Posted on by

When we started the All Pit Road Team four years ago we wanted to make it as legitimate as possible. We wanted pit crew members to vote on who they thought were the best of the best. This year we changed it up and only members of the 16 Chase pit crews were eligible for the awards. We had the best turnout in voting since we started. We had over 1,730 total votes cast among all the positions. The position votes were as tight as they’ve ever been. Congratulations to everyone who won.

Front Tire Changer
First Team: No. 19 Clay Robinson (40)
Second Team: No. 11 Dustin Necaise (33)
Third Team: No. 48 Cam Waugh (26)
Honorable Mention: No. 41 Shane Pipala (21)

Front Tire Carrier
First Team: No. 22 Dylan Dowell (32)
Second Team: No. 19 Kevin Harris (30)
Third Team: No. 2 Jeremy Ogles (23)
Honorable Mention: No. 20 Joe Crossen (19)

Jackman
First Team: No. 11 Nate Bolling (36)
Second Team: No. 22 Ray Gallahan (29)
Third Team: No. 2 Braxton Brannon (28)
Honorable Mention: No. 19 Trey Burklin (22)

Rear Changer
First Team: No. 11 Mike Hicks (48)
Second Team: No. 18 Jake Seminara (26)
Third Team: No. 4  Daniel Smith (25)
Honorable Mention: No. 22 Zach Price (23)

Rear Tire Carrier
First Team: No. 19 Matt Ver Meer (34)
Second Team: No. 11 Heath Cherry (30)
Third Team: No. 18 Kenny Barber (24)
Honorable Mention: No. 4  Mike Morneau (23)

Gasmen
First Team: No. 22 Kellen Mills (28)
Second Team: No. 4 Justin White (27)
Third Team: No. 11 Caleb Hurd (25)
Honorable Mention: No. 48 Brandon Harder (23)

Coach
Trent Cherry: Team Penske (30)
Mike Lepp: JGR (24)
Joe Piette: SHR (22)

Crew — voted on by crewmen
Denny Hamlin, JGR No. 11

Crew — voted on by crew chiefs (Mechanix Wear Award)
Kurt Busch, SHR No. 41

For more pit crew news, go to PitTalks.com.

Posted on by Staff Report

Quicken Loans announced Tuesday that it will join Kasey Kahne and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet team next season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.



Quicken plans to be a primary sponsor for three races and an associate sponsor for the remaining events on the 2016 calendar. One of the primary races will be part of a joint promotion with Hendrick Automotive Group, according to a news release provided by the Detroit-based retail mortgage lender.



“Quicken Loans has made a big name for itself in our sport, in its industry and certainly in the Motor City,” said Kahne, who joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2012 and signed a contract extension through 2018 last year. “Good partners are important to succeed in racing, and we’re thrilled about building this new relationship with Quicken Loans.”



Quicken served as a primary sponsor for portions of the last four seasons with Ryan Newman, first at Stewart-Haas Racing and later Richard Childress Racing. The company, which was primary sponsor on RCR’s No. 31 Chevrolet for nine races last season, thanked Newman for his association and his help as an entry point into NASCAR.



“Ryan has been a terrific ambassador for our company and helped us to take our first steps into NASCAR,’ said Jay Farner, Quicken’s president and chief marketing officer. “He and Richard Childress Racing have helped us accomplish tremendous things during our time together, and we’re proud to have been a part of their team. We are grateful for their guidance and support and we look forward to competing alongside them next year.”

Posted on by Staff Report

LEARN MORE: About Bing


Did you follow Bing’s advice throughout the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup? If so, you reaped the rewards from Bing Predicts’ algorithm that had several highlights as it predicted the initial 16-driver Chase field, then predicted the ensuing eliminations.
 
Some of the highlights:
 
• Two weeks prior to the Chase field being set, Bing correctly predicted all 16 drivers who qualified for the postseason.
 
• When the Chase Grid Battle Powered by Bing launched, Bing predicted Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch to finish the year ranked 1-2 after the finale in Miami. At the time, it was not a certainty Busch would even qualify for the postseason. And in a postseason that had plenty of twists and turns, Harvick and Busch were the last two standing at Miami with Busch winning his first series championship.
 
• Bing’s initial Championship 4 field all advanced into the Final 8, and it correctly predicted three of four drivers in the Championship 4, missing out only with its prediction of Matt Kenseth .
 
• Count this among the near-misses: In an almost perfect scenario, Bing predicted Dale Earnhardt Jr. would struggle during the races at Charlotte and Kansas but thrive at Talladega and snag the win in the Contender Round. All that played out according to plan until Talladega, where Junior led for 61 laps but was unable to secure a first-place finish after the eventful final laps.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2015) — NASCAR announced today that Senior Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton will leave the organization at the end of 2015.

With a racing career that has spanned five decades, Pemberton joined the sanctioning body in August of 2004. Since that time, he has overseen all areas of NASCAR competition and been credited as a key component in bridging the gap between the sanctioning body and the racing community.

“Robin has left an indelible mark on the sport while at NASCAR,” said NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton. “He joined us at a critical time and very quickly gave our highly visible competition group the credibility and confidence it needed to be successful with the industry. He traded a successful career as a competitor to help lead the sport for 12 seasons. We’re extremely grateful for his many contributions.”

During Pemberton’s tenure, NASCAR has seen a great number of technical and safety advancements. Against the backdrop of the massive NASCAR Research & Development Center, Pemberton’s Competition teams overhauled the inspection and rules process and procedures for all vehicles racing in the national series. He oversaw the transitions of NASCAR to Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) and to race fuels with blended Sunoco E15.

Among the largest undertakings under his purview was the launch of the acclaimed Generation 6 style car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2013. That style just completed its third season of on-track racing.

“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish during my time at NASCAR,” Pemberton said. “This sport has been my entire professional career and working with all the competitors and the auto manufacturers for the last 12 seasons has been a thrill. I feel good knowing that the work this team has done has had a positive impact on the sport.

“I look forward to the next challenge.”

Pemberton will help in the transition to a new competition lead for the balance of the year. 

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2015) — The sport fittingly crowned a first-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch, in what was a transformational season that saw the championship format produce a series of records, milestones and firsts on and off the track.


The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Race on NBC and NBCSN was the most-watched finale since 2005 – peaking with nearly 12.4 million average viewers. This concluded a successful first season of the largest and most lucrative television partnerships in NASCAR history with FOX and NBC. 


A record number of fans consumed NASCAR through digital and social media in 2015. NASCAR amassed 4.1 billion social media impressions, 1.1 billion page views – up more than 20 percent from 2014 – and a 34 percent year-over-year increase in its mobile audience.


In addition, driver merchandise sales at tracks increased more than 20 percent since the Fanatics Trackside Superstore launched in July. 


NASCAR Next, a program that identifies and nurtures young drivers, produced the Sunoco Rookie of the Year winner in all three national series: Brett Moffitt in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; Daniel Suárez, a NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate, in the NASCAR XFINITY Series; and Erik Jones in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.   


“We had unprecedented collaboration with stakeholders this season and saw many positive results in our effort to innovate, better serve our fans and grow the sport,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “We will continue to work tirelessly this offseason to further improve the fan experience at every turn and look forward to kicking off next season at the Daytona 500 where fans will experience the unveiling of the world’s first motorsports stadium.”



NASCAR today also announced the top five selling drivers for the 2015 season at the Fanatics Trackside Superstore. Dale Earnhardt Jr. topped the list at No. 1, followed by Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and newly crowned champion Kyle Busch rounded out the list at No. 5.


Other milestones, records and firsts achieved during the 2015 season include:



Competition:

·       Jeff Gordon broke Ricky Rudd’s Iron Man record with his 789th consecutive start on September 27. He joined the likes of legends Cal Ripken and Brett Favre who hold records for most consecutive games played in baseball and football, respectively.

·       For the first time since 1993, two different drivers, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch, won three consecutive races in a single season.


Sponsorships:

·       New or renewed NASCAR Official Partnerships with nearly a dozen brands this season, including: 3M, Fanatics, Ingersoll Rand, Microsoft, Sherwin Williams, Sun Edison, Universal Technical Institute, and K&N Filters as the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series™.

·       In 2015, nearly 1 in 2 Fortune 100 companies relied on NASCAR to build their brands.

·       Partnerships with Fortune 500 technology companies grew by 66% over last two years.


Merchandise:

·       In partnership with Fanatics, NASCAR created a centralized location for merchandise at each track, which led to the average transaction growing by 75 percent.

·       The three tracks that saw the most significant sales growth were Homestead-Miami Speedway (+100%), Phoenix International Raceway (+66%) and Talladega Superspeedway (+62%).


Diversity and Youth:

·       In addition to the aforementioned diversity breakthroughs on the track, NASCAR partnered with RISE, a recently formed non-profit to promote diversity and equality through sports. NASCAR Chairman Brian France was named to the Board of Directors and will help steer the initiative alongside the commissioners of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, and other top sports executives.

·       Roush Fenway Racing pit crew member Mike Russell became the first African American Drive for Diversity graduate to win a national series championship.



Technology:

·       For the first time, cars featured a digital dashboard instead of analog gauges. The new technology will be mandatory for all NASCAR Sprint Cup vehicles in 2016.

·       Air Titan 2.0 track-drying technology helped save numerous races and improved the race experience for fans, teams and partners.

·       State-of-the-art pit road technology was seamlessly implemented this season to increase the accuracy and safety of pit road officiating.

·       NASCAR Sprint Cup Series post-race inspections from the NASCAR R&D Center were streamed live to fans across the world. 


Entertainment Marketing:

·       Nearly 230 million viewers watched NASCAR drivers appear in 77 primetime shows, including American Idol on FOX, The Soup on E!, Real Housewives on Bravo and Penn Zero on Disney XD. 

·       More than 120 celebrities appeared at races this season, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kid Rock, Vince Vaughn, David Spade and Adam Sandler.

·       Originally produced TV and digital projects, with more than 150 appearances by NASCAR drivers, tracks and partners, generated 50 million viewers.

Tracks:

·       NASCAR announced multi-year sanctioning agreements with tracks for the first time.  The landmark five-year agreements will provide fans more time to plan and tracks more time to promote, sell sponsorships and build the fan experience.

·       Throwback weekend at Darlington celebrated the storied history of NASCAR with unprecedented industry support including 32 retro paint schemes, by honoring 14 NASCAR Hall of Famers and through a variety of 1970’s-themed food and entertainment.


About NASCAR

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

Posted on by Reid Spencer

PHOTOS: ‘Rowdy’ takes Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS—Kyle Busch returned to his Las Vegas roots on Tuesday afternoon—but not his racing roots.


Busch kicked off NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion’s Week with a visit to a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) class in room 709 at Clifford J. Lawrence Junior High School on the west side of the city, less than a 20-minute drive from the middle school he attended as a boy, Hyde Park.


Champion’s Week, NASCAR’s annual postseason celebration, brings together the “who’s who” of the racing industry, celebrities and fans for a robust schedule of events and appearances by the 16 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup participants. The week culminates with Friday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards, which will be televised by NBCSN (8 p.m. ET).


A fast-tracked science and math student in his own formative years, Busch had dreamed of following his childhood hero, Jeff Gordon, into NASCAR racing and ultimately beating his idol for a Sprint Cup Series championship on Nov. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.


As Busch fielded questions from the class, it was clear that both his words and his stature as a series champion sparked keen interest from the young listeners. One boy in particular, named Ronan, appeared to have his sights set on a racing career.


“He was pretty excited,” Busch said. “He had his camera going, and he was the one who wanted to be the race car driver, and it seemed like he was the most attentive and interested in the conversation we were having.”


Interestingly, NASCAR had begun exploring the possibility of a school visit by the Sprint Cup champion eight weeks before the season ended, and the STEM class founded and taught by Stacy Schaumburg was chosen for the honor.


It was a fortuitous coincidence that the series champion happened to be a Las Vegas native who had grown up in the Clark County School district.


Busch was a good student, good enough to graduate from Durango High School a year early. “Mostly As and Bs,” Busch said of his academic performance. But he had a strong incentive to crack the books.


“Those were the grades I had to make for my mom to let me race,” Busch said.


If there was pressure on Busch to perform well in school so he could pursue his passion on the race track, the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota said his 2015 championship lifted a huge weight off his shoulders and may make future titles less stressful to achieve.


“I was actually pretty surprised by, not necessarily how easy it was, but how I felt through the whole situation, not being too nervous or this or that or other things,” Busch said of his drive for the crown. “I’ve been racing for XFINITY wins or Cup Series wins, and I feel like I’ve let some slip away because of my internal feeling, maybe and not being able to get the most out of the car.


“But this whole experience was far different from any of that. I’m not sure if number two will make me feel nervous or what, but it certainly makes it easier to think, going down the road, that those championships hopefully that we can achieve would be easier.”

Posted on by

Meet Pattie, Official NASCAR Fan Council member of the month

Name: Pattie

Current City: Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Member since: 2011

Getting to know Pattie

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

"Because I feel it gives NASCAR fans a real opportunity to have a voice. Unlike many sports who do not reach out to their fans, NASCAR not only listens, but in many cases, reacts quickly to make the sport better. I like feeling that I can be a small part of the NASCAR family."

Q. What comes to mind when you think of NASCAR? What’s your favorite NASCAR memory?

"I became a NASCAR fan watching with my dad when the races were first shown on TV. It was a special day in our house when a race was broadcast. From that time, watching Richard Petty became watching Dale Earnhardt, then Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and now Danica Patrick, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott and Erik Jones. My favorite moment has to be the first Cup race I went to – the Daytona 500. It doesn’t get much better than that. But, when the XFINITY (then Nationwide) Series came to my home track at Road America I can’t describe my feelings. To have a NASCAR race at a very special place for me was a great moment. You see, I was born a week after my mom attended a race at Road America. The sound of racing is in my blood."

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

Driver: "Jeff Gordon"

Track: "Talladega"

Memorabilia: "I have the program from our first trip to Daytona, but I have to admit I am not a big memorabilia collector. Except for pictures – lots of pictures."

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

"Either Talladega (during the Chase) or Homestead for the last race of the season."

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

"I love to travel and have been fortunate enough to travel internationally. Reading is my passion and I enjoy writing reviews and finding just the right book for the right person. My husband has a disability and we are tireless advocates for people with disabilities and enjoy planning and taking part in sporting events for people of all abilities."

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

"I am married with one son, Sam. Sam served in the Marine Corps for over seven years and is now in college at the University of Wisconsin. We lost our beloved Border Collie a few years ago and don’t know if we can ever replace her."

Q: What’s your dream car?

"A black Suburban so I can pack it full of stuff for an adventure or I’ll settle for a 1967 Shelby GT500."

From all of us at NASCAR, we thank Pattie for her continued support.

Posted on by Lorene King

Lorene King, executive director of the NASCAR Foundation, has done a Q&A with each of the four finalists for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. They will appear on NASCAR.com this week.

 

RELATED: Cast your vote today

 

As another year comes swiftly to a close, we should all take time for reflection. As a charitable organization, we are thankful for those of you whose volunteer service impacts the lives of others and our communities.

 

Volunteerism remains strong with one in four adults volunteering in our country. The NASCAR Foundation has established the encouragement and support of volunteerism as one of our major efforts. Through the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award that honors our founder, Betty Jane France, we annually receive and review hundreds of nominees from which four finalists are selected.  

 

The stories of these four outstanding, everyday champions and the charities they serve are told through special appearances at NASCAR races, our marketing efforts and those of our supporters and sponsors. We are blessed this year that Nationwide has joined us as Presenting Sponsor of the Award and is helping us spread the word about each of our finalists and their work for children.  

 

We are giving you a more in-depth look at each of this year’s finalists. These outstanding volunteers will touch your heart, so please stay tuned as each of these champions for children share their passion. And you can help — vote for your favorite every day, share these stories through social media, and tune in to the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards at Wynn Las Vegas at 9 p.m. ET on Dec. 4 (NBCSN), to see the winner of this year’s award.

 

Q: What does it mean to you to be among the finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide this year?

A: I am very honored and humbled to be among this year’s finalists, representing 40,000 Special Olympics athletes. It gives me additional opportunities to advocate and be a goodwill ambassador for the Special Olympics North Carolina program.

Q: How does being selected as a finalist further your cause?

A: Being selected as a finalist offers me the opportunity to help gain more awareness and exposure for the Special Olympics programs. It will help with athlete, volunteer and donor recruitment.

Q: Why did you choose to work with this organization and/or cause?

A: I chose to volunteer because I wanted to be a role model for my family and friends. I wanted to help the special needs community to display their abilities and to reach their potential. I wanted to help them and myself build self-esteem and confidence.

Q: What inspires you and your personal commitment to your cause?

A: I am inspired every day I am around the Special Olympics athletes for their energy, love, friendship, caring and sharing.  I want to continue to help them enhance their quality of life.

Q: What has been the most rewarding moment during your work with your charity so far?

A: The most rewarding moment is to see the Special Olympics athletes learn and succeed in gaining new skills, trying new sports, bonding with volunteers and receiving many handshakes, high fives and hugs. I love to see the volunteers become more engaged with the athletes and help them become accepted and respected.

Posted on by Staff Report

Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, had successful surgery on his right knee this afternoon.


Hamlin, who tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament while playing basketball in early September,  is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2016 NASCAR season in February at Daytona International Speedway.


The surgery was previously scheduled and was done by OrthoCarolina’s Dr. Patrick Connor. The injury did not force Hamlin to miss time, and he finished ninth overall in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.



Team officials say Hamlin’s status for this week’s Champion’s Week festivities is uncertain at this time.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full Champion’s Week schedule

 

Champion’s Week is here, and NASCAR.com will live stream several events from Las Vegas as NASCAR formally wraps up the 2015 season. Below is the complete schedule.


All times are ET

TUESDAY, DEC. 1:

— 2:30-3 p.m.: Kyle Busch and Miss Sprint Cup Julianna White chat (Watch live)

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2:

— 3-3:30 p.m.: Dirty Air Podcast (Watch live)

THURSDAY, DEC. 3:

— 2-4:15 p.m.: NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon (Watch live)
— 6-7:15 p.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap Fueled by Sunoco, live from the Las Vegas Strip (Watch live)
— 7:15-7:30 p.m.: Matthew Dillner rides Toyota pace car to NASCAR After the Lap location (Watch live)
— 7:30-7:45 p.m.: Tweets You Might Have Missed, with Taylor Starer and Costner Merrifield (Watch live)
— 8:05-9:30 p.m.: NASCAR After the Lap, Live from The Palms (Watch live)