Penalty day: Fate for Kenseth will come Tuesday

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Staff Report

Any penalties handed down to Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth for his actions during Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway would likely come today.

The sanctioning body typically doles out penalties on Tuesdays, and Kenseth may be in line for some punishment after he appeared to intentionally wreck Joey Logano in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500. Kenseth was multiple laps down at the time while Logano was in the race lead.

NASCAR officials met with Kenseth, crew chief Jason Ratcliff and team owner Joe Gibbs following Sunday’s event.

“There’s still a lot to digest from what happened tonight,” NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said immediately after the race. “We’ll do that. We’ll have some additional conversations and probably come out with something, if there is anything to discuss, on Tuesday.”

Danica Patrick may also face a penalty for her role in a wreck with David Gilliland .

Stay tuned to NASCAR.com throughout the day for the latest news and coverage.

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Staff Report

RELATED: Photos of the incident | POLL: Should NASCAR suspend Kenseth?

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France told listeners on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday that the sanctioning body will rule Tuesday on two incidents at Martinsville Speedway: Matt Kenseth wrecking Joey Logano and Danica Patrick going after David Gilliland.

NASCAR instituted a ‘Boys, have at it’ philosophy in 2010, but France said on the “Morning Drive” show that there are always limits.

“This is the style of racing we have. There’s contact in this style. Thanks to the fenders and the design of the cars … we can have that,” France said of aggressive driving and passionate competition that produces on-track contact. “There’s always limits to that. And when those limits are exceeded, we deal with that. … Drivers know where the limits are. They may not say it, but they understand it.”

Matt Kenseth appeared to intentionally wreck race leader Logano on Lap 454 of the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500. Logano had won three consecutive races, including the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas, in which Logano spun race-leader Kenseth with fewer than five laps to go, effectively denying Kenseth the win and a chance to advance in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Patrick chased down David Gilliland‘s Ford and initiated contact after he had sent her No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet into the wall earlier Sunday.

Asked if suspension or points reductions are on the table as penalties for Kenseth and the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team, France said, “Sure. They’re all on the table. We’ll make that decision later today.”

A decision on the Patrick vs. Gilliland contact will be made Tuesday, as well.

“No question about that,” France said when asked if the sanctioning body is also looking at the No. 10 vs. No. 38 incident.

WATCH: Danica retaliates against Gilliland

“What we want to prevent happening is drivers or anyone participating in NASCAR to take events into their own hands and control outcomes of races,” France said. “That’s a very serious thing to us, and we’ll be dealing with that.”

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Staff Report

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth is expected to be penalized Tuesday for his wreck of Joey Logano on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

But what will the punishment be? The biggest talking point throughout the week has been whether or not the veteran will be suspended.

What do you think? Let us know in the poll below.

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Staff Report

NASCAR suspended Matt Kenseth for the next two Sprint Cup Series events Tuesday for his role in a crash with Joey Logano late in Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway.

NASCAR officials issued no other penalties to the driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota, but did place Kenseth on probation for the next six months.

Moments after the ruling was issued, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Kenseth would appeal the penalty. “The appeal will challenge the severity of the penalty which is believed to be inconsistent with previous penalties for similar on-track incidents,” the JGR statement read. “There will be no further comments from JGR personnel during the appeal process.”

NASCAR announced it would expedite the appeals process and the National Motorsports Appeals Panel has set the appeal for Thursday morning at 9 a.m. ET in Concord, North Carolina.

RELATED: Kenseth appeal process set

Kenseth and Logano wrecked on Lap 454 of the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500, with Kenseth’s No. 20 entry making heavy contact with Logano’s Team Penske No. 22 Ford. The collision carried both cars into the Turn 1 wall, severely damaging both.

The run-in was the latest chapter in escalating tensions between the two rivals during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs. Though Kenseth attempted to blame the crash on a deflated tire or mechanical issue, the altercation was widely perceived to be retaliation for hard racing between the two in recent weeks.

RELATED: Drivers weigh in on penalties

Kenseth was multiple laps down at the time of the incident because of an earlier crash. Logano was out front and had led nearly half of the race to that point. Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer, said Sunday evening that those two factors weighed heavily in the minds of race officials, who parked Kenseth’s No. 20 for the rest of the day shortly after the two cars came to rest.

“In our minds, that’s a little bit different than two drivers really going after it coming out of Turn 4 for a win versus what happened tonight,” O’Donnell said.

O’Donnell reiterated that stance in Tuesday’s penalty report from the sanctioning body.

“Based upon our extensive review, we have concluded that the No. 20 car driver, who is no longer in the Chase, intentionally wrecked the No. 22 car driver, a Chase-eligible competitor who was leading the race at the time,” O’Donnell said in a statement. “The No. 20 car was nine laps down, and eliminated the No. 22 car’s opportunity to continue to compete in the race.

“Additionally, we factored aspects of safety into our decision, and also the fact that the new Chase elimination format puts a premium on each and every race. These actions have no place in NASCAR.”

Two weeks earlier at Kansas Speedway, Logano pressured and eventually spun Kenseth in a late-race battle for the lead. Logano, having already advanced to the next round in the Chase with a win the previous week at Charlotte, continued on to victory and was unapologetic for his aggressive racing in his post-race remarks.

RELATED: See what happened at Kansas

Kenseth’s postseason hopes ended the following week at Talladega Superspeedway, where he said in pre-race interviews that Logano “should have stopped running his mouth, A, and No. 2, he’s lying when he said he didn’t do it on purpose.”

NASCAR instituted its unwritten “boys, have at it” code in 2010, allowing drivers to settle differences amongst themselves with minimal intervention from competition officials. But NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France, in a Tuesday morning appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, said there were limits to how far self-policing should go.

“What we want to prevent happening is drivers or anyone participating in NASCAR to take events into their own hands and control outcomes of races,” France said. “That’s a very serious thing to us, and we’ll be dealing with that.”

This story will be updated.

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Official NASCAR Release

Daytona Beach, Florida (November 3, 2015) — Matt Kenseth , the driver of the No. 20 car, has been penalized for an infraction that occurred during the Nov. 1 race at Martinsville Speedway. This is a Behavioral Penalty (Sections 12.1, 12.8). Kenseth has been suspended from NASCAR through the completion of the next two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship events and placed on NASCAR probation for a six-month period following issuance of the penalty notice.

“Based upon our extensive review, we have concluded that the No. 20 car driver, who is no longer in the Chase, intentionally wrecked the No. 22 car driver, a Chase-eligible competitor who was leading the race at the time,”said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “The No. 20 car was nine laps down, and eliminated the No. 22 car’s opportunity to continue to compete in the race.

“Additionally, we factored aspects of safety into our decision, and also the fact that the new Chase elimination format puts a premium on each and every race. These actions have no place in NASCAR.”

· Danica Patrick, the driver of the No. 10 car, has been penalized for an infraction that also took place during the Nov. 1 race at Martinsville Speedway. This is a Behavioral Penalty (Sections 12.1, 12.8). Patrick has been fined $50,000, assessed with the loss of 25 series championship driver points and placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31.

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Pat DeCola

Jeffgordon

Gordon hasn’t looked like a title contender most of the year, but here we are one race into the Eliminator Round and he’s the only one who knows he’s racing for a title at Homestead.

MORE: Gordon wins final race at Martinsville

Kevinharvick

Harvick has been on and off the edge of elimination throughout the Chase, but with two races remaining in this round — one of which is his best track (Phoenix) — he’s in excellent shape.

KyleBusch

Busch recovered from an in-race spin to salvage a top-five finish, keeping himself very much in the conversation for one of the four title contenders at Homestead.

MORE: Kyle harsh on wrecks

Martintruex jr

It’s hard to believe Truex’s one-car team is still as much of a factor this late in the season, but here we are with three races left and he’s got just as good a shot for title No. 1 as anybody left in the Chase.

MORE: How Truex finished where he did

Carledwards

-3

Edwards’ No. 19 survived a run-in with his teammate Kyle Busch’s No. 18 and came away with a 14th-place finish. If he makes it to Homestead — one of his best tracks — things look good for Edwards’ title hopes.

Joeylogano

-5

By now, you know what happened. Logano has been the best driver in the Chase and should be among the favorites the next two weeks. His season is not done.

MORE: Logano tweets message saying he ‘will fight’

BradKeselowski

Logano wasn’t the only Team Penske driver to make contact with Matt Kenseth, and the No. 2 wound up 32nd — and in a similar position to his teammate over the next two races.

MORE: Luck runs dry for Kes

Kurtbusch

-3

Busch got caught up in the Kenseth vs. Penske drama and unfortunately took the most damage. Initially looked at as one of the Eliminator Round’s sleepers, Busch is in a hole.

MORE: Busch wrecks at Martinsville

DaleEarnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt couldn’t match his Martinsville win from last year, but a fourth-place finish ain’t too shabby, either. Expect Junior to ride out the rest of the year in style — and maybe even pick up one more win.

DennyHamlin

Hamlin has to be kicking himself for not making this round, as it might’ve been his strongest round on paper. He proved that so far with a top-three finish.

Ryannewman

Even though he’s no longer in the Chase, Newman is still plugging along, picking up top 10s. Consistency, consistency, consistency.

JimmieJohnson

Some pegged Martinsville as where Johnson would pick up his win in the Chase — despite being out of it. Even more had Texas pegged as where it could happen. Stay tuned.

Mattkenseth

Kenseth used his car to intentionally put rival Joey Logano in a hole after the first Eliminator Round race. Can’t give him bonus points for that, but it sure made his fans happy.

MORE: Kenseth dumps Logano

Jamiemcmurray

McMurray might’ve had his best run of the year at Martinsville, finishing runner-up to Gordon. It doesn’t count for much right now, but it’s a momentum builder for 2016.

Paulmenard

-1

Menard’s progression has been slow, but as he continues to turn in top-15 finishes, you have to think at some point top-10s will start to become more routine.

ClintBowyer

-1

Keep your eyes on the prize, Clint Bowyer. In less than two years, you get to drive the No. 14 Chevrolet full-time.

Posted on November 3, 2015 by

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COUNTRY 500 ANNOUNCES COMPLETE MUSIC FESTIVAL LINEUP!

Jason Aldean Added to the List of Headliners

Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum,

Willie Nelson, Little Big Town, Lee Brice, Tyler Farr, Trace Adkins, Jennifer Nettles,

Dwight Yoakam, Jamey Johnson and Many More Stars

Coming to Daytona International Speedway Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-29, 2016

3-Day Weekend Passes, VIP Packages, Camping and Travel Packages on Sale Now!

(Daytona Beach, Fla.) – November 3, 2015 – Organizers today announced the full artist lineup for the first-ever Country 500 – The Great American Music Fest at Daytona –, to be held Memorial Day Weekend, May 27, 28 & 29, 2016. Jason Aldean has been added to the list of previously announced headlining artists that includes Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum and Willie Nelson. Other country superstars on the Country 500 lineup include, Little Big Town, Lee Brice, Tyler Farr, Trace Adkins, Jennifer Nettles, Dustin Lynch, Dwight Yoakam, Frankie Ballard, Jamey Johnson and dozens more. Country 500 will take place on the infield of the world-famous Daytona International Speedway, a historic first mega-music festival inside the hallowed grounds of one of the most iconic motorsports venues in the world.

Three-day weekend passes, VIP packages, camping and travel packages are on sale now through Country500.com. Fans should plan to take advantage of the special early bird pricing ($199) for 3-day weekend general admission passes.

The complete artist lineup for Country 500 will feature:

Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Willie Nelson, Little Big Town, Lee Brice, Tyler Farr, Trace Adkins, Jennifer Nettles, Dustin Lynch, Dwight Yoakam, Frankie Ballard, Jamey Johnson, Jerrod Niemann, Chris Stapleton, Sara Evans, Eli Young Band, Colt Ford, Montgomery Gentry, Brothers Osborne, Marty Stuart, Clare Dunn, Cassadee Pope, RaeLynn, Kristian Bush, Brandy Clark, Joe Diffie, The Cadillac Three, Eric Paslay, Josh Thompson, Mo Pitney, Craig Campbell, Mac Powell, Brooke Eden, Jamestown Revival, Frank Foster, and Charlie Worsham.

Country 500 festivities will be spread over three days and nights, with music programmed on three huge performance stages—all specially designed and built for the festival. Just as it is for the great races at the Speedway, Country 500 will allow fans to actually camp out in the infield, literally inside the festival. A full-range of camping opportunities is available for virtually any budget, from pitching a tent to deluxe RV locations. Country 500 also offers on-site lodging and travel packages for a hassle-free way to enjoy the festival. Travel packages include hotel accommodations, roundtrip transportation to the festival grounds and official t-shirts plus festival admission. Visit Country500.com for information on the on-site lodging opportunities and travel packages.

“The Country 500 is coming to Daytona! From Jason Aldean Friday night to Luke Bryan Sunday night, and a rocked-out home coming for Florida Georgia Line, plus Kid Rock and Willie Nelson on the big Saturday night. Country 500 is a festival like no other,” said Festival Producer Quint Davis. “And the headliner who will not be appearing anywhere else in the world is, of course, Daytona International Speedway itself. The entire festival fits inside the legendary speedway’s massive infield, with plenty of infield camping areas! You can actually camp out inside the track during the festival. If camping is not your thing, we’re in Daytona Beach—with its miles of ocean front hotels close to the track, where you can still drive your car along the beach where American racing all began. The Country 500 at Daytona on Memorial Day Weekend, when Sunday is still a Saturday night!”

“This star-studded lineup of talented musicians will transform the ‘World Center of Racing’ into the ‘World Center of Entertainment’ on Memorial Day Weekend,” Daytona International Speedway Track President Joie Chitwood III said. “Festival Productions – New Orleans has done an amazing job putting together top-notch entertainment that will entertain thousands of guests in the infield of Daytona International Speedway.”

Special VIP packages called “Crew Chief VIP Experience” and “VIP Pit Pass” (see attached) allow for an exclusive upfront, golden-circle viewing area at the main stage with side stage access at the other performances areas plus access to comfortable hospitality areas, private cash bars and many other comforts and amenities. For VIP benefits, camping information, festival details and flexible payment plan options, call 1-844-500-FEST or visit Country500.com.

Fans at the festival will also have the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of their favorite country stars at artist meet-and-greets located throughout pit road and the garages. Numerous other features—a select festival menu sold from food booths and food trucks; carnival rides; arcade games; cooling water elements; country-and-western merchandise; fireworks; and more—will all be a part of the festival, as Country 500 transforms racing’s greatest venue into a festival-goer’s dream.

Visit Country500.com or call 1-844-500-FEST for tickets, camping, parking, and other festival information. Make sure to sign up on the Country 500 mailing list and get all the festival info as it becomes available. Customizable travel packages, on-site lodging opportunities and hotel information are also available at Country500.com.

Stay connected with Country 500 on Facebook, Country500.com on the web and #Country500 on Twitter.

AEG Live and Festival Productions, Inc. – New Orleans are partnering with Daytona International Speedway to produce the Country 500.

Festival Contact: Matthew Goldman, 504-410-4100, [email protected]

Daytona International Speedway Contact: Andrew Booth, 386-681-6714, [email protected]

PLEASE NOTE: Artist images and the official Country 500 logo can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/country500-pr and artist b-roll video is available at http://bit.ly/country500-video.

###

Country 500 Weekend Festival Passes

3-DAY GENERAL ADMISSION WEEKEND PASS – ($199 early bird all-in pricing)

-3-day general admission; passes are non-transferable

-Includes access to over 40 bands on three festival stages, a select menu of food and beverage offerings sold from food booths and food trucks, carnival rides, arcade games, country and western merchandise, official festival merchandise, a myriad of shade and water elements and much more

VIP PIT PASS – ($599 all-in pricing)

-3-day admission; passes are non-transferable

-Access to the Pit, an exclusive upfront, golden circle viewing area at the Country 500 Stage and VIP viewing at the Daytona Stage and Bluebird Theater

-Access to the VIP Pit Stop, a private hospitality tent where guests can cool of in the shade with access to exclusive beverage for purchase, private merchandise stand, cell phone charging stations and more.

-Private air-conditioned flushable restrooms

-Exclusive festival merchandise item

-Express VIP entrance with re-entry all weekend

-Exclusive opportunity to purchase a VIP parking space

-On-site experience concierge

CREW CHIEF VIP EXPERIENCE – ($999 all-in pricing)

-3-day admission; passes are non-transferable

-Access to the Pit, an exclusive upfront, golden circle viewing area at the Country 500 Stage and VIP viewing at the Daytona Stage and Bluebird Theater

-Exclusive access to the Crew Chief Super VIP Deck at the Country 500 Stage featuring a covered viewing platform with premium views of the main stage, private cash bar and air-conditioned restrooms

-Exclusive access to the Country 500 VIP Club, a private indoor air-conditioned hospitality lounge featuring cash bar, comfortable furnishings, private merchandise stand, complimentary light snacks and refreshments, massages, Wi-Fi, charging stations and more

-Crew Chief VIP-only exclusive festival merchandise item

-Express VIP entrance with re-entry all weekend

-Exclusive opportunity to purchase a VIP parking space

-On-site experience concierge

-Plus a few surprises!

Buy Country 500 Tickets Now!

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Staff Report

Meet Joe, Official NASCAR Fan Council member of the month

Name: Joe

Current City: Riverdale, New Jersey

Hometown: Lincoln Park, New Jersey

Member since: 2012

Getting to know Joe

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

"Growing up in New Jersey, I was always fascinated with auto racing. When fathers would take their sons to the ballparks to watch baseball, my father would take me to the racetrack. When fathers would sit down with their sons to watch sports on TV, my father would watch NASCAR with me. NASCAR and auto racing in general have always been an intricate part of my life. As I have grown older, I have had the opportunity to attend more races than I have ever before. Now, because of NASCAR and the NASCAR Fan Council, I have the opportunity to become even more involved. When the opportunity presented itself to join the NASCAR Fan Council, I jumped at it. I joined the NASCAR Fan Council because I wanted to take an active role in helping to make the sport that I love to watch better for not only the fans’ interests but also for the overall welfare of the sport. To have the opportunity to be involved with an organization such as NASCAR who actively solicits opinions from its fans is an honor that I take very seriously."

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

"When I think of NASCAR, I think of a sense of community, family, excitement, and passion. From compassionate race fans to the hard working people in the motorsports industry, you won’t find a better experience at a sporting event than at a NASCAR race weekend. My favorite NASCAR memory was my first Daytona 500 in 2011. I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes to not only meet some NASCAR personalities up close such as Steve Byrnes from Fox Sports, but also was able to watch a young rookie named Trevor Bayne win his first Daytona 500 and see him celebrate in Victory Lane — something that I won’t ever forget. It truly was a memorable weekend."

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

Driver: "Martin Truex Jr."

Track: "Daytona International Speedway"

Memorabilia: "I like to collect pins and decals from events and races I attend."

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

"Talladega Superspeedway"

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

"I love to play golf, run marathons, and skeet shoot."

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

"I am married to a huge Kyle Busch fan. We don’t have any children but have a cat."

Q: What’s your dream car?

"1983 Ford Thunderbird (Just like Stroker Ace’s)"

From all of us at NASCAR, we thank Joe for his continued support and look forward to hearing from him in 2015! Look for Joe on the Official NASCAR Fan Council page on NASCAR.COM.

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Staff Report

The Joey Logano–Matt Kenseth rivalry has blossomed during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, culminating Sunday at Martinsville Speedway when Kenseth ran Logano into the fence late in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500.

Logano was leading with less than 50 laps to go when Kenseth, who was not on the lead lap, initiated contact that wrecked both cars. The two previously had an incident at Kansas Speedway, in which Logano’s nudge of Kenseth’s car while racing for the lead led to the No. 20 spinning out.

Kenseth did not advance to the Eliminator Round, while Logano was the top seed in the standings entering Sunday’s race.

So, what did you think about Sunday’s incident? Let us know in the poll below.