Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Danica Patrick won’t return to SHR

Following Stewart-Haas Racing’s announcement that Danica Patrick would not return to the team next season, team co-owner Tony Stewart released a statement on her departure on Wednesday.


Stewart has been her car owner for the entirety of Patrick’s full-time premier series career. Patrick was also teammates with Stewart from 2013-16 when he drove the No. 14 car.

PHOTOS: Danica through the years

Posted on by Steve Luvender

I can’t wait for this year’s NASCAR Playoffs to begin.

Even though

somehow didn’t make it, I’ll still be pulling for

— or, better yet,
.

I’m calling it now. The real wild card race will be

because
.

In the Round of 16, there’s Chicago, New Hampshire, and Dover. I’m not sure
 will make it past that round, because he’ll probably
.

After that, there’s Charlotte, Talladega, and Kansas. If it were up to me,
would

.

Then, there’s the Round of 8 — or, as I call it,

. Martinsville, Texas, and Phoenix may prove to be

tracks, but I believe
.

Finally, we’re off to Homestead, where I’m certain

will hoist the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and claim
.

Honestly, I wish NASCAR would just

already.

It’ll also be a

goodbye to

at the end of the season, but I certainly think
.

Bring on the Playoffs! I’m already starting to
.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Federated Auto Parts 400 results | Virginia529 College Savings 250 results

Three teams were penalized on Tuesday after NASCAR officials discovered lug-nut violations after the races at Richmond Raceway — two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams and one XFINITY Series team.

The No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing team of driver Kurt Busch and the No. 77 Furniture Row Racing team of driver Erik Jones each were found to have one loose lug nut in post-race inspection. The XFNITY Series No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team of Matt Tifft also had one loose lug nut.

Crew chiefs Tony Gibson (No. 41) and Chris Gayle (No. 77) were fined $10,000 each. Matthew Beckman (No. 19) was fined $5,000.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

MORE: Smithfield Foods to SHR in ’18

Following the news that Smithfield Foods, currently sponsoring the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford Fusion, would be joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2018, Richard Petty has released a statement.

“We have had numerous discussions with Smithfield Foods regarding the extension of our relationship dating as far back as February. Over the past few months, Smithfield had continually told me they wanted to be with us, and I recently shook hands on a deal to extend our relationship. I come from a time when we did major deals with sponsors like STP on a handshake. I’m sad to see this is where we are now. This decision is very unexpected, and we are extremely disappointed in this late and abrupt change of direction.”

RELATED: Drivers of the No. 43 in NASCAR history

Petty also confirmed that driver Aric Almirola would not return to the organization in 2018, but the team intends to continue racing, as it has since 1949.

“Losing a sponsor of this magnitude in September is a significant set-back to Richard Petty Motorsports, but Andy (Murstein) and I are committed to moving forward with the No. 43 team. We have a lot of great partners who have expressed their continued support, and our fans will rally around the No. 43. We’ve been around since 1949, and we’ll be around a lot longer.”

 

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Danica’s key moments at Stewart-Haas Racing

Danica Patrick, the only female driver to win the Daytona 500 pole and one of the most popular figures in NASCAR, will not return to compete for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2018.

“It has been my honor to drive for Tony Stewart, Gene Haas and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing for the past six seasons,” Patrick said Tuesday in a statement posted through Facebook. “Together we earned a Daytona 500 pole, seven top-10 finishes and we also had some exciting racing along the way. My time driving for them, however, has come to an end due to a new sponsorship arrangement in 2018. 

“Sponsorship plays a vital role in our sport, and I have been very fortunate over the course of my career, but this year threw us for a curve. Our amazing partners, such as Aspen Dental and Code 3, stepped up in a big way on short notice this year and I am incredibly grateful. 

“I wish SHR the best of luck with their new sponsorship and driver. Thanks for the memories. Right now, my focus is on the remainder of the 2017 season and finishing the year strong. I have the utmost faith in myself and those around me, and feel confident about my future.”

MORE: Track NASCAR’s Silly Season | Danica Patrick through the years

Stewart-Haas Racing team co-owner and Patrick’s former teammate Tony Stewart released his own statement on Wednesday.

“I’ve always been a believer in Danica’s ability as a race car driver and that continues to be the case,” Stewart said via his Facebook page “She’s one of the most fearless people I’ve ever met. She has never backed down from a challenge. In fact, she’s sought out new challenges throughout her career, and that’s what brought her to NASCAR and Stewart-Haas Racing.

“Making the jump from IndyCar to NASCAR is not easy, yet she had the courage to do so and put up better numbers than a lot of other drivers who have tried to make that same transition. I’m proud of how hard Danica has worked during her time at Stewart-Haas Racing, and she continues to work hard.

“My support for Danica is unwavering. We’re going to end this season strong and make the most of these last 10 races.”

Patrick, 35, has 180 career starts in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in the No. 10 entry for SHR and currently has a career-best finish of sixth at Atlanta in 2014. Her top finish through this year’s 26-race regular season has been 10th at Dover in the spring. 

Stewart Haas officials announced earlier Tuesday that Smithfield Foods, currently a sponsor for Richard Petty Motorsports, would move to SHR for 2018 and that a driver change would follow. Aric Almirola drives the No. 43 for RPM at this time, although the SHR statement only said details of the new driver would be announced at a later date. RPM officials announced Tuesday afternoon that Almirola would not be returning, appearing to set the stage for the Tampa, Florida, native to join SHR. 

Patrick became the first female to start on the pole for the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s season-opening race, in 2013 with her qualifying lap of 196.434 mph. Her eighth-place finish in that race was also the best by a female competitor. 

Prior to her move into the Monster Energy Series as a full-time competitor, Patrick competed with JR Motorsports for a full season in the XFINITY Series in 2012 as well as a limited schedule in 2010-11. She posted one top five, seven top-10s and won one pole in that series. 

RELATED: Smithfield Foods joining SHR

Patrick’s best points finish in the MENCS thus far has been 24th, which she accomplished in 2015 and ’16. She is currently 28th in points with 10 races remaining.

Patrick did not address whether she will attempt to continue to compete in NASCAR going forward. Earlier this year she told NASCAR.com she did not know how much longer she wanted to race in the series.

“I said this last year, it’s not any fun to run 20th or 25th,” she said in June. “It’s not.”

Her average finishing position this year is 23rd and she has a career high seven DNFs this season, an increase that could be due in part to NASCAR’s new Damaged Vehicle Policy that limits teams from making repairs to damaged cars in an effort to return to the race.

“Just keep digging. Just letting it flow,” she said of her approach. “… Stop worrying about how you think everything should go and just let it happen. Give it your best all the time, every day, don’t be too worried about how it’s all going to go and, if it’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen and just let it go.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

All season long, Kyle Busch has been just on the outside of the Martin Truex Jr.-Kyle Larson championship-favorite picture, but that may all be about to change.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver found himself at Furniture Row Racing on Tuesday morning, and he might just be sneaking around incognito to spy on his Toyota affiliate and pick up any trade secrets he can.

 

Nah, he’s just attending the Tuesday morning team meeting since he was in Denver, Colorado — where Furniture Row is based — the night before to see his Denver Broncos defeat the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football.

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.