Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Wood Brothers’ history | Photos from Blaney’s first win

Ryan Blaney said his focus is on trying to win a landmark victory for one of NASCAR’s legendary teams and his 2018 plans aren’t something he really spends a lot of time thinking about.

“I love the Wood Brothers and driving for them has been really special for me and my family,” Blaney said Wednesday during a national teleconference. “I couldn’t ask for a greater group of the people.

“The thing I’m mostly concentrating on now is trying to win Race 100 for the Wood Brothers, that’s something I’d really like to achieve. And I think we can do it. I believe we can really do that.”

Blaney, 23, won his first career race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series earlier this year, and the victory at Pocono Raceway was No. 99 for the Wood Brothers Racing organization.

RELATED: Blaney makes late pass to win at Pocono | Detailed race report

Wood Brothers has been fielding cars in NASCAR’s top series since 1953, four years after the sanctioning body was founded, and has at least one victory in six consecutive decades.

Blaney ran a partial schedule in the team’s iconic No. 21 Ford in 2015; in ’16 the organization, which began in tiny Stuart, Virginia, returned to full-time competition with Blaney at the wheel.

WBR has a working relationship with Team Penske, which provides chassis and technical support. Team owner Roger Penske has mentioned the potential of bringing Blaney in house if his organization expands to three teams. Team Penske currently fields two entries in the Monster Energy Cup Series, for drivers Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Ford) and Joey Logano (No. 22 Ford).

“I don’t really think about that stuff,” Blaney said when asked about his 2018 plans. “There have been talks about it for years, really ever since I got with the Penske group and things just haven’t really come together. …

“The discussions with what Roger says, yeah, that’s been trying to go on since 2012, ever since I got over there, and we’re just trying to build up that, and I don’t really know what’s going to happen.”

Blaney said he’ll be happy wherever he lands, whether it be back with the Wood Brothers or with Team Penske.

RELATED: Full schedule for Kentucky

“I’m really happy with the Ford camp and that family, so we’ll see where everything goes, but I’m more kind of a here‑and‑now kind of guy, and … trying to win Kentucky is my main priority, and we’ll go try to do that,” he said.

“But I’m sure we’ll figure something out here soon, but as of right now, I’m just driving the 21 car this year and pretty happy to be where I’m at.”

All three NASCAR national series compete at Kentucky Speedway this weekend, highlighted by Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).

The Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 for the Camping World Truck Series is scheduled for Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1) and the Alsco 300 XFINITY Series race is on tap for Friday (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the Kentucky races
RELATED: Full schedule for Kentucky

All three NASCAR national series descend on Kentucky Speedway for a tripleheader of high-speed action. 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, NBCSN)
Stage 1: Ends on Lap 80
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 160
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 267

NASCAR XFINITY Series (Race is Friday, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Stage 1: Ends on Lap 45
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 90
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 200

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Race is Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET, FS1)
Stage 1: Ends on Lap 35
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 70
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 150

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RELATED: Full schedule for Kentucky | Standings entering Kentucky

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: Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway

Date: Saturday, July 8, 7:30 p.m.  ET (NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Previous five results at Kentucky: 13th, 21st, 5th, 12th, 4th

RELATED: Junior’s complete Kentucky history | Every Dale Jr. victory 

Notable: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has not yet won at Kentucky Speedway, which has only seen six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races. Of his six starts there, Earnhardt has two top fives and a pole that came in 2013. He’s led a total of 10 laps in Kentucky and has an average finish of 14.2.

Memorable moment: Last season during the Quaker State 400, Earnhardt expressed frustrations behind-the-wheel from a combination of conservative tires, a lower downforce package, and the track repave. On top of that, he ran out of gas on the final lap. Still, Earnhardt managed to snag a top-15 finish (13th), a placing not even he thought was feasible.

Quotable: “The bumps were extremely bad at Kentucky – it was rough. The corners were great, and I think a lot of drivers would have liked to keep the corners ‘as is,’ just because they were aged and slick, and provided a lot of opportunity and different lines to run,” Earnhardt said in a team release. “But as the track ages, it should be incredible.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Ryan Preece will drive the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing XFINITY Series car in two upcoming races, the organization announced Wednesday.

A NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standout, Preece ran the entire 2016 XFINITY Series schedule with JD Motorsports. In 33 races, Preece earned one top-10 finish at Darlington Raceway and finished 17th in points. He has 36 career series starts.

However, the 26-year-old has since returned to his Northeastern racing roots, again running the Whelen Modified Tour schedule. In his first five races this year, Preece has been victorious twice.

Preece was crowned the series champion in 2013.

The Berlin, Connecticut, native’s XFINITY Series season debut with Joe Gibbs Racing will come at his home track, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, on July 15. Preece will also race at Iowa Speedway on July 29.

“Ryan is the latest young driver to help us with our NASCAR XFINITY Series program,” said Steve deSouza, Joe Gibbs Racing executive vice president of XFINITY and development, in a team release. “He has been on fire this year with the Modifieds and we have him starting at his home track in New Hampshire for us. He is very excited about the opportunity and we are looking forward to working with him.”

Preece also has five career starts in the Monster Energy Series. All five starts came in 2015 with Preece earning a career-best 32nd-place finish at New Hampshire in his debut.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to race for Joe Gibbs racing and my crew chief Chris Gabehart and the whole 20 team,” said Preece. “It seems like a great group and they obviously have a great team.

“I am looking forward to being a part of the 20 team and having a winning car. Now I need to put in the time, the effort, the work and get it done. I’m very excited.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The streak stops at six for Kyle Larson.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points leader won his sixth consecutive sprint car race Tuesday night at Grandview Speedway. It was Larson’s third win in Pennsylvania, having also won Sunday, July 2 at Path Valley Speedway and Monday, July 3 at Lincoln Speedway.

 


Larson’s streak started June 13 at Eagle (Nebraska) Speedway. He followed it up by winning back-to-back races in Ohio on June 19 (Wayne County Speedway) and June 20 (Sharon Speedway).

The quest for a seventh straight win came to an end Wednesday night at Hagerstown Speedway. It was Larson’s final dirt race of the week before heading to Kentucky Speedway for the Quaker State 400 on July 8 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in search of his third Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win of the year.

 

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Stenhouse wins wild one at Daytona

It wouldn’t exactly be a surprise if we were to discover that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is wishing there were multiple restrictor-plate races in this year’s playoffs for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Unfortunately for Stenhouse and his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing team there’s only one, at Talladega, and it’s nestled in the middle of the Round of 12 of the postseason. And it’s surrounded by mile-and-a-halves, which the 29-year-old racer will quickly tell you haven’t exactly been his team’s or the organization’s strong suit of late.

“We’re still working on our mile‑and‑a‑half program,” Stenhouse said after Saturday night’s win in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. “We don’t feel like we’re capable of winning on a mile‑and‑a‑half program.

“We feel like we can run top 10 and get top‑10 finishes, but we’re not ready to go out and win those races yet.”

Plate tracks, though, well that’s another story. Stenhouse has won two of three this season and they just happened to be the first and second wins of his career in the series.

WATCH: Catch up on Coke Zero 400 in 15 minutes

There have been three first-time winners this year, and Stenhouse was the first, winning at Talladega back in May. Austin Dillon (Charlotte) and Ryan Blaney (Pocono) got their first wins this year, too, but a second victory has yet to materialize for either driver.

Stenhouse is the first competitor to win his first and second races in the same season since 2006, the year a 25-year-old Denny Hamlin swept both events at Pocono.

There have been several drivers who have earned their first win since then, but none went on to win a second time during the same year. Not Brad Keselowski or Team Penske teammate Joey Logano in ‘09. Not Martin Truex Jr. or Clint Bowyer in ’07.

The Talladega victory earned Stenhouse a spot in the 16-team playoffs, provided he doesn’t fall off the face of the planet, and who would have thought that after 17 races Stenhouse would have a pair of victories and Joe Gibbs Racing drivers would have none?

The expectation is that JGR’s veterans Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Hamlin will eventually find the winner’s circle, but only nine races remain before the start of the postseason. Opportunities will soon be in short supply.

RELATED: Stenhouse’s career statistics | Roush by the numbers

Stenhouse is a two-time XFINITY Series champion, capturing titles in 2011 and ’12. But of his eight career wins in that series, none came on anything larger than 1.54-mile Atlanta. It was, in fact, the mile and a halves where he prospered, winning at places such as Texas and Las Vegas and Chicago and Kansas.

Iowa, a 7/8th-mile layout, was the scene of three wins as well and Stenhouse has been competitive even through the lean times on the shorter tracks on the schedule.

Back then, Roush Fenway was a different organization, fielding title-contending entries for the likes of Carl Edwards and Kenseth in the Monster Energy Series in addition to its solid XFINITY effort.

Then the Monster Energy Series teams went winless in ’15-16, drivers moved on and folks began to wonder if RFR could or would win again.

Now the victories by Stenhouse seem to validate the direction of the organization, the personnel moves and the innumerable details that we’re told have been addressed.

CREW CALL: No. 17 team on their second win of 2017

To get his first win this season was big. To get a second victory was no less memorable or meaningful for Stenhouse.

“I think it’s something that after you win the first one, it was awesome for a week, but then somebody else wins the next week, so it makes you want to continue to win and get back … in Victory Lane, and get everybody talking about your team,” he said.

They’ll talk about him for a least a couple more days and then it’s off to Kentucky and another race and another opportunity. Kentucky’s a 1.5-mile track and maybe Stenhouse and his team, led by crew chief Brian Pattie, will make some headway in attempting to tune up the program where those tracks are concerned.

There’s plenty of them ahead — two before the playoffs then five of 10 down the stretch.

But only one plate race. Much to the regret of Stenhouse, no doubt.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

There’s nothing like the Coke Zero 400. A Saturday night Daytona shootout on the Fourth of July weekend makes this one of the greatest weekends on the NASCAR schedule — and this year’s running had it all.

THUMBS UP: NBC’s Bat Cam and Helmet Cam

Daytona marks the start of NBC’s race broadcasts for the second half of the season. That means this weekend was the first race after what’s essentially an eight-month offseason for the network — and they made some exciting advances during that time off screen, apparently.

We, the viewers, were treated to two gifts: the Bat Cam and the Helmet Cam.

The (na-na na-na, na-na na-na) Bat Cam, suspended along Daytona’s backstretch, followed cars along Daytona’s backstretch at 100 mph. It made for some dramatic, unique, almost cinematic shots. Thumb raised, Bat Cam.

And, of course, NBC treated viewers to the Helmet Cam — a camera mounted to the visor of AJ Allmendinger’s helmet. The TV broadcast regularly showed what racing felt like inside the pack, including when Allmendinger drove past a crash where Kyle Larson’s car went airborne.

Between these new cameras and FOX’s visor cam at Sonoma, we’ve experienced some real treats on TV this season. Thumbs up for cool, new views of the action.

THUMBS DOWN: DJ Kennington’s engine expires on Canada Day

The Coke Zero 400 traditionally falls on the Saturday before the July 4th weekend. This year, the race took place on July 1, which also happens to be Canada Day.

On Lap 16, the engine failed on Canadian stock car veteran DJ Kennington’s No. 15, sending his car for a spin and ending his race just minutes into the race.

Given the circumstances — Kennington was making just his second start of the season, and on Canada Day — it wasn’t ideal. Bummer.

THUMBS UP: Doggone Underdog Gaughan

Brendan Gaughan, racing for restrictor plate-only team Beard Motorsports, scored a 7th place finish. That’s worthy for a thumb raised high for many reasons:

1. It was Gaughan’s first Top-10 finish in the Monster Energy Series since 2004.

2. Beard Motorsports is only competing in four races this year.

3. Gaughan crashed to bring out a caution on Lap 91 of the race.

4. Gaughan finished 11th in this season’s Daytona 500, bringing his average finish at Daytona to an impressive 9.0 — the third best in the series this season among drivers to make starts in both races at the 2.5-mile track.

That’s a mighty fine way to celebrate a birthday.

THUMBS DOWN: Dale, No!

In what’s likely his final start at Daytona as a full-time driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. crashed out of Saturday’s race early after starting from the pole and recovering after an incident that had cost the No. 88 two laps.

Unfortunately for Junior Nation, Earnhardt’s hopes of a victory came to a grinding halt on Lap 106 when Kevin Harvick’s Ford broke loose from a tire issue.

Dale Jr. winning at Daytona in his final start at the track would have made for a great story, but alas, the racing gods said it wasn’t meant to be.

While No. 88 fans are holding their thumbs downward leaving Daytona, perhaps this is a good reminder that Dale Jr.’s pole win makes him eligible for the 2018 Clash.

BIGGEST THUMBS UP OF THE WEEK: Ricky Stenhouse’s Patriotic Post-Race Cheer

Fascinatingly, the No. 17 car led 17 laps en route to winning the 17th race of the 2017 season. If that wasn’t interesting enough, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s energetic on-track, post-race interview took the cake.

After thanking the fans attending the race, Stenhouse gave an off-the-cuff patriotic hoot: “America! 1776! We are the champs!”

It was an unexpected and emotionally charged exclamation that capped off a thrilling day of racing at Daytona — worthy of a good old-fashioned red, white, and blue thumbs up.

Posted on by Brad Norman

RELATED: Full coverage of NASCAR Salutes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Andrew Lumish spends his scant spare time visiting cemeteries.

He arrives on Sundays, sleeves rolled up and supplies in hand. He goes to work, spending hours meticulously restoring the graves and monuments of fallen veterans, whose final resting places have fallen into a state of disrepair.

His work has led to a nickname turned nonprofit organization: “The Good Cemeterian.” And on Saturday night, he was at Daytona International Speedway as part of the weekend’s patriotic plans.

“It was very organic how this all started,” Lumish told NASCAR.com. “I love photography, and I love to take pictures. In doing so I stumbled upon an old, historic cemetery in downtown Tampa. I photographed it, and it was amazing.

“But I made an observation — the monuments were in incredible disrepair. These were our soldiers’ monuments, who had fought to protect all of our freedoms today, from 100, 150 years ago. They were neglected and falling apart. They were a mess.”

Special to NASCAR.com

Weathered with age, the monuments ranged from minor wear to total obstruction. Some were so bad, a passerby couldn’t read the last name on the marker. Those under large trees were especially bad, with years — perhaps decades — of built-up pollen.

“It kind of pissed me off,” Lumish said. “It angered me.”

PHOTOS: Troops at track | XFINITY cars pay homage

So Lumish, who lives in Florida, acted. He studied and learned how headstones are restored and maintained at hallowed Arlington National Cemetery, then he purchased all of the products. He cleaned headstones anonymously on Sunday, his day off, until filming a brief piece for one of his buddies at the local news station.

It went viral.

As viral things tend to do, his story became national. And it caught the eye of NASCAR officials, who were in the middle of the NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola initiative, a six-week program designed to honor and pay respect to the military and servicemembers.

Lumish attended the Coke Zero 400 as the special guest of Jim Cassidy, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Racing Operations.

As NASCAR and Daytona honored troops and servicemembers, Lumish was there to take it all in — and reflect on his role in the patriotic weekend ahead of Independence Day.

“I know how patriotic and how important this is to so many people,” Lumish said of the race. “I know the background of what NASCAR does for our military, so to be a part of it, to be invited to something like this, truly it’s so exciting. I’ve had some amazing things happen to me in my life, and this is right up there.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Name: Ken

Current City: Scottsdale, AZ

Member since: 2009

Getting to know Ken

Why did you join the Official NASCAR Fan Council?

“I believe NASCAR really cares about what its fans think about the sport and they welcome direct feedback. I felt like the NASCAR Fan Council gave me an opportunity to express my opinions directly to NASCAR management, and that they would listen.”

How did you first become interested in NASCAR?

“I had been a marginal auto racing fan most of my life, but I really started getting into NASCAR around 2000 and discovered that the more I watched and followed the sport, the more interesting it became to me.”

What makes NASCAR special for you?

“There are so many aspects of NASCAR, that it’s like peeling the proverbial onion. The deeper you get into it, the more things there are to follow and appreciate. I love the competition, the tight racing, the strategy, and the excitement of the races. I like all three major series, and some of the best racing happens in the Truck Series, in my opinion. I like to watch practices and especially the knock-out qualifying.”

Do you have any favorite NASCAR memories or traditions?

“My brothers and extended family share an interest in NASCAR so we play in the Fantasy Leagues and frequently will call each other to talk about the past weekend’s races.”

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

“Some of the great southern tracks: Martinsville, Bristol and Talladega”

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

Driver: “Brad Keselowski” 

Track: “Phoenix” 

Memorabilia: “Brad K cap celebrating his Cup Championship and Chase Elliott cap celebrating his Nationwide Championship. And a few die-cast cars: Carl Edwards’ #99 Ford, Benny Parsons #72 Mercury, Wood Brothers #21 Ford.”

Where did you grew up?

“I grew up in Eugene, Oregon and used to occasionally go to the old Eugene Speedway for local races.”

What do you like to do in your free time? 

“I am an avid music fan, so I collect and listen to all kinds of music. I also enjoy motorcycling and reading.”

Where is your dream car?

“I like cars that are nimble handling, have plenty of power, and a great sound system.”

What would be your dream vacation? 

“I have been fortunate to have traveled to all 50 states, plus Japan and Europe. I would like to visit race tracks and baseball parks all across the USA.”

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

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: XFINITY Series standings | Full schedule for Kentucky

Brian Scott will return to the NASCAR XFINITY Series with a two-race deal, struck nearly eight months after he announced his retirement from full-time competition.Richard Childress Racing announced the move Monday, saying the 29-year-old driver will pilot the team’s No. 3 Chevrolet at Iowa Speedway (July 29) and Kentucky Speedway (Sept. 23). The organization fielded XFINITY Series entries for Scott from 2013-15.

“Can’t wait! Thankful to @RCRracing for the opportunity to work with them again!” Scott tweeted Monday afternoon.

“He is a great friend of the company and did well for us in the past,” Richard Childress said of Scott in a news release provided by the team. “We appreciate that he’s going to come out of retirement to drive our No. 3 Chevrolet. I have no doubt that once Brian is behind the wheel again, he will have the same desire to win that he’s had in the past.”

Daniel Defense will be the primary sponsor for Scott’s No. 3 for both races, completing their three-race sponsorship deal. The Black Creek, Georgia-based firearms company serves as an associate backer of the RCR entry in other events.

Scott drove for six full seasons in the XFINITY Series before transitioning to a Sunoco Rookie of the Year campaign with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2016. The Idaho native announced Nov. 10 that he would step away at the end of the season, opting to spend more of his personal time with family.

Scott has two victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He also has five career pole positions in the XFINITY Series and one in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.