Posted on by Staff Report

Kevin Harvick has helped fill the stomachs of hungry NASCAR fans for the past two years, and his promotion with Outback Steakhouse is back for a third. If history is any indication, plenty of free Bloomin’ Onions will be dispersed this season.

 

It’s simple, really. If Harvick notches a top-10 finish of any NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in 2016, Outback Steakhouse — which sponsors the Stewart-Haas Racing driver — offers its patrons a free Bloomin’ Onion® on Monday.

 

Following a top 10 by the No. 4 car, simply go to your local Outback Steakhouse and say “Bloomin’ Monday” to your server. That’s it — no coupon or paperwork required. To make it even easier, visit outback.com/racing and sign up for the Bloomin’ Monday e-mail notification so you’ll never miss an onion opportunity.

 

This is the fifth year of the Bloomin’ Monday program, and Outback has given away more than 1.5 million free Bloomin’ Onions over 80 Mondays. That’s a lot of free food.

 

Fans now have Harvick to thank. The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion logged 20 top-10 finishes the year he won his championship, then followed that up with 28 top-10s last year, tied for best in the series. Twenty-eight!

 

In addition to the Bloomin’ Mondays, Harvick’s No. 4 will also sport the Outback Steakhouse paint scheme in two races this year: June 12 at Michigan and Oct. 16 at Kansas, a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

 

Outback Steakhouse was founded in 1988 and is known for its delicious seasoned & seared and wood-fire grilled steaks, Bloomin’ Onions (naturally), chicken and seafood. To make your dining experience even better, download the Outback App, which is currently in the App Store and Google Play. Features include getting on the wait list, checking out the menu and even paying your bill.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Full Charlotte race results


CONCORD, N.C. — In an event that bore notable similarities to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race a week earlier, Denny Hamlin won Saturday’s Hisense 4K TV 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a pass on the final lap.


Hamlin’s fresh rubber trumped the old tires of Kyle Larson and Joey Logano, who restarted ahead of Hamlin in overtime at the 1.5-mile track.

In fact, Hamlin restarted sixth on Lap 205 after coming to pit road for four new tires under the eighth and final caution of the race, brought out when polesitter Erik Jones, Hamlin’s teammate, slammed the outside wall and performed the coup de grace on his already wounded No. 20 Toyota.

“It was a second opportunity, obviously,” Hamlin said. “I was hoping for that caution there at the end, and we got it and we were able to get four tires on this Hisense Camry and took off. A little closer than what I thought — I mean, we were just really tight those last couple laps, but what a great day.”

The victory was Hamlin’s first of the year in his only start so far, and it was the fifth this season for the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, the first four coming with Kyle Busch behind the wheel.

Logano surged ahead of Larson at the restart, but Hamlin gained huge momentum on his new tires from the outside lane. With less than a lap left, Hamlin got past Logano and held on to win the race by .291 seconds over Austin Dillon, who edged Logano for second in the final corner.

Dillon had opted for right-side tires only on his final pit stop.

But for a timely caution, however, Hamlin would not have had the opportunity to win the race. As they had done a week earlier in the All-Star race, Larson and Logano swapped the lead, with Logano powering past Larson’s No. 42 Chevrolet on lap 166 of a scheduled 200, and Larson regaining the top spot with five laps left in regulation.

But when Jones slammed into the wall on Lap 199, Hamlin had the chance to come to pit road for tires under caution, while Larson and Logano stayed out to preserve their track position.

With just two cars up front on old tires, as had been the case for the final restart in the All-Star race, Hamlin made short work of the cars in front of him.

It was the third last-lap pass for the win in the XFINITY Series this season.

Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gayle conferred before the final pit stop and ultimately opted for the fresh rubber.

“It was a collaborative call,” Hamlin said. “He (Gayle) leaned towards staying out, but I thought that I could get around those guys in just two laps even though we were way faster on that last run. I thought tires were the thing.

“I knew if I could start on the outside that I wanted new tires and it just worked out on pit road where I came out on the outside. It all worked out and it was very exciting in that last corner, a little more exciting than what I expected.”

Hamlin desperately needed the final caution because his No. 18 team had drawn a penalty for an uncontrolled tire on a pit stop under yellow on Lap 160.

Hamlin restarted mid-pack instead of at the rear of the field as the violation requires, because according to NASCAR, the cars at the rear of the field failed to pass Hamlin’s No. 18 Camry before the green flag waved on Lap 164.

Hamlin said he left a large buffer for the laps-down car to pass him before the restart, but that they declined to do so.

By the time Jones hit the wall, Hamlin had driven to third place, trailing only Larson and Logano.

The similarities to the finish of the All-Star Race were not lost on Logano.

“I thought it was kind of supposed to be like what the All-Star Race was with old tires and new tires, but the (my car) was the fastest it’s been all year,” Logano said. “We can’t hold our heads down about it. We had a car that was capable of winning if circumstances went right. I felt like I was going have a good restart next to Kyle.

“I felt my restarts were a little better than his all day, and I thought, ‘OK, if I can clear him,’ which we did I was like, ‘Alright, we’ve got a shot,’ but it was really hard to hold off those four tires. What a fun race. It got really exciting there at the end. I got passed on the top by Denny and then Kyle just kept ripping up top and had a big run into the corner, so it was fun to watch that. I was hoping they would get into each other, and I would sneak one out.”

Posted on by RJ Kraft

RELATED: Full results | Relive the day in photos

 

CONCORD, N.C. — After a career-best fourth-place finish in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Hisense 4K TV 300, Cole Custer emerged from his No. 88 Chevrolet beet-red but satisfied with his result at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 18-year-old earned a fist bump and congratulations from JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier, among others.

 

“Really happy with where we ended up there,” Custer said. “Good call there at the end taking two tires and catching a little more track position. We were just able to make some things happen there on that last restart.

 

“Day didn’t start out that great. We got some damage on pit road but we were able to work our way back up there and ended up pretty well.”

 

Custer spent much of the latter half of the race running in the top 10, even leading a lap (his first in the series) and spent some time in the top five before starting to fade back to seventh.

 

A late caution from an accident involving Erik Jones on Lap 198 opened the door for some pit strategy to get back some track position. Crew chief Dave Elenz told NASCAR.com there was no doubt what call he had to make.

 

“We were doing two,” Elenz said on pit road after the race. “We were set on that. We had to get ahead of the 18 (eventual race winner Denny Hamlin, who restarted sixth on four fresh tires), so that was the only way we were going to do that. We actually were going to stay out if we could have gotten the front row, but that didn’t happen.”

 

Custer restarted in fifth on the third row with Hamlin, and the California native was able to gain one spot in the overtime finish.

 

The result builds off a sixth-place showing Custer had last month at Richmond International Raceway in his series debut. Custer has three more starts slated to come for JRM at Kentucky Speedway in the No. 88 (July 8), before returning to the No. 5 at Charlotte (Oct. 7) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 19). 

 

JR Motorsports teammate Allgaier has noticed what a quick study Custer is, and Custer admitted that he has picked the brain of veteran teammate Elliott Sadler a little bit. Allgaier said he enjoys having a rotating cast of drivers in the No. 88 Chevrolet that already has included Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Alex Bowman.

 

“I told Cole as soon as the race was over, he did a great job today,” said Allgaier, who finished fifth. “He was on it, no question, and those guys did a great job.

 

“I think as a company, when you get into that grind of going every week and pushing each other each and every week, it can be sometimes hard to race every week and to not get stale or stagnate. Having those guys come in and push us and we learn from them, I think it definitely helps the whole organization.”

 

And with two strong results on the board in the XFINITY Series, Custer is optimistic that the results and speed will carry over to his run at a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. The two-time winner in the series is in the midst of his first full-time season in the sport and sits 15th in the standings.

 

“We’ve definitely struggled some in the truck and we thought we were having more speed,” Custer said. “I think we are going to have some speed here coming up. I think we are working real hard on it with Joe (Shear Jr., crew chief of the No. 00 Chevrolet) and everybody, so I think we will definitely have some speed, but it definitely means a lot to know that I can still do it.”

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RELATED: Full 600 coverage


A winner’s trophy for the marathon, reputation-making Coca-Cola 600 is certainly one of the most prized possessions in all of NASCAR. The longest race (600 miles) on the NASCAR circuit is about so much more than just distance, too.

There’s the history of having such a contest at the 1.5-mile track just north of the Charlotte, North Carolina, NASCAR hub, not to mention this is the only race with three unique sets of elements: A race that starts under the sun, traverses to dusk and ends at night under the lights makes for three time frames with three unique sets of circumstances.

Yes, it is truly a battle of man vs. machine. That’s what makes it so difficult to win the Coca-Cola 600, which both Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have never done. In fact, neither has won a points-paying event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

So which driver would benefit most from a win Sunday? Brad Norman and George Winkler set out to answer the question.



PHOTOS: All of Busch’s victories | See Junior’s patriotic scheme

NORMAN: So sorry, Junior Nation, but Sunday’s race is more important to Kyle Busch. “Rowdy” has been on an incredible hot streak since returning from a broken leg last season — eight wins in 37 races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Four of those victories were his first at the tracks in Indianapolis, Homestead, Martinsville and Kansas, respectively. There are only two tracks remaining on the circuit where Busch has not won a Cup race — Charlotte and Pocono. The career-sweep is a mind-boggling feat, making Sunday’s event a massive deal for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

WINKLER: Sure, it would be impressive for Kyle Busch to add to his resume with a victory at Charlotte, but it would be an all-out celebration for Junior to win the Coca-Cola 600. From downtown Kannapolis, North Carolina, (where Junior grew up) to Charlotte Motor Speedway is just a 25-minute drive, so one can only imagine the type of attention a victory like this would get. Plus, Junior has said repeatedly that winning the Coca-Cola 600 is a top priority of his and one of the gaps he’d most like to fill on his resume.

NORMAN: Yeah, it’s a big ‘un for Junior on a personal level. History is at stake for Busch, though. Not just personal history, either — team history. Check out some of the most historic races on the NASCAR circuit and their results over the past year — 2015 Coca-Cola 600 (Carl Edwards wins); 2015 Brickyard 400 (Kyle Busch wins); 2015 Southern 500 (Carl Edwards wins); Homestead finale (Kyle Busch wins, and wins 2015 championship); 2016 Daytona 500 (Denny Hamlin wins). JGR has a ridiculous streak at stake in these types of races, too. There’s simply way more on the line for both “Rowdy” and the organization at large.

WINKLER: See, I think the reverse is true. Because JGR has been so dominant this season, I think it’s more important for Hendrick Motorsports, and particularly Junior, to re-establish their mojo. Earnhardt Jr. has wrecked in two of his last three points-paying races, has had some races where he qualified poorly but came through the field and others where he overcame in-race issues and the odds to post top fives. Considering how Junior has battled this season, I think he’s tested and ready to fight for the whole 600 miles and be in a good position to win.


Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Buy Darlington tickets | ’16 throwback schemes | SHOP: No. 24 gear


Chase Elliott  became the latest driver to reveal his throwback paint scheme for the Bojangles’ Southern 500  at Darlington Raceway (Sept. 4, 6 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) via Race Hub on Friday.

The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will feature a yellow and black paint scheme honoring Elliott’s primary sponsor NAPA Auto Parts and its delivery truck logo from the 1960s. 

The bottom half of the Chevrolet is a sleek black with the current NAPA design atop the quarter panels. The rear television panel includes white script reading “90 Years Strong” to celebrate the company’s 90 years in business. 

Hendrick Motorsports posted a live teaser video minutes before the unveiling with Kenny Wallace at the organization’s Concord, North Carolina-based shop.


“We appreciate the support of our throwback program by Chase Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports,” Darlington Raceway President Chip Wile said in a release.


“Chase’s special paint scheme for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 is one that fans won’t want to miss on Labor Day weekend.”


This marks Darlington’s second straight year — in a five-year plan — hosting a throwback-themed event for the famed Southern 500 event.


Posted on by Staff Report

Following a national talent search, 18 multicultural and female athletes earned invitations to compete in the first-ever national NASCAR Drive For Diversity® (D4D) Crew Member Development Combine May 27 in Concord, North Carolina. Relive the day in tweets.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame class revealed | Event photos


Mark Martin ‘s back in a car this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway — this time, however, it will be in the pace car.


Freshly minted as a selectee in the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017, Martin jumped at the opportunity to log laps again before the Coca-Cola 600 — a race he won in 2002. 



Martin will lead the field to green for the 57th running of the Coca-Cola 600 and said, “When the speedway called to ask me if I’d do it, my first reaction was ‘Hell, yeah!’ “



“Originally I’d planned to be at Indy, but now I get to do the ‘double’ in a way, and I can say I’ll be driving at Charlotte,” Martin said. “Charlotte Motor Speedway was always my favorite race track. I was fortunate enough to have a lot of success there, including winning a Coke 600. Bruton and Marcus always put on a fabulous show, and this will be cool to lead the field to green in front of thousands of fans that I enjoyed racing for all those years.”


WATCH: Stewart completes Indy-Charlotte ‘double’



Several drivers, notably including current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitors Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch, have competed in the Memorial Day Double, racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 . Stewart was the first to complete all 1,100 miles in one day in 2001.

Martin plans to see the start of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday before heading to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.)

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Following a national talent search, 18 multicultural and female athletes earned invitations to compete in the first-ever national NASCAR Drive For Diversity® (D4D) Crew Member Development Combine today in Concord, North Carolina.


Former college football, basketball, softball and track and field athletes will be evaluated based on a series of fitness, agility and pit crew drills at the NASCAR Research & Development Center.


The 10 top-performing participants will be invited to join the NASCAR D4D Crew Member Development Program, operated by Rev Racing, and receive expert training as tire changers, carriers and jackmen, with the goal of gaining fulltime employment with NASCAR national series race teams.


“As NASCAR Drive for Diversity continues to grow and benefit from national exposure, we’re seeing more and more athletes want to be involved,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “This is a great way to introduce top competitors to NASCAR and provide the opportunity to one day shine in our sport’s biggest events.”


Earlier this year, NASCAR and Rev Racing hosted tryouts at six universities spanning coast to coast – from Norfolk State University to San Diego State University – as part of a revamped crew member scouting process.


Twelve men and six women hailing from 12 states and one U.S. territory are now one step closer to a career in NASCAR and will look to impress during today’s four-hour skills competition.


“We are extremely excited about the continued growth and evolution of the Crew Member Development Program,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Rev Racing. “Our expanded college recruitment and outreach efforts have attracted some of the most talented and promising athletes our program has seen yet.”


Most D4D participants begin with no motorsports background and learn to apply athletic prowess from their primary sport to the skills required on NASCAR’s pit road. Joshua Tate, an All-American football player at Clark Atlanta University, recently tried out for the Chicago Bears and is now hoping to go professional in motorsports.


Former Norfolk State point guard Brehanna Daniels could follow in the footsteps of Emily Cox, a D4D alum who now pits regularly in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.


Jeremy Kimbrough, a former Washington Redskins linebacker, will attempt to join fellow NFL veteran Andre Neblett in the D4D crew member program, which has a 100 percent job placement rate for graduates. Neblett played for the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots and was accepted to D4D as part of the program’s ongoing open enrollment.


There are 35 current and former D4D crew members working in NASCAR, including 23 graduates in the sport’s top series – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In November, Roush Fenway Racing team members Mike Russell and Raphael Diaz became the first D4D graduates to win a national series championship when No. 60 driver Chris Buescher clinched the NASCAR XFINITY Series title.


NASCAR D4D pit crew member combine participants include:

NASCAR D4D pit crew combine participants

Name Hometown University Primary Sport
Robert Clay Nashville, Tenn. Alcorn State University Football
Kasuela Cooper Charleston, Mo. Virginia State University Basketball
Paris Cotman Richmond, Va. Virginia State University Track & Field
Brehanna Daniels Norfolk, Va. Norfolk State University Basketball
Mykael Dixon Baltimore, Md. Virginia State University Track & Field
Branden Dozier Topeka, Kan. UNC Charlotte Football
Kapil Fletcher Fort Lauderdale, Fla. University of Kansas Football
Quinta Funderburk Chesapeake, Va. Norfolk State University Football
Jemond Hazely Corona, Calif. San Diego State University Football
Tedarian Johnson Jackson, Miss. University of Kansas Football
Jeremy Kimbrough Decatur, Ga. Appalachian State University Football
Corey King Boca Raton, Fla. University of Kansas Football
Toto’a Leilua Leloaloa, AS Alcorn State University Football
Lamar Neal Virginia Beach, Va. Norfolk State University Football
Breanna O’Leary Amarillo, Texas Alcorn State University Softball
Jorden Paige Buffalo, N.Y. Clark Atlanta University Football
Diedra Smith Aurora, Colo. San Diego State University Basketball
Joshua Tate Memphis, Tenn. Clark Atlanta University Football


Following today’s event, the D4D combine participants will attend the Hisense 4K TV 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 28 (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1).


NASCAR D4D also offers a driver development program, operated by Rev Racing, and each year fields six drivers in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Successful graduates now competing in a national series include NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver  Kyle Larson  and NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers  Darrell Wallace Jr.  and Daniel Suárez.


The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’  Coca-Cola 600  will be broadcast live from Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 29 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Additional live coverage can be found on NASCAR.com.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

CONCORD, N.C. — In the closing lap of the opening segment of last week’s Sprint Showdown, Trevor Bayne saw an opening just after the restart and went for it. With a spot on the line in the Sprint All-Star Race where $1 million would be at stake, there was no hesitation.

 

“I guess I’ve always kind of driven that way but it doesn’t get talked about it because it’s like for 25th and sometimes it doesn’t work because it doesn’t stick,” Bayne told NASCAR.com at Charlotte Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

“Right now, when I’ve got cars that are capable of doing that and when it’s for the win, it just looks a lot different. It’s kind of always been my style on late-race restarts being able to go for it.”

 

That aggression came out in the Sprint All-Star Race as well where Bayne battled and traded paint with Kurt Busch en route to the Roush Fenway Racing driver ending up with a seventh-place result.

 

And while that seemed to open some eyes at the track, Bayne has quietly been making strides in his second full-time season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Thanks to a new rules package that caters to his driving style, his growth behind the wheel and a burgeoning partnership with new crew chief Matt Puccia, Bayne sits 18th in the point standings. That is the highest spot for the three-car Roush organization heading into Sunday’s race.

 

The pairing with Puccia, who replaced Bob Osborne atop the No. 6 pit box ahead of this season, has been just the tonic for Bayne in a solid bounce-back campaign. Puccia had been atop the No. 16 pit box for Bayne’s Roush teammate, Greg Biffle for the prior four-and-a-half-seasons. The two have come to a quick understanding and that has paid off on the track.

 

“We’ve known each other for a long time ever since I came to Roush really, we’ve been buddies,” Bayne said. “I think that relationship from the past and kind of going through the same struggles last year and coming back together and both of us needing to revamp everything. He was going to end up being a XFINITY crew chief and that’s not what he wanted to do. Things weren’t looking up on the 6 team over here, so we were both kind of what each other needed to revitalize our careers.”

 

Part of the bond between the duo comes in the form of becoming new fathers in the past year. Last December, Bayne and his wife Ashton, welcomed their first child, Elizabeth Kate, into the world. Puccia and his wife, Alyssa, welcomed their first child, Kennedy Harper in October.

 

“Matt’s daughter is two months older than ours. We’ll talk on the plane and he will show me a video of her doing something new and I’m like, ‘oh boy, this is what I got to deal with in two months,’ ” Bayne said. “Now, Kennedy, his daughter is crawling around so I’m cherishing the moments while Ellie’s still immobile and lays still and I can keep up with her.”

 

He may only be 25 years old, but Bayne has already had a career full of peaks and valleys. In just his second career Sprint Cup start; he won the sport’s biggest race, the Daytona 500 in 2011 at the age of 20 years old. He was sidelined for two months in 2011 and was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2013. Last season in his first full-time season in the sport’s top level, Bayne finished 29th in the point standings (and was no higher than 22nd during the course of the season) with just two top 10s in 36 races.

 

“When you are struggling, you are super analytical about everything,” Bayne said. “You look at everything you are doing. You analyze it. You try to make it better and sometimes that hinders you. I actually feel like I worked way harder at it last year than I’m having to this year. Sometimes that’s what it takes. It’s got to come naturally.

 

“I’m not saying I’m not working at it because I am. There’s a lot of things I learned last year that I implemented whether its post-race notes or spending time with the simulator. … I can’t really say it’s anything I’m doing, but when things are clicking it just makes it easier on everybody.”

 

This year, Bayne already has three top 10s in the season’s first 12 races and is looking for a spot in the 16-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The cutoff to the Chase is roughly three-and-a-half months away with 14 races to go. At present, Bayne sits eight points out of the 16th and final Chase Grid spot held by AJ Allmendinger. The driver of the No. 6 Ford views consistency as his ticket into the Chase.

 

“Right now, our goals are to finish top 15 every week, be on the lead lap. Don’t dig ourselves a hole,” Bayne said. “Kansas, we blew a left rear tire and maybe could have avoided losing some of those laps had we pitted sooner when we knew we had a rub. We can’t make mistakes. If you minimize that, you’ve got a good shot at it. … People are going to have bad days. You look at July in Daytona, you got to get through that race. You got to have a solid finish there like we did at Talladega (10th-place in May).

 

“When the opportunity strikes to get a win or to run top five, you got to make those points up when you can, so you got to be pretty aggressive. I think our best chance is to points-race in right now, so those top 15s, top 10s we got to keep clicking them off like we’ve been doing.”