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Craft beer company will serve as a primary sponsor for No. 7 car at Charlotte

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On Wednesday JR Motorsports announced a multidimenstional partnership this season with Dale’s Pale Ale, the first canned craft beer.

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Brewed by North Carolina and Colorodo-based Oskar Blues Brewery, Dale’s Pale Ale will be featured on Regan Smith‘s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the fall XFINITY Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 9. The company is also set to serve as the primary sponsor of the JR Motorsports Upfront podcast hosted by Smith on Dirty Mo Radio every Thursday. In the program, Smith and his revolving guests provide fans with racing-related commentary and insight.

"It’s great to bring Dale’s Pale Ale and Oskar Blues on board," Smith said in a release provided by the team. "We take a lot of pride in welcoming new partners into JR Motorsports.  Not only do we get to carry the Dale’s Pale Ale brand on the race car, but they’re also a tremendous partner for the JR Motorsports Upfront podcast. It’s a fun and informative program, and Dale’s Pale Ale is a perfect fit for that."

In addition to its primary spot on the No. 7 ride at Charlotte, Dale’s Pale Ale will also serve as an associate sponsor for Smith throughout the remaining 2015 season.

"Oskar Blues has been breaking boundaries since Dale’s Pale Ale was first canned in 2002," Dale’s Pale Ale Founder Dale Katechis said. "We chose the can package for Dale’s because it protects the beer from light and air, and also because cans are more portable, allowing a great beer to be enjoyed in more places, like the racetrack. We are proud to be associated with Regan, Kelley, and all of the JR Motorsports team and look forward to a groundbreaking partnership."

Thus far in 2015, Smith has earned five straight top-nine finishes in the XFINITY Series, his best result of third-place coming at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. The driver also stepped in as substitutes for Kurt Busch (three times) and Kyle Larson (once) in the Sprint Cup Series this season.

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See the members who participate in the appeal process

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

If a NASCAR member wishes to appeal a penalty notice, the National Motorsports Appeals Panel "provides Members with an impartial and meaningful opportunity to appeal." Members are also "entitled to a second and Final Appeal of the Appeal Panel’s decision to the Final Appeals Officer," per the NASCAR Rule Book.

Below is a list of the 33 members of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel, three of whom are selected to participate in an appeal. The 34th name is the Final Appeals Officer.

Drivers
Johnny Benson: The 2008 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion (pictured) is one of 26 drivers to win races in all three of NASCAR’s national series in a career that lasted from 1993 to 2010.

Janet Guthrie: Pioneering female competitor who was the first woman to drive in both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. Made 33 starts in NASCAR’s top series, with a best finish of sixth at Bristol in 1977.

Bill Lester: The first African-American driver to compete in an XFINITY Series event, he drove in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions, making two Sprint Cup starts in 2006. The electrical engineering graduate from Cal-Berkeley became the first African-American to win a GRAND-AM event in 2011.

Shawna Robinson: The first female driver to win a pole in the XFINITY Series, she competed in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions across a 12-year span. Appeared in eight races at the premier level, with a best finish of 24th in the Daytona 500 in 2002.

Lake Speed: In 402 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series from 1980 to 1998, he had one win in 1988 at Darlington Raceway. The Jackson, Mississippi native also had six starts in the XFINITY Series.

Lyn St. James: The first woman to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, with 16 starts in major American open-wheel circuits. Founder of the Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation, which provides grants to female drivers to help advance their careers in motorsports.

Crew Chief
Buddy Parrott: Won 49 events in 18 seasons at NASCAR’s top level, 10 of them coming with Rusty Wallace in the 1993 campaign. Won the Daytona 500 with Richard Petty and Derrike Cope, and also oversaw race victories for Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Burton.

Car Owners
Jack Housby: Fielded cars in the 1970s and ’80s. Housby made 12 starts in the sport’s premier division, with a best finish of fifth with driver Pete Hamilton at the former North Carolina Motor Speedway in 1972. Is also former president of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.

Steve Lewis: Former U.S. Auto Club car owner whose teams were a powerhouse, providing a springboard for future stars like Stan Fox, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne. J.J. Yeley, Mile Bliss, Jason Leffler and many others drove for a team that earned over 130 feature wins in a 29-year span.

Bud Moore: A NASCAR Hall of Fame member who won the 1962 and ’63 premier-series championships with Joe Weatherly, he claimed 63 races in a long career working out of Spartanburg, South Carolina. His drivers also included Bobby Allison, Ricky Rudd, and Dale Earnhardt.

Jimmy Smith: A pioneer owner in the Camping World Truck Series, drivers ran 420 races for him in the series with Ted Musgrave earning the championship in 2005, Smith’s final season as an owner. He also field cars in 162 Sprint Cup Series races with three top-five finishes, including runner-up results by Robby Gordon in 2001 and 2005.

Robert Yates: One of NASCAR’s top engine builders and a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee, he moved into team ownership when he bought Harry Ranier’s team in 1988. He won 57 races over 21 years, including a trio of Daytona 500 crowns — one with Davey Allison, and two with Dale Jarrett, with whom he won the championship in 1999.

Track Operators
Mark Arute: General manager and chief operating officer of Stafford Motor Speedway, a half-mile oval in Stafford Springs, Connecticut.

Lee Baumgarten: Director of operations at Phoenix International Raceway, and former general manager of Tucson Raceway Park.

Barbara Cromarty: Co-owner of Riverhead Raceway, a quarter-mile track in Riverhead, New York.

Richard Gore: Owner of Old Dominion Raceway, a three-eighths mile oval near Manassas, Virginia.

Russell Hackett: Owner of Caraway Speedway, a half-mile track near Asheboro, North Carolina.

Bill Mullis: Operator of Langley Speedway, a .33-mile track located in Hampton, Virginia.

Dale Pinilis: Operator of Bowman Gray Stadium, a quarter-mile track Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the longest continuously operating weekly track in NASCAR.

Cathy Rice: General manager of South Boston Speedway, a .4-mile track in South Boston, Virginia.

Kevin Whitaker: Owner of Greenville-Pickens Speedway, a half-mile track near Easley, South Carolina.

John White: Co-owner of Chemung Speedrome, a three-eighths mile track in Chemung, New York, best known as the springboard for Bodine brothers Geoffrey, Brett, and Todd.

Administrators
Paul Brooks: Former NASCAR senior vice president, and president of NASCAR Media Group.

John Capels: Former president and chairman of the board of the United States Auto Club. Also won four major open-wheel races as a team manager, the last with Johnny Rutherford at Michigan in 1986.

Ken Clapp: Former race promoter and NASCAR executive who was key in opening the sport to the West Coast. Helped bring the premier series to the road course at Sonoma, California.

David Hall: Former president of Gaylord Communications Group, whose holdings included former NASCAR television partner The Nashville Network.

Hunter Nickell: Former president of SPEED Channel, now known as NASCAR television partner FOX Sports 1.

Don Panoz: Patriarch of the Panoz motorsports empire that includes a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles. Also creator of the American LeMans Series, which merged with GRAND-AM in 2014 to become the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Jay Signore: Former president of the defunct International Race of Champions, which held events combining top drivers from different circuits from 1964 until its closing following the 2006 season.

Others
Christiane Ayotte: Director of doping control at the Institut National de la Recherché Scientifique in Montreal, a lab accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Robert L. DuPont: First director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and White House Drug Czar from 1973 to ’77 under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Current principal at Bensinger DuPont and Associates, which administers drug testing management and employee assistance programs.

Laurel Farrell: Retired toxicologist who formerly worked for the Colorado Department of Health and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. She also works with the National Laboratory Certification Program which certifies drug testing laboratories for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

John Horton: President and founder of LegitScript, which verifies online pharmacies for Google, Microsoft, USDA, etc. Former Associate Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (White House Drug Czar’s Office).

Final Appeals Officer
Bryan Moss: President emeritus of Gulfstream Aerospace.

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Still time to win prizes in NASCAR.com fantasy game

Play: Streak to the Finish

We’re seven races into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, but this weekend’s on-track activity at Bristol Motor Speedway represents new "first" in NASCAR.com’s Streak to the Finish game.

Streak to the Finish (sign up here to play) gives users the chance to select a driver in any of the three national series to finish in the top 10 of their respective race. If your driver finishes in the top 10, it counts as one point toward your streak.

Once you pick that driver in a series, though, you can’t pick him or her again until your streak is broken.

If you’ve never played, there’s still incentive to do so despite the season having started. Streak to the Finish is broken up into five segments, with each segment producing one winner that wins a promotional code worth $200 from the NASCAR.com Superstore.

Segment 2 begins this weekend at Bristol, essentially wiping the slate clean — except for personal milestone numbers — for all players. So if you haven’t played yet this year, you’re still eligible for prizes in Segment 2 … and then again in Segment 3, Segment 4 and Segment 5.

Posted on by Zack Albert

After severe crash, Kyle, Samantha count blessings with baby on the way

RELATED: Timeline of injury, recovery
PHOTOS: What the driver has been doing since wreck

The waits — all of them — were agonizing. That fateful late Saturday afternoon, Samantha Busch had to endure several.

The first was a long pause after the impact, waiting to hear her husband’s response to spotter Tony Hirschman’s question over the team radio: "Kyle, are you OK?" The last time he failed to respond after a crash, it was because he’d yanked out his radio communications cord in a fit of anger as he dismounted. That earned him a stern talking-to from his concerned spouse, leading to a verbal agreement that he would always answer from that point forward.

This time, though, was different. Kyle Busch knew the extent of his injuries almost immediately, wincing from a severely broken right leg and a fracture in his left foot after a nearly head-on hit late in the NASCAR XFINITY Series opener at Daytona International Speedway. Instead of taking a moment to catch his breath, he ejected rapidly after a flash fire flickered through the car’s air box.

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After watching the multicar crash unfold, Samantha soon sprang from her usual seat atop the Joe Gibbs Racing pit box, pulling her own earplugs in the process and moving as fast as she could, considering she’d just completed her second trimester of pregnancy with the couple’s first child. Then the next series of waits began, first at the track’s infield care center, then at nearby Halifax Health Medical Center. She was told not to watch replays of the wreck, and that she couldn’t see her husband because of the gruesome injuries. After a nearly 45-minute interval apart at the hospital, Samantha Busch had had enough.

"Finally the crazy pregnant lady came out and I was like, ‘Look … I will beat down that door. I need to see him.’ "

Kyle Busch‘s first question upon being reunited with his wife, even while bone protruded from the skin of his mangled right leg: "Is the baby OK?"

Her first thought was, "Thank God he’s alive."

"Yes, his feet and legs were messed up," she said, "but there was no neck injury, no head injury, he didn’t black out, so it was just that blessing that not everything was OK, but he was alive, he was with us and we were going to move through it."

The uphill weeks that have followed for Kyle and Samantha Busch since that frantic Feb. 21 have been filled with intense rehabilitation and a fair share of tears, but all overarched by a comforting sense of gratitude as the couple awaits the arrival of their first child in mid-May. It’s why when the 29-year-old driver appeared Wednesday for his first interview session since the crash, his wife was the first person he singled out to thank.

"We are very fortunate. We’re blessed," Kyle Busch said. "We know that with our lives that we have being in the Sprint Cup Series, me being a driver here, us being married, us being blessed now with the opportunity to go through (in vitro fertilization) as she’s mentioned in her blogs and whatnot that we’re going to have our first son here in a little bit, everything seems to be a challenge. It doesn’t seem like anything ever comes easy, yet we power through it. We strive as hard as we can. We dig deep and we make it all happen.

"It might not seem 70 and sunny and peaches and roses on the outside, or it does seem that way I should say, but maybe sometimes it’s not all that way on the inside of things. In retrospect, we’re very blessed."

Pleasant weather, fresh fruit and flowers aside, the continuing road back to being race-ready hasn’t been glass-smooth. Things were especially difficult early on. The couple was so overwrought in the hours after the crash that doctors at the Florida hospital lovingly checked the baby’s heartbeat to assure them. The first week since the crash brought two surgeries in two different states, with rods, screws and plates to hold everything together.

The family held together, too. Kyle Busch credited Samantha for being an unofficial alternate physical therapist, encouraging him to push his limits in his workouts. She was also there for the biggest moments of his recovery — beside him when he first stood, holding his hand during his first steps since mid-February.

"It was a challenge because I’m not as agile as I was either," Samantha Busch said, motioning toward her stomach, now at approximately the eight-month mark of pregnancy. "I’ve got this big beach ball with me now, so helping him to get stuff or if I was tired, I just put it to the side and both of us just do what you’ve got to do to get ready for the baby, to prepare for him going back. We’re a team. We’re fighters."

Kyle Busch‘s newfound mobility has eased the process of late. Having him home has, too, Samantha said, even though she light-heartedly groused about him voicing contrary opinions regarding pressing domestic matters such as decorating the nursery.

It might be tough to tell what the "new normal" will be for the Busches, even when Kyle resumes his full-time job crisscrossing the nation’s speedways to drive the No. 18 Toyota. In a few weeks, their family dynamic will become a party of three — a life-altering change sure to bring more excitement (and likely sleepless nights) to their household.

Amid all the bustle — past, present and commotion-to-be — the two have thrived by simply staying positive.

"We’ve definitely made the best out of it," she said. "That’s what you have to do in a situation like this. There’s no point in being upset or moping — it’s not going to change it. He’s just been great at working hard and getting back and I’m so proud of him."

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Posted on by Zack Albert

Points deductions, fines reduced; suspensions stand

RELATED: Read the official statement from the appeals panel

CONCORD, N.C. — A three-member panel upheld P5-level penalties against Richard Childress Racing‘s No. 31 Chevrolet team Thursday, leaving the classification of the infraction unchanged, but reducing the points deduction and fines associated with tire violations after the March 22 race at Auto Club Speedway.

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel — which heard testimony from both RCR and NASCAR for nearly seven hours Thursday at the NASCAR Research & Development Center — decided that Childress’ group did not provide sufficient evidence to overturn the original ruling, but the three-member group did amend part of the punishment handed down by NASCAR on March 31.

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In the original decision, NASCAR docked Ryan Newman 75 points in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver standings and assessed the same 75-point deduction to team namesake Richard Childress in the car owner standings. Both of those penalties were reduced to 50-point penalties by the three-member panel, which moves Newman up from 24th to 20th in the Sprint Cup driver standings.

The panel also reduced the $125,000 fine assessed to No. 31 crew chief Luke Lambert to $75,000, but kept his suspension for six points-paying Sprint Cup races intact. RCR tire technician James Bender and team engineer Philip Surgen also drew six-race bans, which were unaltered by the panel. All three remain on probation through Dec. 31.

The panel stated in its decision that it adjusted the points and monetary penalties "because there is no written explanation of what constitutes a post-race inspection." In RCR’s situation, the tires in question were taken during the event for an off-track audit and not during a traditional post-race technical inspection.

Lambert made a statement after the ruling was announced, taking no questions but saying the team would weigh its options. Richard Childress Racing has the recourse of making a final appeal for further reduction or removal of the penalties to National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer Bryan Moss. The team must make that decision within 10 days.

"I’d like to say I’m thankful today to have had the opportunity to present our facts to the appeals panel," Lambert said, "and I appreciate their consideration of those facts in making the decision to reduce the fine and reduce the points penalty based on the decision and the facts that were presented. However, I am disappointed in the decision not to completely overturn the penalty based on the facts that were presented today.

"At this point in time, we’re going to consider our options and discuss as a group what we’re going to do moving forward." 

The rotating three-member panel for Thursday’s hearing was composed of John Capels, former president and chairman of the board for the U.S. Auto Club; Hunter Nickell, former president of the SPEED Channel; and Dale Pinilis, longtime operator of historic Bowman Gray Stadium, a weekly NASCAR track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

NASCAR said it discovered an infraction after an audit of tires taken from the March 22 race at Auto Club Speedway. The revelation came amid growing buzz in the Sprint Cup garage that some teams were modifying and illegally "bleeding" tires to achieve more consistent air pressures, thereby potentially improving balance, grip and durability. 

Because the violations involved one of the so-called Big Three of off-limits areas — engines, fuel and tires — NASCAR’s punishment was among the most severe categories possible in its deterrence system, which was unveiled before the 2014 season. 

Last week before the hearing, Childress said that his organization was "confident we have a very compelling case to present to the appeals panel. We strongly believe in the intent of the rules and the integrity of our own teams while following those same rules." That stance echoed that of RCR president Torrey Galida, who said after the penalties were announced that his company "has been one of the most outspoken opponents against ‘tire bleeding’ since the rumors began to surface last season." 

The team’s case, if not compelling, certainly appeared comprehensive as Childress & Co. arrived at the R&D Center just before its scheduled 8:30 a.m. ET start time. Lambert carried in large poster boards as part of his exhibit, and crewmembers wheeled at least two Goodyear tires into the building while other team personnel carried in thick folders of paperwork. 

The original infraction concerned three areas in the 2015 NASCAR Rule Book — two in Section 20.16 regarding the illegal modification of wheels and tires, and the catch-all Section 12.1 for "actions detrimental to stock car racing." NASCAR officials did not conduct tire audits after last weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, but did so for the previous three events, in some instances sending those tires to an outside agency for further evaluation.

Thursday’s decision comes two days after the three-member panel reduced penalties assessed to Circle Sport Racing, a Childress-affiliated team, from the more serious P4 level to P2-grade infractions for using an unapproved truck trailing arm during the same Auto Club race weekend.

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P5 penalty upheld; points, fines against No. 31 team reduced

RELATED: P5 penalty upheld against No. 31 team

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel today heard and considered the appeal of a P5 penalty issued on March 31, 2015 to Richard Childress (owner), Ryan Newman (driver), Lucas Lambert (crew chief), James Bender (tire technician) and Philip Surgen (race engineer) relative to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series vehicle #31 at Auto Club Speedway.

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The penalty concerns the following sections in the 2015 NASCAR rule book:

12.1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
20.16: Wheels and tires
            A. Any device, modification, or procedure to the tire or wheel, including the valve stem hardware, that is used to release pressure, beyond normal pressure adjustments, from the tire and/or inner shield, will not be permitted.
20.16.2: Tires
            F. Modifications to the tires, by treatment or any other means, will not be permitted.
 
12.5.3.5.2: Minimum P5 Penalty Options (includes all four points below):
 
            A. Loss of 50 championship driver and owner points, regardless of whether the violation occurred during a Championship race or not
            B. $75,000-$125,000 fine
            C. Suspension for the next six series Championship Races, plus any non-championship races or special events which might occur during that time period, for the crew chief and any other team members as determined by NASCAR
            D. Probation through the end of the calendar year for all suspended members, or for a six-month period following the issuance of the penalty notice if that period spans across two consecutive seasons
 
12.5.3.5.3: P5 Level infractions detected during post-race inspection:

If the infraction is detected during post-race inspection, then the following penalty elements will be added to those listed previously in this section:
            A. Loss of an additional 25 Championship driver and owner points; regardless of whether it was a Championship Race or not
            B. Loss of an additional $50,000
 
The original penalty assessed included a $125,000 ($75,000 plus $50,000) fine, six-race suspension and probation through Dec. 31 to Lambert; six-race suspension and probation through Dec. 31 to both Bender and Surgen; and the loss of 75 (50 plus 25) championship car owner and 75 (50 plus 25) championship driver points to both Childress and Newman.
 
Upon hearing the testimony, the decisions of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel are:
 
1. The Appellants violated the Rule or Rules set forth in the Penalty Notice and it is a P5 level violation.
2. The Panel amends the original Penalty levied by NASCAR because there is no written explanation of what constitutes a post-race inspection. Therefore the Penalty elements added under Section 12.5.3.5.3. are removed and the Penalty adjusted to:
-Loss of 50 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Car Owner points for Richard Childress.
-Loss of 50 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Driver points for Ryan Newman.
-$75,000 fine.  Suspended for the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Races, plus any non-Championship Races or Special Events which might occur during that time period.  Placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31 for crew chief Lucas Lambert.
– Suspended for the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Races, plus any non-Championship Races or Special Events which might occur during that time period.  Placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31 for Tire Technician James Bender.
-Suspended for the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Races, plus any non-Championship Races or Special Events which might occur during that time period.  Placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31 for Race Engineer Philip Surgen.
 
The panel consisted of the following three individuals:
Mr. John Capels
Mr. Hunter Nickell
Mr. Dale Pinilis
 
The Appellants have the right to appeal the decision of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel to the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer in accordance with Section 15 of the NASCAR rule book.

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NASCAR.com takes a look at some of the sport’s widlest race conclusions

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

NASCAR fans have witnessed some exciting, unexpected and downright crazy finishes over the years. One of the most recent strangest finishes came last season at Bristol Motor Speedway: Carl Edwards was leading with two laps to go when the the caution lights were accidently triggered. Minutes later, rain began to fall, causing the race to end under caution and handing the victory to Edwards.

In honor of NASCAR’s return to the Tennessee track for the spring event this weekend, NASCAR.com has put together some of the wildest finishes in the sport’s history.

1974 Firecracker 400 (Daytona, Sprint Cup Series)
On the second to last lap of the 1974 Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway, David Pearson had the lead on Richard Petty, but suddenly dropped back, leaving Petty to inherit the lead. As Petty’s lead grew larger and larger, it appeared that the future seven-time Cup champion was going to take the checkered — until the final turn. Pearson’s No. 21 ride came back to life, shooting beside Petty off Turn 4 and then finally past the No. 43 car to take the checkered. But the race wasn’t over — behind the top-finishing duo, another battle was taking place for third-place between Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough. The pair fought for third-place, eventually crossing the start/finish line at the exact same time, prompting NASCAR to declare an official tie for third.

1991 Banquet Frozen Foods 300 (Sonoma, Sprint Cup Series)
Davey Allison and Ricky Rudd were the top two contenders for the win in the final laps during the 1991 Banquet Frozen Foods 300 at Sonoma Raceway. Coming to the white flag off Turn 11, Rudd tapped Allison, causing the No. 28 car to spin out. Rudd took over the lead, but Allison quickly rebounded from the spin and maintained the second position. When Rudd crossed the start/finish line on the final lap, he expected to be handed the checkered flag. Instead, he was shown the black flag for flagrant conduct and NASCAR handed the checkered flag — and the win — to runner-up finisher Allison. The call remains one of the most controversial in the history of the sport.

1994 Goody’s 250 (Bristol, XFINITY Series)
Mark Martin was leading the XFINITY Series Goody’s 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway when the caution flag was waved with two laps to go.  Martin had dominated the race at the short track, having started from the pole position and led a race-high 195 laps. Thinking the race was over, Martin pulled onto pit road on the final lap. His surprising decision left underdog David Green to take the checkered flag for the second time in his XFINITY career, while Martin was left with a 11th-place finish.

2005 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 (Daytona, Camping World Truck Series)
Jimmy Spencer led the field to green during the final green-white-checkered attempt of the 2005 Camping World Truck Series’ Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway. But Bobby Hamilton was gaining ground on the No. 2 car. Just as the white flag waved, a wreck occurred near the start/finish line, bringing out the caution. Thinking he had won, Spencer drove his car into Victory Lane, only to discover that NASCAR had declared Hamilton the winner after review. Spencer was forced to reverse his truck out of Victory Lane and Hamilton wheeled his No. 04 ride in there for a delayed celebration.

2011 U.S. Cellular 250 (Iowa, XFINITY Series)
Up in front, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. looked like he was going to take the checkered flag during the 2011 XFINITY U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. But unexpected trouble found the No. 6 car, as Stenhouse blew a motor just before crossing the line. Second-place Carl Edwards ran into the back of the No. 6, pushing Stenhouse across the start/finish line first. The shove handed Stenhouse the unexpected win, leaving Edwards with a runner-up finish.

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Ralph Sheheen to join champion crew chief on Modified events

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

NBC Sports announced Wednesday that NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee and three-time premier series champion Ray Evernham will analyze 14 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour events this season with longtime motorsports broadcaster Ralph Sheheen.

The Whelen Modified Tour celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2015, and Evernham and Sheheen will begin their partnership by calling the season-opening Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, Connecticut on Saturday at 12:30 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

"We’re thrilled to continue our 2015 NASCAR Touring Series with the knowledge and experience of Ray Evernham and Ralph Sheheen behind the microphone," Jeff Behnke, vice president of NASCAR Production for NBC Sports and NBCSN, said in network statement. "This is a win for all race fans and the enthusiastic followers of the Whelen Modified Tours."    

Crew chief for Jeff Gordon‘s first three titles, 47 wins and two Daytona 500s and the owner who spearheaded Dodge’s return to the sport in 2000, Evernham began his career working on short track cars as a 15-year-old.

"I grew up watching and racing modifieds and still get goose bumps every time I watch them race," said Evernham. "I am really looking forward to being part of NBCSN’s motorsports coverage."

Evernham and Sheheen, who has broadcast motorsports on national TV for 27 years and is the owner of SPEED SPORT, join an NBC team that includes analysts Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Kyle Petty and Dale Jarrett, race announcer Rick Allen, pre- and post-race host Krista Voda and pit road reporters Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Mike Massaro and Dave Burns.

"Big power, open wheels and passionate fans—the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours might be the coolest series in racing," said Sheheen.  "Ray and I are going to have a lot of fun calling these races." 

Check out a complete list of Modified events on the NBCSN schedule. All times are ET.

Series Track Telecast Date Time
Whelen Modified Tour Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Sat., April 17 12:30 a.m.
Whelen Modified Tour Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Thurs., June 18 6 p.m.
Whelen Modified Tour Riverhead Raceway Thurs., July 2 7 p.m.
Whelen Modified Tour (All-Star) New Hampshire Motor Speedway Thurs., July 23 4 p.m.
Whelen Modified Tour New Hampshire Motor Speedway Thurs., July 23 6 p.m.
Whelen Modified Tour Monadnock Speedway Thurs., July 30 7 p.m.
Whelen Southern Modified Tour Bowman Gray Stadium Fri., Aug. 7 2:30 p.m.
Whelen Mod-Whelen So. Mod. Bristol Motor Speedway Fri., Aug. 28 7 p.m.
Whelen Southern Modified Tour Langley Speedway Fri., Sept. 11 2:30 p.m.
Whelen Southern Modified Tour South Boston Speedway Thurs., Sept. 28 7 p.m.
Whelen Modified Tour New Hampshire Motor Speedway Thurs., Oct. 1 7 p.m.
Whelen Modified Tour Stafford Motor Speedway Sat., Oct. 10 4 p.m.
Whelen Southern Modified Tour Charlotte Motor Speedway (.25-mile) Thurs., Oct. 15 7 p.m.
Whelen Modified Tour Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Thurs., Oct. 22 8 p.m.

On July 23, 2013, NASCAR and NBC Sports Group reached a comprehensive agreement that grants NBCUniversal exclusive rights to the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR XFINITY Series events, select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events and other live content, beginning in 2015.   

With this partnership, NBC’s 20 Sprint Cup race schedule includes a designation as the exclusive home to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, when the elite national series races through its final 10 events of the season.  The Chase culminates with the season-ending championship event, which returns to network television in 2015 for the first time since 2009. Of NBC Sports Group’s 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, seven will be carried on NBC annually, with 13 airing on NBCSN. Four of NBC Sports Group’s 19 NASCAR XFINITY Series races will air on NBC, with 15 airing on NBCSN.
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Posted on by Staff Report

Samantha Busch: ‘The second he saw me, it wasn’t about him’

MORE: Timeline of driver’s recovery

Kyle Busch and wife Samantha spoke to media Wednesday morning for the first time since his accident at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 21.

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In an interview with Charlotte NBC affiliate WCNC, the couple discussed how they have had to lean on each other with Samantha eight months pregnant and Kyle sleeping in a hospital bed in the living room while rehabbing a compound fracture of the right lower leg and a left mid-foot fracture following a crash during the first NASCAR XFINITY Series race of the season.

"It’s entirely weird, really," the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing driver said. "It’s just something that you never think can happen or that you dream of but sometimes life throws weird things toward you so you just deal with it and you go on."

Samantha recounted the first time she saw her husband after the accident and how the expectant father first thought of his baby boy.

"It was really hard to see him like that," Samantha said. "The second he saw me, it wasn’t about him. He said, ‘Is the baby OK?’ "

 Kyle remembered the moment differently.

"Well, I said, ‘Are you and him OK?’

"When I was in the hospital, they wouldn’t let her back for a while," Kyle continued. "And so finally they brought her back, and once they brought her back, then it obviously relieves her nerves a little bit and is able to give her some calming that I’m here. I’m fine.

"We got issues, but I’m OK."

As they prepare for their first child, the driver noted the couple has had more to do away from the track than they would during a typical season.

"We’ve made the best of the situation," Kyle said. "Actually we feel like we’re more busy being at home than we would be if we were traveling on the road every weekend."

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