Harvick, Childers look back on five years together in racing

Posted on February 13, 2018July 4, 2019 by Jessica Ruffin

An enlarged photo hangs on the wall of No. 4 crew chief Rodney Childers’ upstairs office at Stewart-Haas Racing.

The photo hanging in Rodney Childers’ office

It is inconspicuous in nature — so much so that one might pass it and pay no notice. The image is Kevin Harvick with Childers at ISM Raceway in Phoenix after winning their first race together in 2014. A public relations representative took the photo after victory celebrations.

The meaning, though, is much bigger.

The 2018 season will be the fifth since Harvick and Childers joined forces as driver and crew chief. That race in the desert was one of the initial sparks that ignited the dynamic Harvick-Childers pairing.

“Your first win with somebody is always special, but I remember as soon as we turned that corner out of Victory Lane, he put his arm around me and he said, ‘I told you this was going to happen,’ ” Childers recalled to NASCAR.com on Jan. 25.

“And he was right.”

• • •

The championship-winning pair came together toward the end of the 2013 season. Childers was serving as crew chief for the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota, piloted by Mark Martin, Brian Vickers and Waltrip. Harvick was driving the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.

After 13 years with RCR, Harvick was looking at the next step in his career with Stewart-Haas Racing – and he wanted Childers to be a part of it.

“Kevin had been after me (for) …. 9-10 months at the time, and I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do,” Childers said. “I felt like everybody at Michael Waltrip Racing was family to me. We had grown that place into something that I thought was pretty competitive at the time compared to where it started when I got there in 2009. And also the relationship I had with the people at Toyota – they treated me great and I didn’t know if I wanted to give all that up.”

Childers visited Harvick’s house on July 11, 2013, to discuss their possible future together. He left with the intention of leaving Michael Waltrip Racing to crew chief the No. 4 in 2014.

Three days later, Vickers won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Childers atop the pit box.

“I remember sending my wife a message leaving Victory Lane, saying ‘I can’t leave this, I can’t do this to these people,’ ” Childers said.

Ultimately his decision came down to winning races and, more importantly, championships. For Childers, that meant moving to Stewart-Haas Racing with Harvick. The move was delayed, however, as Childers was locked into a contract at Michael Waltrip Racing and unable to officially work for either team for about two months.

Unofficially, though, he remained hard at work.

“The biggest thing was, I got rested up,” Childers said. “And I spent a lot time with family and I’d sit at home and on Sundays, I would listen to (RaceView) on NASCAR.com and listen to Kevin and his communication with his team. I had a notebook of his last 10 races of the year of everything he said during the race, everything his team said back to him, everything I thought his spotter should have done better, everything I thought his crew chief should have said differently, and by the end of that season I felt comfortable.

“I think letting me stay at home was probably a bad thing for the competition because when I finally got the chance to come here, I was ready to go.”

• • •

Childers began building his race team when he finally arrived at the Stewart-Haas Racing shop.

“Rodney was able to go out and really interview every position on the race team and build a race team that had a lot of the characteristics of his personality,” Harvick said. “I’m a little bit more high-strung than Rodney, so we’re a good balance for each other. But the one thing about the way that our race team is built, it was built from the ground up. It had new cars, new trucks new trailers. Everything about it was built around how we wanted to build (it).”

Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

Right away, the pair just seemed to click. Their personalities differed in many ways, but they held one common trait; both competitive and driven, they wanted to win more than anything.

“It didn’t take long after we got Rodney and seeing Kevin and Rodney together, it was very evident why Kevin was adamant about him,” team owner Tony Stewart said. “The way that they interact with each other, the way that they communicate, the trust that Rodney has in Kevin and Kevin has in Rodney.

“When you find pairings like this, you guard ’em with your life because it’s kind of like Ray Evernham and Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Fennig and Mark Martin.”

Harvick and Childers hit the track together for the first time at a test at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Dec. 8, 2013. It was there when they began to see the potential for the No. 4 team.

“It was just eye opening for everybody, ‘Holy cow, we’re fast,’ ” Childers recalled. “Like, way fast. We used to look at the 48 that way, it’s like, ‘Man everywhere they went they were just crazy fast.’ We unloaded off the truck and communication went good and the car handled good and I think that day we realized we had something that we could work with, that we could win races with.

The second race on the 2014 schedule was Phoenix. A four-time winner and the track’s most recent winner, Harvick’s prowess in the desert pinned him as a favorite — even with a new team and crew chief.

Jeff Zelevansky | Getty Images

“When we went to Phoenix, we knew we were going to win, from the time we got there to the time we left,” Childers said. “That thought process never wavered the whole weekend.”

Harvick dominated the race with Childers atop the pit box, leading 224 laps and bringing the No. 4 to victory.

“(It was) a relief,” Harvick said with a chuckle as he recalled the duo’s first win. “Because so many people took such a big chance to …. start the team and sponsors changing organizations … To have that out of the way so early with a victory was a huge relief.”

Harvick and Childers won three more races as the year progressed. On Nov. 16, 2014 — nearly one year after their first test at Charlotte together — Harvick was crowned the 2014 Monster Energy Series champion with a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

For Childers and Harvick, their pairing had come full circle; the championship was the reason for their collaboration from the beginning.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

“It was all about winning races. It was all about winning the championship and I could see the determination in his eyes,” Childers said. “He was willing to give up everything he had ever done at RCR just to go try to win a championship.

“For somebody like him to basically put all his chips on me and want me to be the guy to win a championship with, that meant the world to me. You always want somebody that has that belief in you.”

• • •

Heading into the pair’s fifth season together, the scene looks different for Harvick and Childers these days. Now veterans at Stewart-Haas Racing, they’ve won 14 races and 15 pole awards, leading 6,658 laps.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

But in terms of fundamentals, not much has changed. They dial in with the same focused mindset every weekend, remaining in constant communication even when they’re away from the race track — so much so that Childers says they seem to talk more to each other than to their wives.

That’s what it takes to win.

“I think a lot of those off-the-clock conversations lead to a lot of answers and a lot of questions and a lot of conversations that we probably wouldn’t have,” Harvick said. “But we talk every day – there’s not a day that goes by where there’s not a text or a phone call or something had happened. So, I feel like that communication is what has kept the 4 car competitive.”

Childers noted it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes the No. 4 pairing connect.

“When I try to answer that question of why it has worked, I don’t know how to answer it,” he said. “It’s like when you find the perfect somebody and it just happens, you know? It seems like we think alike and we both want to win, both want to work hard, we both want to push each other to be better. I don’t know how to describe it other than that.”

• • •

With all that they’ve accomplished since those early days, Harvick and Childers’ first win at Phoenix seems like a small part in the No. 4 journey.

The image of it hangs in Childers’ office. For the crew chief, that picture is more than a fond memory.

“The biggest reason for the picture is to look up there and remember what kind of relationship we have and remember how much it means, and that I better be working hard,” he said. “You don’t ever want to lose that. It’s cool to have that relationship and be remembered by that every day.”

Posted on February 13, 2018March 4, 2018 by Track Release

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Peyton Manning, the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and Nationwide member/spokesperson, will serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for the 60th annual DAYTONA 500 on Feb. 18 at Daytona International Speedway.

The DAYTONA 500, first held in 1959 at the famed 2.5-mile high-banked tri-oval, is the season-opening race (TV – FOX, FOX Deportes; Radio – MRN, Sirius XM) for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Manning will be behind the wheel of a Toyota Camry XSE pacing the 40-car field prior to taking the green flag.

“Serving as the Honorary Pace Car Driver will be a truly unique and exciting experience,” Manning said. “I want to thank NASCAR, Daytona International Speedway and Nationwide for making this possible. I’m really looking forward to race day.”

Manning retired from the NFL following the 2015 season, which he capped by leading the Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl victory over the Carolina Panthers. Manning also led the Indianapolis Colts to the 2006 Super Bowl title, beating the Chicago Bears. In an 18-year NFL career, Manning passed for 71,940 yards and 539 touchdowns, both all-time records. He was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player five times and was Super Bowl MVP in the Colts’ victory.

Manning’s first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame will be 2021, when he will be considered a lock for induction.

As a collegiate player at the University of Tennessee, Manning led the Volunteers to the 1997 Southeastern Conference championship and was a consensus All-American as a senior. He became Tennessee’s all-time leading passer with 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns and won 39 of 45 games as a starter, breaking the SEC record for career victories. Manning was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

“We’re talking true star power with this announcement, as Peyton Manning is one of the legends of both college football and the NFL,” said Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile. “He also has the persona and popularity to match his achievements. He’ll be an awesome Honorary Pace Car Driver and a great addition to our lineup of high-profile guests for the 60th DAYTONA 500.”

Tickets for the 60th annual DAYTONA 500 and other Speedweeks events can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat, and by downloading Daytona International Speedway’s mobile app, for the latest Speedway news throughout the season.

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Staff Report

PHOTOS: Chase Elliott through the years

One of NASCAR’s fastest rising young guns is getting additional sponsorship for both the present and the future.

Hendrick Motorsports and NAPA Auto Parts have agreed to a two-year extension through 2020 in a deal that also increases NAPA’s number of races as a primary sponsor in 2018 for the No. 9 Chevrolet of Chase Elliott.

NAPA will now sponsor 26 races for Elliott from 2018-20, including all three Daytona 500s during that span.

“The relationship with NAPA has been a major part of my career starting in 2014,” Elliott said in a team release. “Their support has been huge for me, and I’m very thankful for what they’ve done for our whole team at Hendrick Motorsports. … I’m proud to represent all of those folks and look forward to having them part of our No. 9 team for many more years.”

Tuesday’s news comes on the heels of Elliott finishing fifth in the final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings last year, his second full-time season with Hendrick Motorsports. Driving the No. 24 from 2016-17, Elliott logged 22 top-five and 38 top-10 finishes, to go along with three poles.

RELATED: ‘Good luck,’ from Atlanta

He transitioned into the No. 9 in the offseason as homage to his father, Bill Elliott.

NAPA first sponsored Elliott in the Xfinity Series in 2014, when the then-teenager drove to a series championship for JR Motorsports.

“NAPA made an incredible commitment early on in Chase’s career, and that has only grown over the years,” team owner Rick Hendrick said in a release. ” … The No. 9 team and all of us at Hendrick Motorsports are dedicated to NAPA’s success, and we look forward to working together and continuing to deliver in every aspect of our program.”

MORE: Hendrick feels re-energized

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As the countdown continues to Daytona Day, NASCAR today announced the return of the Hashtag 500, where fans will race on social media for a chance to win memorabilia from the 60th running of the DAYTONA 500 live during the race on February 18.

To compete in the Hashtag 500, fans can watch the DAYTONA 500 on FOX (2:30 p.m. ET) and follow @NASCAR on Twitter to find custom hashtags that give fans a chance to win race items including a driver fire suit, helmet, steering wheel, set of Goodyear tires and more.

NASCAR will share a new hashtag every 20 laps of the race. The first 500 @NASCAR followers that tweet the hashtag and #DAYTONA500 will be entered in a random drawing for each prize.

The final Hashtag 500 race winner will receive a grand prize trip for two to the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship in Miami.

“In less than a week, Daytona International Speedway will host some of the most intense, side-by-side racing we’ve ever seen,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “With the Hashtag 500, we’re once again extending the competition to our fans on social media and creating yet another fun way to engage with the Great American Race on Daytona Day.”

Beginning today through Saturday, Feb. 17, fans can practice for the Hashtag 500 by competing in daily races on Instagram for a chance to win unique, personal items from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers.

Daily prizes will include a Jimmie Johnson replica race helmet, a pair of sunglasses from Kyle Busch, a commemorative champagne bottle from Austin Dillon’s wedding and an autographed drum cover from series rookie Darrell Wallace Jr., who will make his DAYTONA 500 debut on Sunday.

MORE: Bowman wins Daytona 500 pole

The first 500 fans to comment with the custom hashtag on NASCAR’s Instagram posts will be entered to win each day’s Hashtag 500 driver prize.

The first Hashtag 500 took place during the 2016 DAYTONA 500. The unique promotion generated massive fan engagement and broke numerous NASCAR social media records – including total tweets in a single minute (13,000).

This year, the unique promotion is one of several social and digital media experiences offered by NASCAR to elevate the sport’s 2018 season launch for fans.

The all-new NASCAR Fantasy Live, enhanced to mirror NASCAR’s official scoring system, is now open for league and team registration at NASCAR.com/fantasy. Beginning Sunday, fantasy players will be able to swap drivers in and out of their “garage” live during Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races.

This week, NASCAR Mobile will debut the sport’s first augmented reality experience for app users. Fans can position race-themed items like driver helmets and Goodyear tires within their camera frames and share the images with friends on social media.

On Sunday, Snapchat will cover the DAYTONA 500 with its Our Story feature to give millions of users around the world an inside look at race day from Daytona International Speedway.

For more information on the Hashtag 500, fans can visit NASCAR.com/hashtag500 beginning later today.

The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ season kicks off with the 60th annual DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET. The Great American Race will be broadcast live on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90), with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Bringing high-tech equipment out into the field sometimes connotes a level of fragility, especially in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage with the heat, humidity and grit from seasonable Florida afternoons.

So far, the new Optical Scanning Station (OSS) car inspection process hasn’t wilted under the pressure of its first full-fledged NASCAR weekend at Daytona International Speedway. And that’s given John Probst, NASCAR Managing Director for Competition and Innovation, some peace of mind as the system makes its debut in the days leading up to Sunday’s Daytona 500 (Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM).

“I can say so far — I don’t want to sound like I was planning on the worst there — but it’s worked out better than I had hoped actually so far,” Probst said during a break between Sunday’s Daytona 500 qualifying and the Advance Auto Parts Clash. “We’ve run well over 220 scans by this point and so far, so good. No major issues.”

The new technology — developed by the NASCAR Research & Development team in conjunction with Hawk-Eye Innovations — uses 17 cameras and eight projectors in a tented inspection bay to map and check vehicle bodies for compliance. The system replaces the Laser Inspection System (LIS) and some templates that were previously used last season.

Though it’s still early in the process, the reviews for the system’s initial effectiveness have largely been positive, Probst says. Stewart-Haas Racing crew chief Rodney Childers was among those offering a thumbs-up on social media, and Team Penske owner Roger Penske and crew chief Paul Wolfe also chimed in with their praises after Brad Keselowski’s Clash victory Sunday in the Penske No. 2 Ford.

“One thing I will say, that the (OSS) process has really made a whole different week out of this,” Penske said. “There’s been less work on the cars. The machine says where you are, and everybody has got to be there. So I feel that we’re all racing on a level playing field, which is a big step for NASCAR and what they’ve tried to do.”

The system made a handful of appearances at NASCAR races toward the end of last season, but Saturday and Sunday marked its first official use in competition. And though NASCAR’s competition officials processed more than 1,000 scans in the offseason at the R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, Sunday was the first run-through for a full field of cars in pre-qualifying inspection for the Daytona 500.

With little exception, the flow of cars through the inspection bay was relatively smooth, with each scan taking roughly three minutes. And teams have caught on with some of the system’s nuances, even in simple courtesy matters such as furling up the tent’s flaps once their scans were finished.

Probst says it’s all part of a learning process, one that won’t end after Speedweeks are complete.

“It’s worked very well, but we learn every day, almost with every car,” Probst said. “We’re students every day. We’re going to learn and get better. We’ve already changed some things that we do here with lineups, how we roll the cars on and how we stage the cars, where we stage the crew members. So yeah, this will be a process. We’re going to continue to work with the garage to continue to make it better and better.

“The way it looks in Atlanta will be even better than it was here, and when we get to Homestead, I’d like to say we’ll be done but we won’t. We’ll continue to do the things that make it more efficient and a better result for all of us.”

Posted on February 12, 2018February 12, 2018 by Zack Albert

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Todd Gilliland and Harrison Burton — a pair of 17-year-olds — put on a clash for the ages Sunday night at New Smyrna Speedway, lifting the lid on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season with flair.

Gilliland survived as the winner, emerging from a nails-tough battle of wills and fender strength over the last two laps. Burton took the hard-luck short end of their duel, allowing a lurking Cole Rouse to sneak past for second place at the finish of the New Smyrna 175.

Wow! What a final two laps at New @newsmyrnaspdway !
Two #NASCARNext stars battling for the 🏁 pic.twitter.com/GtwT0OUj76

— NASCAR Home Tracks (@NASCARHomeTrack) February 12, 2018

As members of the NASCAR Next youth initiative, Gilliland and Burton have already been tapped as likely next-generation successes at stock-car racing’s national level. Sunday night’s showdown offered another preview, hinting at the tantalizing promise of aggressive head-to-head racing on their parallel paths up the NASCAR ladder.

But despite their relatively young age, Burton estimates they’ve been familiar foes for more than a decade now. Sunday night’s race was merely a continuation.

“I feel like we both, in our years, we’ve been racing each other since we were 5 and 6,” said Burton, who congratulated Gilliland in a gracious moment in Victory Lane. “In our years of racing together, we’ve gotten into it and had great races and had a lot of fun. Man, that’s what it’s about right there. Just love doing it.”

The two have been seemingly inseparable in their more recent racing history. Burton edged Gilliland by just eight points to claim last year’s K&N East championship. The two also made six starts each last season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports, which will field Toyotas for them in partial schedules this year — 19 truck races for Gilliland, nine for Burton.

So are they teammates, rivals, friends or all of the above? Their responses — possibly charged up by the heat of the post-race moment Sunday night — suggest the lines may be blurred.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Gilliland said. “We’re both in NASCAR Next, and also just being teenagers our age that love racing. We go out to GoPro Motorplex together, and just little things like that. I feel like we’re friends off the race track, but we want to beat each other as much as anyone else on the race track.”

Said Burton: “I don’t know. It’s kind of been weird between us forever, to be honest with you. We’ve been very good teammates and worked together at KBM, and then we come here and we’re rivals. It’s a strange balance to strike up, but we’ll see.”

Both drivers will turn 18 this year — Gilliland in May, Burton in October — clearing them both for full-fledged participation on national series tracks of all sizes. And both have made their intentions clear on social media that while 2017 represented a successful campaign, both have higher hopes for more this season.

With Sunday night’s event as a possible indicator, the road to those goals for Burton and Gilliland may write another chapter in their thriving history of competition.

“I definitely know it’s him, but I’d race anyone for the win as hard as I could,” Gilliland said. “That’s what this business is about is winning races and putting your sponsors in Victory Lane and representing your team well. I think this was a great learning experience. … Hopefully, we’ll carry some momentum into this year.”

Posted on February 12, 2018February 13, 2018 by Brad Norman

Editor’s note: This is the ninth in a series of 14 team previews on NASCAR.com. Next up: Hendrick Motorsports on Feb. 13. A list of team previews already published is at the bottom of this story.

Chip Ganassi Racing

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: Hendrick Motorsports

Drivers Kyle Larson, No. 42; Jamie McMurray, No. 1

Crew chiefs: Chad Johnston (Larson), Matt McCall (McMurray)

2017 standings: Larson, 8th in final standings (eliminated in Round of 12); McMurray, 12th in final standings (eliminated in Round of 12)

What’s new: Expanded sponsorship with both Credit One and DC Solar means the paint schemes on the No. 42 Chevrolet of Kyle Larson will look a little different this year, but much of CGR remains the same after a banner season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. McMurray is the fourth-longest tenured driver with a single team at NASCAR’s top level, and Larson enters his fifth full-time season driving for Ganassi. CGR has become one of the most stable operations in the garage.

What to watch: Kyle Larson’s mental strength. A banner season in which he emerged as a title contender ended abruptly in the playoffs with four consecutive DNFs, leaving Larson looking desolate and inconsolable in November.

Key question(s): Can Larson bounce back early in the season following a disappointing end to 2017? Can the team get a touch faster at 1.5-mile tracks, where Larson has yet to win? How can Jamie McMurray continue making small gains throughout the season to become a postseason threat?

DRIVERS

Kyle Larson, No. 42 Credit One Chevrolet: In 2017, Larson evolved from “That guy with loads of potential” to “That super talented guy who is winning races and is a title contender.” His ascension into the upper echelon in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series came quickly.

David Becker | Getty Images

Now, to build.

Larson, 25, proved himself to be the best in the series on wide 2-mile tracks, sweeping both Michigan races and prevailing at Auto Club. He also won the regular-season finale at Richmond to set up what appeared to be a championship push, before ending the year with four DNFs in the final five races. He and crew chief Chad Johnston enter their third year together after making big strides in ’17. There may not be a more intriguing story to start the season than how quickly Larson gets back to form.

Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet: McMurray has been a model of consistency for Chip Ganassi over the years, a trend that ticked upward in 2017. McMurray again qualified for the postseason, but for the first time under the current format, he advanced out of the Round of 16.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

That’s reason for optimism, like the increase of top-10 finishes to 17 last year … his most in a single season since 2004. His average finish of 14.6 also was his best since 2004. Still, room for growth remains as crew chief Matt McCall and company continue to dig to match the pace of the No. 42.

“Matt’s work ethic is as good as it could be,” McMurray said. “You can’t find anybody that is willing to put more time and effort and 100 percent of their focus into making your car faster. And he has kind of instilled that in all the guys that work on our team. … Matt’s done an awesome job of putting together an amazing group of guys.”

PREVIOUS TEAM PREVIEWS

Feb. 1: Front Row Motorsports
Feb. 2: Richard Petty Motorsports
Feb. 3: Leavine Family Racing
Feb. 5: JTG Daugherty Racing
Feb. 6: Germain Racing
Feb. 7: Roush Fenway Racing
Feb. 8: Richard Childress Racing

Feb. 9: Wood Brothers Racing

Posted on February 12, 2018February 12, 2018 by Staff Report

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Academy Award, Golden Globe, SAG winning and Emmy nominated actress Charlize Theron is the honorary starter for the 60th annual Daytona 500. Theron will wave the green flag for the the season-opening race (Feb. 18, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Theron stars in and produces the upcoming Amazon Studios film “Gringo,” under her production company Denver and Delilah’s banner. The film will be released in theaters nationwide on March 9. “Gringo,” a dark comedy mixed with white knuckle action and dramatic intrigue, explores the battle of survival for businessman Harold Soyinka when he finds himself crossing the line from law abiding citizen to wanted criminal. The film also stars David Oyelowo, Joel Edgerton, Amanda Seyfried, Yul Vazquez, Thandie Newton and Sharlto Copley.

Theron is in good company as recent Daytona 500 honorary starters include Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee LaDainian Tomlinson, actors Gary Sinise, Angie Harmon, Ashton Kutcher and Whoopi Goldberg and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ken Griffey Jr.

She’ll join, among others, Dale Earnhardt Jr. as race dignitaries. The recently retired Earnhardt Jr. will serve as the race’s grand marshal.

MORE: History of Daytona 500 grand marshals

“Charlize Theron is the latest in a long line of accomplished entertainers, athletes, U.S. military members and others to serve as the Honorary Starter for the Daytona 500,” Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile said in a press release. “We are thrilled to have her as our guest at the ‘Great American Race’ and we are certain race fans will feel the same way.”

Theron won both an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Actress in 2003 for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wournos in “Monster.” She has also starred in “The Cider House Rules,” “The Italian Job” and “North Country,” which resulted in Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. She has most recently been seen in “Atomic Blonde,” “The Fate of the Furious” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” as well as a producer on the Netflix original series “Mindhunter.”

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Rick Hendrick conceded with a smile that when he first began interacting with driver Alex Bowman two years ago he sometimes mistakenly referred to the young racer as Alex Baldwin.

Getting Bowman’s name right certainly isn’t an issue now as it goes down in the history books as pole winner for next weekend’s 60th annual Daytona 500.

While the two joked about it Sunday afternoon shortly after Bowman’s headline-earning run in the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet, the 24-year old driver acknowledged it has been a long and hard-knocks road to finding a job with the Hall of Fame owner Hendrick…and to a bona fide shot to win on NASCAR’s biggest stages.

“If you talked to me in 2015 and told me that in 2018 I was going to be driving the 88 car for Hendrick Motorsports, I would have called you nuts,’’ said Bowman, who replaced the retiring Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Hendrick’s car.

“You know, everything happens for a reason. My career had a lot of ups and downs, and I’ve been able to lean on my past experiences a lot to make me better and to better prepare myself for this job.

“Honestly, I think I’m better because of the things that I had to go through. I got to make a lot of mistakes without anybody watching. Just never give up.”

It is just one of the lessons in watching Bowman begin his ascension in NASCAR’s highest ranks. He comes to the opportunity humbly, for sure.

After one full season (2013) competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Bowman made his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut as a 21-year old driving for BK Racing in 2014 and then Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2015. A 13th-place finish in the 2014 Daytona summer race was his best result in those seasons and the only top-20 finish. He led just three total laps in those first 71 Cup starts (one at Fontana, Calif. in 2015 and two at Kentucky later that season).

When Rick Hendrick hired Bowman to fill in for the injured Earnhardt in 2016, it was a chance of a lifetime. He drove 10 races while Earnhardt recovered from a concussion, earning three top-10 finishes – highlighted by a pole position and a career best sixth-place finish at his hometown Phoenix track.

He didn’t make a single Cup start last season, instead spending time in the Hendrick team’s simulator offering feedback to help the team and being “ready” for any call of duty. Earnhardt announced in April he would be stepping away from full-time Cup competition. And then in July, the team formally announced that Bowman would steer the No. 88.

In the excitement of that announcement, Bowman appropriately enough scored his first-ever NASCAR national series victory in an Xfinity Series race three months later at Charlotte – one of two Xfinity starts he made on the year.

“He’s got a tremendous amount of talent and these guys learn so fast with simulation,’’ Hendrick said. “I’m blown away with what a quick study these young ones are and all the things they do’’

Former Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, who will start alongside Bowman on the front row next Sunday, conceded that he really hadn’t spoken to the young driver much at all before congratulating him on the pole award as they posed together for photos.

MORE: Duel lineups

However, the veteran was quick to offer praise and optimism about Bowman’s future.

“He’s earned his position in that car,’’ Hamlin said. “He subbed phenomenally for Dale Jr., and I thought he really earned that right. So he’s the guy ‑‑ he got here the old‑fashioned way; just like I did many, many years ago, just on hard work and grit. I think that he’ll handle it.

“He’s not a full‑blown rookie. He is a young guy, but he’s been in the Cup Series quite a few years. I think he’ll be the surprising young guy of this year, being that he does have the experience. He’s just now in a car that will be contending for race wins week in and week out.”

Bowman will be one-third of a trio of young, up-and-coming talents teamed with seven-time Monster Energy Series champion Jimmie Johnson at Hendrick Motorsports this season and all four drivers (also Chase Elliott, rookie William Byron and Johnson) advanced to the final 12-driver round of front-row qualifying.

“In all of my years in this sport and my company, we have never worked this close together, and it’s something I’ve been wanting to see,’’ Hendrick said. “So the proof is going to be when we get down to the Playoffs.

“There’s some awful good teams in that garage area. There’s some awful good cars that are not going to be in the Playoffs. But I think we’re just going to get better and stronger.”

Posted on February 12, 2018February 13, 2018 by Track Release

CONCORD, N.C. (Feb. 12, 2018) – Race fans will rock and roll with Cole before the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race on May 19 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Platinum-selling singer and songwriter Cole Swindell will light up the biggest all-star event in sports with the Monster Energy All-Star Race Concert Presented by Rayovac Batteries, Kwikset, George Foreman and National Hardware. The concert is FREE with the purchase of any Monster Energy All-Star Race ticket.

Swindell, a favorite among NASCAR luminaries including 2000 All-Star Race winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., has charted seven No. 1 hits, including “Chillin’ It,” “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,” “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey,” “Let Me See Ya Girl,” “You Should Be Here,” “Middle of a Memory,” and “Flatliner.” Additionally, Swindell’s status as one of country music’s rising stars is also solidified by his success as a No. 1 hit songwriter for performers including Luke Bryan (“Roller Coaster”), Thomas Rhett (“Get Me Some of That”) and Florida Georgia Line (“This Is How We Roll”).

MORE: Buy tickets for Charlotte!

“I’m pumped to be playing NASCAR’s Monster Energy All-Star Race this year,” Swindell said. “I’ve been a fan of NASCAR for so long, I can’t believe I’ll actually be part of the day’s activities. It will be great to see all my driver friends and cheer them on in person.”

The Warner Bros. Nashville artist will deliver a show-stopping performance for fans at the entrance outside of Turn 1 near Gate 8 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, adjacent to the Fan Zone. He will also co-host driver introductions.

Swindell’s travels saw the Bronwood, Georgia, native perform at Earnhardt’s retirement party at Whisky River in uptown Charlotte last December. This May, he’ll rock the pre-race festivities at 2 p.m. on May 19 with a 70-minute concert before the Monster Energy Open and the Monster Energy All-Star Race, where NASCAR’s most heralded drivers – including Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick – will clash for $1 million cash.

PHOTOS: All-time All-Star Race winners