Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR drivers make a big difference off the track and in communities across the country. Here’s a look at drivers’ charitable foundations, as well as the causes and initiatives supported by those organizations.

Clint Bowyer: The 79 Fund
The 79 Fund was established by NASCAR driver and Emporia, Kansas, native Clint Bowyer to benefit the children of Emporia. Clint’s desire to use the Emporia Community Foundation for his charity came from knowing the funds could be used in a variety of ways to help the children of Emporia. | Learn more here.

Kyle Busch: The Kyle Busch Foundation
The Kyle Busch Foundation is committed to empowering children, families and communities to overcome hardship by providing essential tools (financial, material and experiential) to allow them to live their best lives possible, while fostering a stable and inspiring environment to live, learn and challenge themselves, as well as ensuring their day-to-day needs are met. | Learn more here.

Austin Dillon and Ty Dillon: Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma
The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma’s mission is to discover and share the best ways to prevent and treat severe injuries in children. Events such as the Dillon brothers’ annual 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament help benefit the Childress Institute. | Learn more here

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: The Dale Jr. Foundation
The Dale Jr. Foundation is a charity dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education, and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals. | Learn more here.

Denny Hamlin: The Denny Hamlin Foundation
The Denny Hamlin Foundation is committed to raising awareness and funds for the specific needs of children with cystic fibrosis. They partner with organizations that focus on cystic fibrosis research, treatment advances and overall quality of life care. The Foundation also supports children with other chronic diseases. | Learn more here.

Kevin Harvick: The Kevin Harvick Foundation
The mission of the Kevin Harvick Foundation is to support programs that positively enrich the lives of children throughout the United States. | Learn more here.

Jimmie Johnson: The Jimmie Johnson Foundation
The Jimmie Johnson Foundation currently focuses on funding K-12 public education, primarily through the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Champions Grant program, which have been awarded to school projects located in California, Oklahoma and North Carolina, where the Johnsons grew up and currently reside. In addition, each year the Foundation selects five charities that support K-12 public education to be featured on Johnson’s Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope. Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope charities receive a cash grant and national exposure on the helmet worn for a select Cup race. Finally, the Team Up For Technology program encourages individuals to nominate a K-12 public or charter school in the United States with the winning school selected to receive a $48,000 cash grant for a technology makeover. | Learn more here.

Kasey Kahne: The Kasey Kahne Foundation
The Kasey Kahne Foundation is committed to raising awareness and funds for charities supporting chronically ill children and their families. The Kasey Kahne Foundation strives to empower youth and inspire their future through education by donating to programs dedicated to fulfilling children’s needs for success. | Learn more here.

Brad Keselowski: Brad Keselowski‘s Checkered Flag Foundation
Brad Keselowski‘s Checkered Flag Foundation strives to support those who have sacrificed for our country, to include military members, veterans, first-responders among others. Since its inception, CFF has hosted or participated in events with the Wounded Warrior Project, the Armed Forces Foundation, The Paralyzed Veterans of America, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Detroit F.I.R.E. benefit team. | Learn more here.

Joey Logano: The Joey Logano Foundation
The mission of the Joey Logano Foundation is to inspire and assemble the NASCAR community to assist those across the nation who are in need of a second chance due to natural or human disaster. The Joey Logano Foundation partners with other organizations to provide comfort and relief to those in need after such unforeseen circumstances. | Learn more here.

Ryan Newman: Rescue Ranch
Formed in 2012 on 87 acres in Statesville, North Carolina, Rescue Ranch promotes humane education by focusing on rescuing on a fundamental level through hands-on learning and care for animals. Rescue Ranch promotes, through its education, respect for all animals, as well as, agricultural, environmental, and wildlife conservation, and facilitates rehabilitation, rescue and responsible pet ownership in order to enhance the human-animal bond. | Learn more here.

Elliott Sadler: The Hermie & Elliott Sadler Foundation
The Hermie and Elliott Sadler Charitable Foundation is dedicated to raising autism awareness and promoting research for a cure while also supporting initiatives that improve educational opportunities for children and their families. The Foundation provides support to projects that share the ideals and concerns of the Sadler family. | Learn more here.

Martin Truex Jr.: The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation
The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation raises awareness and funding for childhood and ovarian cancer initiatives. | Learn more here.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Editor’s Note: This story was published on February 12, 2016 as Daytona completed work on the Daytona Rising project ahead of the 2016 season. NASCAR.com’s Holly Cain has the story of the track’s evolution to the first motorsports stadium of its kind.

RELATED: Daytona through the years | Full Speedweeks schedule


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Lesa France Kennedy and her uncle Jim France clutched a giant pair of scissors and officially cut the ribbon inside the new-look, re-imagined Daytona International Speedway last month, flashing wide smiles and knowing eyes.


When these same International Speedway Corporation executives first broke ground on the $400 million Daytona Rising project more than two years ago, Kennedy promised, “We are truly creating history with this unprecedented endeavor.”


So even as she and France took their positions and prepared for the ceremonial dedication, the pair couldn’t contain their excitement — it was palpable as they continually stole glimpses across the vast new open-air concourse, out to the track below and even toward the famous beach in the distance where Jim’s father and Lesa’s grandfather Bill France Sr.’s stock car racing idea first flourished 60 years ago.


It was ironic that the actual ribbon cutting on the facility occurred on a rare breezy, rainy, chilly day in Daytona Beach, because the people who attended were joyful and oblivious to the weather.



Huge crowds line the dunes to watch Daytona racing in 1949


There was history to make.


The Daytona Rising project has been touted as a “re-imagining,” and its finished look is nothing short of transformative. Even the new nomenclature of the speedway sounds impressive — from its “injectors” outside to its “neighborhoods” inside.


Previous modifications to the track have been for the thrill of competition and the safety of the racers. This massive investment is foremost for the comfort and pleasure of the loyal fans, and it will be evident this week as people begin arriving for NASCAR’s season-opening events at Daytona Speedweeks, which culminate with the Feb. 21 Daytona 500.


Evolution from race track to racing’s first sporting stadium is not unlike moving the course from its origins at the beach to a sprawling remarkable speedway. It is the third version of high-end Daytona stock car racing.


“I don’t know of another speedway in the world that’s this nice and this beautiful,” racing legend A.J. Foyt declared at the track’s Rolex 24 debut the last week of January.


And that’s high praise for a structure that is simultaneously imposing and inspiring from a racer known and appreciated for his grit and honesty.



The Chevrolet Injector at Daytona International Speedway


NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi was in complete agreement with Foyt.


“When you first hear they spent $400 million, and you go see the work that’s been done, stand on pit lane and look at the grandstand, it looks like $800 million,” Ganassi said. “It’s really, really something really first class and I think it’s going to take our sport to a new level for what fans expect.


“This is going to be the Ritz-Carlton of race tracks, there are so many amenities. I couldn’t be happier for our fans and what it’s going to do for our sport.”


WATCH: Daytona rises in time lapse video


The smiles, the wide-eyes, the enthusiasm that has been brimming under the surface has been notable since this project began more than two years ago.


Everyone from the car manufacturers to longtime racing sponsors have gladly joined in the effort. Chevrolet, one of the original and primary corporate sponsors of the new-look speedway, has been eager to support modernization of the facility, recognizing the benefits of balancing modern updates with historic importance.


“Chevrolet’s commitment to racing originated more than a century ago with Louis Chevrolet and remains strong today as we solidify our presence at the ‘World Center of Racing,’ ” President of General Motors North America Alan Batey said when announcing the company’s partnership with Daytona.


And for all the attention paid to historic detail, fans will also undoubtedly notice the refined façade outside and appreciate the refinements inside, from larger, more comfortable seating to high-tech huge screens and WiFi availability to the most escalators (40) and newly refurbished restrooms (1,891) of any sports stadium in the country.



Artwork in the Sunoco Injector at Daytona International Speedway


WATCH: Joie Chitwood III excited to unveil speedway additions


Toyota joins Chevrolet as an “injector” sponsor and was actually the first to formally announce its partnership with the new Daytona project more than two years ago.


The two manufacturers’ efforts at creating welcoming, interesting and exciting interactive elements at the track offer a glimpse of how a far-reaching a corporate plan can be.


Creativity is the theme throughout the facility with each of the corporate-sponsored injector entrances from Toyota to Chervolet and from Sunoco to Florida Hospital providing an extensive and interactive “experience” for fans.


“Philosophically, I think it demonstrates our commitment to motorsports in general and NASCAR in particular, and like anyone else, we’re always looking for a way to engage the fans in a meaningful way,” said Toyota’s Keith Dahl, general manager for motorsports and asset management for Toyota Motor Sales USA.



The Toyota Injector at Daytona International Speedway


The bigger-than-life Toyota logo that greets Daytona fans at its injector entrance is the largest commercial logo in the United States, according to Dahl. And the company’s historic relationship with NASCAR is immediately evident feet away with five full-size Toyota race car replicas representing the Sprint Cup Series’ Camrys fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing, and this year’s new addition, Furniture Row Racing.


Take the escalator up 35 feet to the main concourse and fans are greeted by the reigning Sprint Cup Series championship No. 18 Toyota similar to the one driven by champion Kyle Busch — a replica so precise it’s adorned with both celebratory confetti and bumper-rubbing scrapes. A Sprint Cup trophy sits encased alongside.


The massive concourse called a “neighborhood” is 100,000 square feet and there is a common and connecting theme along the Toyota area — photos and stories of the company’s workers — from car sales associates to manufacturing plant workers to race shop mechanics. A massive “touchscreen wall” made of eight big screens features humble stories and real-life profiles from the company’s employees.


The headline “From American Factories to American Roads” greets fans and reminds them of the company’s commitment to the ultimate of American sports, stock car racing. And vice versa.


“Obviously, as time went by more and more effort got put into this,” Dahl said. “We literally would have meetings and throw some ideas out there. I know it’s cliché to say it’s a ‘blank canvas,’ but it really is. There are a lot of ideas we wanted to try.


“This was a chance to try some things. And what you see today, I would hope is not what you would see in perpetuity. We want to keep things vibrant and relative. We’ll have different things going on.”


For example, the refreshment area in each injector is similar but uniquely decorated. In Toyota’s version, there are seats refurbished and retained from the speedway’s former grandstands. Toyota Tundra truck tailgates were made into benches for many of the tables.


As you walk along the massive concourse, Toyota has an area featuring its latest passenger cars and trucks. Take an elevator up to the next level and you are immediately greeted with a replica of the nose cone of the Space Shuttle Endeavor — the real spacecraft that a Toyota Tundra famously gave a lift to a museum in downtown Los Angeles in 2012. And winning Toyota race cars and race trucks hang from the ceiling.



The Florida Hospital Injector at Daytona International Speedway


Stand on a level high atop the grandstands, alongside the luxury corporate suites looking outward from the speedway and you can feel the breeze and see what’s coming next.


Across the street, tractors and bulldozers are working to build a massive mall and eatery, “One Daytona” for the next phase of the facility’s modernization. It will include popular restaurants, a Bass Pro Shops store and famous hotels, plus – importantly — ease of passage from sidetrack to race track.


“As you walk through the stadium, you see the potential for anything,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said proudly, glancing across the street. “For us the goal is to continue to push the envelope. Yes, we’re the world center of racing, but also the world center of entertainment is very doable.”


But what is most important to both the executives and definitely the fans is a one-of-a-kind, top-shelf experience at Daytona from thrilling racing on track to thrilling ways to watch the racing on track.


The speedway is not only keeping up with the times, it’s setting fast time.


“Probably what makes me most proud is that the France family entrusted me with their most valuable property,” Chitwood said. “Being around Lesa and Jim France and seeing the legacy that Bill France created in the 1950s, we have to live up to that.


“This is the Daytona International Speedway and Big Bill built this place and we are not going to misstep. It has to be right. And I’m proud to say, I think we nailed it.”


WATCH: ‘Untold Stories: Daytona’

Posted on by Staff Report

It’s February, which means the Daytona 500 is just around the corner. Here are the drivers we know are going to Florida to try and capture their moment in the sun. The drivers for Charter teams are guaranteed a spot in the race, but those for Open teams will need to qualify their way into the main event via the duels or qualifying speed.

This chart will be updated as news develops.

 

* denotes non-Charter, open team

Posted on by Staff Report

MORE: Junior back behind the wheel at Phoenix


After a successful opening day of testing at Phoenix Raceway Tuesday for his first public NASCAR action since being sidelined midway through last season due to injury, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was back at it early on Wednesday.


On Twitter, that is.


Prior to hitting the track at 9 a.m. local time for Day 2 of testing, Junior started tweeting at 5:55 a.m. local, thanking XFINITY Series driver Matt Tifft for sharing his story of recovery from a brain tumor last year.

Then came the bacon anxiety.


And some props for Darrell Wallace Jr., who announced that The Bubba Wallace Scholarship was now official.

He then explained his secret formula for early morning tweetstorm success.

And eventually provided photographic evidence.

Thankfully, no spider monkeys were involved. 


Earnhardt also fielded a question about JR Motorsports’ interest in the Camping World Truck Series, after deciding not to field a team in the series this year.

Let’s just hope there’s more java on the menu for lunch.

Posted on by Staff Report

If Darrell Wallace Jr. had one chance to press the rewind button in 2016, he knows exactly where and when he’d go back.

"Phoenix really showed in that fall race that we were one of the fastest cars," Wallace recalled last month during the NASCAR Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, referring to the Nov. 12, 2016 XFINITY Series event that closed out the Round of 8 in the series’ playoffs. "The race is probably the highlight one that I want to take back and do over again, but no different mindset."

Wallace qualified his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford fifth for the 200-mile playoff cut-off race. His grandmother had passed a few days prior, so he carried "Granny Jan" above the door. Filled with raw emotion before the race and motivated to win for her, Bubba saw one of the best runs he had all year — until contact from Blake Koch’s No. 11 ride sent him into the wall, removing him from the 2016 playoffs.

RELATED: See how Wallace’s playoff run came to an end

"My grandmother was giving me the ride of my life," a tearful Wallace told a slew of cameras after the race. "That’s the most fun I ever had all year and just circumstances took us out, so it’s just hard … Granny was going up to win that thing on that restart. It was probably the sexiest restart we’ve ever had and just had it taken away from us."

But today, Wallace isn’t tearful: He’s upbeat, jesting with the media and wearing a large smile on his face. 

"Who likes a Debbie Downer person?" Wallace said. "I could be up here like this the whole time waiting to get out of here, but that’s boring. I want to make you guys laugh and see the smiles on faces — get those chuckles whether they’re laughing at me or with me, I don’t care you’re laughing, so job well done by me. It’s just having fun."

Bubba has a reason to smile: while he may not have a rewind button, he does have a reset button in the form of the 2017 season.

"You get to throw away last year, but still keep thoughts in your mind of where you can learn from," Wallace told NASCAR.com. "Phoenix was such a tough day, tough weekend for us, for myself personally. Having one of the fastest cars on the race track and having it taken away was such a bummer.

"… But now, this year, you move on to it, we get to look at Phoenix as ‘man, we were so fast there in the fall’ (and) we get to go back here the (fourth) race of the season. We get to try all over again."

If Wallace runs like he did last November at the desert track, he could be due for his first trip to Victory Lane in the XFINITY Series, a feat that’s eluded him since he joined the series in 2015. He’s come close, earning a third-place at Auto Club Speedway last March and a runner-up at Dover International Speedway five races later. He made the 12-car field in the series’ first-ever playoffs, advancing into the Round of 8 and remaining in the top 10 in points for 30 straight weeks as he closed out the season in ninth.

The lack of a W is difficult for a young, competitive spirit like 24-year-old Wallace. When adversity hits on-track, he cools down with a Coca-Cola, retreats to his self-purchased Cabarrus County home — and takes to the drums.

"Music definitely helps in tough situations. When there are tough situations like the hard ones where you’re trying to find a pick-me-up, I go to the heaviest music choice that I can," said Wallace, referring to his affinity for metal music. "It’s like reverse psychology."

This year, Bubba hopes for jam sessions of celebration, rather than therapy.

"We’re still trying to figure out the rest of the game plan, but our goal is to be at Homestead for the season finale and win the XFINITY Series championship," Wallace said, referring to his sponsorship outlook for the season. "We just have to overcome some obstacles, get over a couple hurdles to get to that point, but we will be at Daytona. We’ve still got the same mindset of going in to win every race, do the best we can each and every weekend and put ourselves in the right position, especially with this new format. I’m gonna really enjoy it."

Wallace has remained — and will remain — busy, as he prepares for the 2017 season. In the midst of Daytona preparation and phone calls with potential sponsors, he’s also launching The Bubba Wallace Scholarship fund, a $10,000 merit-based scholarship for students at Wallace’s alma mater Northwest Cabarrus High School in 2017 and 2018. The program targets students in need of financial aid that are hard-working, focused, determined and ready to pursue their dreams.

Qualities that Bubba himself embodies.

"From the hardworking side, you look at the career path that I chose," Wallace told NASCAR.com. "You’ve got to give 110 percent every day, no matter if it’s sitting here talking to you guys or being out on the race track fighting those last couple laps at Martinsville. You have to be focused, you have to be determined on every move that you make and have the right judgment call. 

"And that’s what we’re giving back to the community, picking out those certain students that are embodying those characteristics and that are trying to strive to get to the next goal and they just need a little help getting there. 

"They have these big dreams — which, everybody should have big dreams and fight for them each and every way. And the ones that keep motivation and determination alive — we’re looking to help them out and to get them to the next level."

And if all goes as planned, Bubba will reach that next level soon, too.

Posted on by Staff Report

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Clint Bowyer is typically a high-wattage personality, so when he arrived in Florida on Tuesday to tour the Naval Air Station Jacksonville to help promote the upcoming Daytona 500, he was absolutely in his element.

 

The sailors and airmen were excited to meet the Stewart-Haas Racing driver and he was ecstatic to talk about his legitimately high expectations when the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season gets on track at Daytona International Speedway later this month.

 

"I’m probably as excited for the Daytona 500 in particular — forget the season starting — as I’ve been in a long time," Bowyer said Tuesday from Jacksonville. "I’m as confident in my chances as I’ve been in a long time.

 

"I think our cars are looking really good. They’ve been in the wind tunnel, the guys have been working really hard and we’re actually going back to the wind tunnel to perfect them even more.

 

"So the commitment to the plate racing is something I haven’t seen in a while and I’m really excited about the horsepower. Doug Yates has been over to the shop and I’ve been out-run by his horsepower at these restrictor plate tracks for a few years now so I’m looking forward to reaping the benefits of having one of those under the hood and I think that’s how you’re going to win this race."

 

Bowyer, 37, has certainly been close enough to hoisting the sport’s biggest trophy. He has finished in the top-10 in half of his starts on the superspeedway, including four of the last five Daytona races. He has three top-five finishes including fourth-place runs in the 2009 and 2010 Daytona 500.

 

Last year Bowyer even salvaged a ninth-place run in the July Daytona race despite driving for an underfunded team, as he waited for his ride at Stewart-Haas to become available in 2017.

 

And now after a season of mostly frustration — only three top-10s in 2016 — driving for a lower-tier, now-defunct team, Bowyer will at last take over the steering wheel from his good friend, three-time Cup champ and team owner Tony Stewart in the famous No. 14 Mobil 1 Ford.

 

And for the first time in years, Bowyer feels like all systems are a go.

 

"I’m not blowing smoke when I say I really am confident about my chances at that race," he said about the Daytona 500. "I’ve gotten close several times at that race. It’s one of those tracks you feel like, ‘Darn it, I’m gonna win this some day.’ I think the cars are looking good in my favor. The equipment I’ve got underneath me is the best I’ve had in a long time and the commitment to winning not only (at Daytona) but everywhere is something I haven’t seen in a long time and I’m looking forward to having that to my advantage."

 

As for his visit to Florida this week, Bowyer enjoyed his time spending a day with servicemen. And he offered a heartfelt reminder that fans can show their appreciation for these men and women too — donate $3, $5, or $10 to the Ticket for the Troops programs and Daytona International Speedway will match the money in its efforts to send military members and their families to the "Great American Race" on Feb. 26.

 

And Bowyer is hopeful that means they will have a chance to see him again — standing tall and celebrating loudly in Daytona’s Victory Lane.

 

"I really don’t know what I’d do if I won the Daytona 500," Bowyer said. "But this is one of the best opportunities I’ve ever had and the confidence is as high as it’s ever been.

 

"It felt good to talk racing again, talk about the season and talk to the media. The biggest thing having these interviews kind of tells me is maybe the media is thinking I do have a chance at not only running well but winning a few of these races. I’m looking forward to getting down there to Daytona, getting in the saddle and working with my teammates and coming up with a good package and a good plan to put ourselves in contention."

 

Posted on by Staff Report

WELCOME, N.C.  — Twisted Tea, the No. 1 maker of hard iced tea in the United States, has partnered with Ty Dillon, Germain Racing and Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in a multi-year agreement to be primary sponsor of the No. 13 Chevrolet SS. Twisted Tea will serve as primary sponsor for select races during the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season along with an associate sponsorship for the entire 2017 season with RCR’s No. 3 XFINITY Series team. 

 

"We’ve been involved with NASCAR for a few years, and we know that Richard Childress Racing, Germain Racing and Ty Dillon are the best of the best, and we couldn’t ask for a better team to race with," said Michelle Sullivan, Sr. Director, Head of Marketing. "Our team members and Twisted Tea drinkers are fiercely loyal NASCAR fans, and we wanted to partner with a team and driver who share the same commitment to a captivating race day — whether it be on the actual race track or with a twisted tailgate featuring Twisted Tea."  

 

Founded in 2001, Twisted Tea Brewing Company was built on the promise that a hard iced tea should taste like a real iced tea and deliver a refreshing drinking experience. With a wide variety of styles, Twisted Tea is continuously searching for the best flavors to introduce to its drinkers.

 

Twisted Tea will use program assets provided by RCR and Germain Racing to continue to reach its loyal fan base, which largely consists of NASCAR fans. The No. 13 Chevrolet SS will be featured on select Twisted Tea packaging. The car, along with Dillon, 24, will also be featured among other brand initiatives in 2017.

 

"What a thrilling opportunity to partner with America’s favorite hard iced tea brewer," said Bob Germain, Jr., owner of Germain Racing. "NASCAR and Twisted Tea have some of the most loyal consumers in the world. We’re pleased to announce this new partnership with our new driver, Ty Dillon."

 

"I’m looking forward to celebrating in Victory Lane with a cold Twisted Tea and meeting some of their loyal drinkers," said Dillon. "It’s an honor to partner with a brand that has such loyal customers as I prepare for my first full-time season in the Cup Series."

 

Last December, Germain Racing announced Dillon will compete full-time in the No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS after racing full time since 2014 in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Dillon will compete in 2017 for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award. He is a four-time winner in NASCAR’s three national series and won the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Most Popular Driver Award.

 

Based in Mooresville, North Carolina, Germain Racing formed a technical alliance with RCR in 2014 which includes engineering, crew support and engine power from ECR Engines.

Posted on by Staff Report

Name: Bryn
Hometown: Waukesha, WI
Current City: Burnsville, MN
Member since: 2011

Getting to know Bryn:

Q. Why did you join the Official NASCAR Fan Council?

"NASCAR is the only major sport that has an avenue to listen to the actual fans of the sport and consider their input.  As a fan, I believe this is exceptional and was delighted to be able to be a part of giving input. Over the years, I’ve seen proof NASCAR is not only listening but also acting on our input."

Q. How did you first become interested in NASCAR?

"I was an open wheel, Indy fan. My husband was a NASCAR fan. In 2001, he introduced me to NASCAR and I’ve been hooked ever since."

Q. What makes NASCAR special for you?

"It’s a unique experience. I’m also a baseball, hockey, and football fan but nothing matches the excitement of the live NASCAR experience.  We’ve been to Daytona, Vegas, Atlanta, Charlotte, Milwaukee and have season tickets at both Michigan and Phoenix even though we live in Minnesota. Every track is different so every experience is different. The differences are bound together by the familiar structure of the race-day experience. It’s the total package."

Q: Do you have any favorite NASCAR memories or traditions?

"We have made some wonderful track friends with whom we have shared other experiences. We’ve also done ride alongs and one of my favorite NASCAR memories is going 165 MPH at Vegas! Total adrenaline rush! I think women fans experience NASCAR differently than men in that women focus more on the emotional experience. Hence, one of my favorite memories was watching my driver – Denny Hamlin – win in person.  Other drivers’ fans went out of their way to congratulate us and I felt like part of Denny’s team. Another favorite is the fans. My husband and I are a racially mixed couple – unusual at NASCAR events – but have been treated with warmth and welcomes all the tracks we’ve been to, a contradiction of the stereotype to be sure. NASCAR can be proud of this as it’s not universally true in other venues."

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

Driver: "Denny Hamlin."

Track: "Phoenix."

Memorabilia: "An autographed Denny Diecast Hauler."

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

"Pocono."

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

"I’m a psychologist and writer by profession. In my free time, I create fused glass items, knit, read, and follow NASCAR, the NY Mets and the Green Bay Packers."

Q: Tell us about your family. Do you have children and/or pets?

"I’m happily married for 25 years to a remarkable, wonderful man. We are owned by three dachshunds."

Q: What’s your dream car?

"Currently, a Tesla. I have owned my dream car: a 1967 Volvo P1800S, cherry red, white leather interior, racing engine. Since the statute of limitations has passed, I can admit I had it up to 165 on a flat, clear stretch of freeway before I chickened out. It was a good thing I did. I was down to 65 when I passed a cop hiding in the median."


Q: If you could go anywhere in the world on a dream vacation, where would you want to go?

"I’ve traveled a lot both for business and fun so I’ve been to a lot of dream places. I would still like to go to New Zealand and Norway." 


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

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Drivers, teams give initial thoughts on Phoenix enhancements

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Three more Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races will take place at Phoenix Raceway before track officials move the location of the start/finish line at the 1-mile facility.


That move will be one of the final steps in a $178 million renovation project that is expected to be completed in November of 2018, just before the series returns for a second time next season.


Drivers say the change will make for interesting times going forward at a track that has hosted NASCAR national series events since 1988.


"I think it’s going to be a good thing," Joey Logano, driver of the Team Penske No. 22 Ford and a former winner here, said Jan. 30. "I think you’ll see more action on restarts."


The current layout sends drivers piling into a very narrow Turn 1, where passing opportunities are almost non-existent. Track position on restarts is crucial.


"You can’t really go three-wide in the corner (now)," Logano said. "We’ve seen what happens when you do. There really isn’t much opportunity to pass on restarts here, that’s why lane selection becomes important. … This opens it up."


The new location of the line likely means that drivers will immediately fan out after taking the green flag and they work their way through the widest portion of the track. It will be "completely opposite" of the current situation, according to Logano.


"It will be the most open corner entry for a restart that we will have, going into a flat corner that’s basically like a parking lot," he said.


Drivers will try to spread out, some dive-bombing off the exit of Turn 2 while others hug the high side of the track. But all are headed to the same spot — Turn 3 where the track will narrow with no change in the nine-degree banking.


"Right now it’s not wild in Turn 1 and 2; it’s wild off 2 and into 3-4," Logano said. "And that’s after half the field has spread out. Now everyone will be on top of each other. They’re going to crash. We’re going to crash, there’s no doubt. It will be a challenge. A lot of opportunity to take advantage of that, good or bad."


But dive-bombing cars all racing toward a tight turn won’t be the only concern — just getting a good restart in the middle of a corner will present its own set of problems.


"I think it will be really interesting to have the restarts while we are in the turn," Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said during a break in testing the track on Jan. 31. "You are going to be coming through this corner — imagine if you are 20th, middle of the pack trying to get a good restart while you are in a corner. 


"It’s going to be interesting to throttle up out of the turn for a restart."


WATCH: Dale Jr. takes laps around Phoenix

Earnhardt, a three-time winner at Phoenix said he expects to see drivers "all over the place" going through the dogleg portion of the track just past the start/finish line for a variety of reasons.


"Because on restarts you have guys that accelerate better than others," he said. "Guys in the right lane, the wrong lane; it’s going to be chaos coming through the dogleg (with) guys trying to shortcut to get into the new Turn 1.


"It will be some action."


Two other facilities currently hosting Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races have moved the location of the start/finish line — in 1997 Darlington Raceway and Atlanta Motor Speedway moved the line to the opposite side of the track as part of expansion projects.


2000 series champion Bobby Labonte won the first race on the new Atlanta configuration while four-time champion Jeff Gordon won the first race at Darlington following the swap.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Phoenix unveils major renovation plan | Full test speeds

AVONDALE, Ariz. – These are busy days for NASCAR teams, with the start of the 2017 season just weeks away.


But nowhere is it busier than Stewart-Haas Racing, where the four-team Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series organization is undergoing the move from fielding Chevrolet to Ford entries.


SHR fields teams for drivers Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick and team newcomer Clint Bowyer. The organization, located in Kannapolis, North Carolina, will also field a NASCAR XFINITY Series program for the first time this season.


"It’s been a huge change," said Rodney Childers, crew chief Harvick’s No. 4 Ford. "Normally in the offseason you can take some cars, put new doors on them, put new quarter panels on them or a new nose and move on. You put the same truck arms, the same housing, the same lower control arms back under it.


"Now it’s down to bare frames; cut the clips off, making them where the Ford engine will fit. And you have to wait on NASCAR to give you certification dates to go get your (chassis) certified. Most organizations only get one or two a week; when you’ve got 75 race cars sitting there waiting to get certified, that’s taken a long time."


Before the switch, SHR teams purchased chassis and other pieces from Hendrick Motorsports. Now, those must be crafted in-house. "The machine shop is just turned upside down," Childers said. "Not only are you learning to build your own cars and your own suspensions and that type of stuff but you’re trying to figure out the rules too, and how you need to build them.


"I’ll be honest, I don’t think we’re where we need to be. We had so much wind tunnel time in the Chevrolet bodies. We knew every little detail of every little corner, every crease. Now it’s starting over and will take a while to get that part figured that out and get the downforce back to where it needs to be."

Harvick has won 12 times since he and Childers joined SHR prior to the 2014 season. He’s made it to NASCAR’s Championship 4 two of those three years and won the title in 2014.



He said he relishes the opportunity afforded by a new manufacturer and a new race format. His confidence, he said, is no less because of the issues his team faces.



"The thing that keeps me motivated about our sport are things that you can reach out and grab and motivate yourself with," Harvick said during a break in testing Tuesday at Phoenix Raceway. "The thought and the process that goes into a new format and thinking about how it’s going to play out.



"Having a new manufacturer is probably the thing for me that’s the most exciting because there will be a lot of problems to solve, a lot of things that are going to be different. Working through those things with my team and organization is something I thrive on. I love the challenges that are presented."



No different than ’14, he said, when Harvick was part of a new team at SHR. Or last year when the group was labeled a "lame duck operation" because of the impending switch to Ford. Or the challenges faced when co-owner/driver Tony Stewart was sidelined.



The 2017 season is another season of opportunity. "Plenty to reach out and grab," he said, "and keep yourself and your team motivated."



A new points system that yields race bonus points at the end of individual stages and those that carry over into the playoffs means "you have to be greedy on a week-to-week basis in order to get those points because they’ll matter at the end," he said.



"I think there’s a lot to motivate yourself with this year and I love those challenges."



Meanwhile back under the hood, Childers has taken a look at the format changes, but says his team won’t alter its approach.



"You try to go and be fast, lead the most laps, that part hasn’t changed," he said.



A bigger concern is the loss of practice time – most race weekends will now include only one session instead of two the day before the race.



Friday practices aren’t helpful, Childers said, because the track is green and time is limited with teams switching from qualifying trim to race trim.



"You don’t have time to make things better," Childers said. "You’ve got one 50-minute practice on Saturday; whoever is fastest in that practice is going to kill everybody because you just don’t have time to do anything.



Without the changes, he said, it’s likely that the No. 4 team would have been "really, really good" in ’17.



With the transformation, success might come a bit slower. But most remain convinced it will come. Including Childers.



"I’m not saying we can’t do that," he said, "but it’s going to take some time, I think."