Posted on by Holly Cain

PHOTOS: Stewart’s career highlights | All 48 of Stewart’s Cup victories



RICHMOND, Va. — Tony Stewart officially drove out of the garage and onto a race track for the first time this season at 10:59 a.m. ET Friday morning after spending a good half hour in the seat of his red-white-and-blue No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet, getting re-familiarized with the cockpit and debriefing with his team’s new crew chief, Michael Bugarewicz.



Both Stewart’s return and farewell to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition began this weekend at Richmond International Raceway.



The driver/owner placed 18th (124.700 mph/38 laps) in opening practice before the session was halted for rain.


RELATED: Rain halts on-track activity at Richmond | Weather updates



The three-time Cup champion returned to competition for the first time this season, having received medical clearance earlier this week. He has been recovering from a broken back suffered during the offseason in an all-terrain vehicle accident, and just this week doctors okayed Stewart’s return for what is his final NASCAR Cup season as a driver.


The Stewart-Haas Racing team worked fast and furiously, enthusiastically and with unmistakably high energy early Friday morning in the garage preparing Stewart’s Chevrolet.



Photographers, cameramen and reporters crowded around the garage to get a glimpse of Stewart.



“For this whole team, this company, it’s awesome to see him back at a place he loves, a place he’s had success,” SHR Competition Director Greg Zipadelli said Friday in the RIR garage.



“It looks like they changed the tire back to the way it used to be, more his style and hopefully we’ll have a real sunny day come Sunday. I think it will be a great race.



“For our company, our sponsors and our fans it’s awesome that it’s sooner than later.”



Stewart’s Chevy was positioned in between Aric Almirola’s Ford and Kyle Larson‘s Chevy in the Richmond garage. And earlier in the morning while the champ was still in his motorcoach getting ready for his first practice session since his last race, the 2015 November finale in Homestead, Fla. the crew was already smiling. There was a palpable sense of expectation.



“We’re extremely happy to have him back and to work with him the rest of the year,” Chevrolet’s Sprint Cup Series Program Manager Alba Colon said as she and Zipadelli stood together, watching preparation for opening practice.



It was the first practice session for Stewart this year, the first time he’s even turned a lap. The medical clearance came so late, he didn’t have an opportunity to even test his Chevy before arriving in Richmond.



“He’s done this so long it will just be a matter of him adjusting,” Zipadelli said. “I think that the state of mind he’s in, the adjustments should be short. He’s rested; I’ve not seen him this focused, this excited ever.



“It’s exciting and I feel good for him that he got the opportunity to come back a couple weeks earlier than we thought at a place he really likes. It’s something he really wanted to do.



“Before he went to the doctor the other day, he said, ‘If the doctor clears me, I’m going to do this.’ “



There was little time to prepare, but the team has been ready and anticipating the eventual go-ahead.



“Everything was in place,” Zipadelli said. “It was more of the internal preparation, making sure his helmets were on the truck, gloves, the HANS, all those little details. The guys did a good job working late Wednesday night. Had to make some changes with the seat and the headrest and the weight of the car. They went back and did it all.”

RELATED: Drivers react to Stewart’s return to No. 14 Chevy


Other drivers seemed genuinely excited to see Stewart back as a competitor.



“It’s great to have him back and it’s great for the sport,” rookie driver Ryan Blaney said Friday.



It was clearly the consensus.



“As a friend, somebody responsible for bringing good race cars to the track for him and our company I just hope he has a great rest of the season, can be competitive and have a lot of fun,” Zipadelli said. “I know he’s really looking forward to it.”



And so are many others.

MORE: Complete coverage of Stewart’s accident, recovery

Posted on by Staff Report

Lineup: Heat Race 1

Position Car Driver Manufacturer
1. 18 Matt Tifft Toyota
2. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet
3. 20 Erik Jones Toyota
4. 1 Elliott Sadler Chevrolet
5. 33 Brandon Jones Chevrolet
6. 62 Brendan Gaughan Chevrolet
7. 48 Brennan Poole Chevrolet
8. 6 Darrell Wallace Jr. Ford
9. 43 Jeb Burton Ford
10. 28 Dakoda Armstrong Toyota
11. 51 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet
12. 44 J.J. Yeley Toyota
13. 07 Ray Black Jr. Chevrolet
14. 14 Jeff Green Toyota
15. 5 Cole Custer Chevrolet
16. 25 Harrison Rhodes Chevrolet
17. 97 Ryan Ellis Chevrolet
18. 70 Derrike Cope Chevrolet
19. 40 Carl Long Toyota
20. 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet

Lineup: Heat Race 2

Position Car Driver Manufacturer
1. 2 Austin Dillon Chevrolet
2. 19 Daniel Suarez Toyota
3. 7 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet
4. 22 Brad Keselowski Ford
5. 3 Ty Dillon Chevrolet
6. 42 Justin Marks Chevrolet
7. 16 Ryan Reed Ford
8. 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet
9. 4 Ross Chastain Chevrolet
10. 11 Blake Koch Chevrolet
11. 01 Ryan Preece Chevrolet
12. 0 Garrett Smithley Chevrolet
13. 78 BJ McLeod Ford
14. 90 Todd Peck Ford
15. 52 Joey Gase Chevrolet
16. 15 Travis Kvapil Ford
17. 74 Mike Harmon Dodge
18. 13 Timmy Hill Toyota
19. 93 Josh Wise Chevrolet
20. 21 Spencer Gallagher Chevrolet
Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full practice results

Kevin Harvick topped the leaderboard in Friday’s rain-shortened first Sprint Cup Series practice at Richmond International Raceway, using a 129.069 mph-lap in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.

 

Right behind him was Joey Logano in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford at 128.694 mph.

 

Rounding out the top five were Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Carl Edwards in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

 

Tony Stewart, in his first practice session of the season since sustaining a back injury in the offseason, was 18th at 124.700 mph in the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. Stewart drove a field-high 38 laps.

 

Michael Annett slammed into the wall with his No. 46 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet about seven minutes into the session, sustaining significant damage to the front of his car.

Because rain also is predicted for later today, many teams used qualifying trim on their cars in the event qualifying is rained out. Practice speeds will be used to set the lineup for the Toyota Owners 400 if Coors Light Pole Qualifying is rained out.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Live weather updates | Weekend schedule

 

Heavy rain canceled the majority of on-track action Friday at Richmond International Raceway.

 

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars were in the midst of circling the 0.75-mile track for the opening practice when the skies opened up. The session ran for most of the alotted time, with Kevin Harvick topping the leaderboard at 129.069 mph with just more than 20 minutes remaining.

Sprint Cup Coors Light Pole Qualifying was scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m. ET, but NASCAR announced shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET that it was canceled. By virtue of notching the best speed in the rain-shortened opening Cup practice, Harvick will start on the pole for Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 (1 p.m. ET, FOX). 

 

Cup cars will have another shot at putting laps down on the short track Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET (FS1).

 

Opening NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 1:55 p.m. ET, was canceled due to the wet weather. A second XFINITY practice was scheduled from 3-3:55 p.m. ET, but was also unable to be run.

 

XFINITY practice has been rescheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday. The lineup for each Dash 4 Cash heat was set per the rule book, which is owner points. Results from the heat races will set the lineup for the main.

Posted on by Staff Report

Members of the Drivers Council, a group of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers that meets occasionally with NASCAR leadership, will pool money to pay the $35,000 fine NASCAR levied against Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin confirmed Friday at Richmond International Raceway. NBC Sports first reported the story.


Via the NBC report, Denny Hamlin, a member of the Drivers Council, released this statement: “We as drivers believe Tony has the right to speak his opinion on topics that pertain to a sport that he has spent nearly two decades helping build as both a driver and an owner. While we do not condone drivers lashing out freely at NASCAR, we do feel Tony was in his rights to state his opinion. We as a Council support him and do not agree with the fine. Therefore, we fellow council members have agreed to contribute equally to paying his fine.”


He reiterated that stance Friday afternoon.


“It’s about us believing we have the right to express our opinions,” Hamlin said.


Hamlin and Stewart are both in the Drivers Council. Other members are Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson and Joey Logano. Jeff Gordon had previously been a member until his retirement following the 2015 season.


Stewart’s fine, announced Thursday afternoon, falls under Section 12 of the rule book, specifically member conduct guidelines. According to Section 12.8.1, actions that could result in a $10,000-$50,000 fine include disparaging the sport and/or NASCAR’s leadership.


Previously on Thursday, Stewart announced he would return to his No. 14 Chevrolet this weekend at Richmond International Raceway after missing the first eight races of the year with a back injury.



PHOTOS: All 48 of Tony’s wins | Stewart through the years

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Heat races lineup | Full schedule


RICHMOND, Va. — The first brush with qualifying heats and a feature in a revamped Dash 4 Cash race format brought a new wrinkle to the NASCAR XFINITY Series last weekend. With the newfangled system ready for Round 2, many in the garage are bracing for the encore.

Dual heats make their return in Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 (12:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the second of four races this season for the Dash 4 Cash incentive program. One of four eligible drivers — determined through the two heats — will make their bid for a $100,000 bonus at Richmond International Raceway.

Last weekend’s Dash 4 Cash opener at Bristol Motor Speedway was marked by a pair of wire-to-wire winners in the heats, but some frantic lead-swapping in the shorter 200-lap main. This weekend, the total distance of the feature event (106.6 miles at Bristol vs. a scheduled 105 at Richmond) is comparable, but the difference in lap count (Bristol’s 200 vs. Richmond’s 140) is far wider.

“That’s a pretty narrow window to make yourself better if you’re not where you want to be,” said Erik Jones, last week’s winner of both the Bristol race and the Dash 4 Cash prize. “I think it’s cool. I think it’s a neat thing to do. I think the shorter races is something we as drivers enjoy. I think fans enjoy it as well. And just that dash to the finish running as hard as you can is pretty neat.

“Bristol was a part of that — tire wear at Bristol isn’t that great so you can run pretty hard for the majority of the race and not have to worry about fall-off and really dash like that for the whole race. But, I think you’ll see a lot of the same here at Richmond with an only 140-lap main as well.”

Roush Fenway Racing‘s Ryan Reed said Friday that the shorter format placed a premium on executing a mistake-free race, for both driver and crew. But the 22-year-old also said that the sanctioning body could discover enhancements as the Dash 4 Cash system continues to evolve.

“With 140 laps at Richmond, you’re going to have no time to mess around,” Reed said. “I think it’s good. Everyone’s talked about shortening races up, and I think this is a great way to do it without taking away from total laps. You’re still running the same amount of miles in the weekend, but you’re breaking it up. I’m a pretty big fan of it. I think that they’ll continue to improve on it and learn from this year and then be able to apply more things to it.”

Last weekend’s event at Bristol helped fuel discussion about potentially reducing the number of scheduled laps in the hopes of creating more intense racing — not just on the XFINITY circuit but in all three NASCAR national series.

JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, who was one of four eligible Dash 4 Cash drivers last weekend, said he saw some validity to that theory, but that he expected more to be learned as the four-race series unfolds.

“Obviously as racers, we’re competitive, we want to win races and we’ll run as many laps as the sanctioning body or the fans will allow us to run. If you told us it was 1,000 laps, we’d go run it. But at the same time to keep our fans engaged and to keep us moving forward as a sport, is this the right philosophy? Did we do a good job? I think that as we get through these four races, we’re going to see a lot clearer picture of it. But I definitely give kudos to NASCAR, to Comcast XFINITY, everybody here. There was a lot of give and take to make sure these came off well, and I think so far we’ve done a good job of that.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Stewart returns to No. 14 Chevrolet



RICHMOND, Va. — Denny Hamlin expounded on the NASCAR Drivers Council’s recent show of solidarity for three-time champion Tony Stewart on Friday, saying that he hoped the sport’s competitors would have better freedom to express themselves in the future.


Thursday afternoon, NASCAR officials handed down a $35,000 fine to Stewart, making his first Sprint Cup Series start of the season this weekend in his return from a severe back injury, for making harsh, candid remarks toward its competition department and its stance on policing loose or missing lug nuts. Within hours, the nine-person council produced a statement that it intended to pay Stewart’s fine.


“When Tony informed us of the fine, we didn’t agree with it. No one agreed with it and we thought there’s something we should do about it,” Hamlin said Friday at Richmond International Raceway. “I think it was a way for us to send a message back to NASCAR — not that we were trying to send any specific message, but that, hey, we just believe we should have the right to speak our opinion.”


Stewart’s comments came at a Wednesday appearance at a service station to promote sponsor Mobil 1’s contributions to the NASCAR Green initiative. When asked about NASCAR’s relaxed stance toward tightening all five lugs, Stewart offered pointed criticism, saying that competition officials “totally dropped the ball” in regards to safety.


NASCAR officials had no comment on the penalty Friday at the .75-mile track. Hamlin indicated that NASCAR officials had not contacted him about the council’s statement as of early Friday afternoon.


NASCAR competition officials changed the rules governing lug nuts before the 2015 season, saying they would no longer issue penalties for loose or missing lug nuts. The change dovetailed with the debut of a new pit-road officiating system that reduced the need for competition officials to go over the wall during stops.


The rule created an opening for pit crews looking for advantages, allowing them to skip tightening lugs in an effort to save fractions of a second on pit road. But as teams have become more aggressive pushing the rule this season, the result has been a rise in loose wheels, vibrations and the need for extra stops.


“I think it’s a safety issue that we should look to address before there is a negative outcome with it,” said Kurt Busch, Stewart’s teammate in the No. 41 Chevrolet and the defending race winner. “To me, it makes sense to have five lug nuts. You want five of them tight. You go to your Goodyear Tire store and get your tires rotated, they put on three lug nuts, you are not going to feel so comfortable about that.”


But Hamlin insisted the council’s actions were less about lug nuts and more about drivers’ ability to speak openly.


For years, NASCAR officials issued so-called “secret” fines — undisclosed penalties — in response to competitors’ remarks that crossed the bounds of criticism of the sport. That practice was abandoned before the 2012 season.


Hamlin was fined $25,000 in March 2013 for critical comments about the newly released Gen-6 race car design. In issuing the penalty, NASCAR officials said, “the sanctioning body will not tolerate publicly made comments by its drivers that denigrate the racing product.”


Hamlin said the out-of-bounds line for which comments are admissible or not is a murky one, but that “obviously we just believe that you should be able to express your opinion as long as you’re not just totally trashing the sport itself or anything like that.” He also indicated that Stewart’s status as a three-time series champion and an outspoken veteran should have factored in NASCAR’s decision.



MORE: All of ‘Smoke’s’ Cup wins


“We try to do our best to give honest answers and sometimes those aren’t always the best thing,” Hamlin said. “I know at times I’ve been very guilty of being too honest at times or too opinionated at times and it costs you a nickel or two. We just think that there should be a little bit of leniency there for someone that knows a lot about our sport and has been in our sport a long time. He gave his opinion and especially when it’s something on safety, too. I think it’s pretty important.”


Stewart was back in his Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Chevrolet on Friday, turning his first laps since he was hurt in an all-terrain vehicle incident Jan. 31. His injuries sidelined him for the first eight Sprint Cup races of his final full season in NASCAR’s top division.


MORE: Lineup for Richmond race | Photos: See Stewart back in No. 14

Posted on by Team Release

Go Fas Racing announced that Patrick Carpentier will pilot the No. 32 Can-Am, Kappa, Cyclops Ford Fusion at Sonoma Raceway in June, and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. Carpentier has 40 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from 2007-2011. The Ville LaSalle, Quebec, native has two NSCS starts at Sonoma with a best finish of 11th in 2009, and one start at Indianapolis where he finished 18th.

 

“Even if I say that I’m retired, I could not miss the opportunity to drive in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, especially on circuits as interesting as those of Sonoma and Indianapolis,” Carpentier said. “I’m really happy to wear the colors of Can-Am, Kappa and Cyclops Gear because I love to use their products.”

 

“We are very happy with the choice of drivers made by our partner, Archie St.Hilaire of Go FAS Racing,” said José Boisjoli, president and CEO of BRP. “The decision to entrust the wheel of the Can-Am/Kappa/Cyclops Gear Ford Fusion No.32 to Patrick Carpentier for the races in Sonoma and Indianapolis, pleases us very much. Patrick is a very talented driver and he is an avid fan of our products.”


“We look forward to working with Patrick at Sonoma and Indianapolis,” said Go Fas Racing team owner Archie St. Hilaire. “The last time he ran at Sonoma he finished 11th, and we plan on giving him a car that can give him a top-10 this June.”

Posted on by Team Release

LEVEL CROSS, N.C. (April 21, 2016) — For the first time in its history, Kyle Petty will be joined by his three sisters and legendary father during the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, one of the most successful and popular charity rides in the country, for its 22nd annual motorcycle trek.



Petty will ride alongside his sisters, Sharon, Lisa, Rebecca and father, “The King” Richard during the ride presented by Manheim. The ride engages celebrities, motorcycle enthusiasts, fans, and local communities to raise funds and awareness for Victory Junction, a camp for kids with serious health care needs.



Petty will lead his wife, father, sisters and his extended “charity ride family” of approximately 200 riders on a route starting in Palm Springs, California on April 30 and ending in Biloxi, Mississippi on May 6.



“We’ve been doing this for over 20 years and I’ve never had all my sisters and father with me on the ride,” said Petty. “So, that makes this ride even more special for our family. We’ve all been busy doing different things, but this year we were all able to get this on everyone’s calendar. Family, friends, having a good time together and making memories is what this ride is all about and having all my sisters and father with us will make the experience that much better. I’m really looking forward to it.”



The ride will be supported through social media channels by Richard Petty Motorsports, Richard Petty Museum, Petty Family Foundation and Petty’s Garage.  Fans can visit these respective Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites for photos of the ride along its route.



Twenty two years ago, Petty combined his passion for helping others with his love of motorcycles to create the Ride. Since 1995, more than 7,750 riders have logged 11.4 million cumulative motorcycle miles and raised $16.5 million for Victory Junction and other children’s charities.



“The Ride continues to be an overwhelming success thanks to the passion and commitment of our riders and sponsors, a majority of which join in the Ride and support the cause year over year,” said Petty. “Thanks to their continued support, the Ride has been able to send more than 7,880 children to Victory Junction at no cost their families.”



Since its inception by Petty and his family in 2004, in honor of his son Adam Petty, Victory Junction has served as the Ride’s primary beneficiary. Located on 84 acres in Randleman, North Carolina, Victory Junction exists to enrich the lives of children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses by creating camping experiences that are memorable, fun, empowering, physically safe and medically sound.



Fans and spectators along the Ride’s route may contribute to the “Small Change. Big Impact.” program, which accepts donations at local stops.


To keep up with Petty and the riders live, follow the Ride and Petty on social media:


Facebook: www.facebook.com/kpcharityride and www.facebook.com/kylepetty45

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kpcharityride and www.instagram.com/kylepetty

Twitter: www.twitter.com/kpcharityride and www.twitter.com/kylepetty


For more information about the 22nd Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America or to make a contribution, please visit www.kylepettycharityride.com.