Engines revved for NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 7, 2015) — Twenty-two drivers have three days to compete for a spot in the motorsport industry’s top driver development program, the NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D), set to commence at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va., Oct. 19-21, 2015.

Now in its 12th year, the annual Combine invites promising ethnically diverse and female drivers, ages 14 to 26, from across North America to test their skills over a three-day period in order to identify members of the NASCAR D4D Class of 2016.

“Finding and developing diverse athletes who will represent the future of NASCAR is at the core of our organization’s mission,” said NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Jim Cassidy. “Every year, the bar is raised with talented applicants who have the potential and determination to succeed. We’re proud to watch our graduates in the national series and develop more diverse talent to join them in the years to come.”

In partnership with Rev Racing, the Max Siegel-owned race team, D4D offers racing opportunities in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKPSE) and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS) for one full season, providing drivers with equipment, mentoring, and competition experience.

“We could not be more excited about this year’s NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine to select the 2016 Class of Rev Racing drivers,” said team CEO Max Siegel. “Coming off of our sixth consecutive multiple race winning season, we are focused on continuing to make our program and approach world class, as we prepare these young drivers to advance into the national series.”

The NASCAR D4D Combine has proven successful in identifying and developing future stars of the sport. Current D4D member Collin Cabre secured Rev Racing’s second win of 2015 with a victory at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season finale at Dover International Speedway. In addition, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson and NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers Darrell Wallace Jr. and Daniel Suárez, leaders in the series’ Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, are among the graduates of the program.

This year’s athletes include 13 women, notably the youngest combine participant ever at 14 years old, Macy Causey. Also participating are four stars from the NASCAR Mexico Series: Abraham Calderón, Enrique Contreras, Rubén García Jr. and Santiago Tovar.

Returning to defend their spots in the program are current NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers Dylan Smith and Natalie Decker.

Driver combine participants will be evaluated on their driving skills and will also be tested on a series of strength and agility exercises at Hampton University.

Fans can follow the Combine on Twitter at @NASCARDiversity and @RevRacing.

Below are invitees to the 12th annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine:

First Name	Last Name	Age	City	State/Country
Hannah	Adair	21	Tulsa	Okla.
Jairo	Avila	20	Alhambra	Calif.
Kayli	Barker	18	Las Vegas	Nev.
Nicole	Behar	17	Otis Orchards	Wash.
Abraham	Calderon	26	Monterrey	Mexico
Macy	Causey	14	Yorktown	Va.
Enrique	Contreras	22	San Antonio	Texas
Madeline	Crane	17	Meansville	Ga.
Claire	Decker	20	Eagle River	Wis.
Natalie	Decker	18	Eagle River	Wis.
Juan	Garcia	17	Bogota	Colombia
Ruben	Garcia Jr.	19	Mexico City	Mexico
Ali	Kern	22	Fremont	Ohio
Enrique	Limon	17	Mexico City	Mexico
Mariah	McGriff	20	Vail	Ariz.
Becca	Monopoli	26	Lakeland	Fla.
Erika	Newcome	20	Pickerington	Ohio
Hannah	Newhouse	18	Twin Falls	Idaho
Vanessa	Robinson	25	Las Cruces	N.M.
Dylan	Smith	23	Concord	N.C.
Walter	Thomas	16	Indianapolis	Ind.
Santiago	Tovar	22	Mexico City	Mexico

In addition to drivers, NASCAR Drive for Diversity has successfully identified and developed pit crew members to find employment opportunities within the sport. The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Challenge Tour will host its final Combine of the year at the NASCAR Research and Development Center on October 9, 2015 in Concord, North Carolina.

Posted on October 6, 2015 by

Editor’s note: During each week of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, The Joey Logano Foundation will provide grants to a non-profit in each of the race markets in a program called “Chasing Second Chances.” Each week, Logano will detail those plans for NASCAR.com.

Thanks for your support this week! It wasn’t the finish we wanted, but we made it to the Contender Round and one step closer to the goal! The 22 team will keep pushing forward and focus on finishing strong this week in Charlotte.

This Week’s Cause: Domestic Violence

There are many causes in October worth mentioning. One of the most visible symbols of the month is pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness. While I think that is an outstanding cause, I wanted to look at an issue that may not get as much attention.

For the month of October, Chasing Second Chances is going to bring awareness to domestic violence. Domestic violence affects entire communities. The individual being abused, family, friends and co-workers all feel the reach of domestic violence.

We have worked with various non-profits in this field getting ready for this platform to launch and I have really learned a lot about the difficulty in identifying and helping someone in this situation. My hope is if there is someone reading this that is in an abusive relationship or suspects someone they know is in one, they will have the strength and resources to find and/or offer help.

What is Domestic Violence?

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)…

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary dramatically; however, the one constant component of domestic violence is one partner’s consistent efforts to maintain power and control over the other.

The issue of domestic violence is one that affects every community in our country. According to NCADV nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by a partner in the United States. That is equal to 10 million men and women a year. Of these cases, approximately 95 percent are female victims of male partners. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma and even death.

Resources Available

If you or someone you know needs assistance, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or, online go to DomesticShelters.org. There you can find resources in your direct area.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence website has a lot of information too under resources that can offer help.

This Week’s Joey Logano Foundation Chasing Second Chances Partner

This week’s charity partner is Dove’s Nest. Dove’s Nest is the women’s program at the Charlotte Rescue Mission, a non-profit in the Charlotte community that has been changing lives for 75 years.

In 1992 Charlotte Rescue Mission launched the Dove’s Nest program. The program started in a small house serving 12 women and has now grown to a 120-bed facility able to house women and their children as they go through the recovery process.

The focus of Dove’s Nest is to serve women struggling with addiction, poverty or hopelessness with the goal of returning them to society as productive, self-sufficient citizens. They want their clients to achieve long-term sobriety, find employment and stable housing, and restore and build healthy relationships. Over 90 percent of the women who come to Dove’s Nest have experienced some sort of abuse that has led to their addiction.

Our foundation will be funding the Nurturing Families program at Dove’s Nest. This program includes curriculum and classes used to teach these women and their children how to have healthy relationships since addiction often means for these kids, there has been abuse or neglect at home.

Again, the effects of domestic violence have far reaching consequences. Drug addiction can be one. Dove’s Nest has proven to be successful in providing quality care assisting these women to end their addictions and deal with the trauma that led them down the wrong path. We are so proud to support another amazing organization through our Chasing Second Chances platform. For more information on Dove’s Nest, please visit http://charlotterescuemission.org/.

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Nascar

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Was it a preventive measure or nothing more than another long, smoky celebration?

Kevin Harvick‘s dominating victory in Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway took the Stewart-Haas Racing driver from the brink of elimination in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and put him squarely into the Contender Round of the 10-race playoff.

His celebratory burnout, which concluded as the back of his No. 4 Chevrolet made contact with the wall, has raised questions about damage done to a winning vehicle before it is loaded up and transported, by NASCAR officials, back to the sanctioning body’s research and development center in Concord, North Carolina.

“I did?” Harvick said when asked about the incident during Tuesday’s Chase Contender Round Media Day gathering at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “I didn’t even know.”

Told that some believed the contact was intentional and a way to circumvent NASCAR officials discovering anything amiss, Harvick seemed amused.

“I knew how to knock my car back into compliance by rubbing it up against the wall,” he said, grinning.

RELATED: Harvick’s ‘walk-off wins’ among clutch moments in sports

Whether Harvick was on the level or simply going with the rumor of the day, drivers have taken similar measures in the past to hide automotive trade secrets.

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski said when asked if drivers have intentionally damaged their cars after winning.

The reason, he said, is simple.

“Because of the way the tech (inspection) process works.

“The cars aren’t (inspected) the same way at the track as they can be … at the R&D Center,” the Team Penske driver said. “It’s been going on for a long time. I’m not making any accusations. … It’s not anything new to this sport.

“I’ve definitely blown tires out. I think every driver has done something to do some kind of damage to their car.”

NASCAR officials inspect each car three times during the course of a race weekend at the track — the initial inspection before practice gets underway, again prior to qualifying and a third time before the start of the race.

The race-winning entry, runner-up and a random selection are also inspected at the track following each race.

Typically, those three cars are then transported to the R&D center for a more detailed inspection that is done each Tuesday.

“You don’t want to discredit anyone’s win because what he did was really, really impressive,” Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin said. “But obviously, as all the other competitors, whoever doesn’t win each week wants to make sure they’re on a level playing field with whoever did win.

“Me, going forward, I would like to see some kind of way of ensuring that our cars all stay intact for the R&D Center because right now, the R&D Center is kind of a moot point if guys tear up their cars.”

JGR teammate and fellow Chase competitor Carl Edwards, who finished 15th at Dover, said he didn’t see anything related to Harvick’s post-race celebration.

“I don’t know what happened there exactly,” Edwards said. “I’ll say this, that car was extremely fast and it’s a shame they tore it up. A car that fast, you don’t want to tear it up.

“They’re performing very well and you’re going to have to beat those guys. They’re getting it done.”

RELATED: Where does Harvick rank in Power Rankings Presented by Sprint?

The consistency and the speed shown by Harvick’s team during the last two seasons have been impossible to ignore. And it’s what most teams trying to beat the defending series champion have tried to attain for themselves.

“That’s what was good about the 4 car last year and that’s what’s been good about them this time,” Richard Childress Racing driver Ryan Newman said. “He had two failures (at Chicago and New Hampshire) and then a complete success. Questionable but complete. … I don’t need to say anything more.”

No matter the driver in question, Newman said, “I don’t think destroying a race car is at all respectful to anybody. I’ve never personally done it, never had the need to.”

It’s a constant tug-of-war, the battle to push the envelope and work in the ever-shrinking gray areas of the rulebook without getting one’s hands slapped. A team might be doing something that isn’t specifically outside the rules, but if it’s working, you don’t want to give officials the opportunity to reel your team back in.

“NASCAR’s really smart, and the teams are really smart, and they’re constantly battling each other to outsmart each other,” Hamlin said. “So it’s always a game, and the game never stops from when you leave the shop until you get to that R&D Center.”

Harvick, safely into the next round, isn’t fretting over all the chatter. His team won, he celebrated, and it doesn’t get much simpler than that.

“The thing about it now is people expect that,” Harvick said of the post-race burnout. ” … Back in 2003 was the first time that the rear tires blew off the car at Indianapolis down the frontstretch. That’s not something new. It’s just something that’s been fun.

“These things are hard to win and I enjoy celebrating and (I) am going to burn the tires off.”

MORE: Crew chief Childers responds to theories

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Nascar

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he doesn’t anticipate any further changes to his pit crew even though teammate Jimmie Johnson has been knocked out of this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Earnhardt and fellow Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon advanced into the Contender Round of the Chase, which begins this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Johnson, a six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, did not secure one of the 12 Chase positions, falling by the wayside when a rear axle seal failed during Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway.

RELATED: Johnson’s dream of seventh title in 2015 washed away at Dover

Speaking to the media Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Earnhardt couldn’t guarantee that there would be no changes in his over-the-wall crew, “but I would like to keep my guys,” he said.

Earnhardt’s last win came in July at Daytona. His pass of Jamie McMurray in the closing laps at Dover vaulted him into the Contender Round, but he and his team had to overcome a loose wheel during the race to put themselves back in contention. A caution allowed Earnhardt to pit and correct the problem and kept him from having to come to pit road under green-flag conditions.

“I’ll be honest with you. … I don’t know what’s going to happen. You might find out tomorrow that somebody got changed,” he said. “I don’t think you build a guy’s trust … he needs to know that you believe in him; the same for the driver. The driver needs to know the team believes he can do it.

“I think the (tire) carrier, the (tire) changer, all those guys want to think that the driver and everyone involved believes in them when they go over the wall.

“If I take the 48 guys because I think they’re better, then what am I going to do next year when we have to start from scratch again? All those guys that are on my car now are going to be pissed off because I don’t believe in them because I took the 48 guys when the going got tough.

“So I don’t believe in doing that. I think that my guys can do it; I think we will find the combination that works for us to get to the end of the season and beyond.”

RELATED: Change made to No. 88 pit crew

Earnhardt’s No. 88 crew has been retooled in recent weeks, most recently for Dover as front-tire changer Scott Brzozowski replaced David Mayo, who had earlier been replaced by Kevin Novak but had been brought back onto the main crew.

The addition of Brzozowski can possibly be a game-changer for the team, according to Earnhardt.

“I hope that Scott wants to stick around beyond this season,” he said. “I actually talked to him today.

“It’s not like we need two new (tire) changers. We just need one key guy that can come in and kind of elevate the standard and push everyone. Over the past couple of years when we’ve had great pit crews, a lot of the guys that we’ve been working with this year were on those teams.

“If you get one guy in there that’s kind of a key player … like a wide receiver or a quarterback is to a football team, he can really elevate the play of everybody around him and boost the entire crew; just the confidence that those guys have going over the wall when he’s a part of it changes the whole consistency of the team.”

Gordon’s No. 24 team picked up the services of tire changer Nick Odell recently, which freed up the move for Brzozowski to the 88. Gordon, a four-time champion in his final full-time season, is still searching for his first win in 2015.

“We really want Scott to try to wrap his brain around sticking with us,” Earnhardt said. “We could really use a guy like him on the 88 car to bring some stability to the rest of the group. I’ve got a lot of faith in our guys; it’s not like we need to go crazy and blow it up, go looking outside our system.”

Any crew changes for his team, he said, would be orchestrated by crew chief Greg Ives and Hendrick Motorsports General Manager Doug Duchardt.

Swapping individual crew members heading into the Chase isn’t unusual. There have even been cases of swapping entire crews, in the middle of a race no less, as Johnson and Gordon did in 2010.

“I know teams have done that before but I just feel like, yeah you might get somewhere in the short term and get some stability but over the long term you basically have just destroyed the integrity of the team you have,” Earnhardt said. “Having those guys back at the beginning of next season is not going to be an option. They’re not going to want to work for you once you take them off the car during the Chase.”

Posted on October 6, 2015 by

Kevinharvick

Harvick quieted his disbelievers during his Dover dominance. The defending champion needed a win to advance. He not only won, but his name topped the leaderboard for a whopping 355 laps. So he tops Power Rankings, too.

MORE: Harvick advances after Dover

Mattkenseth

-1

Kenseth continued the JGR hot streak with his fourth consecutive top-10 finish — and his 19th of the season. His No. 20 was no match for the No. 4 at Dover, but he’s won at Charlotte twice and he’ll be one to beat there.

Joeylogano

Logano was quiet at the “Monster Mile,” but finished 10th. The No. 22 driver is a Contender Round favorite as he has strong finishes at both Charlotte and Kansas with a combined 11 top-10 results in 25 appearances.

KyleBusch

“Rowdy” knew what he needed at Dover in order to keep his Chase hopes alive. For most of the race it was Busch hunting down the No. 4, and his runner-up finish was plenty good for advancement.

MORE: Kyle bounces back to advance

DennyHamlin

-3

The pressure was off for Hamlin at Dover, thanks to his Chicagoland win, but his 18th-place finish was a surprise. Hamlin should be good for the next round as he has a win at each of the three tracks.

Carledwards

-3

Edwards’ 15th-place finish at the “Monster Mile” was his worst finish since July’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. At the Bank of America 500, he will be looking for the Charlotte sweep.

DaleEarnhardt Jr.

Coming into Dover, Junior was sitting in the cut-off position, a nail-biting scenario. His No. 88 was strong during the 400 miles, and he made his move when he had to.

MORE: Dale Jr. edges out McMurray

Martintruex jr

Truex had issues at Dover after NASCAR found unapproved adjustments to his No. 78. He had to start his car at the rear. With that behind him, he looks for his second top-five at Charlotte.

MORE: O’Donnell: No. 78’s side skirt was manipulated

Jeffgordon

Gordon was the defending race winner but finished 12th. Although he hasn’t been to Victory Lane all year, things could be looking up — he has five wins at Charlotte, three at Kansas and six at Talladega.

Kurtbusch

-3

Busch was running in the top five throughout most of the day at Dover, but ended up with a 17th-place result. He is in pursuit of a back-to-back top-10 finishes at Charlotte.

BradKeselowski

-5

Keselowski struggled at Dover and ended the day in 16th. He shouldn’t have problems at Charlotte with one win, two top-fives and four top-10s under his belt — or rather, his firesuit.

JimmieJohnson

-7

Johnson’s dreams of a seventh title were shattered at Dover thanks to a broken axle seal on his No. 48. The veteran’s Chase dismissal was unexpected to say the least.

MORE: Mechanical problems ousts Johnson from Chase

Ryannewman

-5

If Newman wants a repeat of last year he’ll have to do better than a 19th-place result. The key ingredient to 2014’s successful recipe was top 10s — he has 12 at Charlotte.

Jamiemcmurray

McMurray’s fourth-place Dover finish, although strong, was not enough for advancement. He needed to finish better than Junior, but the No. 88 surged ahead of his No. 1 during the final laps.

Paulmenard

Menard’s Chase chances ended at Dover thanks to a 25th-place finish on the leaderboard after lackluster races at Chicagoland and New Hampshire.

ClintBowyer

With MWR’s most recent setback, Bowyer needed a win in order to advance. Instead, he finished 14th. Bowyer, however, has his 2017 move to SHR to look forward to.

MORE: Bowyer to replace Stewart in 2017

Posted on October 6, 2015 by

After the third race of the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway, PitTalks.com ranks the 16 Chase teams’ pit crews. For more pit crew news provided by PitTalks.com come back throughout the Chase.

No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew for Carl Edwards

Rank: 1

Wins: 2 — Charlotte and Darlington

Notes: This crew had an exceptional race in the pits. We usually wouldn’t send a seventh-place team last week to first this week, but these guys laid down some very fast stops. They had an issue late in the race that brought the No. 19 down pit road, but we’re hearing it was a car issue, not a crew misstep.

No. 22 Team Penske Ford pit crew for Joey Logano

Rank: 2

Wins: 3 — Daytona, Watkins Glen, Bristol

Notes: After a struggle last week on a few stops, this crew was on fire at Dover. It gained spots on five of the six pit sequences and helped keep the No. 22 up front all day.

No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet pit crew for Kevin Harvick

Rank: 3

Wins: 2 — Las Vegas and Phoenix

Notes: This team did everything it needed to do to advance to the Contender Round of the Chase. The pressure this crew was under was huge, and team members were in a situation where mistakes weren’t tolerated. They had fast stops all day and have earned the third spot.

No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet pit crew for Kurt Busch

Rank: 4

Wins: 2 — Richmond and Michigan

Notes: This has been a top team all year and it continued to put up good times at Dover. The stops weren’t as fast as the top two teams in Dover, but they were still very good. Late in the race the car entered pit road with problems on the left front, but that wasn’t on the crew.

No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew for Denny Hamlin

Rank: 5

Wins: 2 — Martinsville, (Sprint All-Star Race), Chicago

Notes: The first stop of the day was blistering for this crew: sub 11 seconds. But after two speeding penalties it seemed the wind was taken out of the team’s sails. We still wouldn’t bet against them when the race is on the line … it just wasn’t this weekend.

No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew for Matt Kenseth

Rank: 6

Wins: 5 — Bristol, Pocono, Michigan, Richmond, New Hampshire

Notes: Dover wasn’t a great race for the No. 20 nor was it a bad one. The crew made adjustments on the back of the car during the second stop and lost a few spots, but after that it was solid for most of the day. This team wasn’t as dominant as last week but was still fast.

No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew for Kyle Busch

Rank: 7

Wins: 4 — Sonoma, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Indianapolis

Notes: Landing in the seventh spot this week is the good ol’ No. 18 car. What a drama-filled two weeks for these guys! They seem to be handling it well. Their stops looked fast, and Josh Leslie has stepped in nicely for Nick Odell. We see this team only getting faster during the next round.

No. 2 Team Penske Ford pit crew for Brad Keselowski

Rank: 8

Wins: 1 — Fontana

Notes: This crew didn’t do enough to gain on the top seven, but was good enough to hold onto eighth. Even with a change in the rear changers three weeks ago, this team keeps getting better. In order to help the No. 2 car advance to the next round, they must continue to improve.

No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet pit crew for Ryan Newman

Rank: 9

Wins: 0

Notes: Newman is in the Contender Round of the Chase, and he had no problems on pit road that would have kept him out. Sometimes that is what is asked of the pit crew: don’t make mistakes. We can’t fairly say how fast their stops were. So with that, they stay hunkered down at No. 9.

No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet pit crew for Jeff Gordon

Rank: 10

Wins: 0

Notes: Nick Odell joined the No. 24 this week only one week after being released from JGR. The crew seemed to be OK, but we didn’t see much that would push us to move it up from the past two weeks.

No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet pit crew for Martin Truex Jr.

Rank: 11

Wins: 1 – Pocono

Notes: The No. 78 has seen better days but did what it took to advance. On the fourth sequence, it lost a spot and lost two more on pit stop No. 6. They’re a scary crew because they can put up very low times, but the inconsistency is what keeps them near the bottom of the power rankings.

No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Rank: 12

Wins: 2 — Talladega and Daytona

Notes: This crew can’t seem to catch a break. Toward the end of last week a change was announced and front changer Scott Brzozowski was taken off the No. 24 and put on the No. 88. They had a loose wheel on Stop 2 and had another potential wheel coming loose before the last caution.

For more pit crew news, visit PitTalks.com

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has picked up a new primary sponsorship for 2016, although the brand is hardly new to Hendrick Motorsports.

Axalta, a longtime sponsor of Jeff Gordon‘s No. 24 Chevrolet, will switch its primary support to the No. 88 of Earnhardt Jr. next season with Gordon retiring. The coatings company also expanded its number of races as primary sponsor from 10 to 13, and the deal between the two has been extended to 2018.

“Axalta and Hendrick Motorsports have an incredible story,” Earnhardt Jr. said in a Hendrick release. “For me, it’s meaningful to work with a sponsor that’s been so committed to our sport and has such a rich history in NASCAR. Continuing the partnership is special for all of us, and I’m already excited about what the car will look like. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity.”

The partnership between Axalta and Hendrick is in its 23rd full season.

“We began a journey 23 years ago with Hendrick Motorsports and a young driver named Jeff Gordon. Eighty poles, 92 wins and four championships later, we are proud of the run we’ve had with Jeff,” said Nigel Budden, Axalta vice president and head of its North America business via a Hendrick release. “Now, we are delighted to continue our relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and to adorn the hood of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevy SS with the Axalta logo in 2016. As our slogan says, ‘We Paint Winners,’ and by joining Dale we will continue to do so for years to come.”

Chase Elliott, the 19-year-old defending NASCAR XFINITY Series champ, will take over Gordon’s car next year.

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Staff Report

Richard Petty Motorsports revealed Tuesday at its shop in Mooresville, North Carolina, that Ford will be its manufacturer for the 2016 season and beyond in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

Richard Petty Motorsports has been aligned with Ford since 2010. The team will also continue its relationship with Roush Yates Engines and its services agreement with Roush Fenway Racing.

Proud to announce @FordPerformance will continue to be our manufacturer in 2016 and beyond. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/oOZCIgOceI

— RPMotorsports (@RPMotorsports) October 6, 2015

“Our relationship with Ford Performance has a history, a present and now a future of winning races and competing for championships,” Richard Petty, co-owner of Richard Petty Motorsports said in a release provided by the team. “As we took on additional internal responsibilities within our organization over the past 12 months, Dave Pericak and his team at Ford Performance have been with us supporting Richard Petty Motorsports each step of the way. And to know they will continue to be our partner is very important to our combined desire to make RPM a championship caliber organization.”

Petty and Ford go back quite a ways to the 1969 season, when “The King” scored nine of his 10 wins that year driving a Ford en route to a runner-up finish for the championship.

“Richard Petty Motorsports has made steady progress since joining our program, and we’re looking forward to seeing them take that next step to being a consistent Chase participant,” Dave Pericak, director, Ford Performance said in a release. “We feel they have the people in place to achieve that goal, and we’re going to do everything we can to provide them the resources to make that happen.”

RPM is a two-car race team that includes Aric Almirola driving the No. 43 and Sam Hornish Jr. driving the No. 9. Neither driver qualified for the Chase in 2015, although Almirola advanced to the postseason last year after winning the summer race at Daytona.

Almirola ranks 18th in points after 29 Sprint Cup Series races this season and Hornish Jr. stands 27th.

RPM also fields an entry for Dakoda Armstrong in the XFINITY Series. The driver of the No. 43 Ford is 14th in the series standings.

Together, Ford and RPM have teamed up for three wins in the Sprint Cup Series and two wins in the XFINITY Series.

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Zack Albert

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — That high-pitched whir unique to Joe Gibbs Racing‘s air wrenches could be coming to the pit boxes of one of the Toyota organization’s closest rivals in the near future.

Hendrick Motorsports‘ motivations for hiring front-tire changer Nick Odell to Jeff Gordon‘s No. 24 team last week came into clearer focus Tuesday at the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Contender Round Media Day. Odell, Gordon said, wasn’t merely brought in for his nimble work during pit stops, but also for his institutional and technical skill, which helped in the development of JGR’s enhanced air guns.

“That was an opportunity to get someone that is highly regarded on pit road, very knowledgeable about more than just changing tires,” Gordon said during media rotations at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “He was somebody that a lot of people wanted to get their hands on, and Nick had to make his own choice and decision where he was going to end up going. I’m very proud that he came to our organization. I think it’s going to pick our program up, which I feel like we’ve been off.

“I mean, we train guys, we have very talented individuals, but it goes further than that. Now we’re starting to see where these pit guns are a crucial part of pit stops. It’s something we’ve been working on, and now it helps us take it to the next level.”

RELATED: Pit crew changes for Gordon, Earnhardt Jr.

Odell’s move came at the expense of specifically the No. 18 team with driver Kyle Busch, who lost a seven-year veteran from his over-the-wall crew, but generally for Joe Gibbs Racing, which unveiled the high-speed air guns — known for their distinctively shrill whine — during the 2014 season. The upgrade in equipment, combined with JGR’s already quick personnel, has helped the team shave precious tenths of a second off its pit stops.

Busch said he anticipated a similar air wrench design making its debut at Hendrick Motorsports‘ four-car outfit in “six, seven, eight months,” and that JGR will face even tighter competition on pit road next season.

“I feel like Nick Odell, he’s one of my best friends. I’m friends with all my guys, and if any of them left, I’d be hurt about it,” Busch said. “I didn’t want to see Nick go, but things happen for a reason I guess in this business. Certainly being a part of Joe Gibbs Racing and the development work and everything that we’ve done into those air guns, obviously Nick was a part of that and knows some of that stuff, so he’s a guy who does have some of that knowledge and will share it, I’m sure, with the Hendrick Motorsports group.”

If Busch’s timetable for air-gun development is accurate, Gordon won’t have an opportunity to directly feel the impact. The four-time champion will be ceding his seat to defending XFINITY champion Chase Elliott at season’s end, and changes to the 2016 rules package may reduce the premium on gaining spots during pit-stop exchanges.

Gordon said that doesn’t mean that teams will place lesser emphasis on seeking every advantage possible to speed up pit-road service.

“I think you’re just always trying to find out where you need more strength and what can make you better,” Gordon said. “Track position has become so important. I think next year it’ll be less important because of the aerodynamics, and I think that’s great for the sport, but we’re never going to stop trying to figure out how to find time on pit road if it’s possible and to do it consistently. Right now, I think it’s so crucial. The aerodynamic and power combination we have this year, it is so difficult to pass once you get the green flag and get strung out. Very, very difficult.”

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Zack Albert

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The next three-race set of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs comes with a round-capping layer of dread at one of the circuit’s most feared tracks, Talladega Superspeedway. The possibility of adding laps under the green-white-checkered finish rules only ratchets up the pressure.

Chase-eligible drivers talked Tuesday about the possibility of reducing the specter of overtime, saying that exploratory discussions have been held with NASCAR about potentially limiting the mayhem predicted for the Contender Round finale, the Camping World.com 500 (Oct. 25, 2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Drivers in the newly whittled field of 12 competing for the championship spoke favorably about decreasing the number of attempts at a two-lap shootout finish at restrictor-plate venue Talladega and its sister track, Daytona International Speedway. The “green-white-checkered” rule, instituted for NASCAR’s premier series in 2004, currently has a cap of three attempts to finish the race under the green flag.

Because of the Talladega facility’s tendency toward large multicar wrecks, especially in the late stages of its races, decreasing the number of shootout-style finishes has won over some fans among the series’ competitors.

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” 2012 series champ Brad Keselowski said. “We go there and say we’re going to run 500 miles. You run 500 miles and it ends under yellow, it kind of feels a little uncomfortable. Give another crack at it and see if you can’t finish it off for the fans, and if it doesn’t come together, well, we tried. I would feel pretty good about that if I was a fan. And as a team owner, I would feel pretty good about that, too.

“I feel like one crack at it kind of feels like, if you’ve ever been to a concert and the guy gets up there and does an encore, it kind of feels like that. It’s like a showing of appreciation and respect toward our fans. But I think one gesture toward it is good.”

A NASCAR spokesperson said Tuesday that nothing has been decided in terms of changing Talladega’s rules. Denny Hamlin, winner of the Chase opener at Chicagoland, said that “another option for sure that’s on the table” would alter the restart format altogether.

“I actually think the biggest change at Talladega for the finishes would be a single-file restart,” Hamlin said. “I think double-file restarts really play into whoever’s leading’s advantage. Now if you put us all single-file, it forces the people in second, third, fourth, fifth to make a move to try to get the lead. Right now, we’re where the leader has such an advantage that he’s able to block both lanes, that I think single-file restarts at the end, there’s more exciting finishes there than what we’ve seen in the past. It probably would be safer.”

Two of the last three Chase events at Talladega have gone into overtime, with one of those green-white-checkered attempts producing one of most frantic crashes in recent NASCAR history — a race-ending 25-car melee in October 2012. Though there were no major injuries, the toll came in the form of a majority of the field suffering some form of damage.

In addition to potentially reducing some of the danger associated with one of NASCAR’s fastest tracks, drivers foresee positives in also dialing back any financial destruction.

“Just from the standpoint of owners throwing away money for one extra green-white-checker, yeah,” Martin Truex Jr. said. “All you do is destroy race cars and when it gets to that point, guys just lost their minds and hold it wide open no matter what the situation. I think it’s a good thing. We tear up so much stuff there, it’d be nice for at least half the field to bring home a race car.”