Posted on by Staff Report

Lots To Look Forward To At The Tricky Triangle

The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series has seen two big names take over in the first 13 races of the season. Kevin Harvick has swept through taking home five victories, followed by Kyle Busch collecting four of his own – the most recent at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which also marked his first one at the track at NASCAR’s highest level. That win made him the only driver in history to win a race at every single Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series active track on the circuit. All in all, these two are forces to be reckoned with.

MORE: Full Pocono weekend schedule | Check out this week’s paint schemes

But, Pocono Raceway is called the ‘Tricky Triangle’ for a reason. In the last seven races at Pocono, there have been seven different winners. Last June, Ryan Blaney won his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono, which gave him his spot in the Playoffs. Then, last August, Kyle Busch won at Pocono for the first time in his career.

Chase Elliott, Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez are hopeful that their first visit to Victory Lane in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be some time in the near future. Is it possible that Pocono Raceway could capture another new winner? 

Also, don’t forget about the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday because it is a must-watch. The reason — the aero package returns to the track and is highlighted by the enlarged splitter and spoiler, the aero ducts and restrictor plate which we saw for the first time last season at Indianapolis. That race posted records for lead changes and green flag passes for the lead. No one can predict what will happen in this weekend, so watching it will be the only way to find out.

Pocono Raceway To Honor The Military During The 400 Weekend

Pocono Raceway and their Department of Military Affairs will honor the United State Armed Forces with various events and recognition throughout the Pocono 400 race weekend. A new logo has also been released for the weekend’s events.

The United States Army Golden Knights will host a meet-and-greet and a skydiving demonstration during the National Anthem.

MORE: NASCAR Salutes returns refreshed by Coca-Cola

The Co-Grand Marshals will be members of the United States Marine Corps, United States Army Corp of Engineers, United States Air Force Material Command and the Pennsylvania National Guard. The National Anthem will be performed by the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps.

Two-hundred-plus new recruits enlisting in various branches of the military will receive their Oath of Enlistment prior to Sunday’s race. The ceremony is expected to be one of the largest ceremonies ever held at a sporting event. Pocono Raceway will dedicate a plaque to the Gold Star Families of the Fallen at the Flag Pole located near the main entrance of the fan fair.

The Commander of the Tobyhanna Army Depot will present an award to recognize the warrior who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in the local community. Military and Pocono Raceway representatives will gather the Chair of Honor prior to Sunday’s race and The Honor Guard will place the seat in the upright position in the grandstands to honor POW/MIA.

In addition, the United States Air Force Drill Team will do a demonstration and the Joint Service Honor Guard will present colors during the National Anthem. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers will take laps around the track in military Humvees after introductions and the Pennsylvania National Guard, 109th Artillery Division, will do a Cannon Salute during the National Anthem. 

Fan-Driven Events You Won’t Want To Miss

Pocono Raceway is always jam-packed with fun things for fans to do other than racing.

Not only do fans have the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Racing Series to look forward to, the track also provides lots of opportunities to have fun. Fan-friendly and exciting events will be held at the track all weekend long. So, be sure to check them out.

The NASCAR Hauler Parade for camping guests is a great way to start off the weekend. There will be a 50/50 raffle to benefit the Lehigh Valley Children’s Hospital as well as Pocono Raceway’s Lehigh Valley Children’s Hospital Kids Club. The #POCONOMTNS Inclusive Playground, the first inclusive playground located inside a NASCAR track, will be open to all guests starting Thursday, May 31. Along with that, there will be Sensory Kits and Rooms, courtesy of KultureCity, giving fans who have sensory issues access to all the race weekend fun, too.

An Xfinity Driver Autograph Session will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday and later that day, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will have an open garage to give fans the opportunity to check out the behind-the-scenes action.

The second-annual Monster Energy NASCAR Free Friday will take place on June 1, where fans can bring an empty can of Monster Energy to get recycled at one of the gates and will receive free admission to all of Friday’s events. 

A “Selfie Session” with Alex Bowman will take place behind Victory Lane but be sure to pre-register at www.poconoraceway.com/selfiesesh to get your spot. Pocono Raceway’s Infield Block Party and Fireworks will be one for the books on Saturday night. A $10 donation is asked for each vehicle and then you can enjoy the live music, a Red Robin food truck, drinks for the adults and plenty of games for kids. 

Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and Matt DiBenedetto will all make an appearance, and some will do a Q&A with fans. 

And, don’t forget about the pre-race concert with Steve Moakler, a rising county music star from Pittsburgh, Penn., who will kick off the race.

Drug Take Back Program

Attorney General Josh Shapiro partnered with Pocono Raceway to help the fight against the opioid epidemic, an issue that hits home for the locals surrounding Pocono Raceway, during the weekend.

Fans who drop unused prescription drugs at Attorney General’s Drug Take Back booths will get a free lap in their own cars around the Tricky Triangle. 

See For Yourself

Make your plans to see all the action live at Pocono Raceway by called 1-800-RACEWAY or visit NASCAR.com/buy-tickets.

But, if you can’t make it to the Tricky Triangle this weekend, watch the Monster Energy Series race live on FS1 this Sunday at 2 p.m. ET and the Xfinity Series race on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on FS1 as well as on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on by Holly Cain

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will mark its third race at Pocono Raceway with what is anticipated to be an exciting technical package on its cars. The series will use the same aero package that was so successful at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year setting records for green flag passes for the lead (29) and lead changes (16).

RELATED: Full Pocono weekend schedule | 2018 Xfinity Series rules update

The cars will have a bigger splitter and spoiler, specially-designed aero ducts and restrictor plates on the 2.5-mile three-turn historic track and the expected outcome is even closer racing and more passing.

Neither of the race’s first two winners – Kyle Larson (2016) and Brad Keselowski (2017) will be competing in this week’s Pocono Green “250” Recycled by JP Mascaro & Sons (Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) ensuring a new winner with the car’s new package.

Veteran Elliott Sadler maintains the championship lead that he’s held most of the year but is looking for his first win at Pocono in the Xfinity Series. He does have good history at the track, however, as the inaugural Camping World Truck Series race winner at Pocono in 2010.

MORE: Full Xfinity Series standings

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It’s a big weekend for 24-year old Ryan Blaney, returning to Pocono Raceway ready to defend his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup victory in Sunday’s Pocono 400 race (2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Blaney has moved from the Wood Brothers to Team Penske this season, driving the No. 12 Ford. It’s often been a season of all-in or all-out for the young and hugely-popular talent — who has three top-five and six top-10 finishes through the opening 13 races of the season. These are high marks he is expected to easily exceed, considering he had a career-best four top-fives and 14 top-10s all of last year and is already close to surpassing those numbers only a third of the way through 2018.

MOMENT IN TIME: Relive Blaney’s first win  | Blaney watches Pocono win with us

He led a race-best 118 laps in the season-opening Daytona 500 and finished seventh (he won the first Duel as well), and Blaney’s overall work was enough to earn him the No. 1 position in the standings after the race – a career high ranking for him and an ideal way to kick off his tenure with the championship Penske team.

Blaney impressively stayed among the top-three in the championship standings through the early season– leading 145 laps and finishing a season-best of third at Martinsville.

A crash at the always-tough Bristol Motor Speedway in mid-April interrupted the fast start. And he’s had two more DNFs since – in the last two races (at Kansas and at Charlotte on Sunday night).

So he comes to Pocono – where he has three finishes of 11th or better in four Cup starts – ready to right the ship, defend his first career victory and add to the win total; goals everyone in the sport fully expects Blaney to meet.

Posted on by Staff Report

Martin Truex Jr. enjoyed a warm welcome in his home state Thursday as New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy honored the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Murphy presented a declaration naming May 31, 2018 as “Martin Truex Jr. Day” in the state. Truex grew up in Mayetta, New Jersey, just over an hour away from the governor’s office in Trenton.

MORE: Full schedule for Pocono | Truex moves up in Power Rankings

Truex presented Murphy with an autographed, race-worn fire suit as the two posed alongside the championship trophy. The day of recognition comes one week after Truex and his Furniture Row Racing No. 78 team were celebrated at the White House.

“Being from New Jersey and thinking about having my own day is pretty crazy so it was a big day for me,” Truex said in a release provided by the Furniture Row team. “It was a huge honor to be recognized by Gov. Murphy for Furniture Row Racing’s achievements as a team. I’m very proud to be from New Jersey and to be the first NASCAR Cup Series Champion from the state is pretty awesome, as well. All that made today very special.”

Truex amassed eight wins, including a title-clinching victory in last year’s season finale, as he marched to his first championship in NASCAR’s top division. He was named New Jersey Sportsperson of the Year.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 31, 2018) – NASCAR today announced that Gene Stefanyshyn will lead the sport’s international efforts as Senior Vice President and Chief International Officer, John Probst has been promoted to Vice President, Innovation and Racing Development, John Bobo has been promoted to Vice President, Racing Operations, and Scott Prime has been promoted to Vice President, Strategic Development.

Stefanyshyn will be responsible for developing the racing product and brand across NASCAR’s international series in Canada, Mexico and Europe, as well as prospective new markets abroad. Stefanyshyn joined NASCAR in 2013 and has led efforts to innovate across all competition platforms. Prior to NASCAR, Stefanyshyn worked internationally in the automotive industry and brings extensive international business experience to the role. Stefanyshyn will continue to report into Steve O’Donnell, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer.

“Gene’s experience leading our strategic work and industry collaboration on innovating and improving our competition product, along with his prior international working experience, make him an ideal fit for the next phase of our international efforts,” said O’Donnell. “We are excited about the future direction of our international racing portfolio and are looking forward to Gene’s leadership across this growing platform.”

Probst will step into the key leadership role Stefanyshyn held the past five years and will be responsible for leading the sport’s efforts to continue to deliver strong racing at all levels of competition, as well as integrating innovation and technology across the sport’s at-track operations. Probst joined NASCAR in 2016 after over two decades of industry experience, including time with Ford Motor Company, Red Bull Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing. Probst will remain based out of the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord and will report directly into O’Donnell.

“John was instrumental in the development of our new inspection process, incorporating best in class technology and technology partners into one of our most important competition operations,” said O’Donnell. “Integrating new, relevant technology into our operations and innovating our racing product are strategic priorities for us and John is well suited to continue the important leadership of this area.”

Bobo will oversee racing operations across all national, touring and weekly series, as well as managing the American Medical Response (AMR) relationship and the sport’s drug testing program. Bobo joined NASCAR in 2010 after two-decades of previous high-level experience in private, government and non-profit sectors. Most notably, he served as a state prosecutor, chief drug & alcohol policy advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and later head of U.S. DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Bobo will remain based out of the NASCAR’s Daytona Beach, Florida headquarters and will report directly into O’Donnell.

“John brings leadership experience to our operations at the racetrack,” said O’Donnell. “His ability to develop smart, working solutions to difficult problems has set John apart – he’s a true professional that brings a steady hand in leading our racing operations.”

Prime will oversee key strategic initiatives and development of key new business platforms for the sport, as well as managing the industry council framework across the sport’s main stakeholders. Prime joined NASCAR in 2015 after a decade-long career driving strategy at McKinsey & Company, the National Basketball Association and Mercer Management Consulting. Prime will remain based out of NASCAR’s New York offices and will report directly into Steve Phelps, Chief Operating Officer.

“Scott has made significant contributions to the sport through his leadership on key initiatives such as the team owner charter framework and the industry’s esports strategy,” said Phelps. “His strategic approach to complex business issues will benefit our industry as we look to grow our sport smartly, working together to strengthen operations across all parties while unlocking opportunities to bring our sport closer to our fans everywhere.”

Posted on by @nascarcasm

So many apologies in the delay since my previous blog. Things have been insane here at the house. Basically over the previous nine months, mom’s belly has gotten larger and people gave her presents because of it. I don’t get humans.

And dad — oh my gosh, dad. I literally have not seen him this excited since the time he went to Costco and saw that giant jug of mayonnaise for sale. He’s been on cloud nine. That’s cloud 63 for dogs, BTW.

So anyways, for several weeks, mom and dad sat around the house. He was nervous, she was getting annoyed. Not like Dale-just-ate-my-gelato-and-then-fled-to-South-Korea-annoyed like she was earlier in the year, but annoyed. (That incident is worth its own blog altogether. I about texted Dale and suggested he take up asylum in the American embassy until Whole Foods restocked that shizz.)

She would look at her belly and say, “We can’t wait to meet you! Come on!” I’ve never looked at my belly and spoken to it. That’s so weird. Granted I’ve barked at my own fart from time to time, but this was just light years beyond the pale.

RELATED: Dale, Amy Earnhardt welcome baby

So one night when I’m out having my evening cigar and vodka gimlet with the bison, we put our heads together and come up with some possibilities to explain their weird behavior.

1. Maybe dad is nervous because he has another one of those eBay auctions going and he’s currently the highest bidder on a discarded plate of tater tots once eaten by Reb Wickersham or whatever the hell else he hoards in his newfound copious free time.

2. Maybe talking to your own belly is like the most recent new-age hippie shizz that people do like what Danica Patrick was doing when she was charging crystals and all that weirdo Gwyneth-Paltrow-whatever.

3. Dad is just acting nervous because he is going to be in the TV booth for NASCAR on NBC in the very near future. Granted I’ve watched races with him at home and he’s really good at yelling at the TV so I’m sure he’ll be good at calling races. Maybe his sentences will be punctuated with the occasional “HOT DAMN!” and “BOY HOWDY!” like they are at home.

4. That gorgeous new room they put in the house with all the pink draperies and that really nice open-top dog cage is all mine for being a very good boy all these years. (NOTE: I’M TOLD IT IS CALLED A ‘CRIB’)

So we go about our business and then suddenly one day out of nowhere they’re all like “It’s time!” and they just leave. They run out the door like me after a jerky truck. And they’re just gone. No explanation. No, “Hey, while we’re gone Gus is in charge.” Nothing.

MORE: Dale Jr. documents fatherhood, shares week one stories

So OK, when your parents suddenly leave the house, what do you do? THROW A RAGER, THAT’S WHAT. I book a DJ and begin filling the swimming pool with Gravy Train. Calling my homeys. It’s like the start of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin & Juice” video. I try to get Migos to come by. Like, we’re getting turnt AF tonight.

Then I look out the window. Junebug, the bison and various deer start gathering beneath the treehouse like it’s Pride Rock and and one of the deer starts singing the opening lines to “Circle Of Life,” I’m like ‘OK, why am I always the last to know things around here?’ Do you have any idea how pissed off Migos gets when you gotta cancel on them? Hint: A lot. Thanks, dad. Whatever the hell you’re doing caused me to set Clint Bowyer’s flamethrower to the bridge between myself and MIGOS.

FREAKIN’ MIGOS. Whatever.

So suddenly I see them rolling down the driveway. They pull up and get out of the car. And they’re like, ecstatic and carrying something wrapped in a blanket that I’m really hoping is maybe a honeybaked ham because I’m hungry and I haven’t eaten since I had to cancel on Migos.

It’s not a ham. It’s a small human. The smallest human I have ever seen. And I’ve hung out with Justin Allgaier at the shop.

It’s a tiny girl named Isla, but they tell me the “s” is silent so whenever I bark her name I make sure not to pronounce it.

When they first got me the first thing they had me do was poop in Martin Truex Jr.’s motorcoach. They haven’t done that with her yet. Not to my knowledge, at least.

She seems to sleep most of the day. Now THIS I am all about. Her and I already have something in common. Except she has this weird swing device they put her in when she wants to sleep. I have tried climbing into it to try it out when she isn’t using it, and I knock the thing over. I’m like the size of Chewbacca now. I feel like Andre The Giant trying to climb into a soap dish.

Anyways, we’re getting along great right now. And I’m told that soon she’ll be sitting in something called a “high chair” when she’s eating food and likely dropping like 85 percent of it on the ground so basically every day gonna be like my birthday. Nah, really, she’s cool, even if she doesn’t really know any tricks yet aside from crying and getting a butt-ton of likes on Instagram.

Anyways, off to hopefully mend fences with Migos. Until next time.

 — Gus

Posted on by David Smith

Chase Elliott ranks 11th in overall speed through 12 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, but just 19th in laps led. He averages a finish eight positions better in races with less than the normal amount of restarts than he does in races with an excessive number. Hendrick Motorsports is experiencing a down season, yes, but the organization’s struggles don’t fully explain away its fastest driver’s troubles.

Elliott’s restarting might be the pain point in question. His 26.1 percent retention from the non-preferred groove ranks 19th among drivers with at least 10 attempts and represents a 32.2 percent drop from his clip last year. This cost him 39 positions across the initial one-third of the season.

RELATED: Four drivers closing in on wins

Ultimately, this is an area that will require attention and may improve as the season rolls forward; however, a more immediate fix is on the horizon.

Two of Elliott’s best tracks, based on average finish, will soon surface on the schedule. Michigan (in four career starts, his average finish is 3.5) and Chicagoland (a 2.5-place average in two starts) can provide relief. Elliott has an affinity for these facilities, and more importantly, these tracks host three races during a 10-race span that featured less than the average number of restarts in 2017. In fact, nine of the next 10 races (Daytona is the exception) fit this profile.

What better way to alleviate Elliott’s problem with restarts than by mitigating the number of restarts?

PHOTOS: Chase Elliott through the years

Omitting restarts, Elliott is Hendrick’s most productive results-getter this season, ranking the highest of its four drivers in Production in Equal Equipment Rating. Elliott ranks eighth in the series overall, third among winless drivers (after Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson) and holds the lowest percentage of laps completed inside the top 15 (64.2 percent) among the top 11 in PEER.

His car’s 11th-place ranking in speed is down from his sixth-place ranking last season, part of an organization-wide drop that’s also plagued seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, whose No. 48 Chevrolet dropped from ninth to 12th.

Beyond Elliott, here are three more drivers with brighter days ahead.

Ryan Blaney smiling in the garage
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Ryan Blaney

Blaney led 118 laps in the Daytona 500 and crashed on what should have been the final lap. He led 100 laps at Bristol and crashed on Lap 119. He led 54 laps at Kansas and crashed on Lap 249. He had the seventh-fastest car in the Coca-Cola 600 until it erupted in flames, the result of an engine failure.

As far as circumstances within his control go, Blaney’s 0.54 per-race crash rate is the third highest in the series, trailing only Jamie McMurray (0.62) and Trevor Bayne (0.55). This paints Blaney as an excessive crasher, but a quick look at his crash history indicates an aberration; in three seasons at the Monster Energy Series level, only one of them saw him amass a crash rate higher than the series average. In 13 NASCAR Xfinity Series races last season, he didn’t crash at all. His crash rate should dissipate as the season progresses, allowing for more finishes indicative of his performance.

PHOTOS: Relive Blaney’s Pocono win

Blaney has been fantastic on restarts. Among drivers with at least 10 restart attempts from the non-preferred groove, his 61.5 percent retention rate ranks as the third best, while his 29 positions earned via preferred groove restarts are the fifth-highest total by any driver. His long-run passing presents a challenge; that issue, though, isn’t typically a race-ender when considering his average starting spot (9.5) falls inside the top 10 (he started fifth or better in six of the first 13 races), regularly providing him strong initial track position.

Kurt Busch in the garage.
David Becker | Getty Images

Kurt Busch

Busch’s No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford ranks as the fourth fastest in the Monster Energy Series. More importantly, it ranks as the fourth fastest in the final quarter of a race. In both respects, his is the fastest car without a victory.

It’s perplexing, as his peripheral numbers suggest he’s a threat to traffic inside the restart window. He ranks first in position retention on non-preferred groove restarts (68.2 percent) and third in retention from the preferred groove (91.3), leading to 43 positions gained. While his passing outside the restart window has been sub-par — he scored positive adjusted pass differentials in just three races — his results haven’t reflected the problem; his average finish is actually better in races with less than the average amount of restarts (12.4) than it is with eight or more (13.6) and 10 or more (15.0).

One would assume a race might eventually break in his favor, and the summer schedule provides some opportunities.

Kentucky (12.9), Sonoma (14.1) and Pocono (14.2) represent three of Busch’s five best race tracks based on career average finish and comprise four of the next eight races. Interestingly, none of these tracks hosted races that featured more than the series-average number of restarts last year. In a peculiar twist, the races that suit Busch best aren’t the ones that put his best driving attribute — restarts — to full use.

Considering the weird disconnect between his effort and results so far in 2018, this twist feels at home with Busch. He’s good, his team is good and, somehow, they must to do something beyond their repertoire’s brilliance to prove it.

Clint Bowyer smiles on pit road at Dover.
NASCAR Digital Media

Clint Bowyer

Bowyer’s 10.8-place average finish through Charlotte would suffice as the best of his career if it were to hold for the remainder of the season, and his victory at Martinsville secured him a playoff spot. Still, results could’ve been better as the 39-year-old driver has drawn some unlucky lane assignments during late-race restarts.

He restarted from inside the top 14 a total of seven times during “red zone” situations, or the final one-tenth of a race. On five of those occasions, he drew the non-preferred groove. He lost one spot with 21 laps to go while running ninth at Bristol, while Aric Almirola, restarting 10th and to Bowyer’s outside, gained three positions. Bowyer rallied to finish eighth, but Almirola, ranked 23rd in the series for position retention on preferred groove restarts, went on to score a sixth-place finish, propelled by fortunate placement on the final restart of the race.

PHOTOS: Bowyer through the years

There was a 79 percent difference in restart retention percentage between the outside and inside rows at Bristol.

Bowyer’s poor luck didn’t end there. He drew the non-preferred groove on all three red zone restarts at Richmond, and despite gaining a spot on the Lap 379 restart, his progress was stymied when he lost three spots, while restarting sixth, during an overtime attempt. He finished ninth; had he restarted seventh instead of sixth, his chances of retention would’ve been 50 percent greater.

Eventually, lane distribution should normalize for him as the season unfolds, but an average finish this good despite 71 percent of his red zone restarts emanating from the non-preferred groove is a testament to his team’s strength heading into the summer months.

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

Posted on by Pat DeCola

For most of Kurt Busch’s life, his hometown of Las Vegas was devoid of any major league professional sports.

So when, at the age of 39, you finally get to root for a hometown franchise — and it somehow makes the Stanley Cup Finals in its first year of existence — you get super, super hyped, apparently.

I mean, who can blame him?

The 2017-18 expansion team Vegas Golden Knights, based on the history of basically every expansion team ever, should have no business being in the playoffs, much less battling for the Stanley Cup — but they are. It’s one of the best overall sports stories of the century thus far, win or lose.

So, of course, Busch is pumped up.

We’re happy for Busch (though his antics didn’t spark a win for the team, as it lost to the Washington Capitals, 3-2.)

And we’re even happier that all of this has resulted in this great, new “Super Hype Kurt” meme.

 

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR has updated its qualifying procedures for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to use team owner points as the primary basis for awarding provisional starting berths when more than the maximum 32 trucks are entered in a given race.

The change shifts from the current system of using qualifying attempts as the main determining factor in assigning provisional starting spots. The procedural update, which was to be communicated to teams Wednesday afternoon, is scheduled to go into effect for the series’ July 12 race at Kentucky Speedway.

Brad Moran, the Camping World Truck Series’ managing director, said the change was intended to emphasize teams’ performance over their number of starts. The update aims to eliminate barriers to participation for start-up and part-time teams by creating performance-based incentives within the provisional system.

“Back in the day, it probably made a lot of sense,” Moran said, “but where we’re at today with the new NT1 engine and new teams wanting to participate and wanting to grow, it didn’t give them that opportunity unless they came to every single race, and we want to put the best field in front of the fans and put the best race on we can. For the last couple years, we’ve seen that unfortunately some quality trucks went home and we want to try to avoid that if possible.”

The rules update will also affect how the series sets the starting lineup in the event of inclement weather.

Currently, positions 1-26 are set by team owner points, with the remaining six spots going to former driver and owner champions, driver and owner race winners (if not otherwise qualified) and team owner race attempts. In the new format, owner points will determine positions 1-25, with the 26th and 27th spots going to the fastest two drivers from combined practices. The remaining positions will go to eligible former champions and winners as with the current process, but with owner points having priority over attempts in the criteria.

“The weather portion, you get a lot of good teams that come with sponsorship and buy all their tires and they’re there to really participate and try to win the race,” Moran says. “Basically they would spend all that money and the way it was structured, if that weather came and it rained that they had no opportunity to make the show, so that was really spending good money for bad. That was obviously keeping some people home and looking at weather and looking at the forecast and so on. …

“So, really if you have six new trucks show up for any particular event, they know if we get on track for even one practice session, they know they have an opportunity to make that show if they’re the fastest two of the six, where really they had no opportunity in the past.”

Moran said NASCAR competition officials have moved forward with the rules bulletin to get a head-start on full-season implementation in the Camping World Truck Series for 2019. Four races are scheduled over a five-week span to give teams time to adjust before the rules debut at Kentucky in July.

“They’ve put big efforts into this part of the year and we want that to continue, so we didn’t want to flip a switch on,” Moran said. “We felt it would be fair to the industry to give it a runway and not make it too long a runway because it was an initiative that we wanted to do, because we feel it’s going to improve the look of the series and the quality of our series.”