Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program has a lot to celebrate recently with its former members blazing the tracks in all three NASCAR national series, and also with its current members showing early promise.

 

D4D is a development program that is in its 12th year and is aimed toward finding primarily young, diverse and female drivers and pit crew members. Through Rev Racing, which like NASCAR is also sponsored by Goodyear and Sunoco, those involved receive one-on-one training and year-round competition experience. 

 

The race weekend at Dover International Speedway displayed the depth — and star power — of former drivers who went through the Drive for Diversity initiative. Three of Drive for Diversity’s former members earned the runner-up spot in the Sprint Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series races at the 1-mile oval — Kyle Larson, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Daniel Suarez, respectively.

 

The six members of the 2016 class hope to have a similar experience someday. Learn more about 2016’s six members and the upcoming Drive for Diversity pit crew combine below.

Collin Cabre

Birthdate: Oct. 8, 1993
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
Series: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East

 

After starting his motocross racing career at age 4, Cabre spent six years on the national circuit followed by go-kart racing by the time he was 10. 

 

In 2008 he earned Rookie of the Year in the Open Whelen Series. The Tampa native moved onto sprint cars at age 16. He is also a member of this year’s NASCAR Next class.

Jairo (JR) Avila


Birthdate: May 11, 1995
Hometown: Alhambra, California
Series: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East

 

The 20-year-old made his K&N Pro Series West debut in 2014 and earned four top-10 finishes in just five starts. Avila also has two ARCA Racing Series starts with a career-best 10th at Kansas Speedway in 2015.

 

Junior, who speaks fluent Spanish, finished 16th at Pocono Raceway, as well. 

Ruben Garcia Jr.


Birthdate: Nov. 21, 1995
Hometown: Mexico City
Series: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East

 

The Mexico City native won four races in the NASCAR Mexico Series en route to his first NASCAR championship, making him the youngest NMS driver to win the series. 

 

Garcia was also a member of 2015’s and 2016’s NASCAR Next classes. 

Ali Kern


Birthdate: May 11, 1993
Hometown: Fremont, Ohio
Series: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East

 

Beginning her racing career in Karts and Quads, the 22-year-old earned a total of 350 wins between the two series. She then progressed into Modified racing before moving to ARCA.

 

At 17, Kern became the youngest female to run a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at LEE USA Speedway.

Enrique Baca


Birthdate: Aug. 13, 1991
Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico
Series: NASCAR Whelen All-American Series

 

The Mexico native began his karting career in 1997 and, thanks to several championships, he became the youngest champion in the Shifter 125cc Nationals. 

 

Baca also has several wins, poles and championships in the Formula series on top of an eighth-place finish in the NASCAR Mexico Series.

Madeline Crane


Birthdate: Oct. 30, 1997
Hometown: Meansville, Georgia
Series: NASCAR Whelen All-American

 

Crane started racing Bandoleros in the Thursday Night Thunder Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway at age 10. In her first season she earned back-to-back wins.

 

Quickly moving into Legend Cars, Crane earned 59 top fives in just 82 starts.

 

Her success in the Legend Cars allowed her to move up, yet again, to race Crate Late Models at Dixie Speedway. In her first season in this series, she finished second in the standings. 

Drive for Diversity Pit Crew National Combine



The upcoming pit crew combine (May 27-28) will see 17 participants — both men and women — try out for one of 10 spots in the pit crew development program. The event will be hosted by the Rev Racing team. It’s the first-ever national combine for the program, which already has more than 30 graduates working in a NASCAR national series.



The crew member platform seeks multicultural and female athletes from all sports to train for NASCAR’s pit crew teams. 


One combine hopeful, Joshua Tate, who was trying to make the NFL, spoke on Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway about his experience thus far. 


“I just saw this opportunity and said ‘Hey, I might as well come down here and … try to make a name in another spot.’


“Before this experience, I only knew of Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. I didn’t know that much about the pit crew,” he admitted. “Coming here and actually performing and learning the steps and fundamentals and working as a team (was quite) an experience.”


Another candidate, Brehanna Daniels spoke of her time training.


“Everything you do on a pit stop is crucial. Timing is everything,” she said. “You really have to focus. It’s no joke. Everything goes so fast.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Five legends unveiled for 2017 Hall of Fame Class

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Benny Parsons had learned that his recent cancer diagnosis was a terminal one, he made a plan for his wife, Terri, to carry out after his death in January 2007. On Wednesday, May 25 — Voting Day for the NASCAR Hall of Fame — Terri Parsons checked the last box on that 10-item list.

“I know when Benny knew that he wasn’t going to make it, his biggest fear was he was going to be forgotten. And I think this cements that,” Terri Parsons said. “He will never be forgotten now, and I think his final wish … he gave me a list of 10 things to do, and as of today, all 10 are done.”

Benjamin Stewart Parsons will forever be remembered as a NASCAR champion, a Daytona 500 winner and a blue-collar competitor behind the wheel. But he’ll also be known as a brilliant, engaging commentator for stock-car racing from the TV booth. After Wednesday, if either of those memories were ever to fade, he’ll now be forever known as a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee.

Mostly, Parsons will also be known simply as Benny, an everyman ambassador for the sport known as much for his driving and broadcasting skills as for his ability to bond with fans in the stands. That enduring popularity is what produced a groundswell of fan support on social media and an overwhelming show of approval by the 54-member voting panel, which named him on 85 percent of its ballots, leading all 20 Hall of Fame nominees.

“It always meant a lot to Benny what people thought of him because Benny loved everybody,” said Phil Parsons, Benny’s younger brother and himself a longtime TV broadcaster. “From the fans to the competitors to the owners, sponsors, NASCAR, ARCA, whoever it might’ve been, they always meant a lot to him. So it was important that people liked him because he genuinely liked everybody in return. And I think he would be very pleased today knowing that this honor was bestowed upon him.”

Fellow Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett, whose bond with Parsons dates back to his earliest experience in NASCAR, shared the sentiment. Parsons made his first start in NASCAR’s top divison in August 1964 at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway in western North Carolina. Jarrett won that Sunday in dominating fashion, but took time out of the race weekend to welcome the newcomer.

That first chance meeting forged a friendship that extended beyond their driving careers and into television, where the two often shared a role as color commentator.

“To have worked with him for so long on television and to see his dedication to the sport and the love for the fans, and the reaction of the fans over the years — he was a people person,” Jarrett said. “People could relate to him because he was one of them, just a down-to-earth type of individual who wanted the best for them, and they sensed that. With all of that, we became great friends.”

Jarrett said he had a strong gut feeling about Parsons on Wednesday, pointing also to the support he received in the voting room. Terri Parsons had a similar feeling, one that was somehow different than the previous seven votes — all of which she faithfully attended.

Maybe it was the overwhelming response she said she received from her persistent campaigning for her husband, reminding people every day to participate in fan balloting. Maybe it was her welcome upon her arrival at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Wednesday afternoon. “There was a man waiting for me at the parking place that said, ‘Are you Mrs. Parsons? Hurry, hurry,’ ” she said with a laugh. “I felt a little different about that. They didn’t care last year if I had a parking place or not.”

Benny Parsons now has a permanent place, one that will become official with his enshrinement in January 2017, close to the 10-year mark since his passing at age 65.

“Somewhere tonight he’s saying ‘fantastic,’ I’m sure, and we all know the smile that he’d have on his face, and there’s certainly one on mine because I’ve been here for nine years waiting for this,” Terri Parsons said, noting the time it’s taken to cross the last item from her list. “All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

RELATED: See all of the nominees

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 25, 2016) – NASCAR announced today the inductees who will comprise the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2017. The five-person group — the eighth since the inception of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010 — consists of Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin, Raymond Parks and Benny Parsons. In addition, NASCAR announced that Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles won the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

 

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met today in a closed session at the Charlotte Convention Center to debate and vote upon the 20 nominees for the induction class of 2017 and the five nominees for the Landmark Award.

 

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton announced the class and Landmark Award winner, respectively, this evening in the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s “Great Hall.”

 

The Class of 2017 was determined by votes cast by the Voting Panel, including representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, retired competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com and, for the third year, the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion (Kyle Busch). In all, 54 votes were cast, with four additional Voting Panel members recused from voting as potential nominees for induction (Ricky Rudd, Robert Yates, Waddell Wilson and Ken Squier). The accounting firm of EY presided over the tabulation of the votes.

 

Voting was as follows: Benny Parsons (85%), Rick Hendrick (62%), Mark Martin (57%), Raymond Parks (53%) and Richard Childress (43%).

 

The next top vote-getters were Robert Yates, Red Byron and Alan Kulwicki.

 

Results for the NASCAR.com Fan Vote, in alphabetical order, were Buddy Baker, Alan Kulwicki, Mark Martin, Benny Parsons and Larry Phillips.

 

The five inductees came from a group of 20 nominees that included, in addition to the five inductees chosen: Buddy Baker, Red Byron, Ray Evernham, Ray Fox, Ron Hornaday Jr., Harry Hyde, Alan Kulwicki, Hershel McGriff, Larry Phillips, Jack Roush, Ricky Rudd, Ken Squier, Mike Stefanik, Waddell Wilson and Robert Yates.

 

Nominees for the Landmark Award included Earles, Janet Guthrie, Raymond Parks, Ralph Seagraves and Ken Squier.

 

Class of 2017 Inductees:

 

Richard Childress

Long before he became one of the preeminent car owners in NASCAR history, Richard Childress was a race car driver with limited means. Childress, the consummate self-made racer, was respectable behind the wheel. Between 1969-81 he had six top-five finishes and 76 top 10s in 285 starts, finishing fifth in the NASCAR premier series standings in 1975. Having formed Richard Childress Racing in 1972, Childress retired from driving in 1981. He owned the cars that NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt drove to six championships and 67 wins between 1984-2000. In addition to Earnhardt’s championships, Childress drivers have given him five others. Childress was the first NASCAR owner to win owner championships in all three of NASCAR’s national series, and his 11 owner titles are second all-time. Childress also owned the vehicles driven by NASCAR XFINITY Series driver champions Clint Bowyer (2008) and Austin Dillon (2013), as the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver champion Austin Dillon.

 

Rick Hendrick

The founder and owner of Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick’s organization is recognized as one of NASCAR’s most successful. Hendrick Motorsports owns an all-time record 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner championship titles — six with Jimmie Johnson, four with Jeff Gordon and one with NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte. Hendrick also has 14 total NASCAR national series owner championships, most in NASCAR history. Gordon and Labonte combined to win four consecutive titles from 1995-98. In 2010, Johnson won a record-extending fifth consecutive championship. Hendrick also owned the car driven by 2003 NASCAR XFINITY Series driver champion Brian Vickers. Hendrick’s 242 owner wins in the premier series rank second all-time.

 

Mark Martin

He is often described as the “greatest driver to never to win a championship,” but Mark Martin‘s legendary career is so much more than that. He came incredibly close to that elusive title many times — finishing second in the championship standings five times. Over the course of his 31-year premier series career, Martin compiled 40 wins (17th all time) and 56 poles (seventh all time). Martin saw success at every level of NASCAR. He won 49 times in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, holding the series wins record for 14 years. He retired with 96 wins across NASCAR’s three national series, seventh on the all-time list. In 1998, Martin was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.

 

Raymond Parks

Raymond Parks is one of stock-car racing’s earliest — and most successful — team owners. Funded by successful business and real estate ventures in Atlanta, Parks began his career as a stock-car owner in 1938 with drivers Lloyd Seay and Roy Hall. His pairing with another Atlantan, mechanic Red Vogt, produced equipment good enough to dominate the sport in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Red Byron won the first NASCAR title (modified, 1948) and first premier series title (1949) in a Parks-owned car. Parks’ team produced two premier series wins, two poles, 11 top fives and 12 top 10s in 18 events.

 

Benny Parsons

Benny Parsons won the 1973 NASCAR premier series championship and could be called an everyman champion: winning enough to be called one of the sport’s stars but nearly always finishing well when he wasn’t able to reach Victory Lane. He won 21 times in 526 career starts but finished among the top 10 283 times — a 54 percent ratio. One of Parsons’ biggest victories came in the 1975 Daytona 500. He was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. Parsons also was known as a voice of the sport making a seamless transition to television following his NASCAR career. He was a commentator for NBC and TNT until his passing in 2007, at the age of 65.

 

Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR:

 

H. Clay Earles

One of the original pioneers of stock car auto racing, H. Clay Earles played an integral role in the early years of NASCAR’s development. Earles built and opened Martinsville Speedway in 1947, and the short track remains the only facility to host NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races every year since the series’ inception in 1949. The speedway held its first race on Sept. 7, 1947 — three months before the creation of NASCAR. That initial race drew more than 6,000 fans to the track, which had just 750 seats ready. In 1964, Earles decided it was time for a “different” type of trophy for his race winners. He gave winners grandfather clocks, a tradition that continues today.

Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C. — Roush Fenway Racing has entered a multi-year partnership extension with primary partner the Fastenal Company that will continue Fastenal’s position as the anchor partner of the No. 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team and driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. As part of the extension, Fastenal will also increase the number of its primary races in 2017 and beyond.
 
“We are really excited to announce that Fastenal will remain the anchor partner of the No. 17 team for years to come,” said driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. “Fastenal is a first-class organization with values that align completely with myself and this race team.
 
“We’ve seen a lot of improvement across the board this year,” added Stenhouse. “We are very happy that Fastenal will continue to be a part of the momentum at Roush Fenway. There has been a lot of hard work and effort put into this team and our goal and expectation is to reward Fastenal with a trip to victory lane and the Chase in the near future.”
 
Fastenal is currently in its fifth season as a primary partner in Roush Fenway’s Sprint Cup stable, and its second full season as the anchor partner on Stenhouse’s No. 17 Ford Fusion.
 
“To have a company of the caliber of Fastenal recognize the long-term value of a partnership with Roush Fenway, Ricky and the No. 17 team is gratifying for our entire organization,” said Roush Fenway president Steve Newmark. “During our relationship, Fastenal has created and implemented a robust and impactful motorsports marketing program, and we are thrilled to have Fastenal continue to be a key part of the Roush Fenway family now and in the future.”
 
Fastenal, which boasts 2,600 stores nationwide, first joined Roush Fenway as a primary partner in 2010 in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
 
“We are truly looking forward to continuing our partnership with Roush Fenway Racing as the anchor sponsor of the No. 17,” said Fastenal President and CEO Dan Florness. “Ricky has done an excellent job representing our brand — both on and off the track — and we are extremely proud of the relationship we have built with Ricky, Jack Roush and everyone at Roush Fenway Racing.”
 
“Extending our partnership as the anchor sponsor of the No. 17 reflects our belief in Roush Fenway Racing and Ricky Stenhouse,” said Florness. “The NASCAR program has helped us grow our business and excite our employees, and we feel a strong connection with the NASCAR community and fan base.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: More on the Hall of Fame | See all of the nominees

 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two phenomenally successful contemporary car owners, a champion driver-turned-beloved-broadcaster, a driver with a prolific winning history and the man described as NASCAR racing’s “original car owner” are the newly elected members of the 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
 
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France introduced the new inductees on Wednesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, calling this group of five perhaps “the greatest class yet.”
 
The new members, selected from a group of 20 nominees, include 1973 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and 1975 Daytona 500 winner Benny Parsons, who later became one of the most revered television broadcasters in the sport’s history; team owner Rick Hendrick, who has notched a record 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles; driver Mark Martin, whose 96 career victories across NASCAR’s three national touring series are sixth all-time; car owner Raymond Parks, whose cars won the first NASCAR modified title in 1948 and NASCAR’s first premier series title a year later; and car owner Richard Childress, whose pairing with Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt produced six championships and 67 victories in NASCAR’s top division.
 
Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles is this year’s recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

 

MORE: Hall of Fame reaction pours in

 
Parsons, who succumbed to lung cancer on Jan. 16, 2007, was named on 85 percent of ballots cast by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Committee. Parsons had been on the ballot for eight years.
 
“This is the biggest honor of Benny’s life,” said Terri Parsons, his widow. “It summarizes everything he has ever worked toward. Every job he has ever had, be it as a race car driver in all divisions, host of NASCAR radio shows, NASCAR color commentator for TV networks each were just as important to him as the next.
 
“He lived his life for NASCAR fans and helping to make the sport of auto racing a better sport for them to enjoy. I know he is smiling his big smile tonight saying, ‘Unbelievable!’ “
 
In a career that spanned 25 years, Parsons won 21 Sprint Cup races in 526 starts, but he was a top-10 machine, recording 283 for a staggering percentage of 53.8.
 
Hendrick, who received 62 percent of the vote, has won car owner titles in the Sprint Cup Series with three different drivers — six with Jimmie Johnson, four with Jeff Gordon and one with fellow Hall of Famer Terry Labonte. Hendrick’s 242 owner wins in the premier series rank second all-time.
 
“I’m extremely proud to go in with Benny Parsons and Mark Martin, who drove for me, and then Richard Childress, who’s one of my closest friends in the sport,” Hendrick said. “Parks… I watched the video on him, and he kind of helped the sport get started.
 
“So I’m really humbled to be in the position I’m in. I’ve been doing it now for 33 years, and I hope that we’ve got some more things to accomplish, but I’m very, very appreciative of the fact that I got voted in while I’m still racing.”
 
Martin, who garnered 57 percent of the vote, boasts the highest Sprint Cup victory total (40) of any eligible driver not already inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In addition, Martin has 49 NASCAR XFINITY Series wins to his credit (second all-time), along with seven wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
 
His 56 Sprint Cup poles rank seventh on the all-time list.

 

PHOTOS: Martin, other inductees through the years

 
Martin, who was runner-up in the final Sprint Cup standings on five occasions, most recently in 2009 at age 50, described his selection to the Hall of Fame as the “crown jewel of my career.”
                                                                                                                                                                                         

“I didn’t expect it,” Martin said. “And I’m so grateful to the people who helped me get there… I have so many great memories of the sport. The class that I’m being inducted in, I’m humbled to no end.”
 
Parks, named on 53 percent of the ballots, funded his racing operations through his successful real estate ventures in Atlanta. With mechanic Red Vogt tuning his cars, Parks dominated stock car racing in the 1940s and 1950s, teaming with Red Byron to win the inaugural modified title in 1948 and the first premier series championship in 1949.
 
Also included on Parks’ roster of drivers over the years were Bob Flock, Roy Hall, Fonty Flock and NASCAR Hall of Famer Curtis Turner. Park, who has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for eight years, passed away in 2010 at age 96.
 
Childress, who was included on 43 percent of voting panel ballots, started his career as a driver but found considerably more success in the sport as an owner. In addition to the races and titles he won with Earnhardt, Childress holds 11 owner’s championship trophies in NASCAR’s top three series, second only to Hendrick’s 14.
 
Childress performed the posthumous induction of close friend and driver Dale Earnhardt into the first NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
 
“I was really, really honored and proud that day,” Childress said. “I didn’t really expect to get in because I was told that the only way you were going to get in was to retire or be deceased — and I sure liked the first one better, and I haven’t got plans to retire yet either.”
 
Landmark Award winner Earles had a simple business philosophy that made Martinsville Speedway one of the most pre-eminent short tracks in the country.
 
“The secret to success in our business is giving the customer what he wants,” Earles said before his death in 1999. “When a man plunks down his money, he deserves the best. You try to make him comfortable, give him a great show and make sure he gets his money’s worth. And we’ve always tried to do just that.
 
“Your customers are your greatest assets, and that will never change. You actually sell the customer a memory as much as a race. If their memories are good, they’ll keep coming back.”
 
Note: Hendrick and Childress will field a combined seven cars in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (6 p.m. ET on FOX).

Posted on by Pat DeCola

If you’re into motorsports and racing, chances are you’ve at least attempted to do a burnout before. It’s hard, right?

 

Joey Logano makes it look easy.

 

The above video came from the moments after the Team Penske driver locked up his first career Sprint All-Star Race win — along with a cool, $1 million prize.

It’s unquestionably the most unique one we’ve seen thus far in 2016 — certainly the longest, both in time and distance — and it’s starting to sink in that Logano is quickly earning himself the title of NASCAR’s master of burnouts.

“I’m just kind of a fan of (burnouts),” Logano told NASCAR.com on Wednesday afternoon. “I like watching other people and I just think it’s fun, you know? It’s a cool thing to do. Everyone has their own celebration and lately I’ve been doing these really fast donuts down the front stretch, that’s kind of been my thing here lately. … They carry some distance, that’s for sure.

“Everyone kind of has their own way to do different things and you think of some drivers like Kyle Larson, he took the steering wheel out one time while he was doing it. Everyone has their own thing and their own technique to how they do it so it’s kind of funny.”

The art of the burnout is one that drivers take seriously.

Riding the wave of adrenaline from taking the checkered flag, especially after a beat-and-bang-type finish to hold off Kyle Larson like we saw in last Saturday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway that trickled into the wee hours of Sunday morning, the situation is kind of a pressure-filled one, given that a driver suddenly finds him or herself thrust into the spotlight to put on one final performance for the fans.

Luckily for Logano, he’s had 14 times to perfect the craft at the Sprint Cup Series level (11 of which have come in the 2014-2015 seasons alone).

“Most of the practicing is pretty much after you win. I do screw around a lot and do burnouts (on my own), but a lot of times when you can do burnouts with someone else’s car, it makes it a lot more fun and a lot less expensive for me,” Logano joked. “Especially after a race and you’ve already got the good out of the car. It doesn’t really matter anymore, so it makes it a lot of fun to be able to burn them up.”


With the exception of last Saturday’s exhibition win, Logano hasn’t had much of an opportunity to get in his burnout reps thus far in 2016, still looking for wins at both the Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series levels.

Chalk him up as a favorite in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio) at Charlotte Motor Speedway, however, where he’s the most recent winner and has an average finish of 9.6, the highest among active Sprint Cup drivers.

And if Logano lands in Victory Lane once again, expect him to up his game on the way there.

“I think you can always make (the burnouts) better,” he said. “It’s funny, every time I win, I’ve gotten a little bit more gutsy with it. It hasn’t gotten me in trouble yet, but I feel like I’m kind of on the edge of getting me in trouble. It’s fun. The fans like to see that and it’s something exciting for the driver to do as well. I’ve always enjoyed doing stuff like that.”

And for his next “big” trick — a burnout all the way around the .533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway later this season, perhaps?

“Yes, it is possible. It’s something that’d be very hard to do, though,” said Logano, who celebrated a birthday on Tuesday. “I actually tried to do that at Bristol but I blew the rear tires out around the corner before I actually made it around. Once the tires are blown out, it’s kind of the end. There’s a fine line of how much tire you wear out, so it’s kind of hard to do that.”

While it sounds like the 26-year-old still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve, don’t expect any acrobatics, a la Carl Edwards.

“I’m not doing any backflips,” said Logano. “No backflips for me.”

“I would just rather burn the tires off it.”

Posted on by

Photo credit: Charlotte Motor Speedway

CONCORD, N.C. – With its close proximity to race shops, Charlotte Motor Speedway is known as the home track for most of the NASCAR community. But Tuesday’s gathering at the 1.5-mile speedway had more of a tourist feel, as fans hailed from places near and far.


There was the man from Bakersfield, California, – “Harvick country,” he states proudly – the fan from Switzerland, the Canadian couple and everyone in between. They wore different numbers on their shirts and spoke with different accents, but they were all there to see one man.


Mr. Jeff Gordon.


The FOX Sports analyst and four-time NASCAR champion helped celebrate the 10 Days of NASCAR Thunder leading up to Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) by taking photos with 100 Charlotte ticketholders. Despite Gordon’s retirement following his championship run last season, the fandom was as feverous as ever, as each visitor itched to exchange a few words with the former No. 24 driver.


“It’s slightly different (now) because many of them say a lot of the same things, ‘I wish you were out there,’ (or) ‘I miss you being out there,'” Gordon said of the fans. “But I’m getting a lot of great comments about being up in the booth, so it’s nice. I’m enjoying myself, so I think it comes across in the broadcast and interacting with the fans, I get to hear that from them as well.”


Gordon and the fans stood on the roof of the infield’s Champion’s Pavilion, the spot providing the group a birds-eye view of the quad oval. The track is impressive; a feeling Gordon reciprocates, as he recalls the first time he laid eyes on it.


“I think it doesn’t mean the same to everybody,” Gordon said, “but for me, the very first time I ever came to North Carolina … when I drove by this facility, I was blown away. I’d seen Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but beyond that, I’d never seen anything that looked like this. Just the appearance of it put me in awe.”


Gordon found success at Charlotte early in his career, earning a runner-up result in his first race at the North Carolina track in 1993. And on Sunday, he’ll broadcast his first Coca-Cola 600; 22 years after he earned his first-ever win in the Cup Series in the ’94 running of the 600-mile event. The win put Gordon on the racing map and made folks wonder about this young “kid” from California who was driving nose-to-nose with Dale Earnhardt.


RELATED: See all the winners of the longest race in NASCAR

But Gordon’s love affair with Charlotte began before the Victory Lane celebration.


“When I drove a stock car here for the first time, I just fell in love with it,” Gordon said. “I love the way the track flows, the banking, the grip level, bumps and everything that comes along with it.  And of course, winning my first race, having it happen in the 600.”


The longest race on the Cup circuit, the Coca-Cola 600 has long been revered as one of NASCAR’s biggest races – one of the sport’s “Majors,” as Gordon says.


“Daytona, here, Brickyard, maybe a Southern 500, some would also say Talladega.” Gordon said, rattling off a list of stock car racing’s biggest events. “But this is a big, big deal to win this race. To me, it’s probably second or third ranking in our series as far as most prestigious events.”


Winning the coveted Coca-Cola 600 trophy is no easy feat – the man who has won three of those races can tell you that. With the cars being more advanced today and eliminating some of the physical aspect, Gordon emphasizes the continued need for mental toughness.


“You’re talking about a minimum of four hours being in the car,” Gordon said. “Pit crews, crew chiefs, everyone’s on edge, not just the drivers … (They’re) pushing the limits every single lap, which is not the way it used to be. You used to pace yourself and be able to manage the tires and your car and you could still be competitive at the end of the day – if you were in one piece.


“That’s not the case anymore – it’s just all out. So, that mentally drains you by pushing that hard for that period of time.”

RELATED: Gordon embraces new career with ‘contagious’ energy

The task of taming a 600-mile monster is daunting, especially for younger drivers. Gordon’s No. 24 replacement Chase Elliott will attempt the feat, as he prepares to make his second Coca-Cola 600 start. Elliott, now in his rookie season, started 28th and finished 18th in the 2015 Coca-Cola 600, then driving the No. 25 for Hendrick Motorsports.


As for any advice from the former boss of the No. 24? Gordon said his 20-year-old successor doesn’t need it.


“I haven’t had to give him much advice on the race track,” Gordon said. “He’s a natural … He gets better every weekend.


“I’m excited for that 24 team. I had to defend a lot with fans being upset about them keeping the No. 24 and I said, ‘Just wait, just wait, I think you’re going to be proud of the results.’ And now, I’m starting to see everybody’s now saying, ‘What a great replacement for the 24!’ “


Gordon’s statement was validated by fans sporting Elliott-themed shirts earlier, one young boy in particular wearing a blue No. 24 NAPA hat. This fan will likely grow up knowing Elliott — rather than Gordon — as the driver of the legendary No. 24 Chevrolet.


It’s a mark of a racing transition, a generational shift. And Gordon loves it.


“Listen, I love seeing the sport grow,” he said. “I’m still heavily involved in the sport, not just from the FOX side, but from Hendrick Motorsports. And I think the sport is amazing right now. The racing is as good as it’s ever been. We have some great young talents. Not to mention veterans that are doing great things … I’m all for bringing new fans and seeing fans get excited about it, people like Chase or Ryan Blaney or Kyle Larson.


“I support it 100 percent.”

Posted on by Staff Report

One NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team was issued a P3 penalty coming out of the weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and a second was given a written warning, according to Tuesday’s penalty release via NASCAR.

 

No penalties or warnings were issued to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams.

 

The No. 30 Truck Series team, which had Jesse Little as its driver over the weekend, had infractions found during opening-day inspection related to throttle body shafts. Examples of a possible violation, according to the NASCAR Rule Book, are meeting a minimum combined thickness of 0.197 inches or ensuring that the shafts seal, to prevent air leakage.

 

The team was also penalized for having an engine ancillary component that did not meet the NASCAR rules, according to the penalty report. The truck did not make the race after qualifying was rained out.

 

Crew chief Mark Rette was fined $5,000 for the infractions.

 

Additionally, the No. 41 team of Ben Rhodes was issued a written warning. Its truck trailing arms did not meet specifications on opening-day inspection.

 

Also on Tuesday’s penalty report: Crew member Kelly Johnson has been suspended indefinitely for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.

Posted on by Pat DeCola
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/kyle-busch/
KyleBusch
0
Joe Gibbs Racing

Busch just barely managed to finish in the top 10, but did make it out in front of the pack for 15 laps. With zero wins and plenty of near-misses at Charlotte, expect him to race hungrily for 600 miles.

Harvick finished just behind the reigning champ. He has two wins in the 600, and there’s no reason to think he won’t be a force again in NASCAR’s longest race.

GALLERY: All the 600 winners

Edwards overcame a lot to rally for a top-five finish, a typical M.O. for the No. 19 team in 2016. And hey, he’s going to be on a videogame cover!


MORE: Edwards earns NASCAR Heat cover

Busch kept the momentum going at Charlotte, landing his seventh-straight top-10 finish (exhibition race or otherwise).

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/brad-keselowski/
BradKeselowski
1
Team Penske

Think there’s any chance Joey Logano splits some of his $1 mllion earnings with his Team Penske teammate, who finished second? Probably not, but a runner-up performance with an altered rules package is a solid consolation prize.

Care to guess who won the most recent points-paying race at Charlotte? Hint: he’s $1 million richer after this weekend.


MORE: Logano wins Sprint All-Star Race

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/jimmie-johnson/
JimmieJohnson
-3
Hendrick Motorsports

After a forgettable All-Star Race performance, perhaps Johnson should focus on imitating the six-time champ that he is.


MORE: Johnson does driver impressions

Kenseth couldn’t win on back-to-back weeks, wrecking with Tony Stewart in the second segment. Still, his race wasn’t going too well before that, having been penalized.



MORE: Stewart, Kenseth collide

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr/
DaleEarnhardt Jr.
1
Hendrick Motorsports

Junior has been vocal about his team’s (lack of) performance of late, so a third-place All-Star finish could mean big gains moving forward.


MORE: Dale Jr. looks to carry success to 600

Now that Matt Kenseth’s team has shedded its skin as the "snake-bitten team," that onus may fall on the No. 78 squad and Truex Jr.

The past two weekends have belonged to Larson, despite not landing in Victory Lane. The breakout is upon us.


MORE: Hard luck, near-win for Larson

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/chase-elliott/
ChaseElliott
-1
Hendrick Motorsports

Apart from coming up short to Kyle Larson in the Sprint Showdown, Elliott didn’t do a whole lot to impress on Saturday. But hey, he won the Sprint Fan Vote.


MORE: Elliott wins Sprint Fan Vote

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/denny-hamlin/
DennyHamlin
-1
Joe Gibbs Racing

Hamlin was unable to win back-to-back All-Star Races, but his 10 top-10 finishes in the past 11 points-paying races at Charlotte should be enough to help him sleep throughout the week.

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/austin-dillon/
AustinDillon
-1
Richard Childress Racing

After failing to make the All-Star Race, look for Dillon to come back next Sunday with a vengeance — and possibly even pick up his first Cup win.

Like Austin Dillon, expect Blaney to come out in the Coca-Cola 600 guns-a-blazin’ after failing to make the Sprint All-Star Race. The No. 21 team should have good info after running both Charlotte races with the young driver last year.

Kahne had the bad luck of getting caught up in the Kenseth/Stewart wreck. He does have a career-high four wins at Charlotte, however, and could get back on track on Sunday.

McMurray doesn’t have many tracks at which he’s typically considered to be among the players going in, but Charlotte (two wins, seven top-fives) is certainly one of them.

Newman doesn’t always win poles, but when he does, he prefers them to come at Charlotte Motor Speedway (career-high nine).

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/ricky-stenhouse-jr/
RickyStenhouse Jr.
0
Roush Fenway Racing

Stenhouse Jr. had to watch the All-Star Race from the sidelines, while his girlfriend and two teammates both raced in the 20-car field. He’ll be itching to get on track Sunday.

Allmendinger didn’t make the big race this past weekend, but did have back-to-back top-10s at Charlotte once … in 2011.