Posted on by Reid Spencer

FONTANA, Calif. — NASCAR drivers who stayed out West during the #NASCARGoesWest swing found a variety of ways to spend their time between races. 

Brad Keselowski went off the grid to climb mountains and marvel at the majesty of California’s giant sequoias. Keselowski’s Team Penske teammate, Ryan Blaney, did something altogether different.

RELATED: Live from LA: The ‘Glass Case of Emotion’ podcast

A Star Wars and adventure fiction enthusiast as well as a comic book collector, Blaney visited the offices of DC Comics in Burbank, California, where he got a rare treat.

“I got to go in their archives and see some Superman No. 1’s, No. 2’s, things like that,” Blaney told NASCAR Wire Service during an announcement of NASCAR’s expanded partnership with Twitter at the sanctioning body’s offices in Century City. “That was so cool to me. Those archives  — there are three people that have keys to that thing. 

“It was super cool. And then to let us go in and look at it first-hand. Every single comic they’ve ever had is in this archive. They had a Richard Petty comic in there — it was pretty old. That was super cool to see.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Since a spectacular and celebrated runner-up finish in his season-opening Daytona 500 debut, Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. says he’s found a necessary balance between huge optimism and a big dose of confidence that comes with such a fantastic season start and the harsher reality of a steep, not unexpected rookie learning curve thereafter.

Since his historic run at Daytona International Speedway last month, Wallace has had finishes of 32nd (at Atlanta), 21st (at Las Vegas) and 28th (at Phoenix) in the three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races afterward. He’s ranked 18th in the standings and still holds a nine-point lead over fellow high-profile rookie, William Byron entering Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at California’s Auto Club Speedway (at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Earlier this week, Wallace broke up the three-week #NASCARGoesWest swing with a “field trip” of sorts with his team owner, NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty. He rode snowmobiles and bonded with “The King” in Wyoming. The Alabama native had never visited the state before and he figures the timing and the time spent with Petty presented a good reset for the early season.

“It’s been actually really good,” Wallace said Friday, addressing reporters before opening practice in California.
“Ever since Daytona all the way up to that was just crazy madness and now I’ve been able to kind of relax and stay focused on what we need to do without any extra cameras or attention or anything.”

Of his season to date?

“Personal grade? I don’t know,” Wallace said. “It’s a learning curve, that is what I’m going to label it as. We are trying to figure everything out. I’m laying my head down at night not leaving a stone unturned, so in that regard I give myself an A+.

“But, we are just not hitting on all cylinders right now as a team. We are still figuring everything out from the switch, so it’s going to take us a couple of races. We are going to have some really good races, we are going to have some bad races, but we are going to keep our heads up and keep digging.”

It’s a positive outlook that has served him well over the years. And it will likely come in handy this week at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway as Wallace makes his Cup debut on the track.

Wallace said he feels comfortable at the track despite the fact his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Camaro is a Chevrolet and his previous starts were in a Ford. He said he still remained particularly encouraged and optimistic about the weekend considering he finished third there in the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series race and sixth in last year’s Xfinity race.

“We have had a lot of success here, a lot of good runs here in the Xfinity stuff,” Wallace said. “Just trying to utilize some of that and take that into today and learn throughout this weekend.

“This place is so wide, so many grooves and the biggest thing is tire fall-off. Once that happens, start moving up to the fence. Just got to manage it the best we can and take care of it all day.”

Wallace smiled about Auto Club Speedway scheduling only an hour of opening practice at a time he feels he needs the most time on track, “It goes by quick,” he allowed.

RELATED: See all the photos from Auto Club

It’s possible that Wallace’s time away from the track with the great champion Petty this week will compensate some for the high technical learning curve. The two spent time bonding outdoors and inside, even playing board games. The conversations and lessons learned were more “real life” than racing oriented.

“He might be the boss, but I’m still competitive,” Wallace said smiling and noting he beat Petty in a game of Rummikub.

“But, just seeing that and being able to have those in-depth conversations about racing, about life and what not, is really special.

Most important thing Petty has taught Wallace in their time together thus far?

“You can overcome a lot of things if you put your mind to it and you have the will to do it, but you can never overcome fate,” Wallace said. “That is the biggest thing that has stuck out to me. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. If it’s not then, move on.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Kevin Harvick, winner of the last three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, continued his speedy ways at Auto Club Speedway as he raced his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to the fastest time in Friday’s practice session, recording a lap at 189.066 mph.

Harvick’s lap was faster than the official track record of 188.511 mph set by Denny Hamlin in the 2016 qualifying session.

RELATED: Practice results

Two of Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammates — Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola — also were among the top five as Bowyer was second-fastest in his No. 14 Ford at 188.211 mph while Almirola was third-fastest in his No. 10 Ford at 187.936 mph.

Ryan Newman was fourth in his No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at 187.798 mph while defending Auto Club Speedway winner Kyle Larson rounded out the top five in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet at 187.744 mph.

Daniel Suarez’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota sustained heavy damage to the right side about midway through the session when his car appeared to get loose and slammed into the outside wall.

WATCH: Suarez hits wall

Suarez’s No. 19 team raced to ready his backup car for qualifying, which begins at 7:15 p.m. ET on FS1.

One car served a practice hold — the No. 55 of Reed Sorenson sat for 15 minutes at the end of the session.

Posted on by

FONTANA, Calif. — Jimmie Johnson ain’t going anywhere, folks.

The Hendrick Motorsports mainstay said he viewed news that longtime sponsor Lowe’s will depart sponsorship of his No. 48 Chevrolet in 2019 as “an opportunity” to find a new sponsor who will support a proven, seven-time NASCAR champion, and reiterated that retirement isn’t anywhere on his 42-year-old horizon.

 RELATED: Jimmie to have new sponsor

“Oh, the desire to keep racing is absolutely there,” Johnson said Friday at Auto Club Speedway. “Races, championships, and being a part of this great sport of ours; I’m going to be around for a while. I’m excited about that. … This is really a unique opportunity. It’s a great learning and growing opportunity for myself. When I started at age 25 and Lowe’s came on board, it was an entirely different environment.” 

Johnson has partnered with Lowe’s for 18 years. He thanked his longtime sponsor for its support and said he has already been “heavily involved” in the search for a new partner. 

“First of all, what a run to have an 18-year relationship with such an amazing company,” he said. “The friendships, the relationships, the way we’ve been able to deliver to their marketing efforts, the history we’ve made in our own sport, the chance I had to even drive a Cup car because of them. There are so many levels to it that I am very, very thankful for and proud of. Of course, I wish we could finish it out together, but that’s not the circumstance. But then, to look forward, I’m very optimistic about the future and myself and our race team.”

RELATED: Johnson’s career stats

The news is a shakeup to one of the most consistent dynamics in stock car racing over the past decade and a half-plus — in sports, it’s always jarring to see a long-tenured athlete don a new uniform/fire suit, a la Joe Montana in a Kansas City Chiefs jersey or Willie Mays in blue and orange New York Mets garb — but Johnson made sure to point out that he sees the future prospects of stock car racing to be in a good spot. 

“I see our sport growing,” he said. “I see many new sponsors coming into Hendrick Motorsports. I see a returning sponsor coming to NASCAR. I’ve seen full grandstands. It’s been an exciting start to the season. I really don’t feel it has a reflection on the sport. It’s a business decision that Lowe’s needed to make and that stuff happens. … There’s great optimism that we’ll land a sponsor and really be able to provide for whoever that might be.”

 MORE: See photos from ‘Seven-Time’s’ wins

And as for why the Johnson, the oldest full-time Monster Energy Series driver, doesn’t view this as an opening to announce this might be his final year of competition?

“I’m not done, man,” Johnson laughed. “Do you want me to go away? 

“I guess maybe it’s the eternal optimist that I am. I have more to do and I enjoy the process and Hendrick is home and retirement hasn’t been on my mind. I want to win. I want to win an eighth championship. … I’m the elder statesman in a company with three young guys. If I was to have this be the end, put Hendrick Motorsports in a very awkward position and I don’t know. There are just a lot of different ways I could look at it and say that it’s the absolute wrong time.

“But I guess at the end of the day it’s really my desire to compete and to compete at a high level. I’m not done yet.” 

The race to eight continues, no matter what fire suit he’ll be wearing.

Posted on by Emily Bradley

CONCORD, N.C.– Two additional drivers will join Rev Racing’s youth driver class as part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program. Regina Sirvent, 17, and Lavar Scott, 16, will compete with previously announced Rev Racing youth drivers Rajah Caruth and Blake Lothian. All four drivers will compete at the Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The youth program targets drivers age 12 to 17 to compete in the INEX Legend Cars and serves as an entry point to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. Selected youth drivers are year-long members of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity team roster.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>.<a href=”https://twitter.com/NASCARDiversity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@NASCARDiversity</a> Youth Driver Class announced! <a href=”https://twitter.com/reginasirvent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@reginasirvent</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/rajahcaruth_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@rajahcaruth_</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/LavarScott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@LavarScott</a> and <a href=”https://twitter.com/blake_lothian?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@blake_lothian</a> will kick off their season this coming Tuesday during the Summer Shootout <a href=”https://twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@CLTMotorSpdwy</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/USLegendCars?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@USLegendCars</a> <a href=”https://t.co/elIxWaQVr7″>pic.twitter.com/elIxWaQVr7</a></p>&mdash; Rev Racing (@RevRacin) <a href=”https://twitter.com/RevRacin/status/1269414136481529856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>June 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

After several months of evaluation, youth drivers are chosen based on recommendation, historical success, and overall driving performance.

“As it remains a goal of ours to focus on the growth and development of both our academy-style program and youth participants, we want to connect with these drivers as early as possible,” said Max Siegel, owner of Rev Racing. “The sooner we can start providing the proper guidance to these individuals, the more prepared they are to grow into different series.”

Rajah Caruth, 17, is currently running full-time in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series with Rev Racing. Caruth participated in the Youth Driver Development Program in 2019, where he compiled two heat wins in the Bojangles Summer Shootout Series along with two top 10’s and a 13th place finish in points. Currently, Caruth is top 25 in the eNASCAR Ignite Series after 5 races. Caruth won the Road to Pro Homestead-Miami race (5th split). Overall in 2020 he has 29 total wins, 114 top 5s and 1750 laps led in 257 starts. Caruth’s Legend car performance ultimately earned him a chance to compete in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Combine and secure a season-long ride in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series with Rev Racing. Caruth will debut in the NASCAR Whelen All- American Series June 20th at Hickory Speedway.

Blake Lothian, 16, from Wellesley, Massachusetts, will join the Rev Racing roster and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program for the second year in a row. Lothian started go-karting at age five and even at this young age it was clear he could hold his own on the track with adult racers. Lothian finished top-15 in 2019 Bojangles Summer Shootout point standings in the INEX US Legends Car Semi-Pro Division where he logged 5 top 10’s along with a heat victory in his 2019 campaign.

Lavar Scott, from Carney’s Point, New Jersey, will join the Rev Racing roster and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program for the first time this year. Scott began his career racing in a 600 Micro Sprint. At just 12 years old, he raced in the Tulsa Shootout in December 2015. In May of 2018, Scott finished 1st at Airport Speedway in the 600 Micro Class. Scott was a participant in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Combine in 2019. Evaluators saw potential in his abilities and tested with Scott throughout the 2019 season. Scott also was invited to the 2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Stock Car Combine in October, and was offered a seat in a U.S. Legend car with Rev Racing in their youth development program for the 2020 season.

Regina Sirvent, from Mexico, City Mexico, will participate in the 2020 Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway and select number of other races with Rev Racing. Sirvent started racing karts when she was 9 years old on a road course in Cuernavaca, Morelos. After winning the local championship, she started racing at RokCup Mexico where she finished 2nd in the championship. She also participated in the Florida Winter Tour in 2014 and 2016, Junior Kart for the Rotax and Vortex championship, and most recently FB Bohn Mikel’s Trucks by NASCAR Peak Mexico Series where she garnered a top-10 finish in her first year.

“The NASCAR Drive for Diversity program cultivates growth and seizes the opportunity for development of minority and female drivers at the earliest age possible,” said Jusan M. Hamilton, NASCAR Director of Racing Operations and Event Management. “Now more than ever, this strong class of diverse drivers represents the future of NASCAR. Their success on track and growth into professionals is what the partnership between NASCAR and Rev Racing is built on and will measure our success as a program.”

The 2020 Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway will kick-off with a practice session on June 8. See http://legendsnation.com/2020/05/27/major-summer-shootout-information-announced-for-june/ for more details.

About Rev Racing: Rev Racing seeks to obtain the highest quality applicants representing diverse backgrounds and develop them into successful NASCAR drivers. Started by Max Siegel in 2009, Rev Racing manages the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. Rev Racing currently operates and manages drivers in the ARCA Menards Series East, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and a youth racing initiative.

Posted on by Emily Bradley

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ty Dillon has been one of NASCAR’s leading voices as civil unrest continues throughout the country.

Using his platform to take a stand against racial inequality, Dillon and fellow Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace recently hosted a 30-minute Instagram Live session to discuss racism and life experiences.

Expect it to be the first of several difficult conversations Dillon brings into the light as he commits to using his voice for good.

RELATED: Ty Dillon, Bubba Wallace have insightful talk

“To hear the stories about how Bubba was treated in some of those situations and knowing Bubba’s character and knowing him as a human being, that blew my mind because I would have never thought Bubba, as a person, would have gone through anything like that,” Dillon said. “But, I think that’s just what it is. I think sometimes it’s easy for us who don’t know, as a white man or a white person, in general, we don’t know these stories. We don’t all the time ask the right questions to become informed.”

Dillon also applauded Wallace for being willing to speak up during a difficult time for the nation.

“I’m just proud of him as a friend, knowing him his whole career, too, and I think we’re going to see great things come out of this generation of NASCAR of who is in the sport right now,” Dillon said. “Hopefully it sets the tone for who comes after us. And for all of us, that would be the most important thing that we do.”

Dillon has made a conscious effort to understand what he and the NASCAR community must do in order to assist in positive change, reaching out to fellow drivers and NASCAR executives to create an objective for sparking a movement.

RELATED: NASCAR statement on civil unrest

He feels it’s going to take a collective effort from the entire industry for that to happen, but that now is the perfect opportunity to make those changes.

“I think it does take, as a group, saying that we don’t stand for it,” Dillon said. “And once we all know that we’re all on the same page as saying we don’t stand for it, we come together with a united voice saying that we don’t tolerate hate, racism, bigotry in our sport and that it’s not OK.

“… There are great conversations going on with the folks in our sport. … And I’m very proud of that. Our sport is doing a good job, but it also takes the individuals who aren’t afraid to step out and say this isn’t about me anymore.”

While the feedback has been mostly positive, Dillon acknowledged that not everyone will be comfortable with what he has to say. That’s not going to stop him from openly discussing an uncomfortable topic that matters to him, though.

For Dillon, the reward of working toward racial equality is worth taking a stand.

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“For me, I can tell you about my heart on it and for me, I don’t care if I ever win a race or a championship in my life or lose every follower I have on Instagram, but when my children grow older and I take my last breath, I want it to be made sure that I was on the right side of what I felt is going on in history,” Dillon said. “And that means way more than acquiring fame and trophies and wins. Those things all fade away. But the impact you had on human beings in your life, the relationship lasts forever. So, that’s my heart behind this.

“… I just wanted to stop, in the middle of my career, and say ‘Hey, this is where I stand.’ There is the taunting in your head of what if I lose this or what if something happens. But, I know at the end of the day, this is what I believe in and I’ll stand up for what I believe in.”

Posted on by Emily Bradley

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Following a national search for top diverse driver talent, NASCAR and Rev Racing today announced the six ethnically diverse and female drivers selected to the 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program.

The program’s newest class features five drivers who will make their return to Rev Racing next season, including Chase Cabre, Nicholas Sanchez, Gracie Trotter, Rajah Caruth and Isabella Robusto. Late model driver Perry Patino will make his debut with NASCAR Drive for Diversity in 2020.

Caruth and Robusto competed in the 2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program and raced Legends cars for Rev Racing at this year’s Bojangles’ Summer Shootout in Charlotte, N.C. They also ran five other races with Rev Racing as part of the youth program.

“We are very enthusiastic about the progress we continue to make with the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, and the 2020 class exemplifies the evolution of the program,” said Jusan Hamilton, Director, Racing Operations and Event Management at NASCAR. “We were extremely impressed with the confidence, competitive drive and raw talent of the drivers that competed at this year’s combine, which made the selection process challenging for us. Our partners at Rev Racing work hard every year to develop the best diverse drivers around the world. To see familiar faces in this class that have grown and advanced through the youth ranks of the program bolsters our belief that we will see some of these same drivers at the top levels of NASCAR in the future.”

The six drivers were selected from a group of invitees that competed in the two-day NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Combine in October at Daytona International Speedway and New Smyrna Speedway.

The combine included fitness assessments and evaluations of each driver’s marketing and media skills. The on-track portion tested the drivers’ abilities behind the wheel and proficiencies in late model stock cars. Representatives from NASCAR and Rev Racing were on-hand to evaluate the talent and determine the 2020 team.

“We have seen great success this past year with our drivers having multiple wins in every series we participated in this season,” said Max Siegel, Owner of Rev Racing. “Our returning drivers have certainly set the bar high. We are all excited to welcome the new members of this year’s class to the Rev Racing family and continue the momentum moving into the 2020 season.”

Caruth, Patino, Robusto and Trotter will compete in a NASCAR Late Model, while Cabre and Sanchez will compete in the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Showdown Series in 2020.

RELATED: ARCA Menards Series East schedule set for 2020

Competing in a late model stock car will be a first for drivers like Caruth, whose background is in iRacing, and Robusto, who has experience racing Legends cars.

Caruth will become the first driver with an iRacing background to be selected for the program. He is a product of the eNASCAR IGNITE Series — a first-of-its kind esports competition created to identify young talent by providing a low barrier of entry to the sport.

NASCAR Drive for Diversity provides opportunities for women and minorities to pursue career opportunities in NASCAR in the driver’s seat and on pit crews through the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Development Program and off the track through the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program.

The 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development team includes:

  • Chase Cabre: The 22-year-old from Tampa, Fla., will join Rev Racing for his fourth-consecutive racing season and compete in the ARCA Menards Series East. Cabre won twice in 2019 in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
  • Rajah Caruth: In just 42 starts, Caruth, 17, of Washington, D.C., has twice won races in the eNASCAR IGNITE Series, driving the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1/Ford Mustang. Additionally, he earned two heat wins with Rev Racing in the 2019 Bojangles’ Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
  • Perry Patino: The 20-year-old, Montgomery, Ala., native will join Rev Racing for the first time with one Limited Late Model win at Montgomery Speedway and the 2018 Limited Late Model championship under his belt.
  • Isabella Robusto: The 15-year-old won the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout in the Semi-Pro class in 2019 and finished second in Semi-Pro points. The Fort Mill, S.C., native was honored with the Young Racer award at the 2018 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards.
  • Nicholas Sanchez: The 18-year-old Miami native returns to Rev Racing for his fourth-consecutive season after winning at Myrtle Beach Speedway and Langley Speedway in a Late Model Stock Car in 2019.
  • Gracie Trotter: The Denver, N.C., native, 18, returns to Rev Racing as the 2019 Winter Heat Series champion at Charlotte Motor Speedway. She also won Round 5 of the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout in the Semi-Pro Division.
Posted on by Emily Bradley

Nick Sanchez finished his race season about a month ago feeling good about what he had learned in his rookie late model season.

He recently received more accolades to make his first year racing in Division I of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series even more special.

Nick Sanchez
Nick Sanchez, an 18-year-old from Miami, Florida, finished 23rd in the NWAAS DI points standings this season. (Courtesy Nick Sanchez)

Sanchez is the 2019 recipient of the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award, an annual award given to an outstanding minority or female driver in the Whelen All-American Series. The award recipient is selected by a committee as nominated by drivers, crew members, and track operators based not only on the driver’s final standings in the top 500 of the national standings, but also based on exceptional on-track performance, sportsmanship, and community service.

The award is named for Wendell Scott, a Virginian who on December 1, 1963 became the first, and to date only, African-American driver to win a race in NASCAR’s top national series.

Scott was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.

Sanchez said he got a call from a NASCAR official about a week ago out of the blue to learn he won the award. He will officially receive the award Saturday on stage at the Charlotte Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the NASCAR Awards.

“Honestly it was a total surprise because I really hadn’t thought much of it and I was so focused on just trying to win and the unreal idea of trying to go for a national championship and I totally forgot about that award,” Sanchez said. “And when someone told me about it I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ That’s an awesome accomplishment as well.”

Sanchez drives for Rev Racing, the competition arm of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Program that serves as the NASCAR-supported racing team that develops female and minority drivers and pit crew members in development series for future competition at NASCAR’s highest levels.

The 18-year-old Miami, Florida, driver got his start with Rev Racing running in its Legends Car program before moving up to Late Models this year. He credited his team with helping him win the Wendell Scott award.

“It feels pretty good and especially how it’s a performance-based award, it really shows that my Rev guys brought a good late model the whole year,” he said. “I’m pretty excited for it. It’s a nice accomplishment.”

Sanchez finished 23rd in the Whelen All-American Series Division I final points standings. He had one national points win and 15 top-5 finishes in 20 late model starts this season.

Related: Nick Sanchez Picks Up First Late Model Win, Set His Sights on National Honors

Sanchez also ran three races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East this year, and had a pole start at South Boston Speedway on May 4.

Nick Sanchez
In his rookie season, Nick Sanchez traveled to five different tracks and came away with 15 top-5 finishes in 20 races. (Courtesy Nick Sanchez)

In the late model, Sanchez and his Rev Racing team traveled to five different tracks this season: Motor Mile, South Boston, and Langley Speedways in Virginia, Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina, and Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina. He also raced at Loudon Speedway in New Hampshire in a K&N Pro East race on September 21. Getting the chance to see his fair share of different sized tracks with character gave him the opportunity to really dive in and get his feet wet in his first season.

“I couldn’t imagine racing at one track with the same people, just the same routine,” Sanchez said. “I love getting different challenges thrown at me, whether it be different tracks, different drivers, different races, twins or long races. I can attribute all that to my success I guess you could say this year.

“Definitely stepping into the K&N car, especially that last race at New Hampshire I definitely got a ton of big track experience and definitely got my feet wet there which I’m pretty stoked about.”

Sanchez finished his season with a win at Langley Speedway, helping finish the year on a high note. After feeling like he missed out on victories early in the year, he was glad to see he had gotten past early “rookie mistakes.”

“Honestly, by the end of the year I felt like I progressed more as a driver than I ever had,” Sanchez said. “I was a lot more patient at the end of the year because at the beginning of the year, I’m not going to lie, I gave up many, many, many wins just on not knowing any better. By the end of the year I kind of learned my lesson and revamped my racing mindset, I guess you could say.”

Sanchez said he hopes to be able to release his plans for the 2020 soon, and he’s “very stoked” about it.

For now, he has many reasons to be proud of his rookie season.

“That makes it a lot more special just knowing people voted for me based on performance and everything else,” Sanchez said. “It’s a pretty nice accomplishment. I’m pretty proud.”

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Fierce racing, doors banging on the final lap and short tempers highlight the mayhem that was the 2013 Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway.

Ahead of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, Sirius XM), take a look back at one of the most intense battles at the Fontana, California, track from five years ago.

RELATED: Relive Cali thriller between Harvick, Johnson in 2011

The build-up

Jared Wickerham | Getty Images

The 2013 season served as Joey Logano’s first year driving the No. 22 Team Penske Ford after flanking Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin at Joe Gibbs Racing from 2009-12.

In the fourth race of the year, Logano and Hamlin were involved in a dust-up in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Hamlin spun Logano on Lap 348 of the 500-lap event. Logano would finish 17th. Hamlin apologized on the radio, saying, “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to wreck him,” and the No. 11 finished 23rd.

After the race, Logano climbed from his car and made a dash to Hamlin as he was unstrapping his belts. Logano sent some choice words in Hamlin’s direction before crew members on the No. 11 pushed him away from the car. The incident caused a brief skirmish between the Nos. 11 and 22 crews.

The tension between the two drivers set the tone for what was to come out West.

The race

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

The following week, the 200-lapper on the 2-mile D-shaped Auto Club Speedway oval was one to remember for a number of reasons, including the three-, four- and five-wide racing and the drama at the end.

Kyle Busch spent most of the race up front, leading 125 laps. Logano was the only other driver to lead more than 20 laps, with 41.

As the day progressed, three drivers would emerge as top contenders for the checkered flag: Busch, Logano and Hamlin. Fitting, right?

The final laps

On the final restart on Lap 190, Logano and Busch led the field into Turn 1. Logano moved to block Tony Stewart, who was running third, pushing the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing car down onto the apron, a move that had consequences made known after the race.

Jeff Gross | Getty Images

With fewer than 10 laps remaining, the fierce battle among Busch, Hamlin and Logano picked up steam when Logano nearly spun Hamlin coming out of Turn 4, though Hamlin was able to save it. The trio jockeyed for position until Hamlin and Logano started to pull away in a sprint to the finish.

The pair swapped positions up to and during the final lap, where Logano made one final effort for the victory, diving below Hamlin entering Turn 3. But Logano’s No. 22 didn’t stick, getting loose and slamming into Hamlin, sending the No. 11 up into the outer wall then spinning hard into the inside wall.

Busch, who had stealthily put himself in position to challenge both drivers, slipped past both of them on the outside and cruised to victory under the California sun. Logano finished third.

WATCH: Stewart, Logano tussle

The aftermath

After the race, Stewart made it a point to park next to Logano’s No. 22.

Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

Once both drivers climbed from their rides, a still-fuming Stewart, who finished 22nd, quickly met Logano, lunging at the No. 22 driver in an effort to land a blow. The skirmish quickly was broken up by both crews, but not before Stewart got a shove in and Logano threw a water bottle at him.

A classic Stewart interview followed.

Hamlin was scored 25th, but the accident left him with a compression fracture in his lower back. He would miss four full races and most of Talladega before returning in full at Darlington.