John Wes Townley cleared to compete at Pocono Raceway

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Team Release

Concord, N.C. (July 26, 2016) – John Wes Townley received medical clearance earlier today to resume racing in NASCAR and ARCA. He will compete in this weekend’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA events at Pocono Raceway.

Townley had been sidelined for the past four weeks while being treated for mild concussion-like symptoms.

“I’d like to thank Parker Kligerman, Cole Custer and Brady Boswell for filling in for me,” Townley said. “I feel great and I’m looking forward to racing at Pocono this week.”

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Pat DeCola

Kevinharvick

A case can be made for Kyle Busch (four wins to Harvick’s one) here, but the Stewart-Haas Racing driver’s season as a whole has been more consistently dominant, perhaps the most important ingredient in the recipe to advancing in the Chase.

KyleBusch

"Rowdy" was on another level at Indy this past weekend, and that could continue at Pocono where he is the defending pole-winner of the race.

More: Busch dominates for Brickyard sweep

BradKeselowski

-2

A 17th-place finish came as a result of Keselowski’s No. 2 being involved in a late-race "Big One," but he didn’t fall any spots in the points standings.

More: Kes involved in ‘Big One’

Joeylogano

Logano couldn’t bring his team owner a Brickyard 400, but how ’bout a Pennsylvania 400? Logano led a race-high 97 laps in this event last year.

More: Team Penkse still chasing Indy

Kurtbusch

A winner at Pocono not even two months ago, Busch’s consistency and his recent Victory Lane visit make him one of the race favorites.

Mattkenseth

Coming in as the defending race-winner, Kenseth and his JGR-powered No. 20 have an excellent shot at the "Tricky Triangle."

More: Kenseth clinches Chase berth

Carledwards

-1

Edwards dropped two spots in the standings and now stands as one of just three drivers in the top 20 in points to have four DNFs.

JimmieJohnson

Not only did Johnson potentially end a "slump" (by his standards), he’s officially locked up a Chase spot and can breathe a little.

More: Johnson officially in Chase

Martintruex jr

-1

While he struggled in the spring event (19th), it wasn’t that long ago that Truex Jr. won at Pocono (June, 2015). Good chance his team comes better prepared this time around.

DennyHamlin

Denny Hamlin’s winless drought of 19 races is the longest of any driver in the top 10 in points.

ChaseElliott

Elliott had a solid top-five run at Pocono earlier this season during his best streak of the year. Perhaps he can re-ignite the spark this weekend?

Tonystewart

Stewart had another solid run in what was possibly a dizzying weekend of attention and fanfare for his last Brickyard race. He’s still trending in the right direction.

More: Tony talks special moment with Gordon

AustinDillon

Dillon could double his 2015 top-10 total (five) with one such result at Pocono. Only problem? He’s yet to complete the task at the "Tricky Triangle."

More: Dillon on good side of RCR’s luck

Kylelarson

Heading into one of his best tracks (9.4 average Pocono finish), Larson is on the right side of the Chase bubble.

More: Larson sneaks into Chase picture

Ryannewman

-3

Newman had a rough day in his home state, matching his car number (31) with his finishing position. That’s usually not a good thing, unless you’re Jamie McMurray.

Jamiemcmurray

-2

McMurray’s No. 1 Chevrolet was a mid-pack car most of the way at Indy, but he’s still solidly in Chase contention as the regular season winds down.

More: Ganassi duo chasing Chase

DaleEarnhardt Jr.

-2

Junior will remain out at least through the weekend, but his season is on the line now as he’s quickly losing ground in the standings.

More: Junior offers health update

Kaseykahne

Kahne has won at Pocono as recently as 2013 and could really use another solid performance, as a driver just on the outside of Chase contention and looking in.

More: Kahne on Chase bubble line

Trevorbayne

A late-race mixup with Clint Bowyer relegated Bayne to a 30th-place finish, bringing him down to 18th place in the driver standings.

More: Bayne, Bowyer tangle late

RickyStenhouse Jr.

Stenhouse’s near-top 10 at Indy (12th) shouldn’t be overlooked — but neither should his Pocono history. The Roush driver’s 27.3 average finish could make his bump a short-lived one.

Posted on July 25, 2016 by

NEW YORK — Nickelodeon today announced that it is has teamed up with NASCAR XFINITY Series star “Bubba” Wallace to drive a special No. 6 Shredder Ford Mustang in the XFINITY 300 on Saturday, September 17. Nickelodeon is the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Sept. 18, dubbed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. The track will feature a weekend of action, activities and fun for the entire family with the iconic Heroes in a Half Shell.

Wallace is in his second full-time season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for Roush Fenway Racing. His unique race car at Chicagoland will feature Shredder in his iconic helmet on the hood, rear bumper and left rear quarter-panel. The Foot Clan is right there with him, standing watch on the right rear quarter-panel, ready to do battle.

Shredder is the commander of an evil ninja army called the Foot Clan, and is one of the deadliest martial artists in the world. He is cold, cunning, ruthless, and obsessed with destroying Splinter, whom he blames for the death of his true love. Shredder’s thirst for revenge has drained him of all compassion, warmth and connection to humanity.

Wallace will join a number of other drivers with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles paint schemes for the Sept. 17-18 race weekend. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Danica Patrick has already been announced to drive the No. 10 April O’Neil/Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400. Additional drivers will be announced this summer.

“I grew up watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shredder was always a cool character,” said Wallace. “It’s an honor to partner with Nickelodeon on this program. Hopefully Shredder and the Foot Clan will lead the way to Victory Lane.”

This Sept. 15-18 marks the sixth consecutive year that Chicagoland Speedway will kick off the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The Nickelodeon partnership will include sponsorship of the 2017 kick off race, as well.

“We are excited to partner with Bubba Wallace and Roush Fenway Racing to showcase Shredder and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the NASCAR XFINITY race,” said Anthony DiCosmo, Senior Vice President, Sports Marketing and Development, Nickelodeon. “Just as we did with last season’s SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 will continue to expand our relationship with NASCAR, while working with another best-in-class ISC track to give fans a unique and engaging race experience that the whole family can enjoy.”

Nickelodeon has a long-standing relationship with NASCAR, teaming up with the motorsports giant on several programming and racing events. On the track, the network has sponsored the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway in 2015; brought the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2014; participated in the Bank of America 500 week in 2012; and the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC in 2004. NASCAR has also contributed talent and content to Nickelodeon programming such as the Kids’ Choice Awards ( Danica Patrick , 2012 and 2013), Kids’ Choice Sports Awards ( Danica Patrick , 2014, Ben Kennedy , 2015), Team Umizoomi ( Jeff Gordon , 2012), Hammer Down (2014), which aired on Nicktoon’s NickSports block, and an upcoming Bubble Guppies episode ( Jimmie Johnson , 2015).

Currently in its fourth season, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is seen in over 170 countries and territories and translated in 50+ languages. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles follows four mutant turtles — Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo — trained in the art of ninjutsu by their mutant rat sensei, Master Splinter, who teaches the turtles to battle evil from the New York City sewers. Executive produced by Ciro Nieli and Brandon Auman, the series is created at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif.

Posted on July 25, 2016 by

Breaking down the full field for the Crown Royal Presents The Combat Wounded Coalition 400 At The Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

1. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Total domination. Busch won Saturday’s and Sunday’s races from the pole and led a record 149 laps Sunday. His average running position Sunday was 1.2, and his lowest position was third. Seriously? Busch’s hammerlock on the field was on par with what Martin Truex Jr. did in the Coca-Cola 600 . Thus the same mark. Grade: AAA+

2. Matt Kenseth , No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth is still winless at the Brickyard but has now finished second three times. More numbers: In Kenseth’s first four starts at Indianapolis for JGR, his finishes are 5th, 4th, 7th and 2nd. Grade: A

3. Jimmie Johnson , No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson had to do a pass-through on Lap 86 for a pit-road speeding penalty, dropping him to 23rd. Attrition and persistence led to Johnson’s first top 10 since he finished third at Charlotte two months ago. Nice finish, but this team still needs to clean up its mistakes. Grade: A-

4. Denny Hamlin , No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Ditto the No. 11 team. Hamlin was assessed his seventh pit-road speeding penalty of the season one lap after Jimmie Johnson (same round of green-flag stops). Hamlin was running third at the time and fell back to 18th. Nice recovery, but … Grade: A-

5. Kyle Larson , No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. Larson was the second-biggest winner of the afternoon, moving up four spots in the standings to 15th. Grade: A

6. Kevin Harvick , No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick upped his points lead to 24. Two races ago it was down to four. If you don’t think that’s important, remember this: If qualifying is rained out, the field is set by the standings — as is the order of selecting a pit stall. So, yes, the standings still matter. Grade: A

7. Joey Logano , No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. Logano restarted second on the final restart but couldn’t hold the position or make a run at Kyle Busch. Logano, by the way, finished second to Busch in last year’s Brickyard. Grade: A

8. Martin Truex Jr. , No. 78 Toyota, Furniture Row Racing. Truex was strong all afternoon – his 5.6 average running position was second to Kyle Busch’s – but he was no match for the winner. Grade: A

9. Austin Dillon , No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Sunday’s top 10 was Dillon’s ninth of the season (20 starts), equaling his total for the first 85 starts of his Sprint Cup career. Grade: A

10. Paul Menard , No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard benefited from accidents in front of him that he was able to avoid to score his second top 10 of the season. Grade: A-

11. Tony Stewart , No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart started third and was running with the leaders when he was caught speeding on pit road just before the third caution and had to restart at the tail end of the field, one lap down. He was still back in the pack (20th) with 25 laps to go in regulation. But then came all the cautions. “Smoke” finally got his lap back with a free pass on the fifth caution, survived contact with Jamie McMurray on Lap 166 and salvaged a decent finish on his last go-round at Indy. Grade: B

12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. , No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse survived the big Carl Edwards – Ryan Newman wreck that brought out the red flag to get a finish that belied his day. He turned 14 laps in the top 15 and had an average running positon of 20.1. Grade: B-

13. Jeff Gordon , No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Despite problems with restarts, Gordon was able to post his best finish of the season and overcome the incredible pressure of replacing Alex Bowman in the No. 88. … Yes, I’m kidding. Except for the restarts part. Vive Monsieur Gordon! Grade: A

14. Chris Buescher , No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Buescher recorded the best finish of his Sprint Cup career on a day in which he turned all of two laps in the top 15 and had a 23.7 average running position. Grade: B

15. Chase Elliott , No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Elliott registered his best finish since a second-place finish at Michigan more than a month ago. Grade: B

16. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. For only the second time this season, Busch failed to finish in the top 10 in back-to-back races. Grade: B-

17. Brad Keselowski , No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Keselowski was the rage early on with his team’s bold pit strategy, but the second half of the race bore zero resemblance to the first half. Getting caught up in the Carl Edwards – Ryan Newman wreck didn’t help, either. Grade: B

18. Kasey Kahne , No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Despite a fourth-straight finish outside the top 10, Kahne moved up two spots in the standings to 16th, 10 points behind Kyle Larson . He jumped one driver who missed the race ( Dale Earnhardt Jr. ) and one who didn’t use the best judgment and crashed with 10 laps to go ( Trevor Bayne ). Grade: C

19. Jamie McMurray , No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. McMurray’s nice run came to a screeching halt on the restart on Lap 165 when he moved down in front of Tony Stewart but hadn’t cleared the No. 14. Stewart wasn’t about to lift, and the No. 1 went for a slide onto the access road before returning to the track and smacking Ryan Newman . Worse, the caution gave the free pass to Chase-cutoff competitor Kasey Kahne . Grade: B-

20. Landon Cassill , No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Cassill avoided calamity to get his fourth-best finish of the season. Grade: B

21. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Bowyer contributed to the caution-fest at the end of the race when he got into the back of Trevor Bayne , who inexplicably went for the block with so much on the line (Chase standings) and running so far back in the field. Grade: C

22. Danica Patrick , No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Wrong place, wrong time. Again. Patrick had nothing to do with the Carl Edwards – Ryan Newman wreck but still ended up a part of it. On the other hand, she finished right where she spent most of the race. Grade: C

23. Michael McDowell , No. 95 Chevrolet, Circle Sport-Leavine Family. McDowell posted his best finish at the Brickyard in seven starts. Grade: B-

24. Casey Mears , No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears finished in the top 25 for the 10th time this season. Grade: C

25. Aric Almirola , No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola, who is still looking for his first top 10 of the year, is on pace to have his worst season with RPM, for which he has been driving full time since 2010. Grade: C

26. Regan Smith , No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Smith posted his best finish since a 22nd at Pocono in early June. Grade: C

27. Brian Scott , No. 44 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Despite being collected in the last wreck of the day, Scott picked up his best finish in his past eight starts. Grade: C

28. Michael Annett , No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. After posting four top-30 finishes in his first 14 starts, Annett has four in his past six. Grade: C

29. Cole Whitt , No. 98 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. Since a 37.3 average finish in his first three starts of the season, Whitt has an average finish of 27.5 over his next 14 races. Grade: C

30. Trevor Bayne , No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne’s move to block Clint Bowyer on the backstretch on Lap 158 was as costly as it was ill-advised. Bayne spun all the way to his worst finish of the season and to 18th in the standings, 14 points behind 15th-place Kyle Larson . Grade: D

31. Ryan Newman , No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman’s day began to unravel on the restart on Lap 154. He restarted sixth, outside of Carl Edwards . On the first turn, Edwards drifted up into Newman and the No. 31 suffered major damage. With Newman sitting near the Chase cut-off line, it was important for him to coax the car home. He returned to the track but couldn’t make it to the finish when Jamie McMurray ran up the track into him on the Lap 165 restart after contact with Tony Stewart . Bottom line: Valiant effort but a DNF and 10-point day. Grade: C

32. Ryan Ellis , No. 93 Toyota, BK Racing. Ellis picked up a career-best finish in his fourth Sprint Cup Series start. Grade: C

33. Reed Sorenson , No. 55 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. Sorenson ran to form, and his 33.8 average finish is third-worst in the Sprint Cup Series among drivers with at least 10 starts. Grade: D

34. Patrick Carpentier, No. 32 Ford, GO FAS Racing. After not starting a Sprint Cup Series race since 2011, Carpentier made his second start of 2016. He finished 37th last month at Sonoma. Grade: D

35. Carl Edwards , No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards was part of the strong JGR contingent all afternoon – 6.6 averaging running position – until his mishap on Lap 154. Whether it was a tight car or dirty tires, the outcome was costly as he dropped two spots in the standings. Grade: F

36. Ryan Blaney , No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. Blaney was collected and knocked out of the race in the Carl Edwards -initiated wreckage that resulted in a red flag. Blaney dropped two spots in the standings to 19th, and is now 22 points behind 15th-place Kyle Larson . Blaney began the day nine points ahead of Larson. Grade: C

37. David Ragan , No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Ragan brought out the third caution on Lap 120 when his left-rear tire went down and he slammed the wall. It was his third DNF and second-worst finish of the season. Grade: F

38. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger was running 11th when his car lost water pressure. Moments later it overheated with less than 100 laps to go. It was Allmendinger’s second DNF in the past three races. Grade: F

39. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Biffle’s day ended after 53 laps when his right-front tire went down and he slammed into the outside wall. His streak of top 10s – three – ended as well. Grade: F

40. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. His engine didn’t even make through five laps, leaving DiBenedetto with his seventh DNF of the season. “How is that even possible?” DiBenedetto tweeted. “Who has the voodoo doll of me that severely dislikes me?” Grade: F

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he still is working to eliminate concussion-like symptoms that have sidelined him for the last two weeks in an update provided in the latest edition of the Dale Jr. Download podcast on Tuesday.

“You can race with some ailments,” Earnhardt said. “You can race with a bad wrist — or we’ve seen Denny (Hamlin) and guys race with bad knees. But one of the things you cannot race through is concussion-like symptoms. You know, the balance-deal is a critical part of being able to drive a race car.

“This process is going to take a little bit longer — I think that’s what I was trying to convey when I was telling you guys how I was going to take this slow and listen to the advice of my doctors. I’m not going to go against that advice, no matter what. I can’t play around at this age and with my history. I definitely don’t need to get cute.”

This marks the second time in Earnhardt’s Sprint Cup Series career that he has dealt with concussion-like symptoms, having been sidelined for two races in 2012 after a crash during a test at Kansas Speedway.

Jeff Gordon , who drove the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is scheduled to fill in for Earnhardt again this weekend at Pocono Raceway. A date has not been announced for Earnhardt’s return, but Junior, who says he has been doing physical and mental exercises for two-and-a-half hours each day, promised an update next Monday following his doctor’s visit.

“I’m going for another evaluation here soon to see what kind of gains we’ve made, get in front of my doctors, let them get a good look at me and let them tell me where they think I’m at,” Earnhardt said.

“And that will help us make the decision on what we’re going to do for Watkins Glen.”

The full podcast can be found here.

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Staff Report

Stewart-Haas Racing will field a full-time, single-car team in the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2017, the organization announced Monday.

The driver and sponsor of the team will be announced before the end of the 2016 season, SHR said. The team will be run from SHR’s headquarters in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

“In order to maintain the competitiveness that has earned SHR two championships since our debut in 2009, we needed an outlet to develop drivers and team personnel for the Sprint Cup Series,” said Greg Zipadelli, SHR vice president of competition. “People make the difference between winning and losing. An XFINITY Series team gives us added depth that will allow us to promote from within whenever necessary.”

SHR currently fields a four-car team at the Sprint Cup Series level, with cars driven by Tony Stewart , Kevin Harvick , Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick . Stewart, co-owner, will retire at the conclusion of this season, and Clint Bowyer already has been tabbed to replace him.

Since its inception in 2009, SHR has won 33 points races, two non-points races and 28 poles. SHR won its first Sprint Cup championship in 2011 with Stewart, and another in 2014 with Harvick.

Speaking on SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio on Monday afternoon, Zipadelli stressed how an XFINITY team will be useful in the development of talent.

“It’s a great series for driver development,” Zipadelli said. “It’s a great series for crew development — from pit crews to crew chiefs to mechanics. It’s a great avenue to try things for our Cup car, whether it be parts, pieces, things of that nature.”

More than anything, SHR simply was ready to make the move.

“An XFINITY Series team has always been something we would consider when the time was right, and that time is now,” said Stewart, who co-owns SHR with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. “Staying successful in this sport means staying ahead of the curve, and having an XFINITY Series team provides an in-house driver development program and a new channel for personnel to make a positive impact with our race team.”

Haas agreed that this is natural step in the organization’s growth.

“This is a natural progression of SHR’s growth and one that allows us to be more self-sufficient,” Haas said. “If you look at all the teams that are successful in Sprint Cup, they have a direct connection to the XFINITY Series where drivers, engineers, mechanics and pit crew members are developed. We’re an established team with a strong infrastructure that is ready for this endeavor.”

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Staff Report

RELATED: Watch the live stream here

From 8-11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, NASCAR.com will live stream the post-race inspection process at the Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

The three-hour look takes you behind the scenes as NASCAR officials inspect Sprint Cup Series vehicles following Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The cars at the R&D Center this week are: the No. 18 Toyota of Kyle Busch (winner of Sunday’s race) and the No. 20 Toyota of Matt Kenseth (finished second in Sunday’s race).

For more on what the inspection process entails, click here.

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Zack Albert

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will receive extra track time this week at newly repaved Watkins Glen International, site of the final road-course race on this year’s schedule.

A total of 16 teams are scheduled to converge on the New York circuit for a two-day organizational test Tuesday and Wednesday in advance of the Aug. 7 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen (2:30 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The $12 million offseason repaving project marks the first full resurfacing at the facility since 1989. The new asphalt includes the 2.45-mile layout used in NASCAR competition and the longer 3.4-mile configuration used by other series.

Five Sprint Cup teams received their first taste of the new pavement in Goodyear tire testing May 10-11. Drivers helping the tire manufacturer select the proper rubber compound for the race were Trevor Bayne , Carl Edwards , Kevin Harvick , Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano .

Drivers (in alphabetical order) scheduled to participate this week:

— AJ Allmendinger (JTG Daugherty Racing)

— Ryan Blaney (Wood Brothers Racing)

— Clint Bowyer (HScott Motorsports)

— Chris Buescher (Front Row Motorsports)

— Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas Racing)

— Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing)

— Matt DiBenedetto (BK Racing)

— Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)

— Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

— Brad Keselowski (Team Penske)

— Michael McDowell (Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing)

— Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing)

— Casey Mears (Germain Racing)

— Brian Scott (Richard Petty Motorsports)

— Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Roush Fenway Racing)

— Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing)

The on-track schedule will feature two sessions each day — 9 a.m.-noon ET and 1-5 p.m. ET. The garage will open both days at 7 a.m. ET.

Other new details greeting drivers this week will be new concrete on pit road and on the rumble strips bordering the turns. The track also completed grading and landscaping work in the runoff areas.

NASCAR XFINITY Series teams will get extra practice time on the new surface during an expanded race weekend. The schedule was extended from three days to four this year with the addition of two XFINITY practice sessions on Thursday, Aug. 4.

The organizational test is the third of five scheduled this season for the Sprint Cup Series. It follows two-day tests at Kentucky Speedway (June 13-14) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 12-13). The two-day Watkins Glen stop precedes organizational tests at Chicagoland Speedway (Aug. 23-24) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Oct. 18-19), sites for the opening race and the finale for this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs.

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Team Release

History will be made Saturday when Israeli native Alon Day will drive for MBM Motorsports in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio (3:30 p.m. ET, USA). Day will also drive for MBM Motorsports a few weeks later when the NASCAR XFINITY Series visits Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc., on Aug. 27.

“I am super thankful for this opportunity,” Day said.

Day was one of 11 drivers selected to the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class, and is the first driver selected from NASCAR’s Whelen Euro Series. NASCAR Next is an initiative designed to feature the best and brightest rising young stars in racing. His selection was announced in May of this year.

He will start 22nd in Saturday’s Mid-Ohio Challenge. Earlier in Friday’s practices, he finished 23rd and 16th, respectively.

Born in the port city of Ashdod, Israel, Alon Day now lives in Tel Aviv. Currently 24, Day began his motorsports career at the age of 9. He raced Go Karts and became Israel’s National Champion. In 2009, he was Champion of the Formula Renault Asian Championship having placed first in six of his 12 races in that series, and was named Israeli Sportsman of the Year. Day continued to race in open wheel race cars through 2014, including six races in 2012 as the first Israeli driver competing in the Indy Lights Series in the United States.

Day transitioned from open wheel to stock cars in 2015, competing in NASCAR’s Whelen Euro Series. He finished second overall in his rookie season, winning three of his last four races. In 2016, with his sights set on racing in NASCAR’s XFINITY and Sprint Cup Series, he continues to compete in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Team Release

Welcome, N.C. — Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has made a change in crew chiefs for its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series programs, effective immediately.

Danny Stockman, a two-time champion in the NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series, will assume crew chief responsibilities for the No. 27 Menards Chevrolet SS team, with driver Paul Menard . Stockman’s first race with the team will be at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, July 31.

During Stockman’s seven-year tenure with RCR, he has captured two championships and nine wins between the NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series. The Yucaipa, California, native joins the No. 27 program already familiar with Menard, having worked with the veteran driver for the past two years in the XFINITY Series. Together, they produced a race win at Road America in 2015.

Menard, who earned a spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase in 2015, is currently 23rd in the championship point standings.

RCR’s current NASCAR XFINITY Series Director, Gil Martin, will serve as interim crew chief for the No. 2 Rheem/Menards program. Martin, a 16-year veteran of RCR, is among a select group of crew chiefs that have won races in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series.