Kyle Larson wasted no time qualifying for Saturday night’s A-Feature at the Chili Bowl as he picked up his fourth preliminary victory to match the late Bryan Clauson for third on the all-time preliminary night win list.
The win automatically transfer the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series star into the A-Feature, which is the big event to culminate the dirt racing in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Jan. 9-13.
Joining Larson in qualifying for the A-Feature was Brad Sweet and Tyler Courtney as they finished second and third, respectively. Sweet, who is the brother of Larson’s fiance, Katelyn, has 54 NASCAR national series starts to his name.
The 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Christopher Bell kicked off last year by winning the Chili Bowl, and on Thursday he transferred to the A-Feature by winning qualifying night. Bell will get to defend his title and try to match former NASCAR Monster Energy Series champion Tony Stewart as a two-time Chili Bowl champ.
Bell, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Justin Allgaier are among the NASCAR national series drivers looking to capture the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.
Former full-time Camping World Truck Series driver Rico Abreu also qualified for the A-Feature via his win in Wednesday night’s Hard Rock Casino Qualifying Night A-Feature. Abreu has won the Chili Bowl twice (2015, 2016) in his career.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Superstar vocal group Rascal Flatts will perform the pre-race show at the 60th annual DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 18 (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM Radio), the opening race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.
Rascal Flatts recently released their 10th studio album (Big Machine Records), as well as back-to-back chart topping singles “Yours If You Want It” and “I Like The Sound Of That.” Known as one of the hottest-selling touring acts in any genre with over 10 million tickets sold and as the best-selling country vocal group of the past decade, Rascal Flatts has sold over 23.4 million albums, over 34.3 million digital downloads worldwide, as well as earning over 40 trophies from the ACA, ACM, AMA, CMA, People’s Choice and more, also making them the most awarded country group of the past decade.
“Rascal Flatts has been around for nearly two decades, establishing itself as one of America’s most popular musical acts – in any genre,” said Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile. “We are proud to have this outstanding trio on hand for our milestone 60th annual DAYTONA 500. We will have a great concert to precede the “Great American Race,” producing an extraordinary entertainment doubleheader for our fans.”
All race fans who purchase a UNOH Fanzone/Pre-Race pass for the DAYTONA 500 will be able to view Rascal Flatts’ DAYTONA 500 Pre-Race Show – as well as driver introductions – from the grass tri-oval area. A limited number of DAYTONA 500 Pre-Race Show ticket packages, available starting at $240, have been designed around Rascal Flatts’ appearance. The package includes a DAYTONA 500 ticket, UNOH Fanzone/Pre-Race access and VIP area access to the performance. Race fans who have already purchased DAYTONA 500 tickets can add UNOH Fanzone/Pre-Race access and VIP area access for $115. All VIP ticket packages are on sale now.
Those wishing to attend the 60th annual DAYTONA 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race will need to act quickly. Fans should also note:
• Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or visiting www.DAYTONA500.com.
• Hospitality and premium seat packages, including the Trioval Club, the Rolex 24 Lounge, Harley J’s and UNOH Fanzone/Pre-Race are also available.
• For all other Speedweeks events, children 12 and under are $10 in reserved grandstands and free in general admission areas and in the UNOH Fanzone.
• Fans can also visit PrimeSport.com, the new official ticket exchange and travel package provider of Daytona International Speedway. Offering multiple options for tickets, lodging and hospitality, https://www.primesport.com/d/daytona-500-tickets is ideal for fans looking for the ultimate racing experience.
Robert “Red” Byron was a true NASCAR original — the sport’s first crowned champion (NASCAR Modified Series) and first Strictly Stock Series (the current-day Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) title winner — and now he will join the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a nod to his historic achievements and the exciting foundation he helped establish for the sport.
Byron’s racing career will be formally honored as he is inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame during its Friday, January 19 ceremony in Charlotte, North Carolina, joining a fittingly accomplished class that also includes the late engine builder/team owner Robert Yates, Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., championship crew chief Ray Evernham and pioneering broadcaster Ken Squier.
Byron, who passed away in 1960 at the age of 45, was the sport’s first champion, and bona fide head-turner. He answered his 1948 Modified Series title in 1948 with that historical Strictly Stock crown a year later winning two of the eight Strictly Stock races that season en route to that championship in a car owned by another NASCAR Hall of Famer, Raymond Parks.
Like many others of his era, Byron’s story and his contributions to the sport are even more incredible considering his service to his country long before he thought about a checkered flag.
He served in the United States Army Air Corps in the Pacific during World War II. Assigned to Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, Byron suffered a severe injury to his left leg while flying in a combat mission during the war and later had to wear a specially created steel leg brace while racing. A version of the brace, which had to be attached to the clutch pedal of his race cars, is mounted in one of his cars displayed in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
It hardly slowed Byron down. The Virginia native-turned Anniston, Alabama resident had nine top-10 finishes in 15 starts, winning a pair of races and a pair of pole positions in three years of Strictly Stock competition.
He won on the Daytona Beach, Florida road course in 1948 – earning one of the most iconic checkered flags in NASCAR history – and he answered the victory at another of the sport’s most storied facilities, Martinsville Speedway months later.
He was recognized in 1998 as one of NASCAR’s all-time Top 50 drivers for his historic efforts.
“In so many ways he was the perfect first champion,” the late NASCAR Chairman Bill France Jr. once said of Byron. “A guy who loved racing so much, he refused to give it up. And he loved his country so much he gave it all he had.”
Following his stock car career, the former flight engineer turned his focus to developing a sports car to race in the famed 24 Hours of LeMans in France, however Byron died of a heart attack while finalizing details for the effort.
Chase Elliott is due for a win after 12 top-10 finishes in the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, including five runner-up finishes.
The Hendrick Motorsports rising star will pilot the No. 9 this year, switching to his father’s old number from the No. 24 that Jeff Gordon made legendary. And he will be in new equipment as Chevrolet moves from the SS to the ZL1 Camaro in Monster Energy Series competition this season.
What remains the same is his pairing with veteran crew chief Alan Gustafson, who has led Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and Gordon to Victory Lane in the past.
Will Elliott break through for a victory in 2018? We wouldn’t bet against it. But will he reach three wins in his third full season at NASCAR’s top level? Kathy Sheldon and Allie Davison go head-to-head, laying down their cards.
Sheldon: I’m taking the under. No question Chase Elliott has the tools and the talent. But that first victory doesn’t mean the dam will break wide open, and moving to a new car usually requires some shakedown time — just look at Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. Busch worked in a new Camry in 2017, and his first of five wins didn’t come until July 30 at Pocono, almost two-thirds of the way through the season. Harvick didn’t hit on a winning combination of speed and setup until almost halfway through 2017 in a Ford as Stewart-Haas Racing switched manufacturers. Each of them already had a championship under his belt. Plus other young drivers have found that second win is elusive as well: Ryan Blaney and Austin Dillon had single wins in 2017, and Kyle Larson only took the checkered flag once in 2016 before breaking out last season with four. Elliott could roll off three wins in 2018, but it’s a long shot.
Davison: If you’re not first … you’re last. At least that’s how the saying goes, and Chase Elliott knows exactly what it’s like to JUST miss crossing the start/finish line first. His five second-place finishes (three in the playoffs) throughout the 2017 season raised several eyebrows — and the spotlight has never been brighter for the rising star. Elliott has the foundation for a long, successful career. The Martinsville showdown with veteran Denny Hamlin gave Elliott a spark, which is why I’m on #TeamChaseWinsALot in 2018. The reasoning? It’s time. He debuts the new No. 9 Camaro this season. He has another full-time season under his belt. Most importantly he understands what second place feels like … and it isn’t fun. Once you hear ‘Elliott is the winner…’ expect to have that memorized, because it’ll be on repeat.
Well, there’s a tire test going on at Texas Motor Speedway. But for the racing-starved masses enduring a winter more brutal than Twitter after you make contact with Chase Elliott, the sight of cars on track is enough to provide solace.
There will be a lot of changes in 2018. So many. A lot. Tons of them. One of which is the number swap between Chase Elliott and William Byron. Chase will be running the No. 9 car, while William Byron will be running the No. 24, AKA his age in 10 years. But as evidenced by this tweet from Texas Motor Speedway, these changes will take some getting used to.
There’s no shame here. This is a relatable moment. This is basically the same as:
Trying to re-purpose that ill-begotten tattoo of your girlfriend’s name after she dumps you even though you only went on one Tinder date and she looked at her phone the whole time.
Still writing “2017” on probably the one check you write every year. WASSUP, VENMO.
Trying to change the “F” you received on your math test to an “A,” by adding a single line to the right side of the “F,” because everyone in the world, especially teachers, writes the letter “A” using sharp right angles.
Placing the new shipping label over the old one when reusing one of the 567 Amazon Prime boxes you received over the holiday season.
Autographing a piece of racing memorabilia RIGHT over the signature of the driver you don’t like because you are ruled by spite.
Rest assured that by the time we get to Daytona, Chase and William will have the appropriate pit boards. However, the area above the window net of the No. 88 car might still read “DALEX.”
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Planning and preparation for the 2018 season reached an important milestone this week as track services professionals from the U.S., Canada and Mexico participated in the 18th annual NASCAR Safety and Operations Summit presented by American Medical Response.
The three-day conference, held at the Concord (North Carolina) Convention Center, featured numerous presentations and small-group seminars that addressed best practices in the safety, track services, medical and security functional areas.
“The Summit is a key part of our commitment to providing world-class support to our fans and competitors,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president, racing operations. “It also serves as an opportunity to recognize the dedicated professionals behind the scenes who contribute to the success of our sport.”
This year’s keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Ed Racht, chief medical officer for AMR and associate chief medical officer of Evolution Health, who has served for more than 20 years in the medical field.
Amid the training sessions, NASCAR also presented awards to individuals and tracks for outstanding performance during the 2017 season. The 2017 honorees included:
Track Services
Mission Award: Tim Arfons
Teamwork Award: Darlington Raceway
Innovation Award: Jay Donnay and Jason Payne
Excellence in Track Services Award: Ignatius Kosier, Atlanta Motor Speedway
Norrie Baird NASCAR Track Services Training Award: Andrew Brandl, Road America
Medical
Above and Beyond Award: Chuck Willard, Chicagoland Speedway
Medical Director Award: Douglas Swanson, Dr. William Liang
Nursing Director Award: Connie Tompkins, Kerry Lane
Teamwork Award: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Security
Security Award: Chief Gary J. Gacek, Concord NC Police Department, Doug Cremer and Tom Vesey, Charlotte Motor Speedway; Alan Watson and Andy McWilliams, Talladega Superspeedway; Greg Scott and Darren Cook, Kansas Speedway; Matt Brannock, Martinsville Speedway; Bill Hindman and Brett Adams, ISM Raceway; Jay Fraioli and Al Garcia, Homestead Miami Speedway
The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will kick off the 2018 season with the Advance Auto Parts Clash on Sunday, Feb. 11 at Daytona International Speedway. The 60th running of The Great American Race, the Daytona 500, is scheduled for Sunday, February 18. Both races will be broadcast live on FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Hendrick Motorsports announced Tuesday morning that veteran racing program manager Alba Colon has been named director of the organization’s competition systems.
Hendrick Motorsports indicated that Colon will start her role later in the month. She replaces Darian Grubb, who was tapped last November as crew chief for the HMS No. 24 Chevrolet for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie William Byron in 2018.
Colon, born in Spain and raised in Puerto Rico, has long had ties to General Motors and its racing program. She initially was hired in 1994 as a data acquisition engineer in charge of NASCAR and ASA competition, later branching out into NHRA drag racing.
Colon was promoted in 2001 to program manager for Team Chevy’s efforts in NASCAR’s premier series. During her tenure, Chevrolet added 14 manufacturer championships in NASCAR’s top division.
“Alba Colon was a key contributor to Chevrolet’s racing success for over two decades, including 14 NASCAR Cup Manufacturers’ Championships as our program manager in the series,” a Chevrolet spokesperson said in a statement. “We thank Alba for all of her contributions to Chevrolet Motorsports.”
Colon has long been regarded as a trail blazer and an influential figure in the NASCAR garage. In 2017, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation recognized Colon with the STEM Award for her contributions in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The move is the latest change for a new-look Hendrick Motorsports in 2018. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott return to the operation’s driver roster, but Byron and Alex Bowman will shift into their first full-time seasons under the HMS banner.
Everything is brand new as Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars hit the track for the first time in 2018.
Four drivers are participating in the first of a two-day closed Goodyear tire test at Texas Motor Speedway, including defending Monster Energy Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Aric Almirola.
Elliott not only debuted the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, the new model Chevrolet that will replace the Chevy SS in the 2018 Monster Energy Series, but he also turned his first laps in the new No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports entry — the number his father, 1988 champion Bill Elliott, made famous.
During Tuesday’s session, Elliott noted the test won’t give them a true indication of just how much different the new Camaro is compared to last year.
“Behind the wheel it’s really hard to tell what changes are when you are out there by yourself,” Elliott said during a lunch break at the track. “I think the changes will probably become more apparent, hopefully, when we get to say Atlanta or get to some of the tracks that the changes are going to become important at. I think until we get into those situations and kind of get some races under our belt as not only an organization, but as a manufacturer as a whole to see exactly how we stack up, I think it will be tough to say until then.”
As far as the wildly popular new look, Elliott applauded Chevrolet for its flashy characteristics and similarity to the Camaro you can pick up at your local dealership.
“The car looks great,” Elliott said. “I don’t know from a manufacturer standpoint, from the public eyes standpoint, I don’t know how you could not identify the Camaro with the Camaro on the street. It looks the same. I think that is something to be very proud of from Chevrolet. The work they did on that and the thought process behind it. It is the same car, it looks just like it. I think job well done from that standpoint.”
The test session also featured Blaney with a chance to shake down the brand new No. 12 Team Penske Ford, while Almirola gets his first opportunity to climb into his new ride for the upcoming season, the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. Defending Monster Energy Series champion Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota team were also at the test. Testing continues at the 1.5-mile track on Wednesday.
Five more legends of stock-car racing heard the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s call Friday as part of the ninth class for induction. Red Byron, Ray Evernham, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ken Squier and Robert Yates had their diverse NASCAR legacies secured in a gala enshrinement.
The first champion in what is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Robert “Red” Byron made his impact as a pioneer in stock-car racing’s formative years. Byron, a World War II veteran injured in combat, wore a special brace on his left leg to assist him as he drove. It barely slowed him, as he won the NASCAR Modified championship in 1948, then added the “Strictly Stock” division crown in the following year. Byron made just 15 career premier-series starts, but his two wins in the eight-race first season made him a champion. | Full biography | Byron laid foundation for future titlists
With a voice that brought vibrant descriptions of on-track actions to the airwaves, Ken Squier found his niche in NASCAR’s history through broadcasting. The Vermont native was a co-founder of the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and later became a regular television presence with lap-by-lap coverage for CBS and TBS. With his former colleague Barney Hall, Squier was honored by the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012 with the creation of the annual Squier-Hall Award for Media Excellence. | Full biography | Squier shares best Hall advice he received | Squier discusses story behind ‘Great American Race’ phrase | Squier looks back on favorite moments
Robert Yates
RacingOne
With a rich pedigree in getting the most horsepower out of his stout powerplants, Robert Yates’ name has long been synonymous with engine performance. From his earliest days working for the formidable Holman-Moody team, Yates’ mechanical prowess propelled victories from many Hall of Fame drivers before him. His transition to team ownership was a smooth one, adding to his tally of Daytona 500 victories and securing a premier-series title with fellow Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett in 1999. | Full biography | Jarrett honored to read Yates’ speech | Championship engine builder, car owner Robert Yates honored by the sport he loved
The history
The NASCAR Hall of Fame opened May 11, 2010, and is an interactive entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The 150,000-square-foot facility includes artifacts, exhibits and a 278-person theater. Learn more here about the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
• Class of 2010: Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Junior Johnson, Richard Petty • Class of 2011: Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, David Pearson, Lee Petty • Class of 2012: Richie Evans, Dale Inman, Darrell Waltrip, Glen Wood, Cale Yarborough •Class of 2013: Buck Baker, Cotton Owens, Herb Thomas, Rusty Wallace, Leonard Wood •Class of 2014: Jack Ingram,Tim Flock, Dale Jarrett,Maurice Petty, Fireball Roberts •Class of 2015: Bill Elliott, Fred Lorenzen, Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly, Rex White • Class of 2016: Jerry Cook, Bobby Isaac, Terry Labonte, Bruton O. Smith, Curtis Turner • Class of 2017: Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons
Alabama and Georgia faced off in the College Football Playoff National Championship Monday night in a thriller of a game.
Following a 13-0 halftime deficit, the Crimson Tide capped off a furious comeback in OT to defeat the Bulldogs 26-23 in what many are hailing as one of the greatest national title games in the sport’s history.
NASCAR folk from all around tuned in to watch the drama unfold, and emotions were riding high.
