Posted on by Holly Cain

TALLADEGA, Ala. – In the waning laps of Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway it became evident the only question of the finish was which Ford driver would hoist the big trophy.

As it had for much of the race, the Ford entries appeared like a high-speed train with alternate conductors. Thirteen times and for 126 of the race’s 188 laps, seven Ford drivers led the pack on the Talladega high banks.

Team Penske’s Joey Logano collected his third Talladega win holding off fellow Ford Fusion drivers. Six of the top-seven finishers drove a Ford with Chevrolet’s Chase Elliott (third place) feeling very much the lone outsider in a Chevrolet.

RELATED: Race results | Point standings after Dega | Power Rankings

Kurt Busch’s runner-up finish was his best of the season. His Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick was fourth, followed by last year’s race winner, Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in fifth. David Ragan and Aric Almirola finished sixth and seventh – Ragan scoring his best effort of the year for himself and his Front Row Motorsports team.

“There at the end you work together as much as you can,’’ Logano acknowledged. “You just want to make sure a Ford wins, and you hope it’s you, but you try to do the right thing as well.

“I had some Stewart‑Haas cars behind me which aren’t necessarily teammates, but with the Ford performance relationship, it’s the closest thing that I’m ever going to have to it. I was thankful to have them behind me.”

Logano’s own Team Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney had also been part of the Ford train for most of the day, but were caught up in the Talladega “Big One” with 23 laps remaining. Keselowski – who led four times for 21 laps – tied a season low finish of 33rd. Blaney was 18th — his No. 12 Ford was not as damaged as his teammate’s and he was able to finish the race.

RELATED: ‘Big One’ involves 14 cars at Talladega | ‘Rearview Mirror’ recaps Talladega

“The one thing that I do know is that the Fords were all really fast, all of us were really fast,’’ SHR’s Aric Almirola said.

Ford has now won the last six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega, seven of the last eight and nine of the last 12. More so than any other type of racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, restrictor plate tracks involve some form of teamwork. Sometimes that’s a matter of opportunity and convenience, no matter what engine is powering the car. But on Sunday, it looked very much like a coordinated effort.

Elliott would vouch for that.

“When its five to go, no one cares the shape of your hood or whose got what manufacturer,’’ Elliott said.

“Last few laps [I] was really trying to make a run and do something there at the end.  Those guys [the Ford drivers] were being awfully patient with one another. I was very surprised. I mean, it was more than obvious that they were not going to help me move forward.’’

The result was not only a good Sunday afternoon for Ford, but a strong reinforcement in the season’s points standings.

Six of the top 10 and five of the top-six drivers in the championship standings drive Fords. Logano remains in second place but made up some definite ground on points leader Kyle Busch. The victory helped cut the deficit from 56 to 30 points heading into Dover International Speedway next week.

MORE: Logano’s 4-month-old has racer-like trait | Logano’s son makes first trip to Victory Lane

Three-time winner Harvick moved into third place, but is still 81 points behind Busch. His SHR teammate Bowyer dropped a spot to fourth place. The day’s biggest mover was Kurt Busch, who vaulted four positions in the standings to fifth thanks to his runner-up finish. Brad Keselowski dropped a spot to sixth

Ford has won five of the season’s 10 races compared to Toyota (four) and Chevrolet (one).

“You try to find those guys that have common interests and I would say our relationship with Stewart‑Haas and with Roush Fenway, we have a common goal: we want Ford to be in Victory Lane,’’ Logano’s crew chief Todd Gordon said. “We want our own Ford to be in Victory Lane, but we all want Ford to be there.

“You look to work with the guys that you know have similar stuff to you and have similar interests. That’s a relationship that, as Ford brought Stewart‑Haas into the mix, they continue to push us to make our stuff better. We see that. When Kevin outruns us, there’s no excuses. Same motor, same body spec. We have work to do.

“It’s a great relationship where we can push each other to be better.”

And on Sunday, to be the best.

Posted on by NASCAR.com

Name: Rosemary
Current City: Mooresville, North Carolina
Member since: 2011 

Getting to know Rosemary:

Why did you join the Official NASCAR Fan Council?
“I joined because I wanted to make a difference in the NASCAR Community. I wanted to express my opinion to NASCAR and not from my couch.”

How did you first become interested in NASCAR?
“I went to a race in Dover back in 2003 and sat in a Dale Jr. section, but was not really a Jr. fan because I didn’t want to be a bandwagon fan. Instead, I decided I was going to pick a rookie. Without seeing or know anything about any of the rookies, I picked Kasey Kahne as my driver. I live in Mooresville, North Carolina and Kasey’s shop is right down the street from where I live so I can stop in there anytime which is great.”

What makes NASCAR special for you?
“I just love the atmosphere when you’re at the track. It’s like one big family outing and getting to see, hear and smell the cars as they go by is just an amazing feeling. There is no other sport where you can be right up front to the action near your favorite driver.”

Do you have any favorite NASCAR memories or traditions?
“There are so many memories from going to the Daytona 500 and walking the track to going to Indy and watching them kiss the brick. My favorite track is Charlotte – it’s my home track and getting to see all the drivers at the track and the shops just makes it special.”

If you could go to any NASCAR race/track, where would you go?
“Talladega.”

Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?
Driver: “Kasey Kahne.”
Track: “Charlotte Motor Speedway.”
Memorabilia: “All my stuff that is signed by Kasey Kahne.”

Where is your dream car?
“Ford Mustang Convertible.”

From all of us at NASCAR, we thank Rosemary for her continued support and look forward to hearing from her in 2018.

Posted on by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and wife Amy have welcomed daughter Isla Rose Earnhardt into the world. The happy mom announced the news on Twitter early Tuesday morning.

MORE: It’s a girl! Earnhardts welcome Isla Rose | Photos: Dale, Amy through the years

It didn’t take long for well-wishes to pour in from the NASCAR community. Read on for heartfelt reaction to the birth, and stay for the touching video Dirty Mo Media prepared in advance.

And have a tissue or two ready.

Posted on by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr. now has a new mission in life. “Everything I do will be for her and Amy,” Earnhardt Jr. tweeted of his new daughter, Isla Rose Earnhardt, who was born on April 30. He and wife Amy Earnhardt announced Ms. Isla’s arrival on Tuesday morning via Twitter.

PHOTOS: Amy, Dale through time

Earnhardt Jr. has long spoken about his excitement in becoming a father. The day finally came, and was preceded by months of social media updates. Junior made consistent posts on the size of the baby. Amy posted videos of her talking long walks in the days leading up to the birth, something expectant mothers often day as a tool to help initiate the labor.

And now, Little E is born one day after what would have been Dale Earnhardt’s 67th birthday.

“It’s a new beginning,” Earnhardt Jr. tweeted.

That it is, Junior. Enjoy the ride.

MORE: Drivers react, send well wishes | Amy breaks the news

Posted on by Staff Report

Richard Petty Motorsports announced a partnership on Tuesday morning that will see World Wide Technology (WWT) serve as a primary sponsor for six races with Darrell Wallace Jr. and the No. 43 team starting next weekend at Kansas Speedway (May 12, 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Additional races include Sonoma (June 24), Indianapolis (Sept. 9), Las Vegas (Sept. 16), Charlotte’s road course (Sept. 30) and Dover (Oct. 7).

A rendering of the No. 43 World Wide Technology Chevrolet
Image courtesy of Richard Petty Motorsports

“I’m really into technology in my personal life and this partnership makes perfect sense for myself and our race team,” Wallace Jr. said in a team release. “World Wide Technology will bring a whole new set of tools to our race team that we can directly translate into speed in our cars. The amount of data they can collect and analyze for us will give us an advantage and help us with our entire process of setting up the car on a race weekend.”

RELATED: Wallace earns runner-up finish in Daytona 500

As part of the partnership, World Wide Technology will be the Technology and Analytics Partner for Richard Petty Motorsports. In addition, the organization will provide data analytics consulting and technology solutions focused on helping improve team performance.

“Technology is always changing in our sport. The amount of data available and collected by teams during test sessions and race weekends is staggering and could be overwhelming. Our partnership with World Wide Technology will help ensure our team maximizes the knowledge available in this collection of data so we stay ahead of what’s happening in our sport,” Brian Moffitt, chief executive officer, Richard Petty Motorsports, said in a team release.

PHOTOS: Career highlights for Bubba

Petty said that WWT’s ability to accentuate performance for RPM and technical ally Richard Childress Racing was an attractive component of the partnership.

“That’s the trade-off. I think the technology part will probably be more than the monetary part,” Petty said, “because we’ve had the information, we just don’t know what to do with it. These guys are supposed to be able to dissect it for us and say, ‘OK, this is the way this needs to be.’ We’re forward to them helping us and helping RCR also.”

The No. 43 Chevrolet and team members will bear WWT branding and Silicon Valley in St. Louis messaging for races sponsored by the St. Louis-based company that is worth more than $10 billion in annual revenue.

Wallace enters this weekend’s race at Dover International Speedway (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) 22nd in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings and in the midst of a Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle with William Byron.

RELATED: Wallace’s ‘authentic personality’ helping RPM open sponsorship doors

Posted on by Staff Report

Since announcing a “baby Earnhardt” was on the way in October 2017, Dale Jr. and wife Amy have had the racing community eagerly awaiting the arrival of their baby girl.

And now, the countdown is over.

MORE: Dale and Amy through the years | Dale Jr.: ‘So blessed’

The happy couple welcomed Isla Rose Earnhardt on April 30, the first child for both, revealing the baby’s birth on Tuesday morning.


Dale Jr. has been open about his excitement to enter the fatherhood fraternity throughout the pregnancy. Sharing his thoughts on social media, the former driver has given fans an inside look into the couple’s experience. He even gave updates on the size of the baby throughout the trimesters on Twitter.

RELATED: Drivers send well wishes | How Amy told Dale Jr. she was expecting

The baby was born the day after what would have been Dale Earnhardt’s 67th birthday.

In an interview on the Dan Patrick Show, he talked about how quickly his life has changed since hanging up the fire suit at the end of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

“You’re driving 200 mph last year and now you’re going to try to put a baby seat in a Suburban — what happened to you, Junior,” Patrick quipped at Earnhardt, who laughed.

“I’m becoming a father,” he said.

Earnhardt Jr., who is 43, and Amy wed on New Year’s Eve in 2016.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

Editor’s note: The NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing series resumes at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 8 at Kansas.

This week marks an important time in iRacing: Dale Earnhardt Jr. returned to the virtual track after a multi-year hiatus, to the delight of many.

Dale Jr. on dirt? We’ll wait here patiently while he announces his plans to run the Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora this summer. Fingers crossed. C’mon, Dale.

Don’t get too excited, though — Dale and Amy have a baby on the way. We’d imagine it’s tough to squeeze in iRacing races amidst father duties, media obligations with his new job at NBC Sports, and running a four-car Xfinity Series team.

Through a screenshot he tweeted, Myatt Snider found that iRacers seem to be fans of his — or at least his No. 13 Camping World Truck Series Toyota Tundra. We counted six Myatt trucks in a row in a race at Talladega.

NASCAR PEAK ANTIFREEZE IRACING SERIES UPDATE

Three-time NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series champ Ray Alfalla claimed his first victory of 2018, defending his 2017 victory at Richmond Raceway Tuesday night. Ryan Luza, chasing his third consecutive win, led much of the race, until Alfalla set sail late and won by a half second over the fastest iRacer in Texas.

With 15 cautions, it wasn’t the most glamorous race of the season. The top four finishers — Alfalla, Luza, rookie Keegan Leahy, and Matt Bussa — were the only drivers fortunate enough to leave with clean (virtual) cars.

Watch the race recap:

The top iRacers head to Kansas Speedway May 8 for the sixth race of the 18-race season.

iRACING PAINT SCHEMES OF THE WEEK

Want to be like NASCAR.com’s @nascarcasm?

Jordan Davis-Flint re-created John Hunter Nemechek’s Talladega-pit-entry-spinning No. 42 NASCAR Xfinity Series Chevrolet Camaro for iRacing.

Thomas S. brought Kevin Harvick’s famous Talladega flannel-themed Busch paint scheme to life in iRacing, too, if you’re into that sort of thing.

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME

The Richmond race in the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series was a race of attrition and crunched race car pixels, as many short track races go.

How about Bobby Zalenski’s avoidance of the Big One at Richmond?

Zalenski picked up ten spots — going from 22nd to 12th — swerving around the carnage of this particularly big crash. Masterful stuff. Or, maybe a little dangerous. We haven’t decided which.

Posted on by Brad Norman

A number is more than just a number to drivers.

It’s how they are identified. It’s how their fans separate them from others.

Every driver and team has a specific look to the individual numbers painted across the cars. The “2” for Team Penske isn’t the same “2” used at Joe Gibbs Racing.

On Monday, a fan tweeted at Alex Bowman looking for answers after he noticed the “88”  run by the 25-year-old racer isn’t the same “88” Dale Earnhardt Jr. used while he was behind the wheel.

Alex Bowman's '88' leans backward on his Nationwide car.
Alex Bowman’s ’88’ leans backward. Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Junior wasn’t just trying to be different from his Hendrick Motorsport teammates with his unique style. Rather, he was just holding true to the advice his father gave him long ago.

If you want to move forward, your car needs to lean, too.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s '88' leaned forward on his Nationwide car.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s ’88’ leaned forward. Jerry Markland | Getty Images

Sometimes it’s more than just a simple number.

Posted on by Staff Report

Joey Logano’s win Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway likely will be one he’ll never forget. It wasn’t the Team Penske driver’s first win, of course, but it was his first victory since becoming a father in January — and the first trip to Victory Lane for son Hudson.

Hudson likely will be in plenty more Victory Lane images through the years, as his dad is one of the top drivers in NASCAR.

MORE: Top photos from weekend

And if Hudson decides he wants to drive a race car on his own some day, well, his dad is fine with that. The nearly 4-month-old actually has a trait that makes Joey Logano think he’d fit in right now.

“He’s not a real easy baby, which means he’ll probably be a really good race car driver because he cries a lot,” Logano said with a laugh. “He’ll fit right in here.”

Who ever said there was no crying in racing?

WATCH: Loganos react in Victory Lane

Posted on by Reid Spencer

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Kyle Busch recovered from a pit-road speeding penalty at the end of the second stage of Sunday’s GEICO 500, but he couldn’t shake off the effects of a 14-car wreck with 22 laps left in the race.

RELATED: Full race results | Driver standings

Busch came to Talladega Superspeedway seeking a fourth straight victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Instead, he fell victim to the same “Talladega curse” that ended the winning streaks of three NASCAR Hall of Famers.

Bobby Allison (1972), Dale Earnhardt (1987) and Rusty Wallace (1993) all came to Talladega with victory strings of three races or more and failed to extend their streaks at Talladega. Now you can add Kyle Busch to that list.

MORE: All-time NASCAR national series winners

“Once we got in that wreck, it was over, but we had a decent car up until then,” said Busch, who finished 13th. “We got the car handling better all day long, and every adjustment we made to it was an improvement and gave us more on the race track, but we just lack speedway speed.”

Both Busch and Kevin Harvick have won three consecutive races this season. Harvick’s string ran out at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.