceway, restaurateur and television host Guy Fieri spent a little time on an iRacing motion simulator.
Perhaps this experience will spark Guy to spice up his restaurants with some iRacing seats of his own. We can dream.
I’ve heard horror stories aplenty about traffic on I-77 in Charlotte. According to NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Robby Lyons, an iRacing race at Daytona isn’t much different.
(I’m actually writing this from the cockpit of the half-car in the iRacing office, where I’ve been stuck. This is where I live now.)
NASCAR PEAK ANTIFREEZE IRACING SERIES UPDATE
Bobby Zalenski won his second consecutive race at Sonoma Raceway Tuesday night, leading all but three laps on the way to his first victory of the season.
Despite a subpar effort at the road course, Zalenski’s teammate Ray Alfalla continues to lead the championship points after nine races, 22 points ahead of Keegan Leahy, and 27 ahead of Zalenski — the only three within striking distance of the points lead right now. Is this iRacing’s version of the “Big Three?”
The NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series heads to Chicagoland for Race 10 on July 10.
Check out this iRacing replica of Kyle Busch’s Chicagoland-winning car from painter Brantley Roden. Just don’t try a bump-and-run to win an official iRacing race, lest you face the wrath of iRacing’s competition stewards.
DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME
You always hear about the importance of getting on pit road — you want to slow the car safely without speeding on pit road or giving up too much time.
Just don’t do what iRacer Brenton Hobson captured while entering the narrow pit road at Sonoma Raceway.
When Ryan Preece gets back behind the wheel of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, nearly three months will have passed since his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. Preece is set to drive in the Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 (Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Daytona International Speedway.
During that down time, Preece participated in a Xfinity Series test at Charlotte Motor Speedway and has gotten behind the wheel in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour — winning at Stafford Motor Speedway in his native Connecticut at the end of April and also at Langley Speedway last month.
“Any seat time is good and that’s pretty much how I keep going,” Preece said of how he spends his time when he’s not racing in the Xfinity Series.
While it’s hard to have such a prolonged absence from the Xfinity car, Preece knows there is nothing he can do to control it. He did make three straight starts from Fontana to Bristol with a top five (Texas) sandwiched in between a ninth-place at Auto Club Speedway and the Thunder Valley win. The Bristol win brought with it increased attention and some additional spending money with the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash prize. In addition to paying off a debt, Preece splurged on one of his racing love’s, a modified car. A 2013 Whelen Modified Tour champion, Preece made his name in that touring series and has 22 wins there to date.
“We’re racers. We’ve been jumping from different types of cars our entire life so it’s a little different,” Preece said. “Going from modified, which is two inches off the ground, static and low and then you jump in these cars and you feel like you’re in a Toyota Tundra or whatever; something tall off the ground. It’s a little different but the first lap as soon as you get out there, it’s just like riding a bike; you’re right back to it.”
Despite the intermittent starts, Preece has also caught the attention of Kyle Busch, the 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion.
“Ryan’s been showing some really good promise in the races that he’s run for us so it’s been really cool to watch,” Busch said at Pocono Raceway.
Preece is no stranger to putting his nose to the grindstone and just getting after it. He reached out to JGR in 2017 to see if there were any open races available with JGR’s Xfinity Series program — specifically at his home track of New Hampshire Motor Speedway where he would make his first of four starts for JGR in 2017. The now 27-year-old was victorious last summer at Iowa Speedway.
“Several of our people knew him,” Steve de Souza, Joe Gibbs Racing executive vice president of XFINITY and development told NASCAR.com. “In fact, one of our Cup crew chiefs Mike Wheeler (Denny Hamlin’s crew chief on the No. 11 team), worked with him years ago. Tony Hirschman (Kyle Busch’s spotter) — his family races modifieds up there. Everybody was really integrated and when they heard we were talking, I started getting inundated with all the Northeast emails saying ‘hey this guy’s good, you got to try him.’
Preece is far from a rookie in the series as he drove a full season for the No. 01 Chevrolet team of JD Motorsports and owner Johnny Davis in 2016. That season, he finished 17th in the point standings. It was Preece’s experience that also appealed greatly to JGR.
“He is just really mature and has a 100-percent, wide-open attitude,” de Souza said. “He has very little discouragement in him. He’s there for one reason and he’s totally focused on that reason — that’s to do well and win races.
“… The fact that he’s been building his own race cars for so long. He understands every component and there are things we are doing on Xfinity that are new to him but he understands the concept. He can transfer information to the crew chiefs and what the car is doing. He’s got a true racer mentality.”
The second half of the Xfinity season will see Preece pretty busy, according to No. 18 crew chief Eric Phillips. Kyle Busch, Noah Gragson, Kyle Benjamin, Daniel Suarez and Riley Herbst have all taken turns in the No. 18 car with Phillips atop the box.
“We’ll spend a lot of time together and a lot of time in the simulator before we go to the race tracks,” Phillips said last month at Pocono. “Excited about what he’s going to bring to this program. Our ultimate goal is to win an owner’s championship this year and that’s the goal that Ryan’s got to do for us when we get to the end of the year.”
Bubba Wallace and fellow Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers are helping to honor military spouses as part of the NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola program, and he recently interviewed Kristen Christy, the Armed Forces Insurance 2018 Air Force Military Spouse of the Year.
Christy’s entire life is intertwined with the Air Force and service. Her father served for 32 years and lived all over the world in joint assignments. Her first husband served for 18 years before his passing, and her new groom is an Air Force Reservist with 13 years of service.
Suicide prevention is important to Christy, whose first husband committed suicide following his service in Iraq. She sees prevention as an aspect of an overarching issue of helping people overcome obstacles and wants to use her own resiliency and lessons learned to help others transition from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) to PTG (Post-Traumatic Growth).
“You know if you want to get something done you go to a military spouse,” Christy says. “We have to make lemonade out of lemons all the time.”
She says she draws strength and optimism from the NASCAR fan base and seeing all the appreciation at the track.
“That fan base is so patriotic! And to see those flags flying and the flyovers at those races … it just makes your heart soar,” said Christy of NASCAR’s special races honoring military service members and their families. “It kind of gives us more energy to be at our best and do what we do.”
On behalf of Kristen, NASCAR & Coca-Cola will donate to USO programming that supports and strengthens military spouses. Through the USO Unites pillar, the USO provides national and local programming that helps to nurture and maintain a strong bond between service members, their families and the community. Through programs focused on connection, strengthening, wellness and resiliency, the USO expresses America’s gratitude and commitment to service members and their families.
“Having Coca-Cola step in and donate to the special programs really means a lot and gives back to them,” Wallace said. “I feel like we should always do more. So it’s nice to be part of a sport and a company that’s willing to lay it all on the line just like they did for us.”
Through the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers will honor a military spouse each week in support of the USO’s Salute to Military Spouses. Stay tuned as Kyle Larson and Joey Logano each interview a military spouse to help share their respective stories. And click here to see Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman’s interviews with servicemembers’ spouses.
The Nos. 2 and 11 teams in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series incurred safety violations following the racing action last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. Both cars were found to have one lug nut not properly installed in post-race inspection.
Crew chiefs Paul Wolfe (No. 2) and Mike Wheeler (No. 11) were each fined $10,000. Brad Keselowski drove the No. 2 Team Penske Ford to a ninth-place finish in the Overton’s 400 while Denny Hamlin was seventh in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the No. 19 Toyota was found to have one lug nut not properly secured. Crew chief Chris Gabehart was fined $5,000. Brandon Jones finished 11th in that Joe Gibbs Racing car on Saturday.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 3, 2018) – For the third year in a row, NASCAR Xfinity Series™ drivers will bear the names of active military units and installations on their race car windshields during Friday’s Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), part of a continued effort to show appreciation for the United States Armed Forces through NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola.
Military units and installations like the USS Arizona Ship-14, 701st Military Police Battalion and Nellis Air Force Base are among the groups from all five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces that will replace the Xfinity header on NASCAR Xfinity Series cars.
On Saturday, fans will once again join in a moment to “Rise to Honor” service members during the pace laps preceding the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“The tradition of honoring the U.S. Armed Forces on Independence Day Weekend is something our fans have always taken pride in,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “All across the world, U.S. military units and bases are working around the clock to protect our country’s freedom and this is the NASCAR industry’s way of showing appreciation for that commitment and sacrifice.”
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
NASCAR Xfinity Series teams were again given the opportunity to identify a unit or installation to honor for the Coca-Cola Firecracker 250, while NASCAR worked with Comcast’s Military and Veteran Affairs team to match units with remaining teams for the tribute.
NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Brandon Jones will pilot the No. 19 Comcast NBCUniversal Salute to Service Toyota during the Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 and honor the United States Air Force Thunderbirds based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“It’s such a privilege to pay tribute to those who serve our country each year at Daytona, and we’re thankful Comcast feels the same, providing a prominent place to honor military units on our windshields,” said Jones. “We get to race because of sacrifices men and women made and continue to make to protect our country, and this is just one way we can thank them for their service.”
Members from the military bases and installations honored on the NASCAR Xfinity Series race cars will be hosted throughout the race weekend. NASCAR Troops to the Track presented by Coca-Cola will welcome service members from U.S. Coast Guard Station Port Canaveral based in Cape Canaveral, Florida; U.S. Coast Guard Station Mayport based in Atlantic Beach, Florida; USS Georgia (SSGN 729) homeported in Kings Bay, Georgia; and USS Maryland (SSBN 738), also homeported in Kings Bay.
Additionally, Comcast will host 25 service members and their families from Fort Stewart USO, Central Florida USO and Jacksonville USO; while Coca-Cola plans to host USO guests from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Tacoma, Washington and Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado as well.
Like last year (pictured), plenty of patriotic paint will be on display at Daytona. Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Multiple drivers and team members have connections to the installations being honored on their cars, such as driver Kaz Grala’s PR rep Jessica Trippy, whose father, Retired Colonel Joe Trippy, served as a U.S. Air Force C-130 pilot and the Vice Wing Commander for the 920th Rescue Wing from 2003 to 2007.
Others include Ross Chastain, whose team is honoring the 701st Military Police Battalion in honor of Chastain’s friend, Sergeant Major Jason VanKleeck; and Elliott Sadler, whose rear mechanic Jeffrey Schmidt is the brother-in law of Chad Daugherty, who serves in the 1st Squadron, 180th Cavalry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
The weekend-long tribute at Daytona is the culmination of the seven-week NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola program (#NASCARSalutes) – the industry’s collective expression of gratitude for those who bravely served and continue to defend the United States today. Several other activities have taken place around the program in recent weeks, including a special activation between Coca-Cola and the USO.
To shine a spotlight on the military spouse community, the USO launched a six-month Salute to Military Spouses in May and proudly partnered with Coca-Cola to specifically honor the Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouses of the Year at NASCAR races as part of NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola. In addition, NASCAR and Coca-Cola made donations in each spouse’s name to USO programming supporting military spouses and families.
Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers were paired up with a Military Spouse of the Year branch winner and interviewed them to learn about their stories and the USO programs important to them. Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Denny Hamlin interviewed Marine spouse Jolynn Lee, Austin Dillon interviewed National Guard spouse Sheila Brookins, Ryan Newman interviewed Coast Guard spouse Stacy Bilodeau, Kyle Larson interviewed Navy spouse Brian Alvarado, Bubba Wallace interviewed Air Force spouse Kristen Christy, and Joey Logano interviewed Army spouse Krista Anderson.
These spouses’ stories continue to be shared on NASCAR.com and social media channels as the campaign concludes this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
For the 10th consecutive year, Daytona International Speedway will honor three Medal of Honor recipients throughout the race weekend. Honorees include Sergeant First Class Gary Littrell of Henderson County, Kentucky; Master Sergeant Leroy Petry of Santa Fe, New Mexico and Staff Sergeant Don Jenkins of Quality, Kentucky.
In addition, all military members and their families will have access to a pair of Midway suites within the Daytona facility on Saturday where they can take a break from the busy day of activities to cool off and enjoy complimentary Coca-Cola products and snacks. The suites will be accessible from 3:30 p.m. through the end of Stage 1 of the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Throughout the day, various special guests will visit the suite and participate in Q&A sessions including Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver and 2008 DAYTONA 500 champion Ryan Newman at 4:40 p.m.
Tickets to NASCAR national series events are available at NASCAR.com/tickets.
Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile has been hard at work preparing for Saturday night’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App).
Involved in planning for an always unpredictable July event at the 2.5-mile Florida track includes taking a tour of the Sunshine State, as Wile has traveled from Jacksonville to Tampa and everywhere in between throughout June to spread the news of how seeing racing at Daytona in person is simply special.
“You need to see it live to really appreciate the sensation of speed and all the things that go along with the race,” Wile told NASCAR.com. “But, it’s not just a race. It’s an experience. From the time you set foot on the property until the time you leave, there’s so much to do and see.”
Wile has a huge task ahead of him each year to prepare for two of NASCAR’s biggest events — July’s patriotic celebration of speed at the World Center of Racing, along with the sport’s marquee event, the Daytona 500 in February.
Of course, there are major differences between the two events, including the warmer temperatures in July that make the Daytona high banks super slick for competitors.
“I say this to people all the time, there’s a difference between the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and the Daytona 500,” Wile said. “It’s a great opportunity for our local and regional fans to come out and enjoy the Daytona International Speedway and experience the $400 million renovations that we completed a couple years ago and see how coming to a race at Daytona is different.”
There will also be plenty of patriotism to go around Saturday night, especially with Daytona serving as the finale of the NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola initiative. This race weekend caps off six weeks of honoring our nation’s heroes — another reason why the July classic stands out.
“This is a very different weekend for us,” Wile said. “The summer race is different than the 500 because we do love honoring our servicemen and women. NASCAR does a great job each and every week recognizing our military and making sure they know we appreciate them and the job that they do to keep us free.”
“We have one of the largest fireworks displays in the Southeast happening at the conclusion of the Coke Zero Sugar 400,” added Wile. “We’ll honor our military and celebrate our country’s independence this weekend with Medal of Honor recipients that will be part of our festivities.”
For Wile, having the ability to honor those who serve, both past and present, on NASCAR’s biggest stage is something he takes great pride in each year.
“It’s an incredible honor for everyone at the race track to host these true American heroes,” Wile said. “And certainly we’re going to honor our servicemen and women before the start of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 with the ‘ Stand and Salute.’ I think that’s a great way to recognize the servicemen and women who are on the property representing their branches of military. We’re going to have a couple other surprises for fans who are on site that will really tug at their heart strings.”
The deep appreciation Dale Earnhardt Jr. carries for NASCAR’s history includes him often re-watching races from decades before. It was fitting then that Sunday his debut Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series broadcast as a full-time NBC analyst just happened to be a race harkening to the classics Earnhardt likes to view.
A thrilling last-lap duel featuring Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson saw them bump-and-bang off one another multiple times, culminating with Busch nudging Larson out of the lead in Turn 3, then maintaining control of his battered car to drive it across the finish line to win the Overton’s 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.
“That’s all Dale Jr. right there,” Busch said of the finish. “It’s 70s-, 80s- [esque].”
During the buildup to the stirring finish and on the final lap itself, Earnhardt shined in his new role, displaying an acumen for broadcasting that gives every indication he will be as successful in the broadcast booth as he was on the track.
As Larson chased down Busch to overcome a multi-second deficit, Earnhardt adroitly explained how Larson was able to make the high groove work to his advantage while Busch preferred the low section around the mile-and-a-half track. And when the Chip Ganassi Racing driver eventually caught Busch, Earnhardt highlighted how Busch had altered his corner entry to counteract Larson’s advantage and what Larson needed to do in response.
Then, as Larson went for the lead diving underneath Busch entering Turn 1 on the white flag lap, Earnhardt knew exactly what was coming, excitedly yelling “Slide job!” even before Larson made his brazen bid for the victory in a soundbite that in all likelihood will become part of NASCAR lore.
It was a sequence exemplifying Earnhardt at his best. Demonstrating his ability to mix his knowledge and perspective that allowed him to correctly anticipate what was to come with a folksy enthusiasm that made it sound as if he was sitting at the bar watching the race with buddies.
That Earnhardt’s debut was a smash is no surprise. During cameo TV appearances as a NASCAR analyst before retiring from full-time racing following the 2017 season, it was apparent Earnhardt possessed the ability to become his generation’s Benny Parsons — a star driver turned beloved broadcaster whose analyst skills actually superseded what had been a hall of fame career.
But there is more to becoming an ace analyst than a former driver simply exchanging their helmet for a headset, even if they have the charisma to connect with the audience. It takes work, something Earnhardt acknowledged he needed to put in if this career transition was going to be deemed a success.
With an eye on becoming a media personality once his racing career concluded, Earnhardt began in earnest preparing for this venture even before announcing his retirement.
Instead of just occasionally hosting a popular podcast that bared his name, Earnhardt became the full-time host prior to the 2017 NASCAR season, thus acclimating himself to the preparation, routine and production that goes into making a show. There were also stints this past February where he served as a roving reporter during NBC’s broadcast of the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics, where Earnhardt made sure to step outside his comfort zone and attempt things he previously would not have considered doing.
And in the lead-up to his debut Sunday, Earnhardt took part in several mock broadcasts where co-analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte, and Rick Allen (play-by-play) would call a Cup race to gain familiarity and develop chemistry with one another.
Their strong rapport was on full display where the four enjoyed seamless banter in describing the action at Chicagoland — especially among Earnhardt and Letarte, his former crew chief, with the two respectfully disagreeing at times but also acting as a nice complement in their differing viewpoints on how things would unfold. When Busch crossed the finish line, Earnhardt and Letarte exchanged high-fives over the electric conclusion they had just witnessed.
“I knew that I was going to get along great with my teammates, so I’m not surprised I had a blast with them,” Earnhardt said post-race in a live video stream on Periscope. “We’re going to have a good time this year. I got a lot to learn and there is a lot more I can provide, and as I get better and understand some of the things that are going on [in the broadcast booth] I’m sure things will continue to get better.
“First broadcast was a big hit, I feel like.”
There is little question Earnhardt’s foray into full-time broadcasting exceeded expectations. Of course, being able to call a rousing finish that certainly gave him and his NBC colleagues plenty to discuss only helped.
Nonetheless, Earnhardt deserves credit for contributing to what was a memorable race Sunday. A fantastic ending featuring two of NASCAR’s best made all the better by an enthusiastic analyst who enhanced what was transpiring before him – while avoiding the cheesiness that can often overcome a broadcaster in that moment.
Q. How did you first become interested in NASCAR? “I come from a racing family, so as a family, as far back as I can remember, Saturday nights were spent at the dirt track, and Sunday afternoons were always spent watching the NASCAR race. I got a Dale Earnhardt car for Christmas when I was 8, and I have been a diehard Earnhardt fan since then. I got to go to my first race, Talladega, when I was 12 years old… that was 25 years ago, and I have been to Talladega EVERY year since then!!! There’s nothing like experiencing a NASCAR race in person!”
Q. What makes NASCAR special for you? “I like the non-stop action. I like the driver personalities, the pit strategies, the speed, and the skill.I like that NASCAR makes sure to keep the field competitive. I like that it’s a high intensity sport that is also family friendly. I like that NASCAR seems like a family community.”
Q. Do you have any favorite NASCAR memory? “My favorite NASCAR memory has to be the very first race I ever attended.It was Talladega Superspeedway back in 1993. I was 12 years old, and I will never forget the feeling of those cars coming by the first time at full speed. I was sitting with my family on the 2nd row and could feel the rumble in my chest as the field roared past. I was cheering on my driver, Dale Earnhardt, who led quite a bit that day.In the end, we watched as Rusty Wallace flipped violently in the grass crossing the finish line. I will never forget my first NASCAR race!”
Q: Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories? Drivers: “Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer. Jimmie Johnson, because he is possibly the greatest driver ever, and I would like to go on a run with him. I am a runner myself and I think that would be cool. Clint Bowyer because he knows how to have a good time, and there’s no way that wouldn’t be fun!”
Track: “Talladega Superspeedway”
Sponsor: “My favorite NASCAR sponsor would have to be Chevrolet.I have always supported Chevy drivers and always driven Chevy trucks.They have supported NASCAR for so long and have a long history of winning!”
NASCAR Snack: “I love the Talla-mento Dogwitch at Talladega… with an ice cold beer of course!”
Q: What do you like to do in your free time? “I love spending time with my wife and daughter.My daughter is 5 and she loves Dale Jr and Jimmie Johnson!!!I am also a runner, and love to spend time running each day.”
FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK NATHAN FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HIM IN 2018!
