Posted on by Staff Report

Jeff Gordon and wife Ingrid Vandebosch announced Tuesday that they have added a new member to their family.

Meet Penelope, the puppy.

Closeup 🐾

A post shared by Penelope Gordon 🐶 (@penelopegordon24) on

With an Instagram account @penelopegordon24, the little French bulldog (we think) already has 11 posts in two days.

That’s 11 photos of unbelievable cuteness that we probably all need right now. Here’s a couple more to make you ooh and ahh:

And no, there’s no word on how Penelope is getting along with PomPom and Nutella, the ponies that Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage gifted to Gordon for his retirement in 2015.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

When Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers get into autograph mode, there’s no telling what might happen. Sometimes, they even sign memorabilia featuring a different driver.

That’s exactly what happened to Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently, which allowed seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson to have some fun with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.

We agree with Junior. That piece of merchandise was worth a bunch already, and the hilarious “oops” just upped the price.

Posted on by Nascar

Robert Yates built the engines for the cars that won so many NASCAR races and sat on the pole for so many prestigious events, and his employees built and serviced the cars that won so many times. Through it all, Yates, the son of a preacher, was just as honest and humble as the day he started his career as an unknown, doing nothing more mentally challenging than sweeping the floors at Holman-Moody.

What must have been going on in that mind during those early days?

RELATED: Yates dies at 74 | Drivers offer warm memories

Yates finally found a foe he couldn’t outrun, liver cancer, and his passing Oct. 2 leaves a void in the NASCAR universe. He was 74.

He hadn’t really been around much since he handed the reins of Robert Yates Racing over to his son, Doug, at the end of 2007. But anytime the subject of horsepower came up during conversations at the track, Yates’ name was at the top of the list. That’s as true today as it was when he stepped away a decade ago.

The folks he worked with — and each and every time he gave them nothing less than 100 percent of his talent and ability and focus — good grief, where to start? David Pearson? Bobby Allison? Fireball Roberts and Fred Lorenzen and Richard Petty?

Pearson’s championships with Holman Moody in ’68 and ’69 were powered by Yates’ engines. Allison’s ’83 title got the Yates treatment, too. Petty’s final two victories in a 200-win career? Powered by Yates.

Daytona 500s? How many times did his engines, or his cars, sit on the front row? How many times did those same cars wind up in Victory Lane?

As an owner, well, he was pretty successful there, too. Five drivers won 57 races and one, Dale Jarrett, drove off with the championship in what is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Ernie Irvan, Ricky Rudd and Elliott Sadler won with Yates and perhaps most memorable of all was Davey Allison, winning at Daytona and Talladega and Charlotte and elsewhere with Yates and crew chief Larry McReynolds and crew. The No. 28 Havoline Ford fielded by Yates remains one of NASCAR’s most memorable entries. Those were magical times.

Yates was successful, hard-working and talented, but more than that, he was honest and friendly and willing to help anyone who needed a hand. He was genuine and, yes, conversations with Yates could be lengthy and range across a wide field of subjects, but one never came away from an interview with the car owner feeling underserved.

PHOTOS: The racing life of Robert Yates

There has been much change in NASCAR in recent years, but change has always been a part of NASCAR. From its very beginning, drivers, owners, teams, sponsors and even tracks had a limited shelf life. They come and they go in the sport and the sport continues on.

Yates was a special person who came along during a special time in the sport, one that’s cherished by many long-time fans and looked back on fondly by those who experienced the phenomenal growth. 

In January of 2018, Yates will be one of five new members inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

“I picked the best 40 years for me,” Yates said of his career just moments after his name was announced in May.

“My family means so much to me because they allowed me to work night and day and never told me to come home at 3 in the morning. I always said I never outsmarted (the competition), I just outworked them.”

The Hall will gain yet another legend. The sport is much dimmer with his passing.

Posted on by Nascar

CONCORD, N.C. — After several seasons of reducing downforce and limiting horsepower, NASCAR’s 2018 rules package won’t take quite as big of a bite out of the aerodynamic platform currently employed by teams competing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

There are changes, but overall the 2018 package, delivered to teams Tuesday, is more about maintaining the positive momentum from years prior.

“We’ve got some things we would still like to try,” NASCAR Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development Gene Stefanyshyn told NASCAR.com. But 2018 will be about “just … hold things,” he said. “Let them settle down and then we can talk about what we will do for ’19.”

Chief among the handful of changes on the aerodynamic and technical front are the use of a common flat splitter and radiator/oil cooler for 2018.

The radiator/oil cooler move is something that is already in play at superspeedways. The common splitter, meanwhile, will be new for all venues.

“As we do that, some of the downforce will be removed from the car, so we will see a rearward shift in the balance of the car,” he said. “We estimate somewhere between two to two-and-a-half percentage points backward (approximately 100-120 pounds of downforce).

“So there will be an aerodynamic change. For that reason, we’ve decided to kind of leave things as they are because that will be something that teams will need to deal with. That’s basically the big thing on the non-superspeedway tracks as far as the aero package is concerned.”

New for superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega) next season will be the elimination of the current ride height rule, a move that should provide safety and perhaps competition benefits.

Tests conducted in the wind tunnel and on the track have verified what NASCAR officials were looking for prior to making the ride height move.

“In doing so we make a significant advancement in liftoff speed,” Stefanyshyn said. “Somewhere in the order of 30 mph; very, very significant.

“As we do that — we’ve had superspeedway specific shock absorbers and springs in the rear of the car. We can now do away with those and just use what we’ve got for the other tracks. It kind of brings all the packages together.”

Part of the reason for a limited number of rule changes can be linked to an evolution in the inspection process that will roll out next season.

The camera-based system which scans the car will replace current grid, module and Laser Inspection Station portions of the inspection process. Engine, chassis and safety inspection stations will remain in place.

“As we move to the next generation at-track inspection we’ve had engagement with the teams,” Stefanyshyn said. “What do we officiate, to what kind of tolerance? The teams and OEMs have given us a lot of input. They want us to bring that in tighter. As we do that there will be some more aerodynamics that will come off the car.”

In addition to the 100-120 pounds that will be gone with the common radiator and splitter changes, another 150 or so “is coming off due to the new officiating process and the tolerances we’ve agreed to,” he said.

“When you look at it you say you don’t see a lot physically different with the car, but those two element themselves are a fairly significant change, which was another reason we decided just to kind of hold where we are.”

Engine rule changes for ’18 were announced earlier this year. They include use of a sealed short-block engine for a minimum of 13 races; use of a long-block engine in the Clash and All-Star Race, the series’ two non-points events; and a single-engine rule for all races.

On the safety front, Stefanyshyn said incident data recorders will be powered by batteries from the vehicles, a move that will allow the IDRs to continuously record instead of recording only upon being triggered by an impact.

“When we run vehicle power, (the IDR) will be looping and we will be able to catch the frames or the information pre-crash which is very, very important as opposed to at-crash start,” he said. “We can actually go back in time and watch as that develops.

“Now we are actually going to have high speed video to be able to tie that exactly and it will give us a much higher understanding of a crash incident, and then being able to put in solutions to improve our situation in crashes. That’s a big step for us.”

The in-car camera will be located to the right of the driver.

The mandatory rollout of the enhanced vehicle chassis (EVC) originally slated for 2018 has been pushed to 2019. All new chassis are still required to certify with EVC beginning Nov. 20, 2017.

So what can fans expect to see in ’18?

“I suspect there will be somewhat of a difference,” Stefanyshyn said. “How each team handles it and figures it out will be interesting.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

“Robert Yates excelled in multiple NASCAR disciplines, earning the respect of an entire industry and an everlasting place in the hearts and minds of the NASCAR fanbase. His excellence spanned decades, from the 1983 championship powered by his engines and the 1999 title captured by the cars he owned, both of which helped earn him a deserved spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2018.

“And though he was a master at his craft, it was Robert’s passion and character that endeared him to every single person he encountered and will ensure that his memory will live on for generations. On behalf of my family and all of NASCAR, I extend heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of a NASCAR giant, whose legacy will impact an entire industry forever.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Robert Yates dies following battle with cancer

NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2018 selectee Robert Yates died Monday evening following a battle with cancer. He was 74. NASCAR drivers past and present were quick to offer condolences and warm memories of the championship owner and engine builder, a man who left an indelible mark on the sport.

PHOTOS: Robert Yates’ life of racing

 

Posted on by Zack Albert

Robert Yates, a master engine builder and longtime NASCAR team owner, died Monday. He was 74.

In May, Yates was selected for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. He had been battling liver cancer, requiring multiple rounds of immunotherapy treatment. His son, Doug Yates, announced his father’s passing on social media Monday night.

“Hero — my dad’s my hero,” his son, Doug Yates, said in a post from his Twitter account Monday night. “My dad’s the toughest guy you’ve ever met. Never give up, always looking for the positive and looking for a competitive advantage, and that’s the way he raised myself and our family and everybody at Roush Yates.”

Yates’ expansive know-how as a mechanic led his cars to 77 wins in NASCAR’s premier series as an engine builder. After creating Robert Yates Racing in 1989 after his purchase of the Ranier-Lundy operation, Yates went on to collect 57 more victories and 48 pole positions as a team owner, adding a series championship for fellow Hall inductee Dale Jarrett in 1999.

RELATED: Drivers offer condolences, memories

Equipped with a degree in mechanical engineering from Wilson Technical College, Yates broke into the sport with the elite Holman-Moody organization, the Ford factory powerhouse, in 1967.

Yates later worked alongside Junior Johnson, forming a partnership that resulted in 30 wins from 1969-75. That tenure included LeeRoy Yarbrough’s only Daytona 500 victory, the first of five triumphs for Yates as an engine builder and team owner in The Great American Race. Yates then transitioned to DiGard Racing for a 10-year association that produced Bobby Allison’s lone major-league championship.

PHOTOS: Robert Yates’ life of racing

After two years with Ranier-Lundy, Yates dove into the world of team ownership. Driver Davey Allison made the jump with him, continuing their relationship as Robert Yates Racing was formed. Allison scored 15 of his 19 premier-series victories from that point forward, including a triumph in the 1992 Daytona 500.

In addition to Allison and Jarrett, Yates fielded cars for Ernie Irvan, Ricky Rudd, Elliott Sadler, David Gilliland and others. He retired from team ownership after the 2007 season, turning his attention to the engine-building company founded by his son, Doug. Now named Roush Yates Engines, that organization continues to power all Ford-backed entries in NASCAR’s top division.

Yates’ selection to the NASCAR Hall is the most recent recognition of his achievements in motorsports. Yates was given the Bill France Award of Excellence in 2000, and in 2007 received the Buddy Shuman Award for Lifetime Achievement in NASCAR.

Yates was the top vote-getter on NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Day, named on 94 percent of the ballots. “I don’t even know if I’ll sleep tonight,” Yates said May 24th. “I’m so honored and I love this sport, and I want this sport to do the same thing it did for me, again and again and again.”

MORE: Yates overcome with emotion at Hall of Fame election

An outpouring of sympathy for Yates streamed in throughout the NASCAR industry.

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said: “Robert Yates excelled in multiple NASCAR disciplines, earning the respect of an entire industry and an everlasting place in the hearts and minds of the NASCAR fanbase. His excellence spanned decades, from the 1983 championship powered by his engines and the 1999 title captured by the cars he owned, both of which helped earn him a deserved spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2018.

“And though he was a master at his craft, it was Robert’s passion and character that endeared him to every single person he encountered and will ensure that his memory will live on for generations. On behalf of my family and all of NASCAR, I extend heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of a NASCAR giant, whose legacy will impact an entire industry forever.” …

Said Edsel B. Ford II, member of the board of directors, Ford Motor Company: “We at Ford are collectively saddened to have learned the news of the passing of Robert Yates. Robert, by any measure, was a valued and respected member of our family.

“His many accomplishments included winning the NASCAR championship in 1999 and being selected for the class of 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame. I am proud to have been a part of both of those events but most meaningful to me was our friendship which spanned over 20 years.

“First and foremost an engine guy, Robert will be remembered as a person who helped build the sport with dedication and hard work. His legacy at NASCAR will be defined by his roles as an engine builder, championship team owner, co-founder of Roush Yates Engines and ultimately by the innovation that he brought to all of these endeavors and more.

“Much like my great grandfather, Henry Ford, Robert was a tinkerer. They both leave behind a legion of admirers and friends who benefited from their mentorship and their passion.

“We at Ford offer our sincere condolences to Robert’s wife Carolyn, his son Doug, daughter Amy and his eight grandchildren.” …

“Robert Yates knew the value of hard work and earned everything he achieved in life,” said Dave Pericak, Global Director of Ford Performance. “Not only was Robert a legendary engine builder and championship car owner, but he was a husband, father, grandfather and loyal Ford man who left an unmeasurable impact on those who knew him.

“He was a respected and valued member of the Ford family and co-founder of Roush Yates Engines, and while we’ll miss the wisdom he possessed for working on engines and race cars, we will miss his caring demeanor and friendship even more. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Robert’s wife, Carolyn, his two children, Doug and Amy, and his eight grandchildren.” …

Said three-time premier series champion Tony Stewart: “Our sport lost one of the most inventive minds and kindest personalities in Robert Yates. I’m glad I got to know him and proud our race team was able to honor him this year at Darlington. He leaves a strong legacy that is carried on by his son, Doug, and all of their employees at Roush Yates Engines. While Robert will certainly be missed, he will always be remembered.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Name: Donnie
Hometown: Leopold, MO
Member since: 2010

Getting to know Donnie

Q. Why did you join the Official NASCAR Fan Council?

“I first heard about the NASCAR Fan Council on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. I remember thinking it was pretty cool that NASCAR had a platform for fans to give feedback about the sport. I decided to sign up, and am very grateful that I’ve been able to serve on the Fan Council for the past 6.5 years. I wanted to be able to have a voice, and give back to the sport in hope that it will be around so my children and grandchildren can enjoy it as much as I have.”

Q. How did you first become interested in NASCAR?

“It first started with some friends that I worked with on my Great Uncle’s farm. I was 11 or 12 at the time, and they asked if I wanted to go to watch some sprint cars at a local dirt track. I still remember that race like it was yesterday, I’d never seen anything like it. They were also big NASCAR fans, so on Sundays we would get together and watch races. I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Q. What makes NASCAR special for you?

“NASCAR is special and unique in that it’s unlike any other sport. Fans have more access and interaction with the drivers and teams than other sports. I think by having this access you get to know these people, and fans can relate to that. I also enjoy the history of the sport, and the traditions of the anthem and prayer at the beginning of each race.”

Q: Do you have any favorite NASCAR memories or traditions?

“My favorite NASCAR memory is when Mark Martin won the Phoenix race in 2009. I’ve been a lifelong Mark fan, and still am to this day. Mark hadn’t won a race since 2005, and that was his first full season after running a couple of partials. Seeing the emotion and all of the drivers and team owners come to victory lane to congratulate Mark was special. As far as traditions go, for the last 10 years I’ve gone to the spring race at Talladega with 7 of my best friends to enjoy a weekend of camping and racing.”

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

“Martinsville.”

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

Driver: “Mark Martin”

Track: “Darlington & Martinsville”

Memorabilia: “An autographed Mark Martin truck that I won on a Twitter giveaway.”

Q: Where did you grow up?

“Leopold, Missouri.”

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

“Spend time with my family, watch NASCAR races, hunting, and spending time outside.”

Q: Where is your dream car?

“1969 428 SCJ Mach 1 Grabber Blue Mustang.”

Q: What would be your dream vacation?

“New Zealand.”

From all of us at NASCAR, we thank Donnie for his continued support and look forward to hearing from him in 2017.

Posted on by Holly Cain

DOVER, Del. — With two consecutive wins in the opening round of the 2017 NASCAR playoffs, Sunday’s race winner Kyle Busch has convincingly put himself atop the list of contenders for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup trophy.

He is there along with leader Martin Truex Jr., who won the first of the three playoff races in Chicago and has methodically collected enough playoff points to make his appearance in the Championship 4 at Miami a near-certainty.

MORE: Dover race results | NASCAR Playoffs standings

Yet when the 2015 champ Busch considered whether his early work in the playoffs places him alongside Truex as a sure-bet championship contender yet, Busch answered quickly and succinctly.

“No,” he deadpanned.

“There’s a lot of racing to go,” he explained. “You know, I think week to week, you can probably change your favorite. Early in the first third of the (season) I probably would have said (Kyle) Larson is your new championship favorite, but you’ve got to let these things play out.

“I don’t know that there’s necessarily a favorite. Maybe it closes our gap that the 78 (Truex) had on us a little bit where I still think it’s 78, 18 (Busch), 42 (Larson), and there’s different distances between us each and every week, I guess, depending on how we run and what all kind of goes on, so it’s all about getting the stars to align and doing your job and having everything go your way.”

Busch is the first to win back-to-back races in the playoffs since Joey Logano won three straight in 2015. Kevin Harvick won the final two races of 2014.

RELATED: Busch steals Dover win from Chase Elliott

It’s a perpetually productive, well-decorated group crowding Busch at the top of the standings — something Busch isn’t alone in acknowledging. Predicting the four drivers who will compete for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway still isn’t any easier, according to those hoping to be among the group.

“When you run fourth and you’re disappointed it shows what your team is made of,” Truex said. “Proud of everyone, they did a good job all weekend. I am looking forward to the next round and feel good about where this Furniture Row Racing team is at right now.”

Kyle Larson, who finished fifth Sunday and is third in the playoff standings, has four wins and has been a consistent championship threat. Brad Keselowski is leading the Ford contingent and sits fourth in points — between Larson and a guy with seven large championship trophies at home: Jimmie Johnson. The reigning champ finished third at Dover and sounded very much ready to make a run at a historic eighth title.

RELATED: Johnson adjusts to new playoffs format

“I think when we unloaded on Friday, we realized how much speed all of our Hendrick cars had,” said Johnson. “As we look back over the summer, it just seems like tracks with more banking, our combination works well, and we were able to exploit that this weekend.

“I wished I would have qualified better. I really think we had a shot at winning the race today, and at times I was better than the 24 (Chase Elliott) and the 18 (Busch) and was catching them there at the end. I just never really had track position to race for the win. I finally got top three there on the last run and we were out of laps.

“A solid day, though. Charlotte is a great track for us, as well, and typically when we run well at Dover, it carries over to Charlotte, and we’re optimistic about next week, too.”

That’s rough news for the rest of the field. But not surprising.

Even the early achievement in the playoffs combined with the team’s past performance doesn’t seem to make Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota crew overly confident. Just confident.

And ready.

“Talladega is just a crapshoot, kind of like playing Bingo,” explained Busch’s crew chief Adam Stevens. “Bingo is not really fun for me, so you need to have all the bonus points you can going into that, and NASCAR was smart to put it in the middle of the segment.

“Everybody is going to have to race their guts out all day long. But as far as the next round, any time you eliminate four drivers, the field gets thinner and the points you need to score to advance are even more.

“You know, you’re going to have to be that much sharper, that much better, and have that many fewer mistakes. Aside from winning, you just have to perform each and every week, and it just ramps up each time we go to a new round.”

Posted on by RJ Kraft

RELATED: XFINITY Series Playoff standings

DOVER, Del. – Matt Tifft had to overcome early adversity for a strong finish in the Use Your Melon Drive Sober 200 at Dover International Speedway on Saturday, but that is nothing new for the XFINITY Series rookie.

Tifft had to start from the rear because of a tire change after qualifying, sacrificing a 23rd-place starting spot. A Lap 6 accident just served as another setback for Joe Gibbs Racing driver before he worked his way up, jumping into the top 10 just past the midway point of the 200-lap race at the “Monster Mile.”

“You got to be super patient,” Tifft said of moving through the field over the course of a race. “… We were just trying to be smart and we kind of knew we were going to have an uphill battle starting from the back. Right off the bat, we got smacked in the back. I was hoping the damage wasn’t going to be too severe and it wasn’t. Really didn’t affect us at all.”

Tifft would go on to earn to a sixth-place finish in his No. 19 entry and come in as the highest finishing Toyota driver, an even more impressive effort when his teammates for the day were Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookies Daniel Suarez and Erik Jones. The result also marked the third straight top 10 for the 21-year-old Ohio native.

This season marks Tifft’s first full-time season in a NASCAR national series. He underwent brain surgery on July 1, 2016 to remove a low-grade, benign brain tumor that kept him sidelined for about two-and-a-half months last year.

The result was also important for Tifft’s XFINITY Series Playoff outlook as he extended his point cushion to 14 points to the good over ninth-place Brendan Gaughan. Tifft sits in seventh, 12 points ahead of Ryan Reed in eighth. The drivers who will compose the Round of 8 will be set after  the Drive for the Cure 300 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“Great day for our team and we just need to keep that consistency rolling through next week in Charlotte,” Tifft said. “Nothing set in stone yet. We just need to keep plugging away like we are right now.”

Tifft finished 26th at Charlotte in the spring, but nabbed two top 10s on the 1.5-mile tracks of Chicago and Kentucky in September. And on top of that, he finished eighth in Charlotte’s fall race last year.

“We didn’t have the greatest run at Charlotte earlier in the year,” Tifft said. “Going to Chicagoland, I thought we learned a lot about some rough and wore-out places like that. I feel like we have a good outlook on that place and we had a solid run there in the fall before.”