Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Colon blazes new trail | Colon honored with STEM Award

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.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

RELATED: See photos of the new Chevrolet | Texas test preview

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.”

RELATED: Elliott’s pit board proves duct tape doesn’t fix everything

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.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Class of 2018 announced | Inductees through the years | Every Hall member

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.

Learn more about the Hall’s newest members. | Class of 2018 inducted

ALBERT: Heartfelt induction for Yates, rest of Hall class
MORE: Full transcript of Yates’ written speech | Jim France honored with Landmark Award

The Class of 2018

Red Byron

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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

Ray Evernham

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A master mechanic and later a successful team owner, Ray Evernham was a revolutionary figure in the NASCAR garage. Evernham’s know-how atop the pit box and under the hood helped to guide Jeff Gordon to three premier-series championships in the 1990s. He was also instrumental in developing the techniques of the modern pit stop, employing full-time athletes to go over the wall for quick service. Evernham also led Dodge’s comeback into stock-car racing with his own team in 2001. | Full biography | Evernham’s legacy with Gordon, Rainbow Warriors enshrined | Gordon honors Evernham | Evernham praises Rainbow Warriors | Evernham thankful for time with Gordon | Evernham pokes fun at Gordon Evernham through the years | Evernham made mark with pit stop evolution

Ron Hornaday Jr.

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Hornaday competed in all three NASCAR national circuits, but made his mark as a mainstay in the Camping World Truck Series. The California native dominated the record books, surging to four championships (1996, 1998, 2007, 2009), 51 career wins and 27 pole positions. He also set a record with a stunning streak of five consecutive victories in 2009. Hornaday also posted four wins in what is now the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He retired from competition after the 2014 season. | Full biography | Hornaday: ‘It’s the freakin’ Hall of Fame’ |  Hornaday ‘humbled’ by upcoming induction | Hornaday’s Trucks dominance delivers him to pinnacle |  Hornaday proud to represent Truck Series

Ken Squier

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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

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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

Posted on by Staff Report

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.

 

Posted on by Team Release

RELATED: Drivers on the move for 2018

LEXINGTON, N.C. — In the midst of off-season expansion, Kaulig Racing announced today that Ryan Truex will drive the No. 11 Chevrolet for the full 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season. Truex is coming off a ninth-place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) driver standings. The younger brother of current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) champion Martin Truex Jr. also has two back-to-back NASCAR K&N East Series Championships as well as multiple years of experience in NASCAR’s premiere series.

“I’m extremely excited to be making the move back into the Xfinity Series,” said Truex. “In just two years Kaulig Racing has proved to be a highly competitive team each race and it should be a great fit. Last season I saw a lot of improvements in my racing and hopefully this year I can continue the success Kaulig Racing has built and compete for the championship at the end of the year.”

Two years after breaking into the NXS, team owner Matt Kaulig is excited about his team’s fast-paced growth in the sport. With back-to-back playoff runs as well as two stage wins and one pole award in the team’s short history, Kaulig sees promising opportunities for this season with Truex behind the wheel.

“When we started this team two years ago I knew we had the potential to be one of the strongest teams in the Xfinity Series and I think we’re within reach of that goal,” Matt Kaulig said. “Ryan is going to be a great addition to the team and I have some high hopes for this season. Each year we keep improving as a team and I think this season we’ll be able to get some wins and make another run in the playoffs. Everyone at Kaulig Racing is excited to have Ryan on board and it should be a great, fun year.”

Truex will make his debut for Kaulig Racing at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday February 17th, 2018. A sponsor announcement regarding Truex will be made shortly.

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced Monday that Harrison Burton will return to the organization in 2018 with an expanded NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) schedule. Burton will drive the No. 51 Tundra in nine NCWTS races this season, beginning March 24 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Burton, the son of former NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, made his Truck Series debut with KBM at Martinsville in October of 2016 and enters 2018 with seven NCWTS starts under his belt. In six NCWTS starts in 2017, he recorded an average finish of 12.3 and earned a career-best fourth-place finish at Martinsville last October in his final start of the season.

Last year was a breakout year for the second-generation driver as he gained valuable experience while competing in a variety of series. He captured the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship after registering a series-high five wins, two poles, 142 laps led, 12 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 3.3 across the series’ 14 events. Burton also visited Victory Lane in his lone ARCA Racing Series start at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway.

In Super Late Models, he visited victory lane twice en route to the championship in 51st Annual World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway, outdueled Cup Series driver Erik Jones for the victory in the prestigious ARCA/CRA Super Late Model SpeedFest at Crisp Motorsports Park in Cordele, Ga., and won his lone CARS Super Late Model Tour start at Concord (N.C.) Speedway.

“Harrison made great strides as a driver in 2017 and we look forward to being a part of his continued development by expanding his schedule at KBM in 2018,” Kyle Busch said. “He proved capable of winning races in a variety of series last year and with each Truck Series start you could see his confidence grow and his performance improve. We’re confident that his first Truck Series win is just around the corner.”

“Returning to KBM and knowing that they had the confidence in me to add races to my schedule for this year is a huge honor,” Burton said. “KBM has a developed a culture of winning races and I’m confident that everything I learned throughout my six-race schedule last year has helped me be prepared to carry on the winning tradition this year.”

The NASCAR Next product’s nine-race NCWTS schedule in 2018 will include both races at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway as well as Dover (Del.) International Speedway, Iowa Speedway in Newton, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont., the November race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, ISM Raceway in Phoenix and the season finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

Announcements on Burton’s sponsors and crew chief are forthcoming.

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: 2018 NASCAR schedule

Darrell Wallace Jr.’s transition to full-time driver in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series won’t officially take effect until he hits the track in Daytona next month. But the reality of his place in NASCAR’s top series is starting to set in.

The newly tapped driver for Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43 Chevrolet had lunch with his crew last week, touring the shop at Richard Childress Racing, where RPM has forged an alliance for 2018. That’s when the 24-year-old rookie’s move to stock-car racing’s major leagues became even more palpable.

“Just walking through the RCR main shop there and seeing our cars kind of float around, it was really neat seeing my name on the back glass,” Wallace told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Monday. “I was like, ‘Damn, this is awesome.’ I’ve finally made it to the Cup Series and these are my cars. No more replacement, filling in for anybody — these are mine. Pretty cool to see that and see how far it’s coming along.”

Wallace’s remarks came in between media events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he was making a promotional appearance for the track’s NASCAR tripleheader weekend March 2-4. In just a few weeks, he’ll be prepping for his first start in the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 18.

Wallace’s visit was a reunion of sorts. The Alabama native made four starts for the Richard Petty-owned group on an interim basis as Aric Almirola recovered from injuries suffered in a May 13 crash at Kansas Speedway.

Wallace improved his finishing position — from 26th, 19th, 15th to 11th — in each of his starts, a trend he’s aiming to keep going in 2018. In the meantime, he’s enjoyed catching up with many of the same crewmembers that he worked with during his four-race stint last season.

“It really creates that close bond with the team,” Wallace told SiriusXM. “You get pumped up going to the race track and everybody from the shop is basically at the race track with you. How RPM operates is very family-oriented. … We’re all family there. From those four races last season, coming back this year, you didn’t have to start over new with anybody. Everybody was, ‘Hey, Bubba. Happy New Year. Welcome back,’ and the same to them. It was good to see some familiar faces there.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: 2018 NASCAR schedule

The voice of Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Chad Knaus brimmed with some excitement Monday, stemming from the promise of both a new racing season and a rejuvenating approach adopted by his driver, seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.

Even the headiest New Year’s resolutions tend to fade by the time the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series begins its annual prep for the season-opening Daytona 500 next month. Knaus, for one, is betting Johnson’s self-improvement measures carry far into the season.

“He’s completely re-dedicated himself to this — and I’m not saying that he wasn’t dedicated last year, because the man was,” Knaus said Monday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I think that anybody that goes out there and drives a race car for 40 weeks in a row basically has got to be dedicated to his craft. There’s just no ifs, ands or buts about that. But he’s got a new emphasis put on it. He wants to go out there and do well. He’s excited obviously. Last year we were able to get that contract extension with him and push that further forward, so there’s a lot of positives from that standpoint in his eyes. …

“You know Jimmie, man, he’s tenacious. And if he can get what he feels what he wants underneath him, I don’t think he can be beaten out there, so it’s good stuff forward.”

Johnson won three times last season, but the No. 48 Chevrolet team endured a sharp drop-off in performance over the latter half of the year. The organization underwent several changes ahead of the 2018 campaign, including new car chief Jesse Saunders taking the place of veteran Ron Malec with the No. 48, and a restructuring of the Hendrick race shops to better integrate their four-car effort. And Johnson indicated after the season-ending awards banquet that he’d be spending more time at the shop and dialing back some of his recreational travel in the offseason.

The group has also been hard at work sorting out the 2018 Camaro ZL1, Chevrolet’s new model for NASCAR’s premier series. Though Knaus said plenty of variables still remain before the car undergoes real-world testing, he indicated that initial tests in the wind tunnel and other simulations were encouraging.

Those changes are all part of what Knaus called “a different environment” at Hendrick Motorsports, with new faces Alex Bowman and William Byron joining the full-time driver roster alongside Johnson and the returning Chase Elliott.

“We’re in a pretty good spot, frankly. We did not have the season that we wanted last year. It’s not the season we wanted for our fans, it’s not the season we wanted for Lowe’s, for anybody at Hendrick Motorsports and especially for Jimmie and I. It’s something that we’ve worked hard on during the offseason to try to just turn around. I don’t want to say we’ve put it in the past and we’ve forgotten 2017 because I think if you don’t learn from what you’ve experienced in life, you can never improve upon it, but we are definitely eyes forward to 2018.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams will officially bring in the sport’s New Year during a two-day closed Goodyear tire test at Texas Motor Speedway this week.

Newly crowned Monster Energy Series champion Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota) joins Ryan Blaney (Ford), Chase Elliott (Chevrolet) and Aric Almirola (Ford) on the 1.5-mile Fort Worth high banks Tuesday and Wednesday.

For Elliott, this marks the debut of the No. 9 on the sides of his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, which formerly carried the No. 24. And for Almirola, this will be his first formal outing in the No. 10 Ford since joining Stewart-Haas Racing in the offseason after a six-year tenure with Richard Petty Motorsports.

The test session also marks the on-track debut of the Camaro ZL1, the new model Chevrolet will replace the Chevy SS in the 2018 Monster Energy Series.

Camaro ZL1“The new Camaro ZL1 is a great looking race car with a lot of heritage behind it, which will make it a big hit with fans,” Chevrolet’s seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson said at the car’s August unveiling. “And as someone who’s enjoyed the ZL1 on the street, I’m really looking forward to getting this new race car on the track.”

The next preseason test is for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series test at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Jan. 17, its goal to help teams get accustomed to the new optional engine approved for use in 2018.

The Monster Energy Series will have an organizational test Jan. 31-Feb. 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — with one car from each organization allowed laps at the 1.5-mile facility that will host its first ever Playoff race on Sept. 16.

NASCAR’s Daytona Speedweeks begins officially Feb. 11 with Daytona 500 pole qualifying followed by the Advance Auto Parts Clash. The 60th running of the “Great American Race,” the Daytona 500, is Feb. 18.

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The NASCAR national series season may not begin until February at Daytona International Speedway, but several stars are letting their racing passion fly in a different type of race this week: The Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

Considered one of the top dirt races of the year, the Chili Bowl is an annual dirt midget race that has been held since 1987 and runs from Jan. 9-13 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A handful of NASCAR drivers – including Kyle Larson, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Justin Allgaier and Christopher Bell, who won the 2017 Chili Bowl – will compete in the event, which begins its practice on Jan. 8.

“I look at the Chili Bowl, the Snowball Derby. There’s some races on the schedule where the amount of time and effort you put in to run one race is incredible but it’s because everyone wants to go win it,” Allgaier said at the Camping World Truck and Xfinity Series banquet on Dec. 9. “I think Tony Stewart said it the best one time, he said, ‘I would give up all the race wins just to keep winning the Chili Bowl.’ And I think that says a lot for that (race).”

Stewart won the event twice, in 2002 and 2007. Allgaier has yet to win the prestigious event, which also has been won by current and former NASCAR drivers Bell, Rico Abreu and Dave Blaney in years past. He’ll look to change that this time.

“There are a select few races in my life that I’ve been close to winning and had opportunities to win and (the Chili Bowl is) one of them that you put it all out of the line,” Allgaier said. “The last couple of years I’ve made mistakes that probably more than anything have kept me from having a shot at it so it’s disappointing. Go there and try to change it and have some fun.”

For several NASCAR drivers, the Chili Bowl and dirt racing represent a return to their roots, the starting point that launched their respective racing careers. It’s also an opportunity to race before the NASCAR season begins, which is ideal for passionate racers like Kahne.

“The Chili Bowl’s always a cool event,” Kahne, who has raced in three of the last six Chili Bowl events, told NASCAR.com. “I didn’t do it last year, so took a year off.  Looking forward to just racing again and being part of the Chili Bowl and then the NASCAR stuff is so close at this point. It will be here in no time.”

This upcoming NASCAR season marks Kahne’s first season with Leavine Family Racing, where he will pilot the No. 95 Chevrolet previously driven by Michael McDowell. The change comes after Kahne’s six-year stint in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

The change, he said, allows him a bit more flexibility to race outside NASCAR and get back to the dirt.

“I’ve always enjoyed it and wanted to be part of it,”  Kahne said. “But this season with my new Cup team, being part of LFR and just knowing that I can go race on the dirt and I can still do a great job for LFR and be part of that got me excited and is something that I want to do …

“(Leavine Family Racing is) OK with me racing and excited about (me) going to race those cars and be in a car more often than not. So, definitely more flexibility and not just that, but when you do it and know that you’re not making people mad or upsetting people, I think that feels better as well. Nobody’s upset at you for doing it, they understand why you are and are behind you, so that side of it too as much as anything.

“Rather than getting questioned for everything, you can just go race.”

Kahne emphasized that his first focus is the No. 95 Monster Energy Series car in 2018, but he does plan to run a sprint car during Florida Speedweeks for five nights at Volusia Speedway Park in February prior to the Daytona 500. He is also looking into potentially running “the World of Outlaw races, All-Star races and then some races in Pennsylvania, hopefully the Dirt Classic.”

“It’s really enjoyable for me to race those cars and to race on dirt and be part of all of that,” Kahne said. “I think that the big thing is, the more I can do it, the better I’ll get at it again. And that’s something I look forward to this year is racing on the dirt more often and try and get really competitive and win races again on dirt.

“That would feel pretty good.”