Posted on by Brad Norman

NASCAR driver and U.S. Navy Lt. Jesse Iwuji really didn’t think twice. He saw a small flame and a family that might need help, so he instinctively turned onto the shoulder of the interstate and took action.

Minutes later, that small flame had turned into a full-fledged inferno, with the fire department needed to put the flames out of the charred, melted minivan. The family of four that had been inside when Iwuji pulled over? Totally safe, a good distance away, thanks to Iwjui’s direction.

“I was just doing what I think was the right thing to do,” Iwuji told NASCAR.com by phone.

The incident happened Sunday, with Iwuji near the end of his six-hour drive home from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

THROWBACK: Iwuji on GarageCam

He was cruising through the Grapevine, California, area on Interstate 5 and noticed a minivan stopped on the side of the road. He noticed the family. He noticed a “small little fire, like a couple of candles or so” coming from underneath.

Something seemed ominous, especially when Iwuji noticed the slight smoke starting to rise. And Iwuji, with 38 combined starts in the K&N Pro Series East and West, has been around race cars enough to know about combustibility.

“As I was walking toward them I noticed that fire underneath was getting just a little bit bigger,” Iwuji said. “Just being around race cars and things that can catch on fire, I knew that something like this just doesn’t slowly become a big fire.

“It can quickly ignite and become a bad situation really quick.”

Iwuji ushered the family – parents, and two children – away from the van. He said he had to practically pull the father out, who was trying to get every item out of the vehicle that he could.

“We got away and just right after that, the engine just burst into flames,” Iwuji said. “From there, it then went into the front seat, then into the back seat, then it got to the fuel cell area and the whole thing erupted.”

You can see video of that eruption on a video Iwuji posted to his Twitter handle. It’s an unsettling scene, but one Iwuji thought was important to broadcast to his followers for a couple of reasons.

One, it shows how quickly things can get bad when fire is involved. Iwuji lives less than eight miles from the origin point of the 2017 Ventura wildfires, which burned more than 200,000 acres, so he’s seen firsthand how fire can spread quickly in dry and dusty California.

The second reason stemmed from Iwuji’s cognizance that he was the only one who stopped when he noticed a potentially dangerous situation.

“Don’t be a passerby,” Iwuji said. “Go help if you see something wrong. Don’t just drive by with your cell phone and record it; stop and help. That was the main reason, to really show people that you can do your small part. It has nothing to do with trying to be a hero or anything like that. You just do the right thing.

“The whole thing was pretty crazy. I’m just glad I was able to stop and help them out, and help them get away and just doing my little part.”

It’s perhaps fitting that Iwuji’s act occurred during NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola, a collective expression of reverence, respect and gratitude for those who served and continue to defend America today.

RELATED: More on NASCAR Salutes

Iwuji continues to serve in the U.S. Navy while he pursues his driving career. His time as a servicemember created the foundation of his desire to help in such situations.

“I think (being in the service) has a lot to do with it,” Iwuji said, explaining why he stopped. “It just becomes second nature. I’ve noticed any time there’s ever any situation on the side of the road that could be a dangerous situation, I don’t even have to think twice. I just stop and see what I can do to help. I just try to do my part.”

Posted on by Darwin Patterson

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is rounding Turn 4 of his offseason before getting the green flag on his NASCAR commentating career this weekend at Chicagoland. Recently, he’s had his hands full between the birth of his daughter, Isla, his home renovation show on the DIY Network and his “Dale Jr. Download” podcast.

Some might ask: What’s left in the tank for Junior? How will he downshift to being in the booth and not in a No. 88 Chevrolet? The real question is — we know he won’t be in a fire suit, but will he be in an actual suit and tie or jeans?

Watch the humorous spot below for a sneak peak at how Dale Jr. has been preparing for his career shift.

Posted on by Staff Report

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 in advance to help give you an edge as you 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, and watch Fantasy Fastlane with Jessica Ruffin and NBC Sports’ Steve Letarte for even more advice.

RELATED: Play Fantasy Live now | How the new Fantasy Live works | Driver stats

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

Driver Average Running Position
Chase Elliott 2.9
Jimmie Johnson 7.308
Kyle Busch 9.247
Kyle Larson 9.642
Brad Keselowski 10.055

Top five in stage points earned at Chicago in 2017:

Driver Stage points Stage wins
Chase Elliott 18 1
Kevin Harvick 18 0
Denny Hamlin 12 0
Brad Keselowski 11 0
Kyle Busch/Kyle Larson/Joey Logano 10 Busch-1

Top five in points earned at Chicago in last two years:

Driver Race points Race win
Martin Truex Jr. 93 2
Chase Elliott* 92 0
Denny Hamlin 81 0
Joey Logano 80 0
Brad Keselowski 79 0

*Chase Elliott was assessed a L1-level penalty that docked him and his team 15 points. For fantasy purposes, that penalty is not factored into his point total.

Most laps led in last two races at Chicago:

Driver Laps led
Jimmie Johnson 118
Chase Elliott 117
Martin Truex Jr. 109
Kyle Busch 106
Kevin Harvick 59

Average starting position for last 10 winners: 13.4; three of the last seven winners have started 25th or worse

Active drivers to win pole: Jimmie Johnson (2), Matt Kenseth (1), Joey Logano (1), Jamie McMurray (1), Ryan Newman (1), Kyle Busch (1)

Most recent pole winner: Kyle Busch, 2017

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

Where stage winners started from: First, eighth

Winning manufacturers of last 10 races: Toyota-6, Chevrolet-2, Ford-1, Dodge-1

Posted on by Jason Lofing

Bobby Zalenski put his road-course skills on full display Tuesday night, winning the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series event at Sonoma Raceway for the second straight season. Zalenski started from the pole and led 52 of 55 laps on his way to victory. He never faced a serious challenge on track, as the three laps he did not lead were due to a pit cycle.

Jarl Teien finished second, 4.5 seconds off the lead, followed by Michael Conti in third, 5.9 seconds adrift. Outside polesitter Alex Bergeron came home fourth after a late-race duel with Conti, and Jake Stergios rounded out the top five.

RELATED: Full iRacing schedule/results

Zalenski’s speed was simply too much for the rest of the field. After winning the pole by nearly three-tenths of a second, Zalenski jumped out to an early lead over Bergeron and looked to build a gap over the rest of the field.

Sonoma is notoriously tough on tires and the searing track temperature made tire degradation even worse than usual. Passing was near impossible after just a few laps as most of the field settled into a single-file line.

As the run wore on, Zalenski’s lead stabilized between two and three seconds as pit stops grew closer. Most everyone opted for a one-stop strategy, but the lap a driver chose to pit could help or hinder him based on traffic and if he could hit pit road before cars he was battling.

Zalenski decided to pit on Lap 25, leaving himself a slightly longer second run, but protecting his lead from another driver short pitting. Teien, however, stopped one lap sooner and made up enough time on his fresh tires that Zalenski exited behind him.

Zalenski wasted no time in attacking Tien to regain the lead once the pit cycle completed. He first attempted a pass heading into Turn 7, but Teien blocked him and, despite some contact, maintained the lead. Zalenski tried again the next lap, attacking under braking for Turn 11 and this time was not to be denied, giving Teien’s car a shove into the corner, pushing him wide to complete the pass. The contact knocked Teien wide enough he lost too much ground to return the favor.

As the laps ticked down, the best battle on the track was between Conti and Bergeron for third. Conti had pitted a lap before Bergeron, which allowed him to return to the track ahead once both completed their stops. Bergeron, though, was quicker and, with the help of some lapped traffic, spent the last 10 laps of the race hounding Conti at every opportunity. Digging deep, Conti remained cool under pressure and denied Bergeron despite having a lap older tires and less pace.

Missing from the action at the front was championship leader Ray Alfalla, who struggled all evening. Alfalla started a disappointing 22nd and his performance did not get any better in the race as he found it difficult to progress, coming across the line 24th at the checkers.

Even with a subpar effort, Alfalla maintains his points lead. He leads Keegan Leahy by 22 points. Zalenski was the big mover after his win, as he closed the gap to 27 points back in third. Matt Bussa and Nickolas Shelton complete the top five.

With only five races remaining until the playoffs the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series heads back to a 1.5-mile circuit for Week 10 as Chicagoland Speedway plays host. Can Alfalla rebound from an uncharacteristically poor result, and will Ryan Luza return from yet another absence? Or, perhaps Zalenski can ride momentum to a second straight win. Be sure to catch all the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series action on iRacing Live!

Posted on by Holly Cain

This week NASCAR fans are eagerly anticipating the return of Chicagoland Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) summer action and it’s fair to say, they are equally as excited about who will help narrate the story – the sport’s 15-time Most Popular Driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

After stepping away from the driver’s seat on a full-time basis following the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Miami, Earnhardt has essentially been preparing to make his television debut in the NBC Sports announcing booth – a career move that looks promising for both Earnhardt and the sport’s rabid fandom.

RELATED: NASCAR returns to NBC at Chicagoland

Earnhardt has already put in work during the network’s Winter Olympics broadcasts and been a frequent contributor to its weekday NASCAR show segments. Having the latter half of the season on-air has, in a sense, given him plenty of time to adjust to his new off-track reality and to prepare for his new on-air role.

FOX Sports officially hands the NASCAR race broadcast ball off this week to NBC and its highly anticipated new hire. So, just for good measure and maximum star shine, NASCAR’s favorite son will continue to help promote the changeover – for example, appearing on Megyn Kelly TODAY, the Dan Patrick Show, E! News and the Tonight Show. … all on Wednesday.

Since his last Cup race, Junior has been similarly busy, essentially juggling the “Good Life” while preparing for the “TV Life.”

His gig with NBC Sports has included time on television at the NHL Finals and he and his wife, Amy, were featured in a four-part show with DIY Network showing the renovation of a Key West home.

RELATED: @nascarcasm reviews Episode 4 of ‘Renovation Realities’

He saw his long-time and hugely popular “Dale Jr. Download” podcast get picked up for television by NBCSN, and he has spent a lot of thoughtful time on social media offering insight and opinions on things from the benefits of iRacing to helpful baby swing elevation angles.

He and his JR Motorsports NASCAR Xfinity Series team celebrated its impressive 40th win, courtesy of Justin Allgaier at Iowa Speedway two weeks ago. And Earnhardt donned a dress suit to cut the ribbon officially opening another of his Whiskey River restaurant franchises at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

It’s been a big few years in Junior’s life, from stepping away from the driver’s seat full-time, to marrying his long-time love Amy on New Year’s Eve 2016, to welcoming their first child, daughter Isla Rose just this April 30.

If you thought Junior would be bored and longing to take a green flag after 19 years of NASCAR competition highlighted by back-to-back Xfinity championships and two Daytona 500 victories. … well, that hasn’t necessarily been the case.

Instead, beginning this weekend, he will be talking, evaluating and prognosticating as his former competitors take the green flag. And by all accounts, it’s difficult to determine who is more excited about this – Junior or the NASCAR fans.

It’s all good. He seems so genuinely thrilled and at peace about this next chapter in his life.

Even in the months just prior to his final Cup race last fall, the world saw a different Dale Jr. There was a distinctive new openness with how he spoke and what he felt comfortable speaking about. It revealed an admirable vulnerability in a superstar athlete willing to pursue a new line of work while still in his prime, still so beloved.

MORE: Dale Jr. documents fatherhood, shares stories from Week 1

The outstanding news for NBC Sports is that this already tested and true relationship between Junior and NASCAR fans looks to translate wonderfully to the television screen.

The shy, burgeoning superstar I first met in his early 20s has admirably and graciously grown up and transformed into a bona fide expert who will be interesting and entertaining to listen to – something any television network would be grateful to have in its wheelhouse. His presence and personality should translate well into the broadcast booth, where he’s already shown a willingness to be candid and honest and the drive to be insightful.

It’s a strong and vital connection between Earnhardt and the sport he loves. And the fans, who have long kept him in their hearts, couldn’t be more eager for the opportunity to simultaneously welcome their hero back to the track and into their homes.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Digital Media took a 360-degree camera to Sonoma Raceway for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 and produced some footage that will put you in the middle of the action.

Move your cursor around the screen to get the full panoramic experience for the drop of the green flag, drivers getting into their cars and cars whizzing right by, inches from the wall. Click on the video franchise page, or the links below to check out all the 360 videos:

Ride with Jimmie Johnson and William Byron during intros

Chase Elliott makes checks from within cockpit

See what Kyle Larson does to get ready in the car

Hear the roar after the national anthem

See the cars roll off to get ready for the race

Feel the thunder of the cars at the green flag

Watch the racing from atop a hill in Sonoma

See Brad Keselowski’s pit stop from up-close

Watch the racing from Sonoma’s pedestrian bridge

Watch cars whiz by inches from the wall

Watch the racing from another spot on the track

Watch Martin Truex Jr.’s burnout from the pit wall

Martin Truex Jr. climbs out and boom, confetti!

Martin Truex Jr.’s  champagne celebration

Posted on by Track Release

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will add to its luster as the Racing Capital of the World with the construction of a quarter-mile dirt track inside its famous oval, hosting a United States Auto Club Midget National Championship event during Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered by Florida Georgia Line race week in early September.

Race week for the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard powered by Florida Georgia Line will feature an even wider variety of thrilling action with the USAC P1 Insurance Midget National Championship competing in a two-night spectacular event, the Driven2SaveLives BC39, on Wednesday, Sept. 5 and Thursday, Sept. 6. The event honors late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson and increases awareness of Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives.

RELATED: Get your Indianapolis tickets today

The Driven2SaveLives BC39 will include a unique format ending with a 39-lap feature Sept. 6 in the richest Midget racing event in recent history. The event will feature more than $70,000 in purse and incentives, including a $15,000 winner’s purse – the largest in Midget racing.

Dirt and asphalt racers from around the country have expressed interest in the event, with a large and diverse field – including Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers – expected to compete.

“This is an exciting new chapter of the longtime relationship between USAC and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and reinforces the connection between short-track racing and this facility,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “The Speedway truly is The Greatest Race Course in the World, and adding a dirt track will create even more opportunities for fans to enjoy the magic of IMS. We can’t wait to see some of the best drivers and teams in America compete here during Brickyard race week.”

Construction of The Dirt Track at IMS, located inside Turn 3 of the oval, started last week with the first loads of Indiana clay arriving for grading. Concrete walls and safety fencing will be constructed during the summer, and portable lights will illuminate the track.

Reece O’Connor of Kokomo (Indiana) Speedway is overseeing the track design and layout and supervising the construction. Allegiant International, a multinational advisory and consultancy firm based in Indianapolis, is facilitating the project.

The United States Auto Club and IMS were synonymous for many years after the sanctioning body was formed in 1956 by IMS owner Tony Hulman. USAC was the sanctioning body for the Indianapolis 500 from 1956 through 1997.

“Over the years, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has played such a critical part not only in the formation but also the successful growth of the United States Auto Club,” USAC President/CEO Kevin Miller said. “Our roots originated at IMS, and our passion continues to reside here. To have USAC return to hosting a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a historic and exciting new chapter for our Midget series. We are beyond thrilled for both our competitors and fans to add this race to our 2018 calendar.”

Ticket prices will range from $35-50 and go on sale in mid-July. Camping also will be available. Visit www.ims.com/bc39 for more information about this event and to learn when tickets become available.

Indiana Donor Network, which oversees and coordinates organ, tissue and eye donation across the state, launched Driven2SaveLives in April 2016 with Verizon IndyCar Series driver Stefan Wilson to promote donation and transplantation awareness around the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500. At the time, the campaign honored Stefan’s late brother, IndyCar race winner Justin Wilson, who died in August 2015 from injuries he sustained in a race crash and saved five lives as an organ donor.

Three-time USAC Midget and two-time USAC Sprint Car national champion Clauson, a versatile and beloved driver, died in August 2016 following a race accident. As a registered donor, he went on to save five lives as an organ donor and continues to heal the lives of countless others as a tissue donor. In January 2017, Indiana Donor Network partnered with Clauson-Marshall Racing and expanded Driven2SaveLives into dirt track racing in honor of Clauson.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

NASCAR K&N Series West rookie Trevor Huddleston learned how to race Sonoma Raceway on iRacing — something becoming more and more commonplace in recent years.

Unfortunately for Huddleston, his No. 22 Ford retired from the race early with electrical issues — technically sort of like when the power goes out at home when you’re turning laps on iRacing, when you think about it.

You know who else started out racing … on a computer? NASCAR Next driver and Sonoma Raceway winner Will Rodgers found somebody who did.

Richard Jobling of the iRacing development team shared some insights on a new damage model coming to the sim in the future — great news for those of us who find ourselves stuffed in barriers and sliding through the grass.

If you’re trying out any of the new dirt racing features on iRacing, keep an eye out for NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Chase Briscoe.

The eNASCAR Ignite Series, NASCAR’s iRacing series aimed at finding future stars, launched this week at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Legends Oval.

NASCAR PEAK ANTIFREEZE iRACING SERIES UPDATE

The stars of the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series head to Sonoma Raceway on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET for the lone road-course race of the season. Bobby Zalenski is the defending race winner, while Ray Alfalla — a highly ranked driver on our Power Rankings — currently leads the standings by 36 points over rookie Keegan Leahy.

iRACING PAINT SCHEMES OF THE WEEK

Sonoma race week means road-course ringers — Boris Said immediately comes to mind, of course. Ken Huff re-created Said’s 2014 paint scheme on iRacing’s version of the Ford Fusion.

Ken Huff's recreated paint scheme of Boris Said's 2014 ride.
Ken Huff’s recreated paint scheme of Boris Said’s 2014 ride.

Last Week, Denny Hamlin described his former Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series ride as his favorite paint scheme.

Now, thanks to Erik Le, the Rockwell Automation car, circa 2007, lives on in iRacing.

Erik Le's iRacing scheme, which was Denny Hamlin's favorite.
Erik Le’s iRacing scheme, which was Denny Hamlin’s favorite.

 

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME

What’s the fastest way to enter pit road? Well, stopping in a straight line, of course, taking care not to slide the tires or lock up the brakes.

But where’s the fun in that? Here’s a pit entry on iRacing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that earned more than a few style points.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

As you begin to unwind from the topsy-turvy racing at Sonoma Raceway and prep for four days of on-track action at Chicagoland Speedway, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

• We’re moving to the NBC television portion of the 2018 schedule. Starting this weekend, the NBC family will pick up coverage of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. Coverage of this weekend’s practice, qualifying and racing action is on NBCSN. You can view the week’s full TV schedule here.

• NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, qualifying sessions and practices still will be broadcast on the FOX family for the remainder of the year. The broadcast doesn’t change to NBC for the Truck Series. Friday night’s Truck Series race will be on FS1.

• While we’re here, Monster Energy Series qualifying takes place on Saturday night this week. Monster Energy Series cars will qualify for Sunday’s race on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. ET, following the Xfinity Series race.

Posted on by Sponsored Content

Four drivers must navigate three rounds of the NASCAR Playoffs to make it to the finale at Homestead Miami Speedway, but you have a chance to get there with Allegiant’s Together we fly™ NASCAR® Experience sweepstakes.

Two more great prize packages can take you to Champions Week in Las Vegas or the first race weekend of 2019 at Daytona.

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Book you own trips and enter to win one of these three VIP NASCAR-themed vacation.

2018 Season Finale Race Package
–Round trip airfare for the grand prize winner and a guest
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–VIP pre-race access for the NASCAR Xfinity Series™ and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ events
–Partner amenities via Allegiant

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion’s Week™ Prize Pack
–Round trip airfare for the grand prize winner and a guest
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–Two tickets for the winner and a guest to attend Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion’s Week™ events
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First race weekend of the 2019 season
–Round trip airfare for the grand prize winner and a guest
— Hotel accommodations for a three-night stay in Daytona, Florida (February 15-18, 2019)
–Two (2) tickets for winner and guest to attend NASCAR Xfinity Series™ and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ events
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