Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: What we learned from 2015’s NASCAR Goes West



SESSION 1

Fastest speed

Pos Car Driver Speed
1 48 Jimmie Johnson 192.981
2 11 Denny Hamlin 192.843
3 20 Matt Kenseth 192.137
4 14 Brian Vickers 191.564
5 10 Danica Patrick 191.211
6 2 Brad Keselowski 191.096
7 18 Kyle Busch 190.995
8 *21 Ryan Blaney # 190.671
9 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr 190.658
10 41 Kurt Busch 190.651
11 22 Joey Logano 190.564
12 4 Kevin Harvick 190.215
13 42 Kyle Larson 189.947
14 19 Carl Edwards 189.873
15 3 Austin Dillon 189.640
16 47 AJ Allmendinger 189.587
17 5 Kasey Kahne 189.281
18 16 Greg Biffle 189.261
19 31 Ryan Newman 189.043
20 24 Chase Elliott # 188.851
21 78 Martin Truex Jr 188.580
22 27 Paul Menard 188.508
23 13 Casey Mears 188.219
24 34 Chris Buescher # 187.963
25 43 Aric Almirola 187.911
26 6 Trevor Bayne 187.898
27 1 Jamie McMurray 187.617
28 44 Brian Scott # 186.871
29 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr 186.735
30 7 Regan Smith 186.143
31 38 Landon Cassill 185.446
32 15 Clint Bowyer 185.319
33 46 Michael Annett 182.642
34 *98 Cole Whitt 181.733
35 83 Matt DiBenedetto 181.446
36 23 David Ragan 181.409
37 32 Jeffrey Earnhardt # 180.536
38 95 Michael McDowell 180.536



Best 10 consecutive lap average

Pos Car Driver Avg Speed
1 22 Joey Logano 187.604
2 5 Kasey Kahne 187.236
3 47 AJ Allmendinger 186.755
4 16 Greg Biffle 186.629
5 14 Brian Vickers 185.800
6 21 * Ryan Blaney # 185.643
7 24 Chase Elliott # 185.388
8 44 Brian Scott # 184.819
9 46 Michael Annett 179.885

SESSION 2

Fastest speed

Pos Car Driver Speed
1 43 Aric Almirola 192.940
2 3 Austin Dillon 192.658
3 *21 Ryan Blaney # 191.659
4 41 Kurt Busch 191.381
5 16 Greg Biffle 189.800
6 19 Carl Edwards 189.793
7 20 Matt Kenseth 189.773
8 5 Kasey Kahne 189.600
9 78 Martin Truex Jr 189.580
10 11 Denny Hamlin 189.387
11 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr 189.361
12 48 Jimmie Johnson 189.129
13 2 Brad Keselowski 189.082
14 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr 189.029
15 6 Trevor Bayne 188.871
16 18 Kyle Busch 188.778
17 47 AJ Allmendinger 188.442
18 27 Paul Menard 188.416
19 4 Kevin Harvick 188.271
20 14 Brian Vickers 188.193
21 34 Chris Buescher # 187.806
22 24 Chase Elliott # 187.793
23 42 Kyle Larson 187.787
24 22 Joey Logano 187.689
25 10 Danica Patrick 187.507
26 31 Ryan Newman 187.013
27 44 Brian Scott # 186.780
28 13 Casey Mears 186.612
29 1 Jamie McMurray 186.002
30 95 Michael McDowell 185.516
31 38 Landon Cassill 185.344
32 15 Clint Bowyer 184.887
33 7 Regan Smith 184.433
34 46 Michael Annett 183.599
35 83 Matt DiBenedetto 183.076
36 *98 Cole Whitt 182.760
37 32 Jeffrey Earnhardt # 182.463
38 23 David Ragan 180.892

Best 10 consecutive lap average

Pos Car Driver Avg Speed
1 48 Jimmie Johnson 187.325
2 20 Matt Kenseth 187.199
3 41 Kurt Busch 186.995
4 3 Austin Dillon 186.734
5 2 Brad Keselowski 186.708
6 4 Kevin Harvick 186.698
7 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr 186.505
8 14 Brian Vickers 186.497
9 27 Paul Menard 186.461
10 18 Kyle Busch 186.398
11 19 Carl Edwards 186.393
12 21 * Ryan Blaney # 186.252
13 24 Chase Elliott # 186.117
14 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr 185.850
15 16 Greg Biffle 185.703
16 5 Kasey Kahne 185.664
17 22 Joey Logano 185.520
18 78 Martin Truex Jr 185.422
19 42 Kyle Larson 185.415
20 31 Ryan Newman 185.199
21 1 Jamie McMurray 184.811
22 10 Danica Patrick 184.534
23 6 Trevor Bayne 184.529
24 44 Brian Scott # 183.558
25 13 Casey Mears 182.648
26 95 Michael McDowell 182.002
Posted on by Staff Report

Jake Stergios of Last Row Motorsports played a perfect tire strategy over the last 63 laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway en route to his first victory of the 2016 NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series Powered by iRacing.com. Stergios passed two-time series champion Ray Alfalla (Slip Angle Motorsports) with nine laps remaining and pulled away to win by just over one second.

 

Chris Overland came from 27th on the grid to finish third followed by Josh Berry (High Performance Motorsport & JR Motorsports). PJ Stergios, Jake’s brother, rounded out the top five.

 

With the final 63 laps run caution-free, pit strategy came into play with the high amount of tire falloff. While other drivers opted to short-pit in hopes of picking up track position by being the first cars on new tires, Stergios and Overland decided to split the run in half. This strategy ensured the duo had the freshest tires on the last stint, but forced them to work through traffic.

 

After pitting, Stergios had 31 laps to come from 18th on his fresh tires, but instead of hot-lapping he conserved knowing drivers in front were on older, more worn tires. The plan worked to perfection as Stergios quickly moved up through the field. With 20 laps to go, Stergios had made his way to ninth and was closing quickly on the leaders. Alfalla and Berry were doomed unless a yellow flag flew.

 

Ten laps later, Stergios was on the back bumper of Berry, who gave way without a fight. Alfalla met the same fate one lap later, but had an impressive drive to hold onto second despite Overland having fresher tires.

 

Alfalla looked to have one of the best cars in the field, but his chance of winning was hurt because of an unfortunate break during what appeared to be a routine visit to pit road under green. Alfalla was leading on Lap 81 and headed to pit road when Overland spun Casey Tucker in Turn 4. The spin brought the caution out when Alfalla was already on pit road. He chose to receive service, but was caught a lap down and had to take the wave-around. The circumstances dropped him to 34th, but the rebound to finish second with only half the race left could be a defining moment of Alfalla’s season.

 

Patrick Crabtree also looked to be in the running for the win before a late pit road speeding penalty took him out of contention. Crabtree led 27 laps and had the track position to contend for the win, but came into the pits too hot on his final stop and drew a penalty. He finished 30th.

 

Reigning NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series champion Kenny Humpe found trouble for the second race in a row to open 2016. Humpe qualified mid-pack and was caught up in a crash during the second half of the race. The damage forced him to retire with a 38th-place result. After two races, the defending champ finds himself 33rd in the standings and has a tough uphill climb ahead if he is to repeat.

 

Daytona winner Allen Boes retained the points lead with an eighth-place result at Atlanta, but his lead is just a single point over Jake Stergios. Alfalla is third, three points back, and PJ Stergios sits fourth, four markers back. Brandon Schmidt is another five points adrift and bookends the top five.

 

Week Three takes the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series drivers to Phoenix International Raceway. Boes, Stergios, and Alfalla are in prime position early in the season and all three will be looking to take control of the championship. Will someone emerge from the pack or can Humpe rekindle his 2015 success? Make sure to catch all the action from PIR in two weeks’ time on iRacingLive!

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 3, 2016) — NASCAR and Allegiant Air announced today, during the NASCAR Fuel For Business Council® meetings in Las Vegas, a multi-year agreement designating the travel company as the Official Passenger Airline of NASCAR.
 
The newly forged partnership positions Allegiant as the first-ever “Official Passenger Airline Partner” of the sanctioning body. Allegiant will allow fans to take advantage of its convenient, ultra-low-cost service to enjoy races in more than 20 NASCAR race markets, including NASCAR’s entire west coast series of events in Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.  
 
“We are pleased to partner with a company that will offer travelers convenient options to the majority of our race markets,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “Allegiant Air is committed to offering reasonably-priced travel accommodations and services that provide our fans an opportunity to make lasting memories at the track.”
 
In conjunction with the start of NASCAR’s annual west coast swing, Allegiant is the presenting sponsor of NASCAR Goes West on NASCAR.com. NASCAR fans can follow drivers on their off-track adventures on NASCAR.com and on social media using #NASCARGoesWest.


“Allegiant is proud to announce this new partnership with NASCAR and NASCAR Goes West on NASCAR.com,” said Brian Davis, Allegiant vice president of marketing. “We’re incredibly excited to share the convenience and affordability of our service with NASCAR fans across the country, helping them to more easily enjoy their favorite sport.”
 
As part of this integrated partnership, Allegiant Air joins the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council, which brings together an exclusive group of nearly 60 Official NASCAR Partners four times per year to buy and sell products and services from one another. This exclusive business-to-business environment offers unique opportunities for many Fortune 500 companies to bypass the time and layers of corporate coordination that may exist to construct customized deals that help address specific business needs.
 
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season will continue with the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 6 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on by

 

 

It was a full house on the Dirty Air Podcast this week as Regan Smith, Matthew Dillner, Jonathan Merryman, and Chuck Bush discussed the finer points of the new downforce package among other topics including, but not limited to:

 

—Matt Kenseth‘s pit road communication breakdown,

 

—Jimmie Johnson‘s historic 76th career win,

 

–The gang also looks ahead to Las Vegas as NASCAR Goes West.

Log on to the iTunes Store and subscribe.

Or watch the full replay on YouTube.

 

Posted on by

Jimmie Johnson has tied Dale Earnhardt’s premier series mark of 76 wins with his win Sunday at Atlanta.

It’s an impressive accomplishment and moves “Six-Time” into a tie with the “Intimidator” for seventh place on the all-time wins list.

Johnson’s historic effort makes us wonder: Will anyone reach 76 wins again? Ever?

Join NASCAR.com’s Brad Norman and George Winkler in this debate, and vote in the poll below with your opinion.


Norman: George, I think we can probably agree that almost all active full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers are out of the running, right? Tony Stewart has 48 wins, and then guys like Matt Kenseth (36), Kyle Busch (34) and Kevin Harvick (31) trail him. That’s too far back. Someone like Joey Logano is the most likely to get there, but I’m going to say no, no one will ever win 76 races again. It’s just too difficult, and there are too many elite drivers at all levels of NASCAR for someone to win that many races over a long period of time.

Winkler: It is a huge mountain to climb, that’s for sure. But when Michael Jordan was piling up points with the Chicago Bulls it was difficult to envision someone like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James coming along and being just as dominant. James isn’t equal to Jordan in championships, but the point is you never know when a sport’s next phenom will enter the picture. Could it be Logano or Chase Elliott? Or could it be someone we haven’t even considered yet? Heck, maybe it’s someone who hasn’t even been born yet. That’s the beauty of sports, the unpredictability, and never knowing when the next great one will emerge and capture our attention.

Norman: Wait, did you compare LeBron to Jordan? That’s a whole different debate. Back in 2002, no one knew Johnson would be this good — and now he’s at 76. That is true. But I think the sport has changed since then, and will continue to change and evolve. It’s a different time and a different era. Drivers talk now about the toll racing takes on their bodies, and the celebrity of being a NASCAR driver brings with it so many opportunities outside of racing — movies, entertainment, broadcasting. It wouldn’t surprise me to see top drivers begin retiring earlier and earlier and joining Jeff Gordon in the booth.

Winkler: Racing can take a toll on the body, but with all the science and nutritional information drivers have at their disposal in this era, they might be able to have longer careers if they want to do it. When you look at what great shape drivers like Johnson are in, it’s not a stretch to think other drivers could adopt similar fitness regimens and could perform at the top of their game deep into their 40s. You know what they say, 50 is the new 40 and 40 is the new 30.

Norman: Sure, but I think the final nail in the 76-win coffin is something I’ve already brought up — the next wave of talent coming through the ranks. Logano. Elliott. Kyle Larson. Austin Dillon. Ty Dillon. Erik Jones. Darrell Wallace Jr.. Ryan Blaney. Chris Buescher. Daniel Suarez. Ben Rhodes. That’s just the beginning. Every new generation will bring loads of talented drivers for NASCAR, a once-regional sport turned national turning global. I see lots of five-or six-win seasons for all of those guys; enough for a handful of 50-win careers. No more.

Winkler: True, there is not a more competitive form of racing than NASCAR, and that makes it tough to dominate and rack up wins like Johnson did in his run of consecutive championships. But to quote the great Jedi master Yoda, there is another, and the force is strong within him. Returning to your original argument, perhaps we should not rule out the active drivers so quickly. If Kyle Busch, who is 30, averages three wins per season over the next 10 years, then that will put him on the doorstep with 64 wins. So let’s make it a date, Brad: 2025, you, me, a couple of beers and a head-to-head debate on whether ‘Rowdy’ can get it done.

Posted on by Nascar

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will be on the track a day earlier than normal when the series returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Kobalt 400.

 

A day-long test session scheduled for Thursday at the 1.5-mile track will provide teams with a total of six hours of on-track opportunity. The first session is scheduled to run from noon until 2 p.m. ET, followed by another three-hour window from 3-6 p.m. ET.

 

RELATED: How cars look with the new package

 

The additional track time was built into this weekend’s schedule to allow teams to continue working with the new 2016 base rules package, a low-downforce configuration that features a shorter spoiler (3.5 inches) as well as changes to the front splitter (an 0.25 leading edge) and radiator pan (33 inches wide).

 

The package, similar to one run at Kentucky Speedway and Darlington Raceway last season, debuted last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

 

Goodyear tested with four drivers  — Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet), Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet), Matt Kenseth (Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) and Brad Keselowski (Team Penske Ford) — Jan. 12-13 at LVMS to confirm the tire choice for this weekend’s race.

 

Teams will be provided with an additional six sets of tires for Thursday’s test. It will be the first time Sprint Cup teams have run the two tire codes at Las Vegas. According to Goodyear, the right-side tire is a multi-zone configuration, featuring two different tread compounds: The inside two inches of tread built for endurance and heat resistance, while the outer 10 inches built for traction.

 

The left-side tire build features a compound change in an effort to provide more grip.

 

Drivers gave the rules package high marks following the Atlanta race, although many expect tracks such as Las Vegas, which features a surface that isn’t as fast or as worn, will provide a better indication of what to expect from the changes.

 

“Because Las Vegas has a lot of grip,” Kenseth said, “it’s really fast and there’s always really bad aerodynamic effects as you get further back in the pack. The reason that you have a tough time passing at Vegas is because of the aero, so I … think this weekend will be a good base for looking at this new package.”

 

Sprint Cup teams will be provided five sets of tires for practice at Las Vegas and nine sets for Sunday’s race.

 

Kevin Harvick, the 2014 series champion, is the defending race winner.

 

As was the case at Atlanta, teams will have one practice on Friday, followed by qualifying, and two Saturday practices to prepare for Sunday’s 267-lap race.

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Grading every driver after Atlanta | Relive the weekend in photos


NASCAR officials have suspended crew chief Cole Pearn for one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points race and fined the Furniture Row Racing employee $50,000 for a rules violation that took place during last week’s race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
 
In addition, driver Martin Truex Jr. has been penalized 15 championship driver points and team owner Barney Visser has been penalized 15 championship owner points.
 
The infraction, which involved the roof flap(s), was found during pre-race inspection for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at AMS.



According to a statement from Furniture Row Racing, the organization will appeal the penalty:



“Due to the severity of the P3 penalty levied against Furniture Row Racing and its crew chief Cole Pearn today (Wednesday), the No. 78 Sprint Cup team has informed NASCAR it will appeal the decision. The infraction, which was immediately corrected following technical inspection at Atlanta Motor Speedway last week, was safety related and not competition related. We sincerely appreciate that NASCAR has an appeal process so we can review the level of the penalty.” 



Because the team is appealing the penalty, Pearn’s suspension and fine are temporarily deferred until the matter is heard. 


The Furniture Row team was one of 10 Sprint Cup teams either fined or the recipients of warnings at Atlanta.


The loss of points drops Truex from second to ninth heading into this weekend’s Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.


Randall Burnett, crew chief of the No. 47 JTG Daugherty entry with driver AJ Allmendinger, has been fined $15,000 and placed on probation through Dec. 31 in addition to the loss of 10 championship driver and owner points. The team was penalized for rear wheel crush panel issues that came to light during pre-qualifying inspection on Friday.


Allmendinger falls from 26th to 30th with the points deduction.


Richard Childress Racing crew chiefs Slugger Labbe (No. 3), Justin Alexander (No. 27) and Luke Lambert (No. 31), as well as crew chief Dave Winston (No. 95 Circle Sport Leavine Family Racing), have also been fined $15,000 and placed on probation through Dec. 31 while also losing 10 championship owner and driver points.



According to the penalty report, those teams were in violation of Rule 20.4 e — Unless otherwise stated, all body attachment mounts and supports used to connect body components to the chassis must be constructed of magnetic steel round tubing with a minimum outside diameter of 0.168 inch and a maximum outside diameter of 0.5 inch. All body attachment mounts and supports must be non-adjustable and completely welded at both ends.


Four teams received warnings for failing template inspection on multiple occasions (Nos. 32, 83, 88 and 98).



The No. 32 Go Fas Racing with driver Jeffrey Earnhardt failed template inspection (pre-qualifying) three times; in addition to a written warning, the team will lose 15 minutes of practice time.



The No. 83 BK Racing entry with driver Matt DiBenedetto, the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports entry of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 98 of Cole Whitt (Premium Motorsports) failed template inspection twice (pre-qualifying) and received written warnings. 


Truex finished second to Denny Hamlin at Daytona in the closest finish in the history of that event (0.01 second). Sunday at Atlanta, Truex finished seventh and was second in points through the season’s first two races.


RELATED: Truex comes up short at Daytona

 
Pearn, 33, was placed on probation through Dec. 31, 2016 following this year’s season-opening Daytona 500 for an infraction regarding the roof flap(s) on the No. 78 Toyota before Coors Pole Award qualifying.
 
The team was unable to make the necessary corrections in time to allow Truex to make a qualifying attempt.
 
Pearn said of the Daytona issue that the roof flap was “propped up too much” and rather than correct the problem on the grid, officials “wanted us to put (the car) back through templates before we adjusted it. We just didn’t have time to get back there and do that before we got back out.”


In the NASCAR XFINITY Series, crew chief Danny Stockman (RCR No. 2 Chevrolet) was fined $5,000 (rear alignment measurement issues).



Six NXS teams received written warnings for failing LIS twice during pre-race inspection — JR Motorsports No. 1 (Elliott Sadler), RCR No. 3 (Ty Dillon) and No. 33 (Brandon Jones), Kaulig Racing No. 11 (Blake Koch), JGL Racing No. 24 (Corey Lajoie) and Jeremy Clements Racing No. 51 (Jeremy Clements).



One NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team was penalized post-Atlanta — the No. 86 Brandon Brown Racing Chevrolet with driver Brandon Brown. The team received a written warning for a truck trailing arm that did not meet specifications.


MORE: Previewing Las Vegas | Complete schedule for Vegas 

Posted on by Staff Report

April 18 will be here before we know it, but NASCAR fans don’t need to fear the deadline with TaxAct in their toolbox.
 
TaxAct, which sponsors NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Danica Patrick, allows you to file your taxes with confidence. For more than a decade the company has made filing easy, fast and affordable while providing step-by-step help along the way.
 
And now there’s extra incentive to shake the tax season blues with the Race to Your Refund Sweepstakes. A number of prizes are up for grabs, including an exclusive 2017 VIP Daytona race experience featuring Patrick and Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart.
 
Doesn’t the thought of strolling around sunny Daytona with two of NASCAR’s biggest stars help to ease those tax season woes? We thought so, too.
 
Here’s how to enter TaxAct’s Race to Your Refund Sweepstakes:
 
— First, go to www.racetoyourrefund.com and register to win.
 
— Then, select where you think TaxAct driver Danica Patrick will start and finish each race of the season. Make your season-long picks all at once or play week-by-week.
 
— Be sure to watch the race each week and check the standings to see how well you’ve done.
 
— Brag to your friends by sharing your winning picks via social media.
 
Each week you have a chance to win from a wide assortment of prizes, such as Patrick-autographed merchandise, TaxAct-branded apparel and NASCAR tickets.
 
The sweepstakes ends Nov. 20, 2016. And one lucky winner will be selected for the ultimate grand prize, the 2017 Daytona race weekend VIP experience.
 
What are you waiting for? Go to www.racetoyourrefund.com and make your picks today.

Posted on by Kathy Sheldon

HAMPTON, Ga. — The hardest person to please for Chase Elliott is Chase Elliott.

 

A top-10 finish at a tricky track that had veteran drivers and his fellow rookies turning their steering wheels right almost as much as left brought accolades from as high as team owner Rick Hendrick.

 

Analytical and unassuming, the No. 24 Chevrolet driver’s assessment of his own eighth-place finish in Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500: “I need to get better and build on that.”

 

Truly, though. Elliott was pleased with his first Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the home track to the Dawsonville, Georgia, native.

 

“It’s definitely special to be here at Atlanta and have a strong run. I’m very happy about that, and definitely a very special feeling to walk out before the race and to see the support in the stands of a lot of people,” Elliott said. “This is close to home for me and a lot of people around here supporting our race team, so that was really cool.”

 

Elliott pointed to a 24th-place qualifying effort Friday as an area where he can improve, but he was happy to simply finish the 2016 season’s second race after a disappointing wreck relegated him to a 37th-place finish in last week’s Daytona 500.

 

“Pit stops were solid, and it wasn’t a perfect day, but it was a day we can build on and try to get better,” Elliott continued.

 

Praise was more effusive from elsewhere.

 

“I was real proud of him today,” fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said of Elliott. “I was not surprised by his run, and he’s going to just get better. They’ve got a great team. Alan (Gustafson) is an amazing crew chief and they’re going to work together really well.”

 

As for Hendrick himself, a rookie handling a lower downforce package at Atlanta was eye-opening, indeed.

 

“Chase impressed me today about as much as I’ve ever seen a young driver drive — in a race with a low downforce car that he’s never been able to experience in a race before when he’s having to race Kyle Busch and the guys he was racing, Brad (Keselowski), all day long, never make a mistake” Hendrick said. “He was just as cool on the radio as any seasoned driver, getting great feedback.

“I am really excited about that young man in the future.”

Posted on by Nascar

Name: Norman (Woody)
Current City: Kernersville, North Carolina
Member since: 2011


Getting to know Norman

Q. Why did you join the Official NASCAR Fan Council?

“I wanted the opportunity to let NASCAR know my opinions and feelings.”

Q. How did you first become interested in NASCAR?

“I was first introduced to NASCAR 20 years ago. I was on active duty and stationed in the great state of North Carolina @ Pope AFB. After that first Sunday afternoon of watching racing, I was hooked.”

Q. What makes NASCAR special for you?

“The opportunity for the small teams to make a difference and for the ‘out of nowhere’ drivers to become great.”

Q: Do you have any favorite NASCAR memories or traditions?

“After moving back to North Carolina, I took my wife to her first race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. We were standing at the start/finish line when the field came around after the first lap. The look on her face and the dirt on her face was amazing.”

Q: Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?

Driver: “Denny Hamlin“

Track: “Martinsville”

Memorabilia: “The winning rear quarter panel from Hamlin’s Martinsville winning FedEx Freight car. Signed by both Coach Gibbs and Denny.”

Sponsor: “FedEx and M&M’s”

Q: If you could go to any NASCAR race/track, where would you go?

“Talladega”

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

“In my free time, I’m an NCHSAA softball and football official. I also love to make the drive to the coast and fish.”

Q: Tell us about your family. Do you have children and/or pets?

“We will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary this year. We have three boys – our oldest is now in the Navy, stationed in Spain.”

Q: What’s your dream car?

“A Cobra.”

FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK NORMAN FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HIM IN 2016.