Posted on by George Winkler

It’s beginning to look a lot like … not Christmas, but the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season at Hendrick Motorsports.

The team revealed on Twitter a new look at its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, and let’s just say this for Chase Elliott fans, they’ve got your number!

In addition, new teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman got their picture taken.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 7, 2017) — NASCAR and Whelen Engineering, Inc. announced today multi-year extensions to continue its entitlement sponsorship of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series through 2024. Additionally, Whelen will also extend its designation as the “Official Warning Lights of NASCAR.”

“More than a decade of successful partnership has resulted in Whelen Engineering being deeply connected to many levels of our sport,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series are critical to reaching fans, developing talent and delivering great racing both domestically and abroad.”

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR’s oldest division of racecars, is the premiere asphalt modified circuit in the nation. With a history dating back to Daytona Beach in 1948, the tour features a mix of passionate, veteran drivers with emerging young talent and includes races from New England to South Carolina.

“Whelen Engineering has played a big role in NASCAR for many years and we are ecstatic to continue to support the sport with this extended relationship,” said Phil Kurze, Whelen Engineering vice president of motorsports. “Our ability to build brand and product recognition nationally and internationally due to our partnership helps drive our business and reach new customers.”

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, the official NASCAR series based in Europe, has global appeal with 21 nations represented. Since becoming a NASCAR touring series in 2012 and obtaining the Whelen entitlement in July 2013, U.S. drivers such as Bobby Labonte, Jeffrey Earnhardt and Ben Kennedy have competed abroad. NASCAR Whelen Euro Series cars are also featured in the annual international Race of Champions.

MORE: Ulysses Delsaux finds home behind the wheel

“The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series is honored to have Whelen Engineering continue its title sponsorship,” said Jerome Galpin, NASCAR Euro Series president. “Whelen has helped NASCAR introduce exciting, door-to-door, American racing to a passionate motorsports fan base in Europe and we look forward to growing the series together in the years to come.”

A 10-year renewal with the NASCAR Hall of Fame as the title sponsor of the “Whelen Hall of Champions” was also announced today. Since opening in 2014, the exhibit has honored nearly 600 national and regional championships from the sport’s current and past series. The Hall also houses the “Everyday Champions” display, which honors first responders from across the country.

“We are thrilled with the multiyear extension of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s partnership with Whelen Engineering. Through the Whelen Hall of Champions exhibit, we recognize every national and touring series champion in NASCAR history to date,” said Winston Kelley, NASCAR Hall of Fame executive director. “The ceremonial unveiling each year in association with the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and NASCAR Touring Series banquet has become a celebrated moment for this partnership.”

Whelen Engineering is a leading manufacturer of automotive, aviation, industrial and emergency vehicle lighting. In addition to its entitlement, Whelen will continue to showcase their products across NASCAR tracks and pace cars.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will honor their champions at the NASCAR Home Tracks Champions Awards on Friday, Dec. 8 at North Carolina’s Charlotte Convention Center.

Posted on by Kathy Sheldon

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — William Byron stared back at the hundreds of people who stood and filled the ballroom with cheers and claps.

That standing ovation? It was for him.

And in that moment, the 20-year-old was reminded once more why he had put in that extra hour of practice or got up early one morning to train a little harder. The men and women congratulating him want to see him succeed — and he plans on doing just that.

On Tuesday, the Mecklenburg County Boy Scouts of America honored Byron, who is member of the organization as well as a prestigious Eagle Scout, with the Good Scout Award.

“It allows me to think back on the hard work that it took to get to this point, and that it’s all paying off,” Byron told NASCAR.com. “All the things that my mentors and coaches taught me to hold important are paying off, and I have really enjoyed it. I’ve learned how to be a leader and be respectful and hold others accountable as well as myself. … (Boy Scouts) allowed me to have confidence in myself and then go into racing and use my skills on the track.”

The award Byron received recognizes members in the Charlotte community who exemplify what it means to represent and serve the organization at a high level. To receive the accolade at such a young age isn’t lost on Byron, who credits the Boy Scouts of America as a key reason to why he has risen so quickly through the NASCAR ranks.

Having the opportunity to come back to his hometown and share the moment with family and mentors is something the driver won’t forget anytime soon either.

“I have a job and a role that is a little different, and a little more public than some other guys, but it’s just the same,” he said. “It’s the same hard work that it takes for any job. It’s paid off to have these people support me around here in the community of Charlotte. I’ve been able to take my talents and passion and grow that to a broader audience.

“That’s what humbles me is seeing all the kids that are starting out just like I did and dream of racing a car or being a fireman or just being a business man. It’s cool to pursue your passions.”

Byron has been on a champion’s roller coaster without much time to catch his breath over the last few weeks. Time is moving faster and faster for the talented rising star, but that’s just the way he likes it because he isn’t quite done accomplishing what he has set out to do.

“It’s been a whirlwind of a month,” he said. “Everything from Phoenix, to winning, to going to Homestead with a shot to win a championship and then winning it there was really cool. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. …This year has been a dream come true. Next year is just an incredible opportunity to drive the No. 24.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Kahne’s 2017 season in review | Kahne’s wins | Kahne through the years

Kasey Kahne spent much of his final trip to Las Vegas as a Hendrick Motorsports driver duly celebrating his time with the championship team and eagerly anticipating a big change in his career: A move to the single-car Leavine Family Racing operation for the 2018 season.

The week was a festive time of good memories and frequent assurances that more good times are coming.

“Truthfully, I was fine if the season kept going a little longer,” Kahne, 37, said with a big smile. “I enjoy a lot of the guys on my team, a lot of the people at (Hendrick) so I was having fun working with those guys.

“You always want better performance, but we had that at times. So it was an all-right ending and a lot of good friends there that will carry on as we start something new.”

Kahne finished out his six-year, six-win tenure in the Hendrick No. 5 Chevrolet with a playoff run that ended in the Round of 16, but gave a glimpse of why this year’s Brickyard 400 winner has been a contender in NASCAR’s highest levels.

The team brought in Darian Grubb to serve as crew chief in the final nine races. While a pair of finishes outside the top 20 in the opening two playoff races put the team in a hole, Kahne did rebound with a pair of top 10s after he was eliminated — ninth place (Charlotte) and eighth place (Talladega) during the playoff stretch.

RELATED: See Kahne’s 2017 season race-by race

It’s all been good preparation for a fresh start next year and Kahne said he’s already been to his new digs to meet his new team and start prepping the car for his LFR debut in the Feb. 18 Daytona 500.

“This week I went over there, once we start getting seats and things I’ll be over more and more involved, making sure everything is how I want it,” Kahne said. “I’m already starting to learn the people, learn the names and start making some relationships.”

In the meantime, Kahne said he will simultaneously be cherishing the downtime and looking forward to preparing for the 2018 season – changes and all.

“I’m going to do Chili Bowl and look forward to the holidays with (son) Tanner, go to the beach and watch him learn the holidays a bit,” Kahne said. “It will be fun.  Then it’s about putting the time in. I hope we’ll do the Vegas [preseason] test, so as long as we get that, it will help a lot. I love racing. That’s about all I think about other than Tanner.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Recap Johnson’s 2017 season | Jimmie through the years

Last year as a newly crowned seven-time champion, Jimmie Johnson spent much of the offseason at his new home in Colorado – skiing, getting his young daughters up on snowboards and generally enjoying the good times and just rewards of having cemented his legendary status in the sport.

This offseason, following a 10th-place finish in the points standings, will feel and look much different Johnson said last week during NASCAR’s Champion’s Week in Las Vegas.

“Last year we knew was pretty unique in being able to spend five full months out there [in Colorado] in a row,’’ Johnson said. “This year we won’t do that, we’ll just go out for holiday seasons and maybe West Coast swings, things like that.

“I’m sad I won’t be there as much but it was a lot easier last year after a championship. With the poor finish we just had, we need to buckle down and get to work.’’

A tough second half of the season relegated the 2016 champion to an early exit from the ’17 playoffs. His last top-10 finish of the year came at Charlotte (seventh) with six races remaining in the schedule and he closed out the season with a highly uncharacteristic stretch of 27th, 39th and 27th–place finishes – ultimately placing the No. 48 team at the bottom of the top 10 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings.

Although he started the season strong, leading the series with three wins by spring, 2017 marked the first time in Johnson’s 16-year full-time career he did not win a race after the start of summer. His 217 laps led marked a career low.

“I feel like the way the last quarter of the season went for us was below our expectations and certainly our fans and probably even the people reporting on the sport,’’ Johnson reflected. “It is unfair to always expect us to win a championship but I think being competitive and leading laps and challenging for wins … that’s a fair expectation and we just didn’t do that at the end of the year.

“That wasn’t easy to deal with. I had a good couple weeks, kinda relaxing after Homestead but then next week will be a work week, time to get back in the shop. I’m ready to get back to work.”

As Johnson spoke with reporters, the disappointment was palpable, but so was the passion to return to the winning ways modern NASCAR has become accustomed to seeing out of this No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team. It’s hard to consider it an “off year” with three wins in that column, but the expectations here are different. So re-grouping, re-energizing and re-evaluating it is.

“Every offseason has different effects,’’ Johnson said. “This one is much more about letting go of stress and tension and relaxing. Last year after winning the championship it was being on top of the world and celebrating and trying to get to Colorado as fast as I could to ski as often as I could. This year is a lot different

“This year I’m kind of licking my wounds in a sense. Trying to think through what we could have done better in ’17. As the month moves on start thinking of ways we could communicate better, put a better product on the track.”

Johnson is convinced that his Hendrick Motorsports team will be putting a better product on track next year.

“I’m optimistic about 2018 and the new Camaro,’’ Johnson said, his face lighting up in enthusiasm. “From an aerodynamic standpoint the Chevrolets have not had an update since we went to this generation of car. For us to finally have an update the car will produce more downforce, be more efficient, definitely more competitive on the downforce tracks.”

When you have won 83 races and seven Cup championships, it’s easy to feel optimistic and confident. Johnson has not only won a race in all 16 full Cup seasons, he has won multiple races every year and has top-five finishes (222) in an amazing 38 percent of all Cup races (579) he’s competed in. 

It’s safe to say Johnson knows how to maintain both good perspective and high motivation.

 “Change is good,’’ Johnson said smiling. “No one is ever really in the same place individually, collectively or as a group. You’re either growing together or growing a part.  Some change is always happening, so I think the change taking place for us is change in the right direction, will bring the company closer together and produce a better product, more competitive cars.”

“Our goal is to be in that (Championship 4) and compete for a championship.”

Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C. — Trevor Bayne’s AdvoCare Ford Fusion will sport a different look when it hits the track to begin the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) season as the famed Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 will be sporting the primary color of black.

“This new paint scheme is pretty awesome,” said Bayne. “If you look through history a lot of the great drivers have driven black race cars as their primary scheme and I am pretty excited to have one as well going into 2018. I think that this new look by AdvoCare is really great and shows that we mean business every time we head out onto the racetrack. This scheme just makes me even more excited about getting back behind the wheel in 2018.”

This new scheme marks the first time that the Roush Fenway No. 6 will be primarily black in the MENCS since the 2005 season with NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin.

“It is really cool to have the No. 6 Ford black again for Roush Fenway,” added Bayne. “I know that Mark (Martin) ran really well in these colors and hopefully we can replicate that same success next season.”

Bayne, who is coming off of a 2017 campaign that saw a career-high in top-10 finishes, enters his fifth season with AdvoCare as his primary partner and his fourth with the Plano, Texas company in the MENCS.

The 2018 MENCS season kicks off with the 60th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR editors recap the 2017 season for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers and the top five drivers in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

RELATED: Top stories of the year | Season superlatives for 2017

— Dec. 4: No. 16 Ryan Newman: Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 5: XFINITY Series: Fifth-place recap (Cole Custer) Season recap
— Dec. 5: Truck Series: Fifth-place recap (Ben Rhodes) Season recap
— Dec. 6: No. 15 Kasey Kahne: Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 7: No. 14 Kurt Busch: Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights 
— Dec. 8: No. 13 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 11: No. 12 Jamie McMurray: Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 12: XFINITY Series: Fourth-place recap (Daniel Hemric) Season recap
— Dec. 12: Truck Series: Fourth-place recap (Matt Crafton) Season recap
— Dec. 12: Monster Energy Series non-playoff drivers recap Season recap
— Dec. 13: No. 11 Austin Dillon: Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 14: No. 10 Jimmie Johnson: Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 15: No. 9 Ryan Blaney: Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 18: No. 8 Kyle Larson: Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 19: XFINITY Series: Third-place recap (Justin Allgaier) Season recap
— Dec. 19: Truck Series: Third -place recap (Austin Cindric) Season recap
— Dec. 20: No. 7 Matt Kenseth: Video | Season recap | Career highlights 
— Dec. 21: No. 6 Denny Hamlin: Video | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 22: No. 5 Chase Elliott: Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights 
— Dec. 26: No. 4 Brad Keselowski: Video | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 26: XFINITY Series: Second-place recap (Elliott Sadler) Season recap 
— Dec. 26: Truck Series: Second-place recap (Johnny Sauter) Season recap
— Dec. 27: No. 3 Kevin Harvick: Video | Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 28: No. 2 Kyle Busch: Outlook | Season recap | Career highlights
— Dec. 29: XFINITY Series: First-place recap (William Byron) Video | Season recap
— Dec. 29: Truck Series: First-place recap (Christopher Bell) Video | Season recap
— Dec. 29: No. 1 Martin Truex Jr. Video | Season recap | Career highlights

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR Hall of Famer Jack Ingram was seriously injured in a car accident in his hometown on Dec. 3.

Ingram’s family indicated Monday morning that the former driver, a multiple-time champion in what is now the NASCAR XFINITY Series, was receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at Mission Hospital near his Asheville, North Carolina home.

“We are currently by his side, managing his care with his clinicians and will decide next steps,” a family statement read. “We remain hopeful and positive, and appreciate all thoughts and prayers. We will provide updates as information becomes available.”

According to an accident report filed by the Asheville Police Department, the 2002 Chevrolet driven by Ingram collided with a 1999 Ford pick-up driven by a 36-year-old man from nearby Henderson, North Carolina. Ingram’s vehicle was struck in the driver’s side door, according to the report.

The report stated that Ingram was transported to Mission Hospital with unknown injuries. One of two passengers in Ingram’s car was also transported to the hospital with complaints of pain in his right arm, the report said. No injuries were listed for the driver of the other vehicle, according to police.

According to the report, the accident occurred within a tenth of a mile from the former site of Asheville Motor Speedway, where Ingram was a local legend. The 1/3-mile paved oval, which ended weekly racing after the 1999 season, has been preserved as a recreation area known as Carrier Park.

Ingram won the championship in what is now known as the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 1982 and 1985. He also won three titles and scores of races in the Late Model Sportsman division, the precursor to the XFINITY Series.

Ingram was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s 2014 class. He earned the nickname “Iron Man” both for his career’s longevity and his ability to successfully compete in several events a week. By his count, Ingram scored 317 points-paying victories in NASCAR competition.

Posted on by Team Release

RELATED: Newman ready for Victory Lane in ’18 | Newman’s 2017 season recap

WELCOME, N.C. — Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has named Andy Petree as its new Vice President of Competition, and Dr. Eric Warren as Chief Technology Officer, effective immediately. The organizational moves bolster RCR’s competition department with more than 50 years of combined racing experience.

Petree joins RCR on a full-time basis after he was brought on in an advisory role in October to conduct a comprehensive review of the team’s competition area. Warren, who has served in a competition leadership position at RCR since 2012, will oversee RCR’s engineering department and new technology strategy. The Chief Technology Officer will report to the Vice President of Competition.

“These organizational moves will strengthen our competition department tremendously,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of RCR. “We felt that Andy did an exceptional job in the past month during his review of our competition area. Bringing him on as a Vice President of Competition is a valuable addition to our leadership team.”

“I’ve known Andy for a long time and we’re thrilled to have him work alongside our team, including Eric in his new role as Chief Technology Officer. This move will allow Eric to use his years of experience and many technical talents to focus on engineering and the application of emerging technologies,” Childress said.

Petree’s experience in NASCAR runs deep. For decades, he has served in numerous roles, including driver, team owner and championship-winning crew chief. He most recently served as a television analyst for Fox Sports.

Warren holds a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from North Carolina State University and has held numerous roles in stock car racing dating back to 1997 including competition director, chief aerodynamicist and technical director. He joined RCR in October 2012 and since then has been a part of 24 victories and one championship in NASCAR’s top-three touring series.

Posted on by Brad Norman

RELATED: Shop for Ryan Newman gear | Season recap | Career highlights

Ryan Newman has advanced to the Championship 4 during his tenure with Richard Childress Racing, but he had never won a race with the organization entering 2017.

That changed early in the year, with Newman and crew chief Luke Lambert gambling on old tires at Phoenix Raceway and holding on for a victory that snapped a 127-race winless skid. It was Lambert’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win as a crew chief, and the 18th for Newman at NASCAR’s top level.

Good vibes from the win stayed throughout the season — that much was evident at Champion’s Week in Las Vegas last week when Newman pleasantly recalled, in great detail, how it felt to get back to Victory Lane.

But the No. 31 RCR team finished 16th in the standings out of 16 postseason drivers, enough to end the season wanting more.

“It’s successful for us to get in Victory Lane,” Newman said. “We fought so long and got so close, especially in 2014 being in the championship race. So yeah, it was a successful year, just not to my standards of what I wanted, but it had some bright lights.

“Sometimes you have to have those years of small gains in order to have those years of big gains in the future.”

Newman identifies 2018 as a year where RCR can make big gains, a feeling echoed by teammate Austin Dillon — Dillon’s goal is a Championship 4 appearance.

Perhaps the biggest opportunity for more wins comes with the brand-new 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which had Chevrolet drivers from every team raving during Champion’s Week.

MORE: See photos of the new car

“I think it’s awesome, and good timing to have the Camaro ZL1 to be the car for competition in 2018,” Newman said. “All the development that went into it was with this (current) body style and aero package in mind.

“The 2013 car, which is the one we’ve been competing with, debuted with an entirely different aero package. That makes a big difference in having a good, balanced race car. If we hit our targets, hopefully it’ll get Chevrolet in Victory Lane a whole lot more next year.”

RELATED: Shop for Ryan Newman gear