Student of the sport, Ty Majeski cramming for what's Next

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Zack Albert

When Ty Majeski got the call informing him that he’d be part of the new NASCAR Next class of up-and-coming drivers, he was actually hitting the books — or in his words, “crunching before an exam” — in his University of Wisconsin-Madison dorm room.

For the third-year student pursuing a mechanical engineering degree, it was the perfect study break.

“It kind of cut into my studying time,” Majeski said with a laugh Wednesday during a gathering with his 2016-17 Next classmates. “But when they called me and said, ‘We need you in Charlotte next week,’ it was just very surreal.”

But his debut as a member of NASCAR Next wasn’t the only major development in the 21-year-old Majeski’s racing career this week. Monday, Roush Fenway Racing announced that they had signed the Wisconsin native to a driver development contract.

MORE: Full NASCAR Next coverage

The deal helped provide some direction for one of the most talked-about short track racers in the country. Even before Tuesday’s announcement, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had identified Majeski as a driver to watch in a tweet, and his name came up again during an appearance by reigning Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“It’s definitely been crazy,” Majeski said. “Last week at this time, I didn’t think we were going to announce the Roush Fenway deal. I think there was kind of some media buzz a bit — Kyle Busch talked about me on (SiriusXM) NASCAR Radio and I think Roush Fenway wanted to announce it, and it lit a fire under them to get that out there, which is all good. Definitely been a surreal week, and just kind of weird that it wound up panning out that way.”

As part of the deal, Majeski will drive five ARCA Series races for Roulo Bros. Racing, the same team that helped groom Chris Buescher for a career in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. That partial schedule will mesh with continuing school work, his Super Late Model slate and competition in the ARCA Midwest Tour, where he’s won two championships.

His accomplishments — including Super Late Model triumphs this year in the New Smyrna World Series and the Rattler — might make it tempting to forgo a college education to focus full-time on racing. But Majeski is following in the footsteps of another Wisconsonite — former premier-series champion Alan Kulwicki — in earning his degree.

“It goes both directions,” says Majeski, who participated in the Kulwicki Driver Development Program last season. “I’ve got to have something to fall back on. Obviously, nothing’s for certain in this sport. We see it every day that things change by the day. You’re never locked into anything and I need to have something to fall back on. I’ve always wanted to be involved in racing, so if it doesn’t pan out, I’m hoping to be an engineer for a team someday and keep racing in my life.”

Posted on May 17, 2016April 16, 2021 by Tadd Haislop

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Two are following in the footsteps of their former NASCAR Cup Series driving fathers. One is a long-time racer who competed on the reality television show “Survivor,” and later added a degree from Stanford University. Another is one of the fastest rising stock car drivers in the Midwest. There is even a pair of international phenoms.

From Charlotte to New York City, and from Quebec to Israel, the 11 drivers who were announced as the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class today are primed for a successful and impactful future in NASCAR. This is the sixth edition of NASCAR Next, an industry-wide initiative designed to spotlight to best and brightest rising young stars in racing.

“The NASCAR Next program has introduced current stars such as Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney to the NASCAR fan, and we believe this year’s class has the same potential,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president of marketing and industry services. “These drivers have shown the talent and intangibles to climb the NASCAR ladder, and we look forward to watching their careers grow.”

This year’s NASCAR Next class was selected through an evaluation process that included input from industry executives, the NASCAR Cup Series Drivers Council and media. Drivers must be between the ages of 15-25, have tangible and expressed goals in eventual competition in the NASCAR Cup Series and demonstrate the potential to realize that goal.

The following drivers have been selected to the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class:

Harrison Burton (@HBurtonRacing) – The 15-year-old from Huntersville, North Carolina, is the son of former NASCAR Cup Series driver Jeff Burton. He has climbed to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series after setting the record last year as the youngest Division I race winner in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series history.

Collin Cabre (@CollinCabre12) – In his second season driving for Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, the 22-year-old from Tampa, Florida, captured his first career win last October after making the successful move from racing sprint cars.

Spencer Davis (@SpencerDavis_29) – The 17-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, driver has shown a proficiency in nearly everything he’s raced. After winning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award last season in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, Davis has transitioned to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, where he has established himself as a championship contender with top six finishes in his first seven series starts dating back to last season.

Alon Day (@Alon_Day) – One of two international drivers on the list, Day is the first NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver to earn a NASCAR Next recognition. Day, 24, from Ashdod, Israel, completed his first full season in the Whelen Euro Series as championship runner-up. Including the final two rounds of 2015, Day has won four of the last eight Elite 1 races and is again a threat win the title.

Tyler Dippel (@Tyler_Dippel) – An accomplished dirt racer, the 16-year-old from Wallkill, New York, has already scored his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory in March. Dippel previously competed in the DIRTcar Racing Series in the northeast, earning the rookie of the year title and becoming the youngest race winner in that series.

Todd Gilliland (@ToddGilliland_) – The son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran David Gilliland, the 16-year-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, made NASCAR history by winning his first four career NASCAR K&N Pro Series starts. He became the youngest winner in series history with his victory last fall, and has followed it up with wins in both the K&N Pro Series East and West season openers this year.

Noah Gragson (@NoahGragson) – The 17-year-old from Las Vegas finished second in the championship standings last year in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, collecting the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in the process. Gragson followed the path set by Kyle and Kurt Busch, learning his trade in the Legends and Bandolero Divisions at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He earned a pair of K&N Pro Series West wins in 2015 and is again a championship contender.

Gary Klutt (@Garyklutt) – The second Canadian to be named to the program and the first full-time driver from the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, Klutt represents a crop of young drivers making an impact on Canada’s championship stock car series. The 23-year-old from Halton Hills, Ontario, earned his first career pole and win last year en route to being named the Jostens Rookie of the Year. He finished fifth in series points and will be among the title contenders when the series opens later this month.

Julia Landauer (@julialandauer) – Landauer, 24, from New York City, got her start racing a variety of cars – from Formula BMW to Ford Focus Midgets to stock cars. The versatile Landauer was a contestant on the hit reality show ‘Survivor’ before graduating from Stanford in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Science, Technology, and Society. She became the first female to win a Limited Late Model division championship at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia, last year before graduating to the K&N Pro Series West this season.

Ty Majeski (@TyMajeski) – The 21-year-old from Seymour, Wisconsin, showcased his ability with a dominating display at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway in February, collecting three wins and earning the 2016 Super Late Model championship in the 50th Annual World Series of Stock Car Racing. Majeski added a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model track record and victory in the FrostBuster at Wisconsin’s LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in April.

Matt Tifft (@Matt_Tifft) – A development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, the 19-year-old from Hinckley, Ohio, is driving part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JGL Racing as well as JGR, and racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Red Horse Racing. He earned his first career pole in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega earlier this month.

Since its inception in 2011, 27 of the 35 drivers who have been selected as part of the program have gone on to compete in one of NASCAR’s three national series. Nearly a third of the drivers have made a NASCAR Cup Series start, with nine drivers winning a NASCAR national series race.

The last two NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookies of the Year have been NASCAR Next alum, as are the top two contenders for this year’s award: Blaney and Elliott. The last three Sunoco Rookie of the Year winners in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series were also part of the NASCAR Next program.

For more information, visit NASCARNext.com and make sure to follow the drivers on Twitter and on the track.

Posted on May 17, 2016 by

The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation hosts its biggest event of the year — “Catwalk for a Cause” — on Wednesday.

The seventh annual fashion show helps raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer. Sherry Pollex, Truex’s longtime girlfriend, plays a strong role in the campaign. She raised the idea in 2010, and the event has taken on new meaning since Pollex’s ovarian cancer diagnosis in August 2014.

The event is from 6-10 p.m. ET in Mooresville, North Carolina. Last year’s version had more than 600 people attend and raised more than $250,000.

Earlier this month, the NASCAR community rallied around Sherry Pollex on May 10 to send her well wishes on her birthday, a big day for the philanthropist after she completed her final chemotherapy treatment in January. Pollex had an extra special reason to celebrate her day as she launched her website SherryStrong.org — a platform for her to connect with those affected by cancer.

Wish @SherryPollex a #HappyBirthday! �� Stop by @MTJFoundation to support Martin & Sherry’s fight against cancer: https://t.co/LSJRyOLbHY

— Furniture Row Racing (@FR78Racing) May 10, 2016

Happy birthday to the American badass, @SherryPollex! TIME FOR DANCE. #NASCAR https://t.co/WoI3BI5B5b

— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) May 10, 2016

�� https://t.co/pt2bzo8wGC

— Sherry Pollex (@SherryPollex) May 10, 2016

MORE: Learn more about ‘Catwalk for a Cause’

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Holly Cain

Editor’s note: This week we’re looking back at the 1987 Winston All-Star Race, one of the most historic races in NASCAR history.

Nearly 30 years later NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott still says he has never been more frustrated in a race car than he was with the ending of the 1987 running of The Winston All-Star Race.

He led a dominating 121 of the 135 laps but came out on the wrong end of a hard-nosed door-to-door battle for the win with the “Intimidator” Dale Earnhardt in the final 10-lap segment.

The close-quarter, late-lap racing in The Winston between the season’s top two championship contenders famously resulted in Earnhardt’s “pass in the grass” — even though in reality it was much closer to a maintain-in-the-terrain, but it still became racing lore.

The race itself is a legitimately legendary story starring Elliott and Earnhardt with perhaps the most famous NASCAR driver lineups of all-time essentially playing supporting roles. Hall of Famers such as Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Terry Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip raced that day, joining many of the sport’s all-time most popular racers such as Neil Bonnett, Geoffrey Bodine and Tim Richmond.

As NASCAR prepares for the modern-day version of this event, the Sprint All-Star Race this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it’s a good stock-car history lesson to relive the 1987 event.

Many consider this the most famous All-Star running — a hard-nosed, win-at-all-costs race that raised the sport’s profile and its expectations.

In particular, the late-lap duel between Elliott and Earnhardt is considered required folklore for NASCAR fans, as it was the first instance of the All-Star Race having a 10-lap shootout to the finish.

Even today Elliott is still miffed about his missed opportunity, he told NASCAR.com

“That was probably the maddest I’ve ever been, but you just have to deal with it and go on,’’ said Elliott, who after being passed by Earnhardt had to pit in the waning laps to change out a flat tire, ultimately finishing 14th.

They smiled together later in the season at Michigan, but Bill Elliott never quite got over Dale Earnhardt’s late “pass in the grass.”

Earnhardt’s son and namesake Dale Earnhardt Jr. is also a huge fan of the event, remembering well his dad’s famous outing with sentimental appreciation. It was the first of three wins (also 1990 and 1993) for Earnhardt in the storied exhibition race.

“Those last 10 laps with Dad doing everything he could to hold off a faster Bill Elliott were exciting,’’ Earnhardt Jr. said. “It was a pretty basic format, but they had a lot of great cars, a lot of great drivers, and a lot of great racing going on.

“They only ran it for $200,000 back then, but that seemed like a lot of money at the time. It was really, really exciting. The cars moved around a lot — the way the cars raced really made the show.”

Elliott appreciates the 1987 event now for what it meant to the sport, how it grabbed fans’ attention and proved the intense level of NASCAR competition. But it is still a stolen opportunity to him.

Elliott unapologetically recalls driving his Ford over to Earnhardt’s Chevy after the checkered flag to show his anger over the way the race played out. He door-slammed Earnhardt’s car on the cool-down lap and kept it close even as Earnhardt pulled toward Victory Lane.

Considered one of the most mild-mannered gentlemen racers ever, Elliott was called to the NASCAR hauler after this race at the request of none other than Bill France Jr.

“We all sat and had a meeting with me, him (France), Earnhardt and (team owner Richard) Childress,” Elliott said. “I was still pissed. I’ll never forget. I hadn’t been so mad in … I can’t remember when.

“You have to remember, I worked on my race cars. My philosophy was to outrun someone fair and square rather than crash them up. It was just a turning point for me and Earnhardt. He had kinda been going at it with me here and there, but that was the end.”

When Earnhardt was interviewed from his car in Victory Lane after the race, he detailed in great frustration the direct run-ins with Elliott and declared of the race, “that was something else.’’

And indeed it was.

A star-studded lineup, strong emotions, fast cars and a dramatic ending — the 1987 running of The Winston was a race for the ages and one that has stood up through time.

“It’s one of those deals when you look back and say, ‘if this or if that,’ ” Elliott said. “That race tops all of them.”

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Staff Report

RELATED: Full results | Standings post-Dover

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick was not satisfied with the No. 4 team’s pit stops during Sunday’s race at Dover International Speedway, and he let the crew know over the scanner.

“We need to learn how to make a (expletive) pit stop,” he said at one point. “Track position means a whole lot.”

Harvick led 116 of the opening 120 laps, but was shuffled back during a spate of four caution flags from Lap 120 to Lap 185.

Responding to a jab on Twitter, crew chief Rodney Childers hinted at a possible reason why.

Or go back to what we know instead of testing different pit guns every week. Then wish in the chase we wouldn’t have https://t.co/S7c7X0Mmws

— Rodney Childers (@RodneyChilders4) May 17, 2016

Because Harvick won at Phoenix earlier this year, he is all but locked into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Many Chase-qualified teams test different setups in order to learn for the postseason, so it would make sense for the experimentation to spill over onto pit road as well.

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Staff Report

Chat with fans during the All-Star Race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Staff Report

With help from NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett and Sprint Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, Interstate Batteries revealed Busch’s No. 18 paint scheme for this fall’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Sticking with the throwback theme, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota will be a replica of the original design Jarrett raced to victory in the 1993 Daytona 500, which was the first-ever win for JGR and Interstate Batteries.

The 2016 season marks 25 years for JGR and its relationship with Interstate Batteries. The No. 18 throwback scheme will take the track Sept. 6 at the South Carolina track (6 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The top scheme below is Busch’s; the one below it is Dale Jarrett’s car that inspired the throwback look.

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Expansion for Forza Motorsport 6 has been released and race-gaming fans of all sorts can enjoy the thrills of stock car racing available now on Xbox One.

The NASCAR Expansion includes an all-new NASCAR World Tour Career mode, letting users race NASCAR stock cars against opponents from a huge variety of motorsport leagues. Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott tested the game out and both agree the game has strong ties to real-life racing. Both HMS drivers had a hand in developing the game to give a correct representation of the tracks they race on week-after-week.

The game will feature 24 new cars from the 2016 season, including drivers Elliott and Johnnson, as well as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth.

Along with new drivers, the game will also feature a new track on the NASCAR circuit, Homestead-Miami Speedway. Forza Motorsport 6 currently includes Daytona International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen International and Sonoma Raceway.

The game will also have new multiplayer events and new display elements for improved drafting and car spotting, as well as exclusive Mods, Badges and 250G Achievements to unlock.

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 17, 2016) – Two are following in the footsteps of their former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driving fathers. One is a long-time racer who competed on the reality television show “Survivor,” and later added a degree from Stanford University. Another is one of the fastest rising stock car drivers in the Midwest. There is even a pair of international phenoms.

This year’s NASCAR Next class was selected through an evaluation process that included input from industry executives, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Drivers Council and media. Drivers must be between the ages of 15-25, have tangible and expressed goals in eventual competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and demonstrate the potential to realize that goal.

MORE: Full NASCAR Next coverage

The following drivers have been selected to the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class:

Harrison Burton (@HBurtonRacing) – The 15-year-old from Huntersville, North Carolina, is the son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Burton. He has climbed to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series after setting the record last year as the youngest Division I race winner in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series history.

Matt Tifft (@Matt_Tifft) – A development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, the 19-year-old from Hinckley, Ohio, is driving part-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for JGL Racing as well as JGR, and racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Red Horse Racing. He earned his first career pole in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Talladega earlier this month.

Since its inception in 2011, 27 of the 35 drivers who have been selected as part of the program have gone on to compete in one of NASCAR’s three national series. Nearly a third of the drivers have made a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start, with nine drivers winning a NASCAR national series race.

The last two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookies of the Year have been NASCAR Next alum, as are the top two contenders for this year’s award: Blaney and Elliott. The last three Sunoco Rookie of the Year winners in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series were also part of the NASCAR Next program.

For more information, visit NASCARNext.com and make sure to follow the drivers on Twitter and on the track.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Pat DeCola

KyleBusch

Busch was caught up in the massive pileup toward the end of the AAA 400, but still came out of Dover atop the Chase Grid.

MORE: Monster melee collects 18

Kevinharvick

Harvick led a race-high 117 laps and managed to wade through a few negative circumstances and still come out 15th.

Carledwards

-1

Edwards looked primed to win before contact with Kyle Larson. He dropped to fourth in the standings.

MORE: Edwards’ shot at win dashed in wreck

JimmieJohnson

Two Dover races in a row, Johnson went into the race as the heavy favorite — and came out with two finishes of 25th or worse.

MORE: ‘Monster’ bites master, Jimmie

Kurtbusch

With a remarkable series-high 10 top-10s in 12 races, Busch now sits third in the standings.

BradKeselowski

-1

Keselowski spent 49 laps out front before having his quarterpanel mangled, but really recovered for a nice finish.

Mattkenseth

Guess we can all put the talk of Kenseth’s troubles behind us. Victory is now in hand, and he really had to earn that one.

MORE: Kenseth holds off Larson for first 2016 win

Joeylogano

-1

Logano has a top-eight finish in every Sprint All-Star Race he’s competed in, expect for 2014 when he wrecked out.

Martintruex jr

Truex knows his team is too good to continue to be this unlucky week in and week out (he was behind the stalling Jimmie Johnson in the big wreck), so the 78 team should break through at some point.

MORE: Bad luck finds Truex again

DaleEarnhardt Jr.

-2

Junior wasn’t a factor at Dover, but he’ll be charged up for the Sprint All-Star Race, an event he hasn’t won since his rookie year.

ChaseElliott

Elliott’s consistency has been excellent all season, but the racing prowess he displayed at Dover was next level.

MORE: Elliott impresses at Dover

DennyHamlin

-2

Hamlin’s woes continued at Dover, but perhaps he’ll get back on track in the Sprint All-Star Race, which he won last year.

AustinDillon

-2

You know Dillon’s having a good season when he can finish 33rd in a race one-third of the way through the year and he’s still in the top 10 despite dropping two spots in the standings.

Ryanblaney

Blaney continues to get the most out of his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing ride, the output of a single-car organization in its first season of full-time competition in some time.

Kaseykahne

Big gains are starting to come for Kahne, as another top 10 has him up to 16th in the standings, his highest place since Richmond.

Kylelarson

Larson came up just short of beating veteran Matt Kenseth, but the incredible run will likely set the No. 42 team up for more success.

MORE: Larson takes Kenseth to limit

Jamiemcmurray

-1

McMurray slipped two spots in the standings, but, like Hamlin, maybe he’ll regain some of the momentum he had after winning the Sprint All-Star Race recently (2014).

Ryannewman

-2

While Newman doesn’t have a single regular season win at Charlotte, he did win the 2002 All-Star Race.