Amy, Brian France continue their fight against cancer

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Staff Report

Following a historic NASCAR Championship weekend, which saw the best drivers in the world fight for championships, Amy France and NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France switched gears last night to continue their fight against cancer.

The Frances lent their support to Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation and its annual Angel Ball which has raised $27 million for blood cancer research since 1996. After the Frances were honorees at last year’s event, Amy France took a larger role this year, assuming the position of co-chair helping to plan the annual benefit and maximize its impact.

As part of their support this year, the Frances gave a personal donation and also donated behind-the-scenes race packages that will be sure to put smiles on the faces of children with cancer at NASCAR races in 2017.

In addition, the Frances agreed to match any money raised by families affiliated with Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation who are involved in their own fundraising efforts. The Frances began personally hosting child cancer survivors at races in 2015.

The Angel Ball took place at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City and honored the work of Carl H. June, M.D., Director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies and Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at the University of Pennsylvania, the late Robert Kardashian and Heloise Pratt AM, Chair of The Pratt Foundation. The event featured live performances from Earth, Wind & Fire, Dave Stewart, Vanessa Amorosi, Jon Stevens and CeeLo Green.

This is the latest effort from the Frances who founded the Luke and Meadow Foundation — named after their 5-year old twins — in 2011. The Foundation’s mission is to drive progress on issues that threaten the health and wellness of children. The Frances partner with dozens of world-class charitable organizations, devote significant time and make multimillion dollar donations to combat a wide-range of issues related to disease, poverty, abuse and education.

The Luke and Meadow Foundation, which is a personal passion of the Frances, complements NASCAR’s long history of social responsibility. As NASCAR Chairman and CEO, Brian is championing meaningful changes within the industry through the NASCAR Foundation, NASCAR Green and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Zack Albert

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Thankfulness for family remained a theme for two NASCAR champions Monday night. One for the strong racing upbringing in pastoral Wisconsin that has sustained him over the course of a veteran’s career; the other for the family that encouraged a young star to leave his Mexican homeland to chase his racing dreams in America.

Both Daniel Suarez and Johnny Sauter were honored for their crowning accomplishments Monday in the NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series awards gala at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. Their recognition came just days after each sealed their first NASCAR titles during Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Elliott Sadler (XFINITY) and Tyler Reddick (Trucks) received the Most Popular Driver Award for each series, graciously thanking fans and their teams for their support. Joe Gibbs Racing‘s No. 19 Toyota team (XFINITY) and Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 9 Toyota operation (Trucks) were toasted with team owner championships.

Suarez entertained the packed ballroom with stories about the challenges of moving to the United States, learning to break the language barrier while becoming more adept with the nuances of racing and automotive skills. But Suarez also told the crowd about coming of age and becoming more independent in his life in America while his family cheered from afar back home.

Saturday, his parents were both at the track for the first time ever to watch him race in the USA. But the gravity of his victory resonated beyond international borders, with Suarez receiving a congratulatory tweet from the president of Mexico as part of the overwhelming reaction.

“It really means a lot. As you guys can imagine, it was really a huge deal in Mexico and Latin America,” Suarez said after his speech. “Everyone was super, super excited about what happened. It was something historic. It was just something that a lot of people were waiting for and finally we got it done. It was something really cool. I’m ready to come back to Mexico and celebrate with some of my friends down there that didn’t get an opportunity to come to my race here in Homestead. I’m just very, very blessed.”

Sauter’s family — with four decades of experience racing in NASCAR — was top of mind in the first-time truck champion’s remarks. After sealing the title in Friday night’s finale, Sauter indicated over the team radio on the cool-down lap that he was dreading having to give a season-ending speech. Much like he did on the track, he performed admirably in what he termed a “pressure deal.”

Sauter enjoyed a career rebirth by assembling a title run in his first year with GMS Racing. After Monday’s celebration, the 38-year-old driver said he was eager to keep the momentum rolling.

“I’ve got to be honest with you, I thought that winning a championship would make me feel a little bit relieved,” Sauter said, “but I feel more fired up about 2017 right now than I thought I would. Sometimes you like a break at the end of the year. I feel like I’m ready to go to the race track right now, I really do. I feel that good about where we’re at.”

Sadler, 41, finished third behind Suarez in the year-ending 300-miler at Homestead, but picked up a cherished award as the XFINITY Series’ Most Popular Driver. The JR Motorsports driver also won the honor in 2011 during his time with Richard Childress Racing.

“That’s a really good feeling,” Sadler said. “That’s a humbling feeling where fans will actually vote for you to be Most Popular Driver. Like I said in my speech, at a time now where it’s cool to promote the youth of our sport, to have the fans’ voice in your corner and still believe that you can do it and are still a big part of the sport means a lot to me.”

Reddick, 20, rode a wave of fan support through a fun-filled social media initiative that neatly tied in with the U.S. presidential election, taking part in a spirited online debate with Brad Keselowski Racing teammate Daniel Hemric. Reddick was thorough in offering thanks to his fans and public-relations reps in receiving the Most Popular Driver award for the first time.

“It meant a whole lot. We put a huge effort into the whole campaign, if you would call it that,” said Reddick, who will drive part-time for Chip Ganassi Racing in the XFINITY Series next year. “The debate videos, the pictures, just all the content that we pushed on social media played a huge key in making it possible to have a shot at being Most Popular Driver. Just to be able to come here and waiting to find out if I really won was really neat.”

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Posted on November 22, 2016 by Pat DeCola

JimmieJohnson

Johnson finishes the season on top in the standings, here, and — when all is said and done a few years from now — in the history books as the greatest of all time.

MORE: Johnson speechless, but peers have plenty to say

Joeylogano

-1

If there’s one silver lining that Logano can take away from a 2016 season that ended in heartbreak, its that he’s shown once and for all he’s ready and talented enough to win a title — and there’s a good chance he doesn’t stop at one.

MORE: Logano on Edwards: ‘I don’t blame him’

Kevinharvick

There were points at Homestead where it looked like he’d be playing spoiler, but Harvick will have to settle for 17 top-five finishes — tied with Kyle Busch for the series-high — and 27 top 10s — the series-high.

KyleBusch

-2

The knockout format of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup remains without a repeat champion after Busch failed to win Sunday, but he had a career-high 25 top 10s.

MORE: Busch denied back-to-back

Martintruex jr

It’s fair to say no other driver reached a higher peak of dominance in 2016 than Truex Jr. He had a few memorable performances that led to a series-high 1809 laps led, 425 more than a second-place Kevin Harvick.

BradKeselowski

Keselowski’s 12th-place finish in points is his worst since placing 14th in 2013. Take it for what it’s worth, but he follwed that up with a career high six wins in 2014.

Carledwards

-3

While a bad wreck left Edwards short of the title, there’s a good chance he starts next year out front, as he led the series with six poles in 2016.

MORE: Pivotal wreck ends Edwards’ hopes

DennyHamlin

Hamlin and Co.’s finishes weren’t always there, but their starts were off the charts, with a series-best 6.3 average starting position.

Mattkenseth

-3

For some reason this struck me as odd — the series only had one driver win exactly two races this season, and it was Kenseth.

Kurtbusch

-3

Busch was one of four drivers to win exactly one race this year, but had nearly as many top-10 finishes (21) as the other three combined (Buescher, Larson Stewart, with 25).

Kylelarson

Larson finally got the "first win" monkey off his back in 2016, so look for him to add to that total in 2017 and beyond with more regularity.

ChaseElliott

-1

Elliott didn’t win in his rookie year, but the Sunoco Rookie of the Year still has plenty to be happy about after an impressive start to his career.

AustinDillon

Conversation for 2017 — who wil win first, Dillon or Elliott? They both showed they were capable of running up front in 2016.

Tonystewart

And with that, a career is called quits. Stewart treated his fans to a win and a Chase berth in his final season, and there’s not much more they could’ve (realistically) hoped for.

MORE: Stewart’s final race is its own reward

Jamiemcmurray

-1

McMurray made the Chase for the second-consecutive year, but his laps led count (zero) and overall decline in performance make his one win in the past six years feel like a distant memory.

Kaseykahne

-8

Kahne certainly didn’t have the results he was looking for in 2016, but he’ll have to consider it an "experience year," given he ran more laps on the track (10,355) than anybody else. (Probably off the track, too.)

Ryannewman

-22

Newman led more laps than he did last year, but his average finish faltered (down from 13.5 to 15.7) and his streak of three-consecutive Chase appearances was snapped.

Ajallmendinger

Despite not winning, 2016 was Allmendinger’s most successful year in terms of averge finish (17.8) and top 10s (nine) since 2011 — when he was with Richard Petty Motorsports.

Ryanblaney

-18

Blaney showed promise early in the year (seven of his nine top 10s came before Darlington) but he seemed to run out of steam. Look for him to come on strong and keep it up in 2017.

Chrisbuescher

A win and a Chase appearance was a great building block for the future of a team still looking to find its footing among the contenders in the Sprint Cup Series.

DaleEarnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt Jr.’s results on the track before he was sidelined midway through the season weren’t among his best — first winless season since 2013 — but the time off has allowed him to become more focused and come into 2017 ready to rock.

MORE: Junior on track for Daytona

RickyStenhouse Jr.

-12

Stenhouse’s top fives (four) and top 10s (six) were both career highs, but the driver heads into his fifth season with his rookie campaign (2013) remaining his best points finish of 19th.

Trevorbayne

Bayne is the second of three Roush Fenway drivers ranked in a row in the lows 20s. At least you can say they’re consistent in their mediocrity.

Greg Biffle

Biffle ends a 2016 campaign that was certainly his worst among many factors, including top 10s, points finish and average finish, all of which declined every year since 2012.

Alexbowman

We only got 10 chances this year to see what could do behind the wheel of the No. 88, but we saw enough out of Bowman that I’m going to go out on a limb and say he find Cup ride somewhere in 2017.

Posted on November 21, 2016 by

Breaking down the full field for the EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

1. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. You don’t win seven titles without a little good fortune coming your way, but you have to put yourself in position to be there at the end, too. And that’s what Johnson and the 48 team did when Johnson drove his way from 40th on the grid after he had to start from the rear of the field because of unapproved body modifications. Congrats to Johnson for joining Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as the Sprint Cup Series’ only seven-time champions. Grade: A+

2. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. Larson put on a show and deserved to win the race. He dominated and was cruising to his second victory when the yellow flag was waved on Lap 253. The entire complexion of the race changed. Moments later, carnage ensued on the restart, and the complexion changed again. Then, another yellow, another restart, and this time another driver — Jimmie Johnson — got the best of him. Tough, tough way to not win a race. Grade: A++

3. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick dominated early, leading 79 laps (second to Kyle Larson‘s 132). He raced among the leaders all day and finished the season with a series-high 27 top 10s. His top fives — 17 — tied Kyle Busch for most, and his four wins were one short of Jimmie Johnson‘s series-leading five. Bottom line: Another truly remarkable season for Harvick. Grade: A+

4. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. After losing a tense green-flag battle with Carl Edwards and seemingly resigned to finishing runner-up to Edwards for the championship, a caution on Lap 253 gave Logano new life. Mr. Restart nailed the Lap 258 restart, but when Edwards went down to block Logano, all hell broke loose. Fortunately for Logano, he was able to emerge with minimal damage … and instead of finishing runner-up to Edwards, he finished runner-up to Jimmie Johnson. One last Logano note: His finishes in the final six races of the season were: 3rd, 1st, 9th, 1st, 2nd, 4th. Impressive. Grade: A

5. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. McMurray survived restart roulette to post his second top five of the season.Grade: A

6. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Not enough went Busch’s way for him to win back-to-back championships, but that shouldn’t take away from a stellar season in which he tied his career best in top fives (17) and set a personal high in top 10s (25). Grade: A

7. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. On the day Tony Stewart retired as a Sprint Cup Series driver, Kenseth grabbed his 309th career top 10 to pass Smoke for 17th all time in the series. Grade: A

8. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger closed out the season with four top 10s in his final six starts. Grade: A

9. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Check out this line for Hamlin’s second half of the season: 2 wins, 7 top fives, 15 top 10s and only one finish outside the top 15. Grade: A

10. Michael McDowell, No. 59 Chevrolet, Circle Sport-Leavine Family. McDowell finished off the best season of his Sprint Cup career with his second top-10 finish, which doubled his career total coming into 2016. Grade: A

11. Chase Elliott, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Elliott finished his terrific rookie season with 17 top 10s, which equaled the total of 2014 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson and is the third-highest total since 2000. Grade: B+

12. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Dillon took the same high line as Kyle Larson but unlike Larson, had brushes with the wall. Still, it was good to see him going for it. Grade: B

13. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Handling was an issue all day for the No. 41 team, which led Busch to say, “We were the slowest seventh-place car in points that I’ve ever seen.” Grade: B

14. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard capped off one of the worst seasons of his Sprint Cup Series career with back-to-back top-15 finishes for only the second time this season. Grade: B

15. Brian Scott, No. 44 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Maybe Scott is calling it a career too soon. Sunday’s finish was his third best this season and sixth best of his career. Grade: A-

16. Alex Bowman, No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Another solid day for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s main understudy. Now the question is where Bowman lands in 2017. Grade: B

17. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. An electrical issue forced the No. 16 team to replace the car’s battery multiple times, but Biffle still was able to carve out a respectable finish. Grade: B-

18. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears finished 18th for the second week in a row for his first back-to-back top-20 finishes since the first two races of the Chase … last season. Grade: B

19. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick’s 14th top-20 finish this season tied a personal best set in 2014. Grade: B. Grade: B

20. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne avoided late-race mayhem to finish exactly where he started, 20th. Grade: C

21. Landon Cassill, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Cassill suffered through his second consecutive season without a top-10 finish, but he did set career highs for laps completed, laps led, average finish, running at finish and lead-lap finishes. Grade: A

22. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart finished second among “retiring drivers.” Seriously: What a run it has been. Next stop: NASCAR Hall of Fame. Grade: C

23. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Here’s some irony: The driver who is replacing Tony Stewart in the No. 14 finished one spot below him in his new boss’ final race. Grade: C

24. Chris Buescher, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. The rookie had five top-25 finishes in the first half of the season. Sunday’s finish gave him 11 in the second half, including his landmark win and another top five. Grade: B-

25. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman was collected in the massive wreck touched off by Carl Edwards‘ block of surging Joey Logano on a restart with 10 laps left in regulation. Newman’s fate in the chain reaction mess was sealed when Brad Keselowski was knocked into the wall in the immediate path of Newman and Martin Truex Jr. Grade: B-

26. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. Twice Blaney found the wall and brought out cautions. Only attrition from later wrecks kept him from finishing in the mid-30s. Grade: D

27. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 9 Toyota, BK Racing. DiBenedetto was another young driver who had a better second half of the season. DiBenedetto had seven top-30 finishes in the first 18 races; in the second half, in one less start, he had 11 top-30 finishes. Grade: C

28. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Annett posted his best finish at Homestead in his third start at the track. Grade: C

29. David Ragan, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. For the first time in his Sprint Cup career, Ragan failed to post at least one top-10 finish. He was one of four drivers — Danica Patrick, Casey Mears and Landon Cassill were the others — to start all 36 races and not post a top 10. Ragan’s only top 10 at Homestead came in his first race there (2007). Grade: C

30. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse was vying for a top-10 finish — he was ninth with four laps to go — but he got the short end of a three-wide when his car broke loose and hit the inside wall to bring out the final caution of the race. Grade: C

31. Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. Earnhardt, who brought out the second caution when he spun trying to get onto pit road, finished seven laps back. Grade: D

32. Reed Sorenson, No. 55 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. Sorenson finished nine laps back. Grade: D

33. Ty Dillon, No. 95 Chevrolet, Circle Sport-Leavine Family. The No. 95 received just enough damage in the big wreck to spoil a solid day. Grade: B-

34. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Cousin Carl was on his way to being King Carl until the fifth caution on Lap 253. His car was strong and he had blown by Joey Logano for second. Less than 15 green-flag laps separated Edwards from his first Sprint Cup Series title. Then came the caution and the restart to end all restarts. Not to mention Edwards’ championship hopes. Grade: B-

35. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. After Joey Logano’s contact with Carl Edwards on the apron, the No. 22 came up the track right into Keselowski’s No. 2, sending Keselowski up into the wall in front of Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman. Keselowski’s great season ended with his third DNF in his final six races. Grade: B

36. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Toyota, Furniture Row Racing. To say Truex was collected in the massive restart wreck is an understatement. The No. 78 burst into flames after smashing into Brad Keselowski‘s car. To have such a great season end in that manner was just horrible. At least Truex wasn’t hurt. Grade: B

37. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne was on his way to a decent finish when Carl Edwards‘ car shot back up the track after hitting the inside wall and ended up in front of Kahne and Regan Smith. The impact tore apart Kahne’s car. Grade: B

38. Regan Smith, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Smith was two laps down when he got caught up in the big restart mess and his car was destroyed. Tough way to end his first full-time season since 2012. Grade: C-

39. Dylan Lupton, No. 32 Ford, GO FAS Racing. Who knew a driver named Dylan Lupton would ultimately be the gateway to Jimmie Johnson’s record-tying seventh Sprint Cup Series championship? If not for Lupton’s left rear tire going down, which brought out the fifth caution with less than 15 laps to go, history likely would not have been made. Grade: F

40. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola’s worst season in Sprint Cup came to a painful end, which included time in the garage for a breakdown in the rear housing. Grade: F

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Holly Cain

RELATED: Complete results | Chase Grid | Standings
SHOP: Champion gear

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — For much of Sunday’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup finale, crew chief Chad Knaus sat calmly and fixated on his Hendrick Motorsports pit box, offering monotone encouragement and asking for simple feedback from his driver Jimmie Johnson.

Johnson had to start the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet last in the 40-car field after making a last minute adjustment that hadn’t been approved by officials. And although he passed half the field within the opening eight laps of the race, the season title came down to a restart in overtime with three laps remaining.

After running in the top-10 behind the other three championship contenders all race long, Johnson at long last took the lead on the restart and made his run at the record books.

And Knaus, 45, the steely, steady leader of this team, morphed into a stand-up, fist-pump cheerleader each time Johnson drove those by on the front straight in front of the crew. As Johnson motored toward a record-tying seventh Sprint Cup title, his devoted friend and team leader put aside the normally calm-cool-and-collected facade and showed all the emotion you would expect of someone who was watching history. Someone who helped achieve that history.

And even given the “let’s see what you can do now” circumstances of unexpectedly having to race from last on the starting grid, Knaus led this team to a historical night that will be celebrated in perpetuity. Perhaps the obstacles made the victory more triumphant.

“Honestly, we probably are better at it now than what we once were,” Knaus conceded of the No. 48 team’s ability to rally to a title after starting last in the field. “I think a lot of it comes from security and comfort. I know that Jimmie believes in me, he knows that I believe in him. We know that we’re not in fear of our jobs. We know that we’ve been able to win championships and win races. We’ve made a mark. We’ve made our mark.

MORE: Photos from historic day

“What happens from this point is ‑‑ you know, is the toppings on the ice cream, right. So there’s a lot of comfort in that, and there’s a lot of guys out there right now, they don’t have that comfort.

“I think that’s the one thing that helps us the most is the fact that we know that we’re committed to one another, we’re committed to this team, we’re committed to this organization, and we’re going to trudge through no matter what the situation is.”

So much attention is given to statistical achievement in sports. Johnson won his 80th race Sunday and hoisted his seventh Sprint Cup trophy.

But it was evident in Knaus’ body language and conversations, that all the accomplishments on track were really a result of relationships built off track.

There is something unique about a pairing that reaches this kind of elite accomplishment together. The realization of what fuels the relationship and produces its success may have taken some time.

It comes down to trust, confidence and fondness. And while that may sound simple, the intensity and duration of belief is what separates a pairing such as Johnson and Knaus from all the others that have also valiantly tried to succeed in this way.

The end result is not only a celebration of a fantastic accomplishment on track, but also a relationship formed, tested and relied on away from the track.

“I love him like a brother, he’s a fantastic individual,” Knaus said of Johnson.

“Jimmie has taught me more about life than life itself has taught me. He’s taught me about family. He’s taught me about relationships. He’s taught me about being a champion.

“You know, when we started this thing, all I was, was just a racer guy, and he was a cool California kid, and we kind of grew up together. To be in this situation to where we know he’s got a handful of years left, whatever they may be, and for Jimmie and Mr. Hendrick to want me to stick with the 48 car and be at the helm of this ship, man, it’s flattering. It really is flattering, because let’s be honest, I’m getting older just like everybody else is. None of us is as young as we once were, and I look forward to the future with these guys.”

As Johnson took the white flag, leading the field on the last lap Sunday night, Knaus banged on the side of his seat like a jockey working his horse to the finish line, then he stood up and cheered the car on.

As his good friend Johnson drove under the checkered flag and formalized their historic effort on the next lap, Knaus could only sit, stare and smile. He raised both hands and sat farther back in his seat to take it all in in the split seconds before the rowdy celebration began all around him.

They did it. Two great friends making great history.

“So this one is pretty sweet, to be able to put Jimmie’s name in that same header as Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Petty, it’s an honor to be a part of it,” Knaus said. “I swear to you, it is. I’m just glad to be his buddy and be by his side.”

And the feeling is … unsurprisingly mutual.

“It’s something I take a lot of pride in,” ” Johnson said of Knaus. “Loyalty is a huge thing with me. We’ve had our bumps in the road, but he’s a brother, and I’m so proud of him and so thankful that whatever drew us to one another and created this opportunity for us to start the 48 team and work together happened.

“I would not be here today as a seven‑time champion without Chad Knaus. He deserves so much praise and so much credit for my success, for this team’s success, for the success of Hendrick Motorsports and where it is and what’s going on with it right now.

“He’s something special.”

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Posted on November 21, 2016 by Staff Report

JUNIOR: ‘I wish dad were here’ | ‘Being in the car is what I’m supposed to do‘

Dale Earnhardt Jr. discussed Monday — one day into the 2016 NASCAR offseason — his plans to get back inside the race car on the Dirty Mo Radio podcast.

“We’re going to go testing this offseason,” he said. “Obviously I need to get in a race car. I’d love to get in a car and go run a little bit somewhere just to shake the rust off and get some confidence. I can do the basics before we ever go to Daytona.

“We’ll go do that sometime this offseason. We have to squeeze it in there somewhere because I’m getting married and have my honeymoon, and I have to certainly devote proper time to (fiancée) Amy (Reimann).

“But it’ll be no problem. … All signs point to us being in the car for Daytona.”

The Hendrick Motorsports wheelman, who was sidelined for 18 Sprint Cup Series races this year due to a concussion, has not stepped inside his No. 88 Chevrolet since July.

Following the July race at Kentucky Speedway, Jeff Gordon (eight races) and Alex Bowman (10 races) took turns wheeling his Chevrolet to complete the team’s season.

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Posted on November 21, 2016 by Staff Report

NASCAR veteran Greg Biffle announced Monday that he and Roush Fenway Racing have agreed to part ways, leaving the driver’s immediate future very much up in the air.

Biffle, 46, had been with the company for 19 years. He called the decision to part ways a “mutual agreement” and touched on multiple topics in an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Among them — he wants to drive in 2017, but has no concrete plans; he had fielded offers from multiple teams, including JTG Daugherty; and the on-track results over the past three years weighed heavily on the driver as he mulled his future.

“It’s been a tough decision to make,” Biffle said on Sirius. “I’ve kind of been faced with it several times throughout my career. … I felt like it had kind of run its course. I felt like it was time for me to move on and explore some other opportunities. I’ve enjoyed my time with Roush, and Jack (Roush) has meant a tremendous amount to me.”

Since 2003, Biffle has piloted the company’s No. 16 Ford. His best season came in 2005, when he notched six wins and a career-best 15 top-five finishes en route to a second-place finish in the driver standings.

All told, Biffle has 19 career premier series victories, along with a championship in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“I don’t have the words to say what Greg has meant to this organization,” Roush said in a team release. “He is a true racer who has always exhibited a will to win and an intense passion for speed. For almost two decades Greg has given us an opportunity to run up front and compete for wins. Greg exemplifies what every owner hopes for in a driver and I’m extremely thankful for having him as part of our organization.”

Biffle said this decision has been in motion for a few months. The driver, who turns 47 in December, added that he’s taking a leap of faith leaving without another deal in place.

“It was probably my toughest decision to make, to not have another deal,” he said. ” … I have talked to several teams, including the JTG (Daugherty) team. I met with those guys probably a month, month-and-a-half ago. They’re a great organization, they’ve got competitive cars, but it just really didn’t work with me.”

Biffle last won in 2013, which is also Roush’s last Sprint Cup Series win as a team, although the organization won the XFINITY Series title in 2015 with driver Chris Buescher. The struggles in the premier series appeared to be the tipping point for the driver.

“I’m so competitive of a person,” he said. “It truly crushes you to put 100 percent effort in — the guys at the shop, the whole team … everyone is pulling the rope in the same direction and working as hard as they could, and the results just aren’t what we wanted them to be.

“Whether it’s right or wrong, it was like, ‘Let’s do something different for both of us.’ “

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Posted on November 20, 2016 by Nascar

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – It was a loose and laughing Tony Stewart who climbed behind the wheel of the No. 14 Chevrolet for the last time Sunday, an illustrious driving career coming to an end here in sunny South Florida.

Seventeen years, nine months and six days after Stewart made his premier series debut, the Indiana born and bred racer made his final start as a full-time NASCAR competitor, finishing 22nd in the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Days from now, the final result won’t be recalled. No one remembers who finished second, no one remembers who finished 22nd.

Stewart’s NASCAR career, though, won’t be forgotten.

Three championships, 49 wins, 308 top-10s, 15 poles. One of the best pure racers ever to grip a steering wheel.

“I’ve been looking forward to this day,” a composed Stewart said afterward, surrounded by media as he leaned against his Stewart-Haas Racing entry on pit road.

“If I was never coming to a NASCAR race again I would feel much different and be a lot more emotional. But I’m going to be in Daytona in I don’t know how many more weeks from now … I’ll be there just in a different capacity. I’ve been ready to make a change and that starts now.”

He remains co-owner of SHR, the four-team NASCAR Sprint Cup Series organization. He’ll continue to race, just not full-time and not in NASCAR.

He spoke of how grateful he was, how flattered that crewmen lined pit road to wave him off as he began his 618th and final start. “That’s a moment I’ll never forget,” he said. “It reminded me of when they did that for Dale (Earnhardt) Sr. when he won the Daytona 500. I don’t know how you can top that moment.”

Team owner Joe Gibbs, with whom Stewart won two of his three championships, stopped by to share a moment. Former teammate Kyle Busch, the 2015 champ, did as well.

Jeff Gordon, the four-time champion who retired here last year, made his way through the crowd to offer congratulations, too.

“Sand rails?” Stewart asked as Gordon stepped in.

“I wish,” said Gordon. “Can we leave tomorrow morning?”

“If you break my back now, I’m not too worried about it,” Stewart said, laughing.

“We’re gonna have fun,” Gordon said.

“You’re damn right we are,” a relieved Stewart said.

Gordon and Stewart were among a group racing the off-road vehicles in January of this year when Stewart suffered a broken back, an injury that kept him on the sidelines for the first eight races of the season.

Stewart returned to score win No. 49 in mid-season at Sonoma, putting the 45-year-old in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. It was short-lived as he and the team were eliminated after the opening round.

Win No. 50 wasn’t in the cards.

Stewart found himself a lap down less than 70 laps into the race at Homestead. Gains were made, some were lost. The deficit grew to two laps in the second half of the race.

Cautions provided options. Stay out and take the wave around or pit and pass up the dwindling opportunities to possibly gain track position. Gambles taken didn’t pay off.

“We always take chances and we took a chance when we made the 60-lap run and tried to get a lap back that way, hoped the caution would come out,” Stewart said. “We lost that lap and then the caution came out right after that cycle … just too little too late.”

Crew chief Mike Bugarewicz called it “a great honor” to head up the No. 14 team in Stewart’s final season.

“I didn’t deserve that as a rookie,” Bugarewicz said. “We made the best out of it. We had fun; that’s what he wanted to do. I think he’s ready to go on and do the next chapter in his life and I’m just so thankful to learn a lot from him and have that opportunity.”

It might have been 22nd, but Stewart enjoyed the send-off just the same.

“I had fun racing with the guys,” he said. “We were cutting up and laughing and joking all day. … I didn’t run into anybody and nobody ran into me.

“Nobody’s mad at me and I’m not mad at anybody.”

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Posted on November 20, 2016 by Nascar

RELATED: Full race results | Final Chase Grid
SHOP: Champion gear

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Daniel Suarez, 24 and only two years into a NASCAR XFINITY Series career, can check another box off his career bucket list.

Series champion.

The Monterrey, Mexico, native became a winner in the series for the first time earlier this season to qualify for the inaugural XFINITY Series Chase. Saturday evening at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he led 133 of 200 laps that made up the Ford EcoBoost 300, and survived a wild, late-race restart to become the first Latin American driver to capture a NASCAR national series title.

He is the first Joe Gibbs Racing driver to capture the series title since 2009 when Kyle Busch won the crown.

MORE: Joe Gibbs thrilled after Suarez win

Saturday, Suarez outran series veterans Elliott Sadler (third) and JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier (sixth) as well as JGR teammate Erik Jones (ninth) to become the series’ 27th different champion and the 34th overall.

In the Championship Round, the driver finishing highest wins the title. Suarez made sure no one, Chase contender or otherwise, finished in front of his orange and white No. 19 Toyota.

“I’m speechless right now,” Suarez, a graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, said as fans streamed onto the frontstretch to witness the official coronation and fireworks exploded overhead. “It’s very hard to put into words.

“I’m just very proud of everyone and thankful to have the family that I have — my mom, my dad. They gave me all the tools to be here right now. They put me in a car even when we didn’t have the support or the racing background. They supported me and right now we are just living a dream.”

Suarez’s parents were on hand to watch their son capture the championship at Homestead.

Alejandro Suarez, Daniel’s dad, said he has personally watched his son race “maybe 10 times” since Daniel came to the U.S. to embark upon a NASCAR career.

“It’s a dream. It’s a dream and tomorrow I will tell you (what if feels like),” he said, smiling.

Success so quickly wasn’t expected

“Maybe next year, maybe 2-3 years,” the father said. “But not this year. But Daniel works hard.”

MORE: Suarez’s long road to the title

Jones will head off to begin a premier series career in ’17, already having been named to drive the No. 77 Toyota for Furniture Row Racing as that organization expands from one to two teams.

Suarez, talented as he is, is expected to return to JGR for another year of seasoning in the XFINITY Series. Gibbs’ group currently fields four Sprint Cup teams — for drivers Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Busch, the defending series champ.

“We’re in there now,” team owner Joe Gibbs said of Suarez’s move to the XFINITY Series, “and I think … it’s going to be pretty quick we’ll be going to Cup. I think it’s in Daniel’s hands, but obviously he’s performed so well.

“As everybody knows, it’s hard to get all that organized, but we’re working — that’s going to be our end game. That’s what we’re going to be working for.”

If Suarez is in a hurry to get to the top level, he wasn’t showing it Saturday night. He knows he gets to run against some of the premier series drivers some of the time now.

“But you never race with all of them,” he said. “So I’m pretty sure that the Cup car is going to be different, and to race with all those guys at the same time is going to be even more difficult.

“Like I said before … we have to focus on today and tomorrow is going to take care of itself.”

Today he’s a champion. Tomorrow? Who knows.

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Posted on November 20, 2016 by

Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 saw huge accomplishments by two of NASCAR’s greatest drivers, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart, and a sweet Victory Lane exchange between the pair.

While Hendrick Motorsports‘ Jimmie Johnson earned his seventh Sprint Cup Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver and team co-owner Tony Stewart completed his decorated career in his final race as a full-time driver.

After the newly crowned “Seven-Time” locked in career win No. 80, “Smoke” joined him in Victory Lane when Johnson handed over his championship helmet to the three-time champion.

Johnson’s move cements a nice bookmark to Stewart’s growing collection as he has been collecting some of his peers’ helmets.

“I promised Tony he could have this helmet,” Johnson said.

Prior to the start of the race, the Miami track honored the three-time champion as he prepared for his final Sprint Cup Series start. Stewart wheeled his No. 14 Chevrolet around the track 1.5-mile track in a solo before the green flag with the entire NASCAR community erupting in cheers, thanking him for his 18-year career.

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