Posted on by Zack Albert

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — For NASCAR drivers, Memorial Day weekend means a test of endurance in the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the year. It also marks an occasion for remembrance, something Chase Elliott says he’s embraced through the sport’s patriotic initiatives.

Elliott and the rest of the Monster Energy Series field will carry the names of fallen service members on their windshield visors in Sunday’s 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM). The event marks the start of the annual NASCAR Salutes program, a tradition now in its seventh year that honors U.S. military branches with a focus on Memorial Day at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Independence Day at Daytona International Speedway.

RELATED: Full schedule for Charlotte | NASCAR Salutes overview

Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet is one of several cars that will sport a patriotic paint scheme this weekend at Charlotte, with stars and red and white stripes added to the customary NAPA blue. Elliott’s car will also display the name of Cpl. John Chester Robertson, a Marine from New Smyrna Beach, Florida, who was killed in combat during the Vietnam War. | Buy tickets for Coca-Cola 600 

Elliott said the NASCAR Salutes program has provided him with perspective on the sacrifices that military members make on a daily basis.

BUY: Special No. 9 die-cast

“I’ve had a chance to spend some time with the family members of the servicemen and women, so it’s been definitely an eye-opener,” Elliott said Tuesday. “I think any time you’re put in those situations and you realize just what those families have gone through, really even when you’re around them, you don’t fully realize what they’ve gone through. Unless you’re in their shoes, you don’t understand and might as well not even try to understand.

“The best thing you can do is support them as best as you can, however you can, and thank them for what they do and what they’ve done in the past.”

Posted on by Staff Report

A Legend In The Making

Fans attending Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 may have the chance to see a driver continue on a historic run.

Kevin Harvick finds himself with an unprecedented opportunity to make NASCAR’s longest race part of a historic winning streak. Harvick, who won Saturday night’s Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, is looking to add a victory in Sunday night’s 600-miler, which would extend his winning streak to three points races, including victories at Dover International Speedway and Kansas Speedway.

MORE: Full Coca-Cola 600 schedule | Who has won the Coca-Cola 600?

In fact, a win would give the 2014 Monster Energy Series champ two three-race winning streaks — already — only 13 races into the 2018 season. Seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt (in 1987) was the last to put together multiple three-race winning streaks in a single season.

History is certainly on Harvick’s side. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has won the Coca-Cola 600 twice before — in 2011 and 2013 — and has three wins and two Busch Pole Awards at the 1.5-mile track. He has nine top-10 finishes in the last 10 races there — including three runner-up showings and two wins.

Salute The Troops

The United States military will be celebrated during Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In the pre-race “Salute to the Troops” ceremony, NASCAR will showcase the “This is Your Military” initiative. 

The Department of Defense celebration includes special guests from each of the United States military departments from the U.S. Army to the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Coast Guard.

RELATED: NASCAR Salutes to honor military heroes 

A special #KnowYourMil hashtag will connect fans to military service members throughout the weekend. And on Sunday, the race track will host F-15 fighter jets, Blackhawk helicopters with a rappel team, as well as Humvees making laps around the speedway before the green flag for NASCAR’s Memorial Day offering. 

Fun For All Before The Engines Are Fired

The platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated Eli Young Band will headline the Coca-Cola 600 Pre-Race Concert on Sunday as part of a weekend-long salute to United States military troops. Best of all for those race-goers, the concert is free to all those who purchased a race ticket.

The group — best known for chart-topping hits such as “Crazy Girl” and “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” — will hold the concert just hours before the start of NASCAR’s longest endurance test, the 600-mile night race that caps the always highly anticipated Memorial Day weekend of racing.

RELATED: Buy tickets to the race

Additionally, kids age 13 and under can get admission tickets for the Coca-Cola 600 for $10. Tickets, camping and upgrades are available online at charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). 

Race week will be celebrated in downtown Charlotte in addition to the race track. The 600 Festival’s Circle K Speed Street presented by Coca-Cola runs Thursday-Saturday in uptown Charlotte. Rock concerts, vendor displays and NASCAR driver appearances will take place daily from noon-8 p.m. on Tyron Street. Concerts will be held nightly beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Romare Bearden Park. Visit 600festival.com for schedule and ticket information.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 22, 2018) – Beginning Memorial Day weekend, the NASCAR industry will honor United States Armed Forces heroes and their families as part of NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola – a collective expression of reverence, respect and gratitude for those who served and continue to defend America today.

NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola will commence with “600 Miles of Remembrance” during Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the country’s largest Memorial Day weekend celebration.

In tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, all 40 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ cars will bear the name of a fallen service member on their car windshields during the race.

“Throughout our sport’s history, NASCAR has held the men and women who’ve served and continue to serve in the highest regard,” said Brent Dewar, NASCAR president. “Each year, NASCAR Salutes unites our entire industry to honor and celebrate these heroes, and to reflect on the sacrifices each has made for their country.”

PHOTOS: Austin Dillon visits Fort Bragg

Coca-Cola, the “Official Fan Refreshment of NASCAR®,” returns to honor past and present members of the U.S. Armed Forces as presenting sponsor of NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola, which culminates Independence Day weekend with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on July 7 at Daytona International Speedway.

“This weekend is important to the Coca-Cola system,” said John Mount, Vice President, Marketing Assets & Activation, The Coca-Cola Company. “We are thrilled to partner with NASCAR and the NASCAR Salutes platform in which we will Honor our Heroes, get Troops to the Track and remember our fallen military members.”

On Sunday, Charlotte Motor Speedway will host more than 5,000 active military members at the Coca-Cola 600 to commemorate Memorial Day weekend. A pre-race Salute to the Troops will incorporate all five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces in connection with the U.S. Department of Defense’s “This is Your Military” initiative.

Coca-Cola will debut the Coca-Cola Kitchen at the Coca-Cola 600, where invited service members and their families can enjoy refreshments, meals and special appearances throughout the day. Culinary experts representing every military branch will be onsite to share some of their favorite barbeque dishes. The Coca-Cola Kitchen will also host service members during the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

PHOTOS: Kurt Busch trains with U.S. Marine Corps

In attendance at the Coca-Cola 600 will also be many of the families of the fallen service members being honored during 600 Miles of Remembrance, now in its fourth year.

A few service members whose names will be displayed on car windshields have special connections to race teams, including U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Chris Eckard. Gunnery Sergeant Eckard, who was killed in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan in 2010, was a close friend of Casey Mahoney, a chassis fabricator for Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford Fusion.

Fans can learn more about the fallen service members honored during 600 Miles of Remembrance by viewing a special gallery on NASCAR.com.

Among the other NASCAR Salutes events and activities are the following:

• Throughout the platform, fans can follow the NASCAR Salutes conversation on social media using #NASCARSalutes.

• During the broadcast of the Coca-Cola 600, FOX will display the name of every U.S. Armed Forces member who lost his or her life since last year’s Memorial Day weekend race as part of a special tribute titled “FOX Sports Remembers,” an initiative begun in 2009. FOX’s scroll will begin running during its pre-race show at 5:30 p.m. ET.

• This Sunday, NASCAR drivers will discuss 600 Miles of Remembrance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90) during a special military tribute show airing at 1 p.m. ET. The Dialed In Salute to the Troops special, hosted by Claire B. Lang, will feature interviews with several drivers as well as service members from different branches of the military.

• During Saturday’s Alsco 300, NASCAR Xfinity Series™ drivers will display red, white and blue Xfinity windshield decals on their race cars.

• This weekend, NASCAR together with Honor and Remember, Inc., will display specially prepared Honor and Remember flags representing those who have died in service to our country from each of the 50 United States throughout the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

• Goodyear will once again transform its NASCAR race tires by replacing the “Eagle” sidewall design with “Support Our Troops” messaging on all tires used during Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

• Charlotte Motor Speedway together with NASCAR Green will host a special tree-planting event at the track on May 24. One tree will be planted on track property for each of the fallen service members honored during 600 Miles of Remembrance.

• Toyota will honor fallen service members on its Toyota Camry and Tundra pace vehicles during the Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Toyota will also host military members at its Toyota Owners Hub during the Coca-Cola 600. Through its partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Hire our Heroes, Toyota will include “Hire our Heroes” within Toyota PitPass for military veterans and spouses, which assists with resume writing, social media training and connects with employers looking to hire veterans.

• Lilly Diabetes, the “Official Diabetes Health Partner of NASCAR®,” unveiled a patriotic paint scheme that Ryan Reed, driver of the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang, will race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Memorial Day weekend.

• Mars, the “Official Chocolate of NASCAR®,” created a patriotic red, white and blue M&Ms paint scheme for Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota Camry for the Coca-Cola 600, Pocono 400 and FireKeepers Casino 400.

• AMR, the “Official Emergency Medical Services Partner of NASCAR®,” will include NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola branding on its AMR Safety Truck during the platform.

• During the Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway, Comcast will work with NASCAR and teams to replace its Xfinity branding with the names of military units from active military installations on all NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers’ windshield headers to commemorate Independence Day weekend.

• Chicagoland Speedway and Camping World will host families of active, retired and fallen service members for a VIP experience at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ Overton’s 225 race on June 29. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers will also display red, white and blue Camping World windshield decals on their trucks.

Tickets to NASCAR national series events are available at NASCAR.com/tickets.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

Weather not suitable for real racing? iRacing’s got your back. It worked for Christopher Bell this weekend, at least, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series taking a week off and his extracurricular racing events rained-out.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace talked about his enjoyment of iRacing and the differences between virtual racing and turning laps in a real race car.

 

NASCAR PEAK ANTIFREEZE IRACING SERIES UPDATE

While the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series had no points-scoring event scheduled last week, many of the series’ drivers held an unofficial All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Logan Clampitt, winless in points-paying races this season, grabbed the victory, though not without a dramatic finish. Clampitt was running in fourth position when the three leaders tangled on the backstretch of the final lap, knocking them out of contention, leaving Clampitt to benefit.

For a good time, check out Clamp’s on-board reaction. (And crank up the sound!)

The series races 200 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuesday for Race 7 of the season. Ray Alfalla leads the championship points and holds the title of defending race winner.

RELATED: Full iRacing schedule | Watch iRacing | Power Rankings

 

IRACING PAINT SCHEMES OF THE WEEK

Johnny Sauter won the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and thanks to Erik Le, you can race a replica of his winning truck in iRacing.

Tyler King re-created one of Paul Menard’s Wood Brothers Racing Fords, which looks sharp even in pixel form.

 

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME

One of the biggest appeals of iRacing is that you might end up racing against a real NASCAR driver — many of them hop on the sim to get their racing fix throughout the week, after all.

But, when you’re racing head-to-head against your favorite drivers, try not to spin them out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpG9Q1ib1jU

Hear the regret in YouTube user Jason Jacoby’s voice when he bumps Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie William Byron while racing three-wide at Michigan. Oops!

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Numbers mean plenty when it comes to building out your Fantasy Live teams each week. NASCAR.com will examine the stats outlook for each track in advance to help give you an edge as you set your lineups and bonus picks ahead of the race weekend.

Don’t forget to check back on NASCAR.com for additional insight from fantasy expert RJ Kraft, and watch Fantasy Fastlane with Jessica Ruffin and NBC Sports’ Steve Letarte for even more advice.

RELATED: Play Fantasy Live now | How the new Fantasy Live works | Driver stats

Top five average running position (per loop data from 2005 to present):

Driver Average running position
Jimmie Johnson 8.019
Kyle Busch 10.069
Denny Hamlin 11.165
Matt Kenseth 13.139
Martin Truex Jr. 13.751

Top five in stage points earned at Charlotte in 2017:

Driver Stage points Stage wins
Matt Kenseth 34 0
Martin Truex Jr. 33 1
Kevin Harvick 32 2
Kyle Busch 32 1
Kurt Busch 22 0

Top five in points earned at Charlotte in 2017

Driver Race points Race wins
Martin Truex Jr. 107 1
Kevin Harvick 95 0
Matt Kenseth 93 0
Denny Hamlin 86 0
Kyle Busch 75 0

Most laps led in 2017 races at Charlotte:

Driver Laps led
Martin Truex Jr. 324
Kevin Harvick 194
Kyle Busch 85
Denny Hamlin 55
Jimmie Johnson 35

Average starting position for last 10 winners: 10.3

Active drivers to win pole: Ryan Newman (9), Jimmie Johnson (4), Kyle Busch (2), Denny Hamlin (2), Kevin Harvick (2), Matt Kenseth (2), Aric Almirola (1), Brad Keselowski (1), Martin Truex Jr. (1)

Active drivers to win at Charlotte: Jimmie Johnson (8), Kasey Kahne (4), Kevin Harvick (3), Matt Kenseth (2), Jamie McMurray (2), Martin Truex Jr. (2), Clint Bowyer (1), Kurt Busch (1), Austin Dillon (1), Brad Keselowski (1), Joey Logano (1)

Most recent pole winner: Denny Hamlin, fall race of 2017

Last time pole-sitter won here: Martin Truex Jr., spring race of 2016

Where stage winners started from: 2nd, 3rd (twice), 6th, 8th

Winning manufacturers of last 10 races: Chevrolet-5, Toyota-3, Ford-2

Posted on by Staff Report

The White House honored Martin Truex Jr. on Monday to celebrate a presidential toast to his 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Truex was joined by longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex, members of his Furniture Row Racing team and NASCAR senior executives on the South Lawn. The Monster Energy Series champion’s trophy and a display version of Truex’s No. 78 Toyota were stationed alongside.

“Martin, I have to say your car looks truly amazing,” President Donald Trump said. “In fact, I want to get in that thing and just drive it right away. Do you mind?”

The No. 78 Toyota parked outside the White House in Washington, D.C.
Justin Swilling | NASCAR

Trump then recounted details of the championship march for Truex and the No. 78 team, including its eight wins, its 2,000-plus laps led and its often personal fight through adversity. That included mention of Pollex and her campaign to raise awareness and funds in her personal battle against ovarian cancer.

“I want to take a moment to recognize the amazing Sherry Pollex,” Trump said. “She is the love of Martin’s life. Sherry — beautiful. Your determination in the face of adversity has been an inspiration to millions of Americans.”

RELATED: Martin Truex Jr.’s season in review

Truex presented Trump with a replica racing helmet with illustrations depicting some of the team’s special moments.

“What an honor to be here today,” Truex said in his brief remarks. “Thank you, Mr. President for having us, for having our whole entire team to represent the sport of NASCAR. My good buddy, (founder) Johnny Morris from Bass Pro Shops, that has been a big part of my career to get me here. Just really proud to be here today to represent the sport, to represent our millions of fans out there across the world.”

Trump then invited team members up for a group photo. The ceremony ended with the White House band playing a rendition of “Rocky Mountain High,” a nod to Furniture Row Racing’s home in Denver, Colorado.

Posted on by Staff Report

In its first season back as sponsor of the Busch Pole Award, Busch Beer is looking to you — yes, you — for a bit of help.

The prestigious Busch Pole Award trophy, which goes to the driver with the most Busch Pole awards in 2018, is in the hands of fans this year. Busch Beer is asking NASCAR fans across the globe to help design the trophy, with the winning entry to serve as the actual final design one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver will lift above his head at season’s end.

The winning fan also will receive a trip to NASCAR Champion’s Week to present the winning design.

“Busch Beer has returned to our roots with the addition of the Busch Pole Award in 2018,” Daniel Blake, Senior Director of U.S. Value Brands for Anheuser-Busch, said in a press release. “We started our involvement in NASCAR with the Busch Pole Award in 1978 and now we want to celebrate with our fans by asking them to design the year-end Busch Pole Award trophy. Not only do they get to design the Busch Pole Award, but we’ll bring them to the 2018 NASCAR Champion’s Week to present it to the driver with the most Busch Pole Awards of the season.

“We’re excited to see the passion, creativity and enthusiasm race fans have as they design the Busch Pole Award trophy.”

Submissions must be made by Monday, May 28, so check out the official rules and step-by-step instructions at www.busch.com/polecontest.

Posted on by Team Release

STATESVILLE, N.C. — GMS Racing officials announced today that NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott will drive the No. 23 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) entry this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) as well as other select races on the 2018 NXS schedule.

Hooters, which sponsors Elliott’s No. 9 Cup Series team at Hendrick Motorsports, will serve as primary sponsor for the No. 23 team at CMS in honor of the restaurant chain’s 35th Anniversary and 22nd Annual Hooters International Pageant. The pageant will be held on Saturday, May 26 at zMAX Dragway beginning at 7 p.m. and will include a concert from country music singer-songwriter Jake Owen.

Elliott, 22, will also drive the No. 23 Chevrolet in the upcoming Pocono (June 2), Chicagoland (June 30), Daytona (July 6) and Bristol (Aug. 17) Xfinity races.

“I appreciate GMS letting me get behind the wheel of the No. 23,” said driver Chase Elliott. “I’m excited to have Hooters on the car for Charlotte. It’s a big week for them and I look forward to representing them in a new way on the Xfinity side.”

Over a four-year span, Elliott has competed in 73 NXS races, collecting one championship in 2014, five wins, 31 top-fives, 59 top-10s and two pole awards. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native’s most recent Xfinity event was this season at Daytona International Speedway, where he finished 12th driving for JR Motorsports.

Additional drivers for the remaining races will be announced at a later date.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

Two weeks ago, Keegan Leahy continued his solid 2018 season with a win at Kansas Speedway. The NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series continues its season at Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET for the seventh race of the year.

RELATED: Full iRacing schedule | Watch iRacing

1: Keegan Leahy (+2)

After winning two races this season, Keegan Leahy is the only driver within striking distance of Ray Alfalla’s points lead. Leahy is too hot to stop right now.

2: Ray Alfalla (-1)

Ray Alfalla’s No. 2 car finished second at Kansas, so naturally he’s No. 2 in our power rankings, too. Alfalla is the defending winner at Charlotte.

3: Logan Clampitt (+1)

During what was officially an off-week, Logan Clampitt won an unofficial series All-Star Race at Charlotte. While the win won’t make it into the scorebooks, it’s worth considering Clampitt, who led 51 laps at Kansas, as a contender Tuesday.

4: Ryan Luza (-2)

The 2017 champ didn’t race at Kansas, but if he starts Tuesday, he’s one to watch at Charlotte. Luza is still third in points after six races, despite missing the last one.

5: Christian Challiner (+3)

Christian Challiner’s riding a wave of momentum after Kansas, scoring two consecutive top-six finishes.

6: Michael Conti (-1)

Michael Conti finished dead-last at Kansas after an early crash with Bobby Zalenski. Expect a rebound for the No. 5 in the Queen City.

7: Bobby Zalenski (-1)

Bobby Zalenski’s 2018 has been hit-and-miss so far. Kansas was a miss after an early crash, which means Charlotte will have to be a hit, right? Zalenski’s still searching for his first top-five finish of the year, though he’s finished sixth twice.

8: Nickolas Shelton (NR)

Keep an eye on Nickolas Shelton, a newcomer to our Power Rankings. Shelton finished third at Kansas and at Las Vegas. In other words, he’s truly shown a knack for 1.5-mile race tracks like Charlotte. Shelton has vaulted to fifth in the points after his recent string of solid finishes.

9: Zack Novak (NR)

While Zack Novak dominated at Kansas, he settled for a fourth-place finish. It seems this season when Novak’s on a hot streak, he runs into bad luck — but you can expect to see the No. 15 near the front Tuesday.

10: Matt Bussa (-3)

Chicago native Matt Bussa’s never finished in the top 10 at Charlotte in five attempts, but the man who sits eighth in points hopes to make a little Illi-noise this time. Sorry, that was bad.

Posted on by Brad Norman

Having exposure can lead to opportunities, but having potential … that’s something you can’t teach.

Not long after winning the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race (and $1 million), Kevin Harvick shared why he thinks the efforts being placed into short-track racing are paying off for cultivating talent.

Especially for two members of the 2018 NASCAR Next class: Will Rodgers and Hailie Deegan — two drivers Harvick expects to make it big if given the right opportunities to succeed.

PHOTOS: Meet the rest of the 2018 Next class

“I don’t think anybody would have known Will Rodgers’ name if we hadn’t run the K&N (Pro Series West) race last year,” Harvick said. “I’m proud to be able to take him and bring him on the radio show, talk about him. That’s really the reason that we run those races. I think when we went to Bakersfield this year, running around, Hailie, she has a lot of potential. … I think both of those kids have a ton of potential.”

Rodgers and Deegan have both made appearances on Harvick’s Sirius XM show ‘Happy Hours’ and periodically lean on the 2014 Monster Energy Series champion for advice. In March, the 16-year-old Deegan led Harvick for 10 laps during a K&N race at Kern County Raceway — a moment both drivers have yet to forget.

MORE: Deegan wants to let racing do the talking 

“She’s the best female ‑‑ she has the most potential of a female racer because she gets it,” Harvick explained. “She’s very into what she’s doing. It’s not about everything else. It’s really about the race car and how do I drive it faster. She’s just got her stuff together.”

Rodgers, who is 23 years old, also caught the eye of Harvick last season during a K&N race at Sonoma Raceway. Although the veteran held off the fellow California native for the victory, Rodgers’ second-place run was nothing to look past — and Harvick thinks the next move for Rodgers could be his biggest one yet.

“He just needs an opportunity to come out and show what he’s got,” Harvick said. “When the road-course stuff shows up, Will is probably capable of being in an Xfinity race or a Cup race in the right equipment on a road course. He’d be a top-10 competitor in the right stuff, in the right situation on any road course in any series.”