Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Stage 2 results

Kyle Larson continued to run the high line in dominating fashion and won Stage 2 in the Ford EcoBoost 400 Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. For Larson, it was his second stage win of the day as the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet finished ahead of Championship 4 contenders Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski.

Danica Patrick’s final race as a full-time driver for Stewart-Haas Racing did not end favorably. An accident in Turn 2 involving Patrick’s No. 10 Ford and Kasey Kahne’s No. 5 Chevrolet brought out a caution on Lap 141. Patrick’s smashed car burst into flames as it came to a stop, but she emerged from the vehicle unharmed.

RELATED: Danica’s day ends early with wreck

Truex Jr. seemed to come to life on the restart, jumping up to second place in the No. 78 Toyota. Earlier in the stage, Truex had a slow pit stop when a lug nut got caught up, and he dropped to the back of the pack among the Championship 4 drivers.

Harvick, who finished third, had a strong run and battled Larson early in the stage. That set up an intriguing clash of philosophies at the front with Larson, who preferred the high line, and Harvick, who told NBC Sports he’d stay off the high line early in the race and delivered on that promise.

Busch, who finished fourth, almost missed the entry to pit road with 39 laps left in the stage. Smoke flew from the tires of the No. 18 Toyota as it slid in Turn 4 before darting just inside the commitment line and onto pit road. Busch moved past Keselowski late in the stage, putting the No. 2 Ford at the back of the pack as the race entered the final and deciding stage.

Note: Championship 4 drivers are not awarded stage points in the season finale, but can get credited for stage wins.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1. Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 10
2. Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing —
3. Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing —
4. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing —
5. Brad Keselowski Team Penske —
6. Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing 5
7. Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing 4
8. Joey Logano Team Penske 3
9. Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 2
10. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 1

RELATED: Stage 1 results

Kyle Larson took the lead from Martin Truex Jr. on Lap 13 and did not let go the rest of the way, winning Stage 1 in the Ford EcoBoost 400 Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Brad Keselowski finished second with fellow Championship 4 drivers Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. rounding out the top five.

Keselowski was the only Championship 4 driver to pit after a caution on Lap 4 when Joey Gase’s No. 83 Toyota got into the wall in Turn 1. Keselowski was dealing with an ill-handling No. 2 Ford and restarted 13th after the pit stop. The strategy worked as he moved up to third place within two laps on the fresh tires and stayed competitive throughout the stage.

Conversely, Kyle Busch restarted third and dropped back to 13th while reporting an ill-handling car. Busch moved up to 11th place before coming to pit road on Lap 39 with the rest of the Championship 4 contenders. Busch reported a vibration in the No. 18 Toyota following the pit stop but decided to stay out. Busch managed to methodically move up into the top three.

Truex Jr. grabbed the lead early from Denny Hamlin and led the first 12 laps. But after falling behind Larson, Truex reported concerns with the brakes on the No. 78 Toyota. Then, with 25 laps to go in the stage, Kevin Harvick engaged Truex in a battle for third place, with Harvick eventually taking the spot. Then, Busch passed Truex with eight laps to go.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1.  Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing 10
2.  Brad Keselowski Team Penske —
3.  Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing —
4.  Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing —
5.  Martin Truex Jr.  Furniture Row Racing —
6.  Chase Elliott  Hendrick Motorsports 5
7.  Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing 4
8.  Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 3
9.  Joey Logano Team Penske 2
10.  Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 1
Posted on by

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — According to NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France, you don’t have to look far to find the next generation of stars.

“They are here,” France said Sunday morning before the Ford EcoBoost 400 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio) during a question-and-answer session with reporters at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “They are here, and they’ve got to develop their performance, but they’re doing well. You look at Ryan Blaney, you look at Chase (Elliott) almost making the final here in Miami. Go down the list. We’ve got a loaded group.

“But it’s true, we’re in a transition, too. But that happens from time to time, not usually in the concentrated manner that we have now, but it happens. But we’re excited. We’ve got a great, great bunch of 19-, 20-(year-olds), and they’re talented, so we’re in good shape.”

NASCAR President Brent Dewar, who appeared with France on the dais, echoed those sentiments.

“We anticipate every decade you’re going to go through this rotation, and between NASCAR Next and Drive for Diversity, these young stars that you’re talking about have all come through those classes, and they’re all good wheel men and women that are coming up through these series. And I think that’s the key thing, and we’re working with them in terms of how they work outside the car.

“And I think the other part is if you look at most sports, name any other major sport where you get to have a 15-  to 20-year career at the highest level. It just does not exist. Those are exceptions. It’s the norm here. So if you look at all the ones you take and you add 20 years, you’re going to be somewhere around the age of a Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. and a Matt Kenseth.”

France’s and Dewar’s comments were juxtaposed against the backdrop of a sea of change in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, from which the sport’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is retiring after Sunday’s race. Kenseth, the 2003 champion, also faces a hiatus from NASCAR’s premier series, and Danica Patrick announced Friday she will race for the last time in the series in the 2018 Daytona 500. 

“Dale Jr. has made an obviously big contribution on and off the track for a long time,” France said. “So while we’re going to miss him for obvious reasons, he’s not going to be that far away, being an owner and working with NBC.  

MORE: Full coverage of Dale Jr.’s last race

“So he’s going to be glued to the sport, and that’s a good thing for us.”

Both France and Dewar expressed optimism about the state of the sport and were thankful for the dialogue and collaboration between the sanctioning body, team owners, manufacturers, drivers and race tracks toward a long-term strategic plan for the sport. 

“Well, I’m really more optimistic right now, and I know you may expect me to say that, but we’ve made the transition largely,” France said. “We’ve gotten the council meetings going. We’ve gotten charters in position so we can get our interests aligned more closely with drivers, OEMs and the charters and the team owners.  

“We have the young drivers already in place. We’d like a couple more, of course. We’ve got some diversity with Bubba Wallace going in the 43 car  (as the only African-American driver competing at NASCAR highest level). We like that. We’d love to see more of that. And we like all the changes that we’ve made in the last four or five years, including stage racing this year. It has created the things that we thought were important.”

MORE: NASCAR unveils 2017-18 NASCAR Next class

And just as the sanctioning body has collaborated extensively with race teams on the evolution of the racing on the track, so too has NASCAR and the industry worked to improve the overall business model.

“The difference is now we have a mechanism of working together and a process to do that, and we’re all in,” Dewar said. “From tracks to teams to drivers, we’re all in, and we’re trying to focus on the sport, the business behind the scenes, and just continue to make continuous improvement to do that. 

“I’m making it sound easy. It’s really hard. It’s really, really hard. At the end of the day, they’re racers. Race car drivers want to win, and team owners want to win, and we want them to win. We want to cultivate and nurture that as much as possible, but there’s still a business behind all these sports, and we need to make continued improvement on the business side.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — The screams and applause from the assembled red-carpet audience in the garage area served as an alert to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s arrival for perhaps his final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver meeting.

Dressed in a red cap, red T-shirt and jeans, he slowly made his way in, stopping to sign autographs and pose for impromptu photos with fans before stepping into the meeting three minutes before it was set to start.

Before the formal driver instructions were issued, NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton took the podium to recognize a trio of NASCAR’s biggest stars making Sunday’s race their final full-time start. After calling Danica Patrick “an incredible force” and saying “it’s been a lot of fun” watching Matt Kenseth, Helton turned his attention to Earnhardt Jr.

“People will write about different legacies in our sport and different moments in our history, and I suspect every one of them will touch on the Dale Earnhardt Jr. era,” Helton said. “You have done great things for us and it’s been a great personal and professional pleasure watching you grow up in this industry, watching you take responsibilities … you have been a great asset to NASCAR, we thank you and wish you the best and are glad you will be close to the sport.”

Then Helton introduced a specially made video to further confirm what Earnhardt has meant to so many — the people that make a living in the sport but also the passionate fandom who watch, cheer and sustain it.

Videos posted on social media showed an emotional Junior wiping his eyes during the ensuing standing ovation, which lasted approximately 30 seconds.

Current drivers such as Ryan Blaney, Earnhardt’s good friend Truex, his former XFINITY Series driver Brad Keselowski and his former crew chief Steve Letarte were among those that spoke in a celebrity-heavy ode to Earnhardt.

“The biggest way he affected all of us,” former Cup champion Dale Jarrett said, “is putting more eyes on the sport.”

Late night television host Jimmy Kimmel, country superstar Brad Paisley, former NBC anchor Brian Williams, former NBA superstar Charles Barkley and movie star Adam Sandler — wearing a No. 88 hat — praised Earnhardt’s impact and offered good wishes.

The ending featured a long list of people — not only celebrities, but team members and race fans — each offering a most simple, but poignant message: “Dale, I appreciate you.”

And judging by the love and attention Earnhardt, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, has been showered with this weekend, there is no doubting that.

Posted on by Staff Report

MORE: Stars come out to salute Dale Jr. | Dale’s career in photos

With Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s final planned Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start upon us, the tributes came rolling in Sunday morning from his peers.

The respect Earnhardt Jr. has gained from his fellow drivers over the years is evident, and it’s clear he’ll be missed as he transitions from driver to broadcaster in 2018.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Four drivers. One race. One championship.

The stakes could not be higher for the Championship 4 of Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski. Under the sun, and then the lights, at Homestead-Miami Speedway, one of them will raise the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup high above their heads as champion.

For Truex Jr., a seven-time race winner this season, the title would be a career’s culmination, one full of unexpected twists and turns that somehow ended with him as the dominant driver of a dominant team housed in Colorado.

For the others, crossing the start/finish line first among the four would yield a second career Monster Energy Series title. For Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, their previous titles came in the elimination-style format. It would be Brad Keselowski’s first in this playoffs format, as his previous title was in 2012.

MORE: Starting lineup | Race-day snapshot

Beyond the championship race, the spotlight is firmly affixed to Dale Earnhardt Jr. He will climb into the No. 88 Chevrolet for likely the final time in the Monster Energy Series, ending a 17-year career. Matt Kenseth and Danica Patrick join Junior at the twilight of their NASCAR careers.

It all adds up to iconic day ahead at Miami (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Get yourself fully prepped for today’s championship race below.

FIRST TO THE FLAG

Martin Truex Jr. is considered the favorite on Sunday. He has seven wins so far in 2017. Matt Sullivan | Getty Images

• Preview: Want the highlights? Here’s a breakdown of the four championship contenders. | READ HERE

• Fightin’ words: Kyle Busch didn’t mince words when asked about his relationship with Brad Keselowski. “Sometimes you just don’t like a guy,” he said during Media Day. There was plenty more when the drivers got together. | TOP QUOTES

• Final exams: Saturday’s second practice session was noteworthy. Read up quickly on the highlights for every Championship 4 driver. | READ HERE

• Line ’em up: See not only the full starting lineup in photos, but also crew chief listings and pit crew rosters. | READ HERE

Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

• Just a kiss: An in-car camera view during a Saturday practice yielded an unexpected shot when Martin Truex Jr. scraped the outside wall. | WATCH WHAT HAPPENED

• Why ___ will win: For the second consecutive year, we’re telling you how every driver could win today’s race. | Kyle Busch | Kevin Harvick | Brad Keselowski | Martin Truex Jr.

• Always by your side: This Championship 4 field has something in common beyond just being exceptional drivers — they all have exceptional women beside them. PHOTOS: Brad and Paige | Martin and Sherry | Kyle and Samantha | Kevin and DeLana

MORE TO WATCH

Beyond deciding a series champion, there is plenty happening in Miami. Here’s the best of the rest.

• Forever family: Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are like father and son. We explore their relationship. | READ HERE

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

• #Appreci88ion: It’s Dale Jr.’s likely final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, and we’re taking a look back at top photos, paint schemes and moments from his incredible career. | READ HERE

• Better together: Matt Kenseth joins Dale Jr. in riding off into the sunset. The two posed together for an iconic photo, with their throwback paint schemes no less. | WATCH THE MOMENT

• Emotional goodbye: Two days before the season finale, Danica Patrick announced, in effect, her impending retirement from racing. She’ll run two marquee races next year, though. | READ MORE

• Lasting legacy: What a ride it’s been for Danica. Take a glimpse through her career in photos. | DANICA PHOTOS

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Race results  | Detailed analysis | Byron crowned champion | Final standings

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — As Cole Custer celebrated his first victory in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and 19-year-old William Byron reveled in the series championship, a heartbroken and angry Elliott Sadler confronted the driver he believed cost him a long-coveted NASCAR title.

Custer took the checkered flag in a different zip code, crossing the finish line 15.405 seconds ahead of second-place Sam Hornish Jr., who delivered the owners’ championship to Roger Penske. The real action, however, occurred three-quarters of a lap behind the winner.

Sadler had passed Byron, his JR Motorsports teammate on Lap 165 of 200. The 42-year-old veteran stayed out front until Lap 191, when he closed on the No. 18 Toyota of Ryan Preece and lost momentum. Byron charged past Sadler into third place — and into the lead among the four drivers battling for the title.

WATCH: Byron’s late pass for the win

With four laps left, Sadler pulled up to Byron’s bumper. Byron shot past Preece’s Toyota, clearing him to the inside. Sadler tried to follow but couldn’t complete the pass, and slid up into Preece’s Camry, with the right front of Sadler’s No. 1 Chevrolet clipping the left rear of the Toyota.

Sadler hit the wall and his title hopes were gone. The disconsolate driver finished second in the NASCAR XFINITY Series standings for the fourth time, and his disappointment stood in marked contrast to the elation of his young teammate.

WATCH: Sadler confronts Preece after the race

“I don’t know that I took a breath the last 20 laps,” Byron said. “That was incredible. I just have to thank this team. This is awesome. Elliott raced me clean, and we just raced hard for it. I just can’t believe this.

“I’ve just got to thank God for giving me this platform to perform. I can’t believe this. I’m tired, whew. I’ve never driven that hard in my life.”

Team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. had his share of nervous moments as his drivers fought for the championship.

“Man, that is tough watching those guys battle like that together,” Earnhardt said. “William did a great job running an awesome race. To be as young as he is, he drove like a veteran tonight. I know Elliott is probably really disappointed. It’s hard to watch any of your guys lose one, but at least we will be taking the trophy back to Mooresville (North Carolina) tonight.

“This is great for JRM and all our employees. One thing about William winning, the over-the-wall guys I’m pretty close to a lot of them. They pit my car, too (in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series). It’s pretty cool to see these guys enjoy themselves. This really effects a lot of people.  I’m really glad to be a part of it.”

All but forgotten in the dramatic championship battle and its aftermath was Custer’s overwhelming maiden victory. Pulling away steadily after a restart on Lap 97, Custer posted the largest margin of victory in the series this season and the largest ever at the 1.5-mile track.

Custer led 182 laps and scored a perfect driver rating of 150.0, the only time a driver has accomplished that feat this year.

“We knew we were going be really good this weekend, but our Haas Automation Mustang was unreal,” Custer said. “We really wanted to have a good showing at Ford Championship Weekend.  Even though we weren’t in it (the Championship 4), we wanted to win.”

Preece was racing for the owners’ championship against the No. 22 Ford of Hornish and the No. 9 Chevrolet of Byron after Christopher Bell fell out with engine problems after 78.

“To be honest with you, if there’s a person you don’t want to cost a championship to, it’s Elliott Sadler,” said Preece. “You know, I’m just trying to do team orders here. I was racing for an owner championship. Yeah, we weren’t racing for the win right there, but we were still racing the 9 (Byron).”

“It’s not where I want to be right there. Obviously, I hate it, but I can’t take it back.”

Notes: With only three cautions — two for planned stage breaks–the race set a speed record at 136.140 mph. … Championship contender Justin Allgaier had seven-time Cup champion Chad Knaus calling the shots on his pit box in place of suspended Jason Burdett, but Allgaier’s car struggled to a 12th-place finish, third in the title race. … Daniel Hemric, the fourth Championship 4 driver, and the only one not from the JRM stable, lost 12 laps with electrical problems early in the race and came home 34th.

 

 

 

 

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Sadler devastated after Miami | Preece defends his actions

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Elliott Sadler’s range of emotions spanned rage and dejection Saturday evening at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the dreams of achieving a long-anticipated NASCAR XFINITY Series championship dashed.

It boiled over on pit road after Saturday’s Ford EcoBoost 300, with Sadler’s ire directed at part-time XFINITY competitor Ryan Preece, a third party in Sadler’s battle with JR Motorsports teammate William Byron.

The 19-year-old Byron got the better of their three-way scrap, rolling to a third-place finish and his first series championship as a rookie. Preece held on for fifth after making contact with Sadler in the final 10 laps. Sadler’s straw was shortest; the collision and his ensuing scrape with the outside wall left him with an eighth-place finish, his No. 1 Chevrolet limping under the checkered flag with a flat tire. 

FINAL LAPS: Byron’s pass of Sadler, more crucial moments

A frustrated Sadler bumped into Preece’s parked Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota on pit road after the race. As Preece offered a “what gives” expression, Sadler quickly dismounted and exchanged pointed words with his rival as NASCAR officials separated the two.

“It’s just very disappointing, man, to be that close and to not win a championship is frustrating,” Sadler said after composing himself. “I don’t have many years left and I wanted to try to fulfill a childhood dream and I didn’t know it was going to come down to a guy that’s not even racing for anything holding us down like that.

“I just … no respect at all. Within 10 laps to go, he’s not racing a soul. Anyway, just the way it ended up.”

Sadler’s primary contention was that the stakes for himself and Byron in the season finale were far greater than his own incentives. Preece, a Modified hotshot whose moxie and talent have afforded him a part-time XFINITY opportunity with JGR this season and next, was racing among the top five, mindful of where his No. 18 team stood in the team owners’ standings. His group — which has fielded multiple drivers this season — wound up third, just two points behind JRM’s No. 9 (Byron) and three behind Team Penske’s title-winning No. 22 (multiple drivers, most recently Sam Hornish Jr.).

Preece said he was cognizant of both the motivation and the speed from Byron and Sadler, and had intended to let them by before Sadler’s final aggressive move. He added that if team principals had ordered him to let Byron and Sadler past in the closing laps, he would have complied. 

“What can I tell you? I’m just racing for Joe (Gibbs),” Preece said. “That’s what they told me to do. Just … team orders.”

That explanation didn’t sit well with Sadler, who repeatedly asked Preece, “Who are you racing?!” in their post-race confrontation. It also left Sadler — a 42-year-old veteran who has finished second in the championship hunt four times, all in the last seven years — to field post-race questions about whether he was destined to end his career without a title.

“That’s pretty hard to swallow,” Sadler said, calling this season his closest blush with the series crown. “I’ve been racing a long time; y’all know that. But I would say tonight is the most devastating and down and out I’ve ever felt in my career.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Full race results | Custer wins at Miami | Sadler confronts Preece

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – William Byron drove his car directly into a special “Champion’s Victory Lane” on the Homestead-Miami Speedway’s front straightaway. From the moment he pushed the brakes to stop for the celebration to the time he accepted the trophy and made his way into the champion’s press conference, the smile never left the 19-year-old XFINITY Series champion’s face.

He probably wore a different, more serious expression only a few minutes earlier as he battled door to door, bumper to bumper with his JR Motorsports teammate Elliott Sadler for the championship, passing the veteran for third place with nine laps remaining despite a scrape with the wall.

Byron finished third in the race, behind first-time XFINITY Series winner Cole Custer and another veteran Sam Hornish Jr. But it was good enough for the title and great enough to properly send him off into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series level next year where he will drive the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

“I don’t think I breathed the last 20 laps,” Byron said after climbing from his car. “It’s incredible. (Elliott Sadler) raced me clean, and we just raced hard for it.

“… I just have to thank this team.  This is awesome … I’ve just got to thank God for giving me this platform to perform.

“I can’t believe this, “ he said, adding with a smile, “I’m tired, whew.”

His team owner, retiring Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver — and the sport’s biggest superstar — Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his way through the crowd to the victory celebration holding his pregnant wife Amy’s hand and grinning ear to ear.

He stopped repeatedly to shake hands as he made his way to celebrate with Byron and officially hoist the hardware. It’s the second time in the last four years his JR Motorsports team has won the XFINITY Series driver championship and the drama involved Saturday evening will certainly make this one to remember.

After making it to the media center post-television interviews and official celebratory obligations, Earnhardt conceded it was absolutely an emotional final few laps.

“I don’t know if I enjoyed the last 20 laps,’’ he said. “I was sick to my stomach. It was hard to feel happiness and sadness at the same time. As they were changing positions it was gut-wrenching. The race was freaking great, but as they kept changing positions it was hurting my stomach.’’

His sister and JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt Miller agreed, “My emotions were everywhere. I just didn’t want them to wreck each other.’’

And, she added with a grin, “I didn’t want to have to go to Christmas luncheon after they had wrecked each other.”

RELATED: Kelley Earnhardt Miller’s reaction

As Byron conducted his interviews, his entire Charlotte, North Carolina-based family sat in the rear of the media center room, pride and happiness emanating.

“It’s just an amazing thing,’’ Byron’s father Bill told NBC Sports. “It’s been his passion, something he’s always wanted to do. We chose to support his passion and his dream and couldn’t be prouder of all the hard work.”

It’s a trait well recognized in their son. His former Camping World Truck Series team owner Kyle Busch praised him publicly Friday for his poise and natural talent. And Earnhardt was equally as complimentary.

“I’m happy for William,’’ Earnhardt said. “This kid is the total package. Obviously we see he’s got talent but what is going to be exciting … is to watch everybody else get to know what kind of person he is.

“As he gets introduced to the industry more, it will be fun to see everybody else see what we see. We never had to worry about any rookie mistakes he drove like a veteran all year. I’m thrilled for him.’’

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Full starting lineup | See every car in the field | Pit stall picks

At a Glance
What: Ford EcoBoost 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race No. 36
Where: Homestead-Miami Speedway, a 1.5-mile layout in Homestead, Florida
Green flag: 3:07 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Sunny with a high of 83 degrees. 10 percent chance of precipitation. Winds WNW 5-10 mph. (Weather.com).
National anthem: Ryan Carson
Grand Marshal: Chris Froome
Honorary Starter: U.S. Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas
Honorary Pace Car Driver: Vaughn Gittin Jr., professional drifter
Race distance: 267 laps, 400 miles
Pit road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 55 mph
Stage lengths: Stage 1 ends at Lap 80; Stage 2 ends at Lap 160; Final stage scheduled to end at Lap 267.

MORE: How Championship 4 fared in final practice | Teams can buy extra set of tires

Posted on by @nascarcasm and Steve Luvender

We asked, and you delivered.

Not long ago, we tasked you, the good folks of NASCAR Twitter, to help us find a retirement gift for Dale Earnhardt Jr. — who, if you haven’t heard, is retiring from full-time driving at the end of the 2017 season.

You gave us a lot of tremendous suggestions — and for that, we thank you — but here are a few of our very favorites. These are the gifts that really captured the “regift in two months” spirit of the whole thing. And, of course, they fall within our very generous budget requirement of $88 or less.

Believe us, it was tough to narrow down to these few options.

 

NapSack nap hood, suggested by @sheila_crosbie

The NapSack really appealed to us for several reasons. First and foremost, it fits our most important requirement of “no one should own this.” Furthermore, it’s well within our $88 price range — in fact, we could gift Mr. Earnhardt eleven NapSacks.

Junior’s going to have a lot more time on his hands next season, but he still runs a race team and hangs out in the office, after all. What better way to nap on the go than with a NapSack?

Pros:

  • Allows Dale Jr. to nap at his convenience
  • Fits within our budget
  • No one should actually ever own this or use one

Cons:

  • A little too under-budget (we can’t look like cheapskates here)
  • He might think we’re implying he’s old and needs to nap all the time
  • We’re afraid he might try driving around while still wearing the NapSack

Nice work, Sheila.

 

Washington Redskins business jacket, suggested by @_F1yer_

Even though Dale Jr.’s not racing full-time next year, he’ll still be part of the action, announcing races for NBC. And, of course, if he’s going to be on camera, he’ll need to wear some snappy clothes that still speak to his personality.

That’s where this fine Washington Redskins business jacket comes in, thanks to a suggestion from @_F1yer_. We managed to find an identical blazer emblazoned with a beautiful repeating logo pattern of Dale Jr.’s beloved Washington Redskins — on eBay, of all places. That’s two Junior faves in one, if you’re keeping score. And, thankfully, it fits well within the $88 budget, priced at just under $30.

Even the eBay listing describes it as “ugly.”

Pros:

  • It incorporates Dale Jr.’s favorite football team
  • Allows Dale Jr. to express his interests through his clothing
  • Fits within our generous budget

Cons:

  • Maybe a little too useful
  • He might actually wear it on TV
  • It’s listed on eBay, so Dale might already own it

RainBowl motion-sensing toilet lights, suggested by @natalieslack88

With Dale Jr. spending a little more time at home after this season, it means he’s going to use the bathroom at his house a little more, too. Nothing’s worse than stumbling around in the middle of the night searching for the toilet bowl — both walking toward it and placing contents into it — so why not lend a hand by offering a comforting, motion-sensing neon glow inside the bowl?

At least, that’s the idea behind this $15 motion-sensing light that you place inside your toilet for those tough-to-see moments. Useful? Maybe. Out of all the gifts that were suggested, this is probably the item that would be peed on the most — and believe us, that was an important area of consideration.

This one even included a glowing endorsement:

Pros:

  • We kind of want one for ourselves
  • Definitely within budget — we can order five lights with our $88!
  • We don’t think anyone else gave Dale Jr. a retirement gift for his toilet

Cons:

  • Feels weird that Dale Jr. would pee on our gift
  • Again, maybe a little more useful than we were hoping
  • We don’t know how you’d change the batteries or if Dale or Amy would be willing to actually do so

It was a good thought, Natalie. Thank you.

 

Tabletop Shuffleboard, suggested by @retired2live

There’s nothing people enjoy more in retirement than shuffleboard — at least, that’s why there are so many shuffleboard games found in retirement homes, we think.

Full-size shuffleboard tables appear to slightly exceed our $88 budget we’ve saved for Junior. How can we give Dale Jr. the gift of shuffleboard without breaking the bank or sending him a link to use a $2.99 shuffleboard app for his iPhone? The answer is a tabletop shuffleboard game, of course.

This tabletop shuffleboard, suggested by @retired2live, comes in at exactly $88 — precisely in our budget. Plus, the suggestion comes from someone with “retired” in her Twitter handle, which validates this gift’s interest to a retired individual.

Pros:

  • Retired people love shuffleboard
  • It has three five-star reviews, making a total of 15 stars
  • Fits the $88 budget precisely

Cons:

  • It looks really nice (yes, that’s a con in our case)
  • Fear of insinuating Dale Jr. is old
  • Tax and shipping might put us slightly over budget and we’ve already emptied our swear jars

We like the way you’re thinking, Kristen.

 

Bug-A-Salt, suggested by @LeadfootBeav

What could be more annoying than a fly buzzing around your head while you’re trying to slice up some bananas to put on your mayonnaise sandwich? It’s a nuisance that can be prevented through our fifth finalist for Dale Jr.’s retirement gift, the Bug-A-Salt. The Bug-A-Salt, suggested by @LeadfootBeav, describes itself as a device that “shoots a shotgun spray of regular table salt and decimates flies on contact.”

We’ve already seen what happens when Dale Jr. fires a blast of salt on Twitter, so we’re naturally excited to see what happens when armed with a plastic, actual-salt-firing device.

Plus, one of the Bug-A-Salt’s colors is priced at $83.49 — comfortably within our budget, even once we include a container of salt as a refill.

Pros:

  • It looks, as Trevor Bayne might say, neat as heck
  • Workable within our $88 budget
  • He probably doesn’t already have one

Cons:

  • Somebody might get hurt, and we like Amy
  • He might prank someone at the JR Motorsports office with it
  • Will likely result in the Earnhardt residence completely covered in granular salt

Thank you for the thoughtful suggestion, Darrell.

 

Now, we need you again.

We’ve got five fine finalists, but we need your input on which retirement gift we can send to Dale Jr. Please tweet us — @nascarcasm and @steveluvender — which of these gifts we choose, and we’ll commission an impartial third party to scientifically count the votes and determine a winner.

Vote for a finalist:

Thank you, citizens of NASCAR Twitter, for your participation and enthusiasm. We hope we make the right choice to send Dale Jr. off into the sunset the way we’d like.