Posted on by Sponsored Content

Speed, coverage and control are critical elements of NASCAR team communications on race day, as drivers, crew chiefs and spotters explain in the first of a video series, “Xfinity Presents: Technology that Defines NASCAR.”

“It starts with the driver and him relaying what the car is doing so we can hone in on where we’re deficient and make changes to make the car go quicker,” says champion crew chief Adam Stevens, who has five wins with Kyle Busch and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs racing team this season.

The spotter is the key that puts the puzzle together during the race, Stevens continues.

The speed of that communication among drivers, crew chiefs and spotters is critical. The information flows quickly and must have a controlled approach for peak efficiency.

“I just think everything has evolved, right? Communication in general,” Stewart-Haas Racing driver Clint Bowyer says.

Bowyer’s spotter, Brett Griffin, illustrates that by explaining he now wears four radios, tracking NASCAR communications, talking with Bowyer and Crew Chief Mike Bugarewicz, communicating with Bugarewicz only, and listening to himself.

When the communication comes together, awesome pit stops, awesome passes and awesome performances come together for victories.

Change the way you WiFi with Xfinity xFi. Xfinity xFi gives you the speed, coverage and control you need for the ultimate in-home WiFi experience. Xfinity. The Future of Awesome.

Posted on by Staff Report

Steve Phelps knows the list well, as do most folks with even a passing knowledge of NASCAR’s history. As far as “short lists” go, this one is just about as exclusive as it gets, and today NASCAR announced Phelps as the newest member of that club — one that now is just five deep.

NASCAR today named Steve Phelps its President, an honor that left the lifelong fan at a loss for words.

“I don’t even know how to describe it,” Phelps said after a thoughtful pause. “I mean this sincerely: What an incredible honor it is to be President of NASCAR.”

Phelps joins only four other individuals who have held the title of NASCAR President since the sport’s inception in 1948: Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Mike Helton and Brent Dewar.

MORE: Official NASCAR release

The post comes following — and in the midst of — a lifelong love affair with the sport. Phelps’ first NASCAR experience came at the age of 5, when he attended Catamount Speedway in his home state of Vermont. The track, then owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Ken Squier, sparked a passion for racing that continues to the present day.

“I want fans to know that I love NASCAR. It’s in my blood,” said Phelps, who joined the company in 2005. “For our fans, we will work tirelessly to fulfill the promise of what NASCAR racing is — and that’s the best motorsport product on the planet. It’s our job to continue to fine-tune it and give you more of what you want — close, competitive, side-by-side racing.”

Phelps’ intimate knowledge of the on-track competition has given him unique insight into what is necessary to move the sport forward. As a major proponent of the creation of such groups as the Driver Council, Phelps looks at the communal aspect of NASCAR as the key to its future success.

“A day does not go by where I’m not speaking with a driver or team owner or race track,” Phelps said. “Collaboration amongst those groups and NASCAR is so important, and why I’m so excited about the future. Our competitors care so much. That passion is why I’m eager to continue the great work everyone in the sport has done to move it forward.””

Prior to his ascension to President, Phelps held a variety of senior leadership positions in NASCAR, including Chief Marketing Officer, and most recently, Chief Operating Officer. Throughout his tenure, Phelps has played significant roles in negotiating major partnerships with Coca-Cola, Monster Energy, Comcast and Camping World, among others.

To Phelps, landmark deals with major companies are made for one reason: NASCAR has the most passionate fans in all of sports.

“Brands come to NASCAR because of the size and loyalty of our fan base,” Phelps said. “From a business standpoint, it is the single best thing about NASCAR. We have more Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies partnering with us than anyone, and that’s because of our great fans.”

It also is why Phelps has placed a high priority on growing the sport’s ability to engage with those fans through dynamic content.

Phelps spearheaded the effort to reacquire NASCAR’s digital rights in 2013, which led to record growth in the digital, video and social media space – all aimed at stronger engagement with fans.

“From our drivers, our teams, our race cars, there’s no other sport like it, and our fans recognize that,” Phelps said. “We need to tell those stories, and give the fans an experience they deserve through rich, engaging content.”

Now stepping into the role of President, Phelps will look to continue the collaboration that he has helped shepherd, especially in recent years.

“We are at a vital point in the sport’s history,” Phelps said. “The decisions that we’re going to make over the next 12-18 months are important for this sport, and we need to make sure we’re collectively making the right decisions. It’ll be important to get everyone’s point of view. Everyone plays a role, and that’s what makes NASCAR great. It is a community. It is a family.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 20, 2018) – NASCAR today announced that Steve Phelps has been named NASCAR President, effective October 1, 2018. Brent Dewar has elected to step down and will remain with the company through the end of the 2018 racing season, transitioning to a senior consulting and advisory role in 2019.

Phelps will assume the duties held by Dewar and will report to Jim France, NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. As President, Phelps will have responsibility over all competition and business operations for the sanctioning body.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Steve Phelps as our leader,” France said. “His passion for NASCAR and proven ability to work with our partners has been unparalleled over the years. We thank Brent for his service and leadership to our sport. His energy and vision have been of tremendous benefit to our employees and our industry.”

Joining NASCAR in 2005, Phelps has played a key role in significant initiatives, such as negotiating key partnership agreements with Coca-Cola, Monster Energy, Comcast and Camping World, the acquisition of NASCAR’s digital and social rights and leading industry collaborative efforts such as the Industry Action Plan and industry-wide marketing platforms. Phelps brings more than three decades of experience to the role, including senior leadership roles at the National Football League and Wasserman.

“As a life-long fan of NASCAR, the opportunity to provide league-wide leadership is something I am looking forward to,” Phelps said. “I am confident that the strong team of leaders here at NASCAR and across the industry will accelerate the necessary changes to grow the sport and engage our passionate fans.”

Dewar joined NASCAR in 2013, serving as Chief Operating Officer and later as NASCAR President. “It has been a privilege to serve this sport these past five years,” said Dewar. “NASCAR is a close-knit family and I have been blessed to be part of a great team and industry, working collaboratively to deliver great racing for our fans. I look forward to continuing to work with the industry and the France family.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR penalized the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing team following Saturday’s Xfinity Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The vehicle failed pre-race inspection multiple times, violating Section 8.7.b of the NASCAR Rule Book. The No. 2 team has been deducted 10 driver points and 10 owner points.

No. 2 driver Matt Tifft finished 36th in Saturday’s Xfinity Series regular-season finale after being involved in an incident.

No Camping World Truck Series or Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams were penalized following their respective races at Las Vegas.

Posted on by Track Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – International Speedway Corporation (“ISC”) today announced the implementation of a comprehensive ticket and travel protection program with the ISC Weather Protection Program and TicketGuardian, both initiatives that will provide safeguards to guests when planning and attending NASCAR events.

The ISC Weather Protection Program applies to all paid grandstand tickets to NASCAR races at any ISC facility that are postponed and rescheduled to a different date due to inclement weather. Guests will now be able to exchange paid grandstand tickets that were not used on a rescheduled race date for a future NASCAR event at an ISC facility. The unused grandstand tickets may be exchanged for a same-series ticket of equal or lesser value based on event and seating location availability.

Guests with an unused grandstand ticket have 60 days to contact the ticket office at the ISC facility where the event was postponed. Eligible grandstand tickets may be exchanged for any future NASCAR race at an ISC facility within one year of the original event date or for the same race the following year, excluding the DAYTONA 500. Customers who have tickets to a postponed DAYTONA 500 event may exchange their tickets for a future DAYTONA 500 event; however, tickets from other Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events may not be exchanged for a DAYTONA 500 ticket.

MORE: Buy tickets

“Race fans make significant investments to attend NASCAR races at our facilities,” stated Lesa France Kennedy, ISC Chief Executive Officer. “When inclement weather impacts the schedule, it can be frustrating. The ISC Weather Protection Program addresses that concern and provides an assurance to our guests that if they can’t attend the rescheduled event, they will have the opportunity to see another race at another ISC facility.”

In situations that keep fans from attending the races, TicketGuardian’s FanShield insurance technology will continue to provide fans a feeling of security when buying tickets in advance. With low-cost coverage, fans are protected from the burden of having to resell their ticket or losing their money altogether if they’re unable to attend the event. Customers instead can receive a refund despite the traditional status quo of events, tickets, and registrations being non-refundable.

Fans that attend NASCAR events at ISC facilities will now enjoy comprehensive coverage when planning and attending events.

For further details on the ISC Weather Protection Program, visit www.mispeedway.com/weather.

Posted on by Sponsored Content

NASCAR drivers, crew members and team employees are facing off at 5 p.m. ET Sept. 26 in the NASCAR Fitness Challenge Powered by Lilly Diabetes, and you can be part of the competition!

Teams will gather at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza in a relay-style stationary bike race, competing for a $15,000 donation to the charity of their choice. CycleBar instructors will lead heats, and teams will rotate through four riders as they try to pedal farthest during the race.

Where do you come in? Support teams on social media. They get points when you like or comment on their posts tagged with the #NASCARFitChallenge hashtag. The team that wins the social media competition will win a $5,000 donation to its charity, so get your team started now! Then come to the NASCAR Hall of Fame to cheer on your favorite team.

Teams are training and posting on social media now:

Teams from Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Richard Childress Racing and Germain Racing, as well as NASCAR NEXT and NASCAR D4D will compete for their favorite charities.

Ryan Reed, driver of the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes Ford, participated in the 2017 event, and is helping get fans involved via Twitter for the 2018 fitness campaign.

 

 

Posted on by Team Release

PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 18, 2018) – Comcast today announced that this year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series champion will celebrate at Universal Orlando Resort™ on Tuesday, Nov. 27 in a series of activities that include fan meet-and-greets, a parade appearance and experiencing some of Universal’s most thrilling attractions, like Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion will take part in a full day of activities that will bring the world of NASCAR front-and-center for park guests, including:

• A fan meet-and-greet and autograph signing at the iconic Universal Orlando globe

• Taking on some of the park’s most thrilling attractions

• Serving as grand marshal in Universal’s Superstar Parade

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion will be crowned on Saturday, Nov. 17 after the Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. An elimination-style Playoffs format over the course of seven races will leave four drivers vying for the championship title in Miami. Fans can tune in to the action on NBCSN beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs kick off with the GoBowling 250 at Richmond Raceway on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

Drivers competing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are formidable competitors. They face grueling conditions in the cars, demands from their teams, and expectations from their sponsors and fans.

No one’s ever asked — maybe for good reason — what if we combined two drivers from NASCAR’s championship playoffs into one super-driver?

Thanks to the power of the Internet, we’re giving you the ability to create your own driver face-swap mashup monstrosity to create the ultimate playoff driver.

Why? Because we could. Also, we wanted to give you nightmares.

Check out some of our favorites.

MORE GENERATORS: Code words | Dale Jr. selfie

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As the remaining races in 2018 dwindle, Hendrick Motorsports finds itself in unfamiliar territory.

Three of its four drivers — Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman — advanced to the 2018 NASCAR Playoffs. And those same three drivers are in precarious positions after falling victim to incidents in Sunday’s wild playoff opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

MORE: Updated NASCAR Playoffs standings | Las Vegas results

“We could have closed with a top-five finish that would have really helped and given us a cushion,” Johnson said post-race after finishing 22nd. “Today was really a good day for the Lowe’s team. We had good speed in the car, good pit stops, everything was going well and unfortunately, cut a right-front tire.”

“That is the most speed we have had on a 1.5-mile (track) all year,” Bowman said, his No. 88 coming up 19th after a late incident.

For the organization that’s struggled all year to find speed — particularly at 1.5-mile tracks —  flashes of speed (in spite of subpar finishes) on an intermediate may ordinarily bring a touch of encouragement. Johnson was running as high as third, while Bowman and Elliott ran more than 70 percent of their laps in the top 15.

The NASCAR Playoffs change that. Mid-race speed doesn’t mean much if the finish puts a driver on the wrong side of the cutline. So, while the organization is making some strides, is it too late for 2018?

“Playoffs, man” Johnson said. “… It means so much to everybody to be in the playoffs and have a shot at a championship. Everybody is just trying really hard.”

“Everyone is trying really hard” — that’s important, as obvious as it seems. A friend in the industry pointed out the following recently; if a driver makes the next round of the playoffs, that means someone else doesn’t. For all three Hendrick drivers to advance to the next round, they’ll have to outrun four other playoff competitors over the next two weeks to remain in contention. That sounds simple, but who would they eliminate? The majority of the playoff field has been strong throughout 2018 and with the way it’s been running, Hendrick isn’t beating the Kyle Busches or Kevin Harvicks of the field yet.

Perhaps Hendrick’s saving grace in this round of the playoffs is the next track on the circuit: Richmond Raceway. Because it’s a short track, there’s less emphasis on aero, where the team has struggled this season. Elliott finished second to Kyle Busch in the spring event at the Virginia track, while Johnson recorded a sixth-place result. In the series’ most recent trip to a short track with Bristol Motor Speedway, Elliott (third place), Bowman (eighth place) and Johnson (ninth place) all placed in the top 10.

The key for these three drivers — and the majority of the field, really — is to run well at Richmond before the Charlotte road course, which is being treated like the Talladega of road courses. The tests proved its unpredictability and no one wants to go into that weekend with a precarious position in the playoff standings.

My prediction for the HMS camp is that with a strong Richmond showing (and a whole lot of care and prayers at the Roval), Johnson and Elliott will advance on points and Bowman will be eliminated after the opening round. ‘Seven-Time’ has the experience of prevailing under pressure and is well-versed in how to protect his position or slightly advance it when needed, even if the No. 48 team can’t find a way back to Victory Lane right now. Elliott seems more likely, too, as the only Hendrick driver who has won this season and, at times, the team that has shown the most speed among the four-car stable. For a newcomer like Bowman, his chances seem less likely given that he doesn’t have the precious experience of running in the playoffs.

Regardless, for all three of these teams — and the No. 24 of William Byron that did not make the playoffs — this is a rebuilding year. Half of its drivers are new, the Camaro ZL1 is new and they’re still playing catch-up to the rest of the field. Any elimination from the playoffs gives Hendrick teams more opportunities to focus on preparing for 2019 and beyond. It may be too late for 2018 for some, but there’s plenty of racing left for these four wheelmen’s careers.

And let’s be honest; it’s Hendrick Motorsports and they can’t stay down for too long.