Posted on by @KESELOWSKI

Not that long ago, I came across this incredible article about a thief who made more than a million dollars over the past few decades robbing people at race tracks across the Southeast. What was even more amazing about the story is that I’m 95 percent certain my dad was one of the victims.

In 1987, my father (who was also a driver) had his wallet stolen while he was racing at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. That was this guy’s M.O. — he stole wallets in bunches and immediately charged credit cards at places nearby, and he’d time his thefts around practice sessions or on race days, especially around preliminary events. That day, my dad was racing in a prelim, so he was a perfect target.

It was a pretty tough day for my family as I remember it, a little bit humiliating and a little degrading. And it definitely was the sort of thing that makes you lose trust in people.

MORE: Honoring Bruce Halle

Reading that story really got me thinking — first, because the theft also affected me personally. At the time, I was still really young, and it made my parents reluctant to let me go out on my own. So whenever we were at a track and my parents needed to work on the race car or whatever, I’d be locked in the trailer or motorhome with my siblings to keep us safe from sketchy people.

But the other thing that story did was trigger a slew of memories. It got me thinking about the life I led as a kid, and how it revolved around life on a race track. It was a different kind of life from anyone else I knew growing up back home in Michigan, special and hard in ways that were totally unique.

ON THE ROAD

When I was a kid, my family’s life revolved around racing. I knew that was how my family made a living, and that’s the way it had to be.

In some ways, it was kind of frustrating. We never went on spring break because it was racing season, and we spent our summers on the road. But in other ways, it paved the way for me to be where I’m at now. So I don’t particularly have any regrets, but without a doubt, it shaped a lot of who I am.

I’ll start with the traveling. It wasn’t always great. There were a lot of bad stories of my siblings and me being cooped-up on car rides, and locked-in trailers with no AC, stuff that you’d probably get put in jail for today if you did it. And when we told people we were traveling, they always made the mistake of thinking that we’d gone on a vacation or something. If we went down to Florida, they’d say, “Oh, you must have gone to Disney World.”

Well, no. We went to a race track in Florida, and stayed at the track for three days.

Killing time on the road was rough, too. If I have to take my daughter Scarlett somewhere that’s more than a two-hour drive, it can be pretty miserable pretty quick. We traveled on six, eight, sometimes 24-hour drives. And what gets me through those drives now with my daughter is, “Here’s an iPad. Watch a video.”

Wife Paige and daughter Scarlett are fixtures at the track. Jerry Markland | Getty Images

We didn’t have any of that stuff when I was a kid, and even if the technology had existed then, we would never have been able to afford it. We were the kids in the back that were saying over and over, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” And I know we annoyed the crap out of my mom and dad. It had to be miserable for them. It really did.

All of that said, there were a lot of good parts. We got to see a lot of things. By 14 years old, I had seen 20-some states. Not a lot of people can say that.

Most of the time, we stayed in our motorhome at the race tracks, but sometimes there weren’t any accommodations. When that was the case, we’d get a hotel, and that was the best thing ever, especially when we got one with a pool. We would play in that thing as long as we could. We used to call the really nice hotels “Holidome,” which was kind of code for a Holiday Inn that had a dome on it, and had a pool, too.

And when we would get to stay in a hotel, because we were broke and whatnot, the kids slept on the floor and it was two adults to a bed.

We didn’t know any different. It was just the deal, and we loved it.

LIFE AT THE TRACK

Then of course, there were the race tracks.

My dad drove mostly in the ARCA Series, but to me, it was the biggest series because he was in it. For me, my dad was Dale Earnhardt, and my whole life revolved around life at the track.

Bob Keselowski and a young Brad. | Photo courtesy of Brad Keselowski

I loved the places with campgrounds like Watkins Glen. I remember the really good midways, too. Any track with a great midway was awesome. There were only a few that had them, but I would go hang out at those tracks and we would have a blast. We would go through all their stuff and play on the simulators. Sometimes, they would let you ride them for free, which was great. Or they’d have a ball pitch or dodge ball, you know, different things for kids to do. Those were the coolest tracks.

One of the other things I remember is that back then, you couldn’t be around the race cars until you were 16. That was the age restriction all the way up to 2001. Once you hit age 16, you could be in the garage. You could even drive a race car if you wanted to.

Until then, the cars and the garage were off limits.

What that meant for my brother and me was that during races, we’d either be locked in the race car hauler or our motorhome, which we had for a time due to a sponsorship from Winnebago. And once we had that run-in with the thief I mentioned earlier, we were locked in even more.

Still, that didn’t stop me from coming out of the hauler when I wasn’t supposed to. I actually got thrown out of tracks a couple of times. Every time, I was rescued by a man named Ron Drager. Today, he’s the president of ARCA, but back then, I knew him as the man who always took care of my family, and who always came to rescue me.

It would happen like this … I’d leave the trailer, then get caught, and they’d put me out in the parking lot with a security guard. Because my parents were usually in the middle of racing, Ron would hear about it over the track radios and come find me. He always made a thing out of talking to the security guard on my behalf — he always started with, “Look, can you help me out here?” Then he’d take me back to the trailer, giving me the kind of finger wag you’d expect an adult to give an 8-year-old kid.

My dad stopped racing ARCA in 1995, but when I got older — basically, from ages 13 to 16 — a man named Wayne Auton basically took over for Ron. (Wayne’s now the NASCAR Xfinity Series director.)

Every time I’d get into trouble, Wayne and Ron would always leave me with a final, “No more, Brad. I’m serious this time.” And I’d answer back, “Yes sir, I know.”

Until the next time.

THE FAMILIES

What really stands out to me are the people we met at the tracks. I was never home for the summer, so I never became really close with any of my friends there because we were always gone. But I enjoyed making friends at different race tracks.

I remember when we’d arrive at a track and pull in to park, if we’d parked right next to another family, I’d be so excited because it meant I’d make some friends. And when there was more than one family, you were able to play football or tag. I remember there were some tracks that had wooded areas next to them, and we’d go climb through the woods and play outside. (Once, I came back with a tick, so my mom made me take a break from the woods for a bit.)

PHOTOS: Keselowski through the years

That said, it had its own challenges. Friends that we’d make at the race tracks would be there one week, and gone the next. Or you’d get to know a family for a summer, and then you’d never see them again.

Still, there were one or two families that stuck around for probably a half dozen summers that we would hang out with. I remember always feeling like, “I hope our dads don’t have a run-in on the race track, because then we won’t get to play together anymore.” That’s what you think about when you’re a kid.

There was the Strait family. Their dad’s name was Bob Strait. They’d travel from Chicago, and he had two boys my brother and I played with. I bumped into one of them about five years ago, and he had just served his second tour in Iraq or Afghanistan. That was really neat.

Bobby Bowsher had kids that we hung out with, too. He and my dad raced each other hard, week in and week out, and sometimes, they didn’t get along. That was always bad for us kids, because when they didn’t, we weren’t allowed to play together.

There was a family out of Wisconsin, the Brevak family — the dad was Bob as well. (And so was mine, which makes four Bobs.) Their two kids are still in racing; in fact, both of them work for NASCAR.

But one of the families we were closest to were the Marmors. The dad’s name was Don, and up until I was about 6 years old, we would travel up and down the road together, his family and our family.

Then, one day, Don got in a really big crash. It was the 1988 Atlanta 500 ARCA race, and he probably should have died.

Miraculously, he survived. The story of how that happened is amazing in itself. Dr. Jerry Punch, a racing commentator, was working the track at the time; he also happened to be a doctor. Punch stripped off his TV gear, got to Don while he was in the car and somehow got him breathing again. After that, medical staff got him out of the car and airlifted him to a hospital, where doctors finished the job of saving his life.

But then, just like that, the Marmors were gone. They never came back to a race track, and that was it. That was a lot of what being a kid on the road was like. It wasn’t just rooting for and watching your dad, but it was watching your friend’s dad race, because they were the people that might travel with you. One summer, they’re with you all the time, and they’re your friends. Then just like that, you never see them again for the rest of your life.

And you never knew when it was going to happen.

LIFE LESSONS LEARNED

The race track was also the place where I began to understand just how fragile life could be.

In 1992, we were at a little track in Salem, Indiana. I was 8 years old. For whatever reason, that specific track would block off the infield and let kids play on it. It was great. In fact, that track was probably one of my favorites to go to for that reason. We’d have 40 kids or so, and we’d be playing any game you could think of: baseball, tag, you name it.

That day, we were playing football in the infield.

On a race day, they’d have as many as six different divisions race. They were running one of the preliminary races that day, which my dad wasn’t in, and this guy wrecked. I’ll never forget it. It was a huge wreck. We could see the race track from the infield — the whole racetrack, because it was so small.

Everything at the track just kind of stopped.

Brad Keselowski and daughter Scarlett. | Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

About 15 or 20 minutes went by. There was no on-track action, and a whole bunch of people were surrounding the area where the wreck had happened. It wasn’t far away from where all of us kids were, no further than 75 yards or so. But we couldn’t tell what was going on. So we just went back to playing.

And then — I’ll never forget — a couple of hours later, there was an announcement over the public address system. The driver had died. The remaining events of that night would continue in his name and honor. And that was that. As a kid, I had no idea. I didn’t know the guy died. None of us did, and we didn’t really have any kind of reference. We saw wrecks all the time. Every other time, people just said, “Oh, he’s fine.”

This one had looked exactly the same. This time, it was, “Oh, he’s dead.”

From that point on, the race track felt like the real deal. You knew that every time you went there, somebody could die. You hate to say it that way, but as a kid, I learned that.

I don’t know why it doesn’t scare me to do it, to be a race car driver.

But man, after that, it scared the crap out of me to watch my dad race.

PHOTOS: Brad and Paige through the years

THE JOY OF WINNING

That fear was one of the things that made winning such a big deal.

For a lot of reasons, there was nothing like when our family won a race.

Like I said at the start of this blog, garage restrictions and sketchy guys like that wallet thief made sure my brother and I were locked in our motorhome during most races. It was bad enough being stuck in there, and not being able to roam around and be a kid. I have this memory from around 1990 when I watched my dad win a race from inside the hauler, and couldn’t get out to celebrate because we were locked in.

That experience made it that much sweeter when my dad won a preliminary race at Michigan, our home track, two years later.

We got to get out of the motorhome jailhouse, and went to Victory Lane with my dad to celebrate. I’ll never forget that. There’s a picture of me, my brother and my dad, walking out of Victory Lane. I think I’m carrying the trophy and my brother is holding my dad’s hand, or vice versa. I can’t remember.

But that was one of my most vivid memories — we got to go in the garage and see the cars after the race because my dad had won. That was such a big deal. I remember the smell, the smell of burnt rubber and the grease smell, the oil-burning smell. That’s pretty vivid.

I remember to this day how hot everything was. A race car gets really hot, and as a kid, it was always, “Don’t touch it; it’s hot!” That day, my dad’s winning race car was burning hot. And I’ll never forget that, either.

I remember just being with my dad, too. That was special. When it was time to work on the car or drive, he was really focused. If he was at work, he was at work. If the garage was open, he had his game face on and there was no horseplay at all.

But he was really good about trying to be with us when the time was right, and when he won, it was pretty right.

It’s funny, though — even though he’d won that day, he wasn’t all that excited. It’s really striking, thinking about it. He was just like that. He was always even-keeled and calm, even when he lost. Being who I am now, that’s almost more amazing to me than anything else. When the No. 2 Crew has a bad day, I’m so down it hurts. He never let us see that as kids.

Maybe it comes with age.

Either way, looking back, that’s something about him that I’m especially impressed by now.

MY FAVORITE MEMORY

It’s funny what you remember. I’ll never forget eating at the race track because we couldn’t afford concession food — you know how expensive that can be.

My mom would go to a nearby grocery store and get a pound of ham or turkey, cheese, mustard and a loaf of bread. Maybe a couple of Gatorades. We’d eat that at the track for the next two or three days. (Funny enough, I still have ham and cheese sandwiches when I’m traveling between tracks.)

It was because we ate so humbly at races that the following memory is so strong for me.

Whenever we drove home from a road trip, we’d pass this restaurant called Big Boy on the Ohio-Michigan border. We usually didn’t reach it until fairly late at night. If we hadn’t had a good race — and I happened to wake up as we went by — my mom would simply whisper, “No Big Boooooooyyyy,” and I’d let out a sigh of disappointment, and drift on back to sleep.

But if we’d won, well, that was a different story. We’d stop at Big Boy, and all of us would just pile into a booth. There was something special about that, stopping together to celebrate as a family. And every time, my mom would order a strawberry milkshake, and I’d sit there with her, and she’d share it with me. I’ll never forget that.

Best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.

To this day, whenever I happen to order a strawberry milkshake, I’ll think about my mom, and our family’s days on the road.

YOUR MEMORIES OF RACING

I wanted to share some of these memories with you because they played a huge part in shaping who I am today. And perhaps, after hearing them, you’ll want to share some of your memories around racing, too.

Are there visits to tracks that you remember? Do you have experiences with family and friends that shaped who you are that you’d like to pass along?

If so — or even if you just have questions or comments for me — go ahead and post them with the hashtag #MyRacingMemories on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Posted on by Team Release

WELCOME, N.C. — Click n’ Close, the Official Mortgage Provider of NASCAR® and Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM), will once again be the primary sponsor of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. Click n’ Close returns to the team for this Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 at the ISM Raceway in Phoenix, Ariz.

This will mark the first time Click n’ Close has been back as the primary sponsor of Wallace Jr. and the RPM team since a successful debut during the Daytona 500. The brand’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race resulted in a history-making, runner-up finish, with Wallace Jr.

“We couldn’t have asked for much more in our debut to the sport with Richard Petty Motorsports and Darrell Wallace Jr,” said Wayne Arute, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, Click n’ Close. “It was an exciting night for Click n’ Close and the entire Petty team. We now want to be there when Darrell gets his first win. We’re going to continue to support him and we’re proud to have Click n’ Close back as the primary partner this weekend.”

Thanks to its fully digital mortgage application process, Click n’ Close delivers the fastest, simplest and most secure mortgage application and approval process on the market today The application process takes just eight minutes, and applicants receive their approval within one business day. On average, home buyers approved through Click n’ Close reach the closing table in less than half the time of a traditional mortgage process, and the actual closing takes just 15 minutes to complete. With Click n’ Close, home buyers can apply for a mortgage anywhere, anytime, using any device.

“It’s cool to see Click n’ Close back on the car,” said Wallace Jr. “The colors bring back great memories from Daytona for sure. The people at Click n’ Close have started to become like family to us. They are really behind what we’re doing on and off the track. They have a great product, too. If you’re looking for a home mortgage, you have to check them out.”
The TicketGuardian 500 race weekend begins this Friday with practice and qualifying. The race will air Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SIRIUS/XM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on by Staff Report

The No. 4 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team from Stewart-Haas Racing received an L1-level penalty for two violations found during teardown at the NASCAR R&D Center stemming from Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The team was found to have violated Sections 20.4.8.1 (dealing with rear window support) and 20.4.18 (rocker panel extensions), specifically. A brace that supports the rear window failed and did not meet specifications for keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions, at all times. Additionally, the rocker panel extensions (the side skirts) were not aluminum.

MORE: Full Las Vegas results

The No. 4 team with driver Kevin Harvick won the race, but will not get the benefits of that win for the NASCAR Playoffs (a total of seven playoff points for winning the race and both stages). Harvick also won at Atlanta, which means he still is qualified for the postseason on the basis of that Atlanta win.

Additionally, crew chief Rodney Childers has been fined $50,000. Car chief Robert Smith has been suspended for the next two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races. The team also was docked 20 driver points and 20 owner points.

With this specific infraction, NASCAR officials felt the best sanction for the violation was suspending the car chief, not crew chief, due to the prominent role the car chief plays in setting up the car throughout the weekend.

The No. 4 team has the right to appeal the penalties to the National Motorsports Appeals Panel.

In other penalties, the No. 55 team in the Monster Energy Series received a safety violation for one lug nut that was not secure in post-race inspection. Crew chief Todd Parrott has been fined $10,000.

PHOTOS: Phoenix paint schemes

Posted on by Staff Report

Jeff Gordon is one of five new nominees eligible for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2019, and the biggest question around his eligibility isn’t about whether he’ll be voted in.

With 93 career Monster Energy Series wins plus intangibles like introducing NASCAR to a wider audience, it seems clear Gordon is headed for enshrinement. But with what percentage of the vote? Is 100 percent possible?

It’s an interesting question, one Winston Kelley, the Hall’s executive director, attempted to tackle Tuesday night on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“We have yet to have a unanimous pick,” Winston Kelley, Executive Director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday night. “Jeff Gordon can and in my estimation probably should be that first unanimous pick.”

RELATED: All of Gordon’s wins | PHOTOS: Five new nominees

No other inducted driver has earned 100 percent of the vote, with a big caveat that voting percentages for the very first class (Class of 2010) were not revealed. Robert Yates (2018) and David Pearson (2011) each received 94 percent of the vote when they were inducted.

With that in mind, here’s a list of the top vote-getters by percentage:

Year Inductee Percentage
2011 David Pearson 94%
2018 Robert Yates 94%
2015 Bill Elliott 87%
2012 Cale Yarborough 85%
2017 Benny Parsons 85%
2012 Darrell Waltrip 82%
2012 Dale Inman 78%
2014 Tim Flock 76%
2018 Red Byron 74%
2016 Bruton Smith 68%

 

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Editor’s note: Matt DiBenedetto will join the Motor Racing Network booth as a guest analyst of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series DC Solar 200 (4 p.m. ET) at ISM Raceway in Phoenix.

In a whirlwind day that showcased the tightly knit fabric of the NASCAR community, outreach of support for Matt DiBenedetto prior to the race weekend at ISM Raceway also underscored his growing reputation in the garage.

Twitter: @GoFasRacing32

DiBenedetto received a wave of positive feedback after reaching out to his followers on social media with a first-person video explaining Go Fas Racing’s sponsor situation for the No. 32 Ford Fusion in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

In a gamble that ended up paying off for DiBenedetto, Zynga Poker got wind of the video and has come on board as the primary sponsor for the race weekend in Phoenix. There also is additional opportunity for other potential sponsors to work with the team throughout the 2018 season.

The video also culminated into generous support from fellow competitors Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, along with retired three-time champion Darrell Waltrip who all pledged money.

“It’s been a crazy couple of days and very unexpected I guess to say the least,” DiBenedetto told NASCAR.com. “We figured why not reach out as a last-second little effort and who knows what could happen. The power of social media can be crazy, and sure enough, it actually blew our minds. Getting the support of Denny Hamlin starting the wave of tremendous support and that led into it just spreading like wildfire.”

DiBenedetto said Hamlin, Harvick and Waltrip are all drivers for whom he has a great deal of respect. He has gone to them in the past for advice, which made their support that much more meaningful.

The trio are just a handful of NASCAR drivers who have taken notice of DiBenedetto’s talents on the single-car team.

“For them to have that much respect for me made just kind of sit in silence for a while on my drive home from the race shop,” said DiBenedetto. “I needed to just sit there in silence just overwhelmed and darn near about to tear up over those guys having that amount for respect for me, understanding my fight to get to where I am and understanding how much I care about our sport as a whole. For them to see that and appreciate that was really way beyond overwhelming. I’m not very emotional typically, but yesterday I was.”

So emotional, in fact, the acts of kindness and gravity of the situation admittedly moved DiBenedetto to tears.

“I hate to admit it, but I did tear up on my drive home just sitting in silence,” he said. “So, yes, I would normally not admit that, but just because I have so much respect for those drivers. Those are some of the folks that I go to for any advice because — Denny, Kevin, Darrell, those are guys that are going to tell you the way it is. They have been around for a long time in our sport. I kind of took it as they understand my passion for the sport and I think they feel like I would be a good part of the future for the sport.

“That means a lot to me because my ultimate goal is to be in a position to be winning races in this sport and make a big impact on NASCAR.”

The video was a last-ditch, spur-of-the-moment effort to support his team, which has experienced shades of success so far this season after running up front in the closing laps of the Daytona 500 and finishing a solid 22nd at Las Vegas, beating out some of the bigger teams in the process.

“It was interesting and overwhelming for us because we got to experience how many smaller companies want to be involved in NASCAR,” DiBenedetto said. “So we kind of have a different market that it opened our eyes to, like we may need to change our approach. We’re kind of the blue-collar small race team and we may be able to align ourselves with some of the blue-collar smaller businesses, as well. It brought a lot of ideas to our minds.

“Our company is stable, that was the main point I wanted to reiterate to everyone before it all spread like wildfire.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NBC Sports Group and NASCAR are partnering to deliver NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour coverage on NBCSN throughout the 2018 season. Today the organizations announced the full broadcast schedule, where fans can tune-in to see the next generation of drivers competing to make a name for themselves on the track.

RELATED: Visit Home Tracks to learn more about these touring series

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West returns to NBCSN on Tuesday, March 20 at 11 p.m. ET from Kern County Raceway Park, followed by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Myrtle Beach Speedway on Wednesday, March 21 at 6 p.m. ET.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East returns to NBCSN on Friday, April 20 at 1 a.m. ET from Bristol Motor Speedway.

NBCSN will air a total of 37 regional series events, culminating with championship races for all three series. Fans can tune-in to watch victors crowned in the K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on Oct. 11 and Oct. 18, respectively, followed by the K&N Pro Series West Championship on Nov. 1. NASCAR’s touring series will also be featured in regular highlights and reports on “NASCAR America,” weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

RACE DATE SERIES TRACK TELECAST DATE TIME (ET)
Thu, Mar. 15 K&N Pro West Kern County Tue, Mar. 20 11 p.m.
Sat, Mar. 17 Whelen Modified Myrtle Beach Wed, Mar. 21 6 p.m.
Sat, Apr. 14 K&N Pro East Bristol Fri, Apr. 20 1 a.m.
Sat, Apr. 28 K&N Pro East Langley Thu, May 3 11 p.m.
Sat, May 5 K&N Pro West Tucson Wed, May 9 6 p.m.
Sat, May 5 K&N Pro West Tucson Thu, May 10 6 p.m.
Sat, May 12 K&N Pro East South Boston Sun, May 20 1 p.m.
Sat, May 12 K&N Pro East South Boston Sun, May 20 2 p.m.
Sat, May 19 K&N Pro West Orange Show Thu, May 24 6 p.m.
Sat, June 2 K&N Pro East Memphis Wed, June 6 6 p.m.
Sat, June 2 Whelen Modified Seekonk Wed, June 6 7 p.m.
Sat, June 9 K&N Pro West Colorado Thu, June 14 6 p.m.
Sat, June 16 K&N Pro East New Jersey Mon, June 18*
Sat, June 23 K&N Pro West Sonoma Thu, June 28 6 p.m.
Sat, June 23 Whelen Modified Langley Thu, June 28 7 p.m.
Sat, June 30 K&N Pro West Douglas County Fri, July 6 1 p.m.
Sat, July 14 K&N Pro East Thompson Tue, July 24 6 p.m.
Sun, July 15 K&N Pro West Spokane Tue, July 24 7 p.m.
Sat, July 21 K&N Pro East New Hampshire Wed, July 25 6 p.m.
Sat, July 21 Whelen Modified New Hampshire Wed, July 25 7 p.m.
Sat, July 21 Whelen Modified New Hampshire (All-Star) Fri, July 27 6 p.m.
Fri, July 27 K&N Pro (combo) Iowa Thu, Aug. 2 6 p.m.
Fri, Aug. 3 K&N Pro East Watkins Glen Wed, Aug. 8 6 p.m.
Sat, Aug. 11 K&N Pro West Evergreen Wed, Aug. 15 6 p.m.
Wed, Aug. 15 Whelen Modified Bristol Wed, Aug. 22 6 p.m.
Fri, Aug. 24 K&N Pro (combo) Gateway Thu, Aug. 30 6 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 1 Whelen Modified Oswego Thu, Sept. 6 6 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 8 Whelen Modified Riverhead Thu, Sept. 13 6 p.m.
Thu, Sept. 13 K&N Pro West Las Vegas Fri, Sept. 21 2:30 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 22 K&N Pro East New Hampshire Thu, Sept. 27 6 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 22 Whelen Modified New Hampshire Thu, Sept. 27 7 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 29 K&N Pro West Meridian Fri, Oct. 5 1 p.m.
Sun, Sept. 30 Whelen Modified Stafford Fri, Oct. 5 11 p.m.
Fri, Oct. 5 K&N Pro East Dover Thu, Oct. 11 6 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 13 K&N Pro West All American Thu, Oct. 18 6 p.m.
Sun, Oct. 14 Whelen Modified Thompson Thu, Oct. 18 7 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 27 K&N Pro West Kern County Thu, Nov. 1 6 p.m.

*Extended highlights of NJMP race will air on NASCAR America.

Posted on by

MILLINGTON, Tenn. — Ruben Garcia Jr. said it has always been his dream to race in NASCAR in the United States. And that thanks to Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity, he got that opportunity.

It hasn’t always been an easy acclimation for the 2015 NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series champion, but the 22-year-old from Mexico City saw the fruits of his perseverance pay off Saturday evening as he scored his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East win.

Garcia jumped to the lead after the Lap 100 break and had the No. 6 Max Siegel Inc. Toyota out front for the final 38 laps en route to claiming the checkered flag in the Memphis 150 presented by Autozone at Memphis International Raceway.

The 22-year-old from Mexico City set a blistering pace over the final third of the race, crossing the finish line .598 seconds ahead of runner-up and series points leader Tyler Ankrum. Ankrum’s DGR-Crosley teammate, Tyler Dippel, finished third.

Garcia is his third full season in the K&N Pro Series. After finishing 10th in points as a rookie 2016, the NASCAR Next alum improved to fifth last year. He finished second at Bristol Motor Speedway and led a race-high 79 laps in the finale at Dover International Speedway, but was still in search of that elusive breakthrough win.

After qualifying fifth, Garcia spent the first 100 laps bidding his time. He restarted after the second break in eighth, as everybody but race leader Hailie Deegan and her Bill McAnally Racing teammate Derek Kraus elected to pit. When the race resumed, Garcia quickly cut his way to the front. He was up to third by lap 107 and went by Kraus for second a later. He wasted no time in reeling in Ankrum, who had bolted to the lead on the restart.

After grabbing the lead, he stretched it quickly to a half-second within five laps and was able to drive it home from there.

Garcia became the seventh different driver from the NASCAR Drive For Diversity Program to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race and gave Rev Racing, which has fielded the competition team for the program since 2010, its 18th win.

He is the fourth Mexican-born driver to win in the series, following Ruben Pardo (2006), Rogelio Lopez (2007) and three-time series race winner Daniel Suarez (most recently 2014).

Garcia also led a Rev Racing contingent that also finished fourth (Chase Cabre) and seventh (Ryan Vargas).

Ronnie Bassett Jr. finished fifth, followed by his brother Dillon. After Vargas, Colin Garrett, Anthony Alfredo and Marcos Gomes rounded out the top 10.

RACING-REFERENCE: RESULTS | POINTS

Earlier in the day, Ankrum set a track record with his pole qualifying time. His runner-up finish allowed him to bump his championship points lead to 14 over Dippel and 34 over Ronnie Bassett. Alfredo is fourth and Vargas fifth. Garcia moved up to sixth, two points behind Vargas.

The Memphis 150 presented by Autozone will air on NBCSN on Wednesday, June 6 at 6 p.m. ET.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to the track on Saturday, June 16, with the JUSTDRIVE.com 125 at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Ruben Garcia Jr. races in the NASCAR K&N Series Memphis 150 presented by Autozone at Memphis International Raceway on Saturday, June 2, 2018 in Millington, Tennessee. (Photo by Sara D. Davis, NASCAR)
Ruben Garcia Jr. (6) led the final 38 laps in the Memphis 150 presented by Autozone at Memphis International Raceway on Saturday in Millington, Tennessee. (Sara D. Davis/ NASCAR)
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NASCAR, Rev Racing Announce Competitors in Third Annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity National Pit Crew CombineCHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 22, 2018) –- NASCAR® and Rev Racing today announced 13 college athletes from across the country who will compete as tire changers, carriers and jackmen in the third annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity National Pit Crew Combine in Concord, N.C., on Friday, May 25.

This year’s combine competitors include college football, basketball, tennis and track and field athletes looking to transition to a professional career in NASCAR. Each will put their pit crew skills to the test and be evaluated based on a series of fitness, agility and crew member drills and competitions at the NASCAR Research & Development Center.

Top-performing participants will receive invitations to join the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development program and train as pit crew members with Rev Racing beginning later this year. More than 50 graduates of the program are currently working in the NASCAR industry and 25 are pitting in the sport’s top series, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™.

“To look across our national series, it’s clear that NASCAR Drive for Diversity has become an unquestioned leader in the recruitment and development of professional pit crew members,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR senior manager, racing operations and event management. “Each year, the national combine helps us identify top talent and athletes with the drive and ability to one day compete as fulltime crew members in NASCAR.”

As part of the program’s scouting process, NASCAR and Rev Racing hosted spring tryouts for college athletes at Alcorn State University, Bethune-Cookman University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Virginia State University and Winston-Salem State University.

The athletes invited to Friday’s combine will take part in a four-hour skills competition led by Phil Horton, Rev Racing director of athletic performance.

“Rev Racing’s recruiting efforts at colleges and universities across the country have resulted in attracting some of the best athletes in the nation to our combine,” said Max Siegel, owner and CEO of Rev Racing.  “We are excited about the partnerships we have developed with the athletic departments and administration at these institutions. We are proud of our accomplishments since the inception of this program and look forward to continued opportunities for growth in the future.”

This year’s competitors include Joshua Patrick, who was part of two HBCU national championship teams as a linebacker at North Carolina State A&T State, and twin brothers Jordan and Justin Boyd, both former track athletes at Alcorn State.

For some on Friday, the combine could mark the beginning of a professional career that leads to competing – and winning – on the sport’s biggest stage.

In February, Derrell Edwards became the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity pit crew member to win the DAYTONA 500 when driver Austin Dillon raced to Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway. Edwards, who played basketball at High Point University, pits as a tire carrier and jackman for Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team.

Three program graduates – Raphael Diaz, Kevin Richardson and Mike Russell – helped Roush Fenway Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway in 2017.

Brehanna Daniels, who previously starred as a point guard for Norfolk State’s women’s basketball program, has pitted as a tire changer in more than 20 NASCAR Xfinity Series™, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ and ARCA Series races while training with NASCAR Drive for Diversity.

The 2018 NASCAR Drive for Diversity National Pit Crew Combine participants include:

 

Name Hometown University Primary Sport
Jordan Boyd Southaven, Miss. Alcorn State University Track & Field
Justin Boyd Southaven, Miss. Alcorn State University Football/Track & Field
Evan Clay Franklin, La. Morehouse College Football
Jarren Davis Jacksonville, Fla. Bethune-Cookman University Football
Keiston France Amelia, Va. North Carolina A&T State University Tennis
Hadji Gaylord Norfolk, Va. Norfolk State University Football
Andre Hodge Cliffwood, N.J. Winston-Salem State University Football
Ernest Holden Hampton, Va. Norfolk State University Football
Lafayette Kemp Atlanta, Ga. Kentucky Christian University Football
Jerick Newsome Memphis, Tenn. Alcorn State University Basketball
Joshua Patrick Decatur, Ga. North Carolina A&T State University Football
Monte Robinson Fayetteville, N.C. Virginia University of Lynchburg Football
Tori Spann Wichita, Kan. Alcorn State University Basketball

 

Following Friday’s event, pit crew combine participants will attend the Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 26 (1 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN).

NASCAR Drive for Diversity also offers a driver development program, operated by Rev Racing, and fields vehicles for four drivers in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, as well as legend cars for four youth racers. Successful graduates now competing in a national series include Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kyle Larson, Daniel Suárez and Darrell Wallace Jr.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 will be broadcast live from Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 27 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), three regional series, one local grassroots series, three international series and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

About Rev Racing

Headquartered in Concord, NC, Rev Racing, owned by Max Siegel operates the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, which is the industry’s leading developmental program for ethnic minorities and women drivers and pit crew members. For more information about Rev Racing visit http://revracing.net or follow us on Twitter @RevRacin.

 

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 18, 2018) – The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) will welcome its largest class in program history during 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race weekend, NASCAR® announced today.

More than 30 top students from across the country have arrived in Charlotte for orientation at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and other racing venues before attending the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race on May 19 (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90). Following orientation, the interns will officially begin the 10-week, paid program.

Since its inception in 2000, NDIP has offered a select group of students from diverse backgrounds a unique hands-on experience in the motorsports industry. The program has grown to include several industry partners and continues to provide career opportunities for multicultural students as one of the premier internships in sports.

“NASCAR is committed to enhancing diversity both on and off the track and the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program has opened doors for hundreds of students to explore a career in motorsports,” said Paula Miller, NASCAR senior vice president and chief human resources officer. “Many of our interns have been hired as full-time employees and now are helping to lead NASCAR into the future – a great testament to the value and success of NDIP.”

Among the notable NDIP alumni are Brandon Thompson, managing director of the NASCAR Touring Series, and Jusan Hamilton, who last year became the first African American to serve as race director for a NASCAR national series event. Hamilton also oversees the NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver and crew member development programs.

Erica Wilkerson, another NDIP alum, now works in youth marketing at NASCAR and manages NASCAR Acceleration Nation, the sport’s first national youth platform. Pedro Mojica interned with Rev Racing and the NASCAR Research and Development Center before joining International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) as a technical engineer.

The 2018 NDIP class will have roles at NASCAR and program partners across the industry which include International Speedway Corporation (ISC), Toyota, Motor Racing Network (MRN) and several tracks and teams.

Throughout the program, interns will interact with industry professionals at an array of networking events and lunch-and-learns led by NASCAR executives. The interns will also have access to mentors and NDIP alumni currently working at the sanctioning body and partner organizations.

Many of the interns will participate in their first NASCAR experience during Monster Energy NASCAR All- Star Race weekend. The experience will include guided tours of the NASCAR R&D Center, MRN studios and Roush Fenway Racing.

The interns will also meet Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ driver and NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate, Darrell Wallace Jr., the highest placing African-American driver in DAYTONA 500 history.

NDIP is open to sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate-level college students and offers hands-on experience with one of the top sports industries in the country. The internship provides opportunities to multicultural students from all majors with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

The 2018 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program class includes:

 

Name Department University
Genesis Acosta NASCAR & ISC Human Resources Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Maria Aleman NASCAR Research & Development North Carolina State University
Ariel Cavazos ISC Legal Florida A&M University College of Law
Nikhaule Chandler Motor Racing Network North Carolina A&T State University
Sally Chung ISC Finance Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Chandler Coley Roush Fenway Racing University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Brijea Daniel Richard Childress Racing University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Brandon Escamilla NASCAR Driver Marketing Texas Southern University
Grant Floto Michigan International Speedway University of Michigan
Taylor Harris Gateway Motorsports Park Hampton University
Zachary Hernandez Chicagoland Speedway Lewis University
Asia Hirschenson ISC Partnership Marketing Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Jorge Jones NASCAR Hispanic & Youth Marketing University of the Incarnate Word
Kevin Joseph NASCAR Research & Development California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Henry Lanear Kansas Speedway Rice University
Nealyn Lea NASCAR Finance Bethune-Cookman University
Kenneth Lee Talladega Superspeedway Tuskegee University
Zue Lopez Diaz NASCAR Public Affairs Florida International University
Olivia Messineo NASCAR Digital Media SUNY Cortland
Maxwell Miranda NASCAR Licensing Mercer University
Carlena Neely Toyota University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Hyleah O’Quinn NASCAR Green Innovation University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
Kushagra Pandey NASCAR Analytics & Insights George Washington University
Sonya Patel NASCAR Legal University of California, Hastings College of the Law
Jay Patel NASCAR Productions University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Darwin Patterson NASCAR Digital Media University of Florida
Kirby Paulson NASCAR Integrated Marketing Comms. Quinnipiac University
Malaney Sanders NASCAR Weekly & Touring University of Arkansas
Julia Siguenza NASCAR Broadcast Towson University
Steven Sosa ISC Digital & Interactive Communications University of Central Florida
Ivana Valdez NASCAR Green-Hotels for Hope University of Texas
Isaiah Wright Richmond Raceway Virginia State University
Lucia Zapata Daytona International Speedway University of Central Florida
Claudia Zapata NASCAR Foundation University of the Incarnate Word

 

 

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), three regional series, one local grassroots series, three international series and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

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This past weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Isabella Robusto took first place in the Young Lions U.S. Legend Cars division in race five of the five race series at the 6th annual Battle at the Big Top. 13 year-old Robusto from Fort Mill, South Carolina, is a second-year member of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, running for Rev Racing’s youth program.

The Battle at the Big Top (BATBT) is a six-day event, including one day of practice and five days of racing. Robusto also walked away 2nd in overall points, winning 3 poles in six races. Robusto was the only female Legend car driver in attendance and became the first female to win a race in a Legend car at the BATBT.

This five-day show brought drivers from North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Iowa, New York, and Nova Scotia. NASCAR Drive for Diversity alumni drivers Daniel Suarez, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Kyle Larson also raced in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series this past weekend at the same track Robusto scored her victory.

Race five at the BATBT was a national qualifier. Robusto, winner of race five, is guaranteed a starting spot in the 2018 Asphalt Nationals at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, taking place on October 25, 26 and 27.

“TMS is such a fun track! It’s really old and bumpy and each corner is different. I really had to be up on the wheel for every lap,” said Robusto. “I knew I had a fast car after practice on Monday, but I couldn’t believe I got three poles against some of the best competition in the country! But, I came up short of a win all week. Going into the last race, I knew in my heart it was mine. But then we had five restarts (most involving my own brother), so I really started to get nervous. I led every lap, but with five to go I bobbled and got passed. In the end, I battled back with two to go and won.”

Robusto first sat in a go-kart at the age of five on an asphalt track in Kershaw, South Carolina.  After a year of seat time, she began racing the kart in club races at Carolina Motorsports Park. Then, she progressed to the US Legends Car series where she began training with AK Performance and Kendall Sellers, and garnered the attention of Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program.

Robusto will join her Rev Racing teammates this weekend for the Zombie Auto 150 at Bristol Motor Speedway for NASCAR K&N Pro Series East second race of the season in preparation of her next race on April 21st at Concord Motorsports Park.