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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — At just 16 years old, NASCAR Pinty’s Series driver Cayden Lapcevich has already broken a record set by Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano.

In 18 starts, the Ontario (Canada) native has become the youngest driver to win a NASCAR series championship, beating out Logano’s previous K&N Pro Series East record of 17 years old set in 2007.

But it wasn’t without trial, tribulation and a dose of his mother’s trust.

In 2015, Lapcevich put up one top-five and three top-10 finishes in six starts, but come 2016, he found himself down a major sponsor and in need of a team.

“We lost that motivation at one point to even go down to the race shop because we just couldn’t see ourselves making it out this year,” Lapcevich told NASCAR.com. “But I finally was able to convince my mom that I would work on the cars and do it all myself and she was just like, ‘If you and your dad can prepare it, we’ll do it.’

“But even once we had the car prepared, she second-guessed herself. But I don’t think she’s second-guessing herself anymore. I think she realizes that she made the right decision by letting me go to the first race.

“It was hard to get to the first race with very minimal funding, but I’m glad we made the first race because it’s led to so much.”

Lapcevich is a third-generation driver and the son of an electrical contractor. His dad also doubles as his crew chief for the No. 76 Dodge.

“I’ve always looked up to my dad because he’s taught me everything I know about racing,” Lapcevich said. “He’s made me an all-around better race car driver.

“Even last year when we had the funding to pay someone (to be my crew chief), as good as it was to have someone so knowledgeable, it didn’t feel comfortable not having my dad as my crew chief because he’s been my crew chief my whole life. He’s always been my driving coach and we just connect so well. I think it’s a dream that every driver has.”

With his dad in his ear and his mother’s faith resting on his shoulders, Lapcevich began to build a race team — a volunteer race team, at that.

“A couple of the (pit crew) guys have been around (the sport) for 25 years, plus,” Lapcevich said. “They just show the same dedication and passion to the sport that I do and that my dad did and we all want to go out and win. I think that’s what keeps the guys that volunteer interested. They want to see what’s next and they want to be a part of that.”

Lapcevich and his team won three Pinty’s Series races this season, clinching the 2016 title after taking the green flag on Sunday at Kawartha Speedway.

With a championship — along with a fresh driver’s license — Lapcevich looks ahead to what the future could hold for a record breaker.

“Hopefully (next season) brings me down south,” Lapcevich said. “I’m hoping that something big comes up and we can put together a ride in K&N or make a few (Camping World Truck) starts, but we’ll see. I’m still trying to let the championship sink in.

“I’d like to see myself in the Sprint Cup Series or racing XFINITY full-time. I’ve set up some quality goals and I’m trying to chase those goals.”

As Lapcevich continues to grow and strives to fulfill his racing dream, he keeps in mind the drivers who have also come from similar beginnings.

“I look up to guys that started in quarter midgits, like me,” Lapcevich said. “Guys like Joey Logano or Ryan Blaney. They’ve just inspired me knowing that you can come from that starting point and make it to the top.

“Also breaking Joey Logano‘s record as the youngest champion gives me hope that we’re headed in the right direction here.”

While he admires Logano, ask this teenager who he has winning this 2016 Sprint Cup Series title and his answer has some roots.

“I’d like to see Martin Truex Jr. win it all because he’s been really consistent this year and he’s got Canadian crew chief Cole Pearn who used to race with my dad, so it’s really cool to see him climbing the ranks.”

Hear that, Logano? This kid is breaking your records and picking against you (let it be known, Lapcevich does predict the No. 22 Team Penske driver will make it to the Championship Round). Next thing you know, he could be in your rearview mirror, Joey. 

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Chase bubble heading into Loudon

One race into NASCAR’s 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and the championship standings are thoroughly scrambled and causing double-takes.

Some favorites are shaking their heads and some long shots are thanking their lucky stars.

But as rough as stomaching a 20th-place finish in the Chicago opener was for the regular-season points leader Kevin Harvick, there is still every reason to believe it could just provide a more dramatic backdrop for another championship run.

Harvick finished 42nd in the Chicago race last year and still advanced to the final round of drivers competing for the big trophy at Miami.

In fact, the 2014 Sprint Cup champion Harvick is the only driver who has advanced to the final round in both seasons of the new Chase format.

Obviously, his Stewart-Haas Racing team feels urgency to get back on track this weekend in New Hampshire. Harvick is ranked 14th — a single point behind his team owner Tony Stewart in the 12th and final position to advance in two weeks.

But this group knows it can restore its title run, having crawled out of a deeper hole last fall and still finishing runner-up in the championship.

It’s a steely, forward-focus mindset that has served the intensely competitive Harvick well.

“It’s something we pride ourselves in,” Harvick said this week. “I think the pressure situations have been very good for us. As you look at the past two years — winning the championship and finishing second and getting to Homestead twice — it kind of shows the grit and backbone of our team and how well they’ve dealt with those situations.

“That experience definitely pays dividends every year when you go in. I think we were a little too ramped up, or at least I was, to start the Chase last year. There’s definitely a strategy to how you approach situations and how you approach the end. I think, having dealt with that in the past, that it’s a good thing for us.”

Harvick’s track record at New Hampshire is impressive, if not A-plus.

He won a race from the pole position in 2006, has led 698 total laps on the 1.058-mile track and never had a DNF. He’s had top-four finishes in three of the last four races in New Hampshire and was fourth there in July.

While some consider the track to be a unique wild card, Harvick insists it’s of equal challenge as the rest of the schedule.

“I don’t think Loudon is really any different than any other racetrack,” Harvick said. “It’s just circumstances that can crop up at really any racetrack throughout the Chase. … If you’re having a bad day, you know it can result in a bad day. You just have to overcome that and try to get yourself out of the hole.”

That is something Harvick has done well in the past, and it’s his overall standing in Sprint Cup competition that is more indicative of his potential than last week’s circumstantial disappointment.

He accumulated the most regular-season points of anyone. He leads the series in 11 different categories, including top fives (13), top 10s (21), driver rating (109.1) and average finish (8.9).

He has four runner-up finishes this season, including Charlotte and Kansas, where the series returns during the Chase.

Since 2014, Harvick and his crew chief Rodney Childers have a series-best 33 top-two finishes, 10 of those wins. That translates into 33.7 percent of all the races in that time frame.

The disappointing outcome at Chicago can be viewed as both an anomaly and a motivator.

There is no way Harvick’s competition is writing him off. In fact, they are probably more worried when he is more driven.

“You just have to be selfish,” Harvick said after the Richmond regular-season finale.


“You have to do what’s best for your team, worry about the consequences when all the dust settles, and you have to be narrow minded, not listen to anything, and do whatever it takes to figure out how to make the best performance on that particular day because every point matters.

“This is a minute-by-minute battle.”

And Harvick knows time is ticking for the 4-team.

MORE: Is Harvick a good fantasy play this week?

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

NEW YORK — The NASCAR Foundation will donate $1 million to NYU Langone Medical Center, as part of a multi-year partnership to benefit hospitalized children. Through this partnership, The NASCAR Foundation will enhance the Child Life Program at the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital of New York at NYU Langone.

The partnership will be commemorated at the first-ever NASCAR Foundation Honors Gala taking place at The Marriott Marquis in New York on Sept. 27.

This is The NASCAR Foundation’s first multi-year partnership with a New York area hospital and marks its commitment to reach more kids nationally. NASCAR’s charitable arm has donated $25 million and impacted more than one million children since its inception in 2006.

“This is an important partnership for The NASCAR Foundation,” said NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton. “The work being done by the NYU Langone Medical Center is changing lives, each and every day. The NASCAR Foundation is proud to have an opportunity to support that important work and expand our commitment to improving the lives of children in need.”

Through this partnership, the Child Life Program will ease the anxiety of children and their families during their hospital stay, which is essential to recovery. The NASCAR Foundation will support an enhanced child and family experience, fund two Child Life specialists, and provide resources, equipment and supplies to complement the wide-range of supportive and therapeutic activities currently offered at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at no charge to patients.

This marks an expansion of The NASCAR Foundation’s commitment to supporting children with Child Life programming as part of its signature Speediatrics program, which has provided more than 500,000 children with state-of-the-art medical care.

“As leaders in the field of pediatrics, we’re proud to partner with The NASCAR Foundation whose generous philanthropic support provides extensive and meaningful programs to help children and their families,” said Catherine S. Manno, MD, the Pat and John Rosenwald Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at NYU Langone. “This sponsorship, in concert with our Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care, will strengthen our national exemplar model of care for children and their families.”

The NASCAR Foundation Honors Gala, which was planned to celebrate “10 Years of Giving,” has taken on additional significance following the unexpected passing of its Founder and Chairwoman Emeritus Betty Jane France last month.

The Gala will be a tribute to Betty Jane France’s life and is being hosted by the France family including NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France (son) and his wife Amy France, International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa France Kennedy (daughter) and NASCAR Vice Chairman and International Speedway Corporation Chairman Jim France (brother-in-law).

At the Honors Gala, various awards will be bestowed, including:

— Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide: One of four finalists will be announced as the winner following a fan vote which has taken place since July 13. The NASCAR Foundation will donate a total of $175,000 to the charities represented by the finalists — with the winner’s charity receiving a $100,000 donation. This year’s finalists include Jim Giaccone of Bayville, New York, representing Tuesday’s Children; Andy Hoffman of Atkinson, Nebraska, founder of the Team Jack Foundation; Logan Houptley of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a founding member of Mikayla’s Voice; and Parker White of Greensboro, North Carolina, founder of BackPack Beginnings. Since the award’s inception, nearly $900,000 has been contributed to charities represented by the finalists.

— Children’s Champion Award: Dr. Howard B. Ginsburg: The William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, and Division Chief, Pediatric Surgery at NYU Langone, will receive the award recognizing his commitment to children.

— Founder’s Award: NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus will receive the award recognizing his contributions to philanthropy.

The Honors Gala will be headlined by Grammy® and Tony® nominated singer Sara Bareilles.

The following NASCAR champions and rising stars will be in attendance: six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Richard Petty, reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace, two-time NASCAR XFINITY Series Champions Martin Truex Jr. and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Danica Patrick, Kyle Larson, Kasey Kahne, Ben Kennedy and Julia Landauer.

This event builds on NASCAR’s long history in New York. The racing organization opened its first office in Manhattan in 1996 and is based out of the newly renovated New York headquarters at 590 Madison Avenue.

This partnership also marks further collaboration between NYU and NASCAR. In March, Brian France participated in NYU’s first Social Responsibility of Sports Conference where he pledged NASCAR’s support to improve social responsibility in sports.

For ticket information or table sponsorships, please visit www.nascarfoundation.org/honors-gala.

Posted on by George Winkler

Here are the hot topics, trending news and key story lines to get you ready for this weekend’s races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway, including the Chase openers for the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.



WEATHER



The weekend forecast for Loudon, New Hampshire, looks mostly clear for on-track activity. Friday for Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole qualifying there is a 48 percent chance for precipitation. For the Camping World Truck race on Saturday, skies will be partly cloudy and the high is expected to be 64 degrees. And for the Sprint Cup race on Sunday, we’re looking at clear skies and a high of 61.

For Sparta, Kentucky, site of this weekend’s XFINITY events, it will be clear and 89 degrees for the start of Friday’s practices. And on Saturday it will be clear and 78 degrees for the start of the race.

KEY TIMES



Sprint Cup Series: The Sprint Cup Series holds its first practice Friday at 11:30 a.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App) followed by Coors Light Pole qualifying at 4:45 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App).

 The Bad Boy Off Road 300 is at 2 p.m. ET Sunday (NBCSN/NBC Sports App/PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

XFINITY Series: The XFINITY Series opens practice on Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App) and qualifies Saturday at 4:45 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App). The VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 is on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET (NBC/NBC Sports App).



Camping World Truck Series: The Camping World Truck Series is scheduled for a Keystone Light Pole qualifying session at 10:10 a.m. ET on FS1 Saturday followed by the UNOH 175 race at 1 p.m. ET (FS1).



CATCH DRIVERS LIVE



We’ll stream every driver press conference in the New Hampshire media center at NASCAR.com/presspass. Click here for a full schedule. Click here to tune into the live stream.


LAST TIME

In September of 2015, Matt Kenseth outlasted Kevin Harvick, who ran out of fuel with three laps to go, to capture the victory in the Sylvania 300 and punch his ticket to the second round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Kenseth backed up that win with another at New Hampshire in July of this season. In that one, Kenseth pulled away from Tony Stewart to win by 1.982 seconds.


YOU SHOULD KNOW


• Chris Buescher (-12 from 12th place), Kyle Larson (-2), Kevin Harvick (-1) and Austin Dillon (-1) are all on the outside looking in as far as the Chase Grid standings are concerned. Of those drivers, Harvick is the only one who owns a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at New Hampshire (fall of 2006). Harvick has finished in the top four in three of his past four races at Loudon, with the only exception being the 21st-place finish in the Chase race here last season.



• New England native Joey Logano considers New Hampshire to be his home track and high on his list as far as valued victories. Logano has won here twice, in the 2014 Chase race and in 2009 when he notched his first-ever Sprint Cup Series victory as a member of Joe Gibbs Racing. At this time last year, Logano was hitting his stride in a season in which he captured six Sprint Cup victories. Although this season hasn’t been as dominant, his second-place finish at Chicago gives him momentum coming into Sunday.

• Erik Jones comes to Kentucky atop the Chase standings in the XFINITY Series thanks to his four victories this season. And chances are he’ll get his Chase off to a good start there. In three races at Kentucky, Jones has an average finish of 4.7, and earlier this season, he finished fourth. Jones is trying to back up last year’s Camping World Truck Series championship with an XFINITY title before moving to Sprint Cup with Furniture Row Racing next season.

• Cole Custer is the only Camping World Truck Series regular who has a win at New Hampshire, but he’s not in the Chase after his controversial run-in with John Hunter Nemechek at the end of the Sept. 4 race at Canadian Tire Motor Sport Park. Could Custer take out his frustrations on Nemechek now that the Chase in underway? We shall see. Interestingly, Nemechek’s average finish of 5.0 (in two races) at New Hampshire is bested only by Johnny Sauter‘s 4.8 (in five races) entering this weekend.

THE FAVORITE

 

Matt Kenseth. It just has to be the driver of the No. 20, who has won the last two races at New Hampshire. Granted he’s not the hottest driver coming into this race, but you can’t argue with the most recent results at this track.

Others to consider: Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin.

THE SLEEPER

 

Tony Stewart. Sticking with ‘Smoke’ like last week because he’s tied for the lead among active drivers with three victories at New Hampshire. Plus, he finished second here in July to help solidify his spot in the standings in order to get a chance to “Chase” a fourth title.

Others to consider: Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson.

STAFF PICKS

Joey Logano: 3
Kevin Harvick: 2
Matt Kenseth: 2
Denny Hamlin: 2
Brad Keselowski: 1

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials handed down a P3 penalty to both the No. 43 team of driver Aric Almirola and the No. 16 team of Greg Biffle on Wednesday for not having lug nuts properly installed during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

The infraction also brought fines of $10,000 to crew chiefs Drew Blickensderfer and Brian Pattie.

The No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team received a written warning for failing the pre-race template inspection three times and lost 15 minutes of practice time.

The fellow Stewart-Haas Racing cars of No. 10 Danica Patrick and No. 41 Kurt Busch received warnings for failing pre-race LIS.

The cars of Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman failed pre-race template inspection twice and received warnings.

Other warnings or penalties issued after last weekend’s events at Chicagoland included:

The No. 2 XFINITY Series team was warned for failing pre-race template inspection three times.

Kyle Busch‘s No. 18 Camping World Truck Series team received a P2 penalty for having tailgate inspection height measurements outside NASCAR allowed tolerances. The No. 18 crew chief Wes Ward was fined $6,000 and the team docked 10 owner points.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR announced Wednesday that it will solidify its post-race inspection penalty structure for infractions stemming from the laser inspection station (LIS), eliminating the P2 and P3 levels for those violations. The P4 level for LIS infractions remains, and violations at this level will remain encumbered.

NASCAR also announced that neither the No. 78 driven by Martin Truex Jr. nor the No. 48 driven by Jimmie Johnson will be penalized for failing post-race LIS following last Sunday’s Chicagoland Speedway.

“The use of the LIS platform in post-race was really driven by the industry,” NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said in a teleconference Wednesday evening. “We had everyone collaborating to create the appropriate deterrent penalties if there was a a violation. As we headed toward the Chase, we were asked to further develop an enhanced deterrent for the Chase. … The important development was the new language surrounding the concept of an encumbered win.”

Martin Truex Jr. won the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400, assuring the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team of a berth in the Round of 12 in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Jimmie Johnson finished Sunday’s race in 12th place in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Both would have been assessed P2-level penalties for infractions discovered in post-race laser inspection. Those penalties were minor in nature, most people in the inudstry would agree, O’Donnell said. But assessing both teams penalties would be inherently unfair given the Chase structure. So NASCAR decided not to penalize either team and going forward will punish only P4-level post-race inspection infractions, which would be considered egregious.

“This was the most fair decision we could get to,” said O’Donnell, explaining that a points penalty assessed to a team still trying to get into the next round of the Chase would have dramatically different effects than on a team that is already locked into the Round of 12 with a win at Chicago. “Those penalties will not have the same impact on the competitors, based on the Chase format and the increased emphasis on win bonuses.”

Posted on by Track Release

MIAMI — In 2015, NASCAR witnessed one of the most remarkable comebacks in the sports’ history, as Kyle Busch collected his first career Sprint Cup Series championship by emerging victorious in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Regardless of which of the 16 Chase drivers are part of the Championship 4 at the 2016 Ford EcoBoost 400 on Sunday, November 20, there is guaranteed to be another comeback completed that day.

Hot off the release of their new single “Comeback Kid,” Grammy® Award-winning superstar sibling trio — The Band Perry — will make a special live performance prior to this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship race. The Band Perry will be featured in Homestead-Miami Speedway‘s pre-race show, which airs on Countdown to Green on NBC that Sunday. The Ford EcoBoost 400 championship race, which is televised in 185 countries and territories, will be broadcast on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 2:30 p.m. ET.

The Band Perry, which consists of siblings Kimberly Perry, Neil Perry and Reid Perry, are an unstoppable presence in music. The trio has released two studio albums, The Band Perry (2010) and Pioneer (2013). Their first album went certified platinum and included the sextuple-platinum chart-topper, “If I Die Young,” the platinum-selling “You Lie” and “All Your Life” (a No. 1 single). Their second album Pioneer was certified gold and also featured two No. 1 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with the song “Better Dig Two” and “DONE”, a first No. 1 for brothers Reid and Neil as songwriters. In February 2015, The Band Perry won their first Grammy®Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and have also earned multiple awards from the likes of The Country Music Association, CMT Music Awards, the American Country Awards and the Academy of Country Music. Recently named ambassadors for Teen Cancer America (a charity founded by The Who’s Roger Daltrey), The Band Perry recently launched a million-dollar fundraising campaign with the nonprofit to benefit Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital to expand the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer program in Nashville. They are currently putting the finishing touches on their third studio album.

“We are thrilled to have The Band Perry performing in what will be an exciting day at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which will be capped off with the Ford EcoBoost 400 championship race on Sunday,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer. “The Band Perry has become a household name in country music, and having them kick off the Sprint Cup Series championship race with a pre-race concert will be an electrifying experience for NASCAR and all of our fans. We can’t wait to see the show they put on in November.”

Tickets for 2016 Ford Championship Weekend, which will be held November 18-20, are now available and can be purchased by calling (866) 409-RACE (7223) or visiting www.HomesteadMiamiSpeedway.com.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a first-person account from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano about his childhood memories attending New Hampshire Motor Speedway, as well as his successful career at his home race track. New Hampshire will host Sunday’s Sprint Cup race, the Bad Boy Off Road 300 (2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).


I remember the first time I went to New Hampshire was in 1997, when I was seven years old. My family camped out by Turn 2, back there behind all the midway activities for the weekend. We were there for the weekend and watched the modified race, the Busch North race — at the time that’s what the K&N Pro Series East was called — and the Sprint Cup race. My family actually still has a photo album of the trip. I got pictures of the cars when they came out and practiced. Looking back on it, I guess that really was my first memory of NASCAR racing. It’s cool that I remember it, but I think everyone remembers the time you go to your first NASCAR race.

One thing I remember is when I got to meet Jeff Gordon that weekend, which was awesome because I grew up a huge Jeff Gordon fan. He was leaving an appearance and I was one of those people that kind of sat there on the side, waiting for him to come out. There he was and I got a picture with him. It’s funny — I still have the picture. We talked about it and showed it on a couple of NASCAR shows last year when Jeff was doing his farewell tour. My Mom’s thumb got over the lens of the camera, so it’s one of those pictures with a thumb in it. My Mom got Jeff to sign the photo a couple of years back and she framed it for me with another photo of Jeff and I sitting on the pit wall before driver intros. It’s a pretty cool memento and something that links one of my first memories with where I am today.

To me, New Hampshire is something special. Really special. Every driver out there has their favorite track and a place that means more to them than others, even if they don’t always tell you. New Hampshire is that place for me. I guess it started when I was just a fan and I went to that race and met Jeff Gordon. Then, when I moved into driving, things still just happened there. I started my first Sprint Cup race there in the No. 96 car back in 2008. Then I won my first Sprint Cup race there the next year in the No. 20. 

But the most memorable moment to me was when we won there a couple of years ago in the fall race of 2014. That win was hands down the coolest win of my career. The Daytona 500 was neat. I mean who doesn’t grow up wanting to be a racecar driver and not want to win the Daytona 500? But the New Hampshire win beats it in my opinion. I think you can start to see why. For one, it’s my home track. Any win any driver gets at their home track is special. That is why my teammate Brad Keselowski wants to win at Michigan so bad. It’s on every driver’s bucket list. On top of that, it was the most challenging, most difficult track I went to as a driver. I sucked there. I literally did not know how to go fast. I remember one time we unloaded there and I started complaining about how bad the car was. Then, I look up and we were P1 on the board. I said, “I don’t know how to do this then. I don’t know what to tell you, because to me, it drives awful and we’re fast.”

So over time, I started figuring out that I need this and I need that, and got the car kind of feeling the way it’s supposed to. I had a lot of conversations with my crew chief Todd Gordon and we’ve worked together to make it better. Eventually, we conquered the hardest track for me — and my home track — so it’s all just worked out and it showed on the track.

That win in 2014 was just awesome for me personally. I don’t ever get out of the car at the start finish line (after a win). I just want to get to Victory Lane and celebrate with the team. But that was one of those moments where I thought: “I’m getting out of the car, I’m standing on top of it, I’m going to enjoy this moment. It’s going to be hard to have a win that’s larger than that.”

  

Something else that I love about New Hampshire is the fans. They love NASCAR racing and racing in general in the Northeast. It’s what got me to be a fan of the sport. I hope they grab some tickets and come out for an amazing weekend of racing when we go back up there this weekend. You go to Loudon as a New England guy and those are your people.

So we try to take advantage of every situation when we’re up there to look for ways to help, especially with the “Chasing Second Chances” initiative through the Joey Logano Foundation. We did our golf tournament in Connecticut with the spring race, and a lot of people were able to come to it. To me, all of this racing stuff is great and all, but it’s a platform to change people’s lives. I feel like it’s my calling. I’m supposed to use that.

It’s a privilege to have that opportunity to do what you’re supposed to do in this world. So, yeah, I want to win races and I want to win championships, but I want to do something more with the platform that God’s given me. So through the Joey Logano Foundation and through the Chasing Second Chances program, we’re trying to give people another shot at life in the New England area who were the victims of something out of their control or just made a bad decision and are working to make their life better.

In all honesty, the whole Chasing Second Chances throughout the next nine weeks (of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) is a big deal. A lot of cool things for the next nine weeks. For more on Chasing Second Chances, click here.

As told to the NASCAR Wire Service’s Reid Spencer.