Posted on by Brad Norman

In August, the lead online racing simulation iRacing.com announced a new series to showcase some of NASCAR’s rising stars.

You can now add Kyle Larson and Darrell Wallace Jr. to the iRacing lineup, too.

On Tuesday, the two drivers will compete in the iRacing NASCAR Pro Invitational Series’ version of Richmond Raceway, which will be broadcast live on www.iRacing.com/live at 8 p.m. ET.

Larson most recently won the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond, his fourth victory of the Monster Energy Series season.

Wallace Jr. is set to compete at the XFINITY series race in Chicagoland on Saturday in the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Biagi DenBeste Racing.

Posted on by Nascar

Smithfield Foods, the primary team sponsor for the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford with driver Aric Almirola, will not return to the organization in 2018 and instead join Stewart-Haas Racing, according to a post Tuesday morning on the company’s Facebook page.

“We are excited to announce today that Smithfield Foods will join Stewart-Haas Racing as a primary team sponsor beginning in 2018,” the post stated. “The decision to leave Richard Petty Motorsports and join Stewart-Haas Racing was difficult but we feel this move will improve our competitiveness on the track and strengthen our position as a leading consumer packaged goods company.

“Further details of our agreement with Stewart-Haas Racing will be provided at a later date.”

Smithfield has been affiliated with RPM in a sponsor role since 2012.

SHR officials confirmed the addition of Smithfield to its sponsor lineup for the four-team organization. According to a team release, details of the agreement, including the driver who will be added to SHR’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series lineup in 2018, will be provided at a later date.

SHR fields Ford entries for drivers Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer and Danica Patrick.

“We’re very proud to have Smithfield Foods join the Stewart-Haas Racing family,” SHR President Brett Frood said in the statement.

“Smithfield has activated heavily and successfully within the sport, and we’re honored to be a part of the brand’s forward initiatives and strategy. Although we’re not ready to announce the full details of the program, we look forward to this new endeavor while remaining focused on the upcoming playoffs and putting forth the best effort possible to win more races and contend for another championship.”

Posted on by Staff Report

With all three of NASCAR’s national series gearing up for the 2017 NASCAR Playoffs, gamers can get in on the action in all three series with NASCAR Heat 2, which launches today for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC.

Developed by Monster Games, NASCAR Heat 2 expands on the core experience of last year’s NASCAR Heat Evolution with a deeper career mode supporting the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as well, with upgraded visuals, physics and damage models, expanded online multiplayer functionality, and the return to the franchise of two-player local multiplayer.

Kyle Busch won the right to be on the cover after beating fellow finalist Martin Truex Jr. in Stage 2 of the All-Star Race in May to claim the honor.

“We’re excited to continue our relationship with Monster Games for NASCAR Heat 2,” Paul Brooks, CEO of 704Games, said in May when plans for NASCAR Heat 2 were announced. “This new game will have a very different look and an enhanced overall experience that reflects the insights of actual NASCAR drivers. Over the coming months, we’ll announce additional new features that we believe will really excite our fans.”

“NASCAR Heat 2 improves on the strong racing foundation established in NASCAR Heat Evolution,” said Richard Garcia, President of Monster Games. “We added a slew of new features designed to take NASCAR games back to their roots, while delivering an authentic racing experience for fans.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As stock car racing’s brightest stars prepare for the grueling, 10-week road to Ford Championship Weekend, NASCAR® is showcasing all the drama and intensity of the 2017 NASCAR Playoffs with a new, integrated marketing campaign.

From the first green flag to the final burnout, the 2017 NASCAR Playoffs campaign will engage fans across platforms with the rigors of the journey, the ferocity of the competition, and the thrill of victory — all from the perspective of the drivers.

Fans can visit the NASCAR Playoffs Leaderboard at NASCAR.com/playoffs and follow NASCAR on social media (#NASCARPlayoffs) for first-hand driver perspectives on navigating “Playoff Road” en route to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ championship finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19.

The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series television spot, “Challenge of Champions,” debuted Saturday during the final regular-season race at Richmond Raceway.

“NASCAR drivers share a bond with fans that’s unlike anything else in sports, so for us it made sense to have our stars set the stage for the 2017 NASCAR Playoffs,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “The excitement of stage racing will be on full display during the playoffs, so we’re creating content that takes fans inside the minds of our drivers for a more intimate, behind-the-scenes experience.”

The NASCAR Playoffs Leaderboard will feature short videos for all 16 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs drivers, each sharing their own, unique perspective on what it takes to win a championship. Drivers will also discuss their individual paths to this year’s playoffs as part of a special “Backroads” video series, available on NASCAR social media channels.

Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota are once again inviting fans to participate in the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Promotion* on NASCAR.com, for a chance to win new trucks and VIP trips to NASCAR Champion’s Week in Las Vegas in November.

Fans can visit NASCAR.com/playoffspromo to register for a chance to win a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2018 Ford F-150 Lariat and 2018 Toyota Tundra TRD Sport. New this year, fans also have the chance to win manufacturer-specific experiential prizes during each round of the NASCAR Playoffs and view exclusive “Truck Talk” promotional spots from the OEMs, each featuring playoffs drivers.

“Chevy, Ford and Toyota are among the most dedicated partners in the sport, so it’s great to have all three on board again this year to further elevate the NASCAR Playoffs experience for our fans,” said Gregory.

Continuing the momentum on social media following last year’s record-setting postseason, the playoffs will be promoted heavily across all social channels, including with a #NASCARPlayoffs emoji on Twitter and driver takeovers on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

Last month, NASCAR announced plans to live-stream one in-car camera on Twitter for all 10 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs races. Beginning this week, fans have access to customized Twitter emojis and hashtags for all 16 playoffs drivers, whose input helped create the personalized artwork.

The broader playoffs campaign, developed with 77 Ventures, will also include creative and content promoting the NASCAR XFINITY Series™ and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ Playoffs.

NASCAR will crown its 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion at the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the fourth and final round of the NASCAR Playoffs on Nov. 19 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Tickets for playoffs events across all three NASCAR national series are available at NASCAR.com/tickets.

The 2017 NASCAR Playoffs kick off with The Tales of the Turtles 400 on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90), with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

Posted on by Holly Cain

While much of Florida sustained some damage from Hurricane Irma, Homestead-Miami Speedway confirmed Monday that it expects to be fully functional and ready to host NASCAR’s Nov. 17-19 Ford Championship Weekend.

The speedway said Monday that it suffered “minor” damage in the weekend storm that affected so much of Florida.

“During the course of Hurricane Irma, Homestead-Miami Speedway sustained minor and cosmetic damage to non-essential parts of the speedway,’” the speedway said in a statement issued Monday afternoon. “None of this damage is expected to impact our ability to host Ford Championship Weekend.

“We are working with city and county officials to fully assess the situation, as all of South Florida was affected by this event.  We are ready to assist local officials in Miami-Dade County with any available resources to aid the community in the recovery efforts from the storm.

“We will have further updates as more information becomes available. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone throughout the state of Florida and elsewhere who have been impacted by this hurricane.”

Much of the race track’s history is associated with this newsworthy weather. Miami businessman and Homestead-Miami Speedway founder Ralph Sanchez broke ground at Homestead in 1993 in the wake of Hurricane Andrew, which devastated the area a year earlier, but has served as an inspiring hurricane-associated history since.

Not only was the facility built after a major hurricane but it survived 2005’s Hurricane Wilma and has continued to host NASCAR’s championship weekend for the past 15 years.

Daytona International Speedway, located up Florida’s East Coast, confirmed it suffered “moderate damage” from the storm, calling it “cosmetic” in nature and reassuring it will not affect the track’s schedule, including NASCAR’s 2018 season-opening Feb. 18 Daytona 500.

On Tuesday, Homestead-Miami Speedway tweeted out a video of the track.

Posted on by Brad Norman

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs start Sunday at Chicagoland — and now everyone can amp up their Twitter game thanks to customized emojis plus hashtags for all 16 drivers in the hunt and a special nod to Junior’s Appreci88ion Tour.

MORE: Check out all 16 driver emojis, hashtags | Analytical break down of playoff field

Even though driver Landon Cassill didn’t make the playoff cut this year, he still chimed in on the emoji reveal on Twitter.

We must agree, Matt Kenseth’s emoji is a bit cheesy.

The No. 20 driver may not know what an emoji is, but he sure is excited about it.

And it sounds like Jaime McMurray is really pleased with how his emoji turned out — McMurray has officially left the … race track anyone?

Check out how some of the other drivers reacted to their emoji and hashtag unveiling:

Check this out! Twitter gave us our own emoji when you use #Appreci88ion now through Homestead. pic.twitter.com/sdJIs0V394

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) September 11, 2017

Posted on by Nascar

Based on his initial results through eight of the 10 stops making up this year’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Ryan Blaney seems to have his work cut out for himself and the Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Ford team.

His average finish at those tracks the first time around this season was an unappealing 22.25.

Chicagoland Speedway, which hosts the playoff opener Sunday, Sept. 17, and Homestead Miami Speedway, site of the Nov. 19 season finale, are the only tracks in the playoffs where the series has yet to visit this season. The others, New Hampshire and Dover and Charlotte and Talladega and so forth, will be return visits. But with much more at stake.

Crew chief Jeremy Bullins says he’s not concerned with past results, and adds that in most cases those numbers from this year’s first visits don’t tell the entire story.

“You look at Dover for example, I think we were running in the top 10 and broke an axle,” Bullins said Monday during a teleconference featuring himself and WBR co-owners Eddie and Len Wood. 

“The same thing at Charlotte, we were running in the top five and had an axle failure there.”

The incidents occurred after Blaney had finished in the top 10 in the opening stages of both races. He went on to finish 32nd at Dover and 24th at Charlotte. 

Talladega, where restrictor plates limit speeds but also create pack racing, “is hit or miss,” Bullins said. “You’re either going to run well or get caught up in a wreck.”

It was the latter this past spring, and Blaney wound up 39th in the 40-car field — after finishing in the top 10 in the first two stages.

“I’m not concerned at all,” Bullins added. “I feel like it’s just a matter of putting races together and not having some of the things go wrong that have gone wrong in the past and if we do that, we’ll be in good shape.”

This year’s Playoffs will be the first for Blaney and the Wood Brothers, a legendary team that’s been around nearly as long as NASCAR itself. Blaney gave the group career win No. 99 earlier this year at Pocono, a victory that was his first in the series.

He’ll be joined by other first-time winners Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Roush Fenway Racing) and Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing) and the three will be among those considered underdogs when it comes to advancing through the various stages en route to Homestead and the championship race.

Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing), Kyle Larson (Chip Ganassi Racing) and Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing) are the favorites, having won often, run consistently and piled up more bonus points through victories and stage wins than anyone else. The gap between Truex and 16th-place Jamie McMurray is 50 points. 

But strange things can happen when the playoffs get underway and the pressure begins to mount.

“Those guys could have some problems early and all of a sudden those extra points they’ve got could disappear pretty quick if the right guy doesn’t have a good day,” Eddie Wood said.

“This is very special to us because this is the first time we’ve actually been involved in the new format. It’s kind of a do-or-die format. You’ve got three races to do well in to advance to the next round and that puts a lot of pressure on everyone, but I think we’re ready for it.” 

Posted on by Kelly Crandall

RELATED: Playoff standings

Elliott Sadler clinched the regular-season championship last weekend, but the XFINITY Series playoff field is not yet set.

The Chicagoland 300 (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will lock in the last three drivers to compete for this season’s championship. William Byron currently leads the way with a series-leading three victories while two of his other three JR Motorsports teammates are also postseason bound. But two drivers who were in last year’s title hunt go into this weekend feeling the pressure.

Let’s break it down.

WHO’S IN

Rookie sensation William Byron sits atop the playoff standings on the strength of three wins and 17 playoff points. He’s followed by teammate Justin Allgaier, who has a win and the second-most playoff points going into Chicago with eight. Also locked in through wins are Ryan Reed and Jeremy Clements.

The best of the non-winners is Elliott Sadler, the series points leader. However, Sadler’s position will greatly improve following the race as he will be awarded 15 playoff points (to go with the five he currently has) for being the regular-season champion. Behind Sadler comes Brennan Poole, as well as three more rookies in Daniel Hemric, Cole Custer and Matt Tifft.

The final three spots are still up for grabs. After just narrowly missing the final four last year, Blake Koch sits 10th in the playoff standings with a healthy 51-point advantage. Michael Annett, who will look to ensure all four JRM cars make the playoffs, is 11th. And veteran Brendan Gaughan holds down the final playoff spot at 12th place.

BUBBLE WATCH

The good news for Dakoda Armstrong is he does not have to win Saturday’s race to earn a playoff spot. Armstrong is just 25 points behind Gaughan and 26 behind Annett. A mistake or bad day for either of those two drivers puts Armstrong and JGL Racing in a position to strike.

It’s a different story for JJ Yeley on back. Yeley sits 14th in the standings for TriStar Motorsports, but he’s 65 points below the cut line. JD Motorsports driver Ross Chastain sits 15th while Ryan Sieg from the single-car entry of RSS Racing is 16th. Making the playoffs would be a huge accomplishment for any of these teams while rookie Brandon Jones in 17th hopes to join his Richard Childress Racing teammates at the front of the pack.

OUTLOOK

With a good point advantage on those sitting on the outside, Koch looks all but assured of again making the playoffs. Annett and Gaughan, however, will be sweating it out for 300 miles. With both drivers having outrun Armstrong through much of the season, that should not be a problem one more time.

What none of the three drivers on the bubble can be sure about, though, is a new winner. If Armstrong or anyone else currently without a playoff spot wins — and is also in the top 20 in points — that driver automatically takes a postseason position. A tall task yes, but not impossible. Especially when considering this race is off limits to Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competitors with more than five years of experience, such as the drivers who have won the last two XFINITY Series races: Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin.

Plus, the series will be in Chicago and if the Cubs can win the World Series after 108 years, an XFINITY Series regular can also pull off a much-needed victory.

Posted on by Kelly Crandall

RELATED: Playoff standings

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series isn’t done delivering the drama.

Friday night the playoff field will be set in the Chicagoland 225 (8:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Seven drivers have already clinched their postseason spots with just one more driver getting the opportunity to join them. Meanwhile, Christopher Bell will look to pad his already impressive playoff point bank.

Let’s break it down.

WHO’S IN

Seven of the eight playoff spots have been filled, six of which came through victories. Bell leads the series with four wins and 24 playoff points. He can add 15 more playoff points to that figure should he also wrap up the regular-season championship.

John Hunter Nemechek’s two wins have him second in the playoff standings. The series’ two most recent champions, Johnny Sauter (2016) and Matt Crafton (2014 – ’15), will also again be in the title fight. Also locked in are three rookies in Austin Cindric, Kaz Grala and Chase Briscoe. Briscoe is the only driver locked in who does not have a victory, but he does have a stage win and critical playoff point.

The driver on the hot seat is series sophomore Ben Rhodes. The ThorSport Racing driver has had an up-and-down year to land on the bubble. But with eight top-10 finishes, including three in the last four races, Rhodes won-t give up the final spot without a fight and 1.5-mile tracks, like Chicago, have been where he’s excelled.

BUBBLE WATCH

Seven points is all that separates Rhodes from Ryan Truex, the first driver on the outside looking in. The first-ever playoff berth for Hattori Racing Enterprises could come with Truex if he’s able to outrun Rhodes or finally break through with a victory.

A win is most likely the way to go for Grant Enfinger, who is 31 points behind Rhodes, and most certainly for those behind him. Enfinger is 10th in the playoff standings with fellow rookies Noah Gragson (11th) in a 47-point deficit and Justin Haley (12th) behind by 119 points.

OUTLOOK

Friday night will be all about where Rhodes is and what he has going on. Only seven points to the good, Rhodes cannot afford a mistake or a DNF if he wants to earn a playoff berth. Look for the No. 27 to be in contention and for Rhodes to push with all he’s got.

For Truex, he has nothing to lose and can also afford to push hard. By pressuring Rhodes, it may lead to the opening Truex needs. Or he can go for one last gamble to grab the checkered flag. Unfortunately for Truex, that will be the same mentality for Enfinger, Gragson, Haley and every other driver in the top 20 in points.

The “win and you’re in” stipulation has never meant more than it will this weekend in the Windy City.

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs begin this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, and playoffs open the following week for the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Here’s what you need to know:

WHAT’S THE SAME? THE STRUCTURE
For all three NASCAR national series, the Championship 4 drivers race “straight-up” for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway — the first to cross the line of the four championship-eligible drivers is crowned the champion!

How they got here:
“Win and you’re in.” Championship-eligible drivers who won a race during the regular season, attempted to qualify for all regular-season races and met a minimum points position (Monster Energy Series: Top 30; NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Top 20) qualify for the Playoffs.

If there are fewer unique race winners than open spots in the Playoffs, the remaining positions will be filled based on regular-season points.

Round-by-round:

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
– 16 drivers, four rounds
– Playoffs begin Sept. 17 at Chicagoland Speedway
– Cutoff races, where four drivers are eliminated from the playoffs: Dover International Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Phoenix Raceway

NASCAR XFINITY Series
– 12 drivers, three rounds
– Playoffs begin at Kentucky Speedway, Sept. 23
– Cutoff races, where four drivers are eliminated from the playoffs: Charlotte Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
– 8 drivers, three rounds
– Playoffs begin at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sept. 23
– Cutoff races, where two drivers are eliminated from the playoffs: Talladega Superspeedway and Phoenix Raceway

WHAT’S NEW? THE POINTS
Throughout the regular season, drivers in all three national series earned “playoff points” to be used in the postseason. The playoff points procedure is uniform across all three national series and continues in the Playoffs for drivers who remain in contention.

Ways drivers earn playoff points:
• Win Stage 1 or Stage 2 in a race: 1 playoff point (point awarded per stage win)
• Win a race: 5 playoff points
• Win the regular-season championship: 15 playoff points

Second place in the final regular-season standings earns 10 playoff points, third place receives eight points, and the points awarded decline to one point for 10th 
(4th = 7 points, 5th = 6 points, etc.).

Championship-contending drivers can accumulate additional playoff points throughout the Playoffs via stage and race wins and may use all the playoff points they earn, from both the regular season and the Playoffs, to advance all the way up to the Championship 4.

Playoff points take effect during the … Playoffs:

Playoff points are added to a championship-contending driver’s reset points total at the start of every round of the Playoffs until they are eliminated from championship contention.

If a driver accumulates playoff points during the regular season, but does not qualify for the Playoffs, their playoff points are eliminated from the scoreboard.

At Homestead-Miami, playoff points are off the table and the Championship 4 drivers enter the “winner-take-all” race all even.

How the points are reset:

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

– First round: 2,000 points + playoff points
– Second round: 3,000 points + playoff points
– Third round: 4,000 points + playoff points
– Championship 4: 5,000 points (no playoff points added)

NASCAR XFINITY Series

– First round: 2,000 points + playoff points
– Second round: 3,000 points + playoff points
– Championship 4: 4,000 points (no playoff points added)

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
– First round: 2,000 points + playoff points
– Second round: 3,000 points + playoff points
– Championship 4: 4,000 points (no playoff points added)