Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Drivers, teams give initial thoughts on Phoenix enhancements

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


WATCH: Dale Jr. takes laps around Phoenix

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


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


"It will be some action."


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


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

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RELATED: Phoenix unveils major renovation plan | Full test speeds

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


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


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


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


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


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


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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

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RELATED: Buy tickets for the Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NFL great LaDainian Tomlinson has been named the Honorary Starter for the 59th DAYTONA 500, the opening race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season on Feb. 26 (TV: FOX, FOX Deportes; Radio: MRN Radio, SiriusXM) at Daytona International Speedway.


Tomlinson, a former All-Pro running back with the San Diego Chargers and New York Jets, is one of 18 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2017 class. The 2017 class of inductees will be announced on Feb. 4, the day before the Super Bowl. (UPDATE: Tomlinson was selected to be part of the Class of 2017 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.)


Having retired from the NFL in 2012, Tomlinson now is an analyst for the NFL Network and an Ambassador for DAV (Disabled American Veterans). He will soon make his feature-film acting debut in the movie "God Bless the Broken Road." Multi-platinum recording artist Jordin Sparks also stars in the film and will be singing the National Anthem at this year’s DAYTONA 500. "God Bless The Broken Road" will be appearing in theaters later this year.


"LaDainian Tomlinson will continue our tradition of popular, high-profile celebrities serving as our DAYTONA 500 Honorary Starter," said Speedway President Chip Wile. "His NFL career is legendary and he has always been the consummate professional, on and off the field. We are proud to add him to our illustrious list of Honorary Starters."


Recent DAYTONA 500 Honorary Starters include NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees Bobby Allison and Richard Petty, actor Gary Sinise and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ken Griffey Jr.


Tickets for the 59th annual DAYTONA 500 and other Speedweeks events can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat (username: DISupdates), and by downloading Daytona International Speedway‘s mobile app, for the latest Speedway news throughout the season.


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RELATED: Phoenix unveils major renovation plan | Full test speeds

 

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Everyone had their checklists, some longer than others, and all left with more information than when they arrived.

 

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams wrapped up a two-day organizational test here at Phoenix Raceway on Wednesday, and now all that data is in the hands of laptop-wielding engineers. Let the deciphering begin. It will be six weeks before teams return to put to use the majority of what was learned here.

 

“We … kind of put a test plan together based on all the different departments within Team Penske,” said Todd Gordon, crew chief of the No. 22 Ford driven by Joey Logano. “Some of the stuff the aero group wants to test; there’s stuff the motor group wants to test, there’s stuff that we as the competition side in mechanical want to test. It’s how you take all those pieces and put them into a test plan so that we can actually gather data.”

 

Logano won here last November; this week’s test, with a different rules package, produced somewhat similar results. You don’t “win” a test, but Logano did his best. His Ford was among the fastest both days.

 

Kyle Larson (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates), Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing), and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were also quick. Consistently so.

 

Such testing opportunities are limited – the organizational test was the first of only five provided to teams for the 2017 season. Another won’t arrive until midpoint of the regular season, at New Hampshire at the end of May. Twelve races, nearly half a season’s worth, will have been run by then.

 

“On a race weekend we can gather driver feedback but at a place like this we can gather all sorts of measurements on the car,” Gordon said. “We’re working through all the pieces that are hard to quantify when you don’t have a data system on it.

 

“That’s the biggest part here. I’ve gone through brake cooling pieces because it’s a braking race track. Tire usage and what’s going on there. Just gather data that we can bring forward to the next race weekend and look at in our development of the package that we’ll come back with.”


RELATED: Logano’s a big fan of start/finish line move

 

Thirteen teams couldn’t pass up the chance to get a fender up on the competition. There were rookies and veterans and those who fall in between.

Some drivers want to be privy to the changes made on their cars as teams work through their checklists. Others do not. Dale Earnhardt Jr. falls into the latter category. Not because he does’nt care, but it’s a carryover, he said, from his Late Model racing days. If you know the changes ahead of time, it might impact your feedback to your crew chief.

 

“A lot of times when we go through a certain section of changes I ask Greg (Ives, crew chief) not to give me what we’re doing so I’m giving him direct, unfiltered feedback,” Earnhardt said. “Then, when we get done, at the end of the day we’ll go through the changes and comments. Then I can start to understand why those comments are the way they are, why I said what I said, start to understand how that particular change is working with the car.”

 

Earnhardt missed the final 18 races of the ’16 season, the result of concussion-like symptoms following a pair of crashes. Getting back in the car this week wasn’t a chore.

 

“I feel like I’ve had my vacation and it was over a long time ago,” he said, “and I’m ready to go back to work.”

 

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full Daytona Speedweeks schedule | Full list of charter teams

Jeffrey Earnhardt will make his first career start in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 26 (2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for Circle Sport w/The Motorsports Group, the team posted on its Twitter account Monday night.

 

 

Starter will serve as Earnhardt’s primary sponsor for the season opener. The North Carolina native was sponsored by Starter in two races last year — Talladega and Miami. 

 

CS/TMG has a charter for the season with the No. 33 Chevrolet, guaranteeing an entry into all 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events. 

Earnhardt made 22 starts in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2016 for Go Fas Racing (19 starts) and BK Racing (three starts). The 27-year-old nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr. recorded four finishes inside the top 30. 

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RELATED: Phoenix unveils major track renovations | Full test speeds


AVONDALE, Ariz. — It was "a little hiccup," he said, but nothing to keep Dale Earnhardt Jr. or his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team off the track for long.


Earnhardt, 42, was back behind the wheel of his familiar No. 88 Chevrolet Tuesday at Phoenix Raceway, taking part in a two-day organizational test for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams. It was his first on-track appearance since a one-day private test last December, a requirement for medical clearance following concussion-like symptoms suffered earlier in the year.


The condition kept the popular driver out of competition for the final 18 races of the 2016 season.


A small brake fire Tuesday morning sent Earnhardt back to the garage shortly after he began his first runs on the 1-mile track. Repairs to the car were made and after a short pause he headed back out.


The team, led by crew chief Greg Ives, has what Earnhardt described as "a really long list" of items to run through over the next two days. The fire was minor. "Greg and the guys are motoring right through it," he said.


WATCH: Junior test run at Phoenix


Overall, he said, his car "has really good speed." Fellow drivers Joey Logano (Team Penske), Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing) and Kyle Larson (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates) were a tick quicker in the morning session, no surprise to Earnhardt, but "we’re right there with them and I like the way the car feels," he said.


Eager to return, even for a test, Earnhardt says he’ll go into the 2017 season with a bit of trepidation after being out of the car for so long.


"Sometimes you see guys in sport, no matter the type … that are away for a while have to adjust to how much has changed since they’ve taken time off," he said. "And then there are some guys that come back like they never missed a day. So I don’t know.


"I just hope there is no rust to shake off. I’m really anxious to get out there and have some success, go out and run well and check that box, that we’re right where we need to be."


Earnhardt has 26 wins at NASCAR’s top level and has finished fifth or better in the championship four times. His last victory came here, in the fall race of 2015.


He’s a two-time champion in NASCAR’s XFINITY Series, where he has 24 wins, as well.


The 2016 season was the second in which Earnhardt had been sidelined by a concussion or concussion-like injury. Questions surrounding his most recent return remained, even after he tested at Darlington Raceway in early December and was cleared.


He’s back, he said, not because he feels there’s anything left to prove, but because "my fans want me to win; my fans want us to go out there and have a great year, win the championship."


"I don’t know if that’s something to prove but there’s that expectation to compete and go do well," he said. "I think that’s a similar kind of pressure.


"I’ve said this 100 times. I’ve done everything I already thought I would do; I’ve done more than I thought I was capable of doing. I accomplished more than I ever thought I’d have the chance to accomplish. I just never thought it would happen."


He sees his trophies, "and can’t believe they’re mine," he said. He takes note of "little statistics that I’m proud of; no one will ever talk about," and realizes "Wow, I had a hell of a time and did way more than I ever thought I would.


"But every year … the things that kind of motivate me to want to win more, want to do more (are) my guys, Greg, making people happy, those guys happy, making my fans happy, all the support we see on social media, the one-on-one at the race tracks or appearances, all those things motivate you to keep going, keep racing, keep trying to win.


"Yeah, I’m blown away by how fortunate I’ve been. My dad was so great; I’ve seen so many drivers try to fill in their fathers’ shoes, so many second generation drivers come in and have a hard time for whatever reason. So I feel lucky that I was able to get a little success."

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RELATED: Full schedule for Daytona Speedweeks

 

ThorSport Racing announced Tuesday that Ben Rhodes will return for a second season with the Ohio-based team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2017.

 

The 19-year-old Rhodes will hit the track with a new truck number, piloting the No. 27 Toyota after campaigning the No. 41 for several seasons in multiple series. Eddie Troconis will serve as the crew chief and Alpha Energy Solutions returns as primary sponsor for two races.

 

Rhodes, champion of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2014, competed in his first full season in the truck series last year. The Kentucky native earned his first pole position at Martinsville Speedway in April and notched a pair of top-five finishes over the course of the season, his best a second place at Gateway Motorsports Park in June.

 

“The 2016 season had a lot of ups and downs, but we have put all that in the rearview mirror and we’re focused on the year ahead,” Rhodes said in a news release provided by the team. “We have a new team, a new number, and great support from Toyota. With the NASCAR changes to the race and point structure, the No. 27 team will be up front contending for segment wins and race victories to get us into the playoffs and contend for the championship.”

 

Troconis previously served as crew chief for Cameron Hayley at ThorSport, leading the No. 13 team to six top fives and an 11th-place finish in the overall standings last season.

 

Alpha Energy Solutions will hold primary sponsorship at Kentucky Speedway in July and Bristol Motor Speedway in August. The team indicated that additional sponsorship would be announced at a later date.

 

ThorSport announced Monday that two-time series champ Matt Crafton and new addition Cody Coughlin would also be in the driver lineup for 2017.

 

The Camping World Truck Series opens the season Feb. 24 with the NextEra Energy Resources 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Daytona International Speedway.

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MORE: Suarez explains impact of Edwards’ help | Full test speeds


AVONDALE, Ariz. — He isn’t running for public office, holding out for more money with another team or the victim of a sponsor looking to elevate a younger driver.


Carl Edwards also isn’t racing.


But the former Joe Gibbs Racing driver was on hand Tuesday at Phoenix Raceway to assist his former team and new addition Daniel Suarez during the season’s first organizational test for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams.



"At first I was really looking forward to it but then as the day kind of approached I thought, ‘what am I going to do there?’ " Edwards said during a break in the action. "It feels a little strange. The first couple of minutes of being around felt a little funny but it’s been fine, it’s been pretty neat."


Edwards, 37, walked away from competing in NASCAR following the 2016 season. Joe Gibbs Racing officials named Suarez, the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion, to take over the No. 19 Toyota previously driven by Edwards.


At Phoenix, Edwards was on hand to help Suarez not only with his on-track effort, but with all the things that go into transitioning into a new series.


He seemed intrigued by what others have perceived as the "real" reason for his departure, announced earlier this month.


"Man, I want to go on the record as saying those things are not true," Edwards said. "I know you guys need something to talk about but that’s pretty wild. I get it."


Earlier this month, reports surfaced that he might consider a run for political office from his home state of Missouri.


"That whole thing blew up with the political thing quickly … that went out of control," he said. "The point is I don’t ever rule out anything. I don’t have any interest in politics for politics. I really do believe in America and I believe that if a person can help maintain the future opportunities for other people, like the opportunities that all of us have had, that’s our duty as Americans. …. If that’s something down the line that fits in, that I can do, that would be an endeavor that I would be real proud of. But I’m not putting together this campaign or something. Not right now."


In announcing his decision to step away, Edwards cited three reasons — he wants to spend more time with his family, he’s content with what he accomplished in racing and he is healthy.


Yes, he’s at the track this week, but as teams continue preparations for the season-opening Daytona 500, and the 35 other races that follow, Edwards will be doing what he wants to do, not what he has to do.


That may or may not include continuing to offer assistance to JGR, or Toyota Racing Development. It will, however, be his decision.


"Maybe those things will happen," he said. "Right now just getting used to a new normal, just something a little different."


Different on Tuesday was standing on top of his former team’s hauler, watching as Suarez made laps around the 1-mile Phoenix track. Two of Edwards’ 28 career victories in the top series came here.


"I felt like this track in particular I could help him with a little bit," he said. "I really like this place. It’s one of my favorite tracks. So this is a perfect place for me to come and try to give some advice.


"… It’s so much different standing on the truck watching the car go than being in the car. I guess you just have more time to think about all the things that could go wrong sitting up there. It’s more stressful to me."

Posted on by Staff Report

ThorSport Racing filled the last vacancy in its driver lineup Tuesday afternoon with the announcement that Grant Enfinger plans to compete full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2017.


Enfinger, 32, will drive the No. 98 Toyota in a Sunoco Rookie of the Year campaign. The full-time ride comes after last season’s successful eight-race stint, which netted the Alabama native’s first victory in the series and a Keystone Light Pole Award.

 

“This is a dream come true, and I’m blessed to be able to share this season with some great people,” Enfinger said in a release provided by the team. “I’m proud to be continuing the partnership with (primary sponsor) Champion Power Equipment, along with starting new ones with Jive Communications, Ride TV and Curb Records. I’m very impressed with the people, equipment, and facility that (team owners) Duke and Rhonda Thorson have assembled, and I can’t wait to get to Daytona in a few weeks.”


Enfinger has just 14 career starts in the Camping World Truck Series. Last season, he opened the year with GMS Racing by landing the pole position at Daytona International Speedway. His last race with the Maury Gallagher-owned team resulted in a trip to Victory Lane after he led 45 of 94 laps to prevail at Talladega Superspeedway.


Enfinger boasts solid stock-car credentials from his time in the ARCA Series, where he was crowned champion in 2015. Among his 15 career ARCA wins are two triumphs in the prestigious season opener at Daytona.


Veteran Jeff Hensley will serve as crew chief, returning to ThorSport after working with Spencer Gallagher and the GMS Racing team last year. Hensley was atop the pit box for Johnny Sauter and Cameron Hayley at ThorSport in 2014 (second half of the season) and 2015, respectively. He has 13 career wins in the Truck Series and 11 in the XFINITY Series, where he helped guide Chuck Bown to a championship in 1990.


Enfinger will compete alongside teammates Matt Crafton, Cody Coughlin and Ben Rhodes in the ThorSport driver lineup.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

MORE: Part 1
RELATED: Visit the Nationwide 88 Facebook page


The second episode of "Unfinished Business," a six-part series that documents Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s return to competition in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, was released Tuesday on the Nationwide 88 Facebook page.
 
Nationwide is the primary sponsor of Earnhardt’s No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and came up with the idea for the series.
 
In Chapter 2: The Art of the Helmet, Earnhardt goes deep on the reasoning behind his colorful race helmets, and the man who designs the skull.


The episodes will air on Tuesdays between now and the Feb. 26 Daytona 500 (two episodes will air the final week).


RELATED: Timeline of Junior’s injury and recovery