Posted on by Staff Report

Vote through June 7 to name Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

VOTE: Choose a deserving hero to rename the Brickyard 400

Since NASCAR began running the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994, a select group of race winners including Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson have been brave enough to face the challenge and made their mark as kings of the historic track. This year, another name will join their ranks without ever finishing a lap… but don’t think for a second this person isn’t well versed in bravery.
 
As the grand prize winner of Crown Royal’s annual "Your Hero’s Name Here" program, a deserving hero’s name will be etched in history with naming rights to the NASCAR race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2015.  This race will mark the ninth time Crown Royal has awarded race naming rights to an adult fan. The program focuses on all of the unsung heroes who make a difference in their communities, from firefighters and police officers to first responders and local volunteers. Every year five heroic finalists are nominated and through consumer voting, one winner is chosen to have their name cemented in sports history.
 
Beginning this week, adult consumers can go to CrownRoyalHeroes.com to vote for the hero they think is most deserving of naming rights to the race. Voting runs through June 7 and the grand prize winner will be announced early that month. See below for their names and bios or click here to read.
 
All five finalists will be flown to Indianapolis to attend the race, and the grand prize winner will be provided with a once-in-a-lifetime experience, which will include delivering the trophy bearing his or her moniker to the race winner in Victory Lane!

Jeff Kyle — Retired U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant

Jeff Kyle, 37, of Lorena, Texas is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant who served for eight years from 2000-2008 in the infantry and reserves. While serving with the 3rd Marine Division, Kyle received the Navy Achievement Medal for leading the first Marine detachment to transport a nuclear submarine through hostile waters. During his time in the military, Kyle was deployed to Iraq twice, Africa and several other locations overseas. When Kyle retired from the Marine Corps in 2008 he says, "My military career didn’t start until I left because now I am able to truly serve my country through helping my fellow brothers." As one of the founders of Texas Elite Tactical Academy, Kyle trains individuals about firearms safety through his passion to educate those in a safe environment. As a board member for the Guardian For Heroes Foundation, Kyle helps to oversee the organization’s mission — to provide free, in-home fitness equipment, facilitation of donated health club memberships, individualized programs, personal training, as well as life coaching and comprehensive support to in-need veterans with disabilities. In addition, Kyle plays a large role as a board member of American Valor, the foundation which runs the memorial benefit to honor his brother, CPO and U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. Nominated by the person he considers one of his heroes, former 2014 "Your Hero’s Name Here" race namesake John Wayne Walding, Kyle continues to dedicate his efforts to champion for military veterans and their families.  

Margy Bons — Community Leader

Margy Bons, 59, of Phoenix, Ariz. is the CEO and Founder of the Military Assistance Mission (MAM). In 2005, her oldest son Michael was serving his country in Iraq when he was killed in an ambush by a suicide borne vehicle filled with IEDs. In an effort to honor her son and continue what he started, Bons created an organization with a name that contains Michael’s initials. Formed in 2012, MAM’s mission is to provide financial and moral aid to Arizona service members, wounded warriors and their families. MAM offers a number of programs to meet their needs including paying for items like rent, utilities and car payments and offering classes on resume writing. Last year alone the organization was able to help over 7,000 Arizona families. "There are so many true heroes out there. I get to support them every day, so I am very honored and humbled to be considered a hero," said Bons. When Bons is not working at her organization, she can be found riding her motorcycle or enjoying her newfound hobby of target shooting.

Brendan Marrocco — Retired Army Sergeant

Brendan Marrocco, 28, of Staten Island, N.Y. is a retired Army Sergeant who was deployed in 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009, Marrocco’s vehicle was hit with an Explosive Fired Projectile (EFP). This attack left Marrocco a quadruple amputee and the first ever U.S. soldier to survive such injuries sustained in the war. He credits his lieutenant and medic for his survival and looks up to them as his personal heroes. A determined individual, Marrocco set a goal for himself to greet his fellow soldiers returning from Iraq just four months after his injury. "It was a huge goal for me and it was an once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will cherish forever," said Marrocco. In December 2012, Marrocco underwent transplant surgery and was the first bilateral arm transplant recipient at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Since the surgery, he continues to receive intensive arm therapy at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. An avid race fan and car enthusiast, Marrocco went to the Daytona, Bristol, Richmond and Dover races last year and would have gone to more if not for touring Afghanistan for Operation Proper Exit. Marrocco has yet to attend the "Your Hero’s Name Here" 400 in Indianapolis and is excited for the opportunity to take the trip in July and see his favorite driver and friend, Brad Keselowski.
 
Hector Manley — Community Leader

Hector Manley, 26, of Bonita Springs, Fla. lost both legs at age 11 in a tragic accident when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck his birth country, El Salvador in 2001. Soon after, Manley was adopted and brought to the United States where he has flourished as a community leader, volunteer and teacher. In 2012, Manley became the first double amputee to kayak the entire length of the Mississippi River. This summer adventure took Manley 93 days and, through a partnership with Rotary Clubs, he was able to raise $70,000 dollars for the Wheelchair Foundation. As a result, in 2013 he and a group of others were able to distribute over 450 wheelchairs to people in need in El Salvador and Honduras. Manley continues to raise money for charities through events including Tough Mudder races. "If I could describe myself in one word it would be driven. I look at the challenges in front of me and put a plan in place so that nothing seems impossible," said Manley. Introduced to NASCAR at age 13, Manley has been a fan ever since and a follower of his favorite driver, Tony Stewart.

Benjamin Parker — Retired Army Staff Sergeant

Benjamin Parker, 28, of Cincinnati, Ohio is a retired Army Staff Sergeant who was deployed to Afghanistan twice as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team Leader. Safely disarming more than 300 IEDs and saving countless lives during his tours of duty, Parker received two bronze stars for his bravery. "I don’t consider what I did heroic. I was just doing my job," said Parker.  "I am deeply honored and humbled to be a finalist." After his second tour, Parker returned home and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Devastated to have to end his army career, Parker decided to pursue another passion. Against all odds, he received his pilot’s license and now works as an aircraft mechanic. Born in Indianapolis, Parker is an avid NASCAR fan who used to set alarms and call his dad from a satellite phone overseas so they could watch races together. Parker looks forward to returning to the "Your Hero’s Name Here" 400 as a finalist to watch his favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Cain: Reaction to Talladega victory was one to remember

SEE IT AGAIN: Junior’s press conference | Final lap at Talladega

Turns out NASCAR’s perpetual most popular driver, two-time Daytona 500 champ and most recent Sprint Cup Series winner may be more like the rest of us than we ever considered.

Watching and listening to Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrate his win last Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, there were unmistakable elements of humility, relief and joy.

Earnhardt was off-the-charts happy to win for the first time in 11 years at the track that flies his Junior Nation flag higher than anywhere else NASCAR visits. But even before he hoisted the trophy, he spoke of the effect the victory had on his heart and his pride.

And he sounded a lot like any other "kid" so desperately wanting to please everyone else — and in the moment, very much pleased with himself, too.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

He is someone who persevered through occasional doubt and high expectations. And in Earnhardt’s case as the son of a NASCAR legend, he carried the immense weight of a vast fandom on his shoulders, which has now become more blessing than burden.

"I felt like we had a lot of supporters here because of dad’s success, he won so many races here," Earnhardt said. "I think about all the races he won here and at Daytona. I love when we go to Victory Lane because I feel like I add to his legacy there. All I ever want to do is make him proud. I feel like when we win at those tracks where he was successful, that’s exactly what we’re doing.

"I don’t really get to think about him that much. His birthday (April 29) came and went. Today, it made me think about his birthday, how much I miss him, how much he meant to me and so many more people that I can’t even fathom the number of folks that he had a relationship with in this sport, a connection with, all his fans out there really enjoyed seeing him compete here."

Earnhardt has always acknowledged that a large portion of his massive fan base were natural crossovers to him once his legendary father, seven-time champ Dale Earnhardt died from a fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500.

So even from his earliest days developing as a Sprint Cup Series driver, he has carried the extra duty of being the son of an icon.

That’s a lot to ask of anyone and at times, Earnhardt candidly conceded, he felt extreme pressure to the point of doubting himself when the results weren’t as good, when the success was harder to come by.

"I think the part I feel I don’t think I deserve is the racing side of it," a contemplative Earnhardt said Sunday. "There’s just not many second chances. I feel like if my name wasn’t Earnhardt that I wouldn’t have had the second chance. I feel like I owe my second chance to my dad, his legacy, because the way I ran from ’09 through those years till 2011 or so, I feel I didn’t deserve to be kept around or hung onto.

"But I’m glad that it worked out. I certainly felt like in the right situation I could have success. But you just don’t know whether you’re going to get that opportunity.

"I watched a lot of sons follow a lot of fathers, regardless of the profession, and just have a real challenge of it. That is the part I feel like I’m fortunate about."

Over the years, these fans have become his, not just his father’s.

In a far different era than his father existed, Earnhardt has proven himself a capable corporate spokesman and dedicated philanthropist away from the race track; a hugely popular celebrity and fan attraction for the sport in general. But he’s never gotten the respect he deserves on the track.

Earnhardt’s victory at Talladega — his sixth — ties him with Jeff Gordon for most among active drivers. And who holds the record for wins (10) here? His dad.

The win also produces a ticket into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship for the fifth consecutive season.

It also gives Earnhardt a well-timed confidence boost and as we’ve learned, confidence is something he has to earn and renew just like most of us despite his fame, pedigree and opportunity.

A Dale Earnhardt Jr. win is good for the sport — television highlights, bigger headlines and huge amounts of Twitter buzz.

But an Earnhardt win — particularly at place like Talladega — is also good because everyone comes away feeling better.

Need to have your faith restored in athletes and sports?

Watch Earnhardt celebrate a win. Listen to what he says. Look at the genuine emotion on his face.

It’s true and heartfelt joy in accomplishment. And we don’t see that often enough.

Winning is never just "part of the job." It’s the best part of the job.

MORE JUNIOR: Race recap | Did Jimmie let him win? | Shop

Posted on by Holly Cain

18-year-old making first premier series start at Kansas on Saturday night

RELATED: Jones to make first Cup start at Kansas

Erik Jones sat on the stage in the Talladega Superspeedway Media Center last Friday morning looking every bit his 18-year age — boyish and wide-eyed — but at the same time, polished and confident.

He smiled and conceded, this wasn’t the way he ever expected to walk into the racing spotlight. But he is not only looking forward to his first true NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start Saturday night at Kansas Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1) filling in for the injured Kyle Busch, Jones has set high expectations.

And he has every reason to.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

A win (at Texas), three poles and five top-fives in nine XFINITY Series starts plus two top-three finishes in three Camping World Truck Series races this season have proven this prodigy is as good as promised. He says all the right things about tempered expectations but truly, he expects a lot out of himself — as do a lot of others.

"For me, it’s really all seat time and experience," Jones said over the weekend. "I think keeping our expectations realistic is a pretty big thing for us. If we can go run top-15, I’d feel like that would be a pretty big win for us. It’s a big step.

"We’ve talked a lot about it. I’ve talked with Adam Stevens (No. 18 crew chief) a lot about it and kind of what the jump is and talked to Kyle (Busch) about it. It’s not going to be an easy step for anybody, but I really believe we can go run top-15 and if we can do that, I think that would be a good day."

Jones is on an accelerated learning curve. Instead of easing into NASCAR’s marquee Cup ranks, he made his debut last month at Bristol — a literal last-minute fill-in for another Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin who suffered neck spasms during the early laps of the race and called for a relief driver during an extended red flag period for rain.

As the story goes, Jones arrived at the track with less than 10 minutes before the race re-started and brought Hamlin’s car home safely in 26th place.

Now Jones has been tabbed to drive Busch’s No. 18 Toyota after the car’s previous substitute David Regan vacated the seat to instead substitute for Brian Vickers at Michael Waltrip Racing.

"It seems like the last three years of my life have been a lot of right place opportunities starting with Kyle (Busch) and the Snowball (Derby) and from there on," Jones said. "It was really a shame to see Kyle get hurt at Daytona — I consider Kyle to be a friend of mine and it’s never fun to see something like that. Definitely not the circumstances I wish I could have done it in, but I’m excited for the opportunity no matter what else happens.

"It’s a cool thing for me to be able to make a Cup start at this point in my career. If you would have asked me two years ago if I would be making a Cup start when I was 18 – no, I really don’t think I would have. It’s an awesome opportunity that I never would have dreamed of to get to do at such a young age and definitely going to take it in stride and see what we can do."

Jones said he was grateful to at least get that first Cup race under his belt. The experience will be helpful on many levels. 

"Anytime you get into a new car in a new series, it’s kind of nerve wracking starting your first race," Jones said. "Its nerve-wracking starting any race, but especially your first one. That did take away some of the I guess unsureness of what’s really different about the Cup Series and I definitely think that knocked some of that stuff out of the way, which is nice.

"I don’t know if it will take away all the pre-race jitters by any means – it will still be nerve wracking starting your first official Cup race any time — but definitely took some things away for me that when I get in the car at Kansas for practice, I’ll feel more comfortable with what I have and what the car’s going to do and know a little bit better some of the differences in the car and what I need to prepare for."

The comparisons between the young Jones and another former 18-year old JGR prodigy, Joey Logano came immediately and have been constant. Fair or not.

"They’re there and I guess I’ve heard them along the way," Jones said of the comparisons. "I try to just kind of separate the situations and it’s just a lot different situation all together. I’m stepping in as a fill-in role and I’m running one race right now at Kansas, which is entirely different from Joey’s (Logano) role of stepping in and trying to fill a full season.

"I feel pretty comfortable with that. I feel like there’s a point where you have to make the jump at some point in your career. Whether it’s now or a year down the road or two years down the road, I’d have to do it. I feel like this is probably the best situation I could be in to make that jump in a part-time situation like it is.

"It’s a great opportunity and it’s a great car – it’s a top-flight car so obviously there are expectations to run well. As long as I can keep my mentality that I’m just here to learn and make laps then I feel like it’s not going to hurt my development in any sort of way."

Posted on by Staff Report

Two-time defending series champion holds points lead

No driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has been more dominant on 1.5-mile tracks than Matt Crafton the past year.
 
It’s one of the main reasons the No. 88 Toyota Tundra driver was able to win his second consecutive NCWTS championship last season.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

In nine starts at intermediate courses dating back to the Truck Series’ latest visit to Kansas Speedway on May 9, 2014, Crafton has tallied two wins, three runner ups and nine top-10 showings for an average finish of 3.4.
 
He will attempt to continue his reign at 1.5-mile tracks when the NCWTS returns to Kansas Speedway for the Toyota Tundra 250 (8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1). Crafton has started all 14 NCWTS races at Kansas, more than any other driver. He is also tied for the track record among active drivers with three top-five finishes.
 
"As the only driver entered that’s competed in all 14 Truck Series races at Kansas, I feel old," Crafton said. "Kansas is definitely a tricky race track – it’s tough to get off Turn 4 and to get your stuff handling good in Turns 1 and 2 and then be that good in Turn 4, it’s tough. Just getting balance overall is key."
 
The ThorSport Racing driver will also try to improve on his second-place finish at Kansas last season and win there for the second time in three years.
 
"We were really, really fast (at Kansas) last year; a contender all night," Crafton said. "We were a little bit free-in and tight center and off, but we were scared to make any adjustments to hurt us on corner entry. I had to protect my entry and that’s how Kyle (Busch) got around us for the win."

Posted on by Staff Report

Company plans major push around May 17 event at .875-mile track

RELATED: Buy tickets to the 3M 250 at Iowa

Iowa Speedway announced Thursday that 3M has signed on as an entitlement sponsor for the track’s May 17 race for the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

The XFINITY tour’s first of two stops this season at the .875-mile track will now be called the 3M 250.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

"This opportunity is especially exciting because it has enabled us to promote an authentic product and service integration with 3M while also delivering more value to our fans and sponsors," said Jimmy Small, Iowa Speedway president. "Fans, partners and teams that visit Iowa Speedway have come to expect a top-of-the-line experience, and this partnership with 3M will undoubtedly help us meet and exceed these expectations."

According to the track, the partnership sweeps beyond naming rights. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company plans to designate "selfie" picture-taking areas and create graphics and signage around the Newton, Iowa track with its 3M Envision Print Wrap brand.

"The 3M 250 will give fans a look at the science behind a number of our products used in NASCAR," said Don Branch, 3M’s Chief Marketing Officer. "Instead of focusing solely on the impact 150-plus 3M products have on the building and maintaining the cars on the track, the 3M 250 will allow fans to see how 3M helps make the modern fan experience more exciting and engaging for them."

3M, an official partner of NASCAR, has been a sponsor in the sport for nearly 20 years. The creative solutions company signed on last August to be primary sponsor of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet and four-time premier-series champion Jeff Gordon, now in his final full season of Sprint Cup Series competition.

RELATED: Buy tickets to the 3M 250 at Iowa

Posted on by Staff Report

One 90-minute session began at 5 p.m. ET

Steady rain placed Thursday’s on-track activity for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in a delay at Kansas Speedway. However, trucks did take to the track for one 90-minute practice session right at 5 p.m. ET.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

The lingering precipitation, tinged with the threat of severe storms in the Midwest, drenched the 1.5-mile track, delaying the scheduled 3 p.m. ET start for the hourlong opening truck series practice. A 90-minute final practice session was also scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET.

Air Titans took to the track to try and get it dry so that there would be one practice session ahead of Friday night’s qualifying session and race.

The Camping World Truck Series is slated for the fourth of 23 races this season with Friday night’s Toyota Tundra 250 (8:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1).

Two-time defending series champion Matt Crafton enters the 167-lap race with a two-point lead in the standings over 19-year-old Tyler Reddick, winner of the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Posted on by Staff Report

Hemric, Suarez, Jones and Newman placed second through fifth

RELATED: Full practice results

Cameron Hayley topped the lone NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice session at Kansas Speedway on Thursday afternoon.

Hayley, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, made the fastest lap late in the 90-minute session with a speed of 175.798 mph.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

Another rookie, Daniel Hemric was second in the session with a speed of 175.558 mph. Hemric has made six career Truck Series starts with three coming this year in the No. 14 Chevrolet.

A pair of Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates took third and fourth place in the session. Daniel Suarez (175.393 mph) and Erik Jones (175.279 mph) were at the top of the speed chart for most of practice but slipped back near the end of the session.

The Kansas race will be Suarez’s fifth career Camping World Truck Series start and his fourth this season. He has three top-10 finishes in his three starts so far in 2015. Jones, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, has had three top-seven finishes to open the season and will also be making his first Sprint Cup Series start this weekend.

Sprint Cup Series veteran Ryan Newman, who is making his first Truck Series start since the 2013 race at Eldora, came in fifth in practice with a speed of 175.006 mph.

Initially, there were supposed to be two practice sessions: a 60-minute one that began at 3 p.m. ET and then a 90-minute session that started at 4:30 p.m. ET. Wet weather in the area delayed trucks from taking the track until 5 p.m. ET for just one practice session of 90 minutes.

Just over five minutes into the session, Matt Tifft made contact with the wall in Turn 4 to bring out a caution. On Twitter, Tifft said that he blew a right front tire. The wreck destroyed the team’s primary truck, forcing him to a backup.

Norm Benning missed the first 30 minutes of the practice as he was serving a practice penalty.

Entering the Kansas race, Matt Crafton the two-time defending series champion holds a two-point lead over Tyler Reddick, who won at Daytona in the season opener. Jones is in third place in the standings and just six points back of Crafton, while Crafton’s ThorSport Racing teammate Johnny Sauter is fourth in the standings and 16 points back of Crafton.

Keystone Light Pole Qualifying is set for 4:45 p.m. ET on Friday with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1. The fourth race of the season, the Toyota Tundra 250, will be on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET with TV coverage on FS1 as well.

Posted on by Staff Report

Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award nominations close May 8

THROUGH MAY 8: Nominate a volunteer for the 2015 award

The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide is accepting nominations for 2015 through Friday, May 8. The winner will receive $100,000 and a brand new Ford vehicle while three other finalists will receive a minimum $25,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation.

Daniel Noltemeyer, a 33-year-old from Louisville who was named winner of the annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award last year, was a visitor to Talladega Superspeedway last weekend.

Noltemeyer, who has Down syndrome, established Best Buddies Kentucky, a foundation that creates opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He has become a spokesperson for the foundation and works for more inclusion for those with disabilities.

"It’s talking about one-to-one friendships," Noltemeyer said. "…they match people with different disabilities … with college buddies in middle-school and high-school chapters all over Kentucky."
 
The Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide, now in its fifth year, includes a $100,000 from The NASCAR Foundation to Best Buddies Kentucky. Fans and organizations may nominate dedicated NASCAR fans who have made a profound impact on the lives of children in their community at NASCAR.com/award through May 8.

"It was so incredible (to win the award)," Noltemeyer said. "…all my friends can build on the great friendships that I have made through The NASCAR Foundation."

During his weekend in Alabama, Noltemeyer not only got to cheer on his three favorite drivers, Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick. He spent time with Earnhardt before the race at a Nationwide event and again after the race in Victory Lane.

"I am so proud to meet Earnhardt because he is just young at heart," Noltemeyer said.

Mark McCarter of the NASCAR Wire Service contributed to this story.

Posted on by Nascar

Joey Gase of Jimmy Means Racing revels in special day at Talladega

Fifth-place finishes don’t normally create much of a stir, yet it was hard to miss the scoreboard salute and the congratulations from across the country that came after the fact.

For Joey Gase, for Jimmy Means Racing and for finishing fifth.

When was the last time a NASCAR driver finishing fifth generated any substantial interest?

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

Was it earlier this season when Kurt Busch finished fifth at Phoenix, his indefinite suspension lifted after missing the season’s first three races?
 
Or was it in the season-ending race of 2009 at Homestead, when Jimmie Johnson finished fifth to become the first driver to win four consecutive championships?
 
It’s just not a spot that often gets noticed.
 
Saturday at Talladega, however, it was hard to miss.
 
Long after the race had ended, the scoring pylon continued to show one number in one position and nothing else — the No. 52 of Gase and Means.
 
The others, first through fourth and sixth through 10th, were gone. Fifth was there, though, and it was there for quite a while.
 
Gase, 22, earned his first career top-five in Saturday’s Winn Dixie 300 at Talladega Superspeedway, and it came in his 85th start in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. His best previous finish of 11th came at the same track last year. Beyond those two results, he had just one other finish inside the top 20.
 
He’s young and eager, willing to do whatever is necessary as long as the end result is a race car, a race track and himself behind the wheel.
 
In addition to his XFINITY Series effort, he has five career Sprint Cup starts.
 
One of the first things he admitted when speaking to the media following the Talladega finish was that he doesn’t have a public relations representative.
 
Granted, given the cost of racing and the limited resources facing some teams, a public relations person isn’t high on the list of necessities. Especially in a series that isn’t Sprint Cup.
 
Tires? Everybody’s gotta have tires. Then there are entry fees and engines, travel and "hey, this piece is flat worn out, we gotta find us a used one somewhere," reasons for what a team has and what it does not.
 
Asked afterward to describe his team, Gase called the group "small but mighty."
 
There are perhaps five full-time employees, and maybe three that travel to the track each week. The others are volunteers that come from a nationwide network of friends Means has developed through the years.
 
"These last couple of weeks, we’ve actually been able to get four over-the-wall guys (to pit the car), that’s all they do," Gase said. "That’s actually their job. And that’s been pretty big for us.
 
"It’s just crazy. We’re just so small."
 
Means is a former racer and an old school, hard-knocks kind of owner. He finished 11th in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup points standings in ’82. He’s been around. His XFINITY Series team has been competing since ’01, but until Saturday had never scored a top five.
 
His kid, Brad Means, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. used to pal around in the infield. Earnhardt, Sunday’s winner in the Sprint Cup race, spoke at length about those times.
 
It’s been reported that at least one set of tires on Gase’s car Saturday were used Goodyear’s from Earnhardt’s own No. 88 Cup team.
 
A Cedar Rapids native, Gase will be a bit closer to home these next two weeks — he’ll attempt to qualify for Saturday’s Sprint Cup race with Go Fas Racing at Kansas Speedway, then head to Iowa Speedway the following week for his next XFINITY Series start with Means and Co.
 
It will be his sixth Sprint Cup start. Both Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series efforts have carried branding from Donate Life this year, a non-profit organization whose focus is organ, eye and tissue donation.
 
It’s a cause near and dear for Gase — his mother, Mary Jo, passed away in 2011 and Gase made the decision to donate her organs. He’s met those whose lives were enriched, or extended, thanks to that decision.
 
He visits hospitals on his own and speaks to groups about organ donation. Few advocates for any cause are as authentic, as eager.
 
When he’s not racing, his car duties are the previously mentioned public relations, seeking out sponsors and handling the graphics that go on the car each week. Anyone that walks in the shop, he said, "we put them to work.
 
"Basically no one on our team has just one job. Everyone does a little bit of everything."
 
Saturday "everything" paid off with a top-five finish.
 
For most folks, fifth is quickly forgotten. For Gase and Means and the folks that work for the joy of working, maybe it’s a beginning.