Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full practice 2 results

Cole Cluster led the final Camping World Truck Series practice for tonight’s UNOH 200 Presented by ZLOOP with the top speed of 126.528 mph.


Following the JR Motorsports driver on the leaderboard was Ryan Blaney (126.104 mph) who was second-fastest in the session.


John H. Nemechek (125.708 mph), Ty Dillon (125.609 mph) and Brandon Jones (125.609 mph) round out the top-five fastest. Jones was the fastest driver in the first Truck Series practice on Tuesday.


The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is scheduled for tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.


Dalton Sargeant, who will be making his NCWTS debut in tonight’s race, ranked sixth in the final practice with a time of 124.971 mph. The 17-year-old was 21st-fastest in the first practice on Tuesday.


Points leader Tyler Reddick had the 10th-fastest time in Wednesday’s practice (124.170 mph).

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Ragan’s Darlington look will honor his father



Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is pulling out all the stops for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM) with a throwback paint scheme right out of the hit racing movie “Days of Thunder.” 


BUY: Darlington tickets


The Mello Yello ride of Cole Trickle will fly around a track again, this time carrying the No. 42 on the Chevrolet. Kyle Petty drove the Mello Yello scheme as his primary paint scheme from 1991-93 on the No. 42.


Mello Yello was born to bond with racing, announced as the “World’s Fastest Soft Drink” when it launched in 1979 and sponsored Frank Oblesby’s dragster.


“This paint scheme has such a cool history between the movie and Kyle Petty having run it for Felix, so I’m really excited to drive it,” Larson said Wenesday. ” ‘Days of Thunder’ is definitely one of my favorite racing movies, and I know it’s a favorite for a lot of fans, too. The connection with Felix is pretty cool. Even though I was too young to watch Kyle Petty driving the Mello Yello car, I know people will remember the scheme from those days, as well as his crazy hair from back then. There’s just a lot of fun stuff surrounding this car, so I’m really glad that the Target team is able to run it for Darlington’s throwback race. I think the fans are really going to like it.”


Larson tweeted a tease about the scheme to fans on Tuesday, asking “Can you tell we’re excited for @TooToughToTame?!”
 


FYI, Larson was born two years after the movie’s 1990 premiere, but shows he appreciates the 25th anniversary of the film.

BUY: Darlington throwback gear

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Co-owner of MWR buys interest in CGR 

MORE: Kauffman: ‘We’re integrating the businesses’

Michael Waltrip Racing, one of the charter Toyota teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, announced Wednesday that it will part ways with driver Clint Bowyer at year’s end and that it plans to cease its full-time racing schedule after the 2015 season.

 

RELATED: Bowyer free to pursue other opportunities for 2016

MWR said in a statement that it will continue to field cars for Bowyer, who has been with the No. 15 team since 2012, and David Ragan, interim driver for Brian Vickers in the No. 55, through the rest of the season.

 

The move comes on the heels of MWR principal owner Rob Kauffman’s confirmation Aug. 1 that he had purchased an ownership stake in Chevrolet team Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

 

“MWR will race hard and compete for the remainder of the 2015 season,” Kauffman said in a release provided by the team. “This decision was made after weighing several different options and scenarios. I felt it was important to make an announcement as soon as we had clarity, so that is what we are doing today. I want to thank all of our staff, partners, sponsors and fans for all their effort and support over the years.

 

“Clint Bowyer has done a lot for MWR since joining us in 2012 and we appreciate the energy and effort he has given the organization. After many discussions, Clint and I agreed we would go our separate ways at the end of the season and I wish him well in whatever direction he pursues.”

 

The decision makes Bowyer, an eight-time winner in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, a sought-after free agent for 2016. Three of his victories came in 2012, when he finished a career-best second in the final championship standings.

 

MORE: Toyota thanks MWR, supports Bowyer

 

“I want to thank Michael, Rob and everyone at Michael Waltrip Racing that made these past four years special,” Bowyer said. “After extensive discussions with Rob and MWR, we came to the point that we mutually agreed our paths in the future just didn’t align, but I think we all agreed on the next steps in a very professional manner. I am looking forward to what future opportunities may come but for now we have a championship to pursue in 2015 and we owe it to every one of our sponsors, partners, employees and fans to deliver on and off the track.”

 

Michael Waltrip Racing made its full-fledged debut in 2007, bringing the Toyota Camry banner into the sport. The team featured Waltrip as driver/owner, former premier series champion Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann. MWR has seven victories in NASCAR’s top division, the first with Reutimann in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 in 2009.

 

“Rob joined MWR in 2007 and has helped give us the resources to build a competitive race team, and in 2012, Clint Bowyer took us to the doorstep of a championship. From where MWR started behind my house in Sherrill’s Ford to winning Sprint Cup races, poles and earning Chase berths, I am proud of what we accomplished,” Michael Waltrip said Wednesday.

 

“My family has been a part of NASCAR for almost five decades and I plan on being a part of it for years to come. I would not have had the opportunity to start this journey without so many great partners, sponsors and employees and I want to thank each of them for making Michael Waltrip Racing a reality.”

 

Ragan released a statement Wednesday, as well.

 

“I am grateful for the opportunity that Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota have provided me this year,” Ragan said. “I have worked hard to be a good teammate and spokesperson for all of our sponsors, and as a team we have collectively improved our performance from the beginning of the season. I look forward to staying focused and trying to win a race this season for Aaron’s and everyone at MWR.

 

“Going forward I will be working hard to secure a full-time ride in the Sprint Cup Series. At 29 years old, I feel my best years are in front of me.”

 

The Waltrip-owned team scaled back its operations from three full-time teams to two after the 2013 season, which was marked by a race-manipulation scandal surrounding MWR in the regular-season finale and the ensuing departure of Martin Truex Jr. and longtime sponsor NAPA.

 

Waltrip talked a bit about the news at the start of FOX Sports 1’s broadcast of final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice Wednesday at Bristol.

 

“It’s a sad day for MWR obviously. I love the culture we’ve built there. You know, our sponsors, they’re not sponsors; they’re partners, and our employees are our teammates,” Waltrip said. “We just have the perfect workplace, and unfortunately in 2016, we’re not going to be racing there. My hope is somebody wants to have a really nice shop full of really cool people that work together well and want to have a race team and we can provide that for them. 

 

“But Rob’s going to be a part of Chip Ganassi Racing going forward. Rob and I are best of buddies. He’s done an amazing job of stabilizing MWR in the beginning and then we raced for a championship, finished second in 2012. So my heart goes out to all the employees, all the people that work at MWR, and hopefully somebody wants to have a team and they can have it right there at our place.”

 

Asked how hard it was to make this transition with MWR after starting the company behind his house, Waltrip revisited some of the history of his company.

 

“Our first race was here in 1994 with Jeff Green . We towed in here with Ronnie Silver a flatbed trailer, unloaded our car and ran third that day. Won Nationwide, XFINITY races behind our house and competed in the Cup Series. We made the Daytona 500 with Kenny Wallace in a car we built in Sherrill’s Ford behind my house. That grew to Michael Waltrip Racing, and we raced for a championship like I said. Chase berths, race wins. I’m thankful. I’m happy. It’s a great run that we’ve had. We’ll just see what’s next.”

Posted on by Staff Report

See how the No. 17 Ford will look Labor Day weekend

MORE: Buy tickets for Darlington | Enter sweepstakes for Darlington weekend
SHOP: Darlington gear

Hard to say we disagree, Ricky.

Sporting a firesuit that looks like it might even emanate that distinct 1970s musk — you know the one — Roush Fenway Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. reveleaed the throwback paint scheme that he’ll be running on his No. 17 Ford for Labor Day weekend’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 (Sep. 6, 7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM) at Darlington Raceway.

RELATED: More Darlington throwback paint schemes

The look is a nod to David Pearson, 105-time winner in NASCAR’s premier series and Darlington’s all-time winner with 10 trips to Victory Lane.

Like Stenhouse, Pearson also previously ran the No. 17 Ford, picking up two of his Darlington wins behind the wheel of that car.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Leonard Wood also took a few minutes to give his thoughts on Pearson, his fellow Hall of Famer.

Stenhouse, currently 28th in points and in search of his first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berth, can do so with a win at Darlington. Tune in Sep. 6 to see if the Roush Fenway driver can get it done in this excellent throwback scheme.

Posted on by Nascar

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The nickname wasn’t a misnomer, according to those who knew him.

Often called NASCAR’s “Gentle Giant,” Buddy Baker was laid to rest Tuesday, with family and friends gathering at Avondale Presbyterian Church to say a final goodbye.

Stock car racing history filled the pews, silently and respectfully honoring a NASCAR star that won 19 premier series races and 38 poles during a career that spanned three-and-a-half decades.

Drivers, crew chiefs, owners and mechanics sat side-by-side, elbow-to-elbow during the hour-long service.

NASCAR officials, marketing folks and those from the media turned out as well. The 6’6″ Baker left a lasting impression not only on the sport but on everyone he touched.

Cancer claimed the 74-year-old a week ago, silencing a distinctive voice that race fans had come to know and enjoy long after he climbed out of the car and stepped behind the microphone.

The son of two-time premier series champ Buck Baker, Buddy retired as a driver following the 1994 season, but stayed involved — he worked in the television booth for The Nashville Network and CBS during race coverage by those two networks. Until earlier this year, he served as co-host of the popular night-time program “The Late Shift” heard on SiriusXM NASCAR radio.

“He definitely was a gentle giant,” three-time NASCAR premier series champion Cale Yarborough recalled recently. “He was a great guy who would give you the shirt off his back.

“Buddy wasn’t only a great race car driver, he was one of my closest friends. He and I grew up together; we came along (in the sport) about the same time and we used to travel together, just the two of us.

“He’ll be missed … I thought the world of him.”

In 1980, Baker ended 18 years of frustration by finally winning the Daytona 500 while paired with team owner Harry Ranier and legendary crew chief Waddell Wilson. Baker’s winning average speed of 177.602 mph established a track record that has yet to be broken.

He also won four times on the series’ biggest track, 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway.

Baker was the first driver to eclipse the 200-mph mark on a closed course, lapping the Talladega track at 200.096 mph and later 200.447 mph during a transmission test on March 24, 1970. The mark came in a winged Dodge Daytona fielded by Hall of Famer Cotton Owens.

Former Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler said Baker eclipsed the 200-mph mark on a number of occasions, unofficially, while testing tires for Firestone in the 1960s.

“Back (then), I was with Firestone … and I was looking for a young guy that could just really push the throttle down and be our test driver,” Wheeler said Tuesday. “In those days, you couldn’t draft … you had to set up these weird things on the race car to simulate things you’d go through in the draft. … Carburetors as big as a swimming pool, real weird tires; we never told him what (the setup) was. And he was just unbelievable. He’d say ‘We’re not going fast enough.'”

The potential for grave injury, even death, didn’t give Baker pause, according to Wheeler.

“There were no soft walls, the inner liner had just come in (and) the fuel cell had sort of come in. You could get hurt most anywhere you went tire testing,” he said. “And it didn’t bother Buddy one bit.”

Baker, Wheeler noted, is in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the National Motorsports Hall of Fame.

“And there is no doubt,” Wheeler said, “that he will soon be brought into our NASCAR Hall of Fame.

“Buddy was a great driver and fantastic human being.”

Baker has been among the 25 nominees for induction into the NASCAR Hall for the past two years. His father, Buck, was enshrined in the Hall in 2013. 

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Regan Smith‘s final lap maneuver for the win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday was met with praise and outrage alike from fans. Some called Smith’s move, which bumped then-leader Alex Tagliani out of the way, a necessary part of racing, while others deemed it dirty.

RELATED: Tagliani says he doesn’t respect Smith’s win

Smith’s JR Motorsports car owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. addressed the last lap frenzy during his weekly “Dale Jr. Download” show on Dirty Mo Radio Tuesday.

“I myself have to say in all the decades of stock car racing, that move has been made millions of times,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “And it will be made millions of times after. It’s part of stock car racing, you know. They have bumpers and fenders and if it’s the last lap and that’s the lap that pays, and if you get moved out of the way, sometimes it’s not fun being on that end of it.

“But if you’re going to win the race, it’s definitely worth it in my opinion.”

Junior went on to cement the difference between Regan’s move and wrecking someone for the win on the final lap.

“I don’t believe in spinning a guy out, I don’t believe in putting a guy in the fence,” Earnhardt said. “But if I can move you out of the way to win the race and hey, you come home second, third, somewhere in the top five, that’s just how it goes. I’m sorry.

“And I wouldn’t be happy if I was Tag because that’s definitely no fun to lose that way. But that’s always kind of been part of our sport. So, I’m not making excuses for Regan.”

Earnhardt also explained that Tagliani’s last-lap driving style left the door open for Regan to make a move, whether it was welcome or not. For the team owner, it came as a surprise that Tagliani, as dominant as he was, didn’t put more distance on the No. 7 machine in the final minutes.

“On that last lap, Tag was underdriving the car quite a bit and then I think when he noticed he was underdriving it, he went into whatever the hell that corner is and overcooked it in the entrance of that corner and got loose,” Earnhardt said. “You can see his hands in the car moving — ‘swattin’ flies’ is what I called it on Twitter.  But you can see him chasing the back of the car into that corner and he missed the line completely.

“And that’s an invitation in stock car racing. I know that’s not how they drive in open-wheel, but it’s how they drive in stock cars.”

For Smith, the element of career uncertainty also played part in his decision to move Tagliani out of the way for the win, Earnhardt said. The former Sprint Cup Series driver hadn’t won in 52 races and his contract with JR Motorsports expires at the end of the season.

“Regan’s definitely working for his future,” Earnhardt said. “He’s a guy that’s trying to claw his way back into the Cup Series.  And he’s got to try and do what he needs to do for himself.”

Earnhardt then likened Regan’s move to one that a now-famous Sprint Cup Series driver performed more often than his competitors preferred.

“I had a driver before Regan that would move a guy out of the way to win if he needed to win the race,” Earnhardt said with a chuckle. “And that was Brad Keselowski. And look where he ended up.”

Earnhardt, Keselowski and the rest of the Cup Series drivers have a busy few weeks ahead of them, as they prepare to go short-track racing at Bristol this weekend (Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN) before heading over to Darlington during Labor Day weekend. In honor of the track moving back to the race’s traditional Labor Day weekend slot, the Darlington race weekend has taken on a old-school theme, with several drivers wheeling throwback paint schemes.

“Darlington’s going to be a bit of a throwback weekend,” Earnhardt said. “I think even the broadcast is going to go throwback — I’ve heard some good things from Steve Letarte about that.”

The No. 88 driver also hinted that his team will be unveiling several new schemes in the near future.

“We’ve got a throwback paint scheme that we’re going to unveil soon. We’ve got all kinds of crazy stuff happening with paint schemes,” Earnhardt said. “Everything next year might be new. Been doing a lot of work with that and seeing a lot of cool ideas. So, I’m excited to share all that as soon as we can.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

MORE: Learn more about Nature’s Bakery


Danica Patrick and Stewart-Haas Racing welcomed a brand new sponsor to NASCAR Tuesday, announcing that Nature’s Bakery will be a multiyear primary sponsor on Patrick’s No. 10 Chevrolet beginning with a 28-race deal in 2016.

Not only is it truly a natural fit between the company and Patrick, the partnership announcement ends a very brief sponsorship search — by NASCAR standards — for one of the sport’s most famous drivers.

Patrick, 33, unveiled the No. 10 Chevy’s unique bright blue livery Tuesday at the team’s North Carolina headquarters, saying that the car color would stand out on track and joking it “is going to look great against my skin tone.”

Equally as significant, team co-owner Tony Stewart confirmed a multiyear contract extension for Patrick, who has driven for SHR in all three of her full-time Sprint Cup Series seasons. Sitting alongside Patrick and Nature’s Bakery executives, Stewart referred to Tuesday’s dual announcements as “a great time in our sport.”

“I feel like our brands align so perfectly, it’s kind of amazing,” Patrick said. “I think that journey is going to be really fun. I think there’s going to be lots of exciting things that we can do together in the future.

“Of course, on top of that, being able to re‑sign with Tony and here at Stewart‑Haas is very important to me. I really, really do feel like family here. I feel like there’s nowhere else I want to be. I’m just fortunate enough that I didn’t have to look anywhere else, that I get to stay, and that I have a great new sponsor.”

The Nature’s Bakery slogan, “Energy for life’s great journeys” couldn’t be more apropos with its sponsorship of one of NASCAR’s biggest stars. The entrance into NASCAR comes as a great new journey for the family-owned company, which makes a healthy assortment of “on the go snacks” including gluten-free, dairy free and kosher baked goods.

RELATED: See Danica’s paint scheme for Darlington

Patrick said she had already been a fan of the product, which has sales in 22 countries with plans to nearly double that in the next two years.

“This is a dream come true,'” said Nature’s Bakery founder Dave Marson. “We’ve been NASCAR fans for 20 years. To be able to take what we do, make better‑for‑you foods, combine that with a love of NASCAR, I mean, this is special. I’m really enjoying this.”

Marson also acknowledged the company’s health-conscious philosophy seems like a genuinely “authentic” partnership with Patrick, who has long been a proponent of a healthy lifestyle from her cooking to her love of yoga, which is well documented through her social media channels.

“I’ve always used that as a way to get to know me off the track,” Patrick said.

RELATED: GoDaddy to end primary sponsorship after this season

“I think all you have to do is look at that and that is what lines up perfectly with Nature’s Bakery. It’s energy for your journey. It’s going out on a hike with (her dog) Dallas, doing Yoga at home, doing CrossFit and needing energy for that.

“It’s traveling. I mean, I’m always on the road. I always need things that are quick and handy. You guys all know that, too. Spending time on the road, you need snacks. Between that and their open‑mindedness to exploring all different kinds of ways we can work together, they have big dreams and they want to align them with me and make them work with me.”

It will be the start of a new era for Patrick who has six top-10s and has led 27 laps in 105 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to a 10-race 2012 season. She most famously won the pole position for the 2013 Daytona 500, becoming the first woman to do so. Her eighth-place finish in that event is also the best ever for a female competitor in the “Great American Race.”

This season, Patrick has two top-10s, with a best finish of seventh at Martinsville Speedway in March and is ranked 21st in the standings with three races remaining to set the 16-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoff field.

Her goals going forward with Nature’s Bakery aren’t any different than they were with GoDaddy.

“It’s to continue to improve,” Patrick said. “There’s not a marker for that necessarily. I mean, the results just have to keep getting better and better.

“For instance, there was emphasis after Indianapolis to get better at race starts. That’s just what I’ve done. It’s always evolving. You make something else better, something else shows up. But it’s a work in progress. I think that for most of your career as a driver, you continue to get better and learn.

“But it’s always working in that direction. Sometimes it’s moving faster than other times, sometimes moving a little bit slow for what I want. But I think that it is going in the right direction, and that’s all I can ask for.

WATCH: Danica, Nature’s Bakery align ‘perfectly‘

Off the track, Patrick’s nine-year relationship with GoDaddy has been mutually beneficial — helping make the company a household name while helping propel Patrick to crossover fame, thanks to starring roles in the company’s national commercials. Patrick has appeared in 13 Super Bowl commercials — the most of any celebrity.

And it’s reasonable for Nature’s Bakery — which has 420 employees and manufacturing facilities in two states — to expect similar big things in its new relationship with one of the most marketable professional athletes in the world in the country’s most popular form of motorsport.

“You can look at the size of our company and say we’re either the up‑and‑coming guy who is going to be the next Fortune 500 company, and that’s what we plan on being,” Marson said. “We’re taking and leveraging this opportunity with NASCAR, the NASCAR fan base, to look at our products and to grow and become one of those Fortune 500 companies.

“We thank Stewart‑Haas Racing and Danica for believing us. We came to them with an idea and a dream. We said, ‘We are the new up‑and‑coming company. Look at us and we’ll show you what we can do.’ They believed in us.

“We really look forward to the opportunity.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Three Sprint Cup Series teams will lose 15 minutes of on-track time this weekend as a result of recent minor infractions.

According to NASCAR, the Nos. 27, 32 and 88 teams will serve 15-minute practice time deduction penalties during opening practice at Bristol Motor Speedway, site of Saturday’s Irwin Tools Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

The No. 88 team of Dale Earnhardt Jr. failed race inspection three times at Michigan International Speedway, leading to a warning and time penalty, while both the No. 27 team of Paul Menard and the No. 32 team of Josh Wise were late to qualifying, resulting in their penalties.

The splitter was confiscated from Brad Keselowski‘s No. 2 Team Penske Ford — along with his teammate, Joey Logano‘s No. 22 — but no penalties were issued for that. However, the No. 2 team was warned for failing race inspection twice, as was the No. 47 team of AJ Allmendinger.

RELATED: NASCAR confiscates Penske splitters

First practice is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Friday with coverage on NBCSN.

Posted on by Staff Report

Photo credit: @MW55

MORE: Buy tickets for Darlington | Enter sweepstakes for Darlington weekend
SHOP: Darlington gear


When David Ragan takes the track at Darlington Raceway for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on Sept. 6 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM), he will be honoring his father, Ken Ragan.

The No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota for Darlington will have a paint scheme similar to what Ken Ragan’s cars looked like when he drove in the sport’s top series.

RELATED: Darlington throwback looks revealed so far

“My Dad and guys like my Dad put a lot of heart and soul in this sport back in the 1970s and 80s and this is my way of honoring the guys that built what all of us enjoy today,” David Ragan said in a team release “I want to thank Aaron’s for allowing us to recognize my Dad and all the racers from that era at Darlington this year.”

Ken Ragan ran 50 premier series races is his career, including five starts at Darlington. The No. 55 Toyota will carry a red and white paint scheme similar to what the elder Ragan piloted in 1987.

“I was too young to really ever remember watching Dad race on the track,” David Ragan said. “But he’s been a big part of my career and I know he has a lot of friends in the garage who will remember seeing him in this car.”

Photo of Ken Ragan’s car courtesy of Michael Waltrip Racing

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full practice results


Brandon Jones topped a rain-interrupted Camping World Truck Series practice session on Tuesday, pacing a stacked field with a best speed of 124.751 mph.

The caution was brought out for weather in Turn 2 at 3:28 p.m. ET, with rain and track drying continuing until the session went back to green an hour later.

Jones was followed by two-time defending series champion Matt Crafton at 124.719 mph, then Erik Jones (124.565 mph), Ryan Blaney (124.018 mph) and Cole Custer (123.554 mph) to round out the top five.

Almost as soon as the track went back under green, Brandon Brown smacked the Turn 4 wall, suffering heavy right-rear damage and bringing the yellow back out.

The trucks will next hit the track on Wednesday morning for final practice at 11 a.m. ET, with coverage on FOX Sports 1.

Keystone Light Pole Qualifying will be held later that afternoon at 4:45 p.m. ET (FS2), with the race to follow at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1.