Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: See the Kansas race | Full Kansas schedule

 

CONCORD, N.C. — A year ago, Joe Gibbs Racing teams won seven of the first 12 races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

This year, the four-team organization is 0-for-10 and folks are asking, “What’s wrong with JGR?”

Each of the teams, with drivers Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Daniel Suarez, has had its moments this season, but the last victory for JGR came a year ago with a driver and a crew chief that are no longer competing for the organization.

For a group that’s put up double-digit wins the past two seasons, this year’s start has been puzzling.

Carl Edwards’ sudden departure, crew chief Dave Rogers’ equally unexpected leave of absence, and the elevation of Suarez to fill Edwards’ seat in the No. 19 entry are just a portion of the changes the group has undergone as the 2017 season dawned.

There’s also a new car — the front end of the Camry was re-tooled during the offseason to more closely reflect changes to the production model. Years of development and notebooks and knowledge didn’t suddenly become useless, but perhaps somewhat less useful.

It’s also worth noting that the expansion of Furniture Row Racing, which went from a single-car entity with driver Martin Truex Jr. to a two-car operation with the addition of Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Erik Jones, has also had something of an impact.

Tethered together via a technical alliance, JGR supplies chassis to Furniture Row, shares data and provides pit support. Both organizations obtain engines from Toyota Racing Development (TRD) based in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Truex won earlier this season at Las Vegas and is second in points.

While they’ve yet to win, Busch, who has four top-10 finishes, is 10th in points and Hamlin, also with four, is 11th.

Kenseth, however, is 18th in points in spite of four top-10 results and Suarez, also a Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate, sits 21st with two top-10 finishes.

All but Suarez have led laps and been in contention at one point or another.

Saturday night’s Go Bowling 400 from Kansas Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR) is the fourth race on a 1.5-mile track for the series this year. And Kenseth says it should be “a great test” for his No. 20 group as well as JGR overall.

“I feel like that’s been one of our better tracks the last few years,” Kenseth said during an appearance Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “I … feel like that’s a great test to kind of see where our intermediate program is at.”

Kenseth, twice a winner at Kansas, led 116 laps last fall before finishing ninth; Busch is the defending champion of this weekend’s race. Hamlin has a Kansas trophy in the trophy case, as well.

“I think Saturday night after the race is over I’ll be able to tell you a lot better where our intermediate program is,” Kenseth said.

“We’re always trying to get ourselves better. Kansas … is the best test for that just because it’s a track we’ve been really good at. We were all really fast there both races last year; I thought we all ran really well there.”

Busch, who took part in a charity event at the track Thursday, has seen a reversal of fortunes at Kansas. In his first 14 starts, he managed only two top 10s. His last four finishes have all been fifth or higher, including last year’s victory.

“We seem to have gotten a setup or a hold of this place, I’d say, and hopefully we don’t screw that up this time around and we can continue our strong runs and our fast pace of being able to have a shot to win,” Busch said.

Qualifying for the Go Bowling 400 is scheduled to get under way Friday at 6:45 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN).

Posted on by DraftKings

Rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings’ NASCAR salaries for that day. The ordering is not based on highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by value of each driver.

(fppk = average fantasy points per $1,000 of salary. The typical median fppk for a 2016 race was in the 3s. Plate tracks tend to be lower and short tracks tend to run higher due to the amount of laps.

1. Martin Truex, Jr. ($9,700) – Last year, Truex was a killer at intermediate tracks. He’s well on his way to regaining that status this year. Truex led the most laps at Las Vegas and the third most at Texas. In the 2016 Kansas night race, Truex scored the most fantasy points (102.5 points). (5.7 fppk)

2. Kevin Harvick ($10,400) – In the last six Kansas races, Harvick has a win and three second-place finishes. He scored 94, 82, 75 and 102 fantasy points in those contests. Harvick scored the sixth-most fantasy points in week seven (most recent intermediate track race). (4.2 fppk)

3. Kyle Larson ($9,900) – A different driver has won each intermediate track race this season, but one driver has finished second in all three of those races. Obviously, it’s Kyle Larson — the paragraph started with his name. This is his year, fade him at your own risk. (6.3 fppk)

4. Chase Elliott ($9,100) – At the three intermediate track races, Elliott’s lowest score was 55 fantasy points. He finished with a top-five DFS score in all three races. Elliot did all of this without leading a single lap in those races. What happens when he gets out front? (4.7 fppk)

5. Brad Keselowski ($10,700) – At Las Vegas, Keselowski qualified first and scored 55 hog points (laps led and fast lap points). At Texas, he qualified fifth and scored 10 hog points. The difference between starting first and fifth is enormous. (6.0 fppk)

6. Jimmie Johnson ($10,100) – What slow start? Johnson is well on his way to his eighth NASCAR championship. Daily fantasy NASCAR players cannot depend on Johnson to hog all the fast lap and laps led points, but he routinely piles on place differential and finishing position points. (5.2 fppk)

7. Joey Logano ($9,500) – The good news is that Logano’s worst finish at intermediate tracks this season is sixth. The bad news is that Logano has not scored more than 15 hog points in a race this season. If he qualifies upfront, then expect big things. (5.0 fppk)

8. Kyle Busch ($9,400) – We’re going back to “real” racing this weekend, so it’s time for Rowdy to prove himself. It’s not going to be easy, Busch has been less than impressive at intermediate tracks this season with finishes of 16th, 22nd and 15th. (4.6 fppk)

9. Ryan Blaney ($8,000) – If you can deal with negative place differential points, Blaney serves as a cheap way to earn fast laps and laps led points. At Texas, Blaney started second behind Kevin Harvick and went on to lead almost 150 laps and run 50 fast laps. (3.1 fppk)

10. Denny Hamlin ($8,800) – If it’s a short track or plate track, then I’ll plug him in. At intermediate tracks Hamlin has been average. Throw in the fact that JGR appears to be a step behind the Fords and Hendrick, and Hamlin is a hard pass for me this weekend, unless he qualifies terribly. (3.3 fppk)

11. Kurt Busch ($8,200) – It’s hard to say whether Kurt’s bad luck has expired. The reality is that the team switched cars this season and there will be gremlins. Busch isn’t elite, and likely will not lead laps, but he can earn DFS players a top-10 at a discount. (2.9 fppk)

12. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ($8,300) – The lone bright spot this season for Junior was his fifth-place finish at Texas. Hendrick won that race and placed three cars inside the top-10. The best intermediate track cars this season belong to Hendrick. (1.7 fppk)

13. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. ($7,400) – Give a lot of praise to Stenhouse, but don’t forget his crew chief, Brian Pattie. This is Pattie’s first season with Stenhouse and the effect is clear. Pattie almost won a championship with Clint Bowyer at MWR. (5.0 fppk)

14. Trevor Bayne ($7,100) – When we hear the word downsize it invokes cringes. From the perspective of a worker losing a job, it’s a terrible experience. From the perspective of Roush, they’re focusing their resources on two cars and it’s been successful thus far. (4.5 fppk)

15. Aric Almirola ($6,400) – Richard Petty downsized this year. Not the dreaded D word again! Guess what? It’s working for Roush and it’s working for RPM. Almirola has finished better than where he runs throughout the races. (5.7 fppk)

16. Clint Bowyer ($8,600) – It’s safe to pencil him in anywhere between fifth to 15th. Don’t expect hog points from him, but if he’s in a position where he can score at least seven place differential points, then he becomes an excellent play. (4.2 fppk)

17. Ryan Newman ($7,600) – He’s never an exciting pick unless he starts further back than 15th, but this week is a little different. Newman typically produces above-average results, but at Kansas, he’s been above, above-average with finishes of 12th or better in the last six races. (3.5 fppk)

18. Matt Kenseth ($8,400) – Based on name, history and team, Kenseth remains inside the top 20. His career isn’t over, but some drivers have closed the gap or surpassed Kenseth. Right now, Kenseth is grouped with the place differential and finishing position drivers. (2.5 fppk)

19. AJ Allmendinger ($6,200) – This pick will test your core daily fantasy NASCAR beliefs. Do you favor current form or track history? Allmendinger looks mediocre at the 1.5 mile tracks this year. However, in four of the last five Kansas races, he has finished 11th or better in fantasy points. (3.8 fppk)

20. Jamie McMurray ($8,100) – No one wants to pay above $8,000 for McMurray, but this is a new McMurray. Ganassi is building fast race cars. McMurray has a top-10 finish in every intermediate track race this season. (3.8 fppk)

DraftKings is the Official 1-Day Fantasy Sports Partner of NASCAR. Play DraftKings for free and you could win a VIP Experience to an upcoming race! Click here to play

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above.

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: See the races at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. — Officials with Charlotte Motor Speedway will once again pay tribute to America’s armed forces this year with a Coca-Cola 600 pre-race show that will include everything from Humvees to Howitzers, helicopters to F-16 fighter jets. And of course a tremendous number of members of the military.

It’s a tradition that’s taken place for approximately four decades at the 1.5-mile speedway, which will host the annual Memorial Day weekend race for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series May 28.

In previous years, NASCAR teams have honored fallen military members by displaying those members’ names across the top of the windshields of their race cars. Some teams have included special paint schemes tied into the Memorial Day celebration as well.

The length of the race, 400 laps totaling 600 miles, is the series’ longest. The salute to the troops pre-race show is one of the most fitting.

“Last year was my first opportunity to actually bring my family to a NASCAR event,” Army Chief Warrant Officer Paul Williams Jr. said.

The annual pre-race show, he said, is “amazing.”

“Any time we can show off a little bit of our tools to the fans of NASCAR, that strong community, is an amazing opportunity for us.

“And then what we get back from NASCAR and its fans, I don’t think I’ve ever been around a community that really takes us in as their own … one that just screams America much like we do.”

Track officials announced plans for this year’s pre-race show Thursday at the race track. Afterward, former Coca-Cola 600 winner Matt Kenseth (Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota) gave military members in attendance pace car rides around the track.

In addition to ground exhibitions and a pre-race performance by the 82nd Airborne Division, other elements this year will include a 21-gun salute and recognition of five Medal of Honor recipients.

“I’m proud of the fact that the largest Memorial Day service in America happens right here in Concord, North Carolina, thanks to Marcus Smith and the speedway,” Rep. Richard Hudson, R-NC 8th District, said.

Smith is President and CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns CMS as well as seven other venues that host NASCAR-sanctioned events.

“For anyone who’s never been there, it is a moving experience, it is an incredible experience,” Hudson said. “Whatever is going on in your life, whatever you’re concerned about, you come to this event and you leave feeling good about America. And that’s what it’s all about. I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Officials also announced that Channing Tatum, who plays the lead role in the upcoming movie, “Logan Lucky,” will serve as Grand Marshal for this year’s Coca-Cola 600.

MORE: Channing Tatum named Grand Marshal

Posted on by Track Release

RELATED: Get tickets for the Coca-Cola 600

CONCORD, N.C. — Channing Tatum, actor and producer of “Logan Lucky,” Steven Soderbergh’s summer heist movie filmed at Charlotte Motor Speedway, will serve as Grand Marshal of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 28.

Tatum will give the command to start engines for the 58th running of the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s ultimate test of man and machine. No stranger to Charlotte Motor Speedway, Tatum spent considerable time at the speedway last year during filming for “Logan Lucky,” which features an all-star ensemble cast. In addition to his “Drivers, Start Your Engines” call before the race, Tatum will attend the pre-race drivers meeting.

The plot of “Logan Lucky” revolves around the speedway. Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy (Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The film also stars Riley Keough, Hilary Swank, Seth MacFarlane, Katie Holmes and Daniel Craig. “Logan Lucky” will be released by Fingerprint Releasing and Bleecker Street on Aug. 18.

MORE INFO:

Tatum has starred in “Hail Cesar,” “Hateful 8,” the “Magic Mike” franchise, the “Jump Street” franchise and will star in the upcoming “Kingsman.” He is currently producing “Magic Mike Live” at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.

In addition to Tatum’s appearance, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s annual patriotic salute to the troops returns before the green flag drops on May 28, with a spectacular display of 600 servicemen and women on track alongside three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, Humvees, Howitzers, a HIMARS rocket launcher system, an M777 and a RAZOR combat vehicle. A National Anthem flyover featuring four F-16 fighter jets from Seymour Johnson AFB, a 70-minute concert featuring Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd and a 20-minute performance by the 82nd Airborne division are sure to get fans on their feet prior to the race.
Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Kansas
RELATED: Full weekend schedule for Kansas

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are at Kansas Speedway this weekend.

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 Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, FS1)

Stage 1: Ends on Lap 80
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 160
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 267

Camping World Truck Series (Race is Friday, 8:30 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 by Nascar

BUY TICKETS: See the races in Kansas
RELATED: Full Kansas schedule

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams will return from a five-week break in the 2017 schedule this week when they arrive at Kansas Speedway for Friday night’s Toyota Tundra 250 (8:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Many of the teams took part in a one-day test at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 2 to prepare not only for the upcoming race at CMS, but for other intermediate track stops on this year’s schedule — including Kansas.

The last event for the series came April 1 at Martinsville Speedway.

“At the end of the day we have probably three or four different setups and things to try,” said ThorSport Racing driver Matt Crafton, a two-time series champion. “We know what our package was that we won with here (at CMS) last year; we know we ran pretty good on the mile and a halves.

“Junior (Joiner, crew chief) and the guys back at the shop have been working on a lot of things, a lot of ideas. We’ll try those and hopefully we’ll find something that has a little bit more speed.”

Last year, Crafton finished second at Kansas, then won at Dover and Charlotte to move from 11th in points to the top of the standings. But a fire at the team’s Sandusky, Ohio, headquarters in early June stymied any summer progress and left the multi-team organization struggling to keep pace.

RELATED: ThorSport rebuilds from fire

This year, the group’s intermediate track program appears once again formidable — Crafton finished second to Christopher Bell at Atlanta, a 1.54-mile configuration.

“Our 1.5-mile program has been one of our very strong programs so I feel very confident,” said Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Toyota. “Last year we ran so good at Kansas and Charlotte and Dover, then went to Texas had a great run there as well, and then came back and the shop burned down and it all went downhill from there.”

The fire left the group working in various smaller shops located in and around its Sandusky base. “It really, really put a damper on our season last year,” he said.

Although he didn’t win a third title — something done by only two other drivers in the series — Crafton, 40, did make the series’ playoff and nearly came away with the championship before finishing four spots behind GMS driver Johnny Sauter at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“To dig ourselves out of that hole, go to Homestead and have a shot at winning the championship,” was big, Crafton said. But to come up short after all the adversity?

“That was the worst thing that could have happened because I wanted that championship as much as I wanted the first championship just for the sake of (team owners) Duke and Rhonda (Thorson) and what every one of those guys at ThorSport had to work through,” he said.

Notes: William Byron, now competing for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, won last year’s Truck Series race at Kansas. … The last four Truck Series races have been won from the pole, including the 2016 season-ending race at Homestead. The only other time the series had four consecutive winners from the pole came in 2000-01 (final three races of ’00 and first of ’01) … Sauter, the defending series champion, is the points leader (140), Bell is second (136) and Crafton third (117). … Bell, Kaz Grala and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott have accounted for this season’s three wins in the Truck Series.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Talladega results

The Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford team received an L1-level penalty from NASCAR on Wednesday after the car failed post-race inspection following the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. According to NASCAR, the car failed post-race rear wheel steer on the LIS.

As part of the penalty, crew chief Drew Blickensderfer was fined $65,000 and suspended from the next three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points events. Additionally, the team was assessed with the loss of 35 driver and 35 owner points.

Aric Almirola drove the No. 43 Ford to a fourth-place finish in the GEICO 500, matching his highest finish of the season (he was also fourth at the Daytona 500). His race finish is now encumbered.

“We accept NASCAR’s decision and will continue to work to get the most out of our race cars every week while maintaining the NASCAR rulebook,” Philippe Lopez, RPM’s director of competition, said in a statement provided by the team. “We look forward to Kansas this weekend.”

Scott McDougall will be the interim crew chief for the No. 43 this weekend at Kansas, according to the official NASCAR entry list.

Among other penalties issued Wednesday was a $10,000 fine to Ken Davis, the crew chief for the Tommy Baldwin Racing No. 7 Chevrolet. The car, driven by Elliott Sadler to a 17th-place finish, was found to have a missing lug nut in post-race inspection.

MORE: Learn about NASCAR’s 2017 deterrence policy

Posted on by Jason Lofing

RELATED: iRacing 2017

Defending NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series Champion Ray Alfalla scored his first win of the 2017 season, passing Zack Novak with 16 laps to go before holding off a charging Kenny Humpe for the victory at Richmond International Raceway.

 

Humpe had a couple of chances to battle Alfalla for the lead, including one time with seven laps to go when he got a nose under Alfalla coming off Turn 4. The two made contact which sent Humpe for a slide and nearly cost him second position.

 

Humpe, to his credit, did not give up and with two laps remaining he was once again on Alfalla’s back bumper. With Alfalla hogging the low line Humpe searched for grip on the outside but could not find a way past Alfalla over the last two circuits. Alfalla crossed the line just over 0.2 seconds in front of a spinning Humpe, who crossed the line sideways after making a final bid to draw alongside off Turn 4.

 

Ryan Luza finished third, 1.5 seconds behind. Corey Vincent was fourth and Ryan Lowe came home fifth, both just behind Luza at the checkered. Novak had been holding third but ran out of fuel on the last lap and finished eighteenth.

 

The 200-lap race had just two cautions and was relatively clean throughout. The long runs allowed sim racers with a solid setup in their car to move forward, but doomed those who found themselves struggling with handling.

 

Nick Ottinger started the night on pole and led the first 15 laps but Vincent had the fastest car early and passed Ottinger for the lead shortly before the first yellow flag of the race waved for Mitchell Hunt’s spin off Turn 2.

 

Vincent held the lead during the pit stops which followed and maintained a comfortable gap back to Alfalla after the sim racing resumed in earnest. The next 130 laps would run under the green flag, testing the tire saving skills of the whole field as grip off the corners was at a premium.

 

One driver experiencing no lack of grip was Humpe, who started to make inroads on the lead around 30 laps into the run. In the span of 20 laps Humpe went from the backend of the top five to blowing by Vincent for the race lead.

 

However, just two laps later Humpe hit pit road for a scheduled stop for tires and fuel. The field cycled through the round of stops without incident but in the meantime Humpe had lost the lead to Alfalla, who had pitted a couple laps before the former leader.

 

As another round of green flag stops approached Alfalla maintained the lead over Vincent with Humpe unable to gain ground on the top two during the second run. One by one the leaders headed to pit road for a second time under green, but one stayed on the race track: Novak. On Lap 147 Novak got the yellow he wanted. Enough time had passed that Alfalla and the other leaders from earlier in the race had to pit again for tires and would restart behind Novak.

 

On the restart, Novak looked strong for 10 laps. However, slowly but surely Alfalla began reeling him in. The problem was not catching Novak, but passing him. Novak did well to take away Alfalla’s line and hold his challenger at bay for several laps before an incident with the lapped car of Michael Johnson opened the door for Alfalla to make the race-winning pass.

 

With Richmond in the rear view mirrors, Luza is still atop the standings after Week Six, but Alfalla has closed to within seven points. Bobby Zalenski dropped to third, a single point behind Alfalla. Logan Clampitt is another ten points adrift and Darik Bourdeau rounds out the top five, 39 markers back.

 

The series returns to a 1.5-mile track in two weeks’ time, with a 300-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway marking the third such racetrack in 2017. Luza won at Las Vegas and was strong at Texas before being involved in an accident, so look for him to make a bid for his third win of the season. Alfalla should not be counted out though and has momentum on his side as he looks for a second straight victory. Be sure to tune into iRacingLive at 8:45 p.m. Eastern on May 23 (00:45 GMT on May 24) to see who comes out on top on NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series’ longest night!

Posted on by @nascarcasm

FROM THE DESK OF GUS THE DOG

Yo, yo, yo, ye minions — gather ’round my verbal lectern as I drop knowledge nuggets.

Well, as I’m sure you’ve heard, my owner, Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr., is retiring after a 119-year career (Editor’s note: Adjusted for dog years). I figured I’d add my 14 cents. (Editor’s note: Also adjusted for dog years.)

MORE: Dale Jr. to retire | Junior nation reacts

Did I know the announcement was coming? Well, sort of. He hinted a couple of weeks ago when he scratched me behind the ear and said, “Hey Gus — we’re gonna be spendin’ a lot more time together.” I figured he failed laser inspection and was suspended or something.

Then I’m like, “OK, maybe this means I get to ride in the race car now.” I would give up my nudes of Danica and Ricky’s German Shepherd to stick my head out the window at 200 mph. But that’s not gonna be the case. He and I will be home, fighting over couch space. But at least I get to keep the nudes. I’m a water-bowl-is-half-full kind of dog.

So the night before the announcement, he was wide awake at 4 a.m. Usually when this happens, it’s because he set an alarm because an eBay auction taking place overseas is ending and he really wants to make sure he wins that Eddie Bierschwale belt buckle or Rich Bickle Thermos or any of the other crap he wins. Oh God. I just realized he’s probably gonna get a bunch of retirement gifts. Anyone have the number for the producers of “Hoarders?” This is gonna get out of control. Useless crap everywhere, from eBay and now from tracks. Amy and I bury most of it back behind the Old West town when he’s gone and he’s never noticed. Mashing the panic button with my manicured paw.

So that morning, he gets dressed up in a suit and leaves. He’s not really a suit kind of guy. He’s a laid-back, T-shirt-and-jeans-with-a-U-shaped-crotch kind of guy, so I knew something was up. Next thing I know, my phone is blowing up. Figuratively. Not as in, I have a Samsung Galaxy. “Your owner’s retiring!” texts were rolling in from everyone. Immediately Alex Bowman showed up and just started mowing our lawn and trimming the hedges and preparing fresh batches of lemonade for Dale and Amy when they got home.

So now everything changes for me. Dale’s gonna be home a lot more, which is going to make flirting with Amy so much harder. I have no idea what he’s going to do next. Will he be like Jeff Gordon and head to the TV booth? Will he be like Tony Stewart and return to the dirt tracks? I love rolling around in dirt but that’s unlikely. Will he be like Carl Edwards and do whatever it is Carl Edwards is now doing? BTW, I have it on good authority he’s completely Amish now.

I know he’s gonna start getting super mad at me when he finally sees how much stuff I usually leave lying around the house. Dog toys, chewed up ASICS, what have you. He’s gonna have tantrum. OK, so I leave one dead rabbit in the Elvis room and it’s this HUGE, gross thing, BUT, OH, you can toss a bunch of demolished race car carcasses on your yard and it’s “charming and folksy.”

He’ll also need a job, which means you can count on him joining LinkedIn, and then promptly breaking that social media platform, too. I can see it now, getting the email — “DALE EARNHARDT JR. has asked you to endorse him in the following skills: Drivin’, networkin’, makin’ that sweet, sweet jerky.”

All I know is that if he’s gonna be home more often, he needs to respect my boundaries. If we’re gonna co-exist in harmony, then none of that ordering me around. If he does that, so help me God, I’ll swallow a DaleCall and every time I bark, he’ll come running.

Stay tuned for more.
— Gus

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR Productions took home hardware for Outstanding Social TV Experience at last night’s 38th Annual Sports Emmy® Awards, marking the sport’s fifth win since 2011 and first ever in this category. NASCAR’s on-stage presence was amplified by Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Daniel Suárez, who was on hand to present three awards for Spanish-language achievements.

“100,000 Cameras: DAYTONA 500” received top honors for its innovative use of fan, team and driver-generated video to tell the story of the Great American Race. Weaving together content submitted using #100KCams, the third installment in the groundbreaking FS1 documentary series took viewers inside the 2016 DAYTONA 500, capturing the event’s most compelling moments from every conceivable angle.

Last night’s ceremony also recognized the sport’s broadcast partners FOX and NBC in several categories, including FOX NASCAR in the Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement category for its season launch “Daytona Day” campaign.

Presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Sports Emmy Awards recognize outstanding achievement in sports television coverage. Nominations were announced in 41 categories earlier this year, and winners were honored last night at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s prestigious Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City.

Watch more from NASCAR Productions and FOX by tuning in this Saturday for the Go Bowling 400 at Kansas Speedway, live at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.