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RELATED: Fast facts on enhancements | Official press release

 

NASCAR, in collaboration with its industry stakeholders, announced Monday competition format enhancements that will be implemented in all three of its national series — the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

 

The new race format is designed to emphasize aggressive racing and strategy, with the goal of delivering more dramatic moments over the course of a race and season. Monday’s announcement came with NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France and NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell sharing the stage with drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin, along with additional team and track representatives. All industry stakeholders collaborated on the format.

 

“Simply put, this will make our great racing even better,” said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman & CEO. “I’m proud of the unprecedented collaboration from our industry stakeholders, each of whom had a common goal — strengthening the sport for our fans. This is an enhancement fully rooted in teamwork, and the result will be an even better product every single week.”

 

Under the new format, races will consist of three stages, with championship implications in each stage. The top-10 finishers in each stage will be awarded additional championship points. The winner of the first two stages of each race will receive one playoff point, and the race winner will receive five playoff points. Each playoff point will be added to a driver’s reset total following the 26th race, if that competitor makes the playoffs.

 

The structure also ensures that competition will be dialed up throughout the duration of the 26-race regular season, as points for both stage winners and race winners will transfer into the postseason — and an official regular-season champion will be crownded, and rewarded with 15 playoff points to the driver’s playoff reset of 2,000. The stage format also gives fans a pair of natural breaks in the action.

 

All playoff points will carry through to the end of the third round of the postseason (Round of 8), with the Championship 4 racing straight-up at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the title.

 

Championship points following the first two stages of each race will be awarded on a descending scale, with the stage winner receiving 10 points, second earning nine points, and so on. The race winner following the final stage will receive 40 points, second-place will earn 35, third-place 34, fourth-place 33, and so on.

 

In addition, the top-10 drivers in regular-season points also will receive playoff points with second place earning 10 points, third place getting eight points, fourth place obtaining seven points, and so on.

 

“These are enhancements that the NASCAR fan has long sought, and the entire industry has worked hard to develop a better racing format for our fans,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “This format puts a premium on every victory and every in-race position over the course of the season. Each point can eventually result in winning or losing a championship.”

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RELATED: NASCAR implements stage-based race format

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2017) — NASCAR, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, announced today an enhanced competition format that will be implemented in all three of its national series — the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

 

Increasing the sense of urgency and emphasizing aggressive racing and strategy, the race format will deliver more dramatic moments over the course of an entire race and season, with playoff point incentives on the line throughout.

 

The enhanced format consists of the following:

 

• Races will now consist of three stages, with championship implications in each stage.

 

• The top-10 finishers of the first two stages will be awarded additional championship points.

 

• The winner of the first two stages of each race will receive one playoff point, and the race winner will receive five playoff points. Each playoff point will be added to his or her reset total following race No. 26, if that competitor makes the playoffs.

 

• All playoff points will carry through to the end of the third round of the playoffs (Round of 8), with the Championship 4 racing straight-up at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the title.

 

• Championship points following the first two stages will be awarded on a descending scale, with the stage winner receiving 10 points, second receiving 9 points, and so on.

 

• The race winner following the final stage will now receive 40 points, second-place will receive 35, third-place 34, fourth-place 33, and so on. 

 

"Simply put, this will make our great racing even better," said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO. "I’m proud of the unprecedented collaboration from our industry stakeholders, each of whom had a common goal — strengthening the sport for our fans. This is an enhancement fully rooted in teamwork, and the result will be an even better product every single week."

 

NASCAR also announced a playoff bonus structure that will see the regular season points leader honored as the regular season champion, earning 15 playoff points that will be added to the driver’s playoff reset of 2,000. In addition, the top-10 drivers in points leading into the playoffs will receive playoff points, with second place receiving 10 playoff points, third place will earn 8 points, fourth place will receive 7 points, and so on. All playoff points will carry through to the end of the Round of 8. 

 

"These are enhancements that the NASCAR fan has long sought, and the entire industry has worked hard to develop a better racing format for our fans," said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. "This format puts a premium on every victory and every in-race position over the course of the season. Each point can eventually result in winning or losing a championship."

MORE: Fast facts about NASCAR’s 2017 race enhancements

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: NASCAR unveils 2017 race enhancements

NASCAR announced race enhancements for the 2017 season on Monday evening. The enhancements, which are the result of an industry-wide effort, include race stages in all three series with playoff points and implications.


RELATED: FAQ on the new format


The news was met with swift reaction from the NASCAR community.







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RELATED: Fast facts on the enhancements

 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR’s top drivers certainly gave the series’ newest enhancements a double thumbs-up Monday night as the racing sanctioning body unveiled an exciting new brand of racing. And winning.

 

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski joined a Who’s Who of NASCAR representatives on stage in downtown Charlotte to formally introduce and strongly endorse the format, which will award points throughout designated portions of the race in addition rewarding the final results.

 

WATCH: New format explained in 1 minute

 

“Every single race matters and not only that, every lap matters,” defending Daytona 500 winner Hamlin said. “The old-school fans actually should love this. We’re getting back to crowning your champion over 36 races and every single race matters.”

 

Added retired driver turned television broadcaster Jeff Burton: “It bridges what it used to be to what it is today.”

 

Finding an exciting, sensible and fair way to divvy up points and reward effort was the fundamental reasoning behind the change.

 

And “listening to the fans,” was a common refrain throughout the night.

 

NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell reiterated that the sport values its fan feedback and anticipates the new points format as a way to spike interest for the fans and to give the drivers and teams new strategies toward a season championship trophy.

 

WATCH: Junior’s take on the format enhancements

 

“It’s a real subtle change once you stand back and look at it,” Earnhardt said. “A lot of things we do bring fan interest only or driver interest only. And I think this kind of does both.”

 

As expected, NASCAR drivers took to social media to offer their reviews of the sport’s big change and it was met with resounding encouragement.

 

“Let’s see. … WIN. WIN. WIN. Sounds good to me,” reigning seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson posted on Twitter.

 

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Clint Bowyer tweeted, “Digging the new @NASCAR racing format. Going to be interesting to see how these stage points affect the way the teams race the entire race.”

 

RELATED: Drivers tweet about 2017 upgrades

 

Certainly the different format — which will give points to the top-10 finishers in the first two stages, plus points to the ultimate race winner and rest of the entire field — means new tactics. And new opportunity.

 

As part of the revised format, the regular-season points leader will be honored as the regular-season champion and given 15 playoff points when the standings are reset to start the 10-race playoff run.

 

“Basically you’re going to throw two cautions,” Earnhardt said, simplifying the in-race changes. “You’re going to know when they are, which is actually kind of comforting.

 

“You’re going to see basically the same format as far as who wins the race and how the races are decided. The playoff doesn’t really change at all. You’re just going to have two breaks in every race that are going to be potentially rewarding to your driver.

 

“That, to me, creates interest. ”

 

Keselowski said confidently of the new system, “I would tell anybody, when you want to get up at Lap 30 for that bowl of chips, you’re not going to want to get up. It’s going to be the first segment and you’re going to see some great action.

 

“You’re going to see a moment like the pass in the grass that’s going to be for the end of the first segment. Those are the moments that are going to make you really want to watch and love NASCAR racing for a long, long time.

 

“Wait until you see it on the race track,” Keselowski promised, “When you see this on the race track, this is going to be the best racing you’ve ever seen.”

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RELATED: Drivers react to race enhancements

The NASCAR industry introduced major enhancements for its race format and points structure Monday, setting in motion a wave of new looks and incentives for 2017. But the collaboration also provided the opportunity for incentives for tuned-in fans — more logical breaks for commercials during race telecasts.


Monday’s announcement made strides toward achieving that, launching the product of months of cooperation among drivers, tracks, the sanctioning body and TV broadcast partners. Based on the spirit of conversation from the group assembled on stage at the Charlotte Convention Center, the contingents from FOX and NBC Sports had much more than a nominal seat at the table.


"Well, you can never guarantee anything, but I can say that sitting in the room all along the way with us were our two TV partners, and that was one of the core things we looked at," said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. "We listened to the fans and we see the fans, as well, that we don’t like breaking away from live action. Can we eliminate that totally? Probably not. But this format allowed us to do that. That’s why we put in two breaks."


The new race format, which involves splitting races into three segments, now provides a natural interlude in the action after each of the opening two stages. Both Jeff Burton (NBC Sports) and Jeff Gordon (FOX Sports) — two racers-turned-analysts — said that broadcasters intend to use these intermissions to potentially interview stage winners and to take commercial breaks with minimal interruptions of pit stops or other crucial moments.


RELATED: FAQ about the format enhancements


The details of the unveiling didn’t come with an ironclad guarantee for a 100-percent smooth transition from both the TV booth and the studio, but Burton said he expected the opportunities to evolve as the enhancements take hold.


"I can promise you, I’m in my second year of doing this, there’s a tremendous amount of effort by the networks to bring as much racing as possible to the fans," Burton said. "The fans tune in to watch the races, and finding a way to do that is difficult sometimes. This eases that a little bit.  This gives a chance for us to go to a break at the right time so the fans miss as little green-flag racing as possible. There’s a tremendous amount of effort put into that."


Said Gordon: "Even if it’s pit stops, those are important. People want to see that. They don’t want it to happen while you’re gone on a break. I think while some of that may still happen because there’s still going to be cautions throughout the race that aren’t part of the stage ending, I think this assures that just like the teams need to have sponsors to operate, so do the TV networks, and I think as this evolves, I think the fans are really going to see an experience that they’re going to … that’s going to please them and say, ‘Oh, wow, that’s awesome, I didn’t miss that.’


"You know, it’s going to take some coordinating. It’s not going to go flawless at times, but I think that it has the potential, and I think it will be really good as we get more and more experience at that."

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DARLINGTON, S.C. — Jimmie Johnson, who won a record-tying seventh NASCAR championship this past season, has been voted the winner of the 2016 Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award presented by the National Motorsports Press Association.

Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, was named on 62 percent of the ballots cast for the award of the NMPA membership. Others receiving votes were Carl Edwards (Joe Gibbs Racing), Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing), Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart (Stewart-Haas Racing) and Joey Logano (Team Penske).

Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Johnson are the only NASCAR drivers to win seven titles in what is now known as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

The announcement was made during the NMPA’s annual Convention and Awards Dinner held in Concord, North Carolina.

It marks the seventh time Johnson, 41, has received the Driver of the Year honor. He also won the award in 2004, ’06, ’07, ’09, ’10, and ’13.

Johnson won five races in 2016, including the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway that clinched his seventh championship. He ended the year with 11 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 36 races.

The award is named in honor of Petty, NASCAR’s win leader in its top series with 200 victories. It has been presented annually by the NMPA since 1969. Twenty-three different drivers have won the award since its inception.

Other awards: Veteran motorsports journalist Al Pearce was named the 2016 recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association’s Pocono Spirit Award. Pearce raised more than $13,000 through the auction of a racing helmet bearing the signatures of the 20 living World Driving Champions as well as those of Phil Hill and Sir Jack Brabham prior their passing. Proceeds from the project, which took nearly four years to complete, went to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, the Kyle Petty Charity Ride, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation. …

Veteran public relations representative Dave Ferroni was named the 2016 recipient of the Ken Patterson Helping Others Award. Ferroni has been involved in various forms of auto racing for more than 30 years. His company, DMF Communications, currently handles public relations for Furniture Row Racing and driver Martin Truex Jr. in NASCAR’s premier series. …

ESPN.com motorsports writer Bob Pockrass was named the recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association’s Joe Littlejohn Award for 2016. The award is named after the former track owner from Spartanburg, South Carolina, and is presented annually by the NMPA in recognition for outstanding service to the organization. Pockrass recently completed his eighth year as secretary treasurer for the NMPA.

Richard Petty Driver of the Year
Determined by vote of the membership, the Richard Petty Driver of the Year award has been presented annually since 1969 to recognize the season’s most outstanding driver. It is named in honor of the seven-time NASCAR premier series champion:

2016, Jimmie Johnson; 2015, Kyle Busch; 2014, Kevin Harvick; 2013, Jimmie Johnson; 2012, Brad Keselowski; 2011, Tony Stewart; 2010, Jimmie Johnson; 2009, Jimmie Johnson; 2008, Carl Edwards; 2007, Jimmie Johnson; 2006, Jimmie Johnson; 2005, Tony Stewart; 2004, Jimmie Johnson; 2003, Ryan Newman; 2002, Tony Stewart; 2001, Kevin Harvick; 2000, Bobby Labonte;

1999, Dale Jarrett; 1998, Jeff Gordon; 1997, Dale Jarrett; 1996, Terry Labonte; 1995, Jeff Gordon; 1994, Dale Earnhardt; 1993, Rusty Wallace; 1992, Davey Allison; 1991, Harry Gant; 1990, Dale Earnhardt; 1989, Mark Martin; 1988, Rusty Wallace; 1987, Dale Earnhardt; 1986, Tim Richmond and Dale Earnhardt;

1985, Bill Elliott; 1984, Terry Labonte; 1983, Bobby Allison; 1982, Darrell Waltrip; 1981, Darrell Waltrip; 1980 Dale Earnhardt; 1979 Cale Yarborough; 1978 Cale Yarborough; 1977, Cale Yarborough; 1976, Darrell Waltrip; 1975, Richard Petty; 1974, Richard Petty; 1973, David Pearson; 1972, Bobby Allison; 1971, Bobby Allison; 1970, Bobby Isaac; 1969, LeeRoy Yarbrough.

Posted on by Staff Report

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

Monday, Jan. 23
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Year (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR announcement, FS1, NBCSN, and live-streamed on NASCAR.com
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Special, NBCSN

Tuesday, Jan. 24
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Wednesday, Jan. 25
6 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Thursday, Jan. 26
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., 1979 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1

Saturday, Jan. 28
2 p.m., WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Daytona International Speedway, FOX
5 p.m., WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Daytona International Speedway, FS2
10 p.m., WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Daytona International Speedway, FOX Sports GO
11 p.m., WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Daytona International Speedway, FS2

Sunday, Jan. 29
1 p.m., WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Daytona International Speedway, FS1
11:30 p.m., WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Daytona International Speedway (re-air), FS1


 

 

 

Posted on by Staff Report

It’s probably difficult to surprise a driver like Dale Earnhardt Jr. who’s used to lightning quick movements in a NASCAR race, but that’s exactly what Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, did when it named an activity room after Earnhardt and his wife Amy on Saturday.

Both went on social media to share their appreciation for the honor:

 

 

But that’s not all that made it a special weekend for the Earnhardts. Junior auctioned off cars at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona, and raised $400,000 for @Nationwidekids. That’s a lot of zeros and a good weekend of work for the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

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CONCORD, N.C. — Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR) announced its team lineup details for the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season at the National Motorsports Press Association annual convention in Concord, North Carolina.

Austin Cindric will pilot the No. 19 Draw-Tite Ford F-150 and Chase Briscoe, who was recently named as the first driver in the Ford Performance development program, joins the organization as the driver of the No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford F-150. Cindric and Briscoe will both compete on a full-time basis as they pursue the NCWTS championship for BKR. Doug Randolph, who has been atop the pit box at BKR since 2012, will serve as crew chief for Cindric, while two-time NCWTS championship-winning crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. will lead the effort for Briscoe.

“We’re very fortunate to have partners like Cooper Standard  and Horizon Global, with brands like Draw-Tite, Reese and Bulldog, that make it possible to give two young drivers an opportunity. And that’s something I’m very proud of,” team owner Brad Keselowski said. “Austin Cindric has already had success in various forms of racing, and has shown a lot of potential in our Ford F-150 race trucks. I certainly believe that Chase is ready to take the next step in his career, and we’re excited to have him join the BKR family. He won the ARCA championship in his first full-time season, and he’s proven to have the ability to learn quickly and win races. We’re pleased to give both Austin and Chase the opportunity to compete full-time at a high level in NASCAR.”

Cindric, 18, has six NCWTS series starts dating back to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October 2015 — all with BKR. He made four starts with BKR in 2016, qualifying a career-best second at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Bowmanville, Ontario). Cindric scored victories in the ARCA Racing Series event at Kentucky Speedway and in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and Virginia (Danville, Va.) International Raceway.

“This is a massive opportunity from Brad and everyone at BKR who trusts me and believes in my abilities as a driver to move on to the next level for a full season,” said Cindric. “2017 gets more and more exciting for me with every day that goes by. I’ve only done a handful of one-off races in my brief stock car career, so I’m really looking forward to having the same guys by my side week in and week out. I’ve spent a lot of time at the shop the last few weeks and I know everyone is really excited to get back racing.”

The past two seasons for Briscoe read like a Hollywood screenplay. The 22-year-old Mitchell, Indiana, native joined Cunningham Motorsports in 2015 as a volunteer in the team’s shop, and just one year later, the rookie driver was celebrating the ARCA Racing Series Championship. Briscoe led the series in wins (six, including four consecutive victories) and poles (six). He finished with 14 top fives and 18 top-10 finishes in 20 races.

“It’s is an absolutely huge opportunity and such an honor to drive for Brad,” said Briscoe. “The competition level in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is so high, but I’m going to be in the best equipment out there. It’s really cool to once again be working with the Keselowski family. When I moved to North Carolina three years ago, I was helping Brian and Bob in their shop, so things have come full circle. I’m truly blessed with this opportunity, and I hope to make the most of it. At the end of the day, it’s all about winning races and championships, and that’s what I plan to do.”