Posted on by Holly Cain

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — As Denny Hamlin and his two special guests — U.S. military veterans — pulled up to the first tee at Walt Disney World’s Shades of Green resort Thursday morning, the 2016 Daytona 500 winner dropped some big news on the crowd of reporters watching.

“Mickey Mouse and I share the same birthday (November 18),’’ Hamlin, 36, said, smiling.

And as impressive as that statistic was, Hamlin’s golf swing was even better.

His two playing partners, U.S. Army veteran Joe Eason and U.S. Marines veteran Sean Rego were clearly having big moments, too, enjoying the time with one of their favorite NASCAR drivers. Hamlin presented the pair with tickets to the upcoming, July 1 Coke Zero 400 — the race he was in Florida to promote on Thursday.

“They are a prime example of why we celebrate Independence Day,’’ Hamlin said of the veterans.

Hamlin is eager for another opportunity to celebrate — earning his first race win of the year. He and the rest of the four-driver Joe Gibbs Racing team — also including past Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champions Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth, along with Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Daniel Suarez — are amazingly winless 14 races into the season. 

Hamlin has a pair of top-five showings and six top-10 runs in this No. 11 FedEx Toyota, but a third place showing at his hometown Richmond, Virginia track is the closest he’s come to winning so far this season.

Encouragingly, he’s won at seven of the remaining 12 tracks leading into the playoffs, including this week’s venue, Michigan (in 2010 and 2011).

“There’s no way you’d imagine that,’’ Hamlin says of the O-fer the Gibbs crew has endured this season, adding with a smile, “You’d think it had to happen somewhere, even accidentally.

“But,’’ he added, “When you look at the list of winners and those that haven’t won, it’s like, ‘oh boy.’ It could actually be really tight getting into the playoffs this year. You either better be way up there in points, or you need a win. We’re not taking that for granted. We know we need to run well and get a win very soon.’’

Hamlin said he’s genuinely surprised that his championship JGR team is still looking for that first win of 2017.

“It is very bizarre,’’ he said. “Some of the races, we’ve been in position to win with the 18 (of Busch), mostly. But it’s a matter of time in my opinion and I wouldn’t be surprised that after we won the first, we’d win three in a row. It could happen in a hurry.

“I still think we have room to get better. It’s about executing and doing everything you need to do to win.”

Should Hamlin score a victory on the Daytona International Speedway high banks in three weeks, he would have won every type of NASCAR race at the sport’s most famous track. But with a trophy-less start to the season, a victory at Daytona isn’t just a historical achievement, it could also be a matter of championship necessity.

“To me, I feel like maybe our mile-and-a-half package or short track package isn’t where we need it to be but when we go to the superspeedways I always feel the field is level and there’s no reason why we can’t go out and win,’’ Hamlin said.

“Really with my success on the restrictor-plate racing tracks over the last five or six years, I always feel confident coming down here. I think right now, I’m not sure where the cut line is in the points, but it’s dangerously close to where I’m at. The only way I’d feel comfortable is getting a win. That’s the number one most important thing.

“We’ve had some surprise winners and any time you have three or four surprise winners in a season, that leaves very few spots for people to make it in on points. When it’s all said and done, hopefully at Richmond we’re resting easy at that point.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Buy tickets for Michigan

For the third consecutive year, Austin Dillon is set to pilot a very special Dow Chevrolet.

In addition to a fresh paint scheme, more than 1,100 names of veterans will be featured on the No. 3 car this weekend during the FireKeepers Casino 400 (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Michigan International Speedway. The names are those of Dow employees, contractors, family members and Richard Childress Racing employees.

The names of RCR employees include the president, Torrey Galida, who served in the Navy, as well as Dillon’s engine tuner, Frank Mathalia, who served in the Marines. The car was unveiled on Thursday night’s edition of Race Hub on FS1.

 

“In a show of appreciation for the contributions of veterans serving in the United States Armed Forces, and the knowledge and attributes they add to the workforce, it means a lot to be able to honor their service and sacrifice through the No. 3 Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet,” Dillon said.

“The No. 3 Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet honors the service and sacrifice of more than 1,100 members of the Dow and Richard Childress Racing family. I have immense respect for the U.S. military, and it’s really special to know that many of the people I have formed relationships with at Dow have served and will be on the car with me this weekend.”

RELATED: Austin Dillon swaps gloves with servicemember

Dillon earned his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory last month in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend.

In keeping with the military theme, Sunday’s pre-race activities at Michigan will also feature special guests. A group of 10 military members from the “Troops to the Track” program will be on pit road with Dillon before he climbs into his veterans Chevrolet for the 200-lap event.

“It is an honor to be one of the many Dow employees represented on the No. 3 Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet,” said Andrew Fry, the facility manager at the Dow AgroSciences Pittsburg, CA, site. “This is a tremendous opportunity to preserve, promote and acknowledge the virtues of military service.”

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 15, 2017) – Veteran stock car and open-wheel driver Sam Hornish Jr. will return to Team Penske this summer to compete in select NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) races for the team, driving the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang. Hornish is currently scheduled to compete in both upcoming series events at Iowa Speedway (June 24 and July 29) and the NXS road course event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (August 12).

“I’m really excited to return to Team Penske and get the opportunity to drive the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang in a few races this season,” said Hornish. “Team Penske continues to be one of the top teams in the XFINITY Series and I’m looking forward to once again working with them. Roger (Penske) and Team Penske have been a huge part of my racing career, so coming back here feels like home. I’m also really appreciative of everyone at Discount Tire for allowing me to take the reins of one of the most recognizable cars in the garage area.

“The new NASCAR eligibility rules also allow for drivers like me to compete in more races, so I hope to take full advantage of this opportunity.”

Hornish experienced immense success with Team Penske in both INDYCAR and NASCAR during his previous stint with the team. After capturing two Verizon IndyCar Series Championships, Hornish joined Team Penske in 2004, racing for its famed open wheel team.  Over the course of four INDYCAR seasons with Team Penske, Hornish earned eight wins – including a victory in the 2006 Indianapolis 500 – and a series championship in 2006. 

The Ohio-native also made 130 starts in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and 99 starts in the XFINITY Series for Team Penske between 2006 and 2013.  Hornish produced two NXS victories for the team and finished second in the series standings in 2013. Hornish has collected a total of four NXS victories over the course of his career, including at Iowa Speedway in both 2014 and 2016. 

The team may also add additional races to Hornish’s schedule over the balance of the NXS season.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Find “Cars 3” times in your area by clicking here.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie Daniel Suarez breaks into a wide smile when talking about his work with the Disney-Pixar movie “Cars 3,” which debuts nationwide this weekend.

“I saw the movie already and it was a very good experience to be a part of this new project in my life,’” said Suarez, whose character in the movie is named Danny Swervez. “I don’t feel like it was hard to do, it was just new. Saying the same words and same expressions was different doing it so many times.”

MORE: Exclusive look at ‘Cars 3’ characters

Suarez joins fellow 20-somethings Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. with voice-over parts in the newest installment of the popular animated film. And, like Suarez, all the drivers say they loved the new experience – for all, a real “learning” experience.

“I’m excited about it,” Wallace said of the upcoming release. “I’ve got a couple lines in and I hope I sound right.”

He grinned, reminiscing about being a part of the actual production — something he and pal Blaney, the newest Monster Energy Series winner, did together.

“We went into the studio and at first, it was really awkward,” Wallace Jr. said. “I’ve had bad dates go way better, but we figured it out. I’m excited to see it.’’

RELATED: Full Hollywood experience for drivers

NASCAR legend Richard Petty, NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2018 member Ray Evernham, four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon and three-time series champion Darrell Waltrip will also have key roles alongside Hollywood stars such as Owen Wilson, who plays “Lightning McQueen” and “Larry the Cable Guy,’’ who voices the character “Mater.”

Both actors have attended NASCAR races. Wilson was the Grand Marshal of this year’s Daytona 500.

While promoting the movie earlier this year, director Brian Fee, told “Oh My Disney” that Cars 3 “very much pays homage to stock car racing and its rich history. Our story leans into the drama, emotion and excitement NASCAR fans find at every race.”

Judging by the early personal reviews, it appears the NASCAR talent had as much fun making the movie as movie-goers will have watching.

“It was the first time I’d done something like this and I just felt like it was an amazing experience,” Suarez said.

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the Michigan races | See the Trucks in Gateway
RELATED: Full schedule for Michigan and Gateway weekend

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 Michigan International Speedway, while the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will tangle at Gateway Motorsports Park.

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 60
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 120
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 200

NASCAR XFINITY Series (Race is Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ET, FS1)

Stage 1: Ends on Lap 30
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 60
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 125

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Race is Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, FS1)

Stage 1: Ends on Lap 35
Stage 2: Ends on Lap 70
Final Stage: Scheduled to end on Lap 160

Posted on by RJ Kraft

Photo credit: Jamie McMurray’s Twitter account, @jamiemcmurray. Also pictured are Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Brennan Poole and Tyler Reddick.

RELATED: Fit Row Presented by Lilly Diabetes launches

Editor’s note: This story is part of our Fit Row series that focuses on the health and fitness aspects of racing and its superstar drivers. Presented by Lilly Diabetes, the exclusive diabetes health partner of NASCAR, the series will feature 10 themed stories.

CONCORD, N.C. — Drivers are riding around in the garage a lot these days. They just aren’t necessarily riding what you might expect.

Cycling has become the activity of choice for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers looking for a workout. Jamie McMurray, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are part of a brigade of drivers — which also includes Trevor Bayne, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and others — partaking in cycling as a way to improve their physical fitness.

“It’s unbelievable the amount of people that are buying bikes and that are cycling,” McMurray told NASCAR.com at Charlotte Motor Speedway last month. “Dale Jr. started a Group Meet — and you can add basically anyone you want to it. It’s every team member, crew chief, driver. Everyone that is in NASCAR is a part of this. You get on there and you say I am going to go ride and this is where we are meeting at and people will show up.”

McMurray frequently rides with Kenseth and Johnson in between practice and qualifying sessions on a race weekend, which takes a high amount of dedication. The three participated in last month’s Assault on Mt. Mitchell bike ride, where McMurray got the best of both his Monster Energy Series competitors.

In the 102.7-mile ride from Spartanburg, South Carolina, along the Blue Ridge Parkway to the summit of Mt. Mitchell State Park in North Carolina, McMurray edged Johnson by three minutes. McMurray said his participation in the Assault on Mt. Mitchell came at Johnson’s urging.

RELATED: Inside Jimmie Johnson’s passion for fitness | Dale Jr. takes up cycling

“I was actually on a ride one day with Jimmie with six to eight people – it was maybe like my 10th ride ever on a road bike and Jimmie was like ‘Hey man, you should do the Assault on Mt. Mitchell.’ And I was like, ‘yeah, I should. That would be fun. I’ll do it.’

“I slowed down to let a couple bikes go to get back to get to where Josh (Wise) was and I was like ‘what’s Mitchell? What does that mean?’ ”

Wise, who has competed in Ironman competitions and has 10 years of experience as a driver in NASCAR’s national series, is working with Chip Ganassi Racing “to help with all the drivers’ fitness programs,” McMurray said.  Wise helped put together a plan for McMurray that included six– and four-hour bike rides to train for Mt. Mitchell. McMurray estimated he rode a bike, ran or did something for 90 days – with Sundays being the exception – to get ready for the event.

The 41-year-old Missouri native also likes that he doesn’t lose his family time to participate in cycling. Away from the track, McMurray can get his workout and training in while his two kids are at school. On top of that, he feels riding has a mental benefit when in the car on Sundays.

“As you get fatigued and you got hot, if will make you think clearly and make better decisions and I don’t know that you can measure that,” McMurray said.

McMurray has come a long way after admitting he never felt comfortable on a mountain bike. However, a chat with Kenseth led to McMurray purchasing a Peloton Indoor Bike and riding it for 30 to 45 minutes a day. The end result was that he lost “a bunch of weight” and eventually with the help of Wise started riding a road bike that McMurray “became a little bit obsessed with.”

And while the fitness aspect is very important, McMurray added the social aspect of riding is key too.

“The social aspect of cycling — you can go out for an hour to two-hour ride and it goes by really fast,” McMurray said. “You do a little talking but you are also getting just a really good workout. The amount of calories you can burn and your fitness level goes through the roof and you have a really good time doing it.”

Posted on by

RELATED: Full breakdown of Dale Jr.’s Michigan stats

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: FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway

Date: June 18, 3 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Previous five results at Michigan: 39th, 10th, 2nd, 5th, 7th

RELATED: All of Dale Jr.’s victories in the Monster Energy Series

Notable: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has two wins at Michigan, the latest victory on June 17, 2012. In that race, Earnhardt started 17th and led for 95 laps. He has the fifth-highest driver rating (96.0) at the 2-mile track with an average finish of 13.2 since 2005.

Memorable: Earnhardt said, according to a 2014 tweet, he had one of his favorite races in the Irish Hills. It was a 1999 IROC (International Race of Champions) race, where he battled neck-and-neck against a high-profile driver: his father. Earnhardt Jr., though, came in second by inches to his dad. The race wasn’t a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event, but father and son displayed a fierce, albeit friendly, competition and an enduring familial tie to the sport.

Quotable: “Michigan is a great track,” Earnhardt said in a team release. “I look forward to it aging and widening out. As that happens, the track loses grip. Before they paved it, we were running down next to the apron and against the wall. That is all you can ask for when you’re talking racetracks and what drivers like about them.”

 

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full schedule for Michigan, Gateway

Hendrick Motorsports unveiled a special throwback paint scheme for its No. 5 Chevrolet on Wednesday afternoon, paying tribute to the team’s earliest days in NASCAR.

Kasey Kahne will drive the retro look in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on Sept. 3 at Darlington Raceway, site of the sport’s annual celebration of all things vintage.

ISC Archives via Getty Images

The yellow-and-white design borrows its style from the Levi Garrett-backed No. 5 that Geoff Bodine drove for team owner Rick Hendrick from 1985-89.

Bodine won four times in the yellow livery, including a victory in the 1986 Daytona 500.

Great Clips steps in as the primary sponsor for the remake, but all other cues — including the early typeface for the No. 5 — remain in place. A Hendrick Motorsports spokesperson indicated that Kahne and crew chief Keith Rodden had a hand in determining the car’s look and feel.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Full schedule for Michigan and Gateway | Playoff picture

BOSTON – Danica Patrick arrived at Charlestown’s Warren Prescott K-8 School on Wednesday morning to a sea of students chanting her name in unison, a DJ blaring top 40 hits and New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s Milo the Moose leading the charge in the dance circle.

The scene was electric for 10 a.m. on hump day in the middle of June, considering most kids would be counting down the days and minutes until summer vacation hits.

That’s what “DAN-I-CA! DAN-I-CA!” means to NASCAR’s younger demographic of fans.

“I don’t think I’ve ever actually had a welcoming like that, ever,” Patrick told the crowd, shortly after being serenaded by the school’s chorus with a pretty spot-on rendition of American Authors’ “Best Day of My Life.” That song choice surely wasn’t a coincidence.

Patrick responded by announcing to the school that all of its students would be gifted tickets to the upcoming Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton’s 301 at NHMS (July 16, 3 p.m. ET, NBCSN), for which she was in the Bay State promoting.

NHMS photo

They went wild yet again.

“I’ll tell you what, those kids were really loud,” said Patrick, fresh off her two best results of the season at Dover and Pocono.  “I think it’s one of those moments that’s surreal and looking back, those are going to be the kinds of moments where it’s like ‘Wow, that really happened and kids cheered that loud.’

“And they know my name, first of all. They even know my name! And they’re cheering for (me). It was really nice to have that. It made me feel important for a second.”

It wouldn’t be the last stop of the day where everybody “knows (her) name,” – the afternoon ended at the Boston bar Cheers Beacon Hill, inspiration for the long-running sitcom, “Cheers.” There, she filmed a spoof of the show for the track’s social media team with a cameo from NHMS vice president and general manager, David McGrath.

As fun as the Cheers segment was, her appearance was all about the students. Or, in this case, “teachers.”

Patrick, eight girls from the school, and an NHMS social media winner (a 5-year-old girl from Topsfield, Massachusetts) took a trolley decked out with New Hampshire Motor Speedway logos and graphics around one of America’s most historical cities, stopping at important locales from the American Revolution. These tours are typically guided by a jovial, knowledgeable driver, but this one had a catch – the eight girls had prepared notes, took the microphone from “Buck,” Wednesday’s driver, and gave history lessons to Patrick at a few stops along the Boston Freedom Trail.

“The kids are impressive,” said the Cup veteran. “They all prepared information for the different sites that we’ve been seeing around the city of historical importance. The school did such a great job of not only getting all the kids together and getting them excited, but also incorporating something educational along with it, and then adding public speaking on top of that. I mean, what a challenge.

“They did an incredible job.”

The trolley made stops at the Bunker Hill Monument, the statue of Samuel Adams behind Faneuil Hall and the Boston Public Garden, home of the famous swan boats.

After a quick trip around the pond located in the Garden, Patrick got down on a knee to be eye-to-eye with the girls and had a message: “Work hard and dream big.”

The girls were clearly moved.

“Days like today, when you hear that you’re an inspiration, that’s the good stuff,” Patrick said.

“That’s what makes me think that my work, while sometimes frustrating, is worth it.”

Posted on by Jason Lofing

RELATED: 2017 iRacing

Cody Byus broke a long winless streak and won his first NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series race at Pocono Raceway on Tuesday night, surviving a green-white-checkered restart that wound up with over half the field, including championship frontrunner Ray Alfalla, crashed on the Long Pond straightaway.

Alex Bergeron navigated the wreck-filled conclusion to finish second after taking the white flag in seventh. Corey Vincent finished third, Logan Clampitt was fourth, and Zack Novak followed in fifth.

The finish was set up by a caution with 12 laps to go when Andrew Fayash and Kyle Putz crashed, erasing Byus’ large lead over Brian Schoenburg. Despite having 14 laps on his tires, Byus, along with eight others, did not pit, hoping their track position or another caution would help them maintain their spots at the front.

On the restart with seven laps to go the field only made it to Turn 3 when another crash collected about half a dozen cars, setting up a two-lap shootout. On the restart, Byus got the jump on Schoenburg, who was left to battle with Alfalla and Nick Ottinger for second. Ottinger got a run on Schoenburg off Turn 1 but when he got to Schoenburg’s bumper to help push him forward, the two cars were not lined up. The contact sent Schoenburg down the track into Alfalla which caused him to spin and crash into the inside wall. No caution was thrown and the race for second continued.

With Byus pulling away as he took the white flag, Ottinger and Alfalla continued to battle for second as the two headed to Turn 1. Alfalla got the better run off the corner, closed to Ottinger’s bumper, and made contact, sending Ottinger straight into the outside wall while Alfalla crashed hard into the inside wall. Ryan Luza, who was running fourth, clipped Ottinger and was disqualified for hitting the incident limit.

The trio’s hard luck left Alfalla in 26th, Ottinger in 28th, and Luza one stop farther behind in 30th.

Byus started on pole but fell to third after just one lap as Novak and Dylan Duval looked to have the cars to beat early on. A pit stop for tires and adjustments appeared to wake up Byus’ car, however, and on Lap 28 he took the lead from Duval who then blew his engine when he missed a shift entering Turn 3.

Byus continued to lead until another caution on Lap 46 erased his lead and cost him track position as some of the lead-lap cars had already pitted under green. Byus wasted little time regaining the ground he lost, and on Lap 64 he easily passed Schoenburg for the lead.

A similar chain of events happened again on Lap 71 when a caution again cost Byus the lead. This time only two drivers, David Rattler and Chris Shearburn, stayed out and Byus made quick work of both, taking the lead with 22 laps to go and leading the rest of the way.

For all the chaos that took place on the final laps, the championship battle remained close due to Alfalla and Luza both having trouble. Alfalla now leads Bobby Zalenski by eight points while Luza has fallen to 32 points behind. Clampitt’s top-five result closed him to within five points of Luza while Vincent rounds out the top five, 50 points behind Alfalla.

Next up for the NPAS is the inaugural visit to Sonoma Raceway. The series has run at Watkins Glen International the past three seasons, but Sonoma is a different beast. Ottinger and Alfalla have been strong on road courses in the past, but do not discount Michael Conti and the Stergios brothers, Jake and PJ. Can Luza or Alfalla bounce back from their poor results at Pocono, or will a surprise winner find Victory Lane at the treacherous 11-turn circuit? Be sure to follow the action live on iRacing Live to find out!