Posted on by Steve Luvender

RELATED: Join @nascarcasm’s Fantasy Live league

“I totally called that Championship 4 before the season began!”

“I knew he’d win the Cup this year!”

“This is the year. I’ve been saying it since February.”

You’ve probably heard claims like this each November when the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion is crowned — your friends boldly declaring they totally called who’d make the Championship 4 at the end of the year. They knew it all along. Uh-huh, sure.

See, there’s no accountability when it comes to claims and predictions like this. There’s nothing stopping someone from pretending they’re the NASCAR oracle once the checkered flag flies in Miami, predicting what would unfold before the cars ever hit the track in February.

This year, we’ve changed that.

Using the marvels of technology (well, Twitter), we’ve tasked NASCAR fans with providing some public accountability: tweeting their Championship 4 predictions before the season begins. This way, there’s a digital paper trail when somebody claims, “I predicted this back at Daytona.”

NASCAR Twitter took advantage of the opportunity to make some guesses.

There were certainly some themes in the early predictions. For instance, shockingly few twitizens felt 2017 champ Martin Truex Jr. would repeat in 2018 — or even make the Championship 4, for that matter. Favorites seemed to include Jimmie Johnson (a safe bet, historically speaking), Kyle Larson, and Ryan Blaney. (Youth movement, anyone?)

One prediction in particular seemed a little weighted toward one team, but maybe there’s some bias there.

And, of course, Twitter managed to do what Twitter does best: totally derail the predictions.

We probably should have seen this coming.

We’ll unearth this time capsule of Twitter predictions during the week of the championship race in November and see who’s the true NASCAR prophet — and, more importantly, publicly shame everybody who totally missed the mark.

If you think you can predict what’ll happen in 2018, head to Twitter and reply to the Championship 4 prediction Tweet with your picks.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

BUY TICKETS: See the 2018 action!

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 7, 2018) — NASCAR today announced the 2018 stage lengths for its three national series, looking to build on last season’s successful debut of the race format.

In the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, all 2018 stage lengths will remain consistent with 2017. The race and stage lengths for the Charlotte road course race in the NASCAR Playoffs will be announced at a later date.

Following feedback from NASCAR Xfinity Series race teams, there will be slight updates to the stage lengths at both ISM Raceway in Phoenix and Dover International Speedway. At both Phoenix races, the stages will end at Lap 45, Lap 90 and Lap 200. For the Dover events, the stages will end at Lap 45, Lap 90 and Lap 200.

NEWS: Monster Energy Series | Xfinity Series | Camping World Truck Series

In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, both Las Vegas Motor Speedway races are scheduled for 134 laps, with stage lengths set to end at Lap 40, Lap 80 and Lap 134.

“Our primary goal every season is providing the best race for our fans, and to that end, we will remain consistent in terms of stage lengths for the majority of our national series events,” said Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition. “Last year’s debut of the race format was a strong one, and we look forward to building on that foundation in 2018, starting with Speedweeks at Daytona.”

(*)–indicates race is a playoff race

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
RACE STAGE 1 STAGE 2 FINAL STAGE
Daytona 60 120 200
Atlanta 85 170 325
Las Vegas 80 160 267
ISM (Phoenix) 75 150 312
Auto Club 60 120 200
Martinsville 130 260 500
Texas 85 170 334
Bristol 125 250 500
Richmond 100 200 400
Talladega 55 110 188
Dover 120 240 400
Kansas 80 160 267
Charlotte 100 200 (Stage 3: 300) 400
Pocono 50 100 160
Michigan 60 120 200
Sonoma 25 50 110
Chicagoland 80 160 267
Daytona-2 40 80 160
Kentucky 80 160 267
New Hampshire 75 150 301
Pocono-2 50 100 160
Watkins Glen 20 40 90
Michigan-2 60 120 200
Bristol-2 125 250 500
Darlington 100 200 367
Indianapolis 50 100 160
Las Vegas-2* 80 160 267
Richmond-2* 100 200 400
Charlotte-2* (road) 25 50 109
Dover-2* 120 240 400
Talladega-2* 55 110 188
Kansas-2* 80 160 267
Martinsville-2* 130 260 500
Texas-2* 85 170 334
ISM-2* (Phoenix) 75 150 312
Miami* 80 160 267
NASCAR Xfinity Series
RACE STAGE 1 STAGE 2 FINAL STAGE
Daytona 30 60 120
Atlanta 40 80 163
Las Vegas 45 90 200
ISM (Phoenix) 45 90 200
Auto Club 35 70 150
Texas 45 90 200
Bristol 85 170 300
Richmond 75 150 250
Talladega 25 50 113
Dover 45 90 200
Charlotte 45 90 200
Pocono 25 50 100
Michigan 30 60 125
Iowa 60 120 250
Chicagoland 45 90 200
Daytona-2 30 60 100
Kentucky 45 90 200
New Hampshire 45 90 200
Iowa-2 60 120 250
Watkins Glen 20 40 82
Mid-Ohio 20 40 75
Bristol-2 85 170 300
Road America 10 20 45
Darlington 45 90 147
Indianapolis 30 60 100
Las Vegas-2 45 90 200
Richmond-2* 75 150 250
Charlotte-2* (road) 15 30 55
Dover-2* 45 90 200
Kansas* 45 90 200
Texas-2* 45 90 200
ISM-2* (Phoenix) 45 90 200
Miami* 45 90 200
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
RACE STAGE 1 STAGE 2 FINAL STAGE
Daytona 20 40 100
Atlanta 40 80 130
Las Vegas 30 60 134
Martinsville 70 140 250
Dover 45 90 200
Kansas 40 80 167
Charlotte 30 60 134
Texas 40 80 167
Iowa 60 120 200
Gateway 35 70 160
Chicagoland 35 70 150
Kentucky 35 70 150
Eldora 40 90 150
Pocono 15 30 60
Michigan 20 40 100
Bristol 55 110 200
Canadian Tire Motorsports Park* 20 40 64
Las Vegas* 30 60 134
Talladega* 20 40 94
Martinsville* 50 100 200
Texas-2* 35 70 147
ISM* (Phoenix) 45 90 150
Miami* 30 60 134

 

Posted on by @nascarcasm

Fantasy sports are wonderful.

Fantasy sports allow us the chance to become more involved with a sport, so much so that if our fantasy team does poorly, we send tweets to the underperformer blaming them for ruining our lives.

MORE: Explore the new fantasy page | Fantasy Live revamped

Fantasy sports afford us the opportunity to hold a grudge against someone we know nothing about other than their handle is “AreUInThe14CarCuzBowyerUSexy69” and they routinely beat us by two points every week and make their picks based solely on how much of their favorite color is included in each paint scheme.

Fantasy sports allow you to grow an emotional attachment with a sport you love. And even sports you don’t know anything about. Ask me about my fantasy sumo team.

This all said, it is with great pleasure that thanks to NASCAR.com’s newly-improved fantasy racing platform, I extend an invitation to you, the followers who aren’t bots or fake ones that I purchased a few years back to fluff my Klout score, to join @nascarcasm’s Fantasy Dumpster Fire.

 

MORE: Fantasy Live FAQs

 

I chose this name based on my own fantasy-sports experience. I am to fantasy sports what Paul Menard is to musical theater. The last time I had a fantasy football team, my starting quarterback got injured for the season and I forgot to take him out of my starting lineup. Picture, if you will, a football game where the center keeps hiking the ball to absolutely no one. That’s my skill level.

 

The league is open to the first 4,000 signers-up. It will last for the first 26 races.

 

But ‘casm, you’re wondering, following the rapidly flowing river of dad-jokes-about-Blaney’s-hair sewage that is your Twitter feed is already bad enough. I mashed the mute button so hard and often that I now require Tommy John surgery. What’s in it for me?

 

HOT PASSES – THAT’S WHAT. The overall winner of the league will receive four hot passes to a race of their choosing during the 2019 season. No travel or lodging will be provided.

 

The second-place finisher will receive a $100 gift card to the NASCAR.com superstore.

 

The third-place finisher gets nothing because participation-ribbon culture only leads to WEAKNESS.

 

In the coming days, I will be soliciting ideas for what the overall loser of the league has to do. It won’t be anything as severe as streaking Dale Jr.’s property on a cold winter’s day. I mean, it was going to be, but then some people had to ruin it. I call these people “lawyers.” But we’ll figure it out.

 

To sign up, just click the link below. Here, you’ll also find all the details on how the game works. It’s so easy, even I can do it. That’s what my bosses told me. I’m grateful that my main contribution to NASCAR is setting the low bar for intellect.

 

LET’S FANTASY.

— @nascarcasm

Posted on by Team Release

RELATED: 2018 Camping World Truck Series schedule

SANDUSKY, Ohio — Fielding the No. 13 Liberty Tax Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing, Myatt Snider will round out a quartet of entries vying for victory as the 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway.

Previously competing in NASCAR’s Whelen All-American Series, CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour, ARCA Racing Series and part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the 23-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native has accumulated two wins, 13 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes and three pole awards, including winning his debut race in the ARCA Racing Series at Toledo Speedway in 2016.

ThorSport Racing

“To be a part of a team with a winning pedigree like Duke and Rhonda [Thorson] have built over the years is an absolute blessing,” exclaimed an excited Snider. “After getting to know the organization over the past month, I’m even more excited to get to Daytona, and to join ThorSport in 2018.

“I’m really looking forward to working with my new teammates, as there is a lot of knowledge to tap into going into my rookie season. Switching to a new manufacturer, it seems things have come full-circle, with Ford being a part of some of the biggest highlights in my racing career, including my ARCA win at Toledo.”

David Pepper, general manager at ThorSport Racing, echoed Myatt’s excitement saying, “He is an exceptional young man and talented driver. With him, I feel we’ve really rounded out our four-truck lineup and this, to me, is the strongest driver lineup we’ve ever had. We’re going to be very competitive this season, starting with Daytona.”

Snider and ThorSport Racing’s NCWTS teams take the green flag for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 Friday, Feb. 16, broadcasting live at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and the Motor Racing Network (MRN) from Daytona Beach, Florida.

Posted on by Brad Norman

Editor’s note: This is the sixth in a series of 14 team previews on NASCAR.com. Next up: Richard Childress Racing on Feb. 8. A list of team previews already published is at the bottom of this story.

Roush Fenway Racing

Manufacturer: Ford

Engine: Roush-Yates 

Drivers: Trevor Bayne, No. 6; Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17

Crew chiefs: Brian Pattie (Stenhouse Jr.), Matt Puccia (Bayne) 

2017 standings: Stenhouse Jr., 13th in final standings (eliminated in Round of 12); Bayne, 22nd in final standings

What’s new: Not a lot, a welcome change for Roush Fenway Racing which has undergone organizational-wide tweaks in recent years. No new drivers, no new crew chiefs and no change in the number of full-time vehicles in the team fleet. In fact, the only real change here is a positive — Roush enters 2018 on the heels of a multi-win season, with Stenhouse Jr. winning twice in 2017 and advancing to the Round of 12 in the Playoffs.

What to watch: How Roush Fenway builds off the success of 2017. The team won for the first time since 2014 with Stenhouse Jr. emerging as one of NASCAR’s best drivers at Daytona and Talladega. The team’s superspeedway cars are among the fastest in the garage, thanks to the work done at the shop by Jimmy Fennig and his team. Roush is as stable as it has been in a long time.

Key question(s): Can Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 17 team show the ability to win at tracks that don’t require restrictor plates? How can Bayne and the No. 6 team break through for more top-five finishes and be in contention more for victories?

DRIVERS

Trevor Bayne, No. 6 AdvoCare Ford: Bayne’s third full-time season driving the No. 6 in 2017 didn’t produce the same jump in numbers he saw between Year 1 and Year 2. Two top-five finishes and six top-10 finishes wasn’t what Bayne or his team had in mind; neither were the five DNFs by way of crash, a four-time increase from 2016.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

A key to watch for Bayne is the midseason stretch. The 26-year-old logged seven top-15 finishes in the first nine races last year, but then just one of the next 13. The success of teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. brings added optimism to the No. 6 group.

“Last year, we went into the season with a lot of changes and we had a lot of goals on the board to try to make the Playoffs,” Bayne said. “I think where we fell short were playoff points. So we kind of look and say, ‘You’ve got to get at least five playoff points per race if you’re gonna be a (playoff) contender without a win.’ That was a lot more than kind of what we anticipated, so that’s where we fell short. The way you get those is by running in the top 10 and by being faster and more competitive.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Fastenal Ford: Last year was the breakout season Stenhouse Jr. had been building toward since his first full-time season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2013. With an assist from Jimmy Fennig managing and molding the team’s superspeedway program into one of the best in the sport, Stenhouse posted career-highs in wins, top-10s, laps led, average start and average finish in 2017. He will be a favorite to win both races at Daytona and the spring race at Talladega prior to the Playoffs beginning in September.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

It’s the intermediates that remain a question, however.

“I think there’s a lot of things that are looking good for us in 2018,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “I think my team has confidence in what we’re gonna be able to do. Not looking for our first win is nice, not having that riding on your back. That seemed pretty tough to deal with for a long time and now I don’t have to answer those questions, but now it’s, what other race tracks are we gonna win at? I definitely want to win at other race tracks, but going into the (Daytona) 500 I feel a lot more confident than I ever have.”

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

Posted on by

RELATED: Germain Racing 2018 preview

Ty Dillon is feeling content on an island — but he’s not stuck in the sand on this one.

The island is Germain Racing, which houses Dillon’s No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet, while the mainland is Germain’s allied team of Richard Childress Racing.

To Dillon, being on an island doesn’t mean isolation; it means a chance to do something unexpectedly great, like reigning champion Martin Truex Jr. did with Furniture Row Racing. In 2014, Furniture Row led a lone lap with Truex and collected zero wins. Last season — just three years later — he earned eight wins and a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title with the same Denver, Colorado-based team.

That improvement is inspirational for Dillon.

“I think the island’s a good place to be,” Dillon said at the 2018 NASCAR Media Tour presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway. “You look at Furniture Row and that’s the gold standard right now for teams like ours. We’ve got to do it in our own way and use our resources the right way, but I think that’s kind of the approach that we’re taking …

“Somebody’s done it as a small team that uses technical alliances and can win a championship. We can do that. The opportunity is there; now it’s about us making the most of it. And I think that’s what we’re going to do and I think you kind of embrace that island-y feel and go to work with it.”

Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress
Ty Dillon (right) poses with Richard Childress and Austin Dillon after winning a Texas Camping World Truck Series race in 2013.

This marks Dillon’s second season with single-car Germain Racing, a team that he plans to stick with despite his deep roots with Richard Childress Racing (his grandfather is team owner Richard Childress while his older brother is driver Austin Dillon). While he started out at Richard Childress in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2012, the 25-year-old driver prefers the new path that he’s carved for himself now that he’s reached the sport’s top level.

“I think there was something inside of me that wanted to break out of that a little bit,” Dillon said. “As much as I love having … my family in the sport and my grandfather is an owner and how much I would love to win races and championships for him, I think I needed to break out of that grandson-brother shadow that I had. … There are a lot of things my brother and I can do that are great and I still want to work with my grandfather. But I want people to know me … and who I am.

“I want to race for Germain Racing and GEICO my whole career and win races and championships and build my own brand like Kobe Bryant and the (Los Angeles) Lakers.”

That brand starts with openness off the track; in the early months of 2018, Dillon has taken action to improve and increase his communication with fans.

He will video blog his entire year and hired someone to attend 36 events — both races and other happenings — with him throughout the season to capture behind-the-scenes content.

“I have such a platform and I don’t think a lot of people realize what we have,” Dillon said. “… Something that has bothered me about our sport in the ‘90s and 2000s everybody said they could relate so well to Dale Earnhardt. That’s why they loved him. He’s obviously the top level of fandom in our sport. Everybody could relate to him so well and he did such a great job of making people feel they are just like Dale Earnhardt, even though he’s a race car driver. I feel like I can do that.”

MORE: Ty Dillon’s career NASCAR statistics

On the race track, Dillon also looks to improve after one year in the Monster Energy Series. He finished 24th in the standings last season, leading 40 laps. He wasn’t able to secure any top-10 finishes, but he did improve from his qualifying position in 27 of his 36 finishes.

The final two races in particular, Dillon saw improvements in his performance; he finished a season-best 11th at Phoenix and was running 13th at Miami before he was lumbered with a flat tire in the final laps.

Ty Dillon“I think our goal is to more or less, run more consistently – inside the top 15, top 10 – and I think that’s a very achievable goal,” Dillon said. “We do that, we’re going to get more opportunities. I feel like we did a great job … getting great finishes on days when we ran 25th all day. We would turn those days into 18th, 17th-place finishes.

“You do that running 15th, you’re going to have chances to win. You do that running 10th, you’re definitely going to have chances to win.”

But one of the biggest lessons his rookie season taught him wasn’t a complicated racing maneuver or trick to saving fuel. It was patience.

“I get pissed when I’m not in the top 10 or first every time and that affected me a lot this previous year,” Dillon said. “The last couple of races I just let that go and let that emotion in practice go and just mainly focus on the process of getting the race car driving the way I need it to drive to be able to do what I’m confident in myself to do and that’s go win races.”

Aiding in life lessons was the newest addition to the Dillon family; he and wife Haley welcomed their first child together — a baby girl named Oakley — on Nov. 21, 2017.

RELATED: Ty and Haley Dillon announce daughter’s birth

“Having my little girl in the offseason helped put some things in perspective in my life,” Dillon said, a smile brightening his face when the conversation turns to his daughter. “… I let the sport get me a little down, which sounds ridiculous in your rookie season because I never really struggled in any of my previous rookies seasons. … I hope to take what I’ve learned from being her father for two months and kind of adapt it to every aspect of my life and the appreciation for what I have and what I am and who I am.”

Perspective comes into play both on and off the track; during his press conference, Dillon looked across the room at Ryan Blaney, who was also holding his own media availability.

The crowd around Blaney was noticeably larger.

“Having everybody over there (with Blaney) and me being over here, I love that,” Dillon said, who stressed the importance of “loving a loss.”

“Because this whole year, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I have that crowd. I think last year, that would just make me mad and I would just stew on it all day and not really make anything out of it.

“But (now) I think it’s a great opportunity. I know what I have to offer.”

Posted on by Staff Report

“Happy Hours” is back on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio in 2018, and host Kevin Harvick wasted no time discussing a juicy topic with special guest Jeff Gordon on the Tuesday kick-off show.

The Stewart-Haas Racing veteran and Gordon, a 93-time winner at NASCAR’s top level and current analyst for FOX Sports, recounted the memorable post-race brawl at Texas Motor Speedway in 2014, a fight in which Harvick, Gordon and Brad Keselowski all played prominent roles.

“It was definitely not one of my better decisions,” Harvick said of the incident.

VIDEO: Watch the incident

Egged on by questioning from co-host Matt Yocum, the two — with perhaps the benefit of hindsight — jointly discussed the incident more than three years after it happened.

Tensions were high at Texas that fall. It was the first year of the elimination-style Playoffs format, and late contact between Keselowski’s No. 2 and Gordon’s No. 24 resulted in a cut tire for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. The two were battling for the lead and a spot in the inaugural Championship 4 field.

Gordon attempted to approach Keselowski on pit road post-race, but crews kept the two separated. Harvick, walking by the fray, gave Keselowski a healthy nudge, Gordon grabbed his collar and … well, see for yourself.

“I was standing at the back of the car watching this whole thing kind of go on and really, it was supposed to be a shoulder tap. ‘Hey man get in there and fight your own fight,’ ” Harvick said. “Next thing I know it was just a little bit of a nudge about 4 feet forward.”

“I didn’t even know at the time you were pushing him,” Gordon chimed in. “I just knew he came close to me and my arm reached out and got hold of his collar, and it was, ‘I’m not letting go.’ ”

Harvick noted Gordon was “breathing-fire mad,” who admitted after watching the video of the on-track incident … well, maybe Keselowski was on to something when he told Gordon he “left a hole.”

“I look back on it, I can’t say (Keselowski) did too many things wrong in that situation,” Gordon said. “But I was mad the way it turned out.”

MORE HARVICK: All-time wins

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2018) – NASCAR® and Digital Ally®, Inc., a company with the mission to provide law enforcement agencies, emergency management, and commercial companies with the highest quality video solutions and software management, announced today a multi-year official partnership, naming Digital Ally “A Preferred Technology Provider of NASCAR.”

As part of the new relationship, Digital Ally will provide cameras that will be mounted in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage throughout the season, bolstering both NASCAR’s commitment to safety at every race track, as well as enhancing its officiating process through technology.

“NASCAR takes seriously its role in providing a safe environment for its fans and competitors, and this partnership with Digital Ally is the next step in that commitment,” said Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior Vice President, Competition. “In addition, this partnership is the latest example of NASCAR implementing technological advancements to officiate, and continuing to provide the best racing for our fans.”

Digital Ally is the leading provider of mobile video systems used by thousands of companies and governmental entities in all 50 states and around the world. The company is a pioneer in the design and development of dashboard and body cameras that are utilized across multiple industries and municipalities. Digital Ally has been developing, engineering, and supporting its video technology for more than a decade.

“It’s our goal to provide our customers with video solutions that are customized to meet their unique business needs,” said Stanton Ross, chief executive officer, Digital Ally. “NASCAR has its own unique set of challenges and it was important to design a durable and reliable solution that will stand up to the demanding environment at-track.”

Tune-in to the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m. on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Pollex, Truex receive Myers Brothers Award | Martin, Sherry through the years

Sherry Pollex reported a bit of joyful news from the NASCAR offseason, indicating Tuesday that she has completed her final round of chemotherapy treatment for ovarian cancer.

Pollex, the longtime girlfriend of reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., tweeted out an update on her treatment along with the hashtag #SherryStrong.

Pollex was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2014. She revealed last summer a recurrence of the disease that necessitated surgery to remove her spleen.

Pollex and Truex have fought through their adversity with a major push toward philanthropic efforts. The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation has used its annual “Catwalk for a Cause” charity event to raise funds and awareness in the fight against the disease. Last year’s event raised more than $500,000 for the cause.

Pollex and Truex have also rallied support each September for National Ovarian Cancer Awareness and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The foundation made its second annual campaign last year to battle ovarian and childhood cancer, with 29 drivers contributing custom steering wheels, autographed and trimmed in teal and gold for charity.

The couple received the 2017 National Motorsports Press Association’s Myers Brothers Award, presented to individuals and/or groups who have provided outstanding contributions to the sport of stock-car racing.

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, NC –TriStar Motorsports will continue competition in NASCAR’s premier series fielding one full-time entry in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for the 2018 season.

 

The No. 72 Chevrolet will compete with collective efforts of two drivers. TriStar welcomes the return of Cole Whitt and proudly announces the addition of Corey LaJoie to the driver lineup. Corey LaJoie will fill the seat of the No. 72 for the majority of the schedule including the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Whitt returns to TriStar after a solid effort in No. 72 in 2017. With intentions to shift focus, Whitt has elected to decrease his racing commitments and has requested a limited schedule.

MORE: Driver, crew chief changes

 

Whitt’s NASCAR career includes seven years on the circuit and races in which he has competed in NASCAR K&N Pro Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Monster Energy Cup Series. He completed the full 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in the TriStar Motorsports No. 72 securing three top-20 finishes and one top-15 being his best finish of 12th place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

 

“I want to thank TriStar and the Smith family for allowing me to do something I feel is the right decision for me and my family,” said Whitt. “I am excited and a little nervous to say that I will be racing a limited schedule this year.  I am looking forward to taking the next step in my life and trying to spend most of my time with my family. Stepping back from racing is a hard choice but I strongly believe this is the right path. TriStar has been an amazing blessing to me and my family and I look forward to what the future holds for both of us.”

 

Corey LaJoie, a third generation racer, is very well-known name in the racing community. He is the son of Randy LaJoie, 1996 and 1997 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion.  Already having an impressive racing career that includes six wins in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and three wins in the ARCA Series, LaJoie was selected as a member of the 2012 NASCAR Next Class, an industry platform to help spotlight NASCAR’s rising stars and bolster fan recognition initiative cultivating Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) mainstays. In 2016, LaJoie competed in ten Xfinity Series races and earned two top-ten finishes. He made the leap to the MENCS in 2017, earning the highest finish of his rookie year campaign;  11th place, in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

 

“It’s such a great opportunity to work with TriStar Motorsports,” said Corey LaJoie. “I hope to use the learning experiences from my 2017 Rookie Season and work hard for some great finishes this year.  It’s my goal to continue building a successful team with Bryan, while honoring the legacy his dad, Mark left behind.”

 

“We are taking a different approach with our competitive platform for 2018 by utilizing two drivers”, said Bryan Smith, owner of TriStar Motorsports. “It is an opportunity we feel is the best direction for this season and accommodates the goals of both drivers as well as the team.  We are more than pleased with Cole’s efforts in 2017 and are extremely glad to have him back this season.  He has been an integral part of our return to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and we appreciate his contributions to our team. We are equally as pleased to add Corey to our driver roster. His attitude, desire and ability are a welcomed addition and we feel he will be a great fit.  We feel both drivers embody the core elements of who we are as a team and are confident each will contribute to the betterment of our program.”

 

TriStar Motorsports has acquired a charter from Front Row Motorsports for the 2018 season and will continue competitive efforts under the direction of Crew Chief Frankie Kerr.

 

Sponsorship details for the MENCS No. 72 are forthcoming in addition to plans for the TriStar NASCAR Xfinity Series program.