Posted on by Staff Report

Inspection issues at Texas Motor Speedway will cost the Go Green Racing team with driver Joey Gase and the Premium Motorsports entry with Ryan Preece 15 minutes of practice time this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.

 

The two teams were among seven teams receiving warnings and/or time penalties prior to last week’s NASCAR events at Texas Motor Speedway.

 

Gase, who did not qualify for the AAA Texas 500, will be required to sit out the first 15 minutes of opening practice Friday at PIR after the No. 32 team failed the Laser Inspection Station (LIS) portion of pre-qualifying inspection three times.

 

The No. 98 of Preece failed the LIS four times, also during pre-qualifying, resulting in the loss of practice time.

 

The No. 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Hendrick Motorsports), the No. 95 of Michael McDowell (Leavine Family Racing) and the No. 23 of Jeb Burton (BK Racing) received written warnings for failing the LIS twice. On the XFINITY Series side, the No. 18 of Daniel Suarez (Joe Gibbs Racing) also failed on its first two attempts.

 

The laser inspection platform, in use since the start of the 2013 season, measures specific points underneath each car, such as camber, wheelbase and rear axle positioning. Measurements are within 1/1,000th of an inch in most cases.

 

The No. 20 XFINITY Series entry with driver Erik Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing) also received a written warning.

 

The first practice for Sprint Cup Series teams this weekend at Phoenix is scheduled to get underway on Friday at 2 p.m. ET. 

Posted on by Staff Report

Elijah Aschbrenner, the 10-year-old cancer patient who stole the hearts of many NASCAR drivers, their families and fans, passed away Tuesday night.

His mother, Becky Hanson Hughes, posted the news on the Prayers for Elijah Facebook page.

 

At 10:52 p.m., my baby went to be with Jesus. Our lives will never be the same; but because of him our lives were forever changed.

Posted by Prayers for Elijah on Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer, Epithelioid Sarcoma, in May 2014, Elijah’s condition had turned for the worse in October. He was the heart of a movement, a social media campaign with the hashtag #prayersforElijah that not only sent prayers and love to Elijah, his younger brother Sam and mother, but also raised awareness about pediatric cancer.

A highlight of recent weeks for Elijah was a visit from Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton on Halloween. Elijah counted many racing stars among his friends and owned the spotlight at May’s “Catwalk for a Cause” pediatric cancer research fundraiser organized by Sherry Pollex and Martin Truex Jr.  

 

 

Elijah walked the runway at the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation event with Dale Earnhardt Jr., who posted condolences and memories on Twitter along with fiancée Amy Reimann.

 

Several drivers and family members also sent messages.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR drivers joined people across the nation on Wednesday in sharing thanks on social media to U.S. military service members on Veterans Day.



Posted on by Staff Report

Crown Royal hosted a weeklong celebration of heroes, during which individuals across the country were honored as inaugural nominees for the brand’s annual “Your Hero’s Name Here” program. The program renames the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — scheduled to take place July 24, 2016 — after a deserving hero.

Beginning Nov. 4, celebrities, influencers and partners of Crown Royal selected deserving individuals to be recognized as inaugural nominees for the program, concluding with a special celebration of heroes in Chicago on Veteran’s Day. Each individual was given access to a special experience — receiving tickets to award shows, professional football games and NASCAR races.

For the 10th year in a row, Crown Royal will award an adult hero naming rights to a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race through the “Your Hero’s Name Here” program. The program is designed to honor individuals who go above and beyond, and give back to their communities — from firefighters and military personnel, to police officers and first responders, by offering them an once-in-a-lifetime experience during the Brickyard 400 weekend.

Consumers 21 and older can visit CrownRoyalHeroes.com to nominate their own heroes for a chance to have the Brickyard 400 renamed in their honor. Nominations will be accepted through Feb. 28 and five finalists will be chosen with a chance to win naming rights to the 2016 Brickyard 400.

From there, consumers will be able to vote for the hero they think is most deserving of the honor, and one individual will see their name in lights at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Previous winners are:

• Jeff Kyle, 2015. Kyle was deployed multiple times to Iraq and Africa while serving in the military for eight years. During his time with the 3rd Marine Division, Kyle received the Navy Achievement Medal for leading the first Marine detachment to transport a nuclear submarine through hostile waters. After leaving the military, Sergeant Kyle has dedicated his life to helping his fellow servicemen and women through his tireless efforts to bring awareness to veterans’ needs.

• John Wayne Walding, 2014. Walding, a Green Beret, served a tour in Iraq and lost part of his leg after being shot by a sniper in Afghanistan. Walding mended his own wound and continued to return before the Green Berets were rescued. Walding later became the first amputee to graduate from the Special Forces Sniper School.

• Samuel Deeds, 2013. While deployed in Iraq, Deeds came across an improvised explosive device (IED) while setting up a vehicle checkpoint. Upon seeing fellow Marines approaching, he exposed himself to the device, risking his own life to save others. He was severely injured and underwent more than 30 surgeries and procedures following the blast. Three years later, while still recovering, Deeds’ heroic instincts took charge once again when he saved the lives of three individuals caught in a rip tide off the coast of North Carolina.

• Curtiss Shaver, 2012. Shaver is a firefighter from Alabama who lost part of his left leg in a farming accident when he was 18 years old. The incident led to Shaver’s career choice as a fireman and a certified EMT.

Posted on by Zack Albert

For one day only, Phoenix International Raceway will change its name to Jeff Gordon Raceway as a tribute to the four-time NASCAR champ’s final season and last race in the Arizona desert.

His name may not be hanging above the gate on race day Sunday, but thanks to a recent run of smashing success, the 1-mile track may as well be Kevin Harvick‘s house.

The dominance of a four-race Phoenix win streak makes Harvick a heavy favorite heading into Sunday’s Quicken Loans Race for Heroes (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM), the next-to-last race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs. The 312-lap event will whittle the field of title-eligible drivers from eight to four ahead of the Nov. 22 championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Harvick’s status as Phoenix’s stone-cold lock has traction, with Chase rival Kyle Busch proclaiming after last Sunday’s event in Texas: “I do not think it’s a winnable race until Kevin Harvick gets beat.” Only Gordon’s spot among the final four is secure, thanks to his victory at Martinsville.

If Harvick is such a certainty, are the remaining six Chasers vying for a solid points day and hoping for the best? The jury is still out.

“All reigns come to an end,” title contender Brad Keselowski said during a test last month at the 1-mile track. “Every driver has had a track that he dominates on and it changes. Jimmie (Johnson) dominated here for a long time and obviously that’s not been that case as of late. The way you beat somebody or break that domination is you go out, you go to work and you try to do better.”

Harvick’s track history since 2012 is unparalleled. He has scored seven of his 31 Sprint Cup wins at Phoenix and has led more than two-thirds of the laps in his most recent three victories. Last season, Harvick led 264 of 312 laps to springboard into the final race at Homestead, where he roared to his first Sprint Cup crown in the first year of the new-look Chase format.

This season, Harvick sits third in the standings — five rungs up from last year’s cellar-dweller position entering the semifinal race. Despite the potential for reduced urgency from the Stewart-Haas No. 4 camp, Harvick’s rivals aren’t expecting any let-up.

“We look at the points situation and guarantee Harvick winning that race,” Busch said, referencing a Harvick “stranglehold” on Phoenix. “Then you have to figure out who you’re racing after that to know what you have to do in order to point your way through. If we can go out there and win the race, then we will. As far as we’re concerned, that’s how we look at it.”

Four drivers still in the title hunt — Gordon, Keselowski, Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. — participated in an Oct. 14 open test at Phoenix, experimenting with some rules under the 2016 configuration, but keeping the primary focus on preparing for a pivotal race in the Chase. Neither Kyle Busch nor Carl Edwards — title contenders both — attended, but teammate Matt Kenseth gathered extensive data to be shared among Joe Gibbs Racing‘s four-car effort.

Practice, qualifying and the race will tell whether any of the extra rehearsal will make a dent in Harvick’s hot streak, altering the complexion of the Chase. Jimmie Johnson — who’s had his own dominant stretches at Dover and Martinsville over the course of his career — knows it won’t be easy, despite how Harvick has made it look.

“Anybody with a streak at a particular track, you’ve got to show up with realistic expectations but enough swagger knowing it’s a track that’s good for you, then go get it done,” Johnson said after last weekend’s victory at Texas Motor Speedway. “It’s so hard to make it through an entire weekend, make it through an entire race. We saw the flat tires today, mechanical issues, racing issues that can pop up.

“Phoenix is a tight little scrappy race track. The streak with four wins in a row is impressive. That’s not an easy place to get it done.”

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RELATED: Buy tickets to the race

 

MIAMI — A championship race calls for championship-caliber dignitaries, and that’s exactly what the 2015 Ford EcoBoost 300 XFINITY Series championship race will have. World Cup Champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Carli Lloyd will serve as the Grand Marshal for the race, which will take place Nov. 21 at 2:45 p.m. at Homestead-Miami Speedway. As Grand Marshal, Lloyd will give the command for drivers to “start their engines.” In addition, as a guest of XFINITY, Lloyd will participate in various activities around the track and with the fans, including a visit to the XFINITY Zone to host a Championship Rally before the race.

 

Andy Miyares, a Special Olympics swimmer from Miami, will be the Honorary Starter for the race, while actress/singer Elizabeth Elias, also a native Miamian, has been tabbed to perform the national anthem.

 

“Thanks to XFINITY, having someone with Carli Lloyd’s accolades is a perfect fit for what Ford Championship Weekend is all about,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway president Matthew Becherer.  “We are also honored to have Andy and Elizabeth as integral parts of our pre-race festivities. The things they have been able to accomplish are tremendous, and they are outstanding ambassadors in their respective fields and also for the Miami area.”

 

Lloyd, who currently plays for the Houston Dash of the National Women’s Soccer League, won the coveted Golden Ball Trophy as the best player of the 2015 Women’s World Cup tournament when she notched six goals and one assist in leading the U.S. to the World Cup title.  A member of the U.S. Women’s national team since 2005, Lloyd scored three goals in the team’s 5-2 win over Japan in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup final. She was also part of the U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning teams in 2008 (Beijing) and 2012 (London), where she scored the deciding goal in the Gold Medal games on both occasions. Overall, she has played in more than 200 matches for the U.S. national team and has scored more than 70 goals. 

 

Miyares, 32, who grew up in Kendall, was born with Down syndrome. He has competed in two Special Olympics World Games and is the holder of numerous world records. He won both silver and bronze medals in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles. He is a registered United States Swimming Coach, teaching younger special needs children how to swim.

 

Elizabeth Elias, called Liz by her many fans, is an actress and recording artist best known for her role of Mia Black in the Nickelodeon’s hit series, “Every Witch Way.” Currently working on her music with Atlantic Records, Elizabeth is set to launch her first single at the beginning of the New Year.  Her musical style is an integration of today’s pop and Latin pop music genres. You can follow Liz on all her Social Media.

 

Tickets are still available for the Ford EcoBoost 300, as well as the Ford EcoBoost 200 Camping World Truck Series race on Friday.  For tickets, call 305-230-5255 or visit www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.

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RELATED: Learn more about Iowa Speedway

 

Yes, you read that headline right. On Saturday, Nov. 14, the Iowa Barnstormers of the Indoor Football League will hold a free agent camp, and Iowa Speedway‘s very own track president Jimmy Small will be among the many looking for a position on the indoor football team.

 

The 28-year-old has been a fan of the sport since he was young and wasn’t going to let an opportunity like this slip away. 

 

“I’ve been a passionate football fan since I was a kid, and when I heard about the open tryouts, I realized that it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Iowa Speedway President Jimmy Small said. “By no means do I think this will be easy, but I’ve learned a few things about speed, teamwork, and aerodynamics in racing, which will give me an advantage. I’m going to this tryout with high expectations, and I will be prepared to compete on Saturday. My training starts today, and my goal is to finish with more than just a commemorative Barnstormers Free Agent Camp T-shirt on Saturday.”

 

The tryouts will take place at the Pella Recreation Center Field House in Pella, Iowa. Tryouts are open to the public, including Iowa Speedway race fans. Any athlete 18 years of age and older, non-college eligible and interested in playing for the Iowa Barnstormers Indoor Football Team during the 2016 season is eligible to tryout.

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The National Motorsports Appeals Panel today heard and considered the appeal of a P4 level penalty issued on Oct. 28 to Shane Huffman (crew chief), Brandon Jones (driver) and Maurice Gallagher Jr. (owner) relative to the No. 33 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team at Talladega Superspeedway.
 
The penalty concerns the following sections in the 2015 NASCAR Rule Book: Sections 20.4.12.2; 20.20.a; 20.4.f; P4, 12.5.3.4. b&d, Penalty Options; P4, 12.5.3.4.1 d&f, Penalty Examples.
 
The original penalty assessed included: Huffman was fined $10,000, suspended for the next three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship events, plus any non-championship races or special events which might occur during that period, and placed on NASCAR probation for a six-month period following the issuance of the penalty. Jones and Gallagher Jr. were also assessed with the loss of 25 championship driver and 25 championship owner points, respectively.
 
Upon hearing the testimony, the decisions of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel are:
 
1. The Appellants violated the Rule or Rules set forth in the Penalty Notice
2. The Panel finds that the suspension portion of the Penalty for the crew chief should not last beyond the current season in this special case because of the delay in the originally scheduled hearing. All other portions of the original Penalty as levied by NASCAR (e.g.; owner points; driver points; fine; probation) are affirmed and upheld.
 
The panel consisted of the following three individuals:
 
-Mr. David Hall
-Mr. Hunter Nickell
-Mr. Kevin Whitaker
 
The Appellants have the right to appeal the decision of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel to the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer in accordance with Section 15 of the NASCAR Rule Book.

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Jimmie Johnson’s win at Texas made Gordon the only Chase Contender locked in for the championship race. While the seven other Chase drivers scramble at Phoenix, the No. 24 team can focus all its attention on winning a fifth Cup title at Homestead.
A solid third-place finish put Harvick in a more comfortable position — third in the Chase standings — heading into Phoenix, a track where he has won the last four consecutive Cup races and is the all-time winner with seven victories.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/kyle-busch/
KyleBusch
Joe Gibbs Racing
Two straight top-fives in the Eliminator Round put Busch in a great spot for this week’s event at Phoenix. And that’s good for “Rowdy,” considering he said Phoenix wasn’t a “winnable race” with Harvick’s recent dominance.

MORE: Busch: Harvick’s ‘got the stranglehold’ on Phoenix

The dark horse of the Chase, Truex Jr. has quietly settled into the fourth spot in the Chase standings. This puts him on the upside of the Chase bubble for now, but he’ll need a strong result at Phoenix to stay there.

MORE: Truex keeps title hopes alive at Texas

Edwards’ top-five at Texas still left the No. 19 team on the outside looking in with a fifth-place spot in the Chase standings. To jump fourth-place Truex Jr., he’ll need a solid result at Phoenix, where he owns two career wins — but no top-fives in the past four races.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/brad-keselowski/
BradKeselowski
1
Team Penske
After dominating Texas, Keselowski’s chance at Victory Lane — and a Homestead lock — was foiled by a winning pass by non-Chaser Jimmie Johnson. Now, the Team Penske driver likely faces a must-win situation at Phoenix. As he showed last year at Talladega, Kes is capable of getting a W when everything’s at stake.

MORE: Dominant Kes takes a Texas tumble

Even a seventh-place result at Texas won’t allow Busch to coast into the championship at Homestead easily on points — he likely needs a win at Phoenix.
If bad things indeed happen in threes, Logano’s chances at Phoenix aren’t looking good, as he comes off two finishes of 37th or worse. Once the frontrunner for the title, there is a very real possibility that the No. 22 team could miss out on even making it to the championship round.

MORE: Cut tire puts Logano in big Chase hole

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/jimmie-johnson/
JimmieJohnson
3
Hendrick Motorsports
After a 20-race winless drought, Johnson crashed the Chase party for seven title contenders. “Six-time” may be out of the running for the championship, but he’s proved that he’s certainly not done.

MORE: Watch Johnson’s late-race pass

https://www.nascar.com/drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr/
DaleEarnhardt Jr.
-1
Hendrick Motorsports
Riding a top-six streak for the past three weeks, Earnhardt Jr. & Co. look poised for a strong end to their season despite the lack of a championship berth. Having finished four of the last five races at Phoenix in the top 10 and reached Victory Lane twice in his career, Junior’s weekend at Phoenix looks promising.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/denny-hamlin/
DennyHamlin
-1
Joe Gibbs Racing
If there’s one thing that could brighten up Hamlin’s outlook after his sour 38th-place result at Texas, it’s the fact that he’s batting .500 for top 10s at Phoenix – and has a chance to foil some Chase drivers’ chances at victory this weekend.
This weekend marks the one-year anniversary of Newman’s famous moving of Kyle Larson to secure a spot in the 2014 championship race. While he’s no longer in the title hunt, we don’t expect anything like this from the No. 31 this year — maybe just a consistent top-10.
Due to his two-race suspension, Kenseth will be out of the No. 20 again this weekend at Phoenix. But his return at Homestead should be an interesting one – and we have high expectations for the No. 20 driver, who has finished nearly half of his 15 races at the Florida track in the top 10.
McMurray battled Gordon for the win at Martinsville and followed it up with another top 10 at Texas. His strong year will undoubtedly bode well for the No. 1 team’s spirits heading into next season.
Menard continued on his top-15 pattern this week, earning a 13th-place result in the Lone Star State. That trend doesn’t appear to be turning for the better at Phoenix, a track where he’s only recorded two top 10s in 17 starts.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/clint-bowyer/
ClintBowyer
Stewart-Haas Racing
Answering his 43rd-place finish at Martinsville with a 15th-place result at Texas isn’t stellar for Bowyer, but he’ll have a clean slate next year when he jumps into the HScott Motorsports Chevrolet. Perspective.