Posted on by Holly Cain

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Robert Yates showed up at the NASCAR Hall of Fame that late afternoon last May genuinely not knowing if this would be the year – if that would be the day – he heard his name called as part of the official unveiling of the five-person 2017 Hall of Fame induction class.

Already months into his valiant fight against liver cancer, Yates walked into the Grand Hall and was immediately surrounded by longtime friends and greeted fondly by supporters and race fans, all who had gathered for the historical announcement.

MORE: Legends, star power highlight HOF weekend | Meet the 2018 Hall of Fame class 

Three times previously the NASCAR champion engine builder and team owner had been nominated for induction. So when his name was announced as part of the 2017 group of honorees, the room erupted in joy and tears.

“I believe that was the fourth year he was on the ballot so we weren’t sure how it would go, just praying he would get voted in to the Hall of Fame,’’ Yates’ son Doug recalled. “He was so happy. He gave up his life for this sport. That was his choice but that was what it takes to be great at something and he did that. And he wouldn’t tell you that, but I will.

“It was the most gratifying moment of his whole career.”

And that is saying a lot.

The man who had built so many strong engines, may have been weaker of body but the same spirit and contagious positive energy he brought to the race track permeated through the crowd that day – it was easy to see the special extra something that makes Yates a stock car legend.

Sadly, Yates died five months later on Oct. 2 at the age of 74. His family will take part in next Friday’s NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony in honor of this very honorable man.

Yates contributions to NASCAR are diverse and significant. And lasting.

He started his career as an engine builder in the late 1960s under the tutelage of Waddell Wilson and ultimately fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson.

He was the chief engine builder for Hall of Famer Bobby Allison’s 1983 Cup championship team and built the engines that Hall of Famer Richard Petty drove to his final two victories – record 199th and 200th wins.

Following his time under the hood, Yates moved into a team ownership role and fielded the iconic No. 28 Texaco/Havoline car driven by the late Davey Allison and also the No. 88 Ford that Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett drove to the 1999 Cup championship. Allison produced Yates’ first win as an owner in 1989 at Talladega Superspeedway and Jarrett secured the beloved owner his last Cup trophy in 2005, also at Talladega.

Ernie Irvan, Hall of Famer Ricky Rudd and Elliott Sadler also won premier series races driving for Yates, who collected 57 Cup trophies as an owner including three Daytona 500 wins earned by Davey Allison (1992) and Jarrett (1996 and 2000).

His inclusion in the Hall of Fame seems a proper and fitting way to wrap up and recognize decades of hard work and high expectation. What a career Robert Yates made.

“I’d say my dad felt very blessed to be involved in the sport of NASCAR and the time he was involved really left itself to opportunities,’’ Doug Yates reflected. “When he started at Holman-Moody in the late 1960s that was the best school for an engine builder — to be there working alongside Waddell Wilson and all the other greats, building engines for the Wood Brothers and Junior Johnson and the famed Ford drivers of the time.

“Then to go and work for Junior Johnson who was one of his heroes.”

Doug Yates, 50, who carried on the family’s engine business with high regard – he was named NASCAR’s 2011 Engine Builder of the Year — recalled those early days recognizing his dad’s work ethic was comprised of equal parts high expectation and devotion.

“Back then you just worked 24-7, you didn’t have a lot of resources,’’ Doug said. “During the day, my dad would do the machine work on the engines to get them ready to assemble at night, and he said one night he was in there working, and he was about out of energy, and Junior [Johnson] came through there, patted him on the back and gave him a pep talk and said, ‘We’re going to win this race this weekend.’

“And dad said it just felt like it gave him so much motivation to keep going. One of the great influences in his life was how Junior Johnson was a leader and a hero. That was a great experience for him.”

And Yates soon would be regarded a leader and hero to others — as it turned out not only for his work on race cars but for his strength away from the garage fighting cancer.

Those who worked closely with Yates recognized and fully appreciated his mechanical talent and that led to more opportunity for the Charlotte native.

“I’m a great believer that things happen for a reason and he was as well,’’ Doug Yates said. “That ultimately lent itself to the owners Harry [Rainier] and J.T. [Lundy] saying, ‘Robert, we’re done racing. We’d like for you to buy the race team and the No. 28 Davey Allison Ford.’

“My dad was really hesitant. He never got into the sport to be a car owner, he just really focused on doing his best job every day whatever the task was. That was how he operated.

“So he told Davey [Allison] about this opportunity and Davey said, ‘Robert, if you’ll do this I will never leave you. You’ve got my word.’ They shook on it and Davey instilled the confidence in my dad to buy Robert Yates Racing.”

The Robert Yates Racing team began officially in 1989, quickly establishing itself of championship caliber with Allison winning 15 times in the next five years and finishing third in the Cup championship twice (1991 and ’92).

But Allison died in a helicopter accident two weeks after winning at Richmond, Va. in 1993 and understandably, the tragedy had a profound effect on Yates.

“That was probably the hardest thing for him. … It was really a moment of do we carry on or not?’’ Doug Yates said. “I think he carried on for Davey and also the people that it put so much into getting him there. You don’t want to let them down. “Then what happened to Ernie [suffered life-threatening injuries in an accident during a race at Michigan International Speedway in 1994] and ultimately winning the championship with Dale Jarrett.

“It was not an easy road by any means but it was his platform.”

“NASCAR gets the credit, the France family, for giving us this platform to do that. Dad was such a humble person. Being a car owner was not his dream. Doing a great job at whatever he did was what he did.

“And just timing and the way things evolved and being good at what he did and being at the right place at the right time gave him a platform.’’

And Yates used that platform to its full historical potential – enjoying decades of hard-earned success in a life well-lived and much respected. He was one of those rare, rare people who could rest well, knowing he made a positive difference and that not a soul had a disparaging word or thought.

That he was adored by so many was never more evident than last spring at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

A big smile never left Yates’ face as received the congratulatory hugs and handshakes.

“I don’t even know if I’ll sleep tonight,” Yates said in the moments after finding out he was a new inductee.

“I’m so honored and I love this sport, and I want this sport to do the same thing it did for me, again and again and again.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

WATCH: Sargeant to honor Tim Richmond with No. 25

GMS Racing has added a key piece to its 2018 driver roster, tabbing Dalton Sargeant for full-time duty in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season.

Sargeant, 19, will drive the organization’s new No. 25 Chevrolet as a Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate. He’ll have direction from longtime crew chief Doug Randolph, who most recently called the shots for Austin Cindric during last year’s deep playoff run for Brad Keselowski Racing.

RELATED: Driver, team changes for 2018

“Really excited about being in the Truck Series this year,” Sargeant told NASCAR.com “Racing in one of the top three levels in NASCAR is going to be something that’s really special and it’s always been a dream of mine. Really looking forward to that and seeing what we can do.”

Sargeant has six career starts in the Camping World Truck Series — four with Wauters Motorsports in 2015, and the last two races of the year with MDM Motorsports last season. His full-time driving duties in 2017 were in the ARCA Series, where he collected three wins and finished as the tour’s runner-up in the season-long standings.

Other facets of his new deal with GMS — including sponsorship and teammates — are set to be announced at a later date. But some of the known quantities for Sargeant include working alongside 2016 series champ Johnny Sauter, joining an organization that has enjoyed a steady rise in performance since it joined the Truck Series full time four years ago.

“It’s something that’s pretty incredible to watch because GMS Racing is a pretty new team,” Sargeant says. “Just to only be racing for a couple of years and to already have a championship and multiple wins under their belt is something that’s really encouraging. The first time I went to the shop and saw all the things that these guys are doing and the amount of hard work and effort that they’re putting in is something that’s special to be able to see.

“They want to keep growing and getting better and better, and want to keep winning. So that’s encouraging as well.”

Sargeant, a product of the NASCAR Next youth initiative, has already had some say in how his new team will look in 2018. He’ll campaign the No. 25 as a tribute to Tim Richmond, one of the hardest chargers in stock-car racing history. To emphasize the connection, the numerals on his GMS trucks will feature a strikingly similar font.

“Tim Richmond used to run it in the past, so that’s something that’s pretty cool — one of the guys that I look up to,” Sargeant said. “We kind of stylized the number a little bit after the way it looked when he ran it. Looking forward to that, it’s going to be pretty cool. He’s one of the best guys that’s raced in NASCAR.”

Sargeant also will have a veteran crew chief in his corner. Randolph has served as a crew chief in all three NASCAR national series, and has come close to Truck Series titles in two of the last three seasons — leading Tyler Reddick to a runner-up result in 2015 and helping direct Cindric to a third-place effort in the championship hunt last season.

Randolph landed with GMS after Brad Keselowski Racing disbanded following the 2017 campaign. Sargeant already is considering him a crucial asset.

“Doug’s a great guy. He seems really smart to me, really logical, down to the point,” Sargeant said. “He really cares about this a lot still. He wants to go out there and win as many races as possible. He’s definitely a great leader for our team and really looking forward to working with him. He’s going to be able to teach me a lot this year and we’ll see if we can’t have some great success together.”

Sargeant has called his 2017 campaign one of his most memorable in the sport, the latest chapter in a career that began with go-kart racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway near his south Florida home. He says he hopes that momentum buoys him in his first full season at NASCAR’s national level, with aspirations that tiptoe up to the ultimate goal at Homestead-Miami in November.

“I think as a whole, we have a lot of goals that we want to try to reach as a team,” Sargeant says, “but for myself and our group at the 25 truck, I think we’re really looking forward to going out there and definitely trying to compete for Rookie of the Year as well as pop off a couple of wins. Hope for the best, try and make it to the final four and see if we can’t win a championship.”

Posted on by RJ Kraft

RELATED: Who are the early favorites for the 2018 title? | Driver tracker for the season

The calendar has turned to 2018 and drivers will be in Daytona for Speedweeks in less than a month meaning the new season is inching closer.

Looking back at 2017, Martin Truex Jr. set a blistering pace with more than 2,000 laps led, a host of stage wins, plenty of playoff points and eight wins, including a victory in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to earn the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

Truex had his fair share of challengers over the course of 2017 from recent champions in Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick to breakout stars in Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. All that begs the question: Who is best positioned to serve as the biggest threat to unseat Truex heading into the 2018 season? NASCAR.com’s Zack Albert and RJ Kraft weigh in.

Albert: Looking for prospective candidates? Let’s start with the driver who came a whisker’s breadth away from derailing the Truex train last season — Kyle Busch. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has landed four or more victories in four of the last five seasons, and he’s been a Championship 4 participant in the Homestead-Miami finale for three years running.

Consider also that Busch is still just 32 — perhaps quote-unquote “old” as the age of the starting grid trends younger, but still well in the prime years of his career. The combination of talent with the backing of one of the sport’s most potent teams in JGR makes Busch a likely contender for a second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series crown.

Kraft: I like trends, and I think Larson will follow the template laid out by Truex over the past three seasons of gradual growth that builds to a championship. In Truex’s case, he got back to Victory Lane in 2015 and followed it up with a four-win campaign in 2016 before last season’s championship. Larson scored his first Monster Energy Series win in 2016 followed by four victories in 2017. Given Larson’s repeated mishaps in the latter half of the playoffs, it’s easy to forget that he set new career highs in laps led, top fives and top 10s in his breakout season. Behind Truex, no driver gained more stage points than Larson as he took full advantage of the new format.

What is the key to the Chip Ganassi Racing driver taking the next step to a championship? Notching wins at 1.5-mile tracks, which he has yet to do. With four runner-ups at 1.5-milers in 2017, it seems like Larson is closing in on those victories — almost as fast as he gets around on the high line.

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Fernando Alonso took his seat in the Daytona International Speedway media center last Friday, smiled and looked up at the gathering crowd — competitors, news people, officials filled the room.

The two-time Formula One world champion was at the World Center of Racing over the weekend preparing for his inaugural start in the Rolex 24 At Daytona – the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener and a racer’s resume must-do.

Despite only a few laps in the United Autosports No. 23 Ligier LMP2 before initially speaking with the crowd of reporters, the 36-year old Spaniard seemed enthusiastic, optimistic and genuinely happy to be there.

Far from the buttoned-up all-business F1 race weekend vibe, Alonso was clearly absorbing details of the busy, new setting and talking up the challenge he looks forward to undertaking in the Jan. 27-28 twice-around-the-clock race.

RELATED: Alonso announces he will compete in Rolex 24

“I did unfortunately a short time, only three laps this morning, but enough to have a feeling in the car,’’ Alonso shared with a smile. “I don’t know the speedway as well, the corners with the high banking were  … special.

“You feel the compression in the body, you feel the visibility change because when in a normal car on the circuit, your view in the car is longer ahead. When you are in the corner with banking you see only the next 200 meters of the track. But it was good fun, a good feeling after missing track time.

“So far, so good.’’

So good for all. Alonso’s presence in the race has garnered headlines and interest around the world. His impressive debut in the Indianapolis 500 last May – he led 27 laps early but retired with 21 laps remaining because of an engine problem – has already made Alonso a fan favorite in the United States. And his willingness to compete in yet another completely new form of racing in the Rolex 24 has only raised the level of intrigue and respect.

“I don’t remember a time in my tenure in sports car racing which goes back a long time that we’ve had an active F1 driver on the grid, and to have an active F1 driver of Alonso’s credentials. … is nothing short of remarkable,” said IMSA President Scott Atherton between testing sessions at the Roar Before the 24. “Of course, his debut at Indy last year cannot be overstated in terms of the impact it had.

“It created a groundswell of interest in the United States and overseas. … it will be significant and certainly with what this race represents and uniqueness of him competing in a multi-class race over 24 hours. The dynamics of that … We all saw remarkable embrace of his ability to compete in highest level at the Indy 500 and I think we will see the same here.’’ 

RELATED: AJ Allmendinger to race in Rolex 24 at Daytona

Alonso, who in 2005 was the youngest world champion in F1 history (age 24 years, 58 days), was as impressed with the atmosphere in Daytona Beach last week as with what awaits him in the world-renowned race. He spoke about the people who seemed to be following his every move from paddock to pit to race car. And far from being annoyed at the attention, he seemed genuinely impressed by the scene, enthused by the fanfare. And that was three weeks before the Rolex 24 green flag.

He wondered aloud also what the scene must be for NASCAR’s Feb. 18 season-opening Daytona 500 on the track’s high banks. This particular race track, he understood, elicits great emotion and excitement hosting stock car’s highest profile event.

“Two days here, but you smell motor racing here,’’ Alonso noted of his first impression. “That’s a good feeling for any driver. The speedway is amazing. The size of everything is just huge. I imagine this grandstand full of people for the NASCAR race would be an amazing thing to experience.”

He reiterated that – for now – his Daytona 500 experience would be as a spectator, but the question of whether he might one day consider competing in NASCAR’s biggest race was inevitable.

“My thoughts at the moment are that NASCAR driving technique is very unique to those types of cars,’’ Alonso said. “I would need a lot of practice, a lot of testing before making that adventure. At the moment, I have enough weekends free for what I’m doing. No plans yet, but definitely after being here for the 24 hours, definitely I will watch the [Daytona 500] race on television at least and enjoy the race.’’ 

MORE: Scott Pruett will retire following Rolex 24 at Daytona

Alonso said he was hopeful to run more endurance races in the future, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and perhaps make another Indy 500 start – all timing based on his busy schedule with F1. And race fans across the globe couldn’t be more thrilled with the news of his career expansion.

First, however, will be this month’s Rolex 24 and judging the crowd reaction and Alonso’s own demeanor so far, it’s a toss-up who will be more excited to have him back in Daytona for the race.

“It’s more of the same goal as Indianapolis,’’ Alonso said of gauging his expectations in the Rolex 24. “I have the whole track to learn and different driving techniques. I try to learn from the specialists of endurance races and try to be a better driver when the 24 hours finishes. That’s the first thing.

“This is first time for me in an endurance race. First time for me in a prototype car. First time driving at night. First time driving with GTs around. Many new things will come. Step by step.

“That’s quite a big challenge but I’m ready to join and as it happened in Indianapolis if you feel great opportunity and you feel competitive, you go for it.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Aric Almirola has been spending lots of time at the Stewart-Haas Racing shop this offseason as he moves into the No. 10 Ford, and he loves what he sees.

“When you drive up to the complex it’s so big and so massive. They have so many resources at their fingertips inside their race car shop,” Almirola said at a test session Tuesday at Texas Motor Speedway.

“You see all their trophies in their trophy case and their championship trophies, it’s very evident why,” Almirola said. “Just the attention to detail, the amount of people pulling in the same direction — it’s incredible to see first-hand, so knowing I’ve had to race against that the last six years has been disheartening, but I’m glad I get to be a part of it finally. I’m excited about 2018 and the opportunity to out there and perform at a high level.”

RELATED: New look for the No. 10 | Driver, team changes for 2018

All of that stems from owners who “eat, sleep and breathe racing,” Almirola says of Tony Stewart and Gene Haas. Even if Stewart is away from the shop quite a bit, doing what you’d expect: racing.

“He’s been pretty quiet and off the radar, in New Zealand racing and all over the map,” Almirola said of Stewart. “He’s just a racer at heart and I think that’s what makes him and that company so special. He still wakes up every morning thinking about race cars.”

 

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: NASCAR Hall of Fame set for Class of 2018

Ray Evernham justly gets credit for leading a second-stage evolution of the modern NASCAR pit stop. The master wrench and crew chief took the Wood Brothers’ groundbreaking emphasis on planning and choreography from the 1960s and advanced it three decades later, deploying a purpose-built team of specialized athletes to provide over-the-wall service on pit road.

In the years since, the evolution has grown. NASCAR organizations have assembled full-time teams of athletes, trainers and coaches for the purpose of trimming precious seconds from pit-stop times. The next evolution will come this upcoming season in the form of a rules change, limiting the number of over-the-wall crew from six people to five.

For Evernham, it’s just the latest development in a key part of race strategy, an element he helped to shape.

“I think it will be a unique situation,” Evernham said Wednesday, noting the reduction in cost for extra personnel and the safety benefits of one fewer person per team going over the wall. People have done that before. We’ve been down to one tire carrier before. There was a time you could have as many people as you wanted going over pit wall, then they cut it back to seven, then six, and now five. Someday you may see four.”

Evernham is scheduled to be honored for all of his contributions to the sport on Friday, Jan. 19 (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM), with induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He’ll be recognized not just as a pit-road visionary, but a championship-winning crew chief and a gifted team owner who helped orchestrate Dodge’s return to stock-car racing.

Evernham won three titles as a crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series, helping guide a young Jeff Gordon to the pinnacle of the sport. Gordon’s talent was undeniable, but so was the contribution of his Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 pit crew, a group assembled by Evernham and now etched into NASCAR lore as the “Rainbow Warriors” for their colorful uniforms to match the car’s paint scheme.

MORE: Evernham through the years

Evernham’s approach brought an extra level of professionalism to the sport. His pit crews — now a collection of fine-tuned athletes — were no different.

“The biggest thing I thought of back then is how can I expect a guy to work the way we’re working in the shop, at that time 14, 16 hours a day, then be able to pit the car on Sundays, be fresh, be focused,” Evernham said. “Let’s train some people that have skills and abilities and time to do that, that could be faster and we could really gain something.”

With full-time athletes in place, pit-stop times dropped dramatically and the No. 24 team was first in line to reap the advantages. Other teams quickly followed suit in an effort to catch up.

“I think that set the stage for what’s happening now,” Evernham said. “If you look at Hendrick, they’ve got backup teams, most all teams now have pit crew coaches and trainers. I think we might have been the first to have a set athletic trainer and things like that over at Hendrick.

“Without a doubt, it has brought the sport to a different place. I don’t want to say a different level, but it’s just an area of competition that it created. It’s very important to whether or not you can win a race or championship.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

MORE: Meet the 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame class

Ron Hornaday Jr. will make history next week when he is enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, as the first inductee to represent the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

That’s one important record — and the four-time series champion thought he’d nailed down another.              

“I thought, ‘It’s pretty cool to be the first one in there. It’s going to be really great because I’m going to have two records in the Hall of Fame, being the youngest,’ ” Hornaday said on a teleconference on Wednesday morning. “But Mark Martin is three years younger than I am, so I only got the Truck Series. Kicked me in the butt.”

It’s true. Well, sort of — the age gap is a little closer than Hornaday gives himself credit for, as Martin, a 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, is roughly six months younger than the elder statesman.

Still, being the first inductee to represent a whole series is something to hang his hat on.

MORE: 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame preview

And Martin had some keen advice for his closely aged pal.

“You don’t understand what the Hall of Fame is all about (at first),” Hornaday said. “When I got (voted in) that night, they actually pulled the ballot, said I was in, Mark Martin grabbed me aside said, ‘This don’t mean anything right now. Give it about six months, where the things you’ve done in racing, it will hit you of who you helped, how you handled yourself. It’s not all about all the races you won and all that stuff, it’s about all the people’s hearts you touched, who worked on your race cars, to go to dinner with your sponsors, meet the different people you meet.’

“It’s really come around. I can really see the other end of the light where Mark was talking about where everybody is reaching out, the awesome letters I’m getting from all my sponsors through the years I’ve done and stuff. It’s really bringing back memories. It’s been really darn cool.”

Hornaday, a 51-time winner in the Truck Series, was a mainstay in that tour for parts of three decades. After a few starts at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series level from 1991-94, he embarked on his first NASCAR national series full-time season in the series’ inaugural campaign of 1995, winning a whopping six races en route to a third-place finish for Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s No. 16 Chevrolet.

Four more wins followed a year later, and a title with it. He’d go on to win three more championships and 41 more races before hanging up the fire suit following his final full-time season in 2014 and a one-off Monster Energy Series start at Atlanta in 2015.

While the Truck Series certainly wouldn’t be what it is in 2018 without Hornaday’s guidance — and, more importantly, presence — he knows he has plenty of gratitude to dish out to those who’ve helped him along the way, just as Martin foretold.

“I hope I can represent the Truck Series like they put my career on the map, what they’ve done for my whole family,” Hornaday said.

“Because definitely I owe everything to NASCAR and the France family for starting the Truck Series, and that phone call from Earnhardt of giving me an opportunity to make it big‑time.”

Posted on by Brad Norman

A man of his word? A man of his word.

Ryan Blaney made good on his promise to fans out in the Lone Star State that he would hangout with them for a pizza party hosted by track president Eddie Gossage during Wednesday’s testing at Texas Motor Speedway … ‘stache and all.

The newest (and youngest) driver of the Team Penske family is already feeling right at home among teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. Part of his initiation will take part this Friday, when Blaney is set to cut his flowing locks and facial hair … a fan favorite around the sport. He will sport a fancy look on the track in 2018, too — a No. 12 Ford with a bright yellow paint scheme that will be hard to miss turnin’ left.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

RELATED: Meet the Class of 2018

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – An exciting weekend is in store for NASCAR fans beginning on Friday, Jan. 19 in Charlotte, North Carolina, featuring the stars of today and the legends of yesteryear.

The weekend will be filled with activities starting on Friday evening with the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2018 Induction Ceremony. The star-studded event will be followed by NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday, Jan. 20 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and will include a one-of-a-kind experience for fans.

On Friday, Jan. 19 (8 p.m. ET on NBCSN and MRN), NASCAR icons Red Byron, Ray Evernham, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ken Squier and Robert Yates will be honored and inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as the Class of 2018. As part of the Induction Ceremony, Jim France will receive the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR and Norma Brandel will receive the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.

As in previous years, NASCAR legends and current drivers will be in attendance as the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2018 is inducted. Scheduled to make an appearance are reigning 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Dale Jarrett, Ben Kennedy and Brad Keselowski. For tickets to the Induction Ceremony, visit nascarhall.com.

As part of NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday, Jan. 20, the NASCAR Hall of Fame will offer free admission to the venue.  NASCAR drivers past and present will participate in Q&A and autograph sessions throughout the day. Admission to the Hall of Fame and to the Q&A sessions will be free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis during NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day. Admission to driver autograph sessions is free but will require a ticket for participation. Doors will open at 8 a.m. and the Hall of Fame will close at 5 p.m.

Tickets to the autograph sessions below, featuring stars from all three NASCAR national series, must be secured in advance. Tickets will be available free of charge on nascarhall.com starting at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 13. Each fan can secure up to two tickets for only one of the seven autograph sessions (one ticket for an individual or two tickets for an individual and their guest). NASCAR Next driver autograph sessions do not require tickets.  For more information on Fan Appreciation Day please visit nascarhall.com.

Q&A / Autograph Session
(High Octane Theater/Pre-Function Space Outside Crown Ballroom)		 NASCAR Drivers
(Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series)
Session 1 (9 a.m. Q&A / 9:30-10:30 a.m. Autograph Session) Paul Menard, Cole Custer and Justin Haley
Session 2 (10 a.m. Q&A / 10:30-11:30 a.m. Autograph Session) Kyle Larson, Matt Tifft and Noah Gragson
Session 3 (11 a.m. Q&A / 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Autograph Session) William Byron, Elliott Sadler and Michael Annett
Session 4 (12 p.m. Q&A / 12:30-1:30 p.m. Autograph Session) Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott, Spencer Gallagher and Cody Coughlin
Session 5 (1:30 p.m. Q&A / 2-3 p.m. Autograph Session) Ryan Blaney, Ryan Reed and John Hunter Nemechek
Session 6 (2:30 p.m. Q&A / 3-4 p.m. Autograph Session) Alex Bowman and Dalton Sargeant
Session 7 (3:30 p.m. Q&A / 4-5 p.m. Autograph Session) Tyler Reddick and Joey Gase

 

Q&A / Autograph Session

(High Octane Theater/Great Hall)

 NASCAR Next Drivers
Session 1 (10:20 a.m. Q&A / 11-11:40 a.m. Autograph Session) NASCAR Next drivers Harrison Burton, Hailie Deegan, Chase Purdy and Zane Smith
Session 2 (11:20 a.m. Q&A / 11:50 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Autograph Session) NASCAR Next drivers Chase Cabre, Todd Gilliland, Riley Herbst, Cayden Lapcevich and Ty Majeski

 

Q&A / Autograph Session

(High Octane Theater/ Pre-Function Space Outside Crown Ballroom)

 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2018 Inductees
10:40 a.m. Q&A / 9-10 a.m. Autograph Session* Ray Evernham, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Ken Squier

 *Note: The Class of 2018 autograph session will be open to NASCAR Hall of Fame members only.

Times for Q&A sessions with all of the above drivers are noted and will begin prior to their autograph session. Q&A sessions are open to all guests and media. Please note that the schedule is subject to change.

Driver Q&A sessions will take place at the High Octane Theater in the Hall of Fame (access from Level 1 & 2) and will each last approximately 20 minutes. Autograph Sessions will take place in the pre-function space outside of the Crown Ballroom in the Charlotte Convention Center (connected to the Hall of Fame and accessible from Level 3). Note the NASCAR Next driver autograph sessions will take place in the Great Hall of the Hall of Fame.

Also, NASCAR tracks and official partners will be in attendance and will have various displays set up at the Hall of Fame for fans to visit, participate in and win prizes. As part of the festivities, Mack Trucks, the “Official Hauler of NASCAR,” will debut its new Mack Anthem, which includes several design features inspired by race cars. Following a ceremonial moment turning the Mack Anthem keys over to NASCAR, fans will have a chance to take a spin in the truck, which will haul NASCAR’s equipment and technology essential for facilitating the best racing in the world.

Posted on by Staff Report

Ryan Blaney may be moving to Team Penske with a new car there, the No. 12, but a lot remains familiar.

Starting with crew chief Jeremy Bullins, who helped Blaney reach his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2017 with Wood Brothers Racing, many of the team members also remain the same.

“We’ve mostly kept the same core group, which was good,” Blaney said during Tuesday’s test at Texas Motor Speedway. “A couple of them have already been a part of Team Penske, and we’ve moved them up from the Xfinity side or they were working in the shop and they came or we have one mechanic that has come from another team. I think they’re all working well together on our first test.”

RELATED: Driver and team changes for 2018

As part of the alliance between Team Penske and Wood Brothers, Blaney says he already worked well at the track with Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski.

“That’s what has given us some of our success and helped us learn a lot, that’s for sure,” Blaney said of working with the other Penske teams.

Adding a fourth team to the mix as he moves to the No. 12 Team Penske Ford and Paul Menard takes over piloting the Wood Brother’s No. 21 should be fairly seamless with benefit to all, Blaney says.

“The Wood Brothers group, Paul, all of them, is going to be the same as it was last year; just one more group and I think that’s going to make us stronger,” Blaney said. “Just a lot more opinions about things, so for me it’s not going to change much for me and my team. It’s really the same thing for meeting or information that we get, it was all already all there, which is great and it’s still going to be there.”

MORE: Ryan Blaney 2017 season recap

Menard has 11 years of full time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series experience, the last seven with Richard Childress Racing, where he accumulated one race win and 17 top fives.

Blaney is building on a breakout sophomore season that extended to the playoffs and a ninth-place finish in the 2017 Monster Energy Series standings.