Member of the Month: September

Posted on September 1, 2017October 26, 2017 by Staff Report

Name: Jill
Hometown: Stow, Ohio
Current City: Marietta, Georgia
Member since: 2008

Getting to know Jill

Why did you join the Official NASCAR Fan Council?

“I wanted to share my opinions about the sport and the drivers and to see if anyone from NASCAR was really listening.”

How did you first become interested in NASCAR?

“I learned that Ryan Newman had an engineering degree from Purdue University and felt that set him apart from the other drivers. From that point, I started watching NASCAR races he competed in.”

What makes NASCAR special for you?

“Ryan Newman makes it special. I’ve enjoyed watching him compete and love that NASCAR is one of the only professional sports that allows unprecedented up close and personal interaction between its athletes and fans.”

Do you have any favorite NASCAR memories or traditions?

Hands down it would be the October 2008 truck race at Atlanta. I was invited by the NASCAR Foundation to watch it from a luxury suite next to the broadcasters and received a free pit tour as well. It was Ryan Newman’s first truck race and he won. It couldn’t have been a better day.”

If you could go to any NASCAR race/track, where would you go?

“Bristol.”

Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?

Driver: “Ryan Newman”

Track: “Bristol”

Memorabilia: “My framed piece of the 12 car’s tire, photos and plaque commemorating Ryan Newman’s win of the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in 2008.”

Where did you grew up?

“Stow, Ohio – a little town in Northeastern Ohio.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

“Watch Ryan Newman race on the weekends and I love shopping!”

Where is your dream car?

“Growing up and before I could even drive it was a Triumph TR7. I’m probably dating myself with this answer since odds are no one has a clue about this car.”

What would be your dream vacation?

“England would be my dream vacation.”

From all of us at nascar, we thank Jill for her continued support and look forward to hearing from her in 2017.

Posted on September 1, 2017September 5, 2017 by Brad Norman

For his final full-time season as a driver, NASCAR.com will offer an analytical preview on Dale Earnhardt Jr. ahead of every remaining Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

Race: Bojangles’ Southern 500

Date: 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 3 (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Previous five results at Darlington: 8th, 2nd, 9th, 17th, 14th

Notable: Earnhardt could win at Darlington, even though he hasn’t yet in his career. He’s finished in the top 10 the last three times he competed at the track “Too Tough to Tame,” sitting out the 2016 race with concussion-like symptoms. For the 2017 throwback weekend, he is driving a scheme similar to the AC Delco look that he ran in the XFINITY Series in 1998 and 1999, when Earnhardt won 13 races and back-to-back XFINITY Series championships. That’s a pretty solid good luck charm.

Memorable: Not your usual highlight, Earnhardt’s test session at Darlington is important, nonetheless. With Charlotte neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty on hand to monitor and test his responses, Junior first stepped into a race car on Dec. 7, 2016 after sitting out the final 18 races of the 2016 season with concussion-like symptoms. The test went well, and Junior was cleared to return to Monster Energy Series racing for the 2017 season.

Quotable: “I’m a little nervous for how difficult [this] weekend is going to be for us if we don’t have speed,” Earnhardt said on this week’s Dale Jr. Download podcast. “It’s hard enough as it is when the car’s good and you’re running well. I haven’t been to Darlington in a while where we’ve not just struggled, fought all night and ran mediocre.”

Posted on August 31, 2017August 31, 2017 by Nascar

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon says putting Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Chevrolet, a move that opens the door to put William Byron in the No. 24, was the right thing to do and is “a win-win for everybody.”

Gordon made the No. 24 popular in what’s now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and he also helped make it a winner for Hendrick Motorsports, capturing 93 points races and another 10 non-points events during a career that spanned 23 full seasons (1994-15).

“It’s Rick’s decision,” Gordon told NASCAR.com Aug. 30. “I was proud to drive the 24 and to have the legacy that it has. Getting to know William as I have over the last year I know he’s going to represent it very well and I’m excited for the 24 guys, for William and for the fans.”

There is a bit of a challenge, he said, with Elliott moving to the No. 9 after spending the past two seasons driving the No. 24 for HMS. But the No. 9 is the same number used by Elliott’s father, NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bill Elliott, who won 38 races and the 1988 championship.

“That’s the challenge with that,” Gordon said. “I go back to those discussions when Chase was signed and what was going to happen with the 24. You can’t see the future but I think at that time there was discussions about him being in the No. 9.

“For whatever reason that didn’t work out. Now it has. I think that’s the proper fit for him. I think that makes all the sense in the world and I think the natural thing is for William to be 24.”

The No. 24 was not Gordon’s number of choice when he was hired to join the Hendrick organization. Instead, the youngster had hoped to compete with No. 16, which had been his number during a productive and successful sprint car career.

At the time, Hendrick fielded the No. 5 with driver Ricky Rudd and the No. 25 for Ken Schrader. Numbers on either side of the 5 were already being used, as was the 26. The 24, however, was available and had been run only twice that season by West coast racer Butch Gilliland.

“So there was not a lot of science in it or a real affection for it (early on) but we built that over time,” Gordon said.

Slowly, over time, Gordon and the No. 24 became one in the same.

“At that time, you didn’t know you were going to drive this car for 20-plus years,” he said. “You take it race to race, year to year at that time. But certainly when we started winning and having success then you see yourself starting to get tied to all those ingredients – the sponsor, the number, the car owner and the fans, it just builds up when you start winning.”

HMS fields four teams in the MENCS. In addition to Elliott in the No. 24, it also fields the No. 48 for seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, the No. 88 for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 5 for Kasey Kahne.

Earnhardt will step down from competing in the MENCS next season, turning over that entry to Alex Bowman. Kahne is being replaced by Byron.

That the No. 5 will no longer be on the track was a tough decision for Hendrick, who build his organization around the No. 5 team in the beginning. It’s been one of the constants at HMS through the years.

And while it holds much emotional value, Hendrick said he couldn’t let that get in the way of doing what he felt was best for the entire group.

“It’s kind of like do you put personal desires ahead of what’s best for the organization?” he said. “The 88 has a following, Alex was the chosen one, he did a good job, he deserved it. Got the sponsor, got the number; the 48 stayed the same. So you come down to Chase, he’s a young guy who dreamed of doing this. NASCAR needs a punch; they need something too … You have to look at what’s good for the sport and who’s going to be the flagbearer now when Dale retires.

“Chase has to be one of those guys, because of the family (connection), the roots, the tradition, all of those things. I think William is kind of a throwback of Jeff Gordon. Jeff didn’t come in with family (behind him), he just came in with talent. William is coming in the same way.”

Leaving the No. 5 as the odd number out. For now, at least.

“Yeah it was my first number but I think all these other things outweigh it,” Hendrick said.

Posted on August 31, 2017September 3, 2017 by Holly Cain

As Hendrick Motorsports prepares for one of its most dynamically changing seasons in 2018, the organization surprised the NASCAR world and a couple special participants this week announcing Chase Elliott’s number would be “9” next year — a number particularly special to Elliott and his great racing family.

Hendrick newcomer next year, William Byron, will take over the No. 24 for his rookie season. Elliott will steer the No. 9, Alex Bowman is slated for the retiring Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 and of course, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson remains the one constant in the equation — steering his Hall of Fame-bound No. 48. The team will not use the No. 5 next year.

Elliott, 21, — just back from a European vacation with friends, including Wood Brothers’ driver Ryan Blaney — said he was caught off guard by the news happening this week.

“It was a big surprise actually,’’ Elliott told NASCAR.com. “To be honest, I really didn’t know anything about it until last week while I was on my trip actually.

“I owe a lot of it to Dale Jr. He was a big advocate of this happening and honestly, I’ve had more conversation with him about it than I had anybody else. It’s something he and I had been talking about for a good while. I think he might have swayed Mr. Hendrick a little bit to it all working out. I got to thank him for that’s for sure.’’

RELATED:
• Gordon on Byron in the 24
• Photos: A history of the 24 car
• Photos: A history of the 9 car

Elliott’s father, Hall of Fame NASCAR Cup champion Bill Elliott was equally pleased and touched by Hendrick’s willingness to take on a new number. It’s special and identifying for the Elliott family, who for generations used a form of “9” on their cars racing at tracks near their native Dawsonville, Georgia.

“It means a lot,’’ Bill Elliott said. “The thing is, I grew up racing and Chase grew up racing the No. 9. It was an honor for Chase to drive for Mr. Hendrick in the 24 and it’s such an iconic number, but all my legacy has been in the 9 and basically all of Chase’s legacy has been in the 9.

“He won the 2014 (XFINITY) championship in the 9 car and ran two years in that series in the 9 car for Dale Jr. That being said, I know it was a really big thing for him and I know he wants to carry that on.

“It’s changing again at HMS so it kind of made it easy for this to evolve into the next chapter. It’s very special for our family and I believe it’s very special for Chase. This is what he really wanted and this is a special part of his career.”

Bill Elliott acknowledged he’s especially grateful for the opportunity because he didn’t know of many times Cup father-and-son drivers had used the same number.

Ralph Earnhardt, for example, never drove the No. 3 that his famous Hall of Fame son, the late Dale Earnhardt drove. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. has never steered that No. 3 in Cup competition, although he won back-to-back XFINITY Series titles in the No. 3 in 1998-99.

“I’ve had a tie to it for a long time,’’ Chase Elliott said. “I’ve run that number ever since I could remember. When it wasn’t available I ran the 94 … always had a 9 in it somewhere. It’s a sense of being home in a lot of ways and it definitely feels right.”

Social media was clearly in favor of the number change as well – using #LegacyLives and #Comin9Home to identify the news on Twitter.

“It is amazing,’’ Elliott said of the positive feedback. “Growing up around racing and being tied to a number for a majority of my life and liking a number because of racing, I can kind of see where that enthusiasm would come from and in support of it. I can understand it, if you’re someone who has followed the sport in the past or been a recent fan, it’s not too hard to dig back in my dad’s racing and find it’s there and if you dig back in my racing you’ll find it’s there.

“It’s definitely really cool to see people are as fired up as I am about that.’’

Posted on August 31, 2017September 1, 2017 by Staff Report

RELATED: Click here to make a donation

NASCAR fans looking to make a donation to support those affected by the devastating impact of Hurricane Harvey have the means to do so with The NASCAR Foundation.

Donations through The NASCAR Foundation will help provide truckloads of disaster relief supplies, such as bottled water, ready-to-eat food, hygiene items and more through the Foundation’s support of children and families being directly impacted by the storm.

NASCAR teams will honor the state of Texas, which has felt the brunt of Harvey’s impact, with an A-Post decal for teams to run this weekend at Darlington Raceway and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, respectively.

RELATED: Click here to make a donation

Posted on August 31, 2017October 25, 2017 by Staff Report

PHOTOS: See the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup

Introducing the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup.

Watch the unveil video above for your first look at what the 2017 Monster Energy Series champion will earn after the final race of the season in Miami.

Outlines of all 23 Monster Energy Series tracks adorn the 68-pound Monster Energy NASCAR Cup, which stands more than 3 feet high.

Want more?

Made of machined aluminum, it took more than 300 hours of craftsman ship to complete this beauty. The Monster Energy Series seal on the front is hand-formed around the center ring.

And that cup? It would hold roughly 600 ounces of liquid in it — that’s equivalent to more than 37 Monster Energy drinks.

“Our goal with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup was to capture the full championship story that unfolds over the course of a season,” said Curt Bruns, vice president, motorsports division at Jostens, the company that created the memento. “We are honored to work with NASCAR to create this original piece of art that embodies what it takes to excel at the sport’s highest level.”

Posted on August 31, 2017September 1, 2017 by George Winkler

The Southern 500 on Labor Day Weekend is a tradition unlike any other in NASCAR, an event so unique it was difficult to imagine it getting any better. Then, along comes Throwback Weekend and suddenly what’s old is new again. Now, every September, fans get the opportunity to see history come alive on the egg-shaped track that Harold Brasington opened in 1950.

The idea of taking something treasured and enhancing it and thus achieving a whole new level of perfection isn’t exclusive to Darlington Raceway, however. Ingersoll Rand has been part of NASCAR’s fabric since the 1950s, and in 2015 — the same year Throwback Weekend became a reality — Ingersoll Rand became the official power tools of NASCAR.

It was in a sense a reaffirming of Ingersoll Rand’s place as a leading innovator in garages across the nation, including those in NASCAR. Before discussing the here and now, however, let’s go back to the beginning for a moment, when Ingersoll Rand made an immediate impact on the sport with – fittingly — the impact wrenches Howard Hurd brought to Daytona in 1959.

“He was known as Mr. Impact Wrench,” Buz McKim, NASCAR Hall of Fame historian, said of Hurd, Ingersoll Rand’s field manager assigned to NASCAR. “Guys in the garage would say I bet this will work if I do this. Howard would come around and say this WILL work if you do this.”

Hurd had the science of Ingersoll Rand behind him to instill such confidence, and it didn’t take long for the Ingersoll Rand line of tools to become fixtures in garages. Tools such as the Ingersoll Rand 405 Thundergun helped revolutionize the sport, spurring innovators such as Leonard Wood to dramatically cut down pit-stop times and improve track position for their drivers.

Hurd worked with teams to come up with ideas such as using hydrogen instead of oxygen in the air guns to help cut down the moisture factor and improve performance. It was this type of collaboration and willingness to adjust on the fly that captured the imaginations of the innovators in the garage.

However, the desire to get an edge, to make things even slightly better than before and gain an advantage over other competitors, didn’t stop at the NASCAR garage. Soon folks working on their cars in their own garages or driveways wanted to have Ingersoll Rand tools to help them gain the same advantages that those at NASCAR tracks were enjoying.

“If a company has a major presence in the sport, the fans are going to support them,” McKim said of NASCAR fans and their intense brand loyalty. “They know they are getting first-class equipment and they know it’s going to last. They want to be able to do their job on their car in their driveway as good as guys at the track.”

In the 1970s, Ingersoll Rand introduced its twin-hammer technology, and the 231 series became the best-selling impact wrench of all time. It seemed everywhere one looked, and especially if you were one who looked under the hood of a car regularly, Ingersoll Rand tools were there to help get the job done.

Fast-forward to today, and that spirit of innovation lives on. While IR’s classic 231C is still the leader in its category, Ingersoll Rand has also introduced new and exciting products for the race fan or automotive professional to use to get the same power that the technicians at the track are afforded.   The Street-Legal Thunder Gun, in the familiar Ingersoll Rand yellow paint scheme, is now available to the consumer and able to deliver 650 foot pounds of torque in reverse. With 10,000 rpm, it provides pit crew power, speed and durability for shop tasks.

Ingersoll Rand also introduced a line of cordless products that provide unmatched power in a package that is easy to get around. The powerful brushless motor and impact mechanism on the 20V W5132 3/8″ Impact are tuned to deliver plenty of punch with 550 ft lbs of reverse torque.

So whether you’re working on cars as a hobby on the weekend or as an automotive technician during the week, Ingersoll Rand has something to help you gain a winning advantage that’s not unlike the ones the pioneers in NASCAR had some 50 or so years ago.  How does one achieve such long-lasting success?

“The thing about Ingersoll Rand, they built a great product right off the bat, and they could be modified, too,” McKim said. “And to me as a fan, Ingersoll Rand was the first brand name that I recall as far as pit equipment.”

MORE: Check out Ingersoll Rand products

Posted on August 31, 2017June 17, 2021 by @KESELOWSKI

Wearing a Hawaiian-print shirt with old-fashioned cars on it, a smiling Joe Smith accepted the keys to a 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible Collector Edition 3LT Wednesday afternoon at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

The car’s previous owner? None other than Jeff Gordon.

Gordon signs the inside of the Corvette on Wednesday

Gordon was on hand at the Hall of Fame as well, as he presented the keys to his personal Corvette — and then signed the inside of the car — to Smith, who was the winner of the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation raffle that raised $1 million for pediatric cancer this year. Gordon has given away a Corvette for the contest every year for 12 years, but this year marks the first that the foundation has broken $1 million in the contest alone.

That makes the four-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion proud.

“Over the years, shoot, I think we’re up to 10 or 12 million dollars with just this program alone,” Gordon told NASCAR.com after the event. “So, it’s obviously been very successful – that money plays a big impact on pediatric cancer research. But it’s also a very fun and exciting event where we got to bring today to the NASCAR Hall of Fame a lot of, not just fans, but people that have contributed to the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation, maybe through the program trying to win the Corvette, but also wanting to give back to a great cause.”

Founded in 1999 by Gordon, the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation has worked to fund childhood cancer research, raising more than $16 million for the cause. The organization also helped open the Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital in Concord, North Carolina, and the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence in Rwanda.

Gordon’s inspiration to start the foundation came after watching his then-crew chief Ray Evernham’s son battle leukemia.

“That was the first time that it really impacted me on a personal level and (Evernham) started getting more awareness toward the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and I kind of joined forces with him,” Gordon said. “I finally formed my own foundation in 1999 and through meeting kids through Make-a-Wish, different hospitals, I realized just how many children are suffering from cancer. And while the success rate for cures has gone up, the long-term effects from that treatment, as well as those (cancers that) are rare that there aren’t cures for, has really driven me to get behind it even more and get more people involved.”

Gordon began his work with pediatric cancer as a young adult. Now married, he has two young children of his own, Ella and Leo. Having children makes him empathize with what the parents of young cancer patients go through.

“I started this work before I was a father and I connected to maybe a family,” Gordon said. “And I thought of myself when I was a kid and when I got the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a race car and live out my passion, how was one of these kids not able to do that because of cancer? And that’s what drove me before I had my own children.

“Now that I have children, I realize as a parent, you’ll do anything for them. And to see them suffer, to see them go through something that is out of their control is a terrible thing to experience. I can’t imagine it. But I can now as a parent, know that it could happen to me – it could still happen to me – and that if it does happen, I want to make sure I’m doing everything I can. That they have a future ahead of them because of research, because of a treatment that could save their lives.”

With only three drugs specifically developed for children with cancer in the last 20 years, the mission to fight childhood cancer is very much ongoing with work to be done. The supporters of the Jeff Gordon Foundation are working to advance that cause every year, Gordon said. Supporters like contest winner Smith and his wife, who presented Gordon with a check for $10,000 at the end of the program to go toward the foundation.

“Every year that we’ve handed over the keys and given this Corvette away, the individuals are special people,” Gordon said. “They’re special because they’re not always just NASCAR fans or fans of mine – they really stand for something greater, they really want to do something to give back to something that they’re passionate about or that we’re passionate about with the foundation.

“So, to know that Joe’s a car enthusiast, that he’s excited to be here, that he’s having a great experience, that he’s passionate about the car but more importantly that he really believes in the cause. …. Here we are giving him a Corvette and he’s giving us a check for $10,000 to only encourage others of the important work that we’re doing.”

“I can’t do it alone,” he said later. “We’ve done great work through some great programs out there. But the work doesn’t stop there, you’ve got to keep going.”

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Zack Albert

Clint Bowyer will have motivation and a NASCAR Hall of Famer in his corner this weekend at Darlington Raceway, a track that has both awed and confounded him during his driving days.

Bowyer says he plans to lean on NHOF inductee Mark Martin, who will be present in multiple ways — both in person with Bowyer’s Stewart-Haas Racing team, and with a retro paint scheme on Bowyer’s No. 14 Ford that conjures up memories of Martin’s earliest successes. In terms of motivation, Bowyer isn’t short on incentive with two regular-season races left in his last-ditch bid for a playoff spot.

“I can promise you we damn sure don’t give up,” Bowyer says. “I don’t give up until they tell me it’s down and out. So we’ve got Darlington this weekend, Richmond, a good track for us, after that to wrap it up. So, hopefully, we can get in Victory Lane and hopefully we can race ’em.”

Bowyer will carry his postseason hopes and special paint scheme into Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the historic 1.366-mile track. A 58-point deficit separates him from the playoff field of 16 drivers. Though it’s mathematically conceivable for Bowyer to close that gap and become championship-eligible on the basis of points, he pins his most realistic hopes on making the playoffs by securing his first premier-series win since 2012.

RELATED: Season stats for Bowyer

Bowyer has come plenty close, posting three runner-up finishes in his first year with the SHR No. 14. But his personal adjustment to a new team, a new crew chief in Mike Bugarewicz and the overarching undertaking of the organization’s switch of automakers from Chevrolet to Ford have taken a considerable deal of acclimation.

“We’ve knocked on it three different times with three second places, but that’s just the first loser, right?” Bowyer said. “We’ve gotten close. I’m proud of our race team with our 14 team and Mike and all the guys who do such a good job preparing race cars to go to battle with each and every week. …

“We just need to be more consistent, especially with our 14 team. We’ve been a little bit hit-or-miss over the year and that’s usually not my forte. Usually I’m consistent, and I’ve lost that a little bit this year. So definitely got to work on that, but same old story — got to get in Victory Lane.”

Of the two remaining races for Bowyer before the postseason cut-off, Richmond Raceway has been the most kind. The 38-year-old veteran has two of his eight career victories in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at the Virginia short track, which will host the regular-season finale Sept. 9.

Though Richmond offers an inviting fall-back option, Bowyer would cherish unlocking Darlington’s secrets to eliminate the playoff guesswork. Since winning the pole there with a white-knuckle lap in his second season (2007), he’s failed to crack the top 10 in the Darlington results column, snake-bitten at the circuit where pitfalls happen with great frequency.

“It’s part of its nickname — tough,” Bowyer said of the track that’s famously earned the ‘Too Tough to Tame’ label. “And it is tough, man. It’s such a hard place to get around. So unique to any place we go to, rim-riding right around that wall. You get a little greedy, a little more greedy, a little too greedy and then you’re in the wall. You have to respect that place every single lap and manage that race accordingly.”

If there’s an intangible edge for Bowyer, it’s in having Martin — a two-time tamer of Darlington — along for the ride. The Carolina Ford Dealers paint scheme that accompanied Martin for three XFINITY wins from 1988-91 has been reprised for Darlington’s annual throwback weekend.

Bowyer and Martin were teammates at Michael Waltrip Racing in the twilight of Martin’s career in 2012-13. They’ll partner again this weekend, intent on forging into the playoffs while honoring the sport’s past.

“To pay tribute to all of them and give back to the guys that paved the way for us means so much to myself and all of my peers,” Bowyer said. “I know everybody gets excited, especially me, having Mark Martin with us at a track that somehow he tamed quite a few times. I’ll definitely be listening when he’s talking, and just appreciating it and having a smile on my face the whole time he’s around. I know he’s looking forward to it, but I don’t think he’s looking forward to it near as much as we are.”

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. and CHARLOTTE, N.C. — FS1 and NASCAR Productions are taking fans both around the world and back in time with the third season of the acclaimed short film series “Beyond the Wheel.” From the ’90s in Japan to present-day Cuba, the documentaries bring a new perspective to some of NASCAR’s most remarkable moments through never-before-seen footage and interviews with the sport’s most fascinating characters and legends.

The films will premiere every Wednesday night for three consecutive weeks, kicking off with “Made in Japan” on Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. ET during “NASCAR Race Hub” on FS1.

The third season of the documentary short film series is comprised of the following:

• Made in Japan — In the mid-1990s, NASCAR orchestrated the ultimate story of East meets West by traveling more than 7,000 miles for an unprecedented series of races pitting its best drivers against top competitors in Japan. Made in Japan captures one of the greatest culture mixes in racing history from the perspective of influential figures on the Japanese stock car racing scene and icons like Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rusty Wallace, who made the trek more than 20 years ago.

• El Corredor — Born in Florida after his family fled Castro’s Cuba, Aric Almirola has risen to the top ranks of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series circuit. El Corredor follows Almirola as he makes his first-ever trip to discover his ancestor’s homeland, the booming car culture in Havana and the roots of his family tree.

• The Year Without A King — Although Richard Petty remained a constant in NASCAR over the span of four decades, 1965 stands out as a year far removed from any other in his career. The Year Without A King explores the untold story of his foray into drag racing and subsequent return to NASCAR, including Petty’s first-person account of how this turbulent season changed the sport and his life forever.

El Corredor premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 27, followed by the premiere of The Year Without A King on Oct. 4. Both will air at 6 p.m. ET during “NASCAR Race Hub.” Each documentary will also stream live on FOX Sports GO during “NASCAR Race Hub” and be available on FOXSports.com following its premiere.

FOX Sports and NASCAR Productions were recognized in the 38th Annual Sports Emmy Awards earlier this year. NASCAR Productions received top honors in the Outstanding Social TV Experience category — its fifth win since 2011 — while FOX was victorious in 11 categories total, including Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement for its “Daytona Day” campaign.

Only two races remain before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Tune in to watch the Bojangles Southern 500 live from Darlington Raceway on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.