Posted on by Kathy Sheldon

President Richard Nixon awarded then-Sergeant First Class Gary Littrell the Medal of Honor on Oct. 15, 1973 for his distinctive service in the Vietnam War. Littrell will be honored again the weekend of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on July 7th at Daytona International Speedway.

As part of the NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola program, three servicemembers who received the nation’s highest military commendation will be honored at Daytona. All three men served in the United States Army.

MORE: Honoring Leroy Petry | Honoring Don Jenkins

Originally from Henderson County, Kentucky, Littrell knew at the age of 9 he wanted to serve in the United States Armed Forces, he said in interviews for the book and video series “Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the call of Duty.”

Gary Littrell, Medal of Honor recipientLittrell now is 73 and still active in visiting troops stationed around the world. He is one of 3,501 Medal of Honor recipients, 72 of whom are living.

His actions under fire in the Kontum Province of South Vietnam, Littrell also was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame, dedicated solely to extraordinary U.S. Army Rangers. Sergeant First Class Littrell was a Light Weapons Infantry Advisor with the 23rd Battallion, 2nd Ranger Group and under intense mortar attack from April 4 to April 8, 1970.

Littrell said he thanks God he didn’t take him during the four-day battle. “When I think about the Medal of Honor, I realize that I’m wearing this medal for the 400 and some people that died those 4 days. I’m their representative. They won this medal. I was selected to wear it for them.”

RELATED: Littrell interview as part of the “Medal of Honor” series

“Recognizing Medal of Honor recipients is one of the most important traditions we have at Daytona International Speedway,” said speedway President Chip Wile. “This recognition is rooted in our facility’s history, while also being embedded in the values all Americans hold dear. It is a true privilege to have these American heroes join us for our race weekend.” | Coke Zero 400 tickets

Read Command Sergeant Major Gary Littrell’s official Medal of Honor citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sfc. Littrell, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Advisory Team 21, distinguished himself while serving as a Light Weapons Infantry adviser with the 23d Battalion, 2d Ranger Group, Republic of Vietnam Army, near Dak Seang. After establishing a defensive perimeter on a hill on 4 April, the battalion was subjected to an intense enemy mortar attack which killed the Vietnamese commander, one adviser, and seriously wounded all the advisers except Sfc. Littrell. During the ensuing four days, Sfc. Littrell exhibited near superhuman endurance as he singlehandedly bolstered the besieged battalion. Repeatedly abandoning positions of relative safety, he directed artillery and air support by day and marked the unit’s location by night, despite the heavy, concentrated enemy fire. His dauntless will instilled in the men of the 23d Battalion a deep desire to resist. Assault after assault was repulsed as the battalion responded to the extraordinary leadership and personal example exhibited by Sfc. Littrell as he continuously moved to those points most seriously threatened by the enemy, redistributed ammunition, strengthened faltering defenses, cared for the wounded, and shouted encouragement to the Vietnamese in their own language. When the beleaguered battalion was finally ordered to withdraw, numerous ambushes were encountered. Sfc. Littrell repeatedly prevented widespread disorder by directing air strikes to within 50 meters of their position. Through his indomitable courage and complete disregard for his safety, he averted excessive loss of life and injury to the members of the battalion. The sustained extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by Sfc. Littrell over an extended period of time were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him and the U.S. Army.

MORE: NASCAR Salutes military spouses

Posted on by Brad Norman

The drafting package used during the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race weekend continues to be a discussion point for NASCAR competition officials, tracks, teams, manufacturers and engine builders. The conversation now, though, is centered on how to potentially implement elements of it in 2019 at the earliest.

The rules package used at the All-Star Race that included aero ducts, a higher spoiler, plates and an older splitter, will not be used in the Monster Energy Series again in 2018.

“Everyone is aligned on doing what’s best for the fans,” NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell told NASCAR.com on the ongoing competition discussions. “As we went through that process of discussing (the drafting package) following the All-Star Race, we all realized we have something that could work.”

“We had a lot of detailed conversations, but in the end, we all felt like the best thing to do was to put some additional effort into some potential tweaks and focus on 2019 versus a race or two this season.”

Getting the drafting package in place for additional races in 2018 would have been a Herculean undertaking, and one that could have resulted in a rushed output. Instead, NASCAR will utilize the current rules package – one that has produced competitive racing in 2018 – for the remainder of the season.

“We’re really happy with the racing we have on the track,” O’Donnell said. “We believe that the competition is closer than ever right now. Improving upon that is something that we always work to do, but that takes time. It takes a lot of collaboration in the industry.”

And as good as the racing was when the drafting package was in use, there’s the ability for it to get even better – if the implementation is done properly and not rushed.

The rules package for the All-Star Race borrowed heavily from the package the NASCAR Xfinity Series first used at Indianapolis in 2017, a race which set a record number of leaders and lead changes.

The objective was simple: Promote passing and tight competition. In that regard, the package was a success. Several statistics at the All-Star Race were at or near a six-year high, the most telling being green flag passes for the lead, which reached 38 this year compared to 2017’s zero.

“This goes back to our desire to take a look at something, which we had planned on for 2019,” O’Donnell said. “Through the cooperation of the industry, we were able to get a preview of the drafting package at the All-Star Race, and we were pleased with the results. We did a thorough debrief with the industry and discussed the possibility of pursuing additional events in 2018. Ultimately, we decided that effort was better spent focusing on a 2019 implementation.”

Competition officials currently are considering an engine package that includes the use of a tapered spacer instead of a plate.

Track type is an important consideration, too — what works at 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway may not provide similar results at a different track type. “One of the clear takeaways is that this is not something you would want to implement at every race track,” O’Donnell said. “There are certain race tracks we want to potentially target. Finding the optimal horsepower-to-downforce ratio will be a key focal point to continue to improve the race package.

“We’ll continue to focus on that and make sure what you saw at the All-Star Race can be improved upon. That’ll be the key for us.”

Posted on by Kathy Sheldon

Ryan Newman and fellow Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers are helping to honor military spouses as part of the NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola program, and he recently interviewed Stacy Bilodeau, the Armed Forces Insurance 2018 Coast Guard Military Spouse of the Year. Bilodeau his been a military spouse for 11 years, five as a United States Marine Corps spouse and six as a United States Coast Guard spouse.

On behalf of Stacy, NASCAR & Coca-Cola will donate to USO programming that supports and strengthens military spouses, like the USO Care Package Program.

RELATED: Hamlin interviews Jolynn Lee | Austin Dillon with Shelia Brookins

“The USO is truly amazing. When my husband was deployed to Afghanistan with the Marine Corps, he said their care packages were the most amazing. He said they were the most awesome care packages that he received except the ones I sent. He said everything inside of them was something he needed, and the stuff I sent him just took up room,” Bilodeau said with a laugh.

The USO Care Package Program harkens back to the USO’s early years, when Americans packed boxes full of little “tastes of home” to keep deployed service members connected to the people, places and things most important to them. More than 82,000 USO Care Packages were delivered in 2017.

Bilodeau said she also values the USO Centers, particularly the airport centers. .

Bilodeau loves to volunteer and says serving those who serve has always had a special place in her heart. Meeting Bilodeau and hearing about her family and the USO programs was a special experience for Newman, as well, as he moved into the role of interviewer.

“For me, it’s not just my first interview, it’s with someone who is deserving of more attention than she probably gets,” Newman said. “I’ve witnessed, I’ve seen, I’ve heard the stories of what it is to serve your country, to serve people, to provide our freedom. It takes a different person, don’t get me wrong, but at the same time I learned she’s just like me. She’s raising a family. She’s got ironically two kids that are 5 and 7 just like my wife and I. It puts things in perspective and makes you realize no matter who you are we breathe the same air and fight the same fight.”

Through the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers will honor a military spouse each week. Stay tuned as Kyle Larson, Joey Logano and Bubba Wallace each interview a military spouse to help share their respective stories.

Posted on by NASCAR Wire Service

As the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Sonoma Raceway this weekend after coming of an idle-week, the wine region of California has much more to offer fans than just racing.

The weekend will be packed with fans from near and far looking forward to the many events and things to do.

The view of the wine region is a treat within itself and gives way to a 1.99-mile, 12-turn road course that races as aggressively as a short track. Because of the unique and compact layout of the course, fans in the stands can see almost all the bumping and hitting that takes place after the green flag flies.

Sonoma Raceway has provided many unforgettable moments in racing. Two moments that stick out are Tony Stewart’s move on Denny Hamlin for the win in 2016 and Kyle Busch’s win in 2015 that pushed him into championship contention. This complicated road course has sent numerous frustrated drivers off-course and into the tire barriers in the battle for position.

The winner receives something only a Northern California track can provide – an iconic and over-sized “Champion’s Goblet” of red wine in Victory Lane.

Sonoma Raceway to Honor Heroes, Provide Fan Entertainment

Sonoma Raceway will honor first responders and local heroes as part of the “Sonoma Rising” program. Race fans have submitted nominations for Sonoma County residents who stood out during devastating fires of 2017 and the winning heroes will be recognized during pre-race ceremonies. In addition, the top 10 drivers will be introduced alongside first responders from North Bay agencies that responded during the fires.

Food, Drinks and Fun for Everyone

Race fans will not be disappointed by the large array of food they can indulge in this weekend at Sonoma Raceway.

Levy Restaurants will provide new food at the track, such as loaded fry bread nachos with Dungeness crab, pulled pork or impossible meat, and Farmstand Deli sandwiches including the Racer Banh Mi – a Wine Country Baguette with Parisian ham, brie, Dijon aioli and arugula.

That’s the just beginning of the menu on tap.

Fans 21 and over can enjoy race-themed drinks like Tito’s Texas Bloody Mary, Raceway Lemonade and American Mule. The raceway has also installed 100 feet of Humboldt Redwood stand-up bars in front of the Raceway Café, which is a cool and easy spot to sit down and enjoy your food and drinks.

Sonoma Raceway, in an effort to keep fans cool during the long, hot race weekend, has collaborated with Portacool to provide ten Portacool Cooling Stations spread throughout the raceway. Along with this, the RevZone at Turn 7 will feature more than twice the amount of shade and picnic tables as previous years. There is now a 9,000-square foot shade tent with more than 70 picnic tables for fans to enjoy the entertainment and relax in the shade.

For the fourth year in a row, Save Mart and Lucky will host the Breaking Zone in the main paddock area. This is a popular fan destination aimed specifically at social media activity. There will be a photo booth and virtual-reality ride around the track. It will also include Q&As with drivers and NASCAR personnel, as well as music to keep the party going.

There will be several DC Solar Power Stations placed around the track for fast and easy charging of phones and other electronics.

A Total Access Pass to Get Behind the Scenes

Sonoma Raceway has partnered with Friedman’s Home Improvement to host a pre-race show before the Toyota/Save Mark 350 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, June 24. The entertainment starts at 10 a.m. Fans looking to be involved in all the action should purchase the Total Access pass, which includes access to the NASCAR Drivers’ Meeting, Pre-Race Pass, a reserved seat in the Main Grandstand or Turn 2 Terrace and FanVision controller rental.

The Drivers’ Meeting will be held at 10 a.m. inside Sonoma Raceway’s famed Turn 11 hairpin. At 10:15 a.m., “Wild Thing” Steve Stavrakakis will amaze fans from the sky in his rare ex-Romanian Military IAR-823 aircraft. Martin Truex Jr. will do a “Chat with the Champ” at 10:25 a.m. on the pre-race stage.

The Patriots Jet Team Air Show will be at 10:45 a.m. – just one hour before the green flag drops. At 11:15 a.m., Sonoma Raceway will begin their Hometown Hero Recognition.

Legendary road racer and Northern California native Scott Pruett will pilot the Toyota Camry pace car to lead the Toyota/Save Mart 350 field.

Grand Marshal Jonny Mosley and special guests of Toyota will give the most famous words in motorsports — “Drivers, start your engines! — to begin the 110 laps of the race at Sonoma.

Catch the Action for Yourself

Tickets, parking and transportation are all still available for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 weekend, June 22-24. For more information, call 800-870-7223, visit www.sonomaraceway.com.

Posted on by

Zane Smith found out he was making his Camping World Truck Series debut with DGR-Crosley with a text around 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Twenty-four hours later — after running through a series of checklist items — he will be wheels up to Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois, where he’ll run the ARCA Racing Series race before making his NASCAR national series debut in Saturday’s Truck race (8:30 p.m. ET, FS1).

It’s been a “little busy today,” the second-year NASCAR Next driver noted.

“I actually found out about this yesterday,” Smith told NASCAR.com Wednesday. “I got a text saying that we could do this … I didn’t even have a NASCAR license until yesterday. Got a concussion test and today I’m getting fitted and I’ve got to fly out at 4 for the ARCA race at Gateway as well. …

“It’s huge to continue to be able to move up the ladder and now finally the top-three tier. … Hopefully, I’ll be able to continue up the ladder, but for right now, all I can hope going into this weekend is just to have a shot and I know I’m definitely going to give it everything I’ve got to do the best I can this weekend.”

Now in his second year of ARCA competition, Smith, 19, earned his first three wins in the series this year at Nashville, Talladega and Toledo. His No. 41 MDM Motorsports Toyota edged out Joe Graf Jr. for the win at Talladega by 0.0029 seconds, the closest finish in ARCA Racing Series history.

The trio of trips to Victory Lane has helped prepare the Huntington Beach, California, native for his national series debut in the No. 54 Toyota, a truck most recently piloted by team owner David Gilliland to a fourth-place finish at Iowa Speedway on June 16.

“It just builds your confidence and (helps) carry momentum into this weekend,” Smith said. “I’m running an ARCA car this weekend as well before the Truck race, so that’s going to be good seat time and good track time since I’ve never been here before, also. I think anything is going to help.”

This weekend is one of excitement, learning and potential nerves during qualifying — although he hasn’t had much time to get nervous yet, Smith said. He hopes that people “notice” him when he takes the track — for good reasons.

“I think it’s just one of those deals … if I have a shot I’m definitely going to take it — shoot, I mean this is a once-in-a-lifetime deal, you only get to make your debut once,” Smith said on his strategy.  “So, I’m (going to) make the most of it and I’m going to be smart and learn as much as I can …

“Hopefully, we’ll just be running good and just have a shot, really. That’s all you can ask for racing.”

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Race-car drivers will make anything into a race. Literally, anything.

On the latest edition of the “Dale Jr. Download” on Dirty Mo Radio, Dale Earnhardt Jr. recounted the time when he raced Brad Keselowski to a port-a-john while waiting out an extended red-flag period during the 2012 Daytona 500 (yes, the Juan Pablo Montoya-jet dryer one).

As it turns out, Earnhardt was behind the race within the race.

“He started walking to the port-a-john and I thought, man, that’s a good idea,” Earnhardt said. “Where’s this port-a-john at? I got to looking and saw where it was and I kind of jogged up behind him (Keselowski) quietly, tapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘Race ya!’ ”

“We started running and with those long legs, man … I thought I had him beat. He had me beat, actually, but we got to the port-a-john and I had to give him the shoulder. I put the bumper to him and pushed him by where he overran the port-a-john.”

Earnhardt may have collected his first “unofficial” victory of the 2012 season, but it came at a cost.

“At this point, my heart is literally pounding out of my chest and I’m almost embarrassed about how out of breath I am,” Earnhardt recalled. “So I go into the port-a-john and stood there for five minutes before I ever took a leak to catch my breath. Like, holy moly, I can’t let anybody see how terrible I feel.”

And, of course, there’s video of it all.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

Numbers mean plenty when it comes to building out your Fantasy Live teams each week. NASCAR.com will examine the stats outlook for each track in advance to help give you an edge as you set your lineups and bonus picks ahead of the race weekend.

Don’t forget to check back on NASCAR.com for additional insight from fantasy expert RJ Kraft, and watch Fantasy Fastlane with Jessica Ruffin and NBC Sports’ Steve Letarte for even more advice.

RELATED: Play Fantasy Live now | How the new Fantasy Live works | Driver stats

Top five average running position (per loop data from 2005 to present):

Driver Average Running Position
Kurt Busch 9.960
Jimmie Johnson 11.428
Kyle Larson 12.834
Kevin Harvick 13.538
Ryan Newman 14.062

Top five in stage points earned at Sonoma in 2017:

Driver Stage points Stage wins
Denny Hamlin 13 0
Ryan Blaney 11 0
Joey Logano 11 0
Martin Truex Jr. 10 1
Jimmie Johnson 10 1

Top five in points earned at Sonoma in last two years:

Driver Race points Race win
Denny Hamlin 87 0
Kevin Harvick 76 1
Joey Logano 74 0
Brad Keselowski 69 0
Kyle Busch 67 0

Most laps led in last two races at Sonoma:

Driver Laps led
Denny Hamlin 44
Kevin Harvick 27
Martin Truex Jr. 25
AJ Allmendinger 24
Brad Keselowski 17

Average starting position for last 10 winners: 10.5; five of last seven winners started between 10th and 14th.

Active drivers to win pole: Jamie McMurray (3), Kasey Kahne (2), Kurt Busch (1), Joey Logano (1), Kyle Larson (1), AJ Allmendinger (1)

Active drivers to win at Sonoma: Kyle Busch (2), Jimmie Johnson (1), Kevin Harvick (1), Kasey Kahne (1), Kurt Busch (1), Clint Bowyer (1), Martin Truex Jr. (1)

Most recent pole winner: Kyle Larson, June of 2017

Last time pole-sitter won here: Jeff Gordon, June of 2004

Where stage winners started from: Third, 24th

Winning manufacturers of last 10 races: Toyota-4, Ford-2, Chevrolet-2, Dodge-2

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

While on vacation with family in the U.S. Virgin Islands, NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Jeb Burton had more plans than just soaking up the sun.

Burton, son of 2002 Daytona 500 champion Ward Burton and nephew of 21-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winner Jeff Burton, proposed to longtime girlfriend Brandi Newcomb.

Burton has competed in two Xfinity Series events so far this season in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, finishing 12th at both Richmond and Dover.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

Apparently the partying from Clint Bowyer’s win two Sundays ago at Michigan International Speedway has finally subsided and the affable Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver has run out of things to do, having not raced in the past week and a half.

MORE: Bowyer wins rain-shortened Michigan

So, why not spend some QT with the ol’ boy and try their hand at drawing the winding, 12-turn Sonoma Raceway, site of Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (3 p.m. ET, FS1)?

Honestly … not bad! Much better than I could do, anyway.

Now let’s see you two kick the difficulty level up a notch and draw Martinsville Speedway. Good luck.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

The launch of the eNASCAR Ignite Series headlined this week’s iRacing news. The new series, aimed at developing young racing talent, kicks off June 20 at the virtual Charlotte Motor Speedway Legends Oval.

JP Motorsports NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Josh Bilicki logged some laps on iRacing in advance of last weekend’s race at Iowa Speedway.

While Bilicki looked quick on the virtual track, his real race Sunday ended early with a fuel pump issue.

Fellow Xfinity Series racer Shane Lee showed how he gets around the tricky short track using the Richard Childress Racing iRacing setup.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron shared why he continues to hop on iRacing throughout the week when he’s not racing for his day job with Hendrick Motorsports.

Not only can iRacing help drivers stay sharp, it gives drivers the ability to learn new tracks and racing disciplines, according to Dale Earnhardt Jr. — something vital when NASCAR heads to normally unfamiliar road courses.

What sets iRacing apart from team- and manufacturer-funded simulators is the human element. There’s no substitute for racing against other humans.


NASCAR PEAK ANTIFREEZE IRACING SERIES UPDATE

After a two-race absence, Ryan Luza returned to the track and won his third race of the season Tuesday in Michigan — but not without controversy.

Luza, in pursuit of Ray Alfalla in the closing laps, put a bumper to Alfalla’s Ford, sending it into the wall, while Luza never looked back and took the checkered flag ahead of Zack Novak and Keegan Leahy. Marcus Richardson and Michael Guest rounded out the top five.

Alfalla, the three-time series champion, ended up finishing sixth, and remains in control of the points lead by 36 points over Keegan Leahy.

The NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series heads to the twists and turns of Sonoma Raceway June 26, where Bobby Zalenski looks to defend his 2017 victory.

IRACING PAINT SCHEMES OF THE WEEK

Jordan E. brought Justin Allgaier’s Breyers 2in1 Xfinity Series Camaro to the virtual track.

If you’re into throwbacks, Riley Roush rebuilt Paul Menard’s 2007 paint scheme to life for iRacing’s K&N Pro Series-style cars.

 

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME

Take a ride with NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series driver Nolan Scott when his Ford flips on its roof after a crash unfolds ahead in last Tuesday’s race at Michigan.

Thank goodness it’s a lot less expensive to call a virtual tow truck instead of a real one.