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RELATED: More on the Hall of Fame | Fan Appreciation Day


CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For just the third time since the NASCAR Hall of Fame first opened its doors in 2010, race fans will see a new Glory Road exhibit encircling the Great Hall in the museum’s main level.


Glory Road "ICONS" features 18 cars representing some of NASCAR’s most recognizable vehicles as well as its legendary drivers.


The exhibit will officially open to the public Jan. 7. Friday, Hall officials held an unveiling for members of the media and various local dignitaries.


Seventeen of the vehicles were on display when the hour-long event got underway. The wraps on the 18th, the No. 28 Ford Thunderbird piloted by Davey Allison for Ranier-Lundy Racing, were removed during the program.


Among those in attendance for the unveiling were Allison’s father, Bobby Allison, the 1983 series champion and winner of 84 races, Davey’s son Robbie Allison, Joey Knuckles (Allison’s crew chief for 19 races in 1987), Larry McReynolds (Allison’s crew chief at Robert Yates Racing from ’91-93) and Lorin Ranier, son of team owner Harry Ranier.


"I notice in this general area Alabama is represented really well," Robbie Allison said, noting his father’s car sits between those of his grandfather and fellow Alabama Gang driver Neil Bonnett. "We’re doing pretty well I think.


"When I look at this car, one thing that stands out is I always see the snippet online of him driving down pit road at Talladega and the whole crew is on top of the car. … I see it all the time. All the good times that he and his team shared and our family was able to share through racing."


Davey Allison scored his first NASCAR win in the top series in ’87 at Talladega Superspeedway. He would add 18 more victories, including two more at the 2.66-mile Talladega track, before his death in 1993.


Bobby Allison’s racing career had ended in 1988 when his Buick slammed into the wall and was then struck by another race car on the first lap of a race at Pocono Raceway. Clifford Allison, Davey’s brother, was killed in a crash during practice in 1992 at Michigan International Speedway.


"Something that my granddad says to me all the time is that racing has taken a lot away from us but it’s also given us an awful lot at the same time,” Robbie Allison said. "There are so many good memories …


"The words that everybody that knew (my dad) on and off the track, determination, hard work, obsession even, always willing to put in that extra effort to be better every day. … He was definitely as good of a father as he was a racer.”


McReynolds, now a NASCAR on FOX analyst, said Allison "actually made my job pretty easy because … I think a lot of it was the way Bobby brought him up through the racing ranks he knew what was going on with that race car and he had a pretty good idea what we needed to do to make it better. …


"He obviously did a phenomenal job in that race car but he did a really unbelievable job outside the race car. He loved his race fans."


The 18 cars featured on the new Glory Road "ICONS" exhibit span the history of NASCAR, from the 1952 Hudson Hornet driven by Marshall Teague — a dominant combination in the sport’s formative years — to the 2015 Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota Camry that carried Kyle Busch to the series championship.


Other entries in the exhibit include:

• 1957 Ford Fairlane driven by Fireball Roberts

• 1964 Plymouth Belvedere of Richard Petty

• 1966 Ford Galaxie owned and driven by Wendell Scott

• 1966 Dodge Charger fielded by Cotton Owens and driven by David Pearson

• 1939 Chevrolet Coupe piloted by Richie Evans in 1970-71

• 1976 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Darrell Waltrip

• 1978 Ford Thunderbird driven by Bobby Allison

• 1982 Oldsmobile Omega driven by Sam Ard

• 1989 Ford Thunderbird driven by Neil Bonnett

• 1991 Oldsmobile Cutlass driven by Harry Gant

• 1992 Ford Thunderbird driven by Bill Elliott

• 1995 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Mike Skinner

• 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Dale Earnhardt

• 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Jeff Gordon

• 2013 Chevrolet SS driven by Jimmie Johnson


Winston Kelley, executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, said his group began with a notebook of "100 to 120 cars" that had to be trimmed considerably before beginning the process of selecting and obtaining the final 18.


"If I handed you that notebook you would probably agree that 80-90 are iconic cars," Kelley said. "There are others that are noteworthy of acknowledging at some point in time, but would it pass the sticker test … would you say ‘yeah that’s iconic?’ "


As with previous Glory Road exhibits, the "ICONS" exhibit will remain on display for three years.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon humbly conceded that he was absolutely prepared to learn and absorb from his new Wayne Taylor Racing teammates in preparation for the WeatherTech SportsCar Series’ season opener, the Rolex 24 — Gordon’s first drive in the great race since 2007.

 

What he wasn’t counting on, however, was the practical joke initiation.

 

Actually it was more of an homage to the great NASCAR champion from 25-year old Jordan Taylor — one of Gordon’s three teammates for the Jan. 27-28 Rolex race.

 

"I had the idea as soon as I learned he would be driving with us to come up to him in the garage as a super fan," Taylor explained with a smile Friday afternoon as the team met with the media following the first practice session of the Roar Before the 24 three-day test.

 

"I figured he had seen that exact person, the jacket, the shorts, the mustache … I figured he’d seen that a million times and I would just blend in with the crowd. But, he saw it coming and kinda ruined my day."

 


 

Gordon laughed hearing Taylor relive the scenario. For all the high jinks in getting to know one another, however, this team is absolutely a serious favorite when it comes to the twice-around-the-clock race on Daytona’s 3.56-mile road course.

 

This will mark only the second time the newly-retired Gordon has competed in this prestigious event. Yet he looked quite comfortable walking around the paddock and more importantly, sitting behind the wheel of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA Cadillac DPi prototype — which was second fastest in Friday’s opening practice session.

 

Dressed in Wayne Taylor Racing team blue, he led his co-drivers Jordan Taylor, Taylor’s older brother Ricky, 27, and veteran Max Angelelli onto the stage to meet the press as part of the annual "Roar" test session.

 

"I am having a blast," Gordon said. "It’s been a dream of mine not just to drive a car like this but to compete out on track with a team and car like this.

 

"It’s a lot of fun for me. I treat this like I’m a rookie, having only run this race one other time. I just tapped into this team and the teammates listening and talking to (team owner) Wayne and Max and last two months really getting to know Ricky and Jordan testing with them. It’s been an amazing experience but I must say getting behind the wheel of a car that brakes like that and corners like that is kinda eye-opening to me, but also at the same time, so much fun."

 

Before the fun, however, Gordon has methodically prepared himself — mentally and physically training for this 24-hour test. He has immersed in Equinox training, snow skiing and more cardio workouts in general.

 

"It’s not as hot as inside a stock car," Gordon said, "But it definitely puts a lot more loads on your body. I’m trying to get myself in as good a shape as these young kids I’m chasing around."

 

Out in Daytona’s vast garage area, it was easy to locate the Wayne Taylor Racing hauler. Several people crowded outside hoping for a glimpse of Gordon, or even better: an autograph.

 

Maryann Danker, 67, of nearby Seville, Fla. stood outside holding a diecast NASCAR car of Gordon’s. She is a 20-year member of the Jeff Gordon Fan Club and attending her first Rolex test session "only because of Gordon," she said.

 

Earning the prestigious Rolex watch later this month would put Gordon in historic company. Only Jamie McMurray has won the Daytona 500, Indianapolis’ Brickyard 400 and the Rolex 24 — an impressive congregate of some of the world’s greatest races. And Gordon is up for achieving that honor too. Even if it’s not something he’s specifically focused on.

 

"I’ll be honest, that would be special but that’s like icing on the cake," Gordon said. "I haven’t thought a lot about that."

 

Then looking at his young teammates, Gordon added, "These kids force me to have fun because — especially this one (Jordan) I have to watch out for him and was happy to get one over on him yesterday.

 

"I’m a very serious competitor and they are, too, but they like to mix it up and have fun and I love that. I want to have fun, but I really am only going to have fun and a smile on myself if we’re up on that podium in the number one position when this race is over."

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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 6, 2017) — Joe Falk of Circle Sport (CS) and Curtis Key, Sr., of The Motorsports Group (TMG) announced today that it will combine resources and participate in the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS). The team will be led by Circle Sport owner, Joe Falk, utilizing manufacturer Chevrolet and participate in the full 2017 season under the No. 33.


The managing partnership of the two Chesapeake, Virginia business men merged to increase sponsorship opportunities and enhance their performance on the track. TMG owner Curtis Key has obtained a percentage of Circle Sport NASCAR Charter in the deal. The Charter will give the No. 33 guaranteed entries into all 2017 MENCS events.

"It’s great to join forces with Curtis Key, I’ve known him for a very long time and know we share the same feelings about racing," said Falk.


CS/TMG will be housed out of the facility that has been the home of The Motorsports Group in Mooresville, North Carolina. In the off season, the facility and equipment has been upgraded including purchase of updated cars.

Pat Tryson has been named Crew Chief of the team. Tryson, a veteran Cup Series crew chief will return to the TMG shop after heading up TMG in 2015 during its transition from the XFINITY Series into the Cup Series.

"It’s great to have Pat back with us, he was instrumental when we got started with our Cup program and we look forward to his insight in 2017," said Key.

Gary Showalter, a tenured employee of TMG will serve as the team’s general manager. Showalter started with TMG in the Camping World Truck Series in 2005 and was in TMG’s climb from the Truck Series to the Cup level in 2015. He will oversee the day to day race facility duties as well as race team personnel.


CS/TMG has yet to name a driver the No. 33 Chevrolet but officials are adamant to that an announcement will come in the next few weeks.


Also, released today is the revamped logo combining the two teams’ monikers.

"The Circle Sport with TMG logo was necessary to rebrand the team into one entity rather than the using two logo’s side by side," added Falk.


The No. 33 Chevrolet SS will debut at Daytona International Speedway for Speedweeks in February.

 

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LAS VEGAS — NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France took the stage Friday at the Consumer Electronics Show to discuss how the sanctioning body is using technology to enhance the fan experience and engage with the next generation of fans.

France was on the Sports Business Innovation panel with National Hockey League (NHL) Commissioner Gary Bettman and United States Olympic Committee (USOC) CEO Scott Blackmun.

Here are the high points France delivered:

On how diversity and globalization are critical to success:

“We have a unique challenge because kids don’t play our sport in the playground,” France said. “We are the only ones in auto racing investing millions of dollars on combines for diversity drivers. These programs take time, but we just saw the benefit. We just had a Mexican driver, Daniel Suarez, win our second largest national series and that would not have happened without our diversity program. We don’t do this because it is socially smart, which it is, but because that is where you find the best talent, and we want everybody to be a NASCAR fan.”

On how the Monster Energy partnership will help NASCAR reach new fans:

“In our case aligning with the right sponsor is important. They help us tell our story and we count on their activation to take us to places and channels we would not normally be in. I am very happy about our new entitlement partner Monster Energy, they have incredible reach with Millennial customers and fans, auto racing is in their DNA and they have a smart digital approach.”

On fans’ consumption habits:

“The ways in which fans consume their favorite sports has changed in an unprecedented way, and that is the great challenge and opportunity that all leagues face,” France said. “We want to be smart about how we attract (the younger generation) and balance that with our core fans and connect with all of them in ways that we have never seen before.”

On how technology can improve competition, safety and fan engagement:

“We want to use technology and innovation to make our core product better,” France said. “We all want to make our sport safer, and our games and races better. We are using technology to drive our sport in ways that we could not have even imagined only 10 years ago.”

On how technology, developed at the 61,000-square-foot NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, has helped:

“The combination of innovation and technology can solve almost all problems,” France said. “One of the challenges of outdoor sports is rain delays. We developed the Air Titan, which cut the time to dry the track. This was a huge thing for us to be able to retain our TV audience.”

On the introduction of the digital dash, which uses 16 customizable screens to monitor and record 24 different elements such as RPM, oil temperature and lap times:

“This is the new frontier,” France said. “We have an enormous amount of telemetry at our races between the drivers, crew chiefs and their strategy, and we are in the early stages of looking to deliver that data to fans in their seat, at home or through streaming.”

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The 2016 NASCAR season was a fairy-tale ending for champion Jimmie Johnson, as he earned his record-tying seventh title.

 

But the 2016 chapter didn’t close with a "Happily Ever After" for several Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Many were left with disappointment, wrecked race cars and thoughts pondering "what if?"

 

That begs the question: Who will best rebound from last season in 2017?

 

NASCAR.com’s Jessica Ruffin and Kathy Sheldon weigh the best options.

 

Ruffin: Certainly several drivers could be due for a rebound season — Martin Truex Jr. won two of the three opening Chase races, only to have an engine failure take him out of Chase contention at Talladega. Carl Edwards seemed primed for his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title at Homestead until he wrecked into Joey Logano and headed for the garage instead of Victory Lane. Even Kasey Kahne seems due for a rebound, as he’s gone two straight seasons without a win.

 

However, I think the most likely candidate drives the No. 2 Team Penske Ford. Brad Keselowski appeared to be a title front-runner in the races leading up to and at the beginning of the Chase, as he earned seven straight top-10 finishes from Michigan in August to the October race at Charlotte. A crash at Kansas put him in a must-win scenario at Talladega, a race he was leading until his engine expired. 

 

This marks the second consecutive year that Keselowski has missed the final round of the Chase after making it all the way to the Round of 8. All of NASCAR knows that Keselowski has a fire and a drive to succeed — and he’ll be looking to redeem himself next season, starting with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, a track where Keselowski and teammate Logano have won two of the last four events.

 

Sheldon: I’d add Aric Almirola to the list of drivers who looked set up to win in 2016 only to have the season slip away. As the sole focus of Richard Petty Motorsports in 2017, the No. 43 should be on the upswing again.

 

But while many drivers seemed to suffer from seriously bad luck last season, serious injury was the culprit for Dale Earnhardt Jr., whom I believe is perfectly poised for a huge 2017. 

 

Keselowski is due for a big bounce, I agree, but Junior is positioned well for his best run since 2013, when he finished fifth in the final standings. Before a concussion and lingering symptoms knocked Earnhardt out of the No. 88 for the final 18 races of 2016, he had five top-five finishes, four of which were runnner-up showings (Atlanta, Texas, Bristol and Pocono.)

 

Johnson’s turnaround from a midseason slump to championship run, paired with Alex Bowman‘s power performance at Phoenix and solid stretch through 2016’s final three races, indicate Hendrick Motorsports is back in top form. And while Hendrick was proving its mettle amid adversity, Earnhardt worked through a challenging injury with persistence and patience — a strengthening of his steel, if you will.

 

Add to that Junior’s personal life being on point with his New Year’s Eve nuptials with Amy. A happy, hungry Junior in top-quality equipment will be tough to beat.

 

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In what has become a much-anticipated season kick-off event, NASCAR will offer FREE admission to the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day. That’s just one of the many exciting offerings during the day-long celebration of NASCAR’s passionate fans, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

NASCAR stars past and present will participate in autograph and Q&A sessions throughout the day, in addition to free access to the Hall. Fans will be admitted into the Hall on a first-come, first-served basis in lieu of needing a ticket. Doors open at 8 a.m. 

 

However, tickets to the below autograph sessions, featuring stars from all three NASCAR national series, must be secured in advance. Tickets for these autograph sessions will be available for free on NASCARHall.com starting at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 7. Each fan can secure up to two tickets for one of the seven autograph sessions (one ticket for an individual or two tickets for an individual and their guest).

Session 1 (9:30 a.m. ET): Richard Childress, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon
Session 2 (10:30 a.m. ET): Aric Almirola, Ryan Reed, Timothy Peters
Session 3 (11:30 a.m. ET): Kasey Kahne, Daniel Suarez, John Hunter Nemechek
Session 4 (12:30 p.m. ET): Martin Truex Jr., Brandon Jones, Noah Gragson
Session 5 (2 p.m. ET): Chase Elliott, Blake Koch, Kaz Grala
Session 6 (3 p.m. ET): David Ragan, Brennan Poole, Christopher Bell
Session 7 (4 p.m. ET): Paul Menard, Brendan Gaughan, Johnny Sauter

Q&A sessions with all of the above drivers will begin 30 minutes prior to their autograph session and are open to all guests. In addition, members of the NASCAR Next program and NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2017 inductees Rick Hendrick and Mark Martin will participate in Q&As for all those in attendance. 

 

NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day will follow the previous evening’s NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2017 Induction Ceremony on Jan. 20 (8 p.m. ET on NBCSN). As in previous years, current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series stars will help present each inductee. Scheduled to present at this year’s induction ceremony are seven-time premier series champion Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon and Ty Dillon. For tickets to the Induction Ceremony, visit nascarhall.com/inductees/induction-ceremony. 

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CONCORD, N.C. (January 5, 2017) — Leavine Family Racing (LFR) is excited to announce the return of veteran NASCAR driver Michael McDowell for the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. McDowell will once again pilot the No. 95 Chevrolet SS and is signed on to be the primary driver for LFR in all 36 races next season, making the team Chase eligible for the first time since its inception in 2011.

Additionally, LFR is excited to welcome back championship winning NASCAR crew chief Todd Parrott for the 2017 season. Parrott, who took on the crew chief responsibilities for the team full time in October of the 2016 season with only seven races remaining, led the No. 95 to earn six Top-25 finishes.


“With both Michael and Todd returning to the team this season we are looking to maintain the consistency we found towards the end of last year and continue to push forward and build off the positive momentum,” said Jeremy Lange, Vice President of Leavine Family Racing. “We had great performances on the track last year and we’re hoping that continuing in that direction will lead to more sponsorships for the team. We do have some partner renewals that we will be announcing soon and are excited to add more.”

 

McDowell, who is entering his 10th year competing in NASCAR, earned his first NASCAR national touring series win last year at Road America in the XFINITY Series and recorded 16 Top-25 finishes with LFR in 2016.

 

“I’m excited to be returning full time with LFR for the 2017 season,” stated McDowell. “I look forward to continuing to work with Todd as well and kicking off our season with a strong start at the Daytona 500 in February.”

 

Crew Chief Todd Parrott echoed his driver’s thoughts about the upcoming season.

 

“I can’t wait for the 2017 season to get here and look forward to having a great year with Michael and the team,” said Parrott. “I’m appreciative of the opportunity LFR has given me to once again assume the crew chief role for the team and am ready to get started on the upcoming season.”

 

LFR will kick off the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season with the 59th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 26. For real-time updates on and off the track, fans can follow @LFR95 on Twitter and Leavine Family Racing on Facebook.

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RELATED: See the paint scheme here

Stewart-Haas Racing‘s NASCAR XFINITY Series effort has yet to make it to the race track, yet the organization has already announced plans to bolster the effort with the addition of a second, part-time team to go along with the No. 00 Ford Mustang to be driven by rookie of the year contender Cole Custer.


The organization announced Thursday that 2014 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick will compete in four XFINITY races for SHR in a second entry, the No. 41 Ford, to be sponsored by Hunt Brothers Pizza.


Harvick is a two-time XFINITY Series champion (2001, ’06) and has 46 career victories in the series.


"I’ve always enjoyed competing in the XFINITY Series," Harvick said in a release announcing the move. "With Stewart-Haas Racing starting a new program, I’m excited to be a part of the building process because it will make us stronger going forward as a company. I’m proud to continue working with Hunt Brothers Pizza and seeing their colors on my Ford Mustang."


The four-race ’17 schedule for the Harvick/Hunt Brothers entry will consist of events at Texas Motor Speedway (April 8), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 27), Kentucky Speedway (July 7) and Darlington Raceway (Sept. 2).

Officials says there are no additional races planned for the team at this time.


MORE: Harvick set to be part of FOX Sports booth for select races

Hunt Brothers has been aligned with Harvick and SHR since 2014 as an associate sponsor of the No. 4 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series entry. The company also sponsored Harvick for select XFINITY Series races during his tenure at Richard Childress Racing, beginning in 2011, and more recently at JR Motorsports. Its first foray into NASCAR came in 2008 with Haas CNC Racing prior to it becoming SHR.


Hunt Brothers will also serve as an associate sponsor on Custer’s No. 00 entry this season.


"NASCAR has been a strong platform for Hunt Brothers Pizza thanks to the roles Kevin Harvick and Stewart-Haas Racing have played in representing our brand," Keith Solsvig, vice president of marketing, Hunt Brothers Pizza, said. "NASCAR fans love to travel and visit convenience stores. We want to continue to show our appreciation to our store partners and their consumers. Having our own Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang on the racetrack with a partner like Kevin is a great way to showcase how we constantly strive for excellence."


SHR, co-owned by team founder Gene Haas and three-time series champion Tony Stewart, fields four entries in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with a driver lineup featuring Harvick, Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick and Clint Bowyer.


RELATED: SHR raises the flag on new era

Bowyer joined the team this year, taking over for Stewart in the No. 14 Ford Fusion.


SHR officials announced plans to field an XFINITY Series team in July of ’16. Custer, who competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last year with JR Motorsports, was named the team’s driver in September.


Jeff Meendering will serve as Custer’s crew chief. The crew chief for the No. 41 entry has yet to be announced.


The XFINITY Series program and addition of Bowyer aren’t the only changes for SHR heading into the 2017 season. The organization is also making the switch to Ford entries after a 13-year relationship with Chevrolet.


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RELATED: Driver tracker | Key story lines for 2017


MOORESVILLE, N.C. — The offseason — typically designated as a time of rest for most involved in the NASCAR industry — has been atypically busy for Kyle Larson.


Between flying halfway around the world for a holiday spent racing sprint cars in Australia to an annual pilgrimage coming next week to the prestigious Chili Bowl Nationals in Oklahoma, there’s been little down time.


At least he won’t have to spend the weeks leading into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series opener having to answer that pesky question from offseasons past: How close are you to that first win?


"I didn’t even think about that," Larson said Thursday at a team photo shoot, smiling at the revelation. "Yeah, this is the first offseason where I haven’t been asked about a first win. Just hope we can get the second one early on in the year and not necessarily relax, but can venture out and try things where we haven’t gotten the opportunity to do that in my previous three years of racing. If we can get a win early, I think it’ll really benefit us when it comes to the Chase."


The 24-year-old driver is prepping for his fourth season at Chip Ganassi Racing with at least one career goal crossed off, visiting Victory Lane for the first time in NASCAR’s top division at Michigan International Speedway last August. The triumph marked the high point of his first season working with new crew chief Chad Johnston on the No. 42 Chevrolet team.


That milestone helped push Larson to his first appearance in the Chase playoffs, a postseason run that ended after the first round of eliminations. This season, Larson hopes a quick start out of the gate might be a sign of bigger things in 2017.


"Last year was his first year with our team and we started off a little slow," Larson said. "I think with a new crew chief coming in, it’s hard for them to get things where they want it and bringing things from the team he was with before into our organization. Once he got those things in motion, we picked up some speed and got really good throughout the summer. Tapered off a little bit before the Chase and then picked it right back up at the end of the Chase.


"I hope we can start next year off good. That’s been a place where we’ve struggled in the past in our organization — we’ll end the year really good, have high expectations to start the year and underperform for a couple of months, then work really hard to gain points back to make the Chase. I hope we can start the mile-and-a-halfs off where we ended the season and we should have a good year."


The new year is already off to a roaring start for Larson, who spent much of the holiday break Down Under with sightseeing and racing at Sydney Speedway, not far from the Aussie metropolis. A side trip to New Zealand for more sprint-car extracurriculars ended up in a washout, but Larson said the whole experience — including a surprisingly smooth 14-hour flight for his 2-year-old son, Owen — was unforgettable.


"It’s always fun to get to go to new places," Larson said. "I’ve been to Australia once before but a different part. It was cool to race close to Sydney, get to go into the city one day, go to the zoo and then also get to race a sprint car, which I don’t get to do a whole lot."


That slate promises to pick up next week when Larson and other dirt-savvy NASCAR regulars visit Tulsa for the Chili Bowl, a sprint-car prize that’s eluded him in his career thus far. Though the indoor race is a spectator’s bonanza, Larson’s quick to scuttle any notion of watching from the sidelines.


"Oh, I’m racing," Larson said. "I think this is like my ninth or 10th year running, so we practice on Monday and then my prelim night’s on Tuesday and then each night, Tuesday through Friday, is a preliminary night and you gain an idea where you’ll start on Saturday. Haven’t won the Chili Bowl yet. My good buddy, Rico (Abreu), has won the last two of them, so hopefully I can go get a win there, too."

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I’m so excited for the 2017 NASCAR season! The off-season makes me so . I’ve had to spend every single day while I . Bring back the and !

has joined the Cup Series, which makes me feel . Things sure are changing, especially since you never see anymore. I haven’t seen for as long as I can remember.

I’m definitely planning to go to next season. Maybe I’ll pick up , and for my . It seems like everybody at the track these days is such a ! You’re not unless you .

Most of all, I can’t wait for the . I hope this year’s champion is — especially after last year, when . I suppose I have no choice but to spend the rest of the off-season the same way I spend it every year, .