Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Hall of Fame induction Friday

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Even before answering the first question from a ready group of racing reporters about his induction Friday into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Ray Evernham, 60, insisted on making an important point.

 

“I want to make it clear to everybody on the (conference) call, I know you thank me for the time, but it’s an honor to be able to sit here and take questions for the Hall of Fame,” Evernham said.

 

“I can do this all day if you want,’’ he added, with a laugh. 

 

He certainly would have plenty to discuss in his NASCAR Hall of Fame career that began at Bill Davis Racing guiding a young Jeff Gordon before serving as crew chief for three of Gordon’s four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships at Hendrick Motorsports then owning a flagship team himself that led to some of the sport’s great crowning moments.

 

Under Evernham’s leadership with the famed “Rainbow Warriors” No. 24 Chevrolet team, Gordon rolled to 47 premier series wins in just seven full seasons before Evernham transitioned to a completely new role and fresh challenge: premier series ownership.

 

Evernham operated and succeeded in similar style, spearheading Dodge Motorsports’ triumphant return to Monster Energy Series racing in 2001. Fellow Hall of Famer Bill Elliott earned Evernham Motorsports its inaugural victory in that 2001 season finale at Miami — the first of 15 total wins for Evernham’s team.

 

And the veteran Elliott added a dramatic Brickyard 400 trophy for the team the very next year — in one of the most celebrated races in NASCAR.

 

Young Washington-state bred Kasey Kahne joined the operation to earn Rookie of the Year in 2004 then immediately challenged for the series championship with six wins the following season.  Kahne also hoisted all five of the Evernham team’s Xfinity Series race trophies.

 

It is the definitive modern day NASCAR success story of a two-fold career that produced trophies, championships and, ultimately, Hall of Fame recognition alongside the most important people in the sport’s history.

 

RELATED: See the Class of 2018 members through the years

 

No question, Evernham’s work with a young Gordon is what put his name in the NASCAR vocabulary.

 

He is only the third designated “crew chief” to be voted into the Hall of Fame, and the first in five years. And considering he worked with Gordon for a relatively short term — seven years — the huge success they enjoyed is even more remarkable.

 

Obviously, Gordon’s immense talent had a lot to do with the results, but Evernham proved to be an expert at making it all possible.

 

“You know, there’s a big difference in what I call ‘coaching’ and ‘managing,'” Evernham said. “I don’t like to be a manager. I don’t like to be a business-type manager where you’re just directing people. But I really enjoyed the coaching, working with people together, solving problems, being part of a team, that kind of environment.

 

“Whether I should try to think I deserve to be even mentioned in a Lombardi style or not, that’s kind of who I patterned after. Tough on people, drive them hard, but cared about them. You’ve got to be able to have that compassion along with determination.

 

“That part I enjoyed. I loved working down on the floor with the guys. I loved being at the race track.’’

 

MORE: Evernham made mark on pit stops

 

Evernham still insists that it was a difficult decision to step off the pit box with a certain future Hall of Fame driver in order to develop his own team with Dodge.

 

But the New Jersey native also conceded it was just in his makeup to pursue and continually challenge himself. The opportunity with Dodge was intriguing and proved Evernham’s abilities on a grander scale. And he certainly delivered on the big stage – again.

 

“It wasn’t a no-brainer,’’ Evernham explained of his decision to leave the championship Hendrick organization to start his own.

 

“It was a really, really, really interesting opportunity. It was something that I struggled with because Hendrick was my home. Rick Hendrick has been good to me. I had a lot of my success and things there. It was a tough decision to look at where I really wanted to go, what I thought I could do.

 

“The emotional connection to Hendrick and to Jeff was very, very tough for me,’’ Evernham said. “But the excitement of being able to take that challenge, just to see if you could do it. … I don’t know, it’s that Evel Knievel in all of us knowing that if I don’t make that jump, I’m going to bust my butt, but I still really want to do it.”

 

And Evernham landed the jump.

 

The opportunity to field cars for a former champion in Elliott along with the promise and results of a handful of young drivers — such as Kahne, Casey Atwood, Jeremy Mayfield and Elliott Sadler — made Evernham’s gamble worth it.

 

And when he decided to walk away from the daily demands of either working as a crew chief or a team owner, Evernham had to feel absolutely proud of his effort — an effort long applauded and now officially recognized as Hall of Fame worthy.

 

Married to racer Erin Crocker and father to two-year old Cate as well as 26-year old Ray J from his first marriage, Evernham now works as a consultant for Hendrick Motorsports and hosts the popular Velocity network show, “AmeriCarna.”

 

“When I look at the guys that I’m in there with, it blows me away,’’ Evernham said, anticipating the heralded ceremony Friday night in Charlotte. “I have been for months, struggling to find the right words to describe it, which I still haven’t, and that will be a problem, I guess, Friday night if I don’t get those words completely.

 

“I can tell you that it really truly just amazes me because I have never held myself in the same light as I hold a lot of those people. When you’re growing up, you’re thinking, ‘Man, if I could only be as smart as that guy, or if I could only ever be as good as that guy.’

 

“Now going into the Hall of Fame with some of them, ahead of some of the others, it just totally blows me away.’’

 

Posted on by Staff Report

The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season could be the year Chase Elliott turns consistently strong finishes into long-awaited victories.

Especially if horseshoes, lucky pennies, four-leaf clovers and rabbit’s feet have anything to do with it.

Atlanta Motor Speedway — Elliott’s home track — will gather up all the luck for Elliott this year, collecting various good luck charms from race fans across the country to aid Elliott in nabbing his first Cup win. Track personnel will present the items to Elliott on Feb. 13, ahead of the Folds of Honor QuickTrip (Feb. 25, 2 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the Hampton, Georgia, speedway.

RELATED: Elliott excited to drive No. 9 | Sponsor re-ups with Elliott, Hendrick

Perhaps another good luck charm is the No. 9; this marks the first season that Elliott will pilot the No. 9 ride in the Monster Energy Series, which his Hall of Fame father Bill Elliott drove in 38 of his career 44 wins and his 1988 championship during his storied career.

“We had a lot of ups and downs and a couple missed opportunities (in 2017),” Elliott said in a track press release. “But I think we have to take them for what they are and learn from them. I am looking forward to 2018. We have some great things to build on, and I am excited to get back behind the wheel of the No. 9. It’s a good fit for me – kind of feels like home.”

The track also ran the same good-luck promotion in 1983 for the elder Elliott, who didn’t secure his first win until his 116th start in the series. Current Atlanta Motor Speedway president Ed Clark, who was serving as the public relations director at Charlotte Motor Speeedway at the time, organized the campaign at Charlotte toward the end of the ’83 season. It seemed to work; in the series’ season finale at Riverside International Raceway, “Awesome Bill” finally broke through for his first win.

“The promotion we came up with for Bill in ’83 created an amazing amount of interest and support from fans all over the country,” Clark said in a track press release. “We received package after package full of good-luck charms, and it seemed like everybody was pulling for him to get that first win.”

Like father, like son? Time will tell if the good luck charms bring the same fortune to Elliott this year, as he preps for his third full-time season in the Monster Energy Series.

Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C. (Jan. 18, 2018) – Kelley Blue Book, the most trusted brand for car pricing, research, valuation and selling your car, has extended its relationship with 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports with a three-year contract renewal through the 2020 racing season.

In 2018, 2019 and 2020, Kelley Blue Book will be featured as a two-race primary sponsor and full-season associate sponsor of driver Chase Elliott and his No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team. The company’s partnership with Hendrick Motorsports began in 2014 with a one-race primary sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and grew to two races in 2016 when it transitioned to Elliott for his rookie year.

Elliott, 22, will pilot the No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on Aug. 18 at Bristol Motor Speedway and in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race Nov. 4 at Texas Motor Speedway.

“Kelley Blue Book is proud to call the Hendrick organization a partner both on and off the track, and we’re excited to go racing with Chase for another three years,” said Greta Crowley, vice president of marketing for Kelley Blue Book. “We’re constantly enhancing the KBB.com site with features and functionality to help customers buy and sell cars with confidence, and Hendrick Motorsports has provided us an effective platform to further educate car shoppers on all that Kelley Blue Book has to offer.”

DEBATE: How many wins for Elliott in 2018?

Elliott earned 2016 Cup Series rookie of the year honors and is coming off his second playoff appearance in as many full seasons at NASCAR’s top level. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native won the 2014 Xfinity Series championship and already has posted 107 top-10 finishes in NASCAR national series competition.

“My experience working with Kelley Blue Book over the last two years has been awesome, and it means a lot to have them on board for three more,” Elliott said. “There’s a lot for the ‘9’ team to do over the next few seasons, and we look forward to sharing that with them. All of us appreciate their support and are committed to continuing the success of the partnership.”

In addition to individual consumers, Kelley Blue Book’s variety of products and services are available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Partners include Hendrick Automotive Group, which utilizes Kelley Blue Book in each of its 138 automotive retail franchises across the United States.

MORE: Elliott among top breakout candidates

“Kelley Blue Book has been an important partner across our entire organization,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group. “Chase has been a terrific spokesperson for their products and services, and the overall success of the racing program since 2014 has opened up new opportunities for us to work together and grow their business. We’re excited to do even more with Kelley Blue Book over the next three years.”

Built on the trust of its more than 90-year history and expertise, Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com exists to help consumers make the best possible decisions during the car-shopping journey and throughout the vehicle ownership lifecycle. Shopper and owner expansion remains a focus for Kelley Blue Book, and helpful tools such as Price Advisor and Instant Cash Offer have evolved to meet the needs of today’s car buyers and sellers. Other resources include 5-Year Cost to Own data, buyer’s guides, payment calculators, vehicle history reports, and expert reviews and ratings.

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Danica confirms Rodgers romance

Danica Patrick will carry familiar sponsorship for her two-race farewell in 2018, with longtime backer GoDaddy reuniting for her efforts in the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500.

The news was released Thursday morning by GoDaddy. It was first reported earlier Thursday by the Associated Press.

BUY: Danica Double gear

Patrick, 35, was primarily sponsored by the Scottsdale, Arizona-based internet domain registrar for her first six seasons in NASCAR national series competition and her last two in the IndyCar ranks. During that span, Patrick was front and center for GoDaddy in its advertising, including a starring role in a record 13 commercials during the Super Bowl.

PHOTOS: Danica Patrick through the years

“This is definitely the way I want to finish my racing career – at these two iconic races, backed by my iconic, long-time sponsor,” Patrick said in a release provided by GoDaddy. “GoDaddy was there for me when my career was just really starting so it’s exciting to be getting back in the GoDaddy ‘green’ for my final two races. Our brands have always been powerful together, and I think it’s awesome to have them at my side when I go ‘all in’ with my businesses after racing.”

Patrick announced in November that the 2017 season would mark her last full-time campaign in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. In that same emotional news conference, Patrick also announced her intent to compete in both the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 this season.

RELATED: Patrick earns Daytona 500 pole | Patrick to step away from full-time racing

No details were released Thursday regarding potential team pairings for Patrick in those two crown-jewel events, but her regained sponsorship should help attract interest from ownership groups. She has competed six times in the Daytona 500 with a best finish of eighth (twice); she also won the pole position for the 2013 running. Patrick last competed in an IndyCar in 2011.

Patrick competed in NASCAR’s premier series for the last five seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing. Last September, Patrick announced she would part ways with SHR “due to a new sponsorship arrangement in 2018.”

She has since branched into several other careers and projects for her life after racing, including her own line of athletic apparel, a self-penned fitness book and ownership of a California vineyard.

RELATED: Relive Danica’s history making 2013 Daytona 500

Posted on by Team Release

BUY TICKETS: Daytona 500

CERRO GORDO, N.C. — Ricky Benton Racing (RBR) Enterprises announced today that the team will be jumping to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) for the season-opening Daytona 500 in February. David Gilliland has rejoined the team to pilot the No. 92 Black’s Tire and Auto Service/Carquest Auto Parts/Ford Fusion.

RBR has spent the past eight seasons competing in 79 races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) on a part-time basis. Gilliland drove for the team for seven races in 2015. Plans for the RBR’s 2018 NCWTS schedule have not been finalized.

Mike Hester will serve as crew chief in both series. The team will continue its long-running relationship with Roush Yates Engines to provide power plants for their Fords.

“After talking with our partners, we felt the time was right to make a move into the Cup Series,” said team owner Ricky Benton. “Getting David (Gilliland) back on board was also key. Having a veteran driver with his experience and success on restrictor-plate tracks — with whom Hester has familiarity — gives us a leg up as we try to make the race.

“I am thankful for Roush Yates, Carquest, Highland Construction and the entire Black’s Tire family (Benton owns Black’s Tire, which operates four BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors Wholesale Centers, servicing more than 200 BTS partner program dealers, Carolina Retreads and 46 retail/commercial locations in the Carolinas) for going racing with us.”

RELATED: Todd Gilliland driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports

Based in Cerro Gordo, N.C. (pop. 199), RBR is bringing with it a history of success in stock car racing to the Daytona 500. At the 2.5-mile “World Center of Racing,” RBR has two third-place and two sixth-place finishes in six starts in the NCWTS. Prior to joining the truck series, RBR competed extensively in late models and other series, winning the 1998 NASCAR Winston Racing Series Atlantic Seaboard championship as well as the 2002 USAR Hooters ProCup title.

“Ricky is a great guy and a real racer,” said Gilliland. “I really appreciate the faith he has put in me to drive his first MENCS attempt. Having worked with (crew chief) Mike (Hester) before, I know he has done everything needed to give us a competitive car to go out and qualify and race well at Daytona.

“I think we have a chance to go out and surprise some people.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Get to know the Hall of Fame Class of 2018

The genuine excitement and gratitude for earning a place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame was evident last week as Ron Hornaday Jr. spoke to reporters about the upcoming milestone in his life.

 

The always colorful, ever humble four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion was upbeat recalling important moments in his career and telling classic stories about those who helped him make the big time.

 

And while the 59-year old Californian may not have ever predicted he would be a NASCAR Hall of Famer one day, he definitely knew the sport’s Truck Series was destined for greatness. And both of their paths have led to similarly significant achievements.

 

“They [NASCAR] had a five-year plan for the trucks and I think the first year, we exceeded that five-year plan of what we thought it was going to do,” said Hornaday, who also exceeded his own expectations, winning 51 races in a four-championship 17-year career competing in the truck series. Three of his four titles came after the age of 40. He won the 2009 championship at the age of 51.

 

Hornaday also won four times in the XFINITY Series and finished a career-best third place in the 2004 championship. He finished top-five in the championship in three of the four full-time seasons he ran in that series. 

 

Hornaday won two NASCAR Southwest Series titles in what was the preamble to his Hall of Fame tenure in NASCAR’s trucks.

 

“I was pretty humbled,” Hornaday said of getting the news last May that he was NASCAR Hall of Fame bound. “I thought it was pretty cool to be the first one [truck champion] in there.

 

“I hope I can represent the truck series since they put my career on the map, what they’ve done for my whole family. Definitely I owe everything to NASCAR and the France family for starting the truck series and the phone call from [the late Dale] Earnhardt of giving me an opportunity to make it big time.’’

MORE: 2018 Hall of Fame inductees through the years

In a certain sense, Hornaday was able to pay it forward as well. Often, NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series drivers have referred to “Hornaday’s Couch” – the furniture they slept on while temporarily staying with the veteran and his wife at their home as the young racers found their path in the sport too.

 

“When I met Jimmie Johnson at a Chevrolet function, he was coming from off-road [racing] and he told me he was moving down, doing this and that,’’ Hornaday recalled of his fellow Californian. “I told him, ‘don’t go rent a place, that’s a waste of money. Save some money, buy your own house then.’

 

“He might have stayed three to six months, maybe a year. It’s something where when you have a big enough place, they’re all hanging out on the couch.’’

 

“And,” he added, “We still have that couch by the way.”

 

The couch, part of “Camp Hornaday,” certainly boasts a pedigree, having hosted a couple young, budding champions. Not only did the seven-time champion Johnson spend time bunking with Hornaday and his wife, Lindy, but so did fellow Californian, 2014 Monster Energy Series champ Kevin Harvick.

 

It all speaks to Hornaday’s laidback, welcoming nature. He is friendly and fun, but behind the wheel of a race car, he made magic – often beating drivers half his age.

 

In preparing for the upcoming Hall of Fame induction, Hornaday conceded it’s still pretty incredible to realize how far his career went, and how successful NASCAR’s trucks — the youngest of the three major series — would be. Hornaday said he never imagined having such a historic role in the series.

 

“I was just glad to be a part of it, get an opportunity to do it,” Hornaday said of the mid-1990s when the series originated and began to flourish.

 

“I was racing for Wayne [Spears] at the time and asked him if he was going to run the whole Truck Series. I told him what I had the opportunity to do and he told me, I should take it. It was probably the best choice I ever made in my career.

 

“When you have two successful businesses out of California — my wife and I did — to get up and move [to North Carolina], it was kind of a gamble. It worked out for us though. Very fortunate for that.

 

“We had to do it, we had to go win, we had to put food on the table.”

 

And he did more than that. Now he will bring home a Hall of Fame ring and abounding, well-deserved recognition for his contributions to the sport. Already highly regarded, Hornaday is one of the most popular selections to the Hall.

 

As he closed out his telephone press conference with the national media last week, Hornaday quickly offered a personal and wonderful summation.

 

“Just a heads up,’’ he said, with a slight laugh. “I can drive a race car. I’m not good at standing in front of my peers with a monkey suit, telling them how good I am.

 

“It’s all about everybody that ever helped me out. Hopefully I can do well and not get tongue-tied.

 

“Thank you guys, for everything, all the years.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

MORE: Drivers, crew chiefs on the move

Kyle Busch Motorsports announced Wednesday that Todd Gilliland will drive the No. 4 Toyota in 19 races this year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The rest of the driver lineup for the No. 4 team, which carried Christopher Bell to the series championship last year, includes team owner Kyle Busch for two races (Atlanta, Kansas) and Gilliland’s father, David, for the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. The team indicated it would announce a driver for the March 2 race at Las Vegas at a later date. Marcus Richmond will serve as the team’s crew chief.

Gilliland, 17, will compete for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. A NASCAR rule that prevents drivers younger than 18 from competing on tracks greater than 1.25 miles will force him to miss four races early in the year. He is scheduled to race at .526-mile Martinsville Speedway on March 24, then Dover International Speedway on May 4 before joining the remainder of the schedule at Charlotte Motor Speedway shortly after his 18th birthday on May 15.

“I’m super excited to be continuing my development within the Toyota Racing family and look forward to being behind the wheel of KBM’s No. 4 Tundra this season — especially after my 18th birthday when I can run all of the races,” Gilliland said in a release provided by the team. “I’ll still be at the track for the early races when I don’t get to compete so that I can learn as much as I can from being around the guys on the team and watching my Dad and Kyle before my first 1.5-mile race at Charlotte.”

Todd Gilliland, a member of the NASCAR Next youth initiative, competed in six Truck Series races last year with a best finish of third place in September at New Hampshire. He also won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship last year with six victories in the 14-race season.

David Gilliland, 41, last competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2015 with a seven-race stint for team owner Ricky Benton. He is a veteran of 332 starts in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with three career pole positions.

Busch, the 2015 Monster Energy Series champion, scored three victories in a seven-race Truck Series schedule last season.

The team indicated it would announce sponsorship at a later date.

Posted on by Brad Norman

Editor’s note: More than 100 wrecks have been reported in the Charlotte area, with even some NASCAR drivers having trouble on the roads. Be safe. Stay home.

Winter weather warnings in North Carolina often amount to nothing more than empty shelves in the bread and milk sections at grocery stores, but this time the heart of racing country has some real snowfall.

Ryan Blaney’s here to help.

Keelan Harvick is here to play (and presumably dad Kevin, too).

Darrell Wallace Jr.’s here to ramp up sledding (literally) before he does some “adulting” with a shovel.

Our own @nascarcasm’s here with jokes.

Ryan and Krissie Newman’s rescue ranch animals are here for some hay, and oh hey, snow!

And Ricky Stenhouse brings gratitude to the scene.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 17, 2018) — Coca-Cola, International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and NASCAR today announced an extension to each of its long-standing partnerships. Coca-Cola, an iconic global brand, will continue its deep-rooted history in the sport by engaging racing fans across NASCAR’s three national series and 12 ISC-operated race tracks.

The first-of-its kind integrated agreement is designed to deliver value to Coca-Cola across both the sanctioning body and ISC properties. Building on a 50-year relationship in the sport, Coca-Cola utilizes an immersive marketing approach to engage fans, customers and employees across virtually every facet of the NASCAR ecosystem. The strategy has resulted in Coca-Cola being one of the most recognized sponsors in the sport (according to the 2017 NASCAR sponsor loyalty survey conducted for SportsBusiness Journal/Daily by Turnkey Sports & Entertainment).

RELATED: Iconic Coca-Cola paint schemes, looks

“We’re elated to announce an extension to this winning formula,” said Stuart Kronauge, SVP of Marketing & Business Unit President of USA Operations, The Coca-Cola Company. “The association with NASCAR, iconic tracks across the country, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Coca-Cola 400, and the drivers of the Coca-Cola Racing Family creates an ideal relationship between the brands, the sport and fans. It allows for a fully integrated experience that connects Coca-Cola with NASCAR fans at every level — locally, nationally, at the track, in store, at home and elsewhere.”

While Coca-Cola has been involved with stock car racing for 50 years, the brand became an Official Partner of NASCAR in 1998. The extended agreement furthers Coca-Cola’s position as the “Official Soft Drink of NASCAR.” Additionally, a signature part of the brand’s marketing strategy is the Coca-Cola Racing Family — a group of top drivers that includes Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, Daniel Suarez and Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. The Coca-Cola Racing Family, which has been around for nearly 20 years, makes appearances and is featured in advertising, promotions and packaging.

RECAP: Austin Dillon wins the Coca-Cola 600

“Our continued partnership with Coca-Cola is a product of a long history of successful collaboration,” said Steve Phelps, EVP and chief global sales and marketing officer, NASCAR. “Partnering with a global company like Coca-Cola puts NASCAR in front of a massive scope of consumers while providing our partners direct engagement with the most brand faithful fan base in sports.”

The extended relationship with ISC will continue Coca-Cola’s position as the leading soft drink pour across NASCAR-sanctioned tracks. Through partnerships with ISC and Speedway Motorsports, Inc., Coca-Cola will be refreshing fans at 21 race tracks in 2018.

“This renewed relationship highlights how committed Coca-Cola is to engage the most brand loyal fans in sports. Coca-Cola is deeply integrated across our sport, including track pouring rights, race entitlements and relationships with drivers — all adding up to a valued partnership,” said Daryl Wolfe, chief sales and partnership officer, NASCAR and ISC. “The company has been a longtime supporter of NASCAR, and we are thrilled to embark on the next expanded phase of our partnership.”

A loyal supporter of the U.S. Armed Forces, Coca-Cola honors and recognizes service members at race tracks annually, and in 2017, expanded its support as the presenting sponsor of NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola. The six-week platform encapsulates the NASCAR industry’s collective expression of respect and gratitude of past and present members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Coca-Cola also partners with NASCAR on Troops to the Track, hosting service members from all military branches at race tracks during the season.

In 2013, Coca-Cola became the first three-time recipient of the prestigious NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award, emblematic of the brand who best utilizes its sponsorship to engage NASCAR fans.

Posted on by Brad Norman

RELATED: New Chevrolet debuts as drivers participate in test at Texas

The Camaro ZL1, making its debut in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, is as much the hot new kid on the block as some of the young drivers moving up to the top series. And it got a lot of play on social media this week.

Chip Ganassi Racing unveiled new looks for Kyle Larson’s No. 42 and Jamie McMurray’s No. 1 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and included this video on the team’s social channels:

Darrell Wallace Jr. and Austin Dillon showed off their cars — and moves — in their #MotorSportChallenge videos, Bubba’s out Tuesday in response to Dillon’s challenge last Friday. Looks like Dillon’s keeping the slide in his repertoire.

And Richard Childress Racing was doing photo shoots with Ryan Newman and some of his cars and sponsors over the past week.

Green, Gold, red, blue, white … doesn’t matter. It’s a good-looking car.