Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso to compete in Rolex 24

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Holly Cain

Two-time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso will be competing alongside the world’s best sports car drivers in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway’s road course on Jan. 27-28, 2018, the United Autosports team announced Thursday.

Alonso will be part of the team’s two-car prototype effort in the WeatherTech Championship’s lead class, co-driving a Ligier LM P2 with Lando Norris, a McLaren development driver, and Phil Hanson, the reigning Asian LeMans Series LM P3 champion.

“What an exciting and interesting project,” Alonso said. “Learning about a completely new racing category, adapting to a different car and to another style of driving and everything that goes with it, is a new challenge for me and I can’t wait to test myself again as a driver.

“The Daytona 24 Hours is the most iconic U.S. endurance race and one of the world’s great races. Everyone knows it.”

This is not only Alonso’s first entry in the esteemed Rolex 24, it’s his first try in any of America’s premier endurance races. In May, the versatile driver earned Rookie of the Race honors in his Indianapolis 500 debut, where he started fifth and led 27 laps before his car’s engine failed, relegating him to a 29th-place finish.

The 36-year old Spaniard won back-to-back F1 titles in 2005-06 and has won 36 grand prix races since debuting in the series in 2003.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Fernando Alonso to IMSA competition in the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” IMSA President Scott Atherton said. “It’s not possible to overstate the significance of this news. There is no question that with his Formula 1 experience and how competitive he was at the Indianapolis 500, he will be an immediate contender for the Rolex 24 victory.”

Alsonso and the United Autosports team will participate in the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 test days on Jan. 5-7, 2018 in Daytona Beach.

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Staff Report

This weekend at iconic Martinsville Speedway, the “Gray Ghost” will ride again. This time Dale Earnhardt Jr. will indeed be behind the wheel.

Junior’s personal history with this particular paint scheme dates back to 1980. Buddy Baker won the Daytona 500 that year in a black-and-silver entry that a young Earnhardt Jr. (he was 5 at the time of Baker’s win) never could quite get out of his head.

The car was named the “Gray Ghost,” a reflection of its color scheme, which blended in with the racing surface of the track and its apparent ability to appear out of nowhere, speeding past unsuspecting rivals at a moment’s notice.

“He just seemed to be a great match with the car,” Earnhardt Jr. said last year. “They were just so good, so fast. When they won the Daytona 500 after such a devastating loss after 1979 — they were the greatest thing down there, nobody could touch them throughout the entire weekend and then they didn’t even really get to race.

“And then they went back in ’80 and won, it was pretty neat; I know that was pretty special for Buddy to get that win. You can tell in some of the interviews from back then how important the Daytona 500 win was to him.”

Prior to the 2016 Darlington throwback race, Earnhardt Jr. unveiled a Nationwide-sponsored car that paid homage to the “Gray Ghost.”

He never got to run it.

Lingering effects from a concussion forced the Hendrick Motorsports driver to sit out Darlington that year. Instead, Earnhardt Jr. watched as Jeff Gordon drove the No. 88 to a 14th-place finish in a substitute driver role.

For his final full-time season as a driver, Earnhardt Jr. and Nationwide held a fan poll to determine Earnhardt Jr.’s livery for the Martinsville fall race (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The winner? The “Gray Ghost,” which would appear to delight Junior, who responded to a @NASCAR Instagram post in kind — check out his comment below (we’ve highlighted his user name).

“Martinsville this weekend should be a lot of fun. We’ve got the Gray Ghost — I appreciate everybody voting for that paint scheme so I can run it,” Earnhardt Jr. said earlier this week on his podcast. “I didn’t get to drive that car last year and I love that car, so I may have swayed the vote because I went on social media and said, ‘That’s the one I’d love to run.’ I’m excited to get the opportunity to drive that car this weekend. Martinsville is a great track for us. I love the short tracks and short-track racing.”

The old-school, black-and-silver scheme belongs perfectly at the oldest track on the NASCAR circuit, a facility that celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.

Imagine how it would look under the lights …

Posted on October 26, 2017October 26, 2017 by Staff Report

The Round of 8 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs starts Sunday at Martinsville (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio), and it’s the first chance a driver will have to win his way into the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The field features four former champions in Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. But for the long-term future of NASCAR, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney offer a glimpse into the larger-than-life possibilities that could lie ahead.

The two young stars have turned heads all year and have the opportunity to do so again when they take their early-20s selves to the oldest track on the NASCAR circuit.

Which young driver is going to shake up the old guard, at the old track, and steal a spot in the season finale? George Winkler and Kelly Crandall have their picks and are ready to rough it up, short-track style.

Winkler: If “We’re going to Homestead!” is in play, it helps to have Jeff Gordon, who coined that phrase, in your corner. And that’s exactly what Chase Elliott has with the four-time champion giving him pointers at the recent Martinsville test. In addition to this, Elliott has enjoyed success at Texas Motor Speedway, the second stop in the Round of 8 where he grabbed his first career victory in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and has an average finish of sixth place in the Monster Energy Series. Three runner-up finishes in these playoffs have been frustrating for sure, but they also could be a sign that a big breakthrough win is just around the corner.

Crandall: Ryan Blaney is quietly getting the job done. Sure, Elliott has been the flashier of the two in the playoffs, but the No. 21 team has four top-11 finishes in six playoff races and 30 laps led in the last two weeks. More importantly, Blaney has the speed to run up front and has picked up stage points — and a stage win — in recent weeks. In other words, Blaney is coming on strong when it matters most, like when he rallied from the rear of the field at Kansas to finish third. Martinsville will likely be a battle for Blaney & Co., but they have momentum on their side.

RELATED: Hear Blaney’s latest podcast

Posted on October 25, 2017October 26, 2017 by Nascar

It will be months before Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. makes his first official start for Richard Petty Motorsports as a full-time competitor in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Wallace, 24, was named the 2018 driver of the legendary No. 43 on Wednesday.

Announcing the hiring of Wallace was just one piece of the organization’s latest puzzle. Still to be determined are such top-shelf items as sponsorship, manufacturer support and potential team alliance.

On Wednesday, co-owner Richard Petty said announcements concerning sponsorship will be made “later on,” there are “options” as far as manufacturer alignment is concerned and that decision will dictate any possible alignment with another organization.

RPM officials announced in September that current driver Aric Almirola and primary sponsor Smithfield would not return to the organization for 2018.

On the manufacturer front, the group has fielded Ford entries since 2010.

“We are doing one thing at a time,” Petty, 80, said Wednesday. “We decided just to go ahead and get Bubba all signed up, get that behind us, so that we can then sit down and say, ‘OK, what is our next best move?’

“Bubba will be involved in that part of it, too, because he’s going to be a big, big part of RPM for the coming years. … Again, there’s a bunch of irons in the fire. There’s going to be a bunch of different things that we’re going to do. When you see us at Daytona … it’s going to be a completely different RPM than what it’s been in the past.”

Wallace made four starts in the No. 43 earlier this year while Almirola was recuperating from a back injury, recording a best finish of 11th (at Kentucky). He is a six-time winner in the Camping World Truck Series; he competed with Roush Fenway Racing in the XFINITY Series and was fourth in that series’ points standings when the team was shut down in June.

“If you look back through NASCAR history, you’ll find out that (every) 10 or 12 years a crowd comes through,” Petty said. “You know, [David] Pearson, [Cale] Yarborough, [Richard] Petty came through. Then the next crowd comes up with Darrell [Waltrip], [Dale] Earnhardt. Then Jeff Gordon comes through, Jimmie Johnson’s crowd comes through.”

NASCAR is going through another cycle, he said, and “We wanted to be part of that change this time.

“We felt like then you have the new drivers, a bunch of new drivers, coming into Cup … that Bubba has already raced with for the last 10 or 12 years,” Petty said. “There are probably six or eight of them to come up together. Now they’ve made it to the Cup Series.

“We wanted to be involved in that part of it, felt like that Bubba was going to be our best bet to be right up to the cutting edge of what’s going on.”

Posted on October 25, 2017June 22, 2021 by Staff Report

Like father, like son?

Brexton Busch, son of Kyle Busch, is wheelin’ and dealin’ just like his dad … except instead of a race track he’s burning rubber in his neighborhood. He even checks under the hood to make sure everything is in order.

😂 @brextonbusch working on his burnout technique, I think he’s got this! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/GzBSiBUy0z

— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) October 25, 2017

The toddler is already a crowd pleaser, and it’s clear he has the whole ‘celebrating a win’ down in his Lightning McQueen car.

Will we see Brexton Busch holding a trophy in Victory Lane one day? From this video, his technique might even be better than some of his dad’s competitors — let the ‘Rowdy’ legacy live on.

Posted on October 25, 2017October 25, 2017 by Darrell Wallace Jr.

No. 43.

There’s just so much history behind it.

But beyond that, it’s a family.

Ever since I got the call that I was going to drive the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2018, it’s been totally different than any other team I’ve been with. Brian Moffitt is the CEO, and he’s Richard Petty’s son-in-law, and his daughter Rebecca helps run the deal — and I’ve already met their kids. Pretty much everybody at RPM is a Petty and I’m loving it.

Even my girlfriend Amanda got to witness that dynamic. We went up to a team dinner the other night and she told me after, ‘Wow, it’s crazy how they’re already kind of taking you under their wing.’

It makes you feel good and it’s special, for sure. It’s more like a family that just happens to own a race team.

• • •

It’s been a roller coaster ride to get to this point.

Sponsorship talks had me going from Cloud 9 to the lowest low, which my mom and Amanda got to hear all about. When a sponsor deal fell through, I felt like someone just punched me in the gut. It kind of just took all the breath out of me.

So, getting the call a few weeks ago that we were back to a full season in the No. 43 was huge. It’s a great opportunity for me, but it was also a huge decision. I had a couple options on the table and was trying to figure out which path to follow. Before signing the deal, I dialed up three guys who know racing pretty well; Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick.

They gave me some great advice; Kyle and Jimmie were trying to figure out the logistics of it all and encouraging me to do some research. Harvick has been a support system for a while. He actually reached out to me two years ago to say he was there for me and that I had some support when the times were a little tough.

When I was in the midst of figuring out my next steps, I remember telling him, ‘Man this is just a risk.’ But then he said, ‘Whoa, you already took the risk, buddy, years ago when you left Joe Gibbs Racing — that was your risk right there. If you hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t be on this phone call with me right now, so don’t think this is a risk – it’s just the next step and it’s all going to unfold for you right here.’

Scott Hunter | NASCAR

Nothing like a Monster Energy Series champ to bestow some words of wisdom on ya like that!

I thought it was pretty special for him to say that. He’s been a big influencer on me and it has been awesome to have him in my corner. (I’ve just got to make sure I don’t get into him on the track come next season because that friendship might go away.)

• • •

Looking ahead to 2018, I’m really hoping that I can do some great things in the car. But I’m also hoping to do some good outside the car, as well.

As the first full-time African-American NASCAR driver in the premier series since Wendell Scott drove in the ’60s and ’70s, I hope this really opens the eyes and the ears of African-American business owners and the African-American demographic in regards to racing.

I’m biracial. I have black in me and that will never go away, that will never change. I’m always different, and I’ve embraced that.

It’s special that I have an opportunity to make a difference in the sport — not everyone has that platform. I really hope this step will help NASCAR grow as a sport and really just take off from there.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

So, when the Daytona 500 rolls around in February, it’s going to be a big day for me, one that I’ll probably always remember for many reasons. I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself, because that’s what I’ve always done with season debuts and it tends to bite me.

But the close-knit atmosphere at Richard Petty Motorsports lets me know that even if I do have a bad race or day, they’ll be there for me.

Because that’s what family does.

MORE: Bubba’s career highlights | Wallace will keep dazzling us

Posted on October 25, 2017October 25, 2017 by Staff Report

RELATED: More on Champion’s Week

The full Champion’s Week schedule from Nov. 28-30 is out, and sharp-eyed fans will notice a different type of event this year.

On Tuesday, Nov. 28, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will host an Appreci88ion event with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Presented by Nationwide, the evening with Junior is a special celebration of Earnhardt Jr.’s storied driving career.

Taking place at Rose. Rabbit. Lie., the event is exclusive to fans and starts at 9 p.m. local time and will feature surprise guests from Earnhardt’s career, a fitting final week for a man whose legacy includes a bevy of fans that make up Junior Nation.

MORE: Get tickets for this event

“I can’t imagine a better send-off than by spending time with people who made this career possible,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “That’s what this night in Las Vegas will be about. We’ll laugh. We’ll reminisce. We’ll be surrounded by fans. It’s the perfect finale made better in that 100 percent of the proceeds will go to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.”

Fans attending Champion’s Week also will see a retooled NASCAR After the Lap program on Wednesday, Nov. 29 (the show runs from 8-11 p.m. local time at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan). The yearly show is a fan favorite, with drivers rolling up their sleeves and letting their collective guard down. There are sure to be multiple moments that go viral on social media — maybe you’ll be in one of them.

After the Lap takes on added meaning this year with all ticket proceeds from the event benefiting the Vegas Strong Fund, which assists victims of last month’s shooting and strengthens the Las Vegas community.

This year, the fan event will feature a concert by country music star Lee Brice, along with a live, on-stage episode of the Glass Case of Emotion podcast, hosted by Ryan Blaney.

The full Champion’s Week schedule is available here. Highlights include the return of the NASCAR Fan Lounge at Beerhaus, the champions’ meet-and-greet on Tuesday where all three national series champions meet for a fan Q&A, NASCAR Victory Lap Fueled by Sunoco for some burnouts on the strip and the culmination of the week Thursday, Nov. 30, with the annual Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards.

Posted on October 25, 2017June 22, 2021 by Holly Cain

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. has been considered one of NASCAR’s top young talents for years now — well before the sport’s biggest icon, Richard Petty, signed the 24-year-old driver to a contract this week for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

Long before he was showing off his goods in a Monster Energy Series car as a substitute driver for Aric Almirola, he was stunning fans and dropping the jaws of his competitors, moving up the stock-car ranks from the K&N Series to the Camping World Truck Series to the XFINITY Series.

I remember interviewing him four years ago at Dover International Speedway. He was racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and its garage was a good walk away from the Cup stars, the television cameras and media stomping grounds that dominate the weekend.

Standing just outside his truck was a smiling Wallace, excited about some opportunities he had just earned. It seemed at the time his rise would be swift.

He won the pole and finished runner-up in the K&N race that day. Then getting a huge opportunity in one of Joe Gibbs Racing’s XFINITY cars, Wallace won the pole as a rookie at Dover, too.

Like nearly anybody at all who has had a conversation with Wallace, watched his interviews and appreciated his talent, I always knew it would simply be a matter of “when” he got his big break.

But he’s earned his big chance, and it will be good for him and good for NASCAR — not just because he provides diversity as an African-American young man, but because he is talented and can win.

Blessed with great potential and a big personality, Wallace has never seemed to be wrapped up in social condition. He has always just wanted to race, content to earn his way into stock-car racing’s big time, never “expecting” anything based on anything other than what he did with a stock car or — given the right situation — what he could do with a stock car.

He’s candid, emotional and honest after a race — win or lose. And his ability to drive a race car has absolutely nothing to do with the color of his skin.

If his presence in NASCAR inspires others, then that is truly the cherry on top.

Wallace is a sponsor’s dream — extremely competitive and also young, hip, fun and eloquent. And especially this year, he will likely garner attention because of the historic nature of his presence.

The good news for him and for the Petty team is he will earn that attention because he is first and foremost, a talented race car driver with plenty of good things ahead.

He has earned this opportunity. It’s going to be fun watching him make the most out of it.

Posted on October 25, 2017October 25, 2017 by Nascar

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr., who made four starts this year for Richard Petty Motorsports as a relief driver, will compete full-time for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series organization in 2018.

RPM officials announced the move Wednesday.

Wallace will replace Aric Almirola, who is leaving at the end of the 2017 season after a six-year stint driving the team’s iconic No. 43.

It was an injury to Almirola earlier this year that briefly put Wallace in the seat of the No. 43. He finished inside the top 20 in three of his four starts, including a best of 11th at Kentucky.

The four-race effort was an eye-opening experience, Wallace told NASCAR.com

“I didn’t know what the Cup Series was about,” he said. “I knew it was taking the next step. I didn’t know how big that step was. …

“Look at XFINITY and Trucks stats, I’m one of the most aggressive drivers out there on restarts. I take pride in that. I thought what I was going to bring to the table was somewhat enough. It barely put a dent in what you need to bring to the Cup Series. That’s to run 20th and I’m like ‘Holy cow!’ ”

Wallace is a six-time winner in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series with 45 starts. He made 85 starts in the XFINITY Series, including a dozen this year for Roush Fenway Racing before officials there shuttered the team. Wallace was fourth in points at the time.

A graduate of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, Wallace is the second African-American driver to win in one of NASCAR’s three national series. NASCAR Hall of Fame member Wendell Scott scored one victory in NASCAR’s top series on Dec. 1, 1963.

Wallace will be the 10th driver to pilot the No. 43 full-time since Petty, a seven-time champion and winner of a NASCAR record 200 races, stepped out of the car in November of 1992. Petty was one of the five inaugural members inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

“I think that’s pretty bad-ass, actually,” Wallace said of competing for such a legendary figure and family. “It’s so unique and I think there is a lot of history to unfold behind that between myself and him. The combination there is really just, I think, a dream come true and just a marketing dream for sure.”

Almirola won once while with RPM; he is only 33, but Petty says Wallace brings a bit of youth to the group.

“And he’s had pretty much success about everywhere he’s been,” Petty said. “We feel like he’s got enough experience to come into Cup racing and after running 3-4 races with us, we said ‘This (is) liable to be a good combination.’ ”

Success has been hard to come by for the organization in recent years, with only four wins coming since Petty’s retirement. Bobby Hamilton won twice for the group while John Andretti and Almirola each won once.

CAIN: Wallace earns his spotlight and will keep dazzling us

Almirola’s victory at Daytona in July of ’14 earned him a berth in the NASCAR Playoffs. But he finished 17th in points the following year and 26th last season. He is currently 29th after missing seven races due to a back injury suffered in May at Kansas Speedway.

Previously a two-car organization, RPM cut back to a single entry beginning in 2017.

“We are not a winning team right now,” Petty said. “We can’t put somebody in it and expect them to win the race. So we put Bubba in the car and say ‘OK we have to get consistent.’ We’ll work on getting in the top 15. We get that settled and we’ll go to 10 and just work your way up. And we feel like Bubba can do that.”

The Petty family has been involved in NASCAR since the very beginning — Richard’s father Lee, also a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, competed in the very first Strictly Stock race held in 1949 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“I don’t know that it’s that important for (NASCAR) to have the (Petty) name,” Petty said. “We’ve been here 68 years I guess, since 1949. Always been involved.”

BRUCE: Petty turns 80, but still ‘The King’ in so many ways

The 2018 changes will likely keep him showing up at the track, something he’s done nearly every weekend since those early days working for his father.

“I think with the coming deal, I sat down and said ‘you’re 80 years old. If you’re ever going to do anything, you better get involved,’ ” he said. “I think I’ll get more involved this coming year than what I’ve been in the past.”

While Wallace earned high marks for his brief time in the car earlier this season, he knows next year will be a different situation with different expectations.

“I think things went so well for me in these four races because I just kind of relaxed and let everything come to me,” Wallace said. “… All the stars need to be in line to win races and run well. You can’t make those stars be aligned. Sometimes it’s your day, sometimes it’s not. Coming to accept that was the biggest thing I think out of those four races that I learned.

“I’ll go into Daytona with fingers crossed and eyes open wide.”

Posted on October 25, 2017January 21, 2022 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Soon after the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ champion is crowned at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup will head to Las Vegas as NASCAR hosts its annual Champion’s Week festivities. Fans will gather in Las Vegas for events honoring the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Playoff Drivers, Sunoco Rookie of the Year and other season-ending award recipients.

Beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 28 and culminating Thursday, Nov. 30, NASCAR Champion’s Week will feature the annual NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Myers Brothers Awards at the Wynn Las Vegas as well as the return of the NASCAR Fan Lounge at Beerhaus located at The Park, situated between New York-New York Hotel & Casino and Monte Carlo Resort and Casino.

This year, a special celebration of the storied driving career of Dale Earnhardt Jr. “Appreci88ion An Evening with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Presented by Nationwide” will take place at Rose. Rabbit. Lie. at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 28. The exclusive fan event will feature surprise guests from Earnhardt’s career with proceeds benefitting Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs drivers will take to the famed Las Vegas Strip when they get behind the wheel of their race cars for NASCAR Victory Lap Fueled by Sunoco on Wednesday, Nov 29. Fans will be treated to burnouts along Las Vegas Blvd. at the Spring Mountain Rd. and Harmon Ave. intersections before finishing with a post-lap driver tell-all on Toshiba Plaza outside T-Mobile Arena. The event will be simulcast live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and NASCAR.com.

NASCAR and live music rev up the Las Vegas night at NASCAR After The Lap Supporting the Vegas Strong Fund, Wednesday, Nov. 29 at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. This year, the fan event will feature a concert by country music star Lee Brice and the first-ever live-on-stage episode of Glass Case of Emotion, with Ryan Blaney as a host and guests to include Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff drivers. VIP areas hosted by event sponsors, Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota will feature appearances by Playoff drivers. All ticket proceeds from this event will benefit the Vegas Strong Fund assisting victims & strengthening the Las Vegas community.

Festivities will conclude with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards, a star-studded event featuring the Champion, 16 Playoff drivers and a fan red carpet at Wynn Las Vegas. NBCSN presents this year’s awards on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 9 p.m. ET, while Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, will carry the award show live beginning at 8 p.m. ET.