Posted on by Team Release

STATESVILLE, N.C. (February 3, 2016) – GMS Racing announced today that the team would field a single-car entry in select NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) races throughout the 2016 season. Spencer Gallagher is slated to pilot the team’s No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro beginning at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday, March 12.
 


The Statesville, North Carolina-based organization currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) with Johnny Sauter, Spencer Gallagher and Grant Enfinger. Gallagher completed his first full-time NCWTS campaign in 2015, finishing 10th in the driver championship standings with one top-five and six top-10 finishes.

“This is big for GMS Racing,” stated Mike Beam, GMS Racing Director of Competition. “We’ve worked hard to make sure we have the right resources in place to take the next step and we feel like now is the right time. This will be a great opportunity for us to put our equipment to the test, make improvements and get Spencer some additional experience.”

Leading Gallagher through the next phase of his career will be crew chief Joey Cohen, who joins GMS Racing after serving as Lead Engineer for Roush Fenway Racing.

“I’m excited to take on a new role with GMS Racing and to add to the team’s development,” said Cohen. “I truly feel like we have put together a strong team to pave the way for GMS Racing to break out in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. There will be a lot to take away from the track after each race, but I don’t see why we can’t put together some solid finishes along the way. I’m excited to take on a new role with GMS Racing and to contribute to the team’s development.”

Additional details on GMS Racing’s NXS plans will be released at a later date.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

With a strong close to his 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series campaign, Richard Petty Motorsports driver Aric Almirola carries an infectious confidence heading into the 2016 season. 

The goal for the year is simple: Make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup after narrowly missing the elimination-style postseason in 2015.



”Every single guy on my race team’s got a fire in their belly to go get started in 2016,” Almirola said during last month’s Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour. “And that’s our only goal again, no matter how we do it, whether it’s win a race, do it on points, whatever it is, we want to make the Chase and we feel like we’re going to.”

Almirola made the Chase in 2014 thanks to his July win at Daytona International Speedway, and that postseason appearance “made us extremely hungry,” the driver of the No. 43 Ford said. “It’s like a kid. You give them one piece of candy, they always ask for a second.”



The 31-year-old Florida native achieved the best average finish (17.9) of his career in 2015 and opined that “2015 was even more successful” for the team based on the consistency of performance.



”We set top-15 finishes as the goal and we had a board in my office that had an orange line on it and asked Aric to try to stay above it each week and he did a good job with that,” Sammy Johns, the director of operations at RPM said.



After a season in which Almirola scored top 15s in half of the 36 races, Johns wants to step that target up slightly. 



“We are going to move that up to top 12s, but we definitely want to see more top 10s, more top fives. … I think Aric is ready to get to Victory Lane more often as a driver,” Johns said.



Giving the team even more confidence is the strong finish that Almirola and crew chief Trent Owens put together to close out 2015, with two top fives and five of his six top 10s in the season’s final 11 races. An expanded partnership with Smithfield Foods, who will serve as a primary sponsor for 31 races in 2016, also adds a little spring to the team’s step.



“We were caught disappointed with not making the Chase, so we got the group of guys together and said, ‘Let’s try to be that best car that’s not in the Chase,’ ” Owens said. “So it was real good to see the team gather around and put their heads down and we had some of our better runs toward the end of the season. We’ve got to maintain that.”

The Almirola-Owens pairing is entering its third season, and the familiarity between the two brings a level of comfort that only seems to be getting stronger.



“It’s nice to hear the same voice on the radio,” Almirola said. “I’ve got a really unique relationship with Trent. We’re friends away from the race track but at the race track, we’re fierce competitors and we want to compete. He’s so talented at what he does that he’s probably one of the first crew chiefs that I honestly, I don’t even talk shop with and setup or stuff like that with him on a regular basis. 



“I show up to the race track and I have full confidence in him and trust what he comes up with for setups, trying to make the cars faster that it honestly takes that worry away from me. I just worry about the race track we’re going to and my driving style at that race track and what we need to do from the previous time we were there.”

For Owens, it’s the subtle understanding of how things are communicated that helps the duo navigate their way during the season.



“Going into a third season, all the little … the tone of voices and all that stuff, you start to understand how big an adjustment or how little adjustment you need to make. I feel like I know him very well as a driver,” Owens said. 



“On paper, we should have our best season in ’16. As we all know in racing, you got to have luck before you have anything. So if we can just have a little bit of luck, I do think the relationship he and I got right now is as good as any in the garage.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: See which drivers are on the move for 2016

Sprint Cup driver Cole Whitt will pilot the No. 98 Premium Motorsports car for 2016, the team announced Tuesday.

This marks Whitt’s third full-time season in the Cup Series, his first with Premium Motorsports. The 24-year-old driver wheeled cars for Swan Racing, BK Racing and, most recently, Front Row Motorsports.

“We believe Cole is an accomplished young driver who drives aggressively, yet smart,” team owner Jay Robinson said in a release.  “He’s a great fit for our team as we look to improve our competitiveness in the Sprint Cup Series.”

Whitt wasn’t the only change made at Premium Motorsports this year; During the offseason, the team hired Mike Hillman as competition director and Mark Hillman as crew chief. Several of Whitt’s previous partners are also expected to re-sign with the new team, according to a team release.

“Jay and the crew at Premium Motorsports impressed me with their vision for the future and commitment to making the No. 98 car competitive week in and week out,” Whitt said.  “I look forward to being a big part of the family atmosphere at Premium and having a successful start at the Daytona 500 in a few weeks.”

Whitt recorded a career-best 13th place result at Talladega Superspeedway last spring in the No. 35 ride, ultimately finishing 31st in the driver standings at season’s end.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Stewart hospitalized with back injury

Posted on by Staff Report

UPDATE: Stewart has back surgery, will miss start of 2016 season

RELATED: NASCAR community reacts to news of accident

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart has been hospitalized with a back injury after an all-terrain vehicle accident, according to a spokesperson from his Stewart-Haas Racing team.

According to the SHR statement, Stewart was hurt in an accident Sunday afternoon while driving an all-terrain vehicle on the West Coast. He was transported to a hospital in an undisclosed location and is able to move all his extremities, according to a team spokesperson.

Stewart-Haas spokesperson Mike Arning indicated that further updates on the three-time champion’s condition “will be provided Thursday afternoon when more information is known.”

Stewart, 44, is entering his final full season in NASCAR’s premier series. Teams are scheduled to arrive next week at Daytona International Speedway for season-opening Speedweeks and the Feb. 13 Sprint Unlimited exhibition (8 p.m. ET, FOX). The first Sprint Cup Series points-paying race of the season, the Daytona 500, is set for Feb. 21 (1 p.m. ET, FOX).

“We have received word from Stewart-Haas Racing of Tony Stewart‘s accident and injury,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “On behalf of everyone at NASCAR, I wish Tony a full recovery and look forward to seeing him back in our sport when he’s ready to return.”
 
Stewart missed parts of the 2013 and 2014 seasons after racing accidents in sprint-car events. He suffered a severely broken lower right leg in August 2013 after a heavy crash in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and missed the final 15 races of the Sprint Cup season. Stewart also missed three races in 2014 after his involvement in a crash at a New York dirt track that claimed the life of 20-year-old racer Kevin Ward Jr.
 
Stewart, who co-owns the four-car SHR operation with Gene Haas, announced last September 30 that the 2016 season would be his last in NASCAR’s top division. Clint Bowyer, who will drive for HScott Motorsports this season, was named as his successor in the team’s No. 14 Chevrolet starting in 2017.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Tony Gibson’s New Year’s resolution came several months early, courtesy of a tap on the shoulder during the drivers’ and crew chiefs’ meeting at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Gibson turned to find Jimmie Johnson, who told his former colleague to call him after the pre-race meeting.

The point of the phone conversation with the six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion had zero to do with any technical, on-track concerns that might be shared among their Chevrolet-affiliated teams. Instead, the call set in motion a personal change for Gibson, pushing the 51-year-old crew chief toward a healthier lifestyle.

“He’s like, ‘Look, I’ve been thinking about you for the last three weeks,’ and he said I want to get you healthy,” Gibson recalled. “He said, ‘We’ve known each other since I got into this and you’ve been a great friend to me.’ He said, ‘I’m worried about you. I’m worried about your health and I want to see you get healthy.’ So I’m like, ‘OK.’ The next step was we got together and he’s like, ‘I’ll take care of everything, I’ll handle everything. We’ll use my trainer. You just have to do it.’

“So I said, ‘You know, if he’s willing to go to the length of that and put that much effort into it, then I’m a fool if I don’t.’ So I took him up on it and I’ve been losing weight ever since.”

The two have a friendship that dates back to Gibson’s days with Hendrick Motorsports, where he was car chief for Jeff Gordon‘s No. 24 Chevrolet when Johnson joined the organization. Their bond continued as Gibson transitioned to Dale Earnhardt Inc. and later to his current post at Stewart-Haas Racing.

It’s what prompted Johnson to connect Gibson with his personal trainer, Jamey Yon, who helped him build a tailor-made program of diet and exercise.

“Obviously, we’ve known him a long time and he was so welcoming to me when I came into the 24/48 shop back in the day, and he was just on my mind for whatever reason,” Johnson recalled during last month’s Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour. “I knew that he’d had a couple of little medical issues going along. I just wanted to help and I don’t know if he was in a place to receive help or want help or desire to have help, but I just threw a softball out there to him and said, ‘Man, I’ll do anything I can. I’ll get you hooked up with my trainer. Although it sounds daunting and you’re going to get your butt kicked, we’ll find the way. We’ll get you on the right path.’

“He was in the right space and ready to go and has really made some big changes in his life. Looks great and clearly feels great.”


MORE: Tony Gibson’s emergency surgery in 2015


Johnson’s role extends beyond fitness matchmaker. He’s also helped keep Gibson accountable with frequent check-ins and text messages. Gibson has complied by sending pictures and updates on his progress, which he’s maintained through the ever-tricky holidays and NASCAR offseason.

“During the wintertime, it’s really, really tough, but I’ve done good,” Gibson said. “I’ve maintained my weight through the winter. I got off a little bit, but I was able to get myself back on and stay focused. Now that the season starts, I’ll be in pretty good shape.”

The 2016 campaign will mark Gibson’s second full season as crew chief for the No. 41 Chevy driven by Kurt Busch. The two clicked last year, pairing for two victories and a deep run into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs.

Busch has sung the praises of Gibson’s efforts as the two developed chemistry through their first season together. Now Busch is acknowledging Gibson’s dedication to making positive personal changes as he sees a slimmed-down version of his crew chief atop the No. 41 pit box.

“Health is a big issue across America, but health is an issue with our sport because of how much we’re on the road and really how our season is shaped,” Busch said. “We have a regular season of 26 races but then you have to be your best at the end (the Chase’s 10 races), and if you’re worn out mentally, physically, you’re fatigued, health can come into play on giving you an edge.”

Posted on by Nascar

Name: Kristi
Hometown: Media, Pennsylvania
Current City: Hockessin, Delaware
Member since: 2014


Getting to know Kristi

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

“I wanted to have a voice in the sport that I love so much!”

Q. How did you first become interested in NASCAR?

“My friends had a NASCAR pool where we picked by starting position. My first week in it, I picked Jimmie Johnson and he won the race! From that day, I was hooked and decided I needed to learn all I could about stock car racing. I fell in love with the sport.”

Q. What makes NASCAR special for you?

“It’s all encompassing! It’s a sport that truly takes over all of the senses and there is so much tradition and history!”

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

“My best friend and I go to the Dover races every year and have been since 2003. We have met a bunch of other friends that we see each year. We always get our picture with Miles the Monster and we ALWAYS go to Doc Magrogan’s after the race for a lobster roll and oysters!  For the Fall 2013 Dover race, I won All-Access VIP passes through Coors Light to hang at the Coors Light Bus in the infield. We had Hot Passes. It was truly amazing to be in the garages and see all of the intricacies of the sport first hand. We got to wave the green flag for qualifying, and I was selected to present Joey Logano with the Pole Award for the Nationwide (at that time…now Xfinity) race on Saturday!  Hearing my name over the loud speaker at a NASCAR track is something I will never forget!”

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

Driver: “Jimmie Johnson“

Track: “Dover”

Memorabilia: “I have a hat that I caught when they were throwing them from Victory Lane after Johnson won the 2013 Fall Dover race. I ran down to the entrance to Victory Lane and got him to sign it.”

Sponsor: “Lowe’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?

“I like to spend time with my boyfriend, his kids, and my dog. And also watch a ton of racing!”

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

“I have a dog named Koji. He won’t wear his Johnson hat I bought him…I think he’s a Stewart fan!”

Q: What’s your dream car?

“A big SUV…like a Chevy Tahoe.”

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

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Complete driver roster for 2016

The folks at Wood Brothers Racing are busy getting ready for this month’s Daytona 500, the season-opening race for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.

 

That is not unusual. The legendary team has prepared for the series’ biggest, most well known race ever since there was a Daytona 500. This year is No. 58 for the event billed as the “Great American Race.”

 

Actually, the family-owned organization’s Daytona history runs a bit deeper — team founder and patriarch Glen Wood competed on the beach and road course before the 2.5-mile superspeedway rose up a few miles inland.

 

What’s unusual is what will follow. Because after Daytona will be Atlanta. And Las Vegas. And Phoenix and Auto Club. Martinsville and Texas and Bristol. And on and on and on.

 

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule whips across the country, and this year, for the first time since 2008, the Wood Brothers and their familiar red-and-white No. 21 Ford will be there every step of the way.

 

“I’m looking forward to going back to some of the tracks we haven’t been to for a while like Atlanta, Martinsville — I really love road courses and things like that, places that present an opportunity that’s a little different, even like a Pocono,” Len Wood, who along with brother Eddie oversee the operation of the team today. “Anything can happen at a Pocono or a road course, so that’s what I’m looking for.”

 

The team has 98 victories, but only one since cutting back to a limited schedule. Granted, it was a big one — the 2011 Daytona 500 with driver Trevor Bayne.

 

Last year, Ryan Blaney made 16 starts for team, finishing with top 10s at Talladega in the spring (fourth) and Kansas in the fall (seventh). He scored a pair of XFINITY Series wins (Iowa-2, Kentucky-2) while driving for Team Penske and a Camping World Truck Series victory (at Bristol) for owner/driver Brad Keselowski.


MORE: Blaney clarifies height conspiracy


His Sprint Cup schedule may have been limited, but the knowledge gained was not.

 

“It’s good to get experience, it’s good to work with the whole team on these Cup cars and be able to race around the competition,” Blaney, 22, said. “Just racing around your other competitors is one of the biggest battles — knowing how they race and just learning from them.

 

“That’s something I’ve been able to do in the Truck Series and the XFINITY Series. But the Cup side is way different. The cars are way different, they handle way different, there are different things you can do.

 

“It was definitely a learning year, a good year to get us prepared for this full-time season.”


RELATED: Who is the favorite for Sunoco Rookie honors?


Blaney, along with Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports), Chris Buescher (Front Row Motorsports), Brian Scott (Richard Petty Motorsports) and Jeffrey Earnhardt (Go FAS Racing) make up this year’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year class. All have multiple Sprint Cup Series starts, from Earnhardt’s two to Blaney’s 18.

 

The Wood Brothers team will continue its technical alliance with Team Penske, likewise a Ford organization and one that fields Sprint Cup teams for Keselowski, the 2012 series champion, and teammate Joey Logano.

 

Crew chief Jeremy Bullins is a former Penske crew chief, having helped lead all three drivers to Victory Lane in the XFINITY Series. Bullins also has ties to the Wood Brothers — he began his career working with the group when the team shop was still based in tiny Stuart, Virginia.

 

“For me personally, it’s a big deal to be on this car, for this car to be successful,” Bullins said.

 

How successful the team can be as it transitions back to full-time status, Bullins said, “is up to us.”

 

“When you look at Ryan and his ability, the equipment that we have and the resources we have, really it’s up to us and how far we take it,” he said. “Obviously the goal, the reason we are here, is to try to win races and try to win championships eventually.

 

“When you start your first year in the Cup series, you don’t anticipate that but it’s up to us how far we take it. The potential is there, for sure.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Gearing up for its seventh year, the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation announced that tickets are now on sale for the annual Catwalk for a Cause event, a childhood cancer fundraiser. 

The fundraiser takes place May 18 in downtown Mooresville, North Carolina, and this year the event is beach-themed. Fans should make sure to snag their tickets quick because they’ve been known to sell out.

“People start asking about tickets in October,” Truex Jr. said. “We sold out last year at 600 and we hope to have the same success this year. We don’t focus on the dark side of cancer. We focus on living in the moment and letting these kids shine.”

Catwalk celebrates its seventh year, with money raised going to support childhood cancer initiatives at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. It also helps to drive awareness and funding through efforts within the NASCAR community and with their involvement in the Coalition Against Childhood Cancer nationally, and the Rare Cancer Coalition, newly formed with partner foundations across the Carolinas.

This year, the foundation is proud to announce that the event will be sponsored by Nature’s Bakery — a sponsor of Danica Patrick in the Sprint Cup Series.

“We could not be more excited to have Nature’s Bakery as a partner for Catwalk,” Sherry Pollex, foundation vice president and co-founder of Catwalk, said. “Danica was a crowd favorite last year and to have Nature’s Bakery support her and support us in this way is extraordinary.”