Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR drivers, tracks, teams and more showed their appreciation to military service members Friday in honor of Veterans Day. See what they had to say.


Posted on by Staff Report

Tyler Reddick confirmed Wednesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that he will not return to Brad Keselowski Racing next season, ending a three-year tenure with the team owned by the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

 

“It’s going to be a shame I’m not going to be there next year, but I’ve really enjoyed the time I’ve spent there,” Reddick told SiriusXM. “Hopefully I can repay them with two more wins to add to the list.”

 

Reddick did not announce his 2017 plans.

 

In 61 races, which includes two full-time seasons, Reddick has won three times and logged 24 top-five finishes and 39 top 10s. His first victory was the 2015 season-opener at Daytona, setting the tone for a memorable year in which Reddick never dropped below third in the points standings.

 

Battling Erik Jones and Matt Crafton all year, Reddick would finish second to Jones in the championship point battle.

 

Deemed a title contender by many entering 2016, Reddick did not find the same success as the previous year. The driver did not qualify for the inaugural eight-driver NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase, although he did win at Las Vegas, a postseason race.

 

A natural fit for Reddick may be a promotion to the NASCAR XFINITY Series, where Team Penske — for whom Keselowski drives — is expanding its operation to a second car.

 

The intention, according to the team, is for Ford Performance to use the second entry as an extension of a driver development program in an effort to build for the future.

 

Meanwhile, Brad Keselowski Racing will have two new drivers in its two-truck operation next year. Daniel Hemric, who qualified for the postseason, is moving on to drive for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series next year.

It was announced on Friday that Austin Cindric would drive full-time for Brad Keselowski Racing in 2017.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (November 11, 2016) — NASCAR announced today that it will surpass 10 million competition miles on Sunoco Green E15, a biofuel blended with 15 percent American-made ethanol, by the end of the 2016 season. The achievement will be celebrated during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ race at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. The 10 million miles will have been accumulated across practice, qualifying and racing laps since the biofuel was adopted by the sport.

 

Six years ago, NASCAR entered into a groundbreaking partnership with Sunoco and American Ethanol, launching its long-term biofuels program to reduce emissions across its three national series. After an exhaustive analysis, Sunoco formulated Sunoco Green E15 to allow for a seamless transition, and the biofuel made its debut at Daytona International Speedway in 2011. All the ethanol for Green E15 is produced from American-grown corn at Sunoco’s ethanol manufacturing facility in Fulton, N.Y.

 

“As we approach 10 million miles on Sunoco Green E15 across our three national series, it’s evident that the renewable, higher ethanol blended fuel performs flawlessly against our rigorous racing conditions,” said Brent Dewar, NASCAR Chief Operating Officer. “This remarkable milestone is the result of an industry-wide commitment to demonstrate high performance racing with reduced emissions, while educating our fans about the benefits of sustainable and renewable American ethanol.”

 

Since transitioning to the biofuel, NASCAR has helped validate the fuel’s qualities in front of an audience of millions of NASCAR fans and is helping shift attitudes and behaviors around the use of ethanol. According to new research conducted in July, when compared to non-fans, NASCAR fans are more likely to support the use of ethanol blended gasoline to fuel NASCAR race cars, their own car, and cars on the road today to increase U.S. energy independence. Source: Custom Environment-Related Tracker commissioned by NASCAR and conducted by Toluna (July 2016).

 

“We are thrilled to reach this important milestone with NASCAR and to be a part of the effort to reduce the sport’s impact on the environment with Sunoco Green E15, while increasing horsepower and standing up to the most demanding conditions on the track,” said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. “Like their favorite NASCAR drivers, consumers are now utilizing a fuel with a blend of 15 percent ethanol. Americans have already driven over 500 million miles on E15. Today, nearly 400 stations across 28 states sell E15 and those numbers continue to climb. Consumer demand is on the rise because Americans are finding out that E15 is the right choice for their engines, their wallets and the environment.”

 

The move to Sunoco Green E15 coincided with the incorporation of more technology into NASCAR race cars. In 2012, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series transitioned from carbureted engines to electronic fuel injection using an electronic control unit (ECU) — the first computer technology used in a NASCAR race car. In addition, the series moved from analog gauges to a digital dashboard this season.

 

“As a lifelong fan and a proud team owner, I am certain that the switch to an ethanol blend has been a great move by NASCAR,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of RCR. “We’re proud of our connection to the ethanol industry and all of the good that it’s doing for our country, and could not be more pleased to celebrate passing 10 million miles with the industry.”

 

During the pace car laps at the start of the race on Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, NASCAR fans at the start/finish line will be asked to participate in a coordinated American Ethanol green flag wave to help commemorate the 10 million-mile achievement.

 

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will continue with the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. 

Posted on by Team Release

STATESVILLE, N.C. (Friday, November 11) – Brad Keselowski Racing announced today that driver Austin Cindric will compete full-time for the organization in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) in 2017 piloting one of the Team’s Ford F-150 entries.

“One of the things we wanted to do at BKR is give talented young drivers an opportunity to take the next step in their career,” said team owner Brad Keselowsk.  “Austin Cindric has already had success in various forms of racing and he has shown a lot of potential in our truck. We’re happy to give him an opportunity to compete full-time at a high level in NASCAR next season.”

Cindric, 18, has five NCWTS series starts dating back to Martinsville Speedway in October 2015 – all with Brad Keselowski Racing.  He has made three starts to date with BKR in 2016, qualifying a career-best second at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Bowmanville, Ontario) and will compete for the Statesville, N.C., based organization in the Lucas Oil 150 Friday night at Phoenix (Avondale, Arizona) International Raceway.   Cindric scored victories in the Sept. 23 ARCA Racing Series race at Kentucky Speedway and in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East events at Watkins Glen (New York) International and Virginia (Danville, Virginia) International Raceway.

“This is a massive opportunity from Brad and everyone at BKR who trust me and believe in my abilities as a driver to move on to the next level for a full season,” said Cindric. “The number one thing is you’ve got to get results on the racetrack, and that’s something that BKR has done consistently year after year. One of the things I’ve learned in my short career is that it’s all about people. You must have good equipment, but you can’t have success without good people, and they definitely have that.”

The specifics of Cindric’s 2017 BKR program, including sponsor partners, will be announced at a later date.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Chase Grid | Driver standings | How drivers can clinch spot for Miami

AVONDALE, Ariz. — It’s one of NASCAR’s age old questions — would a driver intentionally move a teammate for a win?

How about for an extra point or two?

A handful of drivers may (likely?) find themselves in such a tantalizing position this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, site of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Round of 8 finale, where the points margin is thin and the potential for beefs coming out of the race is thick.

Joe Gibbs Racing already has one driver locked into the Championship 4 — Carl Edwards, via his Texas win — with three more vying for advancement in Sunday’s Can-Am 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Only problem? There are only two spots available, as Hendrick Motorsports‘ Jimmie Johnson claimed one of the four berths at Martinsville.

Think back to Ryan Newman bruising his way through then-rookie Kyle Larson here to advance to the finale in the current Chase format’s inaugural season in 2014. We already know that won’t be an issue.

Flashback: Newman moves Larson to edge into Championship 4

“If it’s not a teammate, I’m hoping their spotter is going to give them a heads up that the 11 is coming,” Denny Hamlin said Friday at Phoenix. “I would have no issues doing something like that. That was a little aggressive, but moving somebody to get that final spot to get in the final four, I’m not sure anybody would really fault you for that.”

Great, now picture a scenario in which it’s the No. 11 Toyota trailing the No. 18 – separated by two points heading into Sunday — because we could certainly be looking at a situation in which one of the JGR drivers is a point below the cutoff on the last lap, with his teammate directly in front of him.

Hamlin said that he “would not” move a teammate to advance to Homestead, but added that “that’s (his) answer today,” implying he may feel a little differently about it on Lap 312 on Sunday.

When told of Hamlin’s feelings on the potential issue shortly after, his JGR teammate and reigning Sprint Cup Series champion Kyle Busch summed up his thoughts on if he’d move a teammate to advance quite succinctly.

“Absolutely.”

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Meet Denny Hamlin’s spotter, Chris Lambert

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of interviews with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series spotters.

Jason Hedlesky, Spotter for Carl Edwards, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

How and when did you get started as a spotter?
I grew up (in Clinton, Michigan) and my dad brought me to Michigan Speedway for the first time when I was 8 years old. Before that, I knew I wanted to be a race car driver. When he brought me here … I walked up to the fence at the start/finish line and I want to say it was Neil Bonnett in the Wood Brothers car, he just came flying by me. I stepped back about five feet, it scared me at first, but it was the most awesome thing in the world.

That just confirmed it. I stayed focused on my goals and tried to eventually make it as a driver. I succeeded to some extent — getting my start with Mr. (Junie) Donlavey and had raced locally at Flat Rock and Toledo. Getting my start with Mr. Donlavey in 1998, I drove for him, did a little bit of everything, team manager and spotted for the team as well. In ’04, Mr. Donlavey was retiring and I wanted to keep driving. I didn’t really want another management job or a real job. I wanted to concentrate on driving. Carl needed a spotter. He was driving a truck for Jack (Roush, team owner) and I started spotting for him. We just became … he’s like one of my brothers.

What, if any, other duties do you have with the team?
That’s it. For the last 13 years with Carl, I’ve just been the spotter. At Roush I did some test driving, a little bit. I filled in for him on the XFINITY side in I want to say ’08. I did a couple of practice sessions when he was off with the Cup car.

Do you spot only in Sprint Cup or other series as well?
I work with Matt Crafton in the Truck Series. I’ve been with him probably five years now. We’ve won the two championships together. I’ve got a great relationship with him as well; he’s a great friend of mine. It’s just a great team to work with. Junior Joiner, the crew chief, Duke (Thorson, team owner), they’re awesome. As much as this is home with Carl and everything else and being with them for 13 years, I feel the same way over there at ThorSport.

How long have you been working with Carl?
Since 2004 with Carl, I think that was his second year in Trucks, and then that year he started (at Michigan) in the Cup car, the ’99 car. There was a timeframe when Bobby Hudson would come in just for Sunday only and do the races with Carl because he was already doing that 99 car. So I would do the Truck full-time and the Cup practice. Bobby would be here just to do the Sunday stuff. Then it gradually evolved into me doing everything Carl did. We ran seven straight years of XFINTY Series and Sprint Cup full-time.

Do you remember the first race you worked as spotter?
It goes way back to Toledo Speedway. I helped a guy with a Super Late Model. Toledo is a half-mile race track with a quarter-mile track on the inside. Chuck Roumell, I grew up working on his cars. He gave me a shot to help with the race cars and his brother was spotting. … For some reason, one 100-lap Iceman feature at Toledo, he couldn’t do it, so they just threw the radio at me. At that time, you’d stand on top of the tool box and just spin around in a circle; you really didn’t do the inside/outside type of stuff that we do today. You’d let them know if there was a wreck; you’d give them information but that was about it. I think it might have been about ’97. Chuck ran some ARCA races at Michigan and places like that and I spotted for him there.

What is the most bizarre thing you’ve ever seen on the spotters’ stand?
I’ve been doing it now almost 20 years just in NASCAR, and every time you think you’ve seen it all … something else crazy happens. … There have been so many things, like Daytona when Juan Pablo Montoya broke that part and hit that jet dryer. That was crazy from our vantage point. We’re watching the race track burn in Turn 3 and thinking we’re never going to go back racing. The race track has to be destroyed. And we ended up going back to racing. I’d say the jet dryer thing and thankfully everyone was OK.

What has been your most memorable experience as a spotter?
We’ve had a lot with Carl. He’s such a special driver. … It stunk how it turned out, but one of the coolest things we were a part of was that championship run at Homestead with Tony (Stewart). That was a heck of a race. You just saw two spectacular race car drivers and they were right on the edge. They were an inch from the wall down there. I talked to Carl afterward; obviously we were all so disappointed. We thought that was our championship. To this day we still think we should have won that championship. But Tony just got us.

I called Carl after that and said I was worried about him scraping the wall. He said, “I was never going to hit the wall; I knew I couldn’t.” But he was running a half-inch from it. Me driving and realizing how hard that is to do that at his speed, that’s why those guys are the best. You realize that after you watch guys like him and Tony. To be a part of that, to watch the skill they had — those guys were running as hard as any human being could ever drive a race car. … That was pretty cool. … That thing there was just a spectacular race, they put on a spectacular show. The cream rose to the top.

What is the most difficult part of your job?
As much as we like traveling, I think the toughest part is being away from my wife and kids. Getting through all the practices and trying to stay focused. The races are fun, that’s what you’re here for. Staying focused all day up on the spotters’ stand … when you’ve got Truck and XFINITY and Cup. That part is tough, but the travel, all the long days and being away from your family.

Your favorite track to work and why?
Michigan, of course, because it’s home. But I love to spot a race at Bristol. Our vantage point, it’s a half mile. You’re looking down and you don’t have to turn your head. You can see everything right there in front of you. And the action happens so quick. It’s probably my favorite.

I’ve enjoyed the racing at Michigan. It’s a big, wide race track. … I’ve enjoyed draft, the fact that you have to lift in the corners, the fact that a guy can still beat you down in the corners.

What is one thing the average fan might not realize about your job or what it entails?
Probably how difficult it can be. I think if I just took the average person up there … they don’t realize maybe sometimes how little you can see at some of these places. We have great, clear vantage points, but you’re still a long way away. You’re listening to NASCAR on one channel, you have the crew chief on another channel and you’re talking to your driver. There’s a lot going on. … Just the ability to stay focused.

It’s not easy or Talladega or Daytona or (Michigan); They’re three- and four-wide and you’re looking through binoculars to make sure you’re as precise as possible. Then wrecks are happening in front of that. … They’re kind of far away from you.

If you do it for a season you just get used to it. … I appreciate all the work all those guys do. It’s not easy. Bristol is a fishbowl but there’s a lot going on. So you have to keep your head in the game.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Complete schedule for Phoenix

Here are the hot topics, trending news and key story lines to get you ready for this weekend’s races at Phoenix International Raceway.

WEATHER

The National Weather Service predicts an ideal weekend for racing (and, really, an ideal weekend, in general). Friday should be sunny with a high of 81, while Saturday and Sunday have identical forecasts of sunny with a high of 82.

 

KEY TIMES



 

Sprint Cup Series: The first practice will be Friday at 1:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App), with another pair of practices coming Saturday at 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App) and 6 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App). Coors Light Pole Qualifying is at 6:45 p.m. ET Friday (NBCSN/NBC Sports App). Sunday’s main event, which is the final race in the three-race Round of 8, begins at 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC/NBC Sports App)

XFINITY Series: The first practice is Friday at 12:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBCSN Sports App) with final practice later that day at 4:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App). Saturday is a busy day for the field with Coors Light Pole Qualifying beginning at 4:15 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App) ahead of the 200-mile race (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App), which is the third in the Round of 8 of the XFINITY Series Chase.


Camping World Truck Series: Friday is the only day of action, kicked off by two practices, at 11:30 a.m. ET (FS2) and 3 p.m. ET (FS2). The third race of the Round of 6 of the Camping World Truck Series Chase is Friday at 10 p.m. ET on FS1 with Keystone Light Pole Qualifying just before at 8:30 p.m. ET (FS2).

CATCH DRIVERS LIVE



We’ll stream every driver press conference in the Phoenix media center at NASCAR.com/presspass. Drivers who will be among the scheduled sessions Friday include Chasers Joey Logano at noon, Kurt Busch at 12:15 p.m., Matt Kenseth at 12:30 p.m., Denny Hamlin at 3:30 p.m. and Kyle Busch at 3:45 p.m. Click here for a full schedule.


LAST TIME

Dale Earnhardt Jr. encountered the perfect storm at this race a year ago — just as a storm was brewing — to wrest the win away from Kevin Harvick. The race was delayed from afternoon to evening because of rain, and ended with just 219 of 312 laps completed before the rain returned. Earnhardt came to pit road for fuel and tires one lap before Joey Gase and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. crashed in Turn 3 to bring out the second caution of the race on Lap 196. While on pit road, Earnhardt crossed the scoring line at the flag stand before Harvick, who had dominated with 143 laps led.


And when other lead-lap cars came to pit road under the yellow, Earnhardt inherited the top spot, with Harvick second and Joey Logano third. Before track workers could complete clean-up from the accident, rain began to fall, and NASCAR called the race after the light precipitation became a deluge.
 At the time, it was the first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race under the current format to be called early because of rain (last week’s race at Texas has since joined that list).


It was Earnhardt Jr.’s third win of the season, but he already had been eliminated from the Chase. Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch and Logano all were eliminated from the Round of 8 in Phoenix. Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. joined Martinsville winner Jeff Gordon in advancing to the Championship 4.


YOU SHOULD KNOW


• Kevin Harvick has been the most dominant driver at any track of late with six victories at Phoenix International Raceway since the track was reconfigured in 2011 (and he’s won there eight times overall). He’s led 1,079 laps since the November 2012 race that kicked off his streak of dominance — 51.3 percent of all laps run in 10 races.


• This is the final race in the Round of 8, before the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field is cut to the Championship 4 for the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale. Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards have clinched spots in the Championship 4 by virtue of their victories at Martinsville and Texas, respectively, and two spots remain up for grabs.

 

• Of the six drivers still vying for a spot in the Championship 4 — Harvick, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Joey Logano — only Logano has never won at Phoenix International Raceway. 

THE FAVORITE

 

Kevin Harvick. El Toro isn’t also known as “The Cactus King” for nothing. Harvick has won eight times at Phoenix, including six since the fall 2012 race. He’s won five of the last six races at Phoenix, with a lousy runner-up finish mixed in last fall — and that probably was only because it was shortened by rain. 

 

Others to consider: Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch

THE SLEEPER

 

Chase Elliott. It’s a very small sample size, but Elliott did finish eighth in the March race at Phoenix. A greater factor is that he has performed well on intermediate tracks all season, with 10 top 10s and five top fives on 1-to-2-mile tracks. 

Others to consider: Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch

STAFF PICKS


Kevin Harvick: 6

Kyle Busch: 1

Joey Logano: 1 



Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Championship 4 scenarios for Phoenix | Chase Grid

The inaugural NASCAR XFINITY Chase still has some business to settle, namely determining which four drivers will square off Nov. 19 for the championship in the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale.


With all four berths available heading toward the season’s penultimate event, it’s a wide-open race.


The XFINITY Series will figure out its Championship 4 contenders in Saturday’s Round of 8 finale, the Ticket Galaxy 200 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM) at Phoenix International Raceway. Put simply, four drivers will advance and four will be eliminated from the postseason field.


Since Sprint Cup Series regulars won the first two events in the three-race round, no XFINITY Series contender has a free pass to the final before Saturday’s 200-miler. Daniel Suarez — driver of Joe Gibbs Racing‘s No. 19 Arris Toyota — has the favorable perch as the leader in series standings, 17 points clear of the cut-off line.


But even with the momentum of nine straight top-10 finishes on his side, last season’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year said he knows it’s a delicate grip.


“With this Chase format you are never in a real comfortable place,” Suarez said, “but if we continue to do what we’ve been doing the last few weeks as a team, I feel like we will be OK. I really enjoy racing at Phoenix and think the track really suits my driving style. We always have such tremendous fan support when we go out there, it’s really great to see.”


Elliott Sadler, Erik Jones and Blake Koch sit behind Suarez in the Chase pecking order, in position to transfer should they maintain their standing in the points. The remaining four — (in order) Justin Allgaier, Ryan Reed, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Brendan Gaughan — have ground to make up.


Allgaier sits the closest, just one point behind Koch at the cut-off line. It’s four more points back to Reed, another 15 back to Wallace and 13 more back to Gaughan.


With a certain degree of spacing among the bottom four, any points gains would have to come in sizable chunks. The other, more preferred method of advancing involves a trip to Victory Lane to nix any number-crunching.


“I’m not going to worry about the points situation,” said Wallace, driver of Roush Fenway Racing‘s Leidos No. 6 Ford, repeating a familiar personal refrain. “We just need to go out there and go after the win and then hopefully have a chance at that championship at Homestead. Either way, we are going to have some fun this weekend and give it everything we have.”


Sealing a Championship 4 spot in style with a win will mean denying one of seven Sprint Cup regulars in the field. Kyle Busch is a nine-time Phoenix winner who has won five of the last seven XFINITY events on the 1-mile track. And Ricky Stenhouse Jr., a two-time XFINITY champ, will make his first start in the series since 2013, driving Roush Fenway’s No. 60 Ford.

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Truck Series Chase Grid | Driver standings


With two races left in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, only Johnny Sauter has a sure-fire berth in the championship finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The rest of the title-hopeful roster is a five-driver pour into a three-driver funnel.

The Championship 4 field for the series’ inaugural Chase finale will get clarity after Friday night’s Lucas Oil 150 (10 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) at Phoenix International Raceway. William Byron, Christopher Bell, Matt Crafton, Timothy Peters and Ben Kennedy will aim to join Sauter in the Championship 4, but two drivers will be eliminated in Friday’s Round of 6 finale.

Sauter clinched his spot with a victory at Martinsville Speedway two weeks ago, then blocked anyone else from an automatic berth with a back-to-back win at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend. He’s the only driver who can afford to be conservative at Phoenix.

“We’re peaking at the right time but we need to peak in a few weeks when it really counts at Homestead,” Sauter said.

Byron and Bell, two Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates with limited experience on the Arizona oval, may be in the best position to join him. Byron is the top points-earner among the five remaining drivers hoping to transfer, with Bell just one point behind him.

Their KBM organization also has solid footing at Phoenix. The Kyle Busch-owned group won four straight races at the 1-mile track from 2011-14. Plus, the 18-year-old Byron has some level of confidence by competing in a race-winning chassis — the same one that he drove to a triumph in the Chase opener at New Hampshire and that Erik Jones powered to Victory Lane at Phoenix in 2014.

“It’s a little bit of pressure for everyone who is not locked in,” Byron said. “Hopefully we can capitalize on that and have the finish we need in order to get to Homestead. I think we’re going to have a really good shot at a win, so if we can do that, it would be the easiest way to ensure we are in the Championship 4 next weekend.”

Bell, 21, will also be at the controls of proven equipment, driving the same KBM truck that spurred him to victory at Gateway Motorsports Park. He also finished second to Byron using the same chassis in the Chase opener at New Hampshire.

“I expect that we’ll be really fast again this week,” Bell said. “I feel we are in a good enough position points-wise that if we just go out and have a solid day and not make any mistakes then we should advance.”

Not much distance separates the three drivers behind the Kyle Busch Motorsports duo in the standings. Two-time series champ Crafton sits three points behind Bell, with Peters — the defending race winner – another point back. Kennedy, smarting from a pair of mid-pack finishes in the round’s other events, is just 13 points behind Crafton’s grasp on the provisional final transfer spot.

Of the six, only Peters is seeking his first win of the season. A repeat of his late-race surge to victory in Phoenix’s 150-miler last year would be well-timed.

“I’d say we have momentum on our side, we’ve been strong through the Chase and at short tracks this season,” Peters said. “I think we have a good Toyota Tundra this weekend and this team has the heart to come back and go for the win.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Driver moves and team changes for 2017


Richard Petty Motorsports announced Thursday that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brian Scott will retire from full-time auto racing competition at season’s end.

Scott, 28, began his NASCAR national series career in 2007. He is currently a Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate in his first year driving team owner Richard Petty’s No. 44 Ford.

In a release provided by the Petty team, Scott indicated that the decision was a personal one.

“This was a difficult decision, but one that I made myself for my family,” Scott said. “Racing and specifically NASCAR has been and will always be in my heart, but right now, I want to turn all my attention to my family and to be able to spend more time with them. Racing has blessed me with great opportunities, and I’m very grateful for everything that it has allowed me to do, but for me, it’s time to move on.

“I can’t thank everyone enough who helped me in my career. I would not have made it to where I am at today without their trust and commitment.”

In a separate release provided by the team, Albertsons Companies announced Thursday that it would cease its sponsorship. The Boise, Idaho-based grocery retailer has been a featured sponsor for eight of the 34 Sprint Cup races this year. Scott, a Boise native, is the great-grandson of Albertsons’ founders.


WATCH: Scott gives a tour of his hometown of McCall, Idaho

In 51 starts in NASCAR’s premier series, Scott has one Coors Light Pole Award and one top-five finish — both coming at Talladega Superspeedway. But this season has been marked by struggles, with five crash-related DNFs feeding a 32nd-place ranking in the Sprint Cup standings.

After posting his career-best second-place effort last month in Talladega’s Hellmann’s 500, Scott acknowledged the adversity in a trying first season at the Sprint Cup level.

“Just trying to get any bit of a bright spot in this year has been difficult,” Scott said Oct. 23 at the Alabama track. “I think that this is by far the brightest spot that we’ve had in a really challenging 2016 for Richard Petty Motorsports. I don’t know, I guess the results and what this does for us going forward is yet to be determined.”

The Petty-owned team indicated that it would field the No. 44 Ford in 2017 with “further announcements” at a later date. The organization underwent significant changes on Aug. 31, temporarily assigning Philippe Lopez and Scott McDougall oversight of the competition department in place of Sammy Johns.

Scott ends his full-time driving days as a two-time winner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He prevailed on the mile-long layouts of Dover (2009) and Phoenix (2012).

Scott also competed in six full seasons in what is now the NASCAR XFINITY Series, spending two of those years with Joe Gibbs Racing and three with Richard Childress Racing. He netted 20 top-five finishes and five pole positions over 208 career starts.


“Brian made it to and competed at a level that very few do in NASCAR,” said Brian Moffitt, RPM’s Chief Executive Officer said in the team release. “Brian became part of the Petty family this year, and he committed himself to making our organization better. We feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know Brian and wish him nothing but the best for him and his family.”