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Photo: Toyota Racing

 

Christopher Bell rang in the start of his 2017 season with perhaps the biggest win of his burgeoning racing career — the 31st annual Chili Bowl.

 

Bell, a full-time driver for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, won what many consider to be the world’s most prestigious sprint car race after midnight ET on Sunday morning. Over the course of a week, he outlasted 364 other drivers who entered — a Chili Bowl record — and ended Rico Abreu’s two-year reign as champion.

 

Bell is regarded as one of the finer dirt racers in the country, and he was equally adept on pavement as well. The 22-year-old advanced to the Championship Round in the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase as a full-time rookie in 2016. In 2015, he won at Eldora Speedway in his third career series start.

 

Making the victory even sweeter is that Bell is an Oklahoma native — he was born in Norman, about 125 miles southwest of the event site in Tulsa.

 

“Oh my God, I just won the Chili Bowl,” Bell said after climbing out of his machine. “This was a long time coming and a dream come true.”

 

 

Daryn Pittman, a fellow Oklahoma native, finished second to Bell with Justin Grant, Tanner Thompson and Jake Swanson rounding out the top five.

 

In all, four drivers with recent NASCAR experience qualified for the championship race.

 

Abreu finished 11th after starting 25th in the 25-driver championship field, needing a champion’s provisional to make the final field.

 

Roush Fenway Racing‘s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 16th and Chase Briscoe, the newest full-time driver for Brad Keselowski Racing, was 22nd in the A-Main.

 

The Chili Bowl is a week-long event with five days of practice and qualifying events to set the 25-car field for the main event.

 

Saturday started with two O-Feature races — the top four finishers from each O-Feature event advanced to the corresponding N-Feature races. Then the top four finishers from each N-Feature race advance into the M-Feature races. The format was used all the way up to the A-Main finale, although drivers also could qualify for the A-Main throughout the week.

 

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson, who has stayed behind the wheel all offseason, including a racing trip to Australia — failed to advance to the championship race after making the A-Main for five consecutive years.

 

Abreu did not make it out of the F-Feature due to a tire issue, but he received a past champion’s provisional. Stenhouse, another Chili Bowl veteran, won his B-Feature to advance into the championship race.

 

Justin Allgaier, who will drive in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for JR Motorsports in 2017, was ousted after the C-Feature. His most eventful moment of the week, though, came Friday when his car flipped on the last lap of his race.

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What channel is NASCAR programming on this week? We answer that and provide all the weekly NASCAR television listings here.

 

RELATED: Find NBCSN in your area


All times ET

Tuesday, Jan. 17
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Year (re-air), FS1

Friday, Jan. 20
8 p.m., NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, NBCSN
10 p.m., NASCAR The Season (re-air), NBCSN
11 p.m., NASCAR Southern Speed: The Legend of Darlington (re-air), NBCSN

Sunday, Jan. 22
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Year (re-air), FS1


 

 

 

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RELATED: Driver Tracker | Photo gallery: Who’s on the move for 2017

 

NASCAR competition officials issued memos detailing rule book changes for the 2017 season in its three national series, including limits on tire allocation, restrictor-plate and spoiler size, and an allowance for drivers to use biometric devices.

 

The 80 total pages of revisions released Friday afternoon pertain to Sections 20 (Vehicle and Driver Safety specifications) and 21 (Pit Equipment and Crew Safety specifications) across the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

 

Among the highlights in the rules updates:

 

• NASCAR set its regulations on tire allocation for all three series in 2017. In the Monster Energy Cup Series, the number of tire sets available to teams per event dropped for 28 of the 36 points-paying races.

 

Tracks with two or three fewer set of tires allowed next season: Homestead (three fewer sets), Daytona (500 only, two fewer sets), Phoenix (two fewer sets for both races), Martinsville (two fewer sets for both races), Bristol (two fewer sets for both races), Kansas (two fewer sets for both races), Auto Club (two fewer sets), Kentucky (two fewer sets) and Chicagoland (two fewer sets). Tracks with one fewer set of tires allowed next season: Michigan (both races), Atlanta, Las Vegas, Texas (both races), Dover (both races), Charlotte (both races), Indianapolis, Pocono (both races) and Richmond (both races).

 

• In 2017, Monster Energy Cup teams will be required to start the race on the tires they used in Coors Light Pole Qualifying. This change does not apply to the XFINITY or Camping World Truck Series.

 

• Drivers in all three series may use biometrics devices in their vehicles in 2017. The wrist-worn health tracking devices may not transmit data, may not connect to the vehicle in any way and must operate on an internal battery. Devices eligible for use are certain models made by Garmin, Misfit, Polar, Samsung, Tom Tom and Jawbone.

 

• The 2017 aerodynamic package for non-restrictor plate tracks in the Monster Energy Cup Series will feature a shortened rear spoiler, measuring 2.35 inches tall. The standard rear-spoiler height for premier series teams last season was 3.5 inches, with a 2.5-inch tall spoiler used at Kentucky and both Michigan races as auditions for this season.

 

• For superspeedway events at Daytona and Talladega, the restrictor plate opening will be smaller by 1/64 of an inch — reduced from 57/64 to 7/8. The change affects only the Monster Energy Cup and XFINITY series for those two tracks.

 

• Additional safety guidelines were issued for restrictor-plate events for Monster Energy Cup and XFINITY teams. Among them, the previously optional roof hatch is now mandatory as an alternate escape route. Competition officials have also required the use of energy-absorbing materials to strengthen the area occupied by the drivers’ feet in the cockpit.

 

• Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams will be required to carry a roof-mounted camera assembly at all times, whether in use by broadcast partner networks or not.

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RELATED: Vintage tweets from drivers, Vol. 1


VINTAGE TWEETS, VOLUME TWO!

So many NASCAR drivers have mastered the fine art of social media. But it didn’t happen overnight, as is evidenced by some of their very early, and often awesome, initial tweets. What follows are actual posts from actual drivers, as they first immersed themselves into the Twitters. 

Kyle Busch

It’s pretty easy, Kyle. You post something, and then we inform you if you used the proper instance of “your” or “you’re.”

Trust Ryan — all tweets are from Kyle. Unless they’re from Ryan. But this one is from Kyle. Or Ryan. — Ryan

Assuming the PR person didn’t sign the tweet. If not, Kyle’s in trouble and you know he’s in trouble — like, third-person trouble.

I think she digs you, man.

Kyle sounds like even Kyle’s getting bored with winning.

Denny Hamlin

WHY did everyone want to sync Twitter with Facebook early on? It’s like mailing someone a letter, then calling them on the phone and telling them the exact same s–t that was in the letter.

We didn’t. It must have been very cold out.

If only there was some giant pylon-esque structure on the premises that provided such information. But you may have been unable to see it due to metal in your eye so we’ll give you a pass on this one.

Had we known then what we know now, we would have been able to warn you that it was likely Tony Stewart in drag.

I specifically wrote "FOR DEN-DEN’S EYES ONLY" on the outside of the envelope, bro. If mom saw it, that’s your fault for leaving it out.

Will do. Wait — why are they showing college football?

Matt Kenseth

Matt Kenseth showed great willpower by waiting until his second tweet ever to throw shade at the Chicago Bears.

Um, hi. Wait — so your order of priority is 1.) Trash talk the Chicago Bears. 2.) Greet people. OK.

It’s true. Greg has the body of a 69-year-old.

You are a sorcerer of dry wit, Matt Kenseth. A SORCERER.

We sense a theme.

Martin Truex Jr.

He’s friends with the dude from U2 AND people on the No. 1 team. Is there any boundary to this guy’s popularity?

The technological capabilities of smartphones would continue to grow and make asking a live saltwater fish for directions an obsolete practice. 

Heading to MWR for a David Reutimann victory celebration. This is an old tweet, by the way.

You can basically use this tweet as a template for every post-race tweet Martin posted until the 2016 Coca Cola 600.

Proof:

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RELATED: Buy tickets for Daytona

Brendan Gaughan has not made a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start since 2015, but the veteran racer is attempting to qualify for the 2017 Daytona 500 (Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Gaughan told the newspaper that he will be driving the car Michael McDowell (the No. 59 for Leavine Family Racing) piloted to a 15th-place finish in last year’s race with Mark Beard as the car owner. Beard made two starts in what is now the NASCAR XFINITY Series in the 1980s and has been a car owner in both the XFINITY Series and ARCA Racing Series.

"They bought the old Leavine car, they’ve hired ECR to do motors — real racing motors — and they asked if I would be interested," Gaughan said. "So it’s got Richard Childress motors, and I’m going to have a Richard Childress pit crew — my guys — and so we’re going to the Daytona 500 and see if we can qualify."

Gaughan will be driving for a team that does not have a charter, meaning he will have to qualify his way into the "Great American Race" via qualifying speeds and/or the Can-Am Duel races. Fellow NASCAR XFINITY Series competitor Elliott Sadler will be driving an open entry for Tommy Baldwin Racing in attempt to make the race as well.

RELATED: Sadler teams up with TBR for Daytona 500 attempt

Should the 41-year-old Gaughan make the race, it will be his second start in the sport’s season-opening event. He finished 19th in the 2004 edition of the race.

Gaughan is set to compete full time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2017. The campaign will mark his fourth straight season in the No. 62 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. Last year, he posted a career-best 16 top 10s in the series. 

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RELATED: Full coverage of JGR changes | What Suarez, Edwards said

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Less than two months after becoming the first foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR national title, Daniel Suarez can add another accomplishment to his fast-growing resume.


The 25-year-old will become the first Mexican-born competitor to race full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the sanctioning body’s top level, when he gets on track next month at Daytona International Speedway for Joe Gibbs Racing.


Suarez was officially introduced Jan. 11 as the driver of the organization’s No. 19 Toyota for the 2017 season. He replaces veteran Carl Edwards, who is stepping down from full-time competition to pursue other interests.


The Monterrey, Mexico native is a product of two of NASCAR’s base programs aimed at finding and cultivating talent while providing opportunities for advancement.


While competing in the NASCAR Mexico Series (2011-2014), Suarez was tabbed for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program in 2013-14, which spotlights minority as well as female competitors. He was also a member of the NASCAR Next Class — aimed at preparing youngsters for potential careers in NASCAR — from ’11-13.


RELATED: More about NASCAR Next | Drive for Diversity
 

"We started this dream 10 years ago with NASCAR, and right now to be in this position, to be in this opportunity is just something amazing for me and for everyone that has been helping me, of course," Suarez said.


Suarez was a 10-time winner in the NASCAR Mexico Series, and won three times in the K&N Pro Series East as he began to make the transition from Mexico to the U.S., making his national series debut in 2014.


By 2015, JGR signed him to full-time status in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and he was running a partial slate in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He responded by winning three times in 2016 and capturing the XFINITY title.


"We’re very proud that it validates our diversity plan in a significant way," NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said the morning after Suarez captured the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "All kinds of conversations on what we’ve said through the years is these things take time to find the kind of talent that can actually compete at a high level on the biggest stages, and he’s done that."


Suarez joins a growing list of drivers that have come up through the NASCAR Next and/or Drive for Diversity programs to reach its top level. Among them: Kyle Larson (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates) became the first D4D and NASCAR Next graduate to win a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race this past season. NASCAR Next grad Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports) qualified for the series’ Chase in 2016 and captured Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.


This season, former JGR teammate and NASCAR Next grad Erik Jones will race fulltime in the Monster Energy Cup Series for Furniture Row Racing.

 
RELATED: Driver moves, other changes for 2017

On the Drive For Diversity front, crew chief Dave Rogers understands what a victory by Suarez at the top level would mean.


"We’re going to go to every race, we’re not going to have expectations to win, but we’re going to go to the track knowing that we can if we do everything right and the right situations come up, we can put ourselves in Victory Lane," Suarez’s crew chief said.


"The neat thing about this is history. Very seldom in life do you get to sit down and say ‘Hey, I’m part of history right now’ … This is a living, historic event. This is a really big deal. So every opportunity is an opportunity for history."


Suarez became the eighth foreign-born race winner in NASCAR’s national series with his victory this past June at Michigan international Speedway.

 
RELATED: Relive Suarez’s first win | Recap the history-making title season

He will have a veteran crew and a talented group of teammates, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin, at his disposal.


All that remains for him is to slide behind the wheel and fire the engine.


"When you are with the right team, you know that the opportunity will come, and it will come at the right time," Suarez said.


That time, it seems, is now.

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RELATED: Buy tickets for Daytona

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (January 12, 2017) — Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) announced today that the team will compete in the 59th running of the Daytona 500 with Elliott Sadler behind the wheel of the No. 7 Golden Corral Chevrolet.

Sadler, a 16-year veteran of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, will be running double-duty during NASCAR’s opening weekend competing in both the Cup and XFINITY Series. The Emporia, Virginia native and Baldwin have a relationship dating back to their days at Robert Yates Racing when Baldwin served as crew chief for Sadler.

"This is a great opportunity for me and everyone affiliated with Tommy Baldwin Racing," said Sadler. "I love the Daytona 500 and to have Tommy and Golden Corral offer me this opportunity is awesome. Tommy and I have known each other a long time. We actually won a qualifying race for the Daytona 500 together back in 2006. We’re gonna rekindle some of that magic and work our tails off to get our car in the race. I know Tommy is putting a lot of effort into this and we’re gonna go out and get the best result we possibly can for him and TBR’s partners."

Golden Corral returns for their seventh season together and will bring back their popular ‘Top 10 Kids Eat Free’ promotion. If Elliott Sadler finishes in the top-10 at Daytona, kids 10 and under will eat free at Golden Corral restaurants nationwide on Monday, February 27th.

"We are excited to be working with Tommy Baldwin Racing for the seventh season," said Shelley Wolford, Vice President of National Marketing and Media at Golden Corral. "We will be cheering Elliott on to qualify at Daytona and then race for a Top 10 Kids Eat Free finish."

"We look forward to having Elliott join TBR and Golden Corral for the upcoming Daytona 500," said team owner Tommy Baldwin. "Elliott has always been a strong restrictor plate racer which makes this a great opportunity for everyone involved. We know our fans look forward to the ‘Top10 Kids Eat Free’ promotion every year so we want to capitalize on that and finish the Daytona 500 strong." 

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RELATED: Edwards steps away from racing | NASCAR Nation reacts
WATCH: Entire stream from Edwards, Suarez news


"If you’re looking for a driver you’re looking for me."


That’s what was written on young Carl Edwards‘ business cards nearly 20 years ago, cards he used to hand out at the race track while trying to transition from his day job as a substitute teacher in Columbia, Missouri, to a racer.


But even as he stood on the stage in front of the press corps at Joe Gibbs Racing Wednesday to announcing his departure from full-time racing after 12 seasons in NASCAR’s premier series, his humble, Midwestern roots were apparent.


They’d never left.


They were there even at Homestead-Miami Speedway, when a crash with Joey Logano in the final 10 laps took Edwards from Victory Lane to the garage, his dreams of winning the 2016 title were crushed as his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.


Instead of reacting with anger, Edwards went to the No. 22 pit box, shook crew chief Todd Gordon’s hand and wished the team the best of luck the rest of the race.


RELATED: Relive the wreck | Edwards shows class post-accident at Miami


That act spoke volumes about Edwards’ character, both as a person and a race car driver.


"In pro sports, you’re going to get the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat," JGR owner Joe Gibbs said. "And I think for all of us, everybody’s going to handle a victory pretty good … but that adversity, when you hit that … I think you guys have all seen (Edwards) go through some tough stuff and really handle himself extremely well."


No one knew it, but that race, that night, would serve as the closing act in Edwards’ full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career finale.


With the exception of winning the title, Edwards’ night in South Florida couldn’t have served as a better curtain call for the 37-year-old driver.


MORE: Timeline of JGR changes


"Let me tell you about Homestead, though. With 30 laps to go, 40 laps to go, 30 laps to go, 20 laps to go, that’s what I live for," Edwards said.  "…That is racing to me. I mean, (crew chief) Dave (Rogers) and I had worked all year to be in that moment, to pass ‑‑ that battle with Jimmie (Johnson), and then to be able to pass Joey and Kyle (Busch) for the ultimate prize, driving just as hard as I could, and to be in that position and to know that day we were getting it done.


"…That part of Homestead, for me personally, I won."


And really, he’s won again in a way as he steps away from premier series racing. Edwards is walking away from a career that he can be proud of, a stint across parts of 13 years in NASCAR’s premier series that boasts 28 victories, 22 poles and two runner-up finishes in the championship standings to Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart in 2008 and 2011, respectively.


MORE: Look back at his wins | Edwards gives three reasons for leaving


And he did it right: He did it with class, humility and the Midwestern demeanor that has followed him from Colombia, Missouri, to North Carolina and to race tracks across the country.


"It’s very flattering," Edwards said of the public’s positive, always-do-the-right-thing perception of him.  "Yeah, I just …"


He stopped, turned away from the audience, visibly wiping away tears.


When he spoke again, his voice quivered a bit.


"I just want to be a good person, you know. Sorry, guys. Damn camera shutters are killing me there. It’s the lighting, it’s awful," he joked, trying to make light of his emotion.


It’s great to go out with a championship. But sometimes, it’s not always about the trips to Victory Lane. It usually wasn’t for Cousin Carl, even when he was handing out business cards in the beginning.


"You guys know that I don’t race just for the trophies," Edwards said. "This has always been a really ‑‑ this has been a neat journey for me and it’s always been something that I’ve been rewarded by the challenges … So you go from that to working up the courage to ask people to drive a car to being put in situations where you know if you drive well and you win, you get sponsorship and everything works.


"Going through that whole process and becoming a better person, a stronger person, a better competitor, a better teammate, a better friend to people, that’s a big deal to me, and I feel accomplished.


"And I know when I sit in that race car that I am the best race car driver I can be.  So whether or not I have a championship, I’m really satisfied with that."


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RELATED: Full timeline of Edwards announcement


Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth said he was "as surprised as anyone" when he learned that teammate Carl Edwards was stepping away from auto racing.


Kenseth addressed the changing guard at Joe Gibbs Racing on Wednesday following a Goodyear tire test at Las Vegas.


"I didn’t find out until late Sunday night, and I was probably as shocked as anybody else was," Kenseth said. "I guess the more I think about, probably the less surprised I am knowing some of the conversations we’ve had in the past. He’s a great teammate, and a great competitor.


"You hate to see him go, but on the other hand, it’s what he wants to do so I applaud him for doing it."


RELATED: Three reasons for Edwards’ decision


Edwards revealed in Wednesday’s press conference that Kenseth was his first competitor that he talked to about his decision.


The pair have a deep history. The two were teammates at Roush Fenway Racing from 2004-2012, then again at Joe Gibbs Racing from 2015-2016.


Kenseth also added that he thought Daniel Suarez would do a fine job filling the seat, but that the two hadn’t spoken yet.


The veteran will turn 45 in March, and he’s coming off a two-win season and a near-trip to the Championship 4. As for his future? He’s not planning on leaving any time soon.


"I feel great," Kenseth said. "I enjoy what I’m doing, I love the race team I drive for and all the people there. I’m looking forward to the start of the season."


Denny Hamlin, a fellow JGR teammate, has tweeted out the following as well:

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Ford Performance announced Thursday another major push in its NASCAR initiative, launching a driver development program ahead of the 2017 season.

 

The first phase includes an agreement with Brad Keselowski Racing, placing new Ford signee Chase Briscoe in a full-time ride in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

 

Ford Performance indicated that other stages of the driver development program would be announced at a later time. The program is designed to cultivate home-grown talent for all Ford teams in NASCAR. According to the news release, current teams will be consulted about driver selection and placement, but their contractual ties will reside with Ford, which will also use signees in product development and testing.

 

“We’re making a commitment to win long-term in NASCAR,” Dave Pericak, Ford Performance’s global director, said in a release provided by the manufacturer. “We have been increasing our engineering support and our technological development at the team level, and now we’re looking to work with our teams to find the best available drivers coming up in the sport.”

 

The move further strengthens the ties with the automaker and team owner Brad Keselowski, which will field Ford trucks full-time for Austin Cindric and now Briscoe this season. Briscoe, a 22-year-old Indiana native with a rich sprint-car racing pedigree, landed the ARCA championship in 2016, riding a six-win season to the series crown.

 

“This is a big day in the history of BKR,” Keselowski said in the news release. “To be recognized as a true partner to Ford and Ford Performance and what they are trying to do speaks directly to the hard work our team has put in over the last several years. It is an honor, frankly, and it is really what BKR is all about — providing young, talented drivers with championship-caliber equipment to continue to hone their craft and showcase their talents.

 

“We have been fortunate to have had a lot of success together with Ford across the three major NASCAR touring series and to now elevate that relationship in an official capacity is a testament to what we set out to do.”

 

The move marks the second significant boost for Ford’s racing program ahead of the season. Stewart-Haas Racing‘s four-car organization has joined the Blue Oval camp for 2017, helping Ford Performance increase its numbers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage. That expansion also included the birth of a NASCAR XFINITY Series program for SHR, with Cole Custer competing full-time and Kevin Harvick driving on a part-time basis.