Posted on by Staff Report

Hertz will put you in the driver’s seat, but we’re not quite sure if their upgrade options include a chance to drive William Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. At any rate, it’s a pretty cool car, and Byron tweeted out the new scheme after the announcement that Hertz will be a primary sponsor for the No. 24 for multiple races in 2018 and 2019 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

RELATED: Byron adds Hertz as primary sponsor

Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C. — The Hertz Corporation, one of the world’s largest vehicle rental companies, has joined 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports as a primary sponsor of leading rookie of the year contender William Byron and his iconic No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team beginning in 2018.

As part of the two-year agreement, Hertz will be primary sponsor of the No. 24 team in four points-paying Cup Series races in both 2018 and 2019 and an associate-level partner in all other events. Additionally, Hertz will sponsor Byron in the non-points 2018 NASCAR All-Star Race weekend events at the driver’s hometown track of Charlotte Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Byron reveals new paint scheme

“We’re incredibly excited about the opportunity to join Hendrick Motorsports and sponsor William Byron and his No. 24 team,” said Hertz chief marketing officer Jodi Allen. “This is a perfect partnership. Hendrick Motorsports has a proven legacy of winning in an incredibly popular and iconic sport. Hertz is also an iconic brand with a 100-year history of success delivering superior service to car rental customers. At Hertz, ‘we’re here to get you there,’ whether that’s to a NASCAR event, business meeting or vacation destination.”

The Hertz Corporation operates three leading rental car brands — Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty — each dedicated to supporting travelers with top-rated vehicles and exceptional customer service. Hertz offers an array of products and services, including the award-winning Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® loyalty program, which provides a fast and seamless rental experience, as well as Ultimate Choice®, which allows customers at more than 55 top U.S. airports to choose the car that is right for them. Hertz also has a large and diverse fleet featuring a mix of vehicles from the company’s Adrenaline, Dream Cars®, Green Traveler and Prestige collections.

“We’re pleased to welcome Hertz as a new partner,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “It’s a tremendous organization that has a worldwide footprint and does a lot of good in the community through its Hertz Giving initiatives. With William and the No. 24 program, we see numerous opportunities to work together to positively impact their company and brand. All of us look forward to collaborating with the entire Hertz team.”

Byron, 20, leads the 2018 Cup Series rookie of the year standings after 12 races. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native is coming off winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2017 — a season that included wins at Iowa, ISM Raceway and the historic venues of Daytona and Indianapolis, where he became the youngest winner of a major race in the track’s 108-year history.

“It’s really special that a leading brand like Hertz has so much confidence in me,” Byron said. “It motivates me to continue working hard and doing everything I can to make sure we deliver results for them. I’m happy to welcome Hertz to the Hendrick Motorsports family and look forward to having a lot of success with them in the months and years ahead.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR has handed down five penalties for a flurry of rear-window violations this season, hitting teams with fines, points deductions and suspensions to key personnel.

After the most recent — the third such sanction in the last two weekends — those penalties will soon get tougher.

The Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 team was the latest to draw an L1-grade punishment, absorbing penalties Tuesday for a caved-in roof and rear-window area on the car driven by Kyle Larson in last weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway.

RELATED: More on post-Kansas penalties

With inspections and infractions becoming a growing part of the circuit’s week-to-week operations, Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, said the sanctioning body is exploring more rigid penalties for improper alterations to the rear-window area.

“This issue with the rear windows is really bad for all of us,” Miller told NASCAR.com. “It’s bad for the sport, it’s bad for the broadcasters … it’s bad for the teams, and the reason why this one is so bad is the optics of it. It’s like everybody sees these things. They’re out in the open and it gets all of the negative wheels spinning in directions that we don’t need them spinning in.

“So what we plan on doing is, moving forward, any of these rear window penalties, we’re probably going to ramp it up to the high end of the L1 scale. We’ve kind of been in the middle and if we need to ramp it up further than that to where we get this under control and stop (this), then we’re prepared to go further. So yeah, we will change our stance on this because this needs to stop.”

So far this season, penalties for such violations have fallen in the middle range of the NASCAR Rule Book’s L1 guidelines, which span fines of $25,000 to $75,000, car chief suspensions from one to three races and points deductions from 10 to 40 points.

Miller has spent part of his career on the opposite end of rule book enforcement, serving as a crew chief for multiple teams before joining NASCAR’s competition department. The trend of searching for aerodynamic advantages in the rear window area may be a relatively recent development, but the ongoing practice of teams trying to exploit gray areas in the rules is not.

“There’s performance there, so they’re going to try to get it as close to the edge as they can,” Miller says. “When you do that, you always run the risk of it running afoul when things happen out there on the race track. It’s like the dynamics of the race track are fairly hard to predict and when you’re pushing the envelope with the strength of that structure, things can go wrong in a hurry.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR handed down an L1-grade penalty Tuesday to the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet team of Kyle Larson for an improper rear window support discovered in post-race inspection after last weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway.

The No. 42 team was found in violation of Sections 20.4.h (vehicle body) and 20.4.8.1.b&c (rear window support and structure) in the 2018 NASCAR Rule Book, with the rear window not flush to the rear deck lid and the rear window support braces not keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions.

RELATED: Miller: Expect penalties to ramp up

As a result, No. 42 crew chief Chad Johnston was fined $50,000, and car chief David Bryant was suspended from the next two points-paying events on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Bryant will be available this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the non-points Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race.

Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition, told NASCAR.com the violation was similar to other technical infractions found earlier in the season. Those punishments included penalties for a bowed roof on the Las Vegas-winning No. 4 Ford of Kevin Harvick in March, a rear-window penalty to the No. 9 team after Texas in April, and last week’s sanctions to the No. 14 and No. 19 teams for similar unapproved bodies earlier this month at Dover.

“The industry has kind of seen a rash of this type of thing lately with the rear windows,” Miller said. “The teams have obviously found some performance in that area and they’re kind of pushing the envelope, not to say that anyone wants their stuff to come back looking like that and be illegal, but they’ve obviously found performance and they’re pushing the envelope, and when you do that, sometimes it pushes over the edge. I think that’s the case with this one and the case with the other ones we’ve had here recently with the rear window violations. It’s kind of more of the same.”

The penalty takes away the benefit of the playoff point Larson earned with his stage win at Kansas. The team was also docked 20 points from the drivers’ and car owners’ standings. The penalty drops Larson from 10th to 11th in the Monster Energy Series points.

Larson led a race-high 101 laps and finished fourth in Saturday’s KC Masterpiece 400 at the Kansas track, rallying after late-race contact with the No. 12 Ford of Ryan Blaney.

RELATED: All Access of the Blaney-Larson contact | Larson rallies for fourth after contact

Chip Ganassi Racing issued a statement early Tuesday evening, saying that the organization would not appeal the penalty. “Although all parties agree that the infraction was unintentional and the result of contact, we will not appeal the penalty so that we can focus our energy on the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600,” the statement read.

Miller, however, addressed that collision Tuesday, indicating that the No. 42 car’s body deformities were not completely the result of on-track contact.

“We don’t believe that was the entire cause,” Miller told NASCAR.com. “I mean, there’s a possibility that it could have exacerbated the situation a little bit, but we have evidence that shows that there were things happening before that contact.”

NASCAR also announced that the Team Penske No. 22 Ford team for driver Joey Logano was penalized for having one lug nut not safely and securely mounted in a post-race check. Competition officials issued a $10,000 fine to No. 22 crew chief Todd Gordon for the safety infraction.

Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C.  (May 15, 2018) – Leavine Family Racing and Dumont GROUP will debut a special throwback-inspired paint scheme aboard Kasey Kahne’s No. 95 Camaro ZL1 for the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Kahne’s Dumont JETS Camaro ZL1 is sure to bring back memories for his fans who helped vote him into the 2008 All-Star Race thanks to the Fan Vote. Kahne is the only driver who has won the fan vote for the event and then gone on to win the million-dollar payout in the non-points event.

RELATED: All-Star Race: What you need to know | All-time All-Star Race winners | Eligible All-Star Race drivers

“It was so awesome that the fans voted us into the All-Star race back in 2008,” recalls Kahne. “It really was special to get voted into the race, and then to have a great car to be able to drive our way to the front in order to make strategy calls that put us in position to win. Our paint scheme for this weekend looks so similar to that scheme we ran in 2008’s event, that it’s been cool to see it in the shop as the guys have been getting ready for this weekend. I’m looking forward to racing it this weekend, and hopefully the paint scheme can bring us the same result we had 10 years ago.”

Kasey Kahne performs a burnout after winning the 2008 NASCAR All-Star Race.
Kevin C. Cox | Getty Images

Dumont JETS will be featured as a primary sponsor for the first time in NASCAR. The full-service aircraft charter, sales, maintenance and parts organization began its partnership with LFR at the start of the 2018 season. Dumont JETS has associate partner branding for the season aboard the No.95 and will also have a primary paint scheme at Dover in October.

“Dumont JETS is excited to have our first primary paint scheme in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this weekend at the All-Star Race,” said Kevin Wargo, Director of Dumont JETS and Dumont GROUP. “We know that fans will enjoy the throw-back scheme as much as we do! We have enjoyed working with Leavine Family Racing and Kasey Kahne, and are looking forward to continuing the partnership on and off the track.”

This year’s Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race will be comprised of four stages: Stage 1 ends on Lap 30; Stage 2 ends on Lap 50; Stage 3 on Lap 70; and Stage 4 on Lap 80. NASCAR Overtime will be in effect for all stages of the event, and stages will not end under a caution. Along with a slightly different format for this year, the rules package the cars will run will be different as well. Restrictor plates will be used, which typically are currently only run at superspeedways. A six-inch high spoiler (with two 12-inch “ears”), a 2014-style splitter on the nose of the cars, as well as aero ducts are also part of the package competitors will be running. This new package for the weekend was created to promote more passing on the track, as well as to tighten the competition. NASCAR ran a similar package on the Xfinity Series cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2017 and the race saw a record number of lead changes.

MORE: Cast your All-Star Race vote

Kahne has competed in 14 All-Star races so far during his career and has earned one win, two top-five finishes, four top-10 finishes, and one pole award in the non-points event. He’s completed 1,121 of 1,313 (85.3 percent) career laps and has led for a total of 69 laps in All-Star Race competition.

The Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race will take place on Saturday, May 19 at 8:00 pm ET. The race will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1, Sirius XM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.

Posted on by Staff Report

Heading into race weekends, NASCAR.com will feature unique aspects of the upcoming race track and race weekend.

This week: The Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race and Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 race take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway. For race tickets, visit NASCAR.com/tickets.

  • Action-Packed Weekend Awaits

The annual Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race absolutely lives up its billing, featuring the sport’s biggest names competing under bright lights in a race that has had only one repeat winner in the last 20 years. And the reward is a cool million dollars.

It doesn’t get much more dramatic than that.

RELATED: Full schedule | All-Star format explained

Kyle Busch is the defending champion in a line of race winners that’s included Kevin Harvick (2007), Kasey Kahne (2008), Kurt Busch (2010), Jamie McMurray (2014) and a seven-time Monster Energy Series champ who’s won the event four times – Jimmie Johnson, the only repeat winner since 1998 and the only repeat winner in Saturday’s field.

This year’s race format is four stages. Stage 1 ends on Lap 30; Stage 2 ends on Lap 50; Stage 3 on Lap 70; and Stage 4 on Lap 80. NASCAR’s overtime rule will be in effect for all four stages – and stages will not end under yellow. Only green flag laps will count in Stage 4.

The event features all the 2017 and 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race winners, former All-Star race winners who are competing full time and all past Monster Energy Series champions competing full time.

Also, the current format allows the winners of all three stages of the Monster Energy Open race to advance as well. Fans will put another driver into the race courtesy of the hugely popular Fan Vote.

  • Star-Studded Affair

The All-Star race isn’t the only place fans will see all stars at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Country music superstar Cole Swindell will be playing the pre-race concert Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

For only $20, fans can upgrade their current ticket and receive a “Golden Ticket” to see the CMA Award winner. There are only a limited number of those Golden Tickets available, but they give early access to the reserved area directly in front of the stage.

And you’ll want to keep your eye on the pre-race festivities. Machine Gun Kelly, an award-winning rapper and actor, will give the command to start the engines. Rampage Jackson, a champion mixed martial artist, will lead the field to green as the honorary pace car driver.

  • Come One, Come All

The annual Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race is regarded as a fantastic opportunity for families to enjoy the best NASCAR has to offer. Charlotte Motor Speedway offers several ticket packages appealing to everyone from a date night to a kid-friendly evening at the races.

Of note: All kids 13-and-under can get a ticket for only $10 with a paid adult admission.

And for those interested in taking in Charlotte’s two-week race offering, there is a “10 Days of NASCAR Thunder” ticket called the “May Mega Pass” that grants admission for Friday’s Camping World Truck Series race, Saturday’s Monster Energy Open and then the $1 million Monster Energy All-Star race.

The pass also includes admission to the Coca-Cola 600 pole night on Thursday, May 24th; the NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco 300 race on Saturday, May 26th; and culminates with the Coca-Cola 600 and pre-race concert featuring the Eli Young Band on Sunday, May 27th.

Fans at home can catch the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race on Saturday, May 19 at 6 p.m. on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The nine drivers who comprise the 2018 NASCAR Next class are no strangers to accolades. This year’s group of emerging stars includes the Rookies of the Year in both the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West, as well the ARCA Rookie of the Year, a former USAC Midget Champion and Lucas Oil Off Road Driver of the Year.

Now in its eighth year, NASCAR Next spotlights the best and brightest young stars in racing. Alumni of the program include current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series stars Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, Gray Gaulding, Erik Jones, Corey LaJoie, Kyle Larson, Daniel Suárez, and Darrell Wallace Jr.

“NASCAR Next highlights emerging talent who have shown the talent and intangibles it takes to achieve success at the highest levels or our sport,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR executive vice president & chief marketing officer. “Alumni of the program are currently making their marks across NASCAR’s three national series and we believe members of this year’s class have potential to do the same.”

RELATED: Get to know the NASCAR Next class

The NASCAR Next selection process includes input from industry executives, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Drivers Council and media members. Drivers must be between the ages of 15-25, aspire to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and show potential — on and off the track — to reach that goal.

The following drivers have been chosen for the 2018 NASCAR Next class:

Anthony Alfredo (@anthonyfalfredo), NASCAR K&N Pro Series East — Driving full-time this year for MDM Motorsports in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Alfredo is also a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The 19-year-old Ridgefield, Connecticut, native recently competed in various late model divisions across the country, driving for JR Motorsports.

Hailie Deegan (@HailieDeegan), NASCAR K&N Pro Series West — The 16-year-old Temecula, California, native returns to Next for a second year, driving for Bill McAnnaly Racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. The daughter of FMX legend and Monster Energy athlete Brian Deegan, Hailie was the 2016 Modified Kart champion in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and was named the Lucas Oil Off Road Driver of the Year.

Riley Herbst (@rileyherbst), ARCA Racing Series — Returning to Next for a second year, Herbst is running full-time for Joe Gibs Racing in the ARCA Racing Series, where he won Rookie of the Year honors a year ago. The 19-year-old Las Vegas native captured his first big-track win last June at Pocono, along with six top fives and 10 top 10s.

Derek Kraus (@derek9kraus), NASCAR K&N Pro Series West — The reigning NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Rookie of the Year, Kraus claimed his first win and a pole award, along with nine top fives and 10 top 10s in 2017. Driving full-time for Bill McAnnaly Racing, the 16-year-old Stratford, Wisconsin, native has already captured a fourth-place finish at New Smyrna and a win at Kern County this year.

Chase Purdy (@chasepurdy12), ARCA Racing Series — Purdy returns to Next for a second year after capturing NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Rookie of the Year honors in 2017. The 18-year-old from Meridian, Mississippi, finished fourth in the standings last year, tallying five top fives and eight top 10s. This year, Purdy is racing full-time in the ARCA Racing Series for MDM Motorsports.

Will Rodgers (@willrodgers65), NASCAR K&N Pro Series — The 23-year-old Maui, Hawaii, native made two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts in 2017 and won them both. Starting on the pole at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma, he finished runner-up to Kevin Harvick. Running all 14 races out west, Rodgers notched nine top fives and 12 top 10’s, finishing fifth overall.

Zane Smith (@zanesmith41), ARCA Racing Series — Back for a second year in Next, Smith, 18, from Huntington Beach, California, has captured his first two career ARCA victories early in 2018 (Nashville and Talladega). Smith finished ninth in the ARCA standings a year ago, posting two poles, seven top fives and 11 top 10s. In his initial foray in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, Smith ran twice in the East, posting top-10 and top-five finishes, and once in the West, scoring another top five.

Tanner Thorson (@Tanner_Thorson) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series — A former USAC Midget Champion, the 22-year-old Thorson brings his dirt racing experience to Next as he prepared to run various Touring Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races throughout the year. The Minden, Nevada, native also ran two ARCA races in 2017, claiming a top-10 finish in just his second series appearance.

Ryan Vargas (@The_Rhino23), NASCAR K&N Pro Series East — Hailing from La Mirada, California, Vargas is competing full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for REV Racing. The 17-year-old finished third overall in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series for California in 2017, racking up two wins, 15 top fives and 23 top 10s. Vargas is also a 2018 NASCAR Drive for Diversity class member.

Since its inception in 2011, 39 of the 51 drivers who have been selected for the program have progressed to compete in one of NASCAR’s three national series, while a quarter have gone on to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

The last four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year winners are NASCAR Next alumni, as are top contenders for the award this year: William Byron and Darrell Wallace, Jr. The last five Sunoco Rookie of the Year winners in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and four of the last five Sunoco Rookie of the Year winners in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are also alumni of the NASCAR Next program.

For more information, visit NASCAR.com/Next and make sure to follow the drivers on Twitter and on the track. Join the social conversation by using #NASCARnext.

Posted on by Brad Norman

It’s been quite a year for Hailie Deegan — and it’s only May.

The 16-year-old kick-started the 2018 season announcing a full-time schedule in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West with powerhouse team Bill McAnally Racing. Just a few months later, Kevin Harvick identified her as one of the sport’s brightest up-and-comers after the two competed against each other at Kern County Raceway in March.

On Tuesday, Deegan was named to the 2018 NASCAR Next class, the second consecutive year she has received the honor. But she isn’t taking a second of the whirlwind adventure for granted, especially since she represents a small minority in the racing community.

WATCH: Deegan, others on growing up racing

“It’s honestly crazy because there’s not many girls out there,” Deegan explained to NASCAR.com. “Let’s face it. There are very, very select ones. Especially ones that can do the off-track work and the on-track. It’s just been a balance between not getting caught up in the media … and focusing on me and my racing. Getting the results. I know everything else will come.”

With the enhanced recognition and attention over the last few months, Deegan has started to embrace her role as a budding star in the sport, who also happens to be a female. It’s an anomaly she takes prides in, but has yet to let define what she wants to be known for among the fans.

Deegan plans on keeping it simple: She wants to be a racer.

MORE: See the other members of 2018 NASCAR Next class

“I am the only girl in the K&N Series,” she said. “There’s the extent where I want to prove to people that I can be just as good as the other guys my age winning. But there’s also the other part, I’m just another racer out here. People don’t even know I’m a girl. My car is white, red and blue. … In the end, the fans see me as another racer until I get out.

“There’s no face that’s there for a girl right now in NASCAR. I think that everyone’s searching for the new face. I think that I’m one of the next coming. … There’s not many. I think it’s really cool being one of the next coming up.”

Having learned how to handle the spotlight from her father, legendary motocross racer Brian Deegan, the California native is taking her career race-by-race. However, she does have a list of goals saved in her phone that she can quickly read over whenever she needs a reminder of what’s on the horizon.

And Deegan hopes she can cross off one specific accomplishment on the list this season.

“… I want to be the first girl to win a K&N race,” she said. “There’s never been a girl in NASCAR history, even in the K&N series, to win a race. I think if I can start from winning a race there then it’ll start rolling the ball to winning races in the next level and the next level.”

MORE: See the new NASCAR Next class in baby photos

Learning from a veteran Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion like Kevin Harvick is one way to help jump-start a career that will give her plenty of opportunities to park in Victory Lane. Deegan spoke with him after he searched out her father’s phone number following the K&N Pro Series West season opener at Kern County Raceway Park in Harvick’s hometown of Bakersfield, California.

“He was like, ‘Hey, I know you guys are leaving right now and I’m trying to leave, but I just wanted to tell you that Hailie is a really good driver,’ ” she said of the conversation with Harvick. “He’s definitely been noticing me more, which does bring all the eyes and attention. But I’m focused on my driving right now. See, that stuff comes just by driving. Just having those moments happen where those drivers do notice just helps that much more.”

Although she finished three spots behind Harvick, who took fourth, the NASCAR Next pilot had him in her rearview mirror for a brief period of time during the event. An experience she can look back on from time-to-time to remind her why all the time, dedication and hard work is worth it.

“It kind of just helped the ball roll,” she said. “It’s just that point of being in the right place at the right time — and I was.”

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Nine up-and-coming drivers have been named to the 2018 NASCAR Next class. This year’s group includes five new drivers revealed Tuesday, joining four returning members from the previous year.

Since the inaugural class was unveiled in 2011, 38 of the 51 drivers who have participated in the program have gone on to compete at the NASCAR national series level. More than a quarter of the drivers have competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, while 13 NASCAR Next alumni have broken into Victory Lane in a NASCAR national series race.

RELATED: Get to know the NASCAR Next class

The following drivers comprise the 2018 NASCAR Next Class:

Anthony Alfredo (@anthonyfalfredo): Fresh off his win in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at South Boston Speedway on May 12, Alfredo enters NASCAR Next for the first time. The 18-year-old from Ridgefield, Connecticut, nicknamed “Fast Pasta,” also earned a pair of victories driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the JR Motorsports Late Model effort in 2017.

Hailie Deegan (@HailieDeegan): Deegan, 16, is from Temecula, California, and drives for Bill McAnally Racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. Deegan has three top-10 finishes in three starts this year. The daughter of former freestyle motocross rider and Monster Energy athlete Brian Deegan is in her second year with NASCAR Next.

MORE: Deegan lets driving do the talking

Riley Herbst (@rileyherbst): In his second year with the program, the 19-year-old from Las Vegas is running full time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the ARCA Racing Series in 2018. Herbst captured his first ARCA victory at Pocono Raceway in 2017. He also has eight top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 16 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts.

Derek Kraus (@derek9kraus): The 16-year-old Stratford, Wisconsin, native is racing in his second full-time season with Bill McAnally Racing, capturing a win at Kern County Speedway by beating Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race.

Chase Purdy (@chasepurdy12): Purdy, 18, returns to NASCAR Next for a second year, driving for MDM Motorsports in a full 2018 ARCA Racing Series season. The Meridian, Mississippi, native earned five top fives, eight top 10s and four poles on his way to placing fourth in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points standings in 2017.

Will Rodgers (@willrodgers65): The 23-year-old Solvang, California, native has received praise from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick for his driving ability early on in his career. Rodgers entered two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East events in 2017 — Watkins Glen and New Jersey Motorsports Park — winning on both occasions. His path to NASCAR has drawn comparisons to that of fellow California native and seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

Zane Smith (@zanesmith41): Another California kid in this NASCAR Next class, the 18-year-old is also “California cool” — on and off the race track. Returning for a second year in the Next initiative, Smith has earned two victories in the ARCA Racing Series in 2018 — Nashville and Talladega.

Tanner Thorson (@Tanner_Thorson): This 22-year-old will race anything and everything. The Minden, Nevada, native is a former USAC Midget Champion and currently is running various touring series races throughout the year. Thorson also made his maiden NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Dover earlier this year. This dirt-track racing expert bleeds racing because when he’s not competing in a race, he’s driving to one.

Ryan Vargas (@The_Rhino23): Vargas, 17, is a full-time driver for Rev Racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. The La Mirada, California, native has one top-10 finish and ranks fourth in the points standings in 2018.

Each of the nine — whether they’re new or returning class members — share a common goal: Climbing the NASCAR ladder to the national series level. After establishing a solid foundation for the next steps in her NASCAR career in 2017, Deegan says she’s eager to build upon the relationships she developed, while also letting her personality shine.

“Now that I can see a lot of faces in the NASCAR world and meet a lot of new people, it’s helped out with sponsor opportunities and getting noticed,” Deegan told NASCAR.com. “I think I have made a base from last year with sponsor deals and meeting new people, but I think just expanding those relationships and making some new content to show my personality more. I feel like last year was to try to get noticed and get my name around, but now I’m able to show who I am more.”

Rodgers is looking forward to the fruits the program has to offer in order to spring his blossoming racing career to the next level in his first year with NASCAR Next.

“What I hope to gain most is a new presence in the sport,” Rodgers told NASCAR.com. “(Being a part of the program) not only holds clout in itself, but (helps) to hopefully understand the business side of things a little bit better. That will hopefully move my program forward, not only on the race track, but away from the race track. Being part of NASCAR Next will be very influential on what I’m doing on that business side.”

MORE: Young photos of 2018 NASCAR Next class

The newest class kicks off the eighth year for the industry initiative, as NASCAR Next alumni Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Kyle Larson, Daniel Suárez and Darrell Wallace Jr. all find themselves competing full time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

The past four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookies of the Year are also NASCAR Next alumni — Larson (2014), Brett Moffitt (2015), Elliott (2016) and Jones (2017). Former NASCAR Next drivers Byron and Wallace also are in the hunt for 2018 Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the Monster Energy Series.

The NASCAR Next program was created with the goal of establishing credibility and marketplace awareness, focusing on sculpting potential future stars of the sport. The drivers taking part in the initiative have proven they are capable of success on the race track, and this program gives them the opportunity to stand out among the competition when striving to gain attention of the industry, sponsors, media and fans.

Members will be able to receive invaluable benefits in their association with NASCAR Next, including media training, driver brand development, photo/video/content assets, incorporation into fan-facing events, stakeholder relationships and driver interaction.

The NASCAR Next selection process includes input from industry executives, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Drivers Council and media members. Drivers must be between the ages of 15-25, aspire to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and show potential — on and off the track — to realize that goal.

For more information, visit www.NASCAR.com/next and make sure to follow the drivers on Twitter and on the track. Join the social conversation by using #NASCARNext.