Posted on by Staff Report

Tyler Hudson made his first visit to Victory Lane in the 2016 NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series at Darlington Raceway Tuesday night, holding-off Taylor Hurst (Aero Precision Chassiswerks) and Brad Davies on the race’s final run. Hudson, the 2013 series champion, had found limited success by his standards in 2016 with only a single top five to his name through the first 13 races.


Hudson took the lead for the final time on Lap 150 after completing of the final pit cycle of the race. He then ran steady, consistent lap times over the final 33 laps to earn his first trip to the winner’s circle in three years, pulling away from the rest of the field — including PJ Stergios (ineX Racing) who looked dominant early in the race.


Stergios seemed to lack long-run speed and fell to fourth on the final run. He was followed across the finish line by brother Jake Stergios in fifth.


Championship contenders Ray Alfalla (Slip Angle Motorsports) and PJ Stergios shared the front row with Alfalla getting the jump from pole position at the green flag. Alfalla and Stergios quickly built a gap on the field only for a caution flag to wave on Lap 13 for a crash near the back of the field.


The caution drew the leaders to pit road for tires and fuel where Alfalla made an uncharacteristic mistake by stopping too short in his pit box. The error cost him seven positions, allowing Stergios through to the lead; Alfalla would not lead another lap in the race.


Stergios made the most of the situation by leading 83 of 183 laps, but Hurst also looked strong and reeled-in the ineX Ford Fusion before pitting on Lap 51. Stergios made his stop on Lap 57 which gave Hurst, thanks to his fresh tires, a 12-second gap on the former race leader once the two returned to the track.


Even with the tire disadvantage and a quickly closing Stergios, Hurst was able to hold the lead until his next pit stop on Lap 84. Stergios once again inherited the lead and before he could hit pit road again, a caution waved on Lap 94 for a crash involving Robin Williams and Bryan Blackford.


The biggest loser among the leaders was Alfalla, who pitted early in the cycle and was trapped a lap down when the caution flew. He took the wave around to regain the lap lost, albeit on older tires.


When the race went green again, Stergios led from Hudson and looked to capitalize on Alfalla’s misfortune while Hurst was trying to regain the track position he lost as the result of pitting under green. As the run wore on, Stergios was unable to get away from the field as he had earlier in the race. Initially, Hudson and Hurst matched his lap times but, as the laps added up and the tires wore down, they began closing on the leader with Hudson’s iAnalyze Racing Fusion passing Stergios for the lead on Lap 125.


Then, Hudson made the winning move in the pits, gaining valuable time on Stergios while also enjoying the advantage of clean air. Stergios could never find the speed he had earlier in the race and faded as Hudson asserted himself when it mattered most.


Not all was lost for Stergios, however.  Alfalla’s troubles caused him to finish a disappointing fourteenth, all but erasing his points lead with two races remaining. Alfalla now leads Stergios by only four points, setting the stage for a thrilling battle in the weeks to come. Jake Stergios is third in the standings ahead of Chris Overland and Dylan Duval (The TEAM), who holds fifth by a single point over teammate Kenny Humpe.


With the championship picture tightening once again the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the penultimate race of 2016. The NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series has not visited New Hampshire since 2014, but both Stergios and Alfalla have had success on the Magic Mile in the past. Stergios finished fifth in 2014 while Alfalla finished second in 2012 and third in 2013.


Who can avoid trouble on the slow, flat corners of NHMS? Who will enter Homestead in the best position to win the 2016 NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series title? Find out in two weeks on iRacingLive!


Posted on by Staff Report

The No. 78 team of Martin Truex Jr. received a P2 penalty for failing post-race laser inspection (LIS) after the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway, NASCAR announced Wednesday. As part of the penalty, crew chief Cole Pearn has been fined $15,000, and the team has been assessed a loss of 10 championship owner and 10 championship driver points.

 

The points were deducted before the reset for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

 

Additionally, the No. 7 car of Regan Smith was given a written warning and a loss of 15 minutes of practice time for failing LIS three times pre-qualifying.

 

Finally, four cars — the No. 18 of Kyle Busch, the No. 16 of Greg Biffle, the No. 22 of Joey Logano and the No. 78 of Truex — were given written warnings for twice failing LIS pre-qualifying.

Posted on by George Winkler

With so many intangibles that factor into who wins a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, it might seem like a fool’s errand to try to make predictions based solely on numbers.

But numbers are the most objective means we have to spot trends and try to forecast accurately in sports. So, we’ve done an experiment using average finish and laps led to predict who will advance past the Round of 16 and into the Round of 12 in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

We’ve looked at average finish and laps led in the following categories for each Chase driver: 1. Season stats, 2. Last five races and 3. History at Round of 16 tracks. This way, we feel like we’ve accounted for who has done consistently well this season versus who is hot now versus who has some good experience under his belt.

The results are interesting to mull over while we wait for the start of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup on Sunday in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

First, let’s look at results for average finish, then we’ll move on to laps led before unveiling the final prediction:

Average Finish

Rank Driver Points
T-1. Brad Keselowski 41
T-1. Kevin Harvick 41
3. Joey Logano 37
4. Denny Hamlin 34
5. Kyle Larson 28.5
6. Carl Edwards 28
T-7. Martin Truex Jr. 27.5
T-7. Jimmie Johnson 27.5
T-9. Kyle Busch 22.5
T-9. Jamie McMurray 22.5
11. Kurt Busch 22
T-12. Matt Kenseth 19.5
T-12. Chase Elliott 19.5
14. Austin Dillon 19
15. Tony Stewart 15.5
16. Chris Buescher 4

How we got the numbers: We assigned a point value to each Chase driver relative to how they finished in each of the following categories: average finish this season, average finish in the last five races and average finish at the Round of 16 tracks. For example, if a driver was tops in average finish this season, he got 16 points; second place got 15 points and so on down to last place, which got one point. Then, we added up the point values each driver earned in the three categories to arrive at the above list. Here are the top three drivers and bottom three drivers in each category:

Average finish this season:
Leaders: 1. Harvick, 2. Keselowski, 3. Logano.
Followers: 14. Larson, 15. Stewart, 16. Buescher.

Average finish last five races:
Leaders: 1. Hamlin, 2. Logano, 3. Harvick.
Followers: 14. Kenseth, 15. Buescher, 16. Stewart.

Average finish at Round of 16 tracks:
Leaders: 1. Larson, 2. Johnson, 3. Keselowski.
Followers: 14. McMurray, 15. Dillon, 16. Buescher.

Now, let’s take a look at how the drivers fared in laps led.

Laps Led

Rank Driver Points
1. Kyle Busch 45
2. Kevin Harvick 43
3. Martin Truex Jr. 37
4. Denny Hamlin 34
5. Jimmie Johnson 31
T-6. Carl Edwards 30
T-6. Matt Kenseth 30
8. Brad Keselowski 29
9. Joey Logano 24
10. Kyle Larson 23
11. Kurt Busch 22
12. Tony Stewart 21
13. Chase Elliott 15
14. Jamie McMurray 9
15. Austin Dillon 8
16. Chris Buescher 7

How we got the numbers: Same as with average finish, we assigned a point value to each Chase driver relative to how they finished in each of the following categories: laps led this season, laps led in the last five races and laps led at the Round of 16 tracks. Then, we added up the point values to arrive at the above list. Here are the top three drivers and bottom three drivers in each category:

Laps led this season:
Leaders: 1. Ky. Busch, 2. Truex, 3. Harvick.
Followers: 14. Buescher, 15. Dillon, 16. McMurray.

Laps led last five races:
Leaders: 1. Harvick, 2. Ky. Busch, 3. Hamlin.
Followers: 14. Stewart, 15. Buescher, 16. McMurray.

Laps led at Round of 16 tracks:
Leaders: 1. Johnson, 2. Stewart, 3. Ky. Busch.
Followers: 14. Buescher, 15. Elliott, 16. Dillon.

Now, let’s add these two results together to get our final list.

FINAL PREDICTION

Rank Driver Points
1 Kevin Harvick 84
2 Brad Keselowski 70
3 Denny Hamlin 68
4 Kyle Busch 67.5
5 Martin Truex Jr. 64.5
6 Joey Logano 61
7 Jimmie Johnson 58.5
8 Carl Edwards 57.5
9 Kyle Larson 51.5
10 Matt Kenseth 49
11 Kurt Busch 44
12 Tony Stewart 36.5
13 Chase Elliott 34.5
14 Jamie McMurray 31.5
15 Austin Dillon 27
16 Chris Buescher 11

Final prediction: Elliott, McMurray, Dillon and Buescher won’t make it past the first round, according to our formula. Harvick, Keselowski, Hamlin and Kyle Busch are your best bets to get through to the next round.

Drivers like Johnson and Stewart benefitted from their total laps led at the Round of 16 tracks because of their years of experience. Drivers like Harvick and Truex benefitted from leading the most laps this season. Hamlin’s recent hot streak helped him tremendously. Inexperience and lack of sample size punished drivers such as Dillon and Buescher, while not leading laps hurt McMurray.


Also notable is that neither Elliott nor Buescher has raced at Chicagoland, yet, which hurt their numbers.

But all in all, this looks like a pretty solid list of the drivers in the order we’d expect. We’ll see how it all plays out on Sunday, then we’ll continue our experiment before the Round of 12 gets underway.

Posted on by

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoff field is finally complete, setting the stage for a 10-race dash to the finish and the championship glory that awaits Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Story lines abound, and our Holly Cain and Zack Albert tackle three pressing topics before the postseason gets underway at Chicagoland.

1. Can anyone stop the Joe Gibbs Racing alliance in the Chase?

Cain: There is no denying the strength of the JGR alliance from top to bottom. The question is whether it can sustain this level of performance over the next 10 weeks with a larger bull’s-eye on its defending champion back. At this point JGR is favorite. But that’s the crazy thing about letting these championships play out. Heart and motivation count, too.

Albert: The quintet of JGR-affiliated drivers may look nearly invincible now, but the two-year sample size of the current Chase format has proven to be a petri dish of unpredictability. Team Penske has two drivers — Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski — in position to drive a wedge into the Gibbs dominance, but Kevin Harvick and his Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Chevrolet — already champions in the new playoff system — have a substantial shot at fending off a Toyota triumph.

2. With a handful of new, young faces making their Chase debuts this season, are we witnessing a changing of the guard?

Cain: With such a talented group of young drivers in the series, their participating in the Chase was inevitable. It was simply a matter of  “when.” Best of all for them — and the sport — Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon and Chris Buescher have not only earned their way into the Chase mix, they look to be legitimate players. The old guard has a big wake-up call and there are other young talents who may well join this mix next year. All good signs for the sport and the fans.

Albert: The influx of Chase newbies this year would suggest the opening stages of an overhaul to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver roster. It’s refreshing, a dash of blossoming names alongside the familiar faces in the playoff brackets. Now the challenge is for the youth movement to make deep dives into the postseason, rather than go quietly in the Chase’s early rounds.

3. Who’s your best bet for a Chase surprise?

Cain: I don’t know that Kyle Larson and his talent is a surprise to anyone. But, he is peaking at the right time of the season and has an envious track record at the upcoming Chase venues. And just for good measure, his Chip Ganassi Racing team knows a little about winning racing championships, too.

Albert: This is going to sound odd to talk about a driver with six championships to his credit and multiple wins this season as a surprise candidate, but Jimmie Johnson‘s current 21-race dry spell equals the longest of his Sprint Cup career. Is there a charge left in the No. 48 camp? Time will tell, but it’s still difficult to discount a group that has turned up the boost again and again come playoff time. A record-tying seventh title for Johnson remains a real possibility.

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: See all 16 Chase drivers | Full Chase grid | Richmond results 

The lights surrounding Richmond International Raceway were keeping darkness at bay, if not the insects, and the majority of fans had already begun to depart.

Along pit road, 15 of the 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers were milling about – only race winner Denny Hamlin was elsewhere, in Victory Lane celebrating a win in last Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 with his Joe Gibbs Racing crew.

Drivers lounged against pit wall, stood by their cars, spoke with crew man, media, owners or just one another.

After 26 races, NASCAR’s 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup field was officially set.

“We’re just going to have fun,” Austin Dillon is telling someone. “We haven’t been (locked in) the Chase all year; these other guys have. We’re going to go and really just look to win and upset these guys.”

Dillon, 26, is making is his first appearance in the 10-race playoff, and carrying the hopes of Richard Childress Racing. Teammates Ryan Newman and Paul Menard failed to make the cut. RCR hasn’t won a premier series title since 1994, a decade before the new Chase format debuted.

“The pressure is off me,” Dillon says. “I’ve been sweating it the last three weeks; I’m not going to take that approach going into Chicago. I’m going to have fun and go all out.”

Nearby, team owner and Dillon’s grandfather Richard Childress wore a smile and a look of relief.

Dillion isn’t the only new face in this year’s Chase. Kyle Larson and rookies Chase Elliott and Chris Buescher will be making their first appearances as well when the battle to determine this year’s champion gets underway this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.

Larson and Buescher made the field thanks to career-first wins earlier this year. Dillon and Elliott qualified based on their respective points positions after the season’s 26th race.

They’ve been in championship battles before — all but Larson are former XFINITY Series champs; Dillon has a Camping World Truck Series title as well.

Still, none of the four can fully understand what lies ahead. Their crew chiefs do. Chad Johnston (Larson), Bob Osborne (Buescher), Alan Gustafson (Elliott) and Slugger Labbe (Dillon) have varying amounts of Chase experience and success.

Kevin Harvick knows, too. The 40-year-old won it all in 2014, his first year with Stewart-Haas Racing, and finished second last season.

Do the kids have a chance?

“I guess that depends on how you approach it,” Harvick, seated atop pit wall, tells a reporter. “Are you happy to be there or do you want to win?

“There are obviously a lot of very competitive cars that can go out and win races but it’s hard to win a race; it’s hard to keep yourself in contention week after week, keep living up to that pressure, keep your cars prepared week after week and adapt to something that you might need to change … you have to be able to adapt on the fly.

“Those are the things that you have to learn as you go through this. I would definitely say it’s a disadvantage if you haven’t been through this before.”

Eight organizations are represented in this year’s Chase, the same number as last year and the year before. A few new faces and a few new names but the majority are old hands at this.

None belong to Roush Fenway Racing, one of the few long-running, multi-team groups not represented. Buescher’s Front Row group is Roush-affiliated — in addition to a technical alliance, both Buescher and crew chief Osborne have RFR backgrounds.

It seems like yesterday that the Roush organization was winning back-to-back titles with Matt Kenseth in 2003 and Kurt Busch in ’04.

Kenseth’s crown was the last before the arrival of the Chase; Busch was the inaugural Chase champion.

If RFR is missing, JGR is easy to spot. For the second consecutive year all four of its teams are headed into the Chase and that’s an impressive accomplishment for any organization.


MORE: Bruce: Toyota the Chase favorite?

Stewart-Haas sends three of its four into the Chase, and no other group can boast that all of its Chase teams feature former series champions (Harvick, Busch and co-owner/driver Tony Stewart).

It’s difficult to say what’s been the most impressive aspect of Furniture Row Racing with driver Martin Truex Jr.: The team’s speed and competitiveness this year or that they’ve now made the Chase with two different manufacturers. A year ago, the Denver-based team was aligned with RCR and Chevrolet; this year it’s been JGR and Toyota. Didn’t skip a beat.

Truex made it all the way to the final round at Homestead-Miami Speedway last season. His ’16 chances, he said, are “as good as anybody’s right now.

“I don’t think anybody’s got a leg up on us,” he said. “… The cars have been fast all year long. We have to do our job and be consistent … we’ve done that the last couple of weeks and hopefully we can keep it up.”

Hope is the prevailing feeling. That and a sense of accomplishment.

Saturday night they took a moment to let it soak in.

This weekend at Chicagoland, the battle begins again (Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

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RELATED: Find out more, order NASCAR Heat Evolution

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sitting down with former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski as he gets comfortable behind the controller of an Xbox One is uncannily similar to broadcasters popping into the driver’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford on a race day to inquire about his upcoming performance. He’s eager, but focused and able to maintain an engaging conversation.

For Keselowski, the difference between playing the new NASCAR Heat Evolution video game and driving in an actual race is simple.

“It’s a lot cheaper and doesn’t hurt as much when I wreck,” Keselowski told NASCAR.com.

But there are more similarities than differences between playing the Dusenberry Martin Racing-produced video game — available now for Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Windows PC — and an actual lap around a NASCAR track. For starters, NASCAR Heat Evolution features more than 40 drivers and all 23 licensed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tracks, a first in NASCAR gaming. Plus, up to 40 players can participate in the online version.

To Keselowski, playing the game evokes the same emotions as they feel on race day.

“I still get the same adrenaline (playing the video game) that I get when I’m racing,” Keselowski said. “At the end of a race, you feel your heart rate go up, you feel the adrenaline pump — that’s in the car. When I’m racing in a video game, I get the same feeling. Like, it’s coming down to the end, I’ve gotta close this out and your heart’s beating fast. It’s just a video game, but it’s more than that to you in your mind.”

It’s easy for gamers to feel as if they’re actually in the driver’s seat when playing NASCAR Heat Evolution, as the graphics are so superior to any racing game of its kind.


“I really like the graphics, Keselowski said from behind his controller. “… I’ve never seen any type of motorsports video game with these kind of graphics.”

And with graphics so advanced, if you didn’t know Keselowski was playing a video game, you might think you’re watching a rerun of last year’s Daytona 500.

“Oh, I just used up Jimmie (Johnson). Chad Knaus is not gonna be happy,” Keselowski interjects as he stays focused on piloting his No. 2 around the iconic 2.5-mile superspeedway.

In today’s rapid world of technology, video games can often take much time and skill to master, leaving a novice or causal gamer frustrated. Finding the balance between realism and fun, NASCAR Heat Evolution features an adaptive artificial intelligence (AI), which adjusts to gamers’ competence, keeping them challenged based on their skill level.

Equal to the importance of the game’s adaptive AI is the players’ ability to relate and understand the connection between racing for hours in a video game and doing the same in real life. NASCAR Heat Evolution features numerous game play modes that allow gamers to run just a few laps or up to an entire race. Along with full-length races, the game includes a career mode that gives users an understanding of acquiring sponsors and how to improve their car race after race.

“I think it’s so important in our sport and really in any sport to be able to relate to what’s going on,” Keselowski said. “When you get to do it firsthand, any sport is more relatable. And so for NASCAR I think it’s super, super critical to have a video game that anyone can try and they can say, ‘Oh, this is a lot harder than it looks. Now I understand why such-and-such happened last week or why so-and-so is so mad that they wrecked after they just raced for three hours.’ It all adds up and it makes more sense and I think you can relate to what’s going on so much more and that’s very important.

“I think that at the heart of every NASCAR fan there’s a competitor. They want to compete themselves at some level and this gives them the opportunity to do so.” 

Posted on by Staff Report

XFINITY SERIES

The XFINITY Series regular season finale, the Drive for Safety 300, takes place Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway at 3 p.m. ET (NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), while the Sprint Cup Series Chase Grid was set last week at Richmond International Speedway.

RELATED: See the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Grid

An 11th-place finish at Richmond allowed Roush Fenway Racing‘s Ryan Reed to clinch at Chase spot, leaving two spots available for clinching this weekend at Chicagoland. Erik Jones, Elliott Sadler, Daniel Suarez, Justin Allgaier, Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan, Brennan Poole, Brandon Jones and Darrell Wallace Jr. have also clinched Chase spots.

All of the following drivers could also automatically clinch with a win. 

Possible to Clinch:

• Blake Koch (0 Wins, 570 Points, 449 Points Ahead of 31st): Koch could earn a Chase berth by tallying 39 points — achieved by finishing 2nd with no laps led, third with at least one lap led or fourth with the most laps led — and a new winner at Chicagoland. He could also earn a berth with a repeat winner and 19 points, achieved by finishing 22nd with no laps led, 23rd with at least one lap led and 24th with the most laps led.

• Ryan Sieg (0 Wins, 567 Points, 446 Points Ahead of 31st): Sieg could clinch on points at Chicagoland with a repeat winner/Blake Koch win and 22 points, achieved by finishing 19th with no laps led, 20th with at least one lap led or 21st with most laps led. He would need some help to clinch with a new winner at Chicagoland.

• Dakoda Armstrong (0 Wins, 547 Points, 426 Points Ahead of 31st): Armstrong needs help to clinch on points.

• Jeremy Clements (0 Wins, 538 Points, 417 Points Ahead of 31st): Clements needs help to clinch on points.


The following need a win to clinch a Chase spot: Ross Chastain, Ryan Preece, Ray Black Jr., BJ McLeod, Joey Gase.


Camping World Truck Series


The Camping World Truck Series regular season finale, the American Ethanol e15 225, takes place Friday at Chicagoland Speedway at 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Possible to Clinch:

• Daniel Hemric (0 Wins, 374 Points, 305 Points Ahead of 31st) – Would clinch on points with 10 points (23rd and no laps led, 24th and led at least one lap, 25th and led most laps) and a new winner. Would clinch on points with a repeat winner, regardless of finish. With a win, they would clinch a Chase spot on wins.

• Timothy Peters (0 Wins, 350 Points, 281 Points Ahead of 31st) – Would clinch on points with a repeat winner (or a win by Daniel Hemric) and 2 Points (31st and no laps led, 32nd and led at least one lap).  With a win, he would clinch a Chase spot on wins.  Could clinch on points with a new winner and help (needs to outpoint Daniel Hemric by six points (Peters owns the tie-breaker).


• Cole Custer (0 Wins, 318 Points, 249 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, he would clinch a Chase spot on wins. Could clinch on points with a repeat winner (or win by Daniel Hemric) and help (needs to outpoint Timothy Peters by 32 points (Custer owns the tie-breaker).


The following need a win to clinch a Chase spot: Cameron Hayley, Tyler Reddick, Ben Rhodes, Spencer Gallagher, Rico Abreu, Austin Wayne Self, Travis Kvapil and Jordan Anderson.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

RELATED: Breaking down the Chase field

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 13, 2016) — NASCAR is bringing to life the drama and excitement of The Chase® for fans online and on their mobile devices with Ready. Set. Chase, a new, integrated marketing campaign leading with digital and social media to promote the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™.

 

This year, to complement a robust, multi-platform social media push, NASCAR will engage and entertain fans with a heart-pounding action film series, starring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ drivers re-enacting the action and intensity of The Chase.

 

The first digital video in the five-part series debuted today and can be viewed on NASCAR.com/TheChase. Inspired by the iconic chase scenes in classic Hollywood action films, the creative features reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch, on foot and being pursued by his Chase competitors.

 

An original television spot, titled “The Chase is On,” officially launched Ready. Set. Chase on Saturday during the regular season finale at Richmond International Raceway.

 

“All season long NASCAR fans have been treated to some incredible racing on the track, but even still there’s nothing quite like The Chase,” said NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jill Gregory. “Ready. Set. Chase plays off the passion, drama and tension that underscores these next 10 weeks, while creating multiple ways for fans to engage and be part of the fun.”

 

For the first time, all three NASCAR OEMs are inviting fans to get in on the action by participating in Chase sweepstakes on NASCAR.com. Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota will each award one grand prize winner a new vehicle and VIP trip for two to NASCAR Champion’s Week in Las Vegas in December.

 

Fans can register for a chance to win a Chevrolet SS, Ford Fusion Sport and Toyota Camry XSE by visiting the Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota sweepstake sites, or after making their weekly picks in the Chase Grid Game on NASCAR.com.

 

“We’re thrilled to have all three manufacturers activating around Ready. Set. Chase and creating unique content that elevates the overall Chase experience for our loyal and dedicated fans,” said Gregory.  

 

In the Chase Grid Game, fans that correctly pick drivers to advance to each Chase round will be entered for a chance to win real gear from the drivers and race tracks, including firesuits, helmets and sheet metal from the race cars.

 

NASCAR will promote #TheChase heavily across all platforms during the sport’s most social postseason ever, leveraging Twitter, Vine, Periscope, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to engage fans throughout the 10-week Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.  

 

For each round leading up to Championship Weekend, NASCAR will execute unique activations on specific platforms in an effort to highlight its broad and extensive reach across the social media landscape.

 

Beginning with the Round of 16, NASCAR fans will have access to a custom emoji for anytime they use #TheChase on Twitter. In addition, NASCAR will highlight its presence on Twitter, Vine and Periscope via a continued focus on compelling content and behind-the-scenes experiences.

 

The Round of 12 will feature a Snapchat Live Story from the October 8 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and as The Chase field gets narrowed down to eight, NASCAR will go all in with social storytelling across all platforms, highlighted by innovations on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, freelance designers and original production will tell the story of the most epic championship battle in sports.  

 

The Ready. Set. Chase digital films, developed with Ogilvy & Mather New York, will be shot after each Chase round and recreate the on-track highlights as part of dramatic chases.

 

Last month, Chase drivers began hitting the road for social and traditional media blitzes to promote the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Kyle Busch kicked off Chase Across America in Boston and each week different drivers will crisscross the nation to make special appearances and build excitement for The Chase.

 

NASCAR will crown its 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion at the Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the fourth and final round of The Chase on Nov. 20 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Tickets for all Chase events in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are available at NASCAR.com/tickets.

 

The 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup kicks off with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.