Stage lengths for Pocono and Texas

Posted on June 8, 2017June 10, 2017 by Staff Report

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RELATED: Full schedule for Pocono and Texas

All three NASCAR national series are in action this weekend, but at two sites. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series will travel to Pocono Raceway, while the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will tangle at Texas Motor Speedway.

Below are the stage lengths for each race. Click here to bookmark stage lengths for every race this season.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (Race is Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FS1)

Stage 1: Ends on Lap 50
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 100
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 160

NASCAR XFINITY Series (Race is Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX)

Stage 1: Ends on Lap 25
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 50
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 100

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Race is Friday, 8 p.m. ET, FS1)

Stage 1: Ends on Lap 40
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 80
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 167

Posted on June 8, 2017June 8, 2017 by Staff Report

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: Axalta presents the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway

Date: June 11, 3 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Previous five results at Pocono: 2nd, 4th, 11th, 1st, 1st

RELATED: Dale Jr.’s stats at Pocono

Notable: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career average finish at Pocono equals 14.4 – but his average finish in the last five races is 3.8. He swept the track with a pair of wins in 2014 and most recently nabbed a runner-up victory in last year’s June races won by Kurt Busch. Junior has also seen consistency in recent years at the Tricky Triangle; he has only finished one race outside the top 11 in his past 11 races.

Memorable moment: Clever pit strategy by then-crew chief Steve Letarte played into Earnhardt Jr.’s win at Pocono in August 2014 that gave him a season sweep of the Tricky Triangle. With 39 laps to go, Letarte instructed the crew to put four fresh tires on the No. 88 before taking a splash of fuel — rather than a full tank — 10 laps later to put him ahead of the field. Junior held off a fast-charging Kevin Harvick for the remainder of the race to win the GoBowling.com 400 by .228 seconds. It marked Earnhardt’s second sweep of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career (the first at Talladega in 2006).

Quotable: “Pocono is a good track for us,” Earnhardt said in a team release. “I like both Pocono and Michigan, so we have some solid tracks coming up for the No. 88 gang. We were in the simulator this week working on Pocono. We’ve been working really, really hard the last three weeks. It’s been going great – the cars have gotten better in practice and we’re seeing some good improvements, so we’re going to keep grinding. We’re going in the right direction.”

Posted on June 7, 2017June 7, 2017 by Team Release

WELCOME, N.C. – VELVEETA^® Shells & Cheese is partnering with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and the No. 31 Chevrolet SS team to give NASCAR fans a taste of the one and only LIQUID GOLD. VELVEETA Shells & Cheese will serve as primary sponsor for select races, beginning June 18 at Michigan International Speedway, and associate sponsorship for the remainder of the 2017 season. The paint scheme was unveiled live on FS1’s “NASCAR Race Hub” on Wednesday evening.

The partnership is highlighted by a comprehensive marketing and content program, including a national sweepstakes that will grant one lucky grand prize winner the LIQUID GOLD championship experience: an all-expenses paid VIP weekend at the NASCAR Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Entrants will also have the chance to win more than 100 autographed swag items, including mini replicas of Ryan Newman’s race helmet and race-worn fire suits from the No. 31 Chevrolet pit crew. Details and call-to-action for the sweepstakes, which launches this month and will continue through the summer, are being distributed on more than three million boxes of VELVEETA Shells & Cheese.

“There’s nothing quite like LIQUID GOLD, and the same goes for NASCAR,” said Jessica Gilbertson, Head of Meals at Kraft Heinz. “Partnering with Ryan Newman and Richard Childress Racing perfectly marries the existing fandom of VELVEETA Shells & Cheese and NASCAR, providing our fans with once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”

VELVEETA Shells & Cheese will utilize digital, social and retail activation assets to engage consumers in key markets. Fans will have the opportunity to see the No. 31 VELVEETA Shells & Cheese Chevrolet SS show car up close and in person, at local market pop-up events held throughout the season. More information with exact locations and times will be released at a later date.

“Our loyal fans are heavily engaged with brands throughout our sport, and the VELVEETA Shells & Cheese brand is a perfect fit for those millions of NASCAR fans,” said Ben Schlosser, chief marketing officer for Richard Childress Racing.

“American families enjoy the convenience and tastiness of VELVEETA Shells & Cheese every day of the week, and now they’ll have the opportunity to win a VIP trip to our season finale in Miami, while engaging with ‘LIQUID GOLD’ content throughout the season featuring Ryan (Newman), crew chief Luke Lambert, the No. 31 VELVEETA Shells & Cheese crew members and other RCR personalities.”

The Kraft Heinz Co., which owns and operates the VELVEETA Shells & Cheese brand, is the third-largest food and beverage company in North America. It joins Caterpillar, Grainger and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions as primary sponsors on the No. 31 Chevrolet SS driven by NASCAR veteran Ryan Newman. Newman won earlier this season at Phoenix International Raceway and locked himself into the NASCAR playoffs which are set to begin on Sept. 16 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Posted on June 7, 2017June 7, 2017 by Nascar

Jimmie Johnson matched Cale Yarborough’s win total Sunday at Dover with career victory No. 83 and now we sit and ask ourselves just how many more victories does ol’ Seven-Time have left in the tank?

Certainly enough to catch and pass Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip, who sit fourth on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ career wins list with 84 apiece. The Hendrick Motorsports driver could find himself ahead of them before the 2017 season ends.

Allison, the 1983 series champion, tied Yarborough with a win in the summer race at Daytona in 1987. He won the Daytona 500 the following year to take sole possession of fourth place before a career-ending crash at Pocono later that season.

Waltrip matched Yarborough with a win in the night race at Bristol in ’92, then won No. 84 the following week at Darlington. Although he competed for eight more seasons, Waltrip never made it back into the winner’s circle.

Past Allison and Waltrip, the trip up the win ladder gets a bit tougher. Former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon is third on the all-time win list, winning 93 times before moving from the driver’s seat to the broadcast booth after the 2015 season.

Gordon remained competitive right up until his final start, but it’s worth noting that his final 11 wins came during a five-year stretch.

Johnson wins with a frequency rarely seen in NASCAR, especially in recent years. The competitiveness of the series makes single-season, double-digit wins the exception today. Still, Johnson has averaged five wins a season for his career. The last driver to win 10 or more races in a single season was, in fact, Johnson in 2007.

The No. 48 might slow on occasion, but it continues to move forward. Gordon’s mark is far from safe.

Are 100 wins attainable? Or 105, the number of races won by David Pearson and No. 2 on the all-time win list? No one’s cracked the century mark since Pearson, who did most of his damage in the ’70s while driving for Wood Brothers Racing and running a limited schedule.

Johnson would need 22 more wins to pull off that feat and tie the Silver Fox. That’s at least five good years. Five really, really good years. But as he has proven time and time again, Johnson has been able to win consistently.

Johnson turns 42 in September, but his workout regimen would severely test someone much younger. About two decades younger, in fact. He bikes, he swims, he runs. He pushes others to bike, to swim, to run. He’s been known to go on long rides before practice and long runs the morning after races.

Behind the wheel? He’s one of the best at car control and dancing along that razor-thin edge.

But his 83 wins say just as much about his team as they do the driver. Crew chief Chad Knaus has been there from the beginning, pushing his driver and his crew to excel. So too has car chief Ron Malec. So too has primary sponsor Lowe’s and orchestrating it all behind the scenes has been team owner Rick Hendrick.

Take away any one of those and maybe we aren’t wondering how many more wins Johnson can collect. Maybe we aren’t talking about Johnson at all.

The trail beyond Pearson is an unfamiliar one, and used only once.

Richard Petty made it to 105 wins in the ’70s and never tapped the brake. By the time he finally hung up his helmet, Petty had 200 wins and a record that will never be broken.

The King earned his wins against small fields and large fields, on dirt and on pavement, running 50-60 races some years and fewer than 30 during others.

Johnson won’t catch Petty. No one will. The evolution of the sport just won’t allow it.

But the others? Allison and Waltrip and Gordon and Pearson?

Johnson can catch them. He will catch some of them. But all?

It’s certainly possible. So, too, is an eighth championship, something that would put him alone at the top. But would an eighth title quench the fire and leave Johnson and his team with little else to prove?

Only Johnson can answer that. For now, he’s made it to 83 and showing no signs of slowing down.

Posted on June 7, 2017June 7, 2017 by Staff Report

NASCAR penalized the No. 18 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team after a safety violation during events last weekend at Dover International Speedway.

Crew chief Adam Stevens, tire changer Jacob Seminara and tire carrier Kenneth Barber were suspended from all NASCAR Series Championship Points Events for four races after a tire came off the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driven by Kyle Busch during the AAA 400 Drive for Autism. Busch’s pit crew appeared to drop the jack before the lug nuts were secure on the left-rear tire during a scheduled pit stop, causing the tire to come off on the track after Busch had left pit road.

According to a spokesperson at Joe Gibbs Racing, the team does not have plans to appeal and Ben Beshore will serve as the interim crew chief.

NASCAR also penalized the No. 29 Camping World Truck Series team of Chase Briscoe for a similar infraction where a tire came off during Friday’s event at Dover International Speedway. No. 29 crew chief Mike Hillman Jr and the team’s tire carrier Eric Pinkiert and tire changer Wesley McPherson were suspended from all points-paying events for four races.

In a statement issued by Brad Keselowski Racing, the team was considering options under the appeals process outlined in the NASCAR Rule Book. Buddy Sisco will serve as Briscoe’s crew chief in the interim.

Both improper installation penalties were set per the NASCAR Rule Book, Sections 10.9.10.4.c: Tires and Wheels; 12.5.2.6.3.c Minimum Safety Penalty Options. NASCAR implemented these rules for safety reasons, in order to prevent teams from leaving lug nuts loose on a tire in order to gain track position.

The XFINITY Series No. 19 crew chief Matt Beckman was also fined $5,000 for a Sections 10.9.10.4 violation where the lug nuts on the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota were not properly installed.

Posted on June 7, 2017June 7, 2017 by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Buy tickets to the races

DOVER, Del. — The “Tricky Triangle” does things a bit differently.

Family owned Pocono Raceway has brought a unique spin to motorsports since its inception in 1971. Just look at the track itself – its three turns and bizarre shape has led to the phrase, “What Turn 4?” and brings fans out in droves to its twice-annual summer races.

With its upcoming race weekend starting Friday, things are about to get even more interesting.

RELATED: Previous 10 winners at Pocono

The track is kicking things off with “Free Can Friday,” in which fans can bring an empty can of Monster Energy to turn in and recycle for entry to Friday’s at-track activity.

“Literally, it’s as simple as go to a local store, buy a can of Monster, drink your can of Monster, bring your empty can of Monster to Pocono Raceway,” Pocono Raceway President and CEO Brandon Igdalsky told NASCAR.com on Sunday at Dover International Speedway. “When you come to our ticket booth, there will be some folks there collecting the cans, putting them in some recycling bins and handing you a ticket on the way in. It’s that simple. It seems too easy.”

It does seem too easy. But it works.

“It’s a great program and Monster has had success at other sports events when they’ve tried it,” Igdalsky continued, “so we saw it and said ‘hey, let’s give it a try at Pocono and see what happens.’ The response so far from both fans and industry has been great.”

The Long Pond, Pennsylvania, venue has a sterling reputation as being at the forefront of the sustainability movement that goes hand-in-hand with the sanctioning body’s own NASCAR Green initiative.

You’d better believe all aluminum is being recycled and eventually put to good use, with Igdalsky leading the charge and setting the gold green standard for the rest of the sporting world.

“We’re going to continue doing what we’ve been doing,” said Igdalsky. “All of our power is made on site at our solar farm. We’ve ramped up our recycling efforts the last couple of years and we’ve got more recycling bins this year. This year we’ve ramped up our composting.

“Our goal by the end of next season is to be 75 percent waste diversion and we’re well on our way to that, with the ultimate goal that in three-to-five years you won’t see a trash can at Pocono Raceway. Everything coming in will be compostable or recyclable of the stuff that we can control.”

And this isn’t some initiative that looks good on paper but isn’t really enacted. Igdalsky says the fans have come to “really embrace it,” and are filling up multiple recycling bags provided by the track per party throughout the course of the weekend, separating their recyclables from waste on their own.

On top of the sustainability the track is aiming toward, it’s also looking to spice things up in typical Pocono-quirky ways. The independence of the track, which Igdalsky mentioned allows he and his team to “think out of the box and do crazy little things,” will be on full display this weekend in a novel way — for fans watching from home.

Saturday’s Pocono Green 250 XFINITY Series race (coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX) will see a first-of-its-kind, all-driver broadcast, led by booth commentators and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competitors Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer.

“It’s going to be exciting,” Igdalsky said. “When FOX came to us with the idea, I thought it was a great concept. … It’s going to be a complete disaster, knowing the drivers … but I think it’s going to be a disaster in a fun way. I think it’s going to be the kind of things that fans love to see. It’s going to come off the rails at some point, but in a really fun way.

“And they have the right crew of drivers that they brought on board to do this; the right personalities to butt heads and have fun and be a little silly. You’re going to see their personalities really coming out.”

Harvick, Logano and Bowyer will be joined by Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as pit road reporters, and Danica Patrick and Denny Hamlin host the coverage from the Hollywood Hotel mobile studio.

And for the fans who come out to Pocono Raceway to catch the racing action live and in person?

“I still want all the fans to come out to the track, of course,” Igdalsky said. “DVR it and watch it on Monday, but come out to the track and then you can actually watch what happened with the drivers afterward.”

Posted on June 7, 2017June 7, 2017 by @nascarcasm

To whom it may concern at Dover International Speedway,

Your race track is undoubtedly the crown jewel of Delaware, which a quick Wikipedia lookup tells us actually is a state. However, there’s something that needs to be considered.

Your mascot, Miles The Monster, clearly does not frighten a certain driver. That driver’s name is Jimmie Johnson.

Monsters are supposed to be scary to everyone, not just a select few. If a monster isn’t scaring at least 51 percent of its constituents (a simple majority), then it is failing at its job. And it literally has one job, and that’s scaring people. There are no other job responsibilities for a monster. It doesn’t scare people for seven hours of the workday and then work in the mail room of accounts receivable for one hour.

And we have it on good authority that after Jimmie Johnson’s 934th victory at Dover this past weekend, Miles now checks under his bed for Jimmie Johnson.

That’s why we’re proposing a replacement statue. One that not only cements Jimmie’s legacy at Dover (BTW, cement is an ingredient of concrete, so that’s a really good verb to use), but also shows his dominance over the once formidable concrete ogre.

So we hereby propose Concrete Jimmie Giving Miles A Brutal Atomic Wedgie. It’s an apt metaphor for what Jimmie does there. With each victory, Miles’ imaginary concrete boxers get further and further wedged up in there. Let us know if this works.

Posted on June 7, 2017June 7, 2017 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As Clint Bowyer bounded out of an SUV at Daytona International Speedway to greet a large, waiting media contingent Tuesday, the morning’s rain shower seemed to give way to the Stewart-Haas Racing driver’s perpetually sunny disposition.

Standing alongside Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile, Bowyer talked about the upcoming July 1 Coke Zero 400 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the track – an always competitive and exciting night race that will celebrate the nation’s holiday – and Richard Petty’s 80th birthday — with Medal of Honor recipients and the Southeast’s biggest fireworks show.

Next, the outdoorsman Bowyer, 38, invited the media to join him for some archery in an adjoining garage. And he was definitely on target – with a bow and behind the microphone.

“There’s just something about this place, you feel like you’ve made it,” a smiling Bowyer said of Daytona. “And this race is so easy to sell because it’s so much fun to compete in and to hang out. I’m from Kansas so being here at the beach is special. I’ve always had a ton of fun here.”

And while he’s still working on that first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup win on the Daytona high banks, he did win the 2009 XFINITY Series event from the pole position here. He has 11 top-10s in 23 Daytona Cup races including a streak of four consecutive top-10s in the summer races. His fourth place finish in the 2014 Coke Zero 400 tied a high mark for Bowyer at Daytona.

“I’ve always run good here,” Bowyer allowed. “Some people don’t actually like this racing, but I really do. I have fun out there and I enjoy learning and figuring it out, manipulating things and getting in the right situation.”

He’s certainly found himself in the right situation professionally, being tabbed to take over the No. 14 Ford for the recently retired three-time premier series champion Tony Stewart.

This season, Bowyer’s had only two finishes worse than 15th place – one of those came after being caught up in an accident in the season-opening Daytona 500.

He finished third at Auto Club Speedway and was in position to win the race and was runner-up at Bristol Motor Speedway in April.

And looking at his career victories, Bowyer seems to heat up as the temperatures rise. Seven of his eight Monster Energy Series wins have come in the summer portion of the schedule or beyond.

“We’ve qualified well, made the third round almost every single time this year,” Bowyer said. “After Charlotte (a 14th-place finish), I was really nervous. After Dover (a 31st-place finish), now we need to dissect some things. Was there something that stood out that we changed while chasing a certain situation? It was a month of barely holding on to the back half of the top 10s not really being a part of the show. I’ve spent a lot of time with (crew chief) Mike (Bugarewicz) dissecting last month of racing.

“I look for Pocono for some of that to turn around. I like the summer months. They’ve always kind of stacked up good for me in the past. It’s kind of that stretch that separates the men from the boys and gives you a good sense of what you’re going to have in the playoffs.”

After answering questions from all the assembled media – and good-naturedly suggesting he’d love to lead Dale Earnhardt Jr. across the Daytona finish line next month – Bowyer surprised a Daytona International Speedway visitor tour in Victory Lane.

The unsuspecting crowd was thrilled. Their dropped jaws quickly replaced with wide grins, even applause as Bowyer posed for photos with all 50 people.

It was 10-year old Carson Pitmon’s first ever visit to NASCAR’s most iconic race track and the Tennessee resident had only response to getting his photo with Bowyer in Victory Lane.

“Whoa.’”

His father Billy Pitmon, 44, was equally as impressed with their good timing.

“It’s just pretty cool and such a random day for this to happen.”

After the photos, the group – most still smiling and snapping cell phone photos — jumped onto the tram and Bowyer took the microphone to give an impromptu tour of the facility.

“This is just awesome,” said 56-year old Jim Sherwood, visiting from Ohio. “And now with Clint, maybe we get to go faster.”

Posted on June 7, 2017June 7, 2017 by

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – The NASCAR Foundation today appointed Nichole Krieger Executive Director.

Krieger – who served as Acting Executive Director since February following five years as Senior Director, Development and Marketing – will assume her new role effective immediately and report into NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton.

As Executive Director, Krieger will build on the legacy of the Foundation’s late Founder and Chairwoman Emeritus Betty Jane France, whose mission was to improve the lives of children. Since 2006, The NASCAR Foundation has raised more than $30 million and positively impacted more than one million children.

“Nichole has been an invaluable leader who has led key programs and helped grow the impact of The NASCAR Foundation,” said NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton. “She was instrumental in leading our 10th anniversary celebration last year and has the skills, experience and passion to take us into the future. We are thrilled to announce this well-deserved appointment.”

Since joining The NASCAR Foundation, Krieger has helped grow the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide, the Speediatrics Children’s Fund and led a wide-variety of philanthropic events in communities across the country.

In September 2016, Krieger was instrumental in developing a multiyear partnership with NYU Langone which expanded the Speediatrics program nationally and donated $1 million to the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone.

Prior to joining The NASCAR Foundation in 2012, Krieger served as Senior Director, Corporate and Direct Marketing at Paralyzed Veterans of America. The Georgia Southern University graduate also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Halifax Hospital Foundation in Daytona Beach.

Posted on June 6, 2017June 7, 2017 by

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s legacy in NASCAR is unlike that of anyone else in the garage. His name, his talent, his personality and his avid fan base with Junior Nation are rare and special in sports.

So, his departure from full-time racing after the 2017 season begs the question: Who will Junior Nation root for after Earnhardt’s gone?

But as Junior points out, there are plenty of drivers to cheer on when he hangs up his fire suit — and he gives us a top-10 list.

“This is a talented list. When you’re talking about these drivers … no one stands apart in talent,” Earnhardt Jr. said on his Dirty Mo Radio podcast on Tuesday afternoon.

So, here you go, Junior Nation: In no particular order of greatness, Earnhardt Jr.’s top picks (with commentary from Junior) to root for:

Ryan Blaney: “If you’re a fan of social media, you follow racing through social media, Ryan Blaney’s going to be your guy. He’s going to give you the most content, he’s going to run good … he’s going to go on the late shows, he’s going to be a guy that says ‘yes’ to all those things. So, if you like seeing your driver here and there doing things and him being interactive, social, that’s your guy.”

Austin Dillon: “He drives the No. 3 car. Bit of a goofball, good, outgoing attitude, outdoorsman, bit of a cowboy. He has a reputation that I think maybe appeals to some of the core NASCAR fans or some of the older NASCAR fans. He obviously drives for a really established old team with a great reputation … if you like the fact of a healthy Richard Childress Racing, he’s going to be part of that.”

Chase Elliott: “He has the last name, he has the talent. Very similar situation (to me) carrying on the legacy. I think his popularity — it’s already pretty big and I think it’s just going to continue to get bigger, especially when he starts clicking off some wins. He’s with HMS and a great team.”

Erik Jones: “Super fast, raw speed — he’s got it. Great talent … He’s wearing this mullet so he kind of knows how to pick on himself and doesn’t take himself too seriously. I think he has a great personality — I would encourage him to show that more. But when I’m around him at the race track, you do see a very, very focused, game-face kind of guy. But there is a side of him that’s kind of the opposite that I think he could probably show the fans more to give them an opportunity to get to know him. But I think there’s going to be great things for Erik Jones in his future.”

Kyle Larson: “He is dominating the series … he’s the modern-day A.J. Foyt, Tony Stewart … Kyle Larson is another incredibly skilled driver. Another guy with a great personality, really funny, family man. Squeaky clean, doesn’t get in trouble, races hard … there’s a little bit of chatter in the media of whether he’s aggressive enough, he’s finishing second a lot and why is he not winning more races … trust me, Kyle Larson has no problem putting the chrome horn to you. That guy there is one I personally would be inclined to consider to pull for.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: “Fun guy, good friend, great personality. He’s a hard racer. When he’s on the race track, he doesn’t race aggressive or silly or over his head, but he’ll run you hard. And now he’s in a pretty good situation where his cars have pretty good speed and now he’s having his best year to date in the series. He’d be a good guy that I think’s going to be around for a while and going to continue to get better.”

Daniel Suarez: “There’s one thing I like about Daniel Suarez being part of the series and being good and talented — NASCAR’s kind of always been an American sport with American drivers. We’ve had a couple guys come in (Juan Pablo) that are international talents. But we haven’t really broken through that barrier and became a global sport … And I think that’s the logical progression for NASCAR. At some point, you want it to become a sport that goes and races in Mexico, Brazil, Canada, even overseas. … So, having drivers that are born outside of America I think increases our ability to be an appealing sport globally. And Daniel is a great guy, I’ve had a lot of interaction with him trying to get to know him and he’s super nice, man. Really cool. He’s a guy that I personally pull for.”

Jimmie Johnson: “A veteran driver, obviously you’re going to be able to get a guy that’s winning races now — and championships. If you’ve become an admirer of what he’s accomplished — tying Cale Yarborough in wins; seven-time champion, tying my dad and Richard Petty. He’s all-American, great personality, family man, not afraid to get his hands dirty — just an all-around cool guy. So he’s an obvious choice for the good guy. And then …”

Kyle Busch: “He wears the black hat. He wins a lot of races, he creates a little controversy here and there. Not liked by everyone, but he does have an avid, core fan base. He does drive the candy car — a lot of young fans like Kyle Busch just because he drives the candy car. And I do like M&Ms myself. Kyle is going to keep it interesting, you’re going to be entertained.”

Martin Truex Jr.: “Martin Truex Jr. is a neat choice because it’s unorthodox; they are a team up in Denver, Colorado. For the longest time, if you weren’t in Charlotte you were an outsider … it was almost impressive that RCR was as good as they were way up in Welcome, North Carolina … No one ever took that team seriously, the Furniture Row team. Now, they’re one of the best teams in the sport, doing it all the way up there in Colorado … Martin Truex Jr. is an outdoorsman, avid hunter – a lot of race fans connect to that – incredible charitable work outside the race car. He is a ‘Jr.’ – came from a family of racers, great story there.”

Leave it to Junior to be unpredictable; he also includes a “dark horse” pick — as well as someone who No. 88 fans might naturally be drawn toward.

“If you want to start with a guy that’s not really established just yet — we’ve named a lot of people that are in pretty good position with teams and so forth,” Earnhardt said. “If you want to pick a guy that I think is just as talented as these guys but you want to work your way up with him — Chris Buescher. I think that Chris did an amazing job in the XFINITY Series — outran our cars with the Roush stuff, which nothing against the Roush cars, but I thought he did an amazing job. I think he really does a good job in the car he’s in now, it’s a brand new team, it’s not one of the more higher-funded operations and I think he gets quite a bit out of that race car … what I’m trying to do here is set you up with a guy that I think’s going to make it and you can go on that ride with him.

“And then there’s one driver that we haven’t mentioned — whoever drives the 88 car next year. You could pull for whoever gets in that car. I can’t wait — I’m excited for them to figure all that out … you can take these 10 drivers or whatever’s behind Door No. 3.”

Or, in this case, No. 88.