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Liftoff panels, ride heights and aero ducts will be on the menu today at Daytona International Speedway as NASCAR and Goodyear officials, along with five Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams, begin a two-day test at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

 

Erik Jones (Furniture Row Racing Toyota), Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet), Joey Logano (Team Penske Ford), Danica Patrick (Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) and Ryan Newman (Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) are scheduled to take part in the program.

 

“We’ve got three bodies of work we’re going to try to do,” Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR Senior Vice President Innovation and Racing Development, told NASCAR.com. “Once we learn from that, we take the best solution and that will go into the Goodyear test (on Wednesday).”

 

Simulation and wind tunnel testing have shown that liftoff panels, which are installed underneath the rear of the car, can further reduce the likelihood of liftoff by a vehicle on the track.

 

But what officials don’t know, Stefanyshyn said, is “when we put cars together (out on the track), will it screw up the racing?”

 

“We have two versions of the liftoff panel,” he said. “We know they both work. Is there one that’s better for racing? They could both hurt the racing and if that’s the case, we’ll scratch it.”

 

 

If it doesn’t hamper the quality of competition, work in that area will continue, likely with a battery of additional tests in the wind tunnel before such changes would be implemented for competition.

MORE: Evolution of track repave on display at Texas



While vehicles becoming airborne have become less frequent in recent years, the potential still exists. In this year’s season-opening race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, two-time series champ Matt Crafton’s Toyota flipped when it was turned after contact in the right rear, then struck nose first as it was traveling backward. Crafton was not injured.

 

Second on the agenda, according to Stefanyshyn, is removing the minimum ride height requirements currently in place for races at Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR eliminated ride height minimums at all tracks except for superspeedways in 2014.

 

The aim is two-fold — having the ride height rules universal across the series should make it easier for teams; keeping the car lower on the track also lessens the opportunity for liftoff.

 

“Now what will happen, because we’ll get the car down, she’ll probably go a bit faster,” Stefanyshyn said. “But I think the combination of holding it closer to the ground in a spin with the liftoff panels we will actually be in a better situation. So (the cars) may go quicker, but we’ll be in a better spot because the car won’t get un-sprung and the (liftoff) panels will help us. And we’ll also have some (restrictor) plates so we can manage the speed.”

 

In conjunction with the removal of ride heights minimums, teams will also experiment with different spoiler sizes in an effort to enhance throttle feel.

 

NASCAR XFINITY Series teams will use aero ducts as part of their race package for this year’s event at Indianapolis, but officials said there currently are no plans for the pieces, which divert air through the front of the car and out through the front wheel openings, to be employed elsewhere.

RELATED: Indianapolis announces race package for July

 

However, since NASCAR will have teams in place at Daytona, Stefanyshyn said it would be worthwhile to gather data on the pieces’ impact.

 

“We’re trying to use this time to do some potential learning for intermediate tracks and take the next step,” he said. “So that is not superspeedway specific, it’s more learning. ‘OK we’re here anyway, let’s learn.’ And what we learn could apply to superspeedways, it could apply to intermediates.”

 

The Daytona Beach weather forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the mid- to upper 70s.

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Well, it looks like everything’s back to normal. and .

After going six whole weeks without a win, I thought Jimmie Johnson . Boy, was I or what?!

As much as Jimmie Johnson rose to the occasion, gave him a run for his money Sunday. What a performance! For a second, I thought this would finally be the week that .

The track reconfiguration at Texas Motor Speedway made the track very . I guess what they say is true: everything’s in Texas!

What I really don’t understand is why Jimmie Johnson and his team’s ability. I think the true secret to the No. 48 team’s success is .

Now it’s time for an off-week — no racing next Sunday. As , this is .

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Driver Chris Buescher, the No. 37 JTG Daugherty team and NASCAR fans were relieved Sunday when jackman Zack Young tweeted that he was OK after being hit amid a spin on pit road at Texas Motor Speedway.

 

 

While entering pit road during a competition caution on Lap 30 of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, Buescher’s car was clipped by Erik Jones’ No. 77 Toyota. That spun Buescher into his pit stall, and the rear tires flipped toward pit road and crashed into over-the-wall crew member Young.

 

On Tuesday, Young tweeted the video, as taken from the front tire changer’s helment camera.

Young told PitTalks.com that he "jumped but got hit by the right rear quarter panel, which threw me a good 10 feet in the air toward pit wall."

 

Young told the website on Tuesday that he was treated immediately after the incident at the Texas Motor Speedway infield care center and was later seen by Charlotte orthopedic physicians. It appears nothing in his hand was broken, but he will receive a full report this week.

 

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BUY TICKETS: See the races at Bristol

The chatter of a potential rivalry between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Blaney can simmer down now. Because the two have made up, Earnhardt says.


The duo made amends this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. mentioned on his weekly Dirty Mo Radio podcast "The Dale Jr. Download" on Tuesday.

"Me and Blaney patched things up in the bus lot this weekend," Junior said. "We talked about trying to run races without running into each other so we can get back to drinking beer together.”

"The important things," his wife Amy, who was this week’s guest on the podcast, said with a laugh.

@nascarcasm: Blaney’s guide to apologizing to Dale Jr.

The first of two on-track incidents came on March 19 at Phoenix Raceway, when on-track action caused Blaney to call Earnhardt Jr. a derogatory term via in-car radio. It continued two weeks later at Martinsville Speedway when the two made initial contact and then again when Blaney’s No. 21 Ford caused Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet to spin out. 

Earnhardt initially denied the 23-year-old’s post-race phone call to patch things up, but told NASCAR.com last week that while he was frustrated, he was "having a lot of fun with it; kind of messing with him a little bit about it."

RELATED: Dale Jr. denies Blaney’s call | Junior on Blaney: We’ll sort it out

Junior also spoke to Blaney’s recent success, as the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford won Stages 1 and 2 at Texas and led a race-high 148 laps. He’s currently ranked sixth in the standings.

"It’s not surprising for me to see him run good, but I do have to remind myself that he’s in a Wood Brothers car ’cause that’s pretty incredible for that team, that car to be relevant again in the sport," Earnhardt said. "It’s great for NASCAR."

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RELATED: All-Star Race to honor 1992 classic
BUY TICKETS: See the All-Star Race in person at Charlotte

The 2017 Monster Energy All-Star Race will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first All-Star Race under the lights in 1992. That race signaled a new era that became a tradition for the fan-favorite event. Below is a breakdown of how the event will unfold and answers key questions on the format, eligibility and more.

Programming info for the Monster Energy All-Star Race
When: Saturday, May 20, events start at 6 p.m. ET with the Monster Energy Open followed by the Monster Energy All-Star Race
Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway
TV: FS1
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio


What is the format?
The race will have stages of 20 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps for a total of 70 laps, run over four stages, as a nod to the 1992 race, which also had 70 laps. Only 10 cars will earn a spot in the final 10-lap segment.


How does one advance to the 10-lap segment?
The winners of the first three stages will lock up a spot in the final segment as long as they remain on the lead lap. The rest of the 10-driver field will be determined by the drivers with the best average finish in the first three segments. Yes, that means drivers will be eliminated from the race before the final stage.

How is the starting lineup for the last segment determined?
Cars are lined up by average finish of the first three stages with the best average finishing driver starting positioned first and the worst average finishing driver positioned 10th. Pit road is then open for an optional pit stop. The order off pit road sets the lineup for the final segment.

Are there any strategy plays in this race?
Great question. Yes, there are. Each team will be granted one set of softer tires to use at their discretion as part of the tires allocated for the race. A softer tire provides the car with more grip and thus, speed. There is a catch, though, as teams that choose to put on softer tires for the final stage must start behind those drivers that choose regular tires.

RELATED: Sneak peek at ‘soft’ tires

How does a driver qualify to be part of this event?
Those eligible for the Monster Energy All-Star Race include drivers who have won a points event in either 2016 or 2017. Drivers who have won a previous Monster Energy All-Star Race and compete full time or drivers who have won a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship and compete full time also are eligible for the event.

Based on that criteria, these 15 drivers are already in the field (as of April 11): Chris Buescher, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr.

How else can one make the field?
The Monster Energy Open is back, and will take place on Saturday night prior to the All-Star Race. The Open, comprised of those full-time teams not already in the All-Star Race field, includes three stages: 20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps. Each stage winner earns a spot in the All-Star Race.

In addition, the Fan Vote returns, and the winner (excluding Open segment winners) also will make the field.

How is the starting lineup for the race determined?
Qualifying will be held Friday night and include a no-speed-limit, four-tire pit stop. Each team will have three timed laps, one of which will include the mandatory four-tire stop. The five quickest teams will advance to the final round of qualifying to determine starting positions one through five.

What is the prize?
No points are on the line, but the winner gets a cool $1,000,000.



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MORE: All-time All-Star Race winners | Recap ‘One Hot Night’

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As the engines fired, the lightbulbs buzzed — a first for the annual non-points extravaganza. Never before had an All-Star Race been run under the lights. Dubbed "One Hot Night," the 1992 race signaled a new era, one that became tradition for the fan-favorite event.

 

And now, 25 years later, past meets present … as another new era begins with the first All-Star Race under the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series banner.

 

NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway today announced the format for the 2017 Monster Energy All-Star Race, one that rewards winning and incorporates a fascinating strategy component.

 

The race format is as follows:

 

–        The race will feature four stages (20 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps, 10 laps), totaling 70 laps, an ode to the 1992 edition of the same distance.

 

–        The goal for all competitors: Earn a spot in the final 10-lap, 10-car stage.

 

–        The winner of each of the first three stages will lock up a spot in the final stage, as long as they remain on the lead lap after the third stage.

 

–        The cars with the best average finish in the first three stages will make up the remaining spots needed to fill the 10-car final stage.

 

–        The remaining 10 cars will be lined up by average finish of the first three stages and given the option to pit. Exit off pit road determines starting order for final stage.

 

–        The winner will be awarded $1,000,000.

 

Crew chief strategy has been at a premium throughout this season, and that won’t change in the All-Star Race thanks to a unique opportunity granted each team: A coveted set of softer tires. Each team will have one set of these tires available to use at their discretion. A softer tire provides the car with more grip and, thus, speed. In other words, it’s a game-changer. But there’s a catch: Teams that choose to put on their softer tires to start the final stage must start behind those that choose regular tires.

 

MORE: All-Star team for the All-Star Race

 

"The Monster Energy All-Star Race is designed to be fun for fans, showcasing the best drivers and race teams in NASCAR," said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “With the effort that Goodyear has put into this race with multiple tire compounds, I am excited to see how the stages play out, especially the final 10-car, 10-lap sprint to the checkered flag."

 

"The Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race is etched in the history of our sport for the most memorable moments, trend-setting innovation and big-money payouts," said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. "This new 70-lap format pays tribute to the 25th anniversary of ‘One Hot Night’ while pushing the drivers to the brink of insanity with the chances they’ll take to win $1 million. I’m as ready as our fans for a May 20 Saturday night shootout where only a daredevil behind the wheel truly has a shot at Victory Lane."

 

Qualifying for the main event, which returns to Friday night, will again include the wildly popular ‘no speed limit’ four-tire pit stop. Each team will have three timed laps, one of which will include a mandatory four-tire pit stop with no pit-road speed limits enforced. The five quickest teams will advance to the final round of qualifying to determine starting positions one through five. The team that completes the fastest stop will earn the Pit Crew Competition Award.

 

The Monster Energy Open will occur Saturday evening prior to the Monster Energy All-Star Race and will include three stages (20 laps, 20 Laps, 10 laps). The winner of each stage will earn a spot in the All-Star race. The Monster Energy Open field will be set by two rounds of traditional knock-out qualifying.

 

Those eligible for the Monster Energy All-Star Race include: Drivers who won a points event in either 2016 or 2017; drivers who won a Monster Energy Series All-Star Race and compete fulltime; and drivers who won a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship and compete fulltime. Those who have not already earned a spot via the above criteria can still lock-in by winning a stage in the Monster Energy Open or by winning the Fan Vote.

 

Drivers who have already clinched an All-Star spot: Chris Buescher, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr.

 

Weekend passes for the Monster Energy All-Star Race start at just $79 and include admission to the May 19 N.C. Education Lottery 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, May 20 Justin Moore All-Star pre-race concert presented by Rayovac and Kwikset and the Monster Energy Open. Individual adult tickets for the May 20 Monster Energy All-Star Race start at just $39 and tickets for children 13 and under are just $10. To obtain tickets, camping or race-day upgrades, fans should call 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or shop online at www.CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com.

 

The Monster Energy All-Star Race and Monster Energy Open will air live on FS1 starting at 6 p.m. ET. The races can also be heard on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

 

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RELATED: Explaining the format
BUY TICKETS: See the All-Star Race

Those in the biz call it a second-screen experience, but I refer to it as going down a rabbit hole. And since the Easter Bunny is just around the corner, I think it’s highly appropriate for you to join me on this journey.

Google "One Hot Night" and you’ll find a reference to NASCAR’s All-Star Race that took place 25 years ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Go a little deeper and you’ll read about how it was the first night All-Star Race in NASCAR history, taking place on a 1.5-mile track at a time (1992) when short tracks (and mostly local ones at that) were the only ones doing prime-time shows.

Read about the finish, which involved Dale Earnhardt, Davey Allison and Kyle Petty battling on the final lap when The "Intimidator" spun and Allison wrecked. In a dramatic twist, it was Allison who was declared the winner after Petty’s number briefly resided atop the scoring pylon.

Find out how fans voted to invert the order for the second segment of the race, sending Allison to the back of the field after he had won the first segment. What? Fan interaction before the smartphone era? Way before #Vote on The Voice? Amazing.

The race, called The Winston, carried with it the moniker "One Hot Night," and as you can see from down here in the rabbit hole it had a little bit of everything.

In a nod to "One Hot Night" NASCAR unveiled the format for this year’s Monster Energy Series’ All-Star Race, which will have four segments totaling 70 laps, the same number of laps in the 1992 event. You can read more about the newly released All-Star format in our FAQ piece.

MORE: All-time All-Star Race winners

Or you can continue down the hole, which I know you will, because we do have smartphones now and we do like to look smart. Plus, how many times do you find yourself yearning to know more about the events you love to watch.

For example, what were some of NASCAR’s other firsts under the lights?

According to Bristol Motor Speedway, the first night race at the "Last Great Colosseum" was in 1978 and was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough. Richard Childress finished seventh in that race. They both were driving Oldsmobiles.

Nearly 40 years later the Bristol Night Race in August is still one of the big highlights in the NASCAR schedule. "It’s Bristol, baby!" as they say and it’s definitely on a lot of fans’ bucket lists.

So, when was the first night race run by Cup regulars at NASCAR’s most iconic track, Daytona?

Try 1998, and that one has a story behind it, too. Wildfires in Florida postponed the race from its original date of July 3, 1998. Instead, the flashbulbs were popping on Oct. 17 in a race won by Jeff Gordon as he held off Bobby Labonte, among others.


MORE: All-Star team for All-Star Race

It was Gordon’s 40th win in his career, and he exclaimed, "This is October, baby!" long before he ever uttered, "We’re going to Homestead!" — or before Dane Cook ever uttered, "There’s only one October." (Obscure MLB reference, look it up if you want to go farther down the hole.)

And when you get done doing that, curiosity will just be killing you about where Gordon got his first Cup win. Hint: It’s the same track that hosted "One Hot Night," thus bringing us full circle on this victory lap.

Who were the other competitors in that race with Gordon? Glad you asked, and you can answer it by playing trivia right here: https://www.sporcle.com/games/2mbs/gordon_1994_charlotte

Why? Well, because it’s Easter week and we need something to do without NASCAR races to occupy our time. We need more rabbit holes.


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BUY TICKETS: See the action at Charlotte for All-Star Weekend and more

RELATED: All-Star Race FAQ | 2017 format

 

Fifteen drivers currently are eligible for the Monster Energy All-Star Race: Chris Buescher, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr.

 

Drivers who have won a points event in either 2016 or 2017 are eligible, as are drivers who have won a previous Monster Energy All-Star Race and compete full time. Drivers who have won a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship and compete full time also are eligible for the event.

Three drivers will join the field by winning one of three stages in the Monster Energy Open (held prior to the Monster Energy All-Star Race) and one driver will also be added to the field by winning the Fan Vote.

Programming info for the Monster Energy All-Star Race

When: Saturday, May 20, events start at 6 p.m. ET with the Monster Energy Open followed by the Monster Energy All-Star Race
Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway
TV: FS1
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

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RELATED: Race results | Series standings


The days of a newly repaved race track requiring numerous seasons of curing, along with several years of competition on its surface before it lends itself to multiple lanes for racing, appear to be over.


The action Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway was not an aberration. It’s more of an evolution.


Track officials replaced the aging asphalt earlier this year at the 1.5-mile facility and improved the drainage system underneath its surface. The first and second turns were significantly altered as well, with the banking changed from 24 to 20 degrees and widening that portion of the track by 20 feet. Thanks to the work that went into the repaving project, and continued efforts by track officials during the weekend to put rubber down on the racing surface with the use of specially designed equipment, Sunday’s race proved to be a competitive one.


The changes were similar to those done last season at Kentucky Speedway. Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR Senior Vice President Innovation and Racing Development, said much of what was learned during the Kentucky project was applied at Texas.


"That was kind of the first step forward in trying to make sure the racing surface is created in a way to optimize racing as opposed to optimizing durability," Stefanyshyn told NASCAR.com. "In the past it’s been … ‘put down pavement that lasts a long time’ … not necessarily the best for racing.


"Kentucky was the first installation of really going to coarser aggregate and trying to put our best foot forward in a new repave to make the racing as best as possible. So we took that and applied that to Texas."

RELATED: See the Texas repave in photos

With what was learned from Kentucky’s repaving project, and now Texas, officials have much more information from which they can draw and apply going forward in a continued innovative — and collaborative — effort; NASCAR, track officials and Goodyear all work concurrently to produce the best racing as quickly into a repave as possible.


"We know that repaves can take you back a bit," Stefanyshyn said. "Hopefully we can get to a point where when we repave, we can have very good racing right from the beginning and at the same time we can get to a point that we can begin to tie the tires to that repave right from day one without having to go through some learning."


As part of the process, once a repave is complete workers treat the surface with lime, which extracts the oils out of the pavement to make it less slick. The lime then is removed by cleaning with nothing more than soap and water and heavy rotary brushes.


"And then there’s a process of putting some rubber down and we use several things there," Stefanyshyn said. "We’ll use a ‘tire dragon’ or ‘tire monster,’ (and) also use racing schools for them to put down rubber.


"So there’s the putting down the asphalt, then there’s prepping it and cleaning it and then putting down rubber. That’s kind of the process; we learned that through Kentucky, through other tracks, and brought that to bear at Texas."

RELATED: Monsters? Dragons? Next-level track prep hits Texas

A surface that takes on rubber allows drivers to search out additional racing grooves. "It gives drivers another place to go, another option," Stefanyshyn explained.


Chad Knaus, crew chief for Sunday’s winner Jimmie Johnson, said he was "very impressed with the way the race track began to take rubber; very impressed with the way NASCAR and everybody here at Texas Motor Speedway worked throughout the course of the night to get the groove widened out, and the track really got pretty racy there at the end.


"I think we saw some guys on the outside be able to maintain their position or even take the lead on restarts there toward the middle portion of the race and then to the end," Knaus said. " … It was a lot of fun to be able to come out here and race with this new race track."


MORE: Thumbs-up from Knaus


Johnson, a seven-time series champion, said he is looking forward to returning to the track with his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team.


"I think the track will change a lot in the next four to six trips that we come here," he said, "and it’s only going to get better."


Texas, Kentucky and Watkins Glen are the three most recent facilities to undergo repaving projects.


Goodyear officials did not conduct a tire test at Texas following the repave due to time constraints. Because the Texas and Kentucky projects were similar, officials elected to use the same tread compounds this past weekend at Texas.


"We understand there are many items that go to create great racing," Stefanyshyn said. "It’s the tire, it’s the track, it’s the driver, it’s the rules package, it’s the weather, it’s the format. There are a lot of pieces."

  

No two tracks are the same, he cautioned, so "it’s not a one fits all" when it comes to repaving a track.


"But there is kind of a center point that we use to … drive the whole thing and then we work from there for different, specific applications."

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In the spirit of the much-publicized fast food fan seeking free chicken nuggets in exchange for retweets, dozens of Landon Cassill’s fans took a similar approach to get something back from their favorite driver Monday afternoon.


Fans reached out to Cassill on Twitter asking the driver for favors — tasks as simple as a Twitter follow to requests as heavy as printing a name on his No. 34 race car — in exchange for a number of retweets that Cassill himself determined.