Start time moved up for Charlotte Monster Energy Series playoff race

Posted on October 7, 2017October 20, 2017 by Staff Report

NASCAR competition officials and Charlotte Motor Speedway staff moved up the start time for Sunday’s Monster Energy Series race by one hour to 1:10 p.m. ET.

A high probability of inclement weather prompted officials Saturday morning to shift the schedule for the Bank of America 500 (NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the fourth event in the 10-race postseason. The 500-miler is the opener to the Round of 12, the second three-race phase of eliminations that will determine a series champion.

All other pre-race ceremonies have also been scheduled one hour earlier. Driver introductions will take place at 12:20 p.m. ET. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage will open at 7:30 a.m. ET, and spectator gates at the 1.5-mile track will open at 9 a.m. ET.

Denny Hamlin will lead the field to the green flag after winning the Coors Light Pole in Friday evening qualifying.

Posted on October 7, 2017October 20, 2017 by Nascar

CONCORD, N.C. — He’ll keep the car, but the helmet will go to his team owner.

That’s the season-ending scenario for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s 14-time most popular driver who steps away from full-time competition following this year’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway.

The race, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 19, will be the final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season and the final MENCS race of Earnhardt Jr.’s career.

At each stop along this year’s MENCS trail, tracks have presented the Hendrick Motorsports driver with a “parting gift” of some sort — Friday at CMS, track officials in conjunction with Speedway Children’s Charities announced the establishment of the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Concussion Research Fund at Levine Children’s Hospital and are launching the initiative with a $100,000 donation.

As Earnhardt Jr., soon to turn 43 and the son of seven-time champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame member Dale Earnhardt, eases toward the conclusion of one occupation, what’s happening with some of his own racing “memorabilia” such as the helmet he wore in his final Daytona 500? Or the fire suit he wore for his last start in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

“Well, if you want to know the truth, I only have one helmet and I’ve only used one helmet each year for a long time,” Earnhardt said Friday at CMS. “So, when people come asking for helmets, it is kind of hard to give them away because that is the only helmet I have from that season. And I like to keep it myself and store it away. So, I don’t have a whole lot of helmets floating around.”

Perhaps, he said, he should have taken a page from three-time series champion Tony Stewart, who had a number of helmets produced for his final year behind the wheel in ’16.

“I know that Tony was really smart wearing a different one each week; I probably should have done something like that,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “The Stilo’s (brand of helmet) I’ve got are $3,000-$5,000 apiece and I ain’t buying them. So, I just wear the same one all year.”

Uniforms are likewise less than abundant, he said, and used ones typically get cut into small pieces and included in trading cards or used in similar ways. Others might be donated for charitable causes.

“We get one or two and Hendrick (Motorsports) gets one or two, we split them,” he said. “And I like to keep one of those. I do give them to … usually I give the uniforms away to drivers for their charity events, Clint (Bowyer) called this week wanting one for his and so, we will give him a uniform out of our allotment.

“So, there is just not a lot of that stuff floating around.”

A special paint scheme will adorn the No. 88 Chevrolet for his final start and there will be a unique scheme for the helmet at Homestead as well. Barring any problems, Earnhardt said, the helmet will go to his boss and he’ll get to keep the car.

“That is our deal,” Earnhardt Jr. said of the agreement struck with team owner Rick Hendrick. “That is the same deal he had with Jeff (Gordon) … that Jeff gave him the helmet and Jeff got the car. And so, I think that is the same deal I’m going to get with Rick.”

Gordon, a four-time champion, retired at the end of the ’15 season.

Posted on October 6, 2017October 6, 2017 by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. – As he moves through his final season of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has had one consistent request — that gifts and recognition in his honor have a broader societal impact.

On Friday, Charlotte Motor Speedway honored Earnhardt’s wishes — and then some — with a gift of $100,000 to establish and underwrite the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Concussion Research Fund at the Carolinas Healthcare System’s Levine Children’s Hospital.

During two separate seasons, Earnhardt missed races because of concussion symptoms. In 2012 he was sidelined for two events, and last year he sat out the final 18 races after his symptoms from a wreck at Michigan worsened drastically in subsequent weeks.

During Friday’s presentation, the football team from Mooresville High School, Earnhardt’s alma mater, was ushered into the media center as part of the surprise.

“We have a lot of history with concussions and awareness and rehab and all that good stuff, so this is something that is actually very close to my heart,” Earnhardt said. “I hope to be able to continue to help others going forward. This is a great way to do that, so thanks again.”

MORE: Tracks’ farewell gifts for Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt didn’t play football at Mooresville. In fact, his Twitter profile lists him as “Former backup fullback for Mooresville Blue Devils varsity soccer.”

“I was four 4-feet-10-inches tall at the time,” Earnhardt said of the year he entered high school. “I think I was 5-foot-3 when I got my driver’s license. So I was real short, and we were driving by the football field — well, the practice field — and they were out there practicing, and I said, ‘I want to play football.’ And the guy said, ‘I’m going to take you down and introduce you to the soccer coach, because I don’t think you need to be playing football.’

“So I played soccer anyways. I got me a letter jacket and all that. We went to State and lost, but it was a lot of fun. I played one year, and I was the back-up, so I sat on the bench all year and I got to play a couple of games. We were a pretty good team, so we would get a big lead, I would get in a couple of games.”

Posted on October 6, 2017October 7, 2017 by Staff Report

Denny Hamlin set sail atop the leaderboard in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying Friday night, landing the Coors Light Pole Award at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Hamlin will guide the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota from the first starting position for Sunday’s Bank of America 500 (1 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM), the opening event in the Playoffs’ Round of 12. He turned a fast lap of 191.598 mph on the 1.5-mile track in the final round of knockout qualifying.

Hamlin’s first pole of the season was his second at Charlotte and the 25th of his Monster Energy Series career.

“It’s good, you always like to keep streaks alive,” said Hamlin, who now has at least one pole in the last six seasons and 12 of the 13 in his career. “Hadn’t had a pole this year and have had one every other year, but it’s good. We’ve been so close and we’ve made so many final rounds, been in the top five, but not as fast as our teammates. Today we adjusted on it, got it a little better each round and had some goodwill.”

Teammate Matt Kenseth will start second Sunday in the JGR No. 20 Toyota after posting a 191.489 mph lap. Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer completed the top five in time trials for the fourth of 10 postseason races for NASCAR’s premier series.

The opening 20-minute session included some drama, with a logjam in pre-qualifying inspection forcing several teams to hustle their cars to the starting grid. The Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota of Kyle Busch and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr. were among the final teams to exit the garage to make their qualifying passes.

Once Earnhardt took to the track for the final qualifying session of his full-time career, his lap came at the expense of his teammate Jimmie Johnson, the defending race winner. Johnson, a seven-time series champ, was bumped to the 25th starting spot for Sunday’s 500-miler, just missing the 24-driver cut line by a margin of .018 seconds.

“Multiple trips through inspection doesn’t help by any stretch,” Johnson told NBC Sports. “We just missed it. So, another frustrating Friday unfortunately. Back tomorrow and we’ll have to pass a bunch of cars Sunday. It sucks getting behind and starting the weekend behind, but it is what it is and we’ll have to go to work on Sunday.”

Erik Jones’ Furniture Row Racing No. 77 Toyota did not make it through the inspection line in time and did not post a qualifying speed. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate will start at the rear of the 40-car field, along with BK Racing teammates Corey LaJoie and Brett Moffitt, who also did not turn a qualifying lap.

Jones’ Furniture Row teammate, Martin Truex Jr., endured a milder setback in the second segment of qualifying, failing to make the 12-driver cut for the final round. Truex, a five-time winner this year and the leader in accumulated playoff points, will start 17th Sunday.

Two 50-minute practice sessions for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series are scheduled Saturday (11 a.m. ET, 1:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

Posted on October 6, 2017October 6, 2017 by Brad Norman

Three rookies rounded out the top three at the 7th annual Better Half Dash at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Jennifer Anderson, girlfriend of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Austin Wayne Self, celebrated in Victory Lane after topping Tammy Rice, wife of No. 11 Blake Koch crew chief Chris Rice, and Kate Tomanio, wife of NASCAR mechanic Trey Tomanio.

MORE: Better Half Dash competitors

“That was a tough, race” Anderson said following her win. “It’s been really fun getting to know these ladies throughout the past month and a half that we’ve been doing this. … The race was tough. It didn’t come easy. It was good that we were able to raise awareness for the Hermie and Elliott Sadler Foundation.”

In a 25-lap competition, drivers bumped and shoved their way to the finish line. Paige Keselowski, wife of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski, led most of the race after winning the pole.

Jennifer Anderson, who is also the younger sister of Camping World Truck Series driver Jordan Anderson, joked that she locked in her first victory before her boyfriend AND her older brother. Self was her spotter for the Better Half Dash.

🏁 pic.twitter.com/Fzf95kyq7c

— Jordan Anderson (@j66anderson) October 6, 2017

“The first thing I said over the radio was I got a win before you (Self) and Jordan this year,” Jennifer Anderson said. “I’ll hold that over them, too.”

The 11 women raised more than $40,000 for the Motor Racing Outreach, Speedway Children’s Charities and the other charities selected by each competitor. The Hermie and Elliott Sadler Foundation will receive $10,000 thanks to Anderson’s victory.

Posted on October 6, 2017October 7, 2017 by Nascar

Alex Bowman says he isn’t exactly rusty when it comes to racing but the 24-year-old is looking forward to climbing back behind the wheel this weekend when he competes for Chip Ganassi Racing in the organization’s No. 42 Chevrolet in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Honestly, some of it is I just wanted to go race; I’ve been sitting and not doing much on weekends,” Bowman admitted Thursday night during the unveiling of next season’s four Hendrick Motorsports Daytona 500 paint schemes.

Bowman will be in the No. 88 for HMS next year, stepping in for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who wraps up his full-time racing career at the close of the ’17 season.

He’ll be teammates with seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott and newcomer William Byron.

But in Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM) and next month at Phoenix Raceway, Bowman will be looking to keep Ganassi’s No. 42 entry atop the owner standings.

It’s a ride that has produced four victories this season — three with Cup standout Kyle Larson and a fourth with 21-year-old Tyler Reddick.

Mike Shiplett is the team’s crew chief. Ganassi has an alliance with HMS, hence the opportunity for Bowman to log some laps.

“I think it helps me a little bit just getting back in the car,” Bowman said. “Kind of like a refresher course a little bit. At the same time, I’ve been in the car quite a bit this season.”

Bowman has handled the bulk of the driver simulation for HMS this year, as well as all of the wheel force testing for Chevrolet. But he’s not been in a competitive situation on the track since a single start in the Camping World Truck Series earlier this season.

A 10-race stint in the No. 88 last year, while Earnhardt was recovering from a concussion, paved the way for Bowman to get the 2018 opportunity. Three finishes were inside the top 10, and he won the pole at Phoenix.

“I think if that hadn’t happened, my career path probably wouldn’t have gone the way that it went,” Bowman said. “I’m very thankful. Obviously I hate the circumstances. You never want that to happen to somebody in Dale’s position. But to have the opportunity to get in the car and show that I can compete and I can win races and I do deserve to be here, it completely changed my life.”

RELATED: Alex Bowman through the years

Bowman’s first start in a points race will come in the season-opening Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest single event. It’s also a race Earnhardt Jr. won twice – in 2004 with his family-owned Dale Earnhardt Inc., and again with Hendrick in 2014. Earnhardt has 26 career wins heading into Sunday’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte (1 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).

Bowman has 81 career starts in the Monster Energy Series and 50 on the XFINITY circuit. He said he has no qualms about following Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver for 14 consecutive years.

“I’m my own person; I’m not trying to be Dale Earnhardt Jr, I’m trying to be myself,” he said. “The thing I’m focused on most is going and winning races; the rest of it will come and I’m just really thankful to have the opportunity to do that. Hopefully the Jr. Nation will be still be rooting for the 88 on Sundays.”

Posted on October 6, 2017October 6, 2017 by Brad Norman

It’s now or never for the 12 NASCAR XFINITY Series playoff drivers hoping to secure a coveted spot in the Round of 8.

All eight spots are up for grabs after first-round races at Chicago and Dover — it all comes down to Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Once the checkered flag flies, the Round of 8 field will be set.

MORE: Full on-track schedule for Charlotte | XFINITY Playoff standings

Only two points separate Ryan Reed, driver of the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, who enters the race in eighth place in the playoff standings and Brendan Gaughan, driver of the No. 62 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, who is just below the cutoff line — and only 12 points separate 8th place and 11th place. Justin Allgaier is all but a lock, needing only 3 points to advance; but a win gives any of the 12 contenders a ticket to the next round.

“…This is as tight as it can get,” Reed said, just hours before the first practice session. “The entire season is on the line, coming down to one race. It makes for a lot of exciting (moments) and a lot of drama. I would rather not be the that’s one in the position, I would rather be watching from afar. … We just got to go out there and do a really good job all weekend. Execute.”

Below are the clinch scenarios for tomorrow’s NASCAR XFINITY Series playoff cut-off race; the win totals refer to wins in the Round of 12:

Justin Allgaier (0 Wins, 2107 Points) – Would clinch by scoring 3 Points.
William Byron (0 Wins, 2104 Points) – Would clinch by scoring 7 Points.
Elliott Sadler (0 Wins, 2094 Points) – Would clinch by scoring 17 Points.
Cole Custer (0 Wins, 2093 Points) – Would clinch by scoring 18 Points.
Daniel Hemric (0 Wins, 2090 Points) – Would clinch by scoring 21 Points.
Brennan Poole (0 Wins, 2082 Points) – Would clinch by scoring 28 Points.
Matt Tifft (0 Wins, 2067 Points) – Would clinch by scoring 44 Points.

Ryan Reed, Brendan Gaughan, Michael Annett, Blake Koch and Jeremy Clements can only guarantee a clinched spot in the Round of 8 with a win.

Posted on October 6, 2017October 7, 2017 by Staff Report

Kyle Larson clocked the fastest lap in an eventful first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Larson powered the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet to a best lap of 192.082 mph on the 1.5-mile track in the opening on-track preparation for Sunday’s Bank of America 500 (1 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The race is the opening event in the Playoffs’ Round of 12.

Ryan Newman landed the second-fastest lap at 191.442 mph in the Richard Childress Racing No. 31 Chevrolet. Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott completed the top five in the 85-minute opening session.

Kyle Busch, the winner of the series’ last two races, had the most adventurous practice session of the 38 drivers to post speeds. At the one-hour mark, Busch was called to the NASCAR competition hauler for consultation after driving a portion of the pit road in reverse. His No. 18 Toyota overshot the entrance to the garage area, and he backed up to make his entry.

With just 10 minutes left in the session, Busch scraped the Turn 4 wall. He limped back to the garage having earned the 17th spot on the practice leaderboard.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. completed four laps before making significant contact with the Turn 4 wall, just before the practice was four minutes old. His Hendrick Motorsports crew prepped a reserve No. 88 Chevrolet, and he returned to the track later in the afternoon ahead of what’s expected to the final Charlotte start of his full-time career. He ended up 26th on the practice leaderboard.

MORE: Keselowski hits the wall | Dale Jr. scrapes Turn 4 wall early

Playoff contender Brad Keselowski also spun in Turn 4, salvaging heavy damage on his Team Penske No. 2 Ford. Keselowski was 20th-fastest on the practice chart.

Seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, the race’s defending winner, was 15th-fastest in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet.

Coors Light Pole Qualifying is scheduled Friday evening (7:20 p.m. ET, NBCSN) for the fourth of 10 races in the NASCAR Playoffs.

Posted on October 6, 2017October 7, 2017 by Nascar

CONCORD, N.C. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. will make his last start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a backup car.

The driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports had run just four laps here Friday when his car shot up the track and into the wall.

Earnhardt was not injured; the car, however, was damaged badly enough that his crew quickly began unloading a backup entry and prepping it for practice and qualifying here today at CMS.

Earnhardt said the car slid up the track when he drove through the adhesive compound put down by track officials. The resin has been used by a handful of tracks this season to help create more lane options and enhance competition.

“We’re out there running laps and I put the rights in that stuff and the car just went in the fence,” Earnhardt said when interviewed by NBCSN. “Blew a right front tire.

“Have to get another car out and see how that works out. I think I’m fine. The car is junk. It was actually driving pretty good but the backup will be just as good.

“It’s just disappointing, man. I don’t know. That stuff out there on the track, it ain’t good right now; I wouldn’t touch it.”

Earnhardt said he wasn’t sure why officials used the substance this weekend as CMS prepares to host Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race and Sunday’s Bank of America 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

The BOA 500 (1 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR) is the first race of the Round of 12 in this year’s championship-determining Playoff.

“I don’t even know why they sprayed it down, we’re going to run this race in the daytime; it ain’t like we needed any help getting the top worked in,” he said. “That was more to help this place at night. If you can’t even run in it without plowing into the fence, what good is it?”

Posted on October 6, 2017October 6, 2017 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 6, 2017) – NASCAR and The Weather Company, an IBM Business (NYSE: IBM), announced today a multi-year agreement that will optimize the weather-related decision process for NASCAR as it incorporates hyper-local weather data and forecasts into their races to improve race-day operations and fan engagement. As part of the agreement, The Weather Company, via The Weather Channel brand, becomes the Official Weather Partner of NASCAR.

In collaboration with Flagship Solutions Group, The Weather Company will provide critical weather information to NASCAR through an advanced weather insights dashboard developed by Flagship that will be integrated into NASCAR’s racing operations and decision support system. Additionally, The Weather Channel will work with NASCAR on educational content, which will present fans with information on things like how weather impacts vehicle performance.

“There is an enormous amount of logistics and planning needed to support a NASCAR race, but the one thing we do not have control over is weather,” said Elton Sawyer, NASCAR vice president, officiating and technical inspection. “This partnership with The Weather Company and Flagship Solutions Group will provide NASCAR access to critical information that can improve race operations and help minimize delays, while improving the race day experience for millions of our loyal fans.”

Through this partnership, NASCAR will now have access to The Weather Company’s world-renowned weather data, as well as direct input from an onsite personal weather station, at each race. The Weather Company produces the most accurate forecast for more than 2 billion locations around the world every 15 minutes. NASCAR will incorporate hyper-local weather data and forecasts into their races to improve race-day operations and fan engagement.

“Every business needs a weather strategy – and this is especially true for a partner like NASCAR where every race has the potential to be impacted by weather,” said Bill Dow, head of media and entertainment for The Weather Company. “Having access to the most accurate, precise, and hyperlocal weather information positions NASCAR to make more informed and timely, critical business decisions that impact race day operations, as well as improve planning for future events that will help drive their success.”

The Weather Track, a real-time, weather insights dashboard, developed on the IBM Cloud and leveraging Flagship Solutions’ trademarked Infralytics™ methodology, will provide critical information including rain start and stop times, wind speed, lightning proximity, tornado/flash flood warnings, and more to help organizers optimize each event. Longer term, NASCAR plans to use weather forecasting and analytics to help improve planning.