Posted on by Team Release

RELATED: Blaney to drive No. 12 in 2018 | Sponsor re-ups with Wood Brothers

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Team Penske and Menards announced today that the industry-leading home improvement store company will sponsor driver Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Ford Fusion for 14 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) races in 2018. The partnership follows the recent announcement that Blaney will race a third Team Penske entry in the Cup Series beginning next season.  Menards will also be a sponsor on the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing entry, which will be driven by Paul Menard, starting next season.

 

“Having a company like Menards, and a businessman like John Menard, be a part of the growth with the No. 12 team is terrific for our organization,” said Roger Penske. “Menards has a winning tradition in motorsports and Team Penske looks forward to adding to that legacy. We have enjoyed a productive relationship with Menards through our INDYCAR program, and they were a key part of our championship effort last season. We are excited about the opportunity to grow with them in NASCAR beginning next season.”

 

The partnership between Team Penske and Menards began in 2016, with the company serving as a primary sponsor on the No. 22 Indy car for five races with driver Simon Pagenaud.  The company expanded its relationship in 2017, sponsoring the reigning Verizon IndyCar Series Champion for 10 races. Next season will mark the company’s first foray into NASCAR with Team Penske. 

 

Menards plans to continue its sponsorship of Penske’s INDYCAR program into 2018 and beyond as well.

 

“Working with an organization like Team Penske means you are always going to be in contention for race wins and championships,” said John Menard.  “And winning races and championships puts your brand in front of a lot of people.  We’ve had a great run in motorsports over the years and with that has come a lot of success.  Now, we are excited to keep that going with both NASCAR and INDYCAR programs with Team Penske.”

 

A family-owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and has 306 home improvement stores located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Today, Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s famous slogan Save BIG Money! is widely known and easy to remember.

 

Additional sponsorship for the No. 12 Ford Fusion and Blaney will be announced at a later date.

Posted on by Staff Report

MORE: Byron to No. 24, Elliott to No. 9

Hendrick Motorsports made a landmark announcement Tuesday night, choosing to let legacy live on by putting Chase Elliott behind the wheel of a newly numbered Chevrolet ( No. 9 ) and William Byron in the No. 24 starting in 2018.

Elliott will now be wheeling the same number his father, Bill, drove to a NASCAR Hall of Fame career, while Byron will carry on the legacy that Jeff Gordon started at Hendrick Motorsports in 1992.

After the news broke, Hendrick drivers chimed in with their thoughts on the announcement — and they were stoked.

 

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports announced Tuesday it will have four iconic car numbers in its stable next year with William Byron driving the No. 24 and Chase Elliott making his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut with the No. 9.

Here are quick facts on each of the four numbers, courtesy of the team:

No. 9 (driven by Chase Elliott in 2018)

• Will make its Hendrick Motorsports debut with driver Chase Elliott in 2018
• Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott raced it in the premier series for the first time in 1976
• 1988 Monster Energy Series championship with Bill Elliott; raced to 38 of his 44 career Cup wins
• 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series championship with Chase Elliott
• 53 combined points-paying wins in Cup Series competition with five drivers

No. 24 (driven by William Byron in 2018)

• First fielded by Hendrick Motorsports with Jeff Gordon in 1992; driven by Gordon until 2015
• Currently raced by Chase Elliott, who debuted in 2016 and won Sunoco Rookie of the Year
• With Gordon, four championships and all 93 of its points-paying Cup victories; race wins include three Daytona 500s and a record five Brickyard 400s

No. 48 (driven by Jimmie Johnson in 2018)

• First fielded by Hendrick Motorsports with driver Jimmie Johnson in 2001
• With Johnson, a record-tying seven championships and 83 of its 86 points-paying Cup wins; Johnson’s wins include two Daytona 500s and four Brickyard 400s
• From 2002-2016, 5.3 average wins per year and 3.4 average championship points finish

No. 88 (driven by Alex Bowman in 2018)

• First fielded by Hendrick Motorsports with driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2008
• With Earnhardt, nine points-paying race wins, including the 2014 Daytona 500
• 74 combined points-paying wins in Cup Series competition with five drivers: Earnhardt, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip and Buck Baker; 1999 Cup championship with Jarrett

Posted on by Nascar

William Byron got a phone call from team owner Rick Hendrick three weeks ago asking if he felt ready to move up into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

This past weekend, Byron got another call from the boss, again with more good news.

“He asked me what my thoughts were about driving the No. 24,” Byron told NASCAR.com Tuesday. “I was just ecstatic, just to know that I’m going to have that number and the history there.”

RELATED: No. 24 car through the years

Hendrick Motorsports officials announced Tuesday evening that Byron will compete in the No. 24 Chevrolet in 2018, when he is scheduled to make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut.

Meanwhile teammate Chase Elliott, who currently drives the No. 24, will begin competing in the No. 9.

“For Chase to be in the No. 9 is really cool,” said Byron, who currently competes in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for JR Motorsports. “I raced Chase in a Late Model race a few years back and remember how cool it was to race again him. Now we’re teammates and working side-by-side and both have those numbers that mean a lot.”

Byron was initially scheduled to take over the No. 5 Chevrolet currently driven by Kasey Kahne. That number will not be used by the organization in 2018, however.

The No. 24 has been used in NASCAR as far back as 1950, the second year of the series’ existence. But it wasn’t until the mid-90s and the arrival of a fresh-faced Jeff Gordon that the car number began turning up in Victory Lane.

For 20 of the 23 years he competed full time, Gordon parked the No. 24 in Victory Lane on what would often seem a regular basis, winning 93 races, four championships and 81 poles.

RELATED: Fast facts on iconic numbers

“It’s really special for me just because of how much it means to Hendrick Motorsports and the legacy that Jeff Gordon and everybody on that team left behind,” Byron, 19, said. “It’s a really neat connection for me, something that I will take a lot of pride in running the number and hopefully be able to make my own name with it and be able to keep the legacy alive.”

Elliott ascended to the No. 24 ride when Gordon stepped aside following the 2015 season and has done remarkably well with the team, finishing 10th or better in nearly one-half his career starts. He has 16 top-five and three second-place finishes.

The No. 9, however, carries much Elliott heritage. Chase’s father, Bill, scored 38 of his 44 career wins in the No. 9, as well as the 1988 series championship.

RELATED: Classic images of the No. 9

According to Hendrick officials, personnel will remain with their respective teams — the current No. 24 crew will remain intact but the car number will now be No. 9; likewise, those with the No. 5 currently will be fielding the No. 24 next year instead.

“It’s such an honor to take over that number,” Byron said. “It’s something I never would have imagined. It’s an honor and it’s something I really look forward to. I know there’s been a lot of success behind (it). … I was looking at Jeff’s stats and it’s incredible what he did with it.”

In a release from the team, Elliott said he “wasn’t sure if I’d ever drive the (No.) 9 again.”

“It’s a huge deal to my family and everyone back home (in Georgia),” he said, “and I hope all of our fans will be pumped to see it back on the race track. There’s a legacy attached to that number, and I want to carry it on. I think it’s awesome that Hendrick Motorsports and NAPA wanted to do this. It’s impossible not to be excited.”

Elliott won the 2014 XFINITY Series championship driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. This year, Byron has three wins and is currently second in the points standings with the No. 9 team.

Byron said the No. 9 “really started with Chase” at JRM.

“It’s been a good number for me but … it’s not a number I would want to have in the Cup Series. I think it’s always belonged to the Elliotts and it’s something that’s special to them.

“I’m really looking forward to the 24 and I think it’s a new chapter for me and something I’m really excited about.”

Hendrick Motorsports also fields the No. 48 of seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson and the No. 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt will step down from full-time competition in the Monster Energy Series at the end of the 2017 season and will be replaced by 24-year-old Alex Bowman.

Hendrick, who formed All-Star Racing, the forerunner to Hendrick Motorsports, in 1984, knows much of the history of NASCAR and said he knows what the No. 9 has meant to the Elliott family through the years.

“They’ve contributed so much to our sport,” Hendrick said, “and I’m happy we can honor that history by bringing the number back.”

There is a stipulation, however.

“I told Chase we’d only do it if he promised to win a bunch of races, so I’m going to hold him to that,” Hendrick said.

Putting Bryon in the No. 24, he said, was more of a “fit factor.”

“And that’s what I see with William and our organization,” Hendrick said. “He reminds me a lot of Jeff at that age with regard to being a special talent and having a great head on his shoulders.

“But William is also his own person with his own career ahead of him. It’s going to be fun to watch him jump in the 24 and show what he’s capable of.”

Not running a No. 5 entry was “by far the hardest part” of the car number decision,” according to Hendrick. Geoff Bodine won the organization’s first race in the No. 5 in ’84 and Terry Labonte won a championship with the car number in 1996.

“The memories and the history will always be there,” he said, “and I won’t rule out bringing it back some day. Never say never.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Throwback paint schemes | Vote for your favorite

Kyle Larson will pilot a No. 42 Chevrolet that pays tribute to Kyle Petty in Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (6 p.m. ET, NBCSN), Chip Ganassi Racing announced on NBC’s “NASCAR America” Tuesday evening.

Petty drove for Felix Sabates from 1989-1996, piloting the No. 42, and Larson’s throwback scheme features the famed “Silver Bullet” paint scheme, complete with stylized No. 42.

 

Ganassi announced Monday that Jamie McMurray’s Southern 500 paint scheme will honor David Pearson.

This marks the third season that Darlington will host a throwback-themed weekend. Click here to see the rest of the throwback looks and vote for your favorite paint scheme.

12 Nov 1995: Kyle Petty races at the NASCAR NAPA 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.
Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: NASCAR-sanctioned drivers to compete in new iRacing series

Watch live Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET as the NASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will kick off at iRacing’s version of Iowa Speedway. The live stream will run from 8-8:45 p.m. ET

 

Christopher Bell, Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland, Blake Koch, Ryan Truex, Parker Kligerman, Ben Kennedy, Ryan Preece, Ty Majeski and Chase Briscoe are part of the series’ star-studded regular lineup, as well as special guests from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and other premier racing leagues from around the world.

As announced Tuesday morning, drivers will compete for eight weeks with a four-race schedule for bragging rights.

Following the iRacing event at Iowa, the NASCAR Peak Antifreeze Series powered by iRacing.com will compete at iRacing’s version of Darlington Raceway. The Darlington race is the first of the playoffs for the Peak Antifreeze Series, which is considered the pinnacle of NASCAR’s sanctioned eSport series, and drivers compete for over $20,000 in cash and prizes.

Posted on by Team Release

RELATED: Menard to join Wood Brothers in 2018 | Iconic Wood Brothers Racing images

DEARBORN, Mich.– The iconic No. 21 Ford Fusion race car of Wood Brothers Racing will have a new face behind the wheel in 2018, but for 14 races it will have a very familiar look to race fans as Motorcraft and Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers return as major sponsors of the team for the 18th season.

 

Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD), the parent organization for Motorcraft and Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers, signed an extension to be the primary race sponsor for 14 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events next season. The partnership between FCSD and Wood Brothers Racing began in 2001.

 

It was announced last month that Paul Menard, a 14-year Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series veteran, will replace Ryan Blaney as driver of the No. 21 car. Blaney will transition to a third full-time team with Team Penske in 2018. Menard, the 2011 Brickyard 400 winner, also will have Menards sponsorship on the No. 21 car for 22 races. In more than 380 career Cup races Menard has posted 19 top-five and 58 top-10 finishes.

 

“We are very excited about the future of our association with Wood Brothers Racing with Paul Menard behind the wheel of the iconic No. 21,” said Brett Wheatley, executive director, North America, Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD). “The announcement today solidifies the full-time status of Wood Brothers Racing going forward, and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of that.

 

“We have certainly enjoyed having Ryan behind the wheel of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion these past couple of years and look forward to watching him the rest of the season and throughout the playoffs and hope to send him off to Team Penske with a NASCAR championship and help to score the Wood Brothers their historic 100th win.”

 

Blaney has blossomed in his second full-time season driving the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford, earning the team’s 99th career victory, and his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win, at Pocono in June. The win locked Blaney and the Wood Brothers into the upcoming Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

 

In 2017, FCSD has used three of its primary brands as part of the No. 21 sponsorship – Motorcraft, Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers and Omnicraft Auto Parts. Details of which 2018 events the FCSD brands will be the primary sponsor on the car will be announced at a later date.

Posted on by Staff Report

Ryan Sieg will honor his late older brother Shane with a special paint scheme on his No. 39 RSS Racing Chevrolet for Saturday’s XFINITY Series race at Darlington Raceway, the team announced via release on Tuesday.


Shane, who competed in the Camping World Truck Series from 2003 – 2011, passed away last weekend at the age of 34. His brother’s scheme will mirror the late model Shane raced in 2003, the season when he reached Victory Lane at Huntsville Speedway in the NASCAR Southeast Series.

“This is the ultimate tribute for my family,” Ryan Sieg said via team release. “My brother had a love for racing and I’m honored to carry this scheme at Darlington. For my family and our friends this is a very special tribute. I just want everyone to smile when they see the car on track this weekend.”

This marks Ryan Sieg’s fourth fulltime season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. He owns seven top 10s and three top-five finishes, including a runner-up at Iowa Speedway earlier this year. He has also made 106 starts in the Camping World Truck Series.

Saturday’s XFINITY Series Sports Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington begins at 3:30 p.m. ET with coverage on NBCSN.

Posted on by Brad Norman

Jeremy Clements found himself in Victory Lane for the first time after 256 NASCAR XFINITY Series starts on Saturday.

And the party hasn’t slowed down for the 32-year-old driver just yet.

Clements posted a photo to Instagram holding his Road America trophy tight while surrounded by family and friends — all throwing up the No. 1 finger to commemorate the ‘shocking’ win.

MORE: Did Clements pull off NASCAR’s greatest upset? | Drivers praise Clements victory

Clements also received a goodie basket from NASCAR Hall of Famer and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team owner Rick Hendrick.

 

Clements is a co-owner of his small, family-owned team and his win provided one of the season’s best underdog stories yet.

Posted on by Staff Report

Lead online racing simulation iRacing.com announced the creation of a new series that will showcase NASCAR’s rising stars currently competing in NASCAR-sanctioned series.

The NASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will kick off Aug. 29 and includes Christopher Bell, Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland, Blake Koch, Ryan Truex, Parker Kligerman, Ben Kennedy, Ryan Preece, Ty Majeski and Chase Briscoe in its star-studded regular lineup, as well as special guests from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and other premier racing leagues from around the world. Drivers will compete for eight weeks with a four-race schedule for bragging rights.

“We couldn’t be more excited,” Tony Gardner, president of iRacing.com, said in an official release. “NASCAR is a tremendous partner and the various NASCAR official series on iRacing are extremely popular.  Adding this series to our eSports line-up with real world professionals is thrilling and highlights the continued growth of sim racing.”

The season’s first race on Tuesday will be held at iRacing’s version of Iowa Speedway and will be broadcast live on www.iRacing.com/live at 8 p.m. ET. To continue with the iRacing theme, NASCAR Peak Antifreeze Series powered by iRacing.com will compete at iRacing’s version of Darlington Raceway immediately following the invitational event. This marks the first race of the playoffs for the Peak Antifreeze Series, which is considered the pinnacle of NASCAR’s sanctioned eSport series, and drivers compete for over $20,000 in cash and prizes.

“Through our long-term partnership with iRacing.com, NASCAR has been at the forefront of competitive gaming for years,” said Blake Davidson, NASCAR vice president of licensing and consumer products. “The NASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational will further connect our drivers to the growing fan base of e-Sports in an engaging and authentic way.”