Posted on by

Jimmie Johnson knows all athletes — no matter the talent level or number of trophies on the shelf – will reach the end of their careers one day.

He also knows that as the No. 48 team searches to rediscover its once-upon-a-time dominance, people have been speculating that maybe he’s done. That maybe, at 42 years old, he doesn’t have what it takes to compete at NASCAR’s top level anymore.

But sitting atop a hill overlooking scenic Sonoma Raceway, his demeanor as relaxed as ever, the seven-time champion said he doesn’t believe his time has come. Not yet.

“Some want to think that my time has come and passed – and it happens for all athletes,” Johnson told NASCAR.com. “And that could be the case, time will tell. In my heart, I don’t believe that’s the case. I’ve never been more focused, dedicated than I’ve ever been and having a sense and feel of the race car. I’ve always loved challenges and I look forward to proving that aspect of it wrong and it’s just a journey.”

RELATED: All of Johnson’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins

With seven championships and 83 wins, Johnson’s lustrous career has led the industry to view his 39-race winless slump under a microscope. The three races he did win in 2017 and his accompanying playoff berth (which he’s made every year since the format’s inception) have been quickly forgotten. Just two years ago, he and the No. 48 team were celebrating their record-tying seventh Monster Energy Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

For most drivers, 39 races would be more of a hiccup than a signal of a dwindling career — but Johnson’s success has made his standard different.

At beginning of the year, crew chief Chad Knaus said his driver had “recommitted” himself to the No. 48 team. It’s something Johnson does each season, but was more publicized this season with the team’s ongoing struggles.

“Every year I kind have that journey in the offseason, figure out what I can do differently,” Johnson said. “And it was largely around just creating a locker room. It’s easy to have that locker-room environment when you have success and everybody’s high-fiving and all the fun’s taking place and you’re winning. But last year was a tough year and this one’s turned out to be a tough one so far. To keep that locker room and the energy, to keep the energy in a space where people still stay creative … that’s just something that I felt like I haven’t done well or haven’t done my part as a team leader, to create that environment in tough times. So, I got really focused on it over the offseason. …

“I don’t need to prove myself,” he said later. “I know that much. And I think folks that would say that, I have no chance of making a fan — they’ve never been a fan, so they’re never going to be a fan.”

RELATED: Jimmie Johnson through the years

While a seven-time champion doesn’t have to prove anything, he does have to field the questions from fans, media and everyone in between. Because there’s still a sense of inquiry that comes when an immensely successful athlete like Johnson doesn’t look like Superman anymore.

It’s happening to a degree with Tom Brady. It happened with Michael Jordan. And it will continue to happen with Johnson — until he wins again.

“I’m trying also to be very aware of the success that I’ve had; it’s been a hell of a run, it really has,” Johnson acknowledged. “I don’t expect any sympathy from anyone out there because we’re going through a tough spot. It’s up to me and it’s up to this race team to dig in and make ourselves better and more competitive. I’m very much in that space and love a good challenge.”

There’s another challenge off the track, too, though. With today’s prevalence of social media, the ability to shield themselves from harsh media coverage and fan criticism has become harder for athletes. Many years ago, Johnson learned an important lesson in that area from the NASCAR Hall of Famer who helped launch his career, Jeff Gordon.

“If you look for your validation through media in all forms – social media, outside media, sports media – that’s a lonely road,” Johnson said.  “And Jeff Gordon, that’s one of the many lessons he taught me in the beginning, is like, ‘You know what’s going on with your team in the walls of your team and just stay focused on that. Don’t let the outside influence that.’ He told it to me at a point in time when I had just won my first race and all this good stuff going on. And he also said, ‘If you’re going to read all the good and listen to all the good, you’ve got to take the bad.’ So, his decision was not look at anything, not read anything and just stay neutral. So, I have adopted that same thing.

“This is pre-Twitter and all the other social (media) forms. It’s hard not to see that and to identify with it or talk to it or whatever goes with it. But the way I deal with it is knowing what we do week in and week out and how the shop’s preparing, what my team’s doing, that’s really what it comes from.”

MORE: Where does Johnson rank in this week’s Power Rankings?

He also has to answer questions from another, inquisitive source: his 7-year-old daughter Evie, whom Johnson said hadn’t been hyper-aware of his career wins or losses until recently.

“I really feel this year with the age of Evie that she’s more engaged, more aware,” Johnson said. “And it’s led to a lot of different questions. We’re trying to teach her how to carry herself the right way, to handle things the right way. I can hear my voice speaking to her at times when I’m dealing with things that are tough. It’s been an interesting kind of check for myself that I didn’t see coming.”

In teaching Evie how to carry herself, Johnson is also learning how to be patient. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is accustomed to going to tracks each week with the intention – the expectation – of putting the No. 48 in Victory Lane.

Expectations have to temper now and that’s hard for a competitive person like Johnson. The team made strides with a top five at Charlotte Motor Speedway and then took “three steps back” with a 20th-place effort at Michigan International Speedway, where Johnson said they just didn’t have the car they needed throughout the entire weekend. He most-recently finished 11th at Sonoma Raceway, the first road course of the season.

RELATED: Johnson’s season to date and career statistics

“We’re getting stronger and we’re trying to stay patient with it,” he said. “It’s tough to go to your best tracks and pull out a third or a fifth when you show up for years walking through the gates like, ‘We could take a trophy out of here today.’ So, that’s been a reset for me, especially my Cup career; look at my Busch career and other levels or racing, I’ve had tough points along the way.

“So, I’m being reminded of that and just digging in deeper. Figuring out how I can be a better teammate. In some respects, I just need to be patient and let the team and the organization, let Hendrick Motorsports grow and get stronger.

“It’s not ideal right now, but I’ve been doing this long enough to know that it comes in cycles. And I am just eagerly awaiting for our cycle to be back on top.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

The Comcast Community Champion of the Year Award, which recognizes outstanding philanthropic contributions within NASCAR racing, is without doubt a case of the rising tide lifting all boats.

Not only do the Comcast monetary awards enhance significantly the charitable works accomplished by NASCAR drivers, teams and their foundations, but they also heighten awareness of the multifaceted philanthropic enterprises that find their roots in racing.

Nominations for the 2018 Comcast Community Champion of the Year close on July 2, offering race fans and industry stakeholders a chance to highlight charities doing exceptional work within the community. Nominations of deserving charities can be made via ComcastCommunityChampion.com.

Last year, the Chip Ganassi Racing pit crew department was chosen from a group of three finalists to receive the Comcast Community Champion of the Year Award and an accompanying check for $60,000. The money made a huge difference in the team’s work with Ronald McDonald House, which provides rooms, meals and services to families in need while their children are in local hospitals for care.

“The grant from Comcast has allowed Ronald McDonald House to offer over 100 nights of stays to families in need, at no financial expense to the families,” said Ganassi pit crew coach Shaun Peet. “As a group we try to offer a helping hand to several worthwhile causes in the area.

“The folks at Ronald McDonald House have always been most appreciative of our help, in addition to the bicycle drive that we do to try and help out with around Christmas time. It’s always special to see a smile on the face of someone who is otherwise going through a difficult family time.”

To Peet, the charitable work has been more important than the recognition to the team.

“It’s a great sense of pride for us to just have the ability to help others,” Peet said. “We carry the belief as a group that it is our responsibility to lend a helping hand to others.

“Being recognized as the Comcast Community Champions and having the opportunity to financially benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte was just a special nod to our team for their contribution through their deeds.”

RELATED: More on the winning Ganassi team

Jimmie Johnson, one of the three 2017 finalists, said the Comcast Community Champion program has opened his eyes to the extent of charitable work being accomplished in the NASCAR garage. As a finalist, Johnson received a $30,000 grant that helped further the Jimmie Johnson Foundation’s Champions Grant program, which benefits public schools in North Carolina, Oklahoma and California.

“It helped us grow the pot (of money) for the three areas that we give back to — Charlotte; Muskogee, Oklahoma; and where I grew up in Southern California,” Johnson said. “That’s a big check. That’s a lot of fundraising. So we were able to put that right into circulation in those three areas.

“I’m thankful for what it’s done for us, and at the same time, through the process, I learned about the Ganassi guys and what they were doing, and I didn’t realize that was taking place right in our own back yard.”

A $30,000 grant enabled Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation, the third 2017 finalist, to double its support with the National Military Family Association.”The money itself was a big part of funding our Operation Purple Healing Camp Adventures in April of 2018 through the National Military Family Association,” Keselowski said.

“The camp allowed military families the opportunity to celebrate family-fun and togetherness after an injury by combining family-focused activities with outdoor exploration to encourage a family’s growth on their new journey post-injury.”

Injured soldiers and their families were also treated to a VIP race day experience during last year’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“The nomination has provided credibility,” Keselowski said. “Whenever you are recognized by a blue-chip company like Comcast, it gives you high credibility that you can leverage for future efforts.”

Even though only one overall winner could emerge from the three finalists, Johnson was glad to learn of the efforts of others.

“I, of course, really wanted to win the grand prize,” Johnson said, “but to sit there at the event at Homestead and watch the video on them (the Ganassi crew), I said, ‘These guys are doing an amazing job, and I’m really happy to hear their story being told.’ ”

This year’s nominations, which close on Monday, provide a chance to write the next chapter.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

With Dale Earnhardt Jr. set to make his debut on NASCAR on NBC’s broadcast of the second half of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season in Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN), the recently retired driver is making the media rounds in New York.

Thankfully for us, this included a trip to the always-insightful “Dan Patrick Show” on Wednesday.

Patrick is a master interviewer, and has such a rapport with Earnhardt that the pair often dives headfirst into deep subjects, showcasing a side of the former Hendrick Motorsports driver not often displayed. It’s why Patrick often cites Earnhardt as his favorite interview.

MORE: Junior opens up on childhood, relationship with father to Dan Patrick

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkiFjmjlgIQ/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1q4c2s4hq3etc

Wednesday’s show was no different — they quickly got into Earnhardt’s recent foray into fatherhood, the background of his seemingly-sudden retirement and more — but not before starting off on a light note …

… as in, which NASCAR driver he’d want to drive him around “The Big Apple” in a taxi cab.

“Jimmie (Johnson). Jimmie had a place in New York City, so he knows the town a little bit, he knows where he’s going.”

Patrick then pointed out that Earnhardt’s former HMS teammate and current NASCAR on FOX commentator Jeff Gordon also had a place in NYC.

“He did. I enjoy being around Jimmie a little bit more than Jeff,” Earnhardt, age 43, said. ” … I dunno, Jeff’s older and he’s kind of like my elder, where Jimmie and me are kind of pals. It’d be like hanging out with my best friend versus, maybe, my uncle. That kind of thing.

“I don’t even know (what the age difference is), maybe four years? He got started so young, it seems like he’s been around forever.”

Regardless, everyone knows it pays in life to have both a best friend and a cool, fun uncle that can get you fireworks, which we’ve heard Junior has a penchant for.

We now go live to Gordon, 46, who managed to sneak into the back seat of the cab of Johnson, 42, and is Periscoping the trip.

 

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.