What it's like to be a NASCAR pace car driver

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Mobil 1

Mobil 1 technology proves itself every single weekend in some of the world’s top race cars. That’s why more than half of all NASCAR teams choose Mobil 1 for proven performance in the most extreme conditions on the race track.

As the Official Motor Oil of NASCAR, Mobil 1 is also proven every weekend in the unsung vehicles that make racing possible — pace cars, service trucks, track dryers, EMT vehicles, tow trucks, and more.

In the second instalment of the Mobil 1 “Our Normal Drives” video series on NASCAR.com, we examine a day on the job with NASCAR XFINITY Series Pace Car driver Mike Dolan. Each race weekend, Dolan’s anything-but-normal drive involves leading the 40-car NASCAR XFINITY Series field around the track.

Watch today’s video, which is part of NASCAR Inside Track presented by Mobil 1, then come back throughout the season for more in-depth looks at NASCAR from Mobil 1.

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Nascar

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Of the 12 drivers that make up this year’s NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase field, only three won races during the “regular” season, so the fact that the three appeared to be feeling pretty good about their chances Tuesday during media day activities at the NASCAR Hall of Fame came as no surprise.

Erik Jones, 20, won more races than anyone not named Kyle Busch, four to be exact, and most folks here seemed to agree, some more grudgingly than others, that the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 team is the one to beat.

Veteran Elliott Sadler won twice, and the Emporia, Virginia native has been around the track a few times. His career, in fact, was already underway when the Jones family welcomed young Erik into the world. Sadler’s wins in the No. 1 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports came this year at Talladega and Darlington and Sadler is the only guy in the field who can say he was in the inaugural Chase for both the premier series and the XFINITY Series.

Daniel Suarez, Jones’ teammate, earned his first series victory at Michigan. He enters the seven-race playoff, which begins with this weekend’s VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with three top-five finishes in his last four starts. The other result was a top-10 so Suarez and the No. 19 team appear to be on top of their game as well.

No one is conceding anything just yet however. Not the Richard Childress Racing trio of Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan or Brandon Jones; Sadler’s JRM teammate Justin Allgaier or Roush Fenway Racing’s Darrell Wallace Jr. and Ryan Reed. Even single-team entrants Brennan Poole (Chip Ganassi Racing), Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing), and Blake Koch (Kaulig Racing) spoke of the potential for advancing from one round to the next and keeping title hopes alive.

“I don’t know if that’s good or bad,” a grinning Sadler said of his dual Chase experience. “I do remember being part of the first ever (Sprint) Cup Chase and now this one. It’s pretty cool.”

The benefits of that 2004 experience are limited, but useful nonetheless.

“It’s not like I’m a seasoned quarterback that can read the defense better than a rookie quarterback,” Sadler said. “I think that’s when experience plays a part. Now it’s just about which teams can get their cars the fastest, what driver can give the best information and not make mistakes on the track. Everybody that’s part of this Chase can do just as good of a job as anybody else, no matter their age or where they are from or how many years they’ve raced. I don’t think that’s a big part of it.

“The only thing I think I know is the difference in the intensity level; that’s the biggest thing I remember about being a part of the (Sprint Cup) Chase. The next week it was like ‘holy cow, it’s flipped the switch.’ Not only racing other guys but your team, what they are going through, the driver, the communication. It’s like everything is set to fast forward … and you have to understand how to communicate at such a different level.”

Jones is coming off a 2015 season that saw the Byron, Michigan native win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title, and he’s headed for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in ’17 as a teammate with Martin Truex Jr. at Furniture Row Racing.

Six times this season, he and Suarez have finished a race with both cars in the top five. In 13 other races, at least one of the two have finished fifth or higher.

The teammate tag doesn’t go out the window with the Chase now at hand. But both, along with 10 others, are racing for a shot at a single prize.

“It’s tough; the teammate deal is always tough in racing,” Jones said. “… There are times when you have to race like teammates and times your race as competitors. It’s a tough balance for sure, but it’s also nice when you go to the race track and you have other drivers to lean on, you can get information from and better each other.

“Hopefully we’re both in Homestead chasing the championship.”

Suarez also understands the benefits that come with a competitive teammate and agreed that “it’s hard to balance out because both of us want to race hard for wins.

“I think we’re going to be in good shape,” he said. “Both of us have a good shot to be competitive every single weekend for the Chase.”

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Posted on September 20, 2016 by Staff Report

Chat with fans this weekend during the NASCAR action at both New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway.

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Staff Report

Teaming up with sponsor Aspen Dental, Stewart-Haas Racing driver Danica Patrick put a smile on a United States Army veteran’s face after surprising him on Rachael Ray’s talk show.

The veteran, Daryl Pratt, was being honored on Ray’s show when Patrick came barreling out in a go-kart to surprise Pratt with a year’s dental coverage at his nearest Aspen Dental.

Aspen Dental has given away more than six million dollars of dental care to thousands of veterans as part of their Healthy Mouth Movement.

Watch the happy moment here.

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Staff Report

Sunday’s race in Chicago had its fair share of speeding penalties entering and exiting pit road. In total, there were 11 penalties called on teams for speeding — including, three Chase contenders (Nos. 18, 20 and 48).

The most damaging penalty was on the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team (Jimmie Johnson) during a cycle of green-flag pit stops. The team served a pass-through penalty on Lap 236 after speeding while exiting pit road. Johnson led a race-high 118 laps.

You might be asking, how this happens and what can be done to fix it?

Drivers don’t use speedometers for maintaining speed. Instead, they use gear and RPM. Thus, before a race they know what gear and RPM to use in order to maintain pit road speed. NASCAR, then, controls the speed by using timing lines in multiple sections of pit road. So whenever there is a penalty NASCAR can tell the teams what section the speeding was in.

Since the race at Indianapolis, NASCAR added extra pit road speeding lines for all tracks in this stretch except Bristol, meaning drivers and teams have had to make an in-season adjustment.

Teams will pick pit stalls depending on a few things but an important factor is timing lines — which can be tricky. If a driver is good at getting in and out of their pit box and can get all he can on the timing lines, then that team has an advantage over the field.

The disadvantage, howvever, occurs when you risk it and get caught. The penalties, as was the case of Johnson, can end the day on a sour note.

The Chicagoland event saw eight of the 11 penalties from speeding while exiting pit road. Six occured under green flag conditions.

After this weekend, teams might start to think twice about risk vs. reward when it comes to speed on pit road.

For more pit crew news, visit PitTalks.com.

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 20, 2016) — Great Clips Inc. will continue its sponsorship of Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 5 Chevrolet SS team of driver Kasey Kahne in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a contract extension through 2018.

The two-year agreement covers the 2017 and 2018 seasons and secures primary sponsorship of the No. 5 Chevrolet SS for 10 events annually. Great Clips, which joined Hendrick Motorsports as a partner in 2012, also will be a major associate sponsor of the No. 5 team each year.

The world’s largest salon brand, Great Clips became a first-time Sprint Cup primary sponsor with three races in 2013. The program grew to 10 primary races annually in 2014.

“We are very pleased to extend our relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and with Kasey through the 2018 NASCAR season,” said Terri Miller, senior vice president of marketing and communications, Great Clips Inc. “Kasey has been a member of the Great Clips family for over 13 years and is a great ambassador of our brand. He embodies the same qualities and values that are synonymous with Great Clips — loyalty, family, dedication and a passion to succeed.

“We have built a successful partnership with Hendrick Motorsports over the last several years that has allowed us to activate and elevate our brand and partner programs to a new level, and we are excited to be able to continue that into the future.”

Since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2012, Kahne, 36, has earned three Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berths and five race wins with the No. 5 team. The Enumclaw, Washington, native has 17 career victories, 27 pole positions and 165 top-10 finishes in NASCAR’s top division.

“Great Clips has a very strong culture,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “The company cares deeply about relationships with their customers, franchisees, stylists, corporate staff and partners. We’ve enjoyed working together to build an effective program, and it’s been terrific to see the Great Clips business grow over that time. We’re committed to their success and look forward to the future.”

Minneapolis-based Great Clips, which has more than 4,000 locations and 1,200 salon owners who employ 40,000 stylists throughout the United States and Canada, has a long history with Kahne. Since 2003, the company has supported his efforts as both a driver and car owner across multiple racing series.

“Great Clips has believed in me throughout my career,” Kahne said. “They’re a big part of the No. 5 team, and we feel like members of their team, too. It’s been an awesome partnership, and I’m grateful for their commitment and support. It means a lot to represent them on and off the track.”

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Team Release

WELCOME, N.C. — Brandon Jones, 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase contender and Rookie of the Year candidate, has signed an agreement to remain with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) as the driver of the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro in the XFINITY Series for the 2017 season.

“Brandon has shown he has the talent behind the wheel to run up front and compete for championships in the XFINITY Series, and we are pleased he will continue to do so in an RCR Chevrolet,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of RCR. “We are proud of everything he has accomplished this season, including leading laps, making the inaugural XFINITY Series Chase and contending for the Rookie of the Year title. Brandon has also been an excellent spokesman for our sponsors and does an exceptional job representing our brand. We can’t wait to see what Brandon can do in his second full XFINITY Series season.”

In his first full year with RCR, Jones has recorded 11 top-10 finishes through the first 26 races and earned a spot in the XFINITY Series Chase. The 19-year-old driver scored an impressive sixth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and also led 36 laps at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

“I am honored to return to Richard Childress Racing for the 2017 season,” Jones said. “RCR is such a storied NASCAR organization and it’s a great opportunity to be a part of the team. Racing full-time in the XFINITY Series this season has been a valuable learning experience. I believe we have what it takes to compete for the championship throughout the Chase this season and make another run at the title in 2017. The teamwork and support from RCR, ECR Engines and Chevrolet have been second to none and instrumental in my development as a driver. I’ve also enjoyed representing several partners including Menards, Nexteer, Chevrolet, Okuma, Cometic, Roland and Rain-X.”

Before joining RCR as a full-time driver in 2016, Jones ran five XFINITY Series races in 2015, earning one top-five and two top-10 finishes, along with 16 laps led. The Atlanta, Georgia, native, has 30 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, recording five top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. He also has one NASCAR K&N East Series win and three ARCA Racing Series victories.

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Reid Spencer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It may not be a quintessential case of déjà vu, but Brendan Gaughan has been to Homestead-Miami Speedway before, under similar circumstances.

Now, as one of 12 drivers to qualify for the inaugural NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase that begins Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway (8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Gaughan hopes he’ll have a chance to claim a prize that eluded him 13 years ago—a title in one of NASCAR’s top three touring series.

In 2003, Gaughan entered the final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead as the points leader in a four-driver race for the championship. In addition to Gaughan, Ted Musgrave, Travis Kvapil and Dennis Setzer had a shot at the title.

Musgrave’s truck owner, Jim Smith, had five entries in the final event, and one of those drivers, Marty Houston, tangled with Gaughan in a violent crash on Lap 100. After Musgrave was penalized for jumping a subsequent restart, Kvapil claimed the championship with a sixth-place finish.

Though Gaughan says he spends little time regretting the missed opportunity, he does crave another opportunity to compete for a title in the final race of the season, albeit under a different format in another series.

“I’ve been in a Homestead race where four drivers were racing for the championship, and sadly, I was not the one who won it—sadly for me, not for Travis (Kvapil),” Gaughan said on Tuesday during XFINITY Series Chase Media Day at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “I would love to have all that pressure again and be in that situation again, and my goal is to get back to Homestead to be one of those four.

“I’ve always said to this day, that race that we ran at Homestead that day, we were the fastest truck on the race track that day. We were brilliant. One second of life—couldn’t have done anything different. It was just one second that you couldn’t change.

“And I would love a chance, not to change that one second, but to make a new one second and end up getting by that wreck and standing on that podium. … I would love to go back to Homestead and finish what I was trying to do 13 years ago and put a great cherry on top of a career for me.”

Not that Gaughan’s career is about to be over. The driver of the No. 62 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet said he’ll be back for another season next year, and the Chase format is a strong reason he’ll continue to compete.

“What made me want to keep racing was this Chase format, this excitement around this,” Gaughan said. “Now, instead of battling for fifth place, and we’re 89 points out of this championship—and we can get to maybe second or third if a guy has a bad race and we have a good ones, and you’re just watching points and going ‘Oh, man, let’s see how far we can get’—we’re racing for the championship.”

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Posted on September 20, 2016 by Pat DeCola

Martintruex jr

Intermediate master Martin Truex Jr. once again rose to the occasion on the big stage. Expect that to continue throughout the 1.5-mile heavy Chase.

MORE: Truex snags first Chase win

ChaseElliott

If not for a blown Michael McDowell tire, we’d be asking today — will there be a NASCAR Sprint Cup for the Chase? Still might happen.

MORE: Elliott gets bridesmaid baton

JimmieJohnson

Possible that Hendrick Motorsports was slow-playing it a bit toward the end of the regular season and saving their best stuff for the Chase? Ask Johnson’s race-high 118 laps led what they think.

MORE: Penalty impedes otherwise perfect day for JJ

Joeylogano

There are two teams that have excelled at NHMS lately: Joe Gibbs Racing — and Team Penske, home of native New Englander Joey Logano.

KyleBusch

You’d be hard pressed to find a better driver than Kyle Busch at Loudon since 2013, when he began a five-race run that included four top-two finishes.

BradKeselowski

-4

Keselowski has three poles at New Hampshire, best among Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers.

DennyHamlin

-6

Tough break when you finish as well as Hamlin did and still drop this far, but he could certainly be back on top after Loudon — a track that he and his organization excel at.

Mattkenseth

As the defending race-winner — and the July Loudon winner — look for Kenseth to punch his ticket to the next round or put himself in excellent position to do so ahead of Dover.

Kevinharvick

-6

After not living up to his standards at Chicago, look for a zoned-in Harvick at Loudon, where he’s finished in the top four in three of the past four races.

MORE: Harvick victim of unforunate timing

Kylelarson

-6

Expect Larson’s run this weekend to look more like his first two NHMS runs (3rd, 2nd) than his last three (31st, 17th, 17th) as he puts himself back into good position.

Carledwards

-3

We know now that Edwards really wants to check Loudon off his bucket list. With two poles in his last three starts there, look for him to start up front again as his search continues this weekend.

Kurtbusch

-3

As his performance has dwindled throughout the season, Busch is in serious trouble of not escaping the first round of the Chase.

Tonystewart

-1

Stewart isn’t in great shape after one race, but he has a great history at Loudon (series-best 15 top fives) and was a runner-up in July.

Jamiemcmurray

Apart from Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott (who only have one Loudon start each), McMurray’s NHMS average finishing position is easily the worst among Chase contenders at 19.9.

AustinDillon

On the whole, Dillon’s NHMS resume is above average (13.6 avg. finish), but his 22nd-place finish in this race last year is cause for concern.

Chrisbuescher

Buescher absolutely met expectations in the Chase opener in Chicago. Only problem? Expectations weren’t high to begin with.

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Nascar

JOLIET, Ill. — How sincere was Martin Truex Jr. in his desire to stay with Furniture Row Racing during contract talks with team officials?

Enough that the 36-year-old NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver agreed to work for less than he likely could have earned elsewhere.

“There were other opportunities that were out there,” Truex said Sunday after winning the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. “I believe this is the best team I’ve ever had. This is my best opportunity to win races. We’ve proven that. It’s my best opportunity, and really only my second opportunity, since last year, to go for a championship. That wasn’t something I was willing to get rid of or throw away.”

While Furniture Row officials were in the midst of making the switch from Chevrolet to Toyota a year ago, a contract extension with Truex was also wrapping up. In late September, officials announced both agreements were in place.

Then, in August of this year, the team announced a new, two-year extension for Truex.

“I made the commitment to Barney we were going to do it, we were going to work together and make it work for everybody,” Truex said of the arrangement. “Barney has put a lot into his race team over the years obviously. Seeing Furniture Row on that race car each and every year, that’s Barney’s race car and Barney is the one funding it.

“He had to change some things in the way he was running his race team. He asked me if I would kind of, not take the hit but be the one that took a little bit of a hit for the team to make sure we could keep the competition up and make sure we could continue to get the things we needed to be competitive and win races and hopefully go after a championship.”

Visser started the Denver-based team from scratch in 2005, and has funded the single-car outfit for much of its existence through his own businesses.

Others have come on board to help the cause and the switch from Chevrolet to Toyota has paid tremendous dividends. Sunday’s victory was the third of the season for Truex and more importantly it came in the opening race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He and the No. 78 team, run by crew chief Cole Pearn, are guaranteed to advance to the Round of 12 in the Chase.

Prior to this season, Truex had three career wins. Furniture Row had two.

The organization, which now receives technical support from Joe Gibbs Racing, will expand in 2017 with the addition of a second team and driver Erik Jones.

RELATED: Furniture Row adds Jones to growing team

The rise from a struggling single-car outfit to a championship contender didn’t happen overnight.

“Yeah, I do feel like I’m living a dream,” Visser, a Vietnam veteran, said. “But that’s why we do it. Most of the other things that I’ve done in life have been a little bit like this, but nothing right to the very top of the best racing in the world here. (It’s) very exciting.

“I have to thank Toyota and Martin. Like I said, I think he’s a pure athlete. He drove for a little bit less this year than I think a lot of the drivers in his class have, and he did it because he wanted to be here. I can’t thank him enough for all that.”