Posted on by Holly Cain

Should there be a road course race among the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup‘s 10-race playoff portion of the schedule?


I have been a proponent of this since the Chase was first instituted, written several columns and debated on radio and television over many years explaining the benefit of featuring a road course — I believe the purest test of a driver’s ability — in the Chase.


And now … it seems others don’t think the idea is far-fetched.

An enthusiastic, and importantly, very large crowd — sold out reserved seating — witnessed a great show at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International over the weekend.


And as typically follows a good road course show, the question of adding one to the Chase demands extra attention and at least serious consideration.


The Century Survey of 100 NASCAR industry insiders, half from the media and half from the garage (including crew members, drivers, crew chiefs, track officials and public relation representatives) was released this week after taking a poll over the past weekend on whether a road course should be added to the Chase, and if so, which one.


The most popular idea was to move the Watkins Glen race into the Chase. Adding Austin’s Circuit of the Americas or shifting the June Sonoma, California, race into the Chase were the next two biggest vote getters.


Interesting, the biggest disparity among the voters was an 8-1 vote with people in the garage (8) against even adding a road course at all. Only one media representative didn’t want to see a road course in the Chase.


Ten different tracks received votes as good venues to have in the Chase. In addition to the Glen, Sonoma and COTA, Road America (Wis.), Laguna Seca (Calif.) and Road Atlanta received the next most votes in that order.


And NASCAR executives have indicated they are at least listening to the voice of the fans, media and industry insiders, even if they aren’t quite ready to make a big change to the Chase yet.


For many years, the drivers and teams were the tough sell.


But the trophy isn’t a foregone conclusion anymore going to a racer like the retiring Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart or a couple road course ringers.

RELATED: Let’s debate adding a road course to the Chase


In the 1980s and 1990s, road course races were tolerated by a large portion of the starting grid, considered a couple complicated weekends to just check off and collect as many points as possible — two and through.


It was common for drivers to show up with their helmet at a Bob Bondurant School for a quick refresher course in the days leading up to the Sonoma race and maybe hit a Skip Barber Racing School on the East Coast just before Watkins Glen.

But today’s NASCAR drivers embrace the skill set it takes to do well on road courses and have even come to like them and the unique challenge.


There was a time for the argument that a road course race in the Chase essentially worked to the benefit of an elite group making it an unfair situation during the most important 10-week run of the season to crown a sport’s champion.

But that’s not the case today and it’s time for the Chase to turn right.


“To me, always when I think of drivers that were really good, they did well on the road courses,” said NASCAR’s all-time road race winner Jeff Gordon.


“But then you had this big drop off where drivers and teams just didn’t really go after them and really struggled on them. To me, about the late 90s is when I saw everyone really putting a lot more focus and attention on them. And it started bringing the whole level of competition up higher.


“By early 2000, 2001 it seemed like most of the field was good on a road course.”


The statistics back up Gordon.


Until Kyle Busch‘s win at Sonoma earlier this summer 10 of the last 11 races have been won by different drivers ranging from Clint Bowyer to Kasey Kahne, to Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr.


At Watkins Glen, there have been only three repeat winners (Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch and Marcos Ambrose) in the last decade.


On a FOX Sports 1 broadcast called “Fans Speak Out” this June, a poll revealed that adding a road course to the Chase was the No. 1 topic among those NASCAR fans.


NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell acknowledged the increasing calls for a Chase shake-up.

“As you can tell, the fans voting it number one, there’s certainly a lot of passion around it,” O’Donnell said at the time. “It is a topic we look at each and every year. Although I don’t see something in the immediate future when you look at ’16, it is something that we’re aware of from a fan standpoint, to look at and see if we can introduce that in the future.”


This week O’Donnell addressed the subject again.

“We never say never to that question, but we really like where Watkins Glen fits on the schedule, the build-up, where it stands in the schedule, and drivers really going after wins,” O’Donnell said Tuesday.


“Some of the drivers feeling like that’s their one shot to propel them into the Chase so that’s a really neat storyline. It is something we’d look at down the road and would have to figure out weather considerations and that sort of thing.


“But for the time being, we’re really happy with where both our road courses stand in terms of how they play out throughout the regular-season schedule.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: NASCAR Home Tracks | More on Sargeant

At 17, Dalton Sargeant is a little old for the school-time tradition of “show and tell.” But when he returns to Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale just a week or so after entering his first NASCAR national series race, he should have a whale of a story to tell about what he did during summer vacation.
 
Wauters Motorsports announced Tuesday that Sargeant, a member of the 2015-16 NASCAR Next development class, is scheduled to make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut Aug. 19 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He’ll drive the No. 5 GALT Toyota in the UNOH 200 presented by ZLOOP (8:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM).
 
“This is a huge opportunity to go up against some of the big guys in the series,” Sargeant said. “I think going into Bristol, it’s going to be a tough race track, but definitely a good place to start with it only being half a mile. Looking at the team’s experience, (team owner) Richie Wauters has a pretty good background at Bristol, so definitely looking forward to being able to go and run there for my first truck series start. Just looking to go out there and learn as much as I can really, and just try to have the best result.”
 
Since Wauters Motorsports will have no championship points as the team makes its first truck series effort of the season, Sargeant will need to qualify on speed for the 32-truck field or hope that 32 or fewer trucks are entered in the midweek 200-lapper. He tested the No. 5 Toyota at the .533-mile track Aug. 4 in preparation for his debut.
 
Familiarity with Wauters’ operation may help, too. Sargeant, a regular in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, first paired up with Wauters for an impressive runner-up finish last December in the prestigious Snowball Derby. Since then, the partnership has grown as Sargeant has gained experience wheeling Wauters’ Super Late Model cars.
 
“Richie’s a really good crew chief and he’s taught me a lot while I’ve been driving for him,” Sargeant said. “Every time I feel like I’m in a car with Richie, I learn more and more, so it’s really cool to be able to make my first truck start with him.”
 
Sargeant prevailed in the K&N West opener at Kern County Raceway Park to start the season on an up note. In his full-time ride with HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks on the K&N East circuit, he’s finished second or third in half of the season’s 10 races, logging “definitely too many runner-ups than I’d like to have,” he said.
 
Though he’s come oh-so-close to victory, Sargeant said he’s learned plenty, both on the driving side and through the NASCAR Next program.
 
“I think the Next program, really what it’s done is given me an opportunity to meet all the other NASCAR Next drivers and see what it’s going to be like as you make the transition up through the multiple levels of NASCAR,” Sargeant said. “It’s just opened up my eyes and given me a perspective maybe some of the other drivers aren’t able to see, just being able to work with some of the NASCAR media group as well as just being with some of the other drivers.”

RELATED: Meet the drivers of this year’s NASCAR Next class

Though he’ll soon be dipping his toe into the national series waters, Sargeant still has designs on making a late charge for a championship in K&N East, where he ranks fourth with four races remaining. But soon, his other focus will be centered on hitting the books for his final year of high school.
 
Even though his racing schedule often takes him far away from his Florida home, Sargeant said he’s learned to balance the demands of school and his racing career. It’s also helped to have a built-in rooting section of classmates offering support when he returns.
 
“It can only help you more on the racing side of things to be able to have a good education,” Sargeant said. “Whenever I’m at the race track, I’m always super-focused on just racing. I never really worry about the school side of things, but as soon as I’m away from the track, I give my attention 100 percent focused on my homework and my schoolwork aspects of everything, just to get all that done. Whatever I’m doing, it’s one or the other — I never try to mix the two because I always feel like it hurts me.”
 

Photos: Sargeant Motorsports

Posted on by Nascar

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Bubba Wallace had one of those days Saturday at Watkins Glen International.
 
The Roush Fenway Racing driver, trying to make up ground on teammate and points leader Chris Buescher, lost track position early during the Zippo 200 NASCAR XFINITY Series race and battled back — and then hit a squirrel.
 
The incident didn’t improve the aerodynamics of the No. 6 Ford. It did leave a bit of a mess on the front of the car.
 
“Yeah, I hit a squirrel,” Wallace said as his team began prepping the entry for the long trip back to Concord, North Carolina. “I saw it (run out). Hit it. I knew I hit it.”
 
Crewmen removed the remains during the team’s last pit stop.
 
Wallace was penalized after his first pit stop for speeding as he exited pit road on Lap 19. As a result, he had to make another trip down pit road and lost track position.
 
“That was my worst pit road ever,” he radioed his crew afterward.
 
He was punished for excessive pit road speed and having too many crew members in contact with the pit service area.
 
He was not penalized for hitting the squirrel.
 
Wallace finished 16th and sits sixth in the points standings after 20 races. 

Posted on by
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/kyle-busch/
KyleBusch
1
Joe Gibbs Racing
With his aggression at Watkins Glen, runner-up result and entrance into the top 30, “Rowdy” is atop the rankings for the first time this season. His stay may be short-lived, due to his struggles at Michigan, but judging by his impressive drive recently, we anticipate he’ll add to those four 2015 wins soon enough.
RELATED: Chase Grid
Harvick just missed the chance to avenge his 42nd-place result at Pocono, running out of fuel on the final lap and losing the win to Joey Logano. But with two wins, eight runner-ups and 15 top-fives, the reigning points leader still has plenty of fire left in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing machine.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/jimmie-johnson/
JimmieJohnson
Hendrick Motorsports
RELATED: Harvick has ‘best team on pit road’
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/brad-keselowski/
BradKeselowski
Team Penske
After a string of near-misses, Logano was finally able to pad his 2015 resume with another Sprint Cup win at the Glen last weekend. With five straight top-10 finishes — including a 2013 win — at Michigan, the No. 22 driver could very well be a factor again this weekend.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr/
DaleEarnhardt Jr.
Hendrick Motorsports
MORE: Logano’s first road-course win
Johnson overcame plenty of adversity at Watkins Glen, somehow managing to salvage a 10th-place result. With four wins, Johnson is locked into the Chase, which gives the No. 48 team a chance to play with strategy and take some risks. Should be interesting to watch.
Back in June, Keselowski came close to earning his first win at his hometown track. A rainout left Kes with a sixth-place finish. Could this race be the one where the Rochester Hills, Michigan, native takes the checkered?
Dale Jr. impressed once again on his former arch enemy road courses, running in the top bracket before earning an 11th-place result while conserving fuel in the final laps. Michigan looks good for the No. 88, as Junior earned a runner-up finish there earlier in the year and is a two-time winner at the Irish Hills track.
Like the much of the JGR flock, Kenseth has been on a strong run the past five weeks, earning five straight results in the top seven, including a win at Pocono. With an average finish of 10.5 at Michigan, the No. 20’s forecast doesn’t look too shabby.
Busch’s seven-race streak of top-10 finishes was interrupted by a 37th-place hiccup at Pocono. But the SHR driver flexed his muscles again at Watkins Glen, earning a solid fifth-place result. Busch won the last race at Michigan in June – could a sweep be in the stars for the No. 41 team?
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/denny-hamlin/
DennyHamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
It’s been a rough couple weeks for the No. 78 team. After recording a 19th-place result at Pocono, Truex Jr. looked poised for a top-five result at Watkins Glen until he was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop for a cut left-front tire with 24 laps to go, leaving him with a disappointing 25th-place result.
After a rough start to his freshman year at Joe Gibbs Racing, Edwards has been riding an upward slope, recording an average finish of 8.4 the past five races. Compared to the 20.6 average in his first five races to open the season, we’d say that’s definite improvement.
https://www.nascar.com/drivers/clint-bowyer/
ClintBowyer
1
Stewart-Haas Racing
McMurray was an unfortunate victim in Watkins Glen’s accordion-like accident that occurred when Sam Hornish Jr. wasn’t able to get going on a restart. His 40th-place result dropped him one spot in the point standings — and one in Power Rankings.
Hamlin followed up his solid fifth-place result at Indy on July 26 with a pair of not-so-solid finishes outside the top 20 at Pocono and Watkins Glen. A two-time winner in the Irish Hills, Michigan might bode well for the JGR driver – if his crew can secure the hood of his No. 11 ride.
Another disappointing day for Jeff Gordon & Co., as the Hendrick Motorsports driver recorded a 41st-place result after battling brake issues throughout the day. Gordon is the reigning Pure Michigan 400 race winner, but his recent struggles make a win in the near future seem slightly elusive for the No. 24 team.
Bowyer has been on a roll lately, having recorded three straight finishes in the top eight. Expect that strong run to continue at Michigan, as the No. 15 driver has finished the last nine races in the Irish Hills in the top 10.
Menard has kept in the top-15 range over the past three weeks, recording 14th, 11th and 13th-place finishes at Indy, Pocono and the Glen, respectively. His eighth-place result at Michigan earlier in the year was one of his better finishes of the season, which should give the No. 27 team confidence heading north this weekend.
Not typically the best road racer, Newman posted a decent 15th-place result at Watkins Glen, allowing him to hold onto a spot in the Chase Grid — for now. Sitting in a precarious 15th out of 16 spots, Newman could be facing trouble should any unexpected winners arise.
Biffle’s 14th-place showing at the Glen neither helped nor hurt his 18th-place spot in the standings. But with only four races left, “the Biff” likely must win to make the Chase. Michigan could be his golden ticket, as the No. 16 driver is the all-time winner at the Irish Hills track.
Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series head to Michigan International Speedway, while the NASCAR XFINITY Series is racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Here’s more info on how you can follow along all weekend. 

RACES
Sprint Cup Series: Pure Michigan 400 (Sunday Aug. 16, 2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/Live Extra, MRN Radio, SiriusXM)
XFINITY Series: Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio (Saturday Aug. 15, 3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/Live Extra, MRN Radio, SiriusXM)
Camping World Truck Series: Careers for Veterans 200 presented by Cooper Standard and Brad Keselowski‘s Checkered Flag Foundation (Saturday Aug. 15, 1 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM)


WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Click here for on-track times, press conferences, leaderboards and GarageCam.

RACE DAY
• NSCS leaderboard
• NXS leaderboard
• NCWTS leaderboard
• NSCS Lap-by-Lap
• NXS Lap-by-Lap
• NCWTS Lap-by-Lap
• NSCS live standings

PRODUCTS
• RaceBuddy: Through the remainder of the season, NASCAR RaceBuddy will feature two (2) alternate live action camera angles, along with up to six (6) in-car cameras with different driver selections for each Sprint Cup race.
• RaceView: Watch virtual video of cars on track and listen to the scanner.
• RaceView Mobile: On your phone? Try RaceView here.
• Scanner: In-car audio only.• Mobile Apps: Follow the leaderboards live from your device.

NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
Web stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
Mobile app: iOS/Android


NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs will provide racing fans with unparalleled interactive digital access to every NASCAR Sprint Cup series race, including exclusive camera angles, custom diver information, and insider track information.


•  Multi-view options that bring fans inside the race, combining NBC Sports Group’s race simulcast and alternative camera angles, ranging from in-car views to various key track locations. For the Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on July 11, one specialty camera will offer an innovative speed shot from Turn 4, capturing the cars as they speed by.

• Dedicated full-view, on-board alternate cameras.

• Additional features on the desktop/laptop experience, bringing fans comprehensive race-day information to their fingertips, including:

        • Driver updates, cup standings, and biographies

        • Track infographics with key facts and history

 

NBC Sports Live Extra will stream NASCAR coverage on NBC and NBCSN via “TV Everywhere”, giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store and Apple TV. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra.

FOX SPORTS GO

The Camping World Truck Series race will also be available through FOX Sports GO; which is an online and mobile streaming product that allows subscribers of participating TV providers to watch live sports and shows from FOX, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes.  FOX Sports GO is currently available for download on iTunes for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices or can be accessed online at FOXSportsGO.com. The app is also available via Google Play, Kindle Fire and from the Windows Store.


Access to programming in FOX Sports GO requires a pay TV subscription of FOX Sports 1 with a participating TV provider. Login credentials are the same username and password used to access online accounts with your TV provider.

FANTASY
• NASCAR Fantasy Live: Set your lineups, check your progress
• Streak to the Finish: Play in all the national series that are in action this week
  

LIVE INTERVIEWS
PressPass: Watch exclusive post-race interviews.

Stay tuned to NASCAR.com throughout the weekend for the latest news.

Posted on by Staff Report

During Tuesday availabilities with both NASCAR.com and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell discussed a set of important timelines for the next month.

 

Speaking to NASCAR.com, O’Donnell said the sanctioning body is targeting a public release of the 2016 national series schedules within the next month.

 

“A lot of work’s been done with the schedule already,” O’Donnell said. “That’s a constant process where, almost as soon as we leave a facility, we start that dialogue. We’re looking years in advance as well.

“We’re pretty well down the road with those discussions with each of our race tracks, and we expect in the next three to four weeks, to be able to get something out to the fans. But certainly we like the way it’s gone this year. Really liked the West Coast swing, and I think you’ll see some consistency in the schedule as we look at 2016.”

 

The 2016 schedule release neatly coincides with the start of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The opening postseason race is Sept. 20 at Chicagoland Speedway, and teams will likely know the rules for the final 10 races of the season later this week.

NASCAR has used a low downforce package at Kentucky Speedway (and will at Darlington Raceway) and a high drag package at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (and will again at Michigan International Speedway this weekend) over the past weeks.

“That’s going to be fairly immediate,” O’Donnell told SiriusXM when asked about the Chase rules. “It’ll be either toward the end of this week or coming right out of Michigan. We’ll get with all the race teams and tell them what to expect for the Chase, so that’s going to come up quickly on the horizon for us. We want to lock that in for the race teams. It’s not lost on us how much work has been done by all of our teams … we’re really appreciative of the hard work, and we owe it to them to get the word out now and let them prepare for the Chase.”

 


O’Donnell also talked about the Watkins Glen course configuration following last week’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, and NASCAR’s plan for the future at the venue.

 

NASCAR uses a seven-turn configuration at Watkins Glen, but the course has 11 turns — the section that NASCAR doesn’t use is called “The Boot,” and there was talk of the full 11-turn road course being used in future NASCAR events.

“Next year is probably a little premature,” O’Donnell said. “I think you have to look at the potential of running the boot, obviously there are further conversations with the facility to make sure fans are able to access that area and have the racing experience they can have at other parts of the facility — it’s no secret that seating’s at a premium right now. I think it’s something we’d consider in future, for sure, but there’s a lot of logistics to work out.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Keselowski pens searing blog post about daughter



Brad Keselowski said he considers his family fortunate after a recent medical scare with his nearly 3-month-old daughter, Scarlett, saying that the traumatic experience has brought him closer to his longtime girlfriend, Paige White.



Keselowski first detailed the harrowing episode in a blog post Aug. 6, revealing a grave diagnosis of severe laryngomalacia, a weakness of the infant’s throat muscles. The former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion recalled the experience in a teleconference Tuesday, adding a happier anecdote about how a stock-car racing legend helped the couple meet.



“Certainly that is a tough experience to go through, but I guess I kind of count the blessings on it and think of how all those things kind of came together perfectly with off weeks,” Keselowski said. “The way things could have unfolded as good as they can for the situation. So certainly those are very galvanizing moments that probably affect you in ways you don’t realize until many years down the road. But I feel lucky to have a great family and support structure to get through it, whether it’s Paige or guys like Roger (Penske, car owner) who help me get in the hospital and get her taken care of, I felt very, very lucky and fortunate.”



Shortly after the diagnosis in June, the couple quickly flew to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for emergency surgery, with Penske helping to facilitate the arrangement. The three returned home on Father’s Day and celebrated as a group in Victory Lane three weeks later at Kentucky Speedway after a NASCAR XFINITY Series win.



“I think it was certainly a very difficult but, like I said, galvanizing time for Paige and I, and in some ways it was an incredible moment for me and the Penske family to kind of galvanize together as well with the help that they gave me through the process,” Keselowski said. “It was certainly not the most enjoyable in‑the‑moment situation to go through, but I think it’s a moment that we’ll certainly take something away from for the rest of our life, and has brought me closer to my personal life and professional life all in one instance. Kind of an incredibly difficult, strange, but inspiring thing to go through.”



Keselowski also said he owed fellow Midwesterner Frank Kimmel a level of gratitude for his relationship with White, saying that the veteran racer helped introduce the two. Keselowski tagged the 53-year-old Kimmel, closing in on his 500th career start in the ARCA Series, with the nickname “the big kid” growing up, noting his tendency to surprise him with squirt guns during his childhood.



Keselowski lauded Kimmel’s accomplishments as a 10-time series champion, but also offered thanks for a chance meeting with him at Kentucky Speedway for changing his life.



“Actually, I saw him in Kentucky, and I went over to say hello, and Paige was with him as a friend of the family,” Keselowski said. “I asked him later, ‘Who was that girl? She’s really pretty cute.’ And that’s kind of how it all started.”

Posted on by Staff Report

See what’s coming this week to NASCAR.com

Here’s what you’ll see on NASCAR.com this week:

MONDAY: Buddy Baker passed away Monday, and we’ll remember his life with stories, videos and photos … Senior writer Kenny Bruce details Kevin Harvick‘s finish at Watkins Glen after the driver of the No. 4 ran out of fuel late … The Rundown will recap how every driver in the field fared, 1-43.

TUESDAY: This week’s Power Rankings presented by Outback is sure to get a shakeup now that Joey Logano has two wins on the season, and has looked great in recent weeks … @nascarcasm will have his winner’s Facebook page, as well as vanity license tags for NASCAR drivers … Hear the best from the scanner in "Scanner Sounds."

WEDNESDAY: New paint schemes will be on display at Michigan and Mid-Ohio, and we’ll have them all in Paint Scheme Preview … High 5 presents the best NASCAR content from around the web … Chris Buescher, the NASCAR XFINITY Series points leader, returns to Mid-Ohio, the site of his first national series win.

THURSDAY: Driver Reports highlights the 16 drivers currently on the Chase Grid, and how they fare at Michigan … The high drag package returns at Michigan, and we’ll break down one that means — and how it’s different from the low downforce setup … Speaking of those new packages, which one has been better? Kenny Bruce and RJ Kraft debate.

FRIDAY: The Sprint Cup Series gets on track at 11 a.m. ET, and we’ll have full coverage from a busy day at the track … 8 Tweets You Might Have Missed highlights the best from social media over the past week.

Also coming this week: @nascarcasm is doing a voice-to-text interview with Andy Lally. We’re sure that will go super smooth.