Rockford roots wrapped around Chad Knaus’ future as well as his past

Posted on June 29, 2018July 4, 2019 by Jessica Ruffin

JOLIET, Ill. — Jimmie Johnson said he owes Chad Knaus one.

After winning at his home track of Auto Club Speedway, Johnson said he promised his crew chief that he would return the favor at Knaus’ home track of Chicagoland Speedway.

The pair have been close — as close as a runner-up finish — at the 1.5-mile venue. But in the pair’s 81 wins together over a 19-year period, Chicagoland remains one of three active tracks where the Johnson-Knaus duo has never captured the checkered flag with the No. 48 Chevrolet.

RELATED: Knaus talks about his future

“Boy, we’ve had a lot of races where we’ve come down to the last pit stop or the last handful of laps, leading a lot of laps,” Knaus told NASCAR.com at the Hendrick Motorsports shop in Concord, North Carolina. “It’s unfortunate we’ve come so close. Quite honestly, I bet there’s been over the years maybe seven races where we should have won there, but just haven’t been able to put it together …

“To be able to get a victory there would be nice and definitely long-waited.”

“He’s put me in position a couple times and I’ve squandered it away,” Johnson said of his crew chief with a smile. “So, I owe him. Really, really hopeful to get it done. It is a fun mile-and-a-half race track. I really enjoy going there, I love the area and it would be awesome to win that for Chad.”

Knaus’ hometown of Rockford, Illinois, is less than 150 miles from the speedway. It’s where the 46-year-old got his start in racing, tapping into the local scene with his father, John Knaus. And it was at nearby Rockford Speedway where Knaus developed his well-known dogged determination, the drive that has helped eventually lead the No. 48 team to record-tying seven championships.

“The racing in the Midwest is extremely good from a Late Model standpoint or Modifieds, whether it be asphalt or dirt,” Knaus said. “I grew up and started my racing career at Rockford Speedway. My father won the championship there, I think seven times in total. A bunch of races and we were very successful.

“I think racing there with my father in that community was a huge benefit because it taught me the tenacity that you need to be able to go out there week in and week out to be able to be successful over a long period of time as opposed to just individual weekends. A lot of people in the racing community, what they do is they go and just run special events or they hit the big hitters. But a lot of the guys in the Midwest, because the racing season is so small, you have to do a lot of races back-to-back and that definitely helped me in the Cup Series.”

That tenacity has been tested this season for Johnson-Knaus, as the pair continue to search for their first win nearing the halfway point. With differing personalities and equally competitive natures the pair have seen their ups and downs in their nearly two decades together. Many like to bring up the infamous “milk and cookies” conversation that team owner Rick Hendrick orchestrated in 2005 when the duo’s relationship was fraying.

MORE: Knaus talks about his future in racing

Today, both Johnson and Knaus credit their strong personal relationship and success as what’s held them together for so long.

“Jimmie and I are just like family,” Knaus said. “I think the way that I can read him and understand his emotion, understand what it is that he wants in the race car and vice versa; the way he understands my emotions and what it is that I’m trying to describe to him to get out of the car. I think that that’s invaluable, really unique to the industry.

“The only people that I can think of that have been together as long as Jimmie and I have would be Dale Inman and Richard Petty. And that’s going back a long time ago, so Jimmie and I definitely have a leg up on the competition from that standpoint, just from the standpoint that we’re comfortable, we understand one another and we always know that each one of us is giving everything that we’ve got.”

Johnson has expressed that he has more time left in Monster Energy Series competition. So has Knaus. But Johnson also acknowledged with the grueling nature of a crew chief’s job, he understands that Knaus’ career may not play out as long as his. Crew chiefs “live in dog years,” he said.

Knaus smiled upon hearing that and assured he still has a “handful of years to go.”

“Motorsports is very addictive,” he said. “The lifestyle is addictive, the pace is addictive. We’ve heard it time and time again that as people continue to go and perform, they want to continue to have that success and that euphoria of competition and what is there. I enjoy motorsports, I enjoy racing, still — I love going to the race track and having the opportunity to compete and race against people. So, I don’t see me transitioning any time real soon but I don’t see me going until I’m 55 years old, either.”

Ethan Miller | Getty Images

By that time, Knaus will have another figure in his life as wife Brooke is pregnant with the couple’s first child. Priorities have changed, he said, but not his career aspirations.

“You think about other things maybe a little bit differently; home life, housing, finances, all that kind of stuff,” Knaus said. “I think it just comes natural as you’re starting a family. I’m excited about the adventure … I’ve waited a long time to get to this point. I knew that I was not ready to have a child or start a family until I got to about this time. I needed to go out there and prove that I could be successful and have some success and kind of do what I needed to do. I don’t think having a family or a change in the family is going to take away from what I do in motorsports at all …

“Honestly I needed to mature and I have matured and I’ve learned an awful lot because of what it is with my job. Not by any means did I understand what it was like to have a child or a family yet. But working in the environment that we have with 600 teammates and different emotions that people go through has helped me a lot and got me ready for it.”

Knaus making the comment that he had to prove himself as a crew chief speaks volumes to his competitive nature and desire for perfectionism; he’s won seven championships and 81 races with Johnson over the past 19 years, but still felt that he needed to prove himself before starting a family. That drive that was forged on the local Midwestern tracks is ever-present today.

On Sunday, he’ll look to put a tally in the win column at Chicagoland Speedway, leaving only two tracks on the circuit where Johnson-Knaus have not won. That day, he’ll also be inducted into the track’s Legends Club, which plays homage to important and successful figures in racing.

True to form, Knaus hopes there’s room for amendments by his name.

“At first, I was like, ‘Man that’s really cool,’ and then as I thought about it, I was like ‘Man, that means I’m kind of old, too,’ ” Knaus said with a smile. “It’s one of those things – I like the fact that they’re doing that, it makes me feel very special obviously with the other people that have been inducted into that arena.

“But we’re also not done. So, when I spoke to some of the people a while ago, and said, ‘Well, I hope you guys just leave a little bit of space behind my name because I think we’re going to have some more stats to put in there.’ “

Posted on June 29, 2018 by Staff Report

NASCAR announced this offseason it will standardize at-track team rosters across all three national series in 2018, providing a structure for the number of personnel working on each vehicle during the course of a race weekend.

Official team rosters for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) have been released. Click the print icon above, or the link below.

ROSTERS: Chicagoland race

Posted on June 29, 2018June 29, 2018 by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – JR Motorsports announced today a multi-year agreement with driver Michael Annett and partner Pilot Flying J that will return the pairing to the team’s 2019 lineup. With the renewal of Annett and Pilot Flying J, the largest operator of travel centers in North America, the announcement puts JRM on pace to compete with four full-time teams next season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot Flying J has more than 750 retail locations. The company enters its third year of partnership with JRM next season and its 11th year backing Annett. Pilot Flying J has supported Annett since he first emerged on the NASCAR national stage in 2008.

“We’ve watched our partnership with Pilot Flying J grow over the past two seasons,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, general manager of JR Motorsports. “This renewal gives us the ability to continue to build that relationship. Both Pilot Flying J and Michael were integral in our expansion to four full-time teams last season, and they’ll continue as such as we plan for the team’s future. They’ve made a strong commitment to JRM and this sport.”

Annett, a 32-year-old native of Des Moines, Iowa, is currently in his second season driving the No. 5 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet for JRM. The team’s 2017 success was highlighted by a berth in the NXS playoffs during Annett’s first year with the team.

“Pilot Flying J is excited to continue our long-standing relationship with Michael,” said Ken Parent, president of Pilot Flying J. “We are excited to see where he will finish this year. We look forward to working with JRM and wish Michael the best of luck and success in the 2019 season.”

Annett earned a career-best finish of fifth in the championship standings in 2012. His career totals in NXS competition include 41 top-10 finishes and a ninth-place effort in points with JRM last season.

“JR Motorsports has been a great fit for me and I’m thankful to continue my relationship with them and my longtime sponsor Pilot Flying J,” said Annett. “I have tremendous support with the No. 5 team, my teammates and the entire staff over there. It’s very much a family atmosphere and they have everything it takes to be successful at this level.”

Additional details surrounding crew duties on the No. 5 Pilot Flying J team will be announced at a later date.

Posted on June 29, 2018September 6, 2019 by Kathy Sheldon

Kyle Larson 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 Brian Alvarado, the Armed Forces Insurance 2018 Navy Military Spouse of the Year.

“Being a Navy spouse is truly the honor of my life, but it does come with its challenges,” Alvarado told Larson. “But I say all the time that we have the toughest sailors in the world and the strongest families at home, and that’s something to be really prideful of.”

Alvarado’s platform as Military Spouse of the Year focuses on employment.

“This platform has given me the unique opportunity to work directly with military spouses to improve the unemployment rate and remove the stigma associated with being military spouses in the employment space,” Alvarado says.

On behalf of Brian, NASCAR & Coca-Cola will donate to USO programming that supports and strengthens military spouses, like the USO Pathfinder Program.

The USO Pathfinder program helps service members and military spouses as they transition from military service. Pathfinder Scouts provide support in employment, education, veterans benefits, financial readiness, housing, legal, family strength and wellness and volunteerism.

He says getting into the tight circle of a military community can be uplifting, but it means a lot to get out to NASCAR races and see people outside of that community show appreciation.

“Honoring the military to me is important,” Larson said. “I don’t think you can show enough support to them.”

From the Memorial Day weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 through the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers are honoring a military spouse each week as part of the USO’s Salute to Military Spouses. Click here to see Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman’s interviews with servicemembers’ spouses, and stay tuned for upcoming interviews with Joey Logano and Bubba Wallace.

Posted on June 29, 2018June 29, 2018 by David Smith

Based on average finish, Chicagoland Speedway is Chase Elliott’s best race track. While his second- and third-place results in two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts may inspire optimism in the 22-year-old driver’s chances at winning there this weekend, he’ll need the 400-mile contest to break a specific and perhaps unlikely way to contend for his first series victory.

It’s certainly possible for Elliott to emerge the winner, but it’s easier said than done as his bid for the checkers begins with a diminished dependence on the single attribute that matters most in racing.

Elliott doesn’t have elite speed

An issue plaguing all of Hendrick Motorsports is the lack of elite speed. Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet is the fastest of the organization’s four cars, but it ranks just 11th in Central Speed through last week’s race at Sonoma. Tracks like Chicagoland, a 1.5-mile venue with moderate banking, have rewarded the fastest cars with a 1-to-1 correlation between speed and winning dating back to last year. Martin Truex, Jr. won all six races on moderate intermediates in 2017 while having the fastest overall car in the series; Kevin Harvick, utilizing the fastest car for all of 2018, has won two of two this season.

PHOTOS: Chase Elliott through the years

Elliott’s speed deficit presents two problems. First, it’ll be difficult for him to track down Harvick, Kyle Busch and the other speedsters in a straightforward race, barring an unforeseen advancement in Hendrick’s aero design. Second, Elliott’s greatest strength, his long-run passing ability, will be neutralized in the event long green-flag runs dominate the proceedings. While a race with few cautions would allow Elliott ample time to carve through traffic — he’s accumulated 54 positions on such runs at non-restrictor plate tracks this season — it’d also allow the faster cars, likely in clean air, to drive away from him.

What’s a driver to do when his strength is rendered irrelevant?

Pit now!

Chicagoland’s weathered surface is so rough on tires that grip quickly diminishes and lap times swell by nearly 2 seconds on natural green-flag runs. This makes short-pitting — pitting laps in advance of cars higher in the running order — an amenable strategy to those crew chiefs willing to stop early in the pit window.

Alan Gustafson, Elliott’s crew chief, has retained his driver’s running position on 77.78 percent of green-flag pit cycles this season, an above average-rate among all crew chiefs. This yielded 63 additional spots on the track for Elliott, the fourth-biggest net positional gain from green-flag stops. While Gustafson’s pit strategy has provided a positive output, he still may need to step outside his comfort zone in order to overtake those running ahead of the No. 9 car Sunday.

Chase Elliott’s best shot at winning Sunday may be through a differing pit strategy. Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

Nearly 89 percent of Elliott’s green-flag stops can be described as “conservatively timed,” having come when pit road was at its most populated within a cycle; the series average for crew chiefs pitting conservatively is 75 percent. Less than 4 percent of Elliott’s stops were done using a short-pitting strategy, the ideal game plan for those seeking giant leaps of track position at Chicagoland. In order to get around the likes of Harvick, who retains top-five running positions on more than 63 percent of green-flag stops, Gustafson will have to reference a seldom-used page from his playbook.

In the instance his crew chief remains conservative, there’s one other likely way for Elliott to emerge the victor.

Chaos equals restarts and restarts equal chaos

Based on recent history — 4.3 restarts per race dating back to 2015’s event — long green-flag runs rule at Chicagoland, meaning its races don’t elicit many restarts. That’s bad news for Elliott.

In prior years, Elliott had a faster car at his disposal and in 2017 he ranked as a top-five position defender in each restart groove. Neither of those high marks is in place this year, as Elliott is suffering through a 28 percent decrease in total restart position retention. Still, he scored four positions on two preferred groove restart attempts in last year’s Chicagoland race — perhaps his affinity for the track supersedes his yearlong dip — and lane assignment could fall in his favor.

MORE: This week’s paint schemes

In 2017, occupants in Chicagoland’s outside groove retained their positions on 89 percent of restarts from inside the first seven rows, while those in the inside groove did so 32 percent of the time. If Elliott ever finds himself in an even-numbered running position prior to a restart, that fortunate placement provides the ideal opportunity to score track position that may otherwise elude him, setting the tone for the rest of his race.

A caution-filled race, atypical but still possible, could allow for a large number of such opportunities, helping level the playing field for Elliott, a seemingly excellent Chicagoland driver in need of a non-traditional pathway to victory.

David Smith is the Founder of MotorsportsAnalytics.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DavidSmithMA.

Posted on June 29, 2018 by RJ Kraft

Editor’s note: Fantasy Fastlane will look at each race from a fantasy perspective, examining the top plays as well as several under-the-radar options and a play to avoid for NASCAR Fantasy Live. See the full analysis here.

PLAY NOW: Sign up for Fantasy Live today

Posted on June 28, 2018July 1, 2018 by Chase Wilhelm

The moment is nearly here. In a matter of hours, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be covering his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race for NBC Sports from Chicagoland Speedway as an official analyst.

Earnhardt boarded a plane Thursday morning en route for the race weekend in Chicago with his new teammates — lead commentator Rick Allen, analysts Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton.

PHOTOS: Dale Jr. through the years

Sporting a throwback Richard and Kyle Petty T-shirt, it’s go time for the 15-time Most Popular Driver.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkkjLOkAnr_/

“I’m excited to finally be at the race track with my teammates and getting ready to go to work,” Earnhardt said in a Thursday afternoon teleconference. “I’m just watching these guys and following them around to see how they prepare and what all goes into the days leading up to the race itself. It’s been extremely educational.”

Earnhardt’s exact role on the NBC Sports broadcast has yet to be detailed in full, but it sounds like fans are in for a treat.

“We have the multi-option offense,” said Sam Flood, NBC Sports Group Executive Producer. “We have different booths with different tracks. We’re putting people in positions to make it fun for the audience and give the most insight. We have five different styles of booths and we’ll roll them out and we’ll let you know each week what we plan to do.”

Earnhardt’s first directive from Flood in his rookie broadcasting year is simple, but also one that’s hard to believe.

“The best part about it is Sam Flood says just be yourself,” Earnhardt said. “I keep asking him if that’s really what he wants because that sounds a little bit too good to be true, and a little bit too easy. But, that’s what they expect out of you.

“That should be very fun to just get up there and watch races and react,” he added. “All the guys in the booth are such huge fans of what we’re seeing, it’s going to be a lot of fun just doing that. Sitting around talking about what’s happening on the race track. I’m excited to learn a lot and get to know my teammates even better.”

Earnhardt participated in countless hours of practice with Allen, Letarte and Burton in a radio booth at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier in the year, along with another mock broadcast from a suite during May’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I was really nervous about going into it cold turkey without a whole lot of experience, so it gave me a lot of peace of mind and it allowed me to build a little bit of rapport with Jeff and Rick because we’re going to need that kind of chemistry,” Earnhardt said. “It was really helpful for me.

“I still got the job, so obviously NBC is pretty happy with what they heard in our practice runs,” he added jokingly. “I got a lot of great feedback and was able to adjust on the fly. It was cool.”

Now, it’s time for Earnhardt to experience the real deal.

“We’ve been talking about it for a long time,” Earnhardt said. “We’ve been practicing and here it is. It’s time to get to work. We’re going to have a great first weekend to kick off the next several trips to the race track. It’s going to be an awesome run all the way to Homestead.”

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Staff Report

Chicagoland Speedway’s place on the NASCAR schedule moved from September to July this year, giving a marquee event to kick off the NBC portion of the TV slate.

The hot temperatures and track conditions that should equate to a wild show Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) are simply a bonus.

Old asphalt plus July sun typically equals a slick track, and drivers such as Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson think the combination is a winning one.

RELATED: Full weekend schedule

“I think it’s a good change,” Larson said, when asked about Chicago’s race moving to July. “I think the hotter weather will always make any race better because we will be sliding around and stuff like that.

“As far as the style of racing, the track should hopefully be hotter and slicker. I always feel like that first Playoff race (previously at Chicago), people are just trying not to make mistakes. I feel like there is a lot of give and take at that race. I think the racing will be more intense even than it was.”

Count Kevin Harvick among those who agree with Larson, and the five-time winner in 2018 may have additional reasons he’s pleased with the new date.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver and 2014 series champion has won two races at the 1.5-mile track, both when the race was in July — his first two starts at the facility in 2001 and 2002.

“It has been awhile since I have been to Chicago in the middle of July,” Harvick said. “That race track in particular, the asphalt is really worn out and you add some high temperatures to go with it and it should be a really fun race with the cars sliding around.”

MORE: New paint schemes

The final piece to this racing puzzle is the Goodyear tire selection. Given the tire choice and Chicago’s old surface, a full fuel run will see more than two seconds of tire fall-off, according to Goodyear officials, which tested at Chicagoland last year.

A new left-side tire, the same one run at Auto Club Speedway, will make its Chicago debut as well.

“The track surface at Chicagoland has really weathered over the past several seasons, and as a result we see a good amount of wear and fall-off,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “That, with the tire combination we bring, helps promote some good racing with tire management coming into play.”

Posted on June 28, 2018 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.”

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.”

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.

“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 June 27, 2018June 29, 2018 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.”

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.