Posted on by Staff Report

ISC CEO briefs international media on the reimagining of an American icon

Hundreds of international media members got an in-depth look at the vision behind the $400 million DAYTONA Rising project from International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa France Kennedy at the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans press conference in France this morning.

Many of those same media will be among the first to experience the finished product, as the 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 30-31 will be the inaugural event in what has been dubbed the "World’s First Modern Motorsports Stadium."
 
"DAYTONA Rising is the complete re-creation of the Daytona International Speedway, home of the Rolex 24 At Daytona," Kennedy said. "DAYTONA Rising will fundamentally change how our guests experience our races, and transform the quality of entertainment at our flagship racing facility."
 
In addition to providing specifics of the DAYTONA Rising project, Kennedy gave the media a brief glimpse at the history of Daytona International Speedway, which opened in 1959 under the direction of her grandfather, Bill France Sr. She made a point to clarify the importance of the word "International" in the names of both the Daytona International Speedway and International Speedway Corporation.
 
"My grandfather dreamed of more," she said. "He imagined and then created a 2.5-mile race track with 31-degree banking in the turns, an engineering concept never seen before. He was not satisfied with creating the most important track in stock car racing, however. He wanted his sparkling new facility to play a major role in international motorsports.
 
"To further that end, he came up with a brand-new concept of creating a road course on the infield so Daytona could host sports car and motorcycle racing."
 
Daytona International Speedway has hosted major international sports car races since 1962 and 24-hour races since 1966. The 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona will be the 54th running, but few will be as greatly anticipated.
 
"We are taking guests to new heights — literally — creating sightlines never before experienced," Kennedy said. "In motorsports, the best seats in the house often are at the very top. Our brand new fourth level provides views of the entire track, including the road course, and on a clear day, even the Atlantic Ocean.
 
"Three new concourse levels will span the frontstretch with 11 social areas that we’re calling ‘neighborhoods,’ each the size of a football field. For those who visited us this past January, you may have gotten an early look. You won’t believe your eyes when you return in January 2016.

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18-year-old will take full control of No. 8 Chevrolet in Truck Series

One day following his 18th birthday (June 11), John Hunter Nemechek will settle back in the driver’s seat of the No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet for good.

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Nemechek, who has been sharing seat time with his father Joe in the No. 8 truck, will grow old enough to be eligible to finish the remainder of the NCWTS schedule beginning in Saturday’s American Ethanol presents the Drivin’ for Linemen 200 brought to you by Ameren at Gateway Motorsports Park (8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM).

The NASCAR Next member will spend his first day as a legal adult, not celebrating, but doing what he does every day – improving himself as a race car driver.

"I’ll be here at the race shop working on my birthday," Nemechek said. "We’re non-stop working, trying to get these trucks done, trying to make everything better, so we can go out and contend for wins."

If Nemechek races as well at Gateway on Saturday as he did last season, he has a very good chance at visiting Victory Lane. He led 53 laps before a late spin relegated him to 15th. In the process he drew praise on Twitter from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick.

"How cool is it watching @JohnNemechek leading at Gateway in the @CampingWorld Truck Series race! Go get ’em kid!", Stewart tweeted.

Nemechek, who will be competing in his third race this season feels ready to attack the 1.25-mile track.

"Last year at Gateway we ran very well," he said. "We made huge improvements from hitting the fence in the first lap of practice to contending for a win. We had an unfortunate event that happened at the end of the race that put us out of contention, but I’m really looking forward to going back this year. It’s a very fun place. Both corners are different so you have to get you’re truck handling in both.

"It’s more of a driver’s track. You’ll see some guys struggle and some guys will prevail. I’m really looking forward to going back."

Posted on by Nascar

Bruce: Challenges run deep for two-car organization

After 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, Clint Bowyer finds himself 17th in the points standings, a position that’s better than a lot of folks in the garage today.

By picking up one or more spots between now and the fall race at Richmond, Bowyer would likely find himself in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. 

Of course, a win would all but seal the deal as well. But there’s a long stretch of lonesome asphalt between the Michael Waltrip Racing driver’s current residence and Victory Lane these days.

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Competitive isn’t a term that’s been over-used this season at MWR when it comes to the organization’s two Sprint Cup Series teams. Bowyer has managed only three top-10 finishes, no top-fives, and has led just two laps in 2015.

The No. 15 team has been MWR’s best this season, and that tells you all you need to know about the current status of the Cornelius, North Carolina-based group, co-owned by Michael Waltrip and Rob Kaufmann.

The group’s second entry, the No. 55, has been fighting to find its footing since the beginning of the season, with no apparent success. Primary driver Brian Vickers has been sidelined by yet another bout of blood clots — his return isn’t expected this season — and the team’s roster has featured three different drivers in his absence. David Ragan, the former Front Row Motorsports driver who took a short stint driving in relief of the injured Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing, is the most recent to settle into the seat, and only time will tell if stability provides any benefits.

On Tuesday, MWR announced a crew chief swap between its two teams, moving Billy Scott from the No. 55 to the 15 and Brian Pattie from the 15 to the 55.

Pattie’s been to Victory Lane — once with former Sprint Cup driver Juan Pablo Montoya and three times with Bowyer. Scott, the former lead engineer for the No. 55, was handed the reins of that team after the conclusion of the 2013 season. 

It’s a different approach, if not exactly a new one. Crew chief changes are one of the first lines of defense a team tries when results fail to meet expectations. 

Team chemistry is one of the few things that can’t be measured on a set-up plate or with a template. No one knew that pairing crew chief Cole Pearn with driver Martin Truex Jr. this year at Furniture Row Racing would produce substantial results. Yet Truex just ended a 69-race winless streak, sits second in the points standings and has led the most laps in the past four Sprint Cup Series races. 

But while Pearn has proven to be a big plus for Furniture Row, his addition isn’t the only reason behind the turnaround. The team is also putting fast race cars on the track each week. Competitive cars. 

MWR currently is not. 

Given that some drivers have been unable to find their comfort zone with the new rules package for 2015, perhaps that’s worth consideration as well. But no one, save for the unheralded Brett Moffitt, has managed to crack the top 10 in the team’s No. 55, suggesting that the problem goes deeper than the drivers’ ability to adapt to the new less-horsepower, lower downforce platform. 

"We’ve got to make our cars better," Bowyer said during a break in Wednesday’s open test at Darlington Raceway.

It’s a refrain the 36-year-old has made on more than one occasion this year.

Asked who was ultimately responsible for such matters, Bowyer took a side street if not the high road, choosing instead to confirm how much he’s looking forward to working with Scott. 

"Yeah, but we did change crew chiefs. … Billy’s a quiet guy but he’s a fun person. He’s a very, very smart person, very capable of doing this job," Bowyer said. 

Changing crew chiefs might solve some of the MWR’s ills. It remains to be seen whether it will cure the disease.

Posted on by Fraser Nye

CMO Phelps: ‘With her strong leadership skills, she’s perfect for the job’

RELATED: Jill Gregory tapped to lead NASCAR Marketing

NASCAR announced Thursday that Jill Gregory will assume the leadership of NASCAR Marketing as senior vice president, marketing and industry services. She will replace Kim Brink, who has been named chief executive officer of Global Team Ford, the WPP-owned group of agencies dedicated to Ford.

Gregory will continue to retain oversight over industry services and lead the sanctioning body’s Driver Star Power initiative. As part of her current role, she has helped lead the rollout of initiatives created by NASCAR Marketing, which makes her a perfect fit for her new responsibilities, according to NASCAR Chief Marketing Officer Steve Phelps.

"With the opportunities on the marketing side in industry services, there is some overlap there, and given her skill set, she can bring those two groups together and be integrated," Phelps said. "And we’ll be stronger as a sport or as an entity than we had been before.

"In our overall marketing, whether it’s our brand marketing, our advertising or the marketing on the industry services/Driver Star Power side, we’ve had two excellent leaders in Jill and Kim. And the output has been extraordinary. Combining the two will give us the opportunity to create something even better, which is a high bar. I have no doubt that Jill and her team will exceed it."

As Gregory transitions into her new role, she looks forward to combining the strengths of the industry services and marketing groups to create something greater than the sum of their parts.

"The goal and the opportunity here is to just make the two groups stronger together than they were individually so as Steve mentioned, the partnership that we already had with the marketing team was very strong," Gregory said. "There’s a potential that it could be even more efficient and more impactful to the industry with the two groups together.

"Kim has built a great team, and I’m really excited to add that group to the strong team that we already have on the industry services side and make us better than ever."

The new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format, launched in 2014, is an example of how the two groups have worked together in the past and may work together more closely under Gregory’s leadership.

"We already have been a big part of those discussions as it relates to Chase creative. Having the two groups together is just going to increase our efficiency," Gregory said. "It’s going to increase our ability to take some of those campaigns out to the industry earlier and let them take advantage of the time, all the resources and tools that NASCAR has that are available to them."

In her new role, Gregory will report to Phelps and continue to report to NASCAR Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell. As she "builds on an already strong partnership" between industry services and marketing, she noted that this move speaks to the talent and leadership within NASCAR and the industry.

"This news is exciting from a NASCAR point of view because it’s a testament to Steve Phelps, Steve O’Donnell and the amount of talent that we’ve been building within our leadership group," Gregory said. "It’s a testament to our focus on building talent within NASCAR and promoting that talent, and it says good things to everybody across the organization because there are opportunities to continue to grow and to make an impact, and that’s being recognized by the top leadership."

Her industry services group has created opportunities for its team members and strengthened NASCAR by moving to other areas of the organization. In 2013, Jimmy Small was named president of Iowa Speedway after working in Gregory’s group. Earlier this year, Chad Seigler moved from vice president of team marketing services to vice president of business development, working with Chief Sales Officer Jim O’Connell, playing a critical role in securing the new NASCAR Sprint Cup entitlement sponsor.

A native of California, Gregory was a driving power in NASCAR even before joining the sanctioning body in July of 2007. As Sprint NEXTEL’s director of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series marketing program, she managed all of the elements of rebranding the sport’s premier series in 2003. As senior vice president of motorsports marketing with Bank of America, Gregory negotiated the bank’s entry into NASCAR and established sponsorship relationships with the sport, teams and tracks.

Phelps acknowledged Brink’s efforts over the last four years, and he believes Gregory’s work with Brink’s team make her the best person for the position.

"Kim came in and revamped our marketing group and hired Ogilvy and did some great creative, and we’ve got some great marketing platforms that her group now manages," Phelps said. "A lot of the execution (of those platforms) on the industry side is through Jill’s group, whether you’re talking about NASCAR Green, NASCAR: An American Salute or the Chase efforts. It’s baked by the marketing group, and Jill’s group is one that has to get it executed and integrated throughout the industry.

"Bringing the groups together will be fantastic, and with her strong leadership skills, she’s perfect for the job."

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No. 78 gets his win, but the postseason is different

RELATED: Truex breaks through for Pocono win | Drivers rally around Truex

Martin Truex Jr. broke through for an emotional win on Sunday at Pocono that virtually assured the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet would be in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. But now that he has secured a winner sticker for his car, is Truex considered a legitimate championship contender for the fall?

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In the latest Head-to-Head, George Winkler and Jerry Snow offer their views on Truex, who has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Read their opinions, then duke it out for yourself in the comments section below.

Winkler: Hey Jerry, welcome to our virtual version of UFC’s Octagon. I’d like to kick things off by saying that typically I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy. Therefore, yes I’m buying into Truex being a championship contender. However, besides my penchant for being optimistic, another reason to believe in the No. 78 is because there hasn’t been a reason not to believe in the No. 78 this season. Thirteen top-10 finishes in the first 14 races will do that for you. Plus, Truex has posted the most laps led in each of the past three races. His car has been fast, and his results have been anything but fluky. 

Snow: Thanks George, now let’s rumble. Truex is one of the best stories of the season, but he’s not ready for prime time. He has only three career wins and this is his 10th full-time season. Truex must develop an edge before he can be a champion. Right now, it seems like he’s just happy to be here. Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick are the class of the field, and if you want to talk dark horses, I could see Joey Logano or Brad Keselowski (both have an edge) in the winner’s circle at Homestead before Truex. I’m happy for him that he finally broke through this year, but I don’t think anyone is ready to call Truex a "closer."

MORE H2H: Will Kyle Busch make the Chase?

Winkler: I’d also like to see Truex show some outward fire. But that doesn’t mean he lacks an inner fire. Truex has been through some difficult circumstances during the past couple of seasons. First, there’s his girlfriend Sherry Pollex’s battle against ovarian cancer. Before that, there was the huge setback after the Michael Waltrip Racing dustup in 2013 when Truex lost his ride. To witness how he has weathered both of those extremely difficult situations with dignity and class tells me that he’s tough enough to deal with the ebbs and flows of a championship Chase in the fall.

Snow: Maybe this is his time, but my gut tells me different. I’m not suggesting Truex is void of mental toughness, I just don’t think he hates losing as much as a Johnson, a Harvick or a Keselowski. Those guys couldn’t care less about a top 10 or even a top five. Over his career, Truex has finished among the top 10 more than 30 percent of the time (108 out of 347 starts), but he’s won less than 1 percent of the races he’s entered. At this stage in his career, Truex is conditioned to be satisfied with top 10s; he’s obviously still learning how to win races. At 35 years old, I don’t think his window of opportunity is closed, but until I see a sense of urgency, I’m going to expect the same results.

Winkler: There’s no doubt it will be a challenge for Truex to compete with champions like Johnson, Harvick and Keselowski down the stretch. But there’s something clicking with Truex and crew chief Cole Pearn. I think that relationship has rejuvenated Truex and was exactly what he needed at this point in his career. As we saw last year with Team Penske’s drivers and Harvick, once they caught on to the new rules package they seemed to maintain an advantage throughout the season. Truex and Pearn have clearly honed in on something, and the only ones not playing catch-up are Harvick and Johnson. That is impressive for a one-car team based in Denver.

Snow: Truex and Pearn have figured some things out, and it’s been entertaining to watch an underdog outperform some of the icons of the industry. But can we really expect him to keep this up against the big dogs? Or looking at it another way, isn’t it just a matter of time before some of the established veterans like Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards put it together? Truex has the talent to win a championship one day, but it won’t be this year.

SHOP: Truex Jr. gear | WATCH: Truex recounts long road back to Victory Lane

Posted on by Staff Report

No. 9, No. 10 and No. 38 teams also hear from NASCAR after Pocono

RELATED: Knaus explains failed inspections at Pocono

Four NASCAR Sprint Cup teams were issued warnings after going through inspection too many times at Pocono Raceway during Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 race weekend.

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The No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team with driver Jimmie Johnson required more than three attempts to go through pre-race inspection. The team also was hit with a loss of 15 minutes of practice time for this weekend’s Quicken Loans 400 (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM) at Michigan International Speedway.

Sam Hornish Jr.’s No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports team also was warned for going through the inspection line too many times before the race.

The No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing team with pilot Danica Patrick and David Gilliland‘s No. 38 Front Row Motorsports squad were warned for failing inspection too many times before Coors Light Pole Qualifying. It’s the second warning of the season for the No. 10, which received one after the Daytona 500 for an unapproved left-side driver heat shield. In addition to the warning, the team will lose 15 minutes of practice time this weekend at Michigan.

The No. 48 team earned a P1 penalty for warnings in back-to-back weekends at Charlotte for modifying a side skirt and too many attempts at pre-qualifying inspection. NASCAR penalized the team by giving them the last pick of pit stall at Dover. But the team appealed, and on Tuesday, the National Motorsports Appeal Panel rescinded NASCAR’s penalty, wiping away the warning. The team also received a warning for a heat-shield infraction at Atlanta.

RELATED: No. 48 team wins P1 penalty appeal

If any team or person accumulates six or more warnings in a six-month period from the first warning, a P2 penalty could be issued by NASCAR, per the sanctioning body’s rule book. Eight or more warnings over a 12-month period may result in a P3 penalty.

Minimum P2 penalties include one or more of the following: loss of 10 driver and owner points whether or not the infraction occurred in a points-paying race; $10,000-$25,000 fine; suspension of crew chief and/or any other team members for one or more races and crew-chief probation for the remainder of the calendar year or six months if the period spans two consecutive seasons.

Minimum P3 penalties ratchet up to one or more of the following: loss of 15 driver and owner points whether or not the infraction occurred in a points-paying race; $10,000-$25,000 fine; suspension of crew chief and/or any other team members for one or more races and crew-chief probation for the remainder of the calendar year or six months if the period spans two consecutive seasons.

Posted on by Staff Report

How reducing horsepower hasn’t cut down on speed

RELATED: Visit Inside Track presented by Mobil 1 for more great content

How has NASCAR reduced horsepower in the cars yet still managed to maintain top speeds during the 2015 season?

Join Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR’s Senior VP, Innovation and Racing Development, as he discusses how the sanctioning body is working hard to provide better racing for the fans.

See a NASCAR wind tunnel in action and get the behind-the-scenes look at the 2015 changes in the latest video presented by Mobil 1.

Watch today’s video, which is part of NASCAR Inside Track presented by Mobil 1, then come back throughout the season for more in-depth looks at NASCAR from Mobil 1.

 

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No. 88 Chevrolet goes patriotic for Coke Zero 400

BUY: Earnhardt’s Daytona paint scheme

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s paint scheme for the Coke Zero 400 was just released and the No. 88 Chevrolet wiil be appropriately themed for the event as it goes for a patriotic look. 

The Coke Zero 400 is at 7:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 5 at Daytona International Speedway (NBC). It will be the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race televised on NBC this season.

For more Sprint Cup coverage stay tuned to this weekend’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday (FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM).

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Sprint Cup star to work Michigan race, Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1

RELATED: TV schedule for June 8-14 | BUY: Patrick gear

Q: Danica, you will be making your first appearance in the booth during the NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Saturday, June 13 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM). You are so accustomed to getting ready to drive, any nerves as you prepare to join the broadcast team on FS1?

DANICA PATRICK: "I wouldn’t really say I’m nervous. I enjoy trying new things, and I’m looking forward to getting in the booth and sharing my perspective with all the fans watching at home."

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Q: Fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers — Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski — have already joined the broadcast team as guest analysts this year. Any key takeaways from watching those guys?

DP: "Those guys have definitely done a great job so far this year, and it’s been great to hear their insight each week as I watched the XFINITY races. I think there are definitely a few things I’ve picked up from watching each of them, and we’ll see how well I can put that to use on Saturday."

Q: Your teammate, Kevin Harvick, has been in the booth a number of times this year, has he given you any tips?

DP: "Kevin and I talked a bit at Dover a couple weeks ago. I went up to the booth while he was there for the XFINITY race just to see what it was like so I know what to expect this weekend. He showed me a few things and gave me a few pointers."

Q: You will be joining the booth with another former driver in Michael Waltrip. What can you expect when working with him this weekend?

DP: "Michael is always a fun guy to be around so I expect we’ll have a good time up in the booth."

Q: Is working in television something that may interest you in the future?

DP: "One lesson I’ve learned is to never say never, and it’s always good to explore different things to see what you might like doing so we’ll see."

Q: The NASCAR XFINITY Series is off to a great start, and has been coined "the series where names are made." Are there any young drivers that you are looking forward to watching?

DP: "There’s definitely a lot of great talent in the XFINITY Series. I watch most of the races, but I wouldn’t say there’s any one particular driver that I’m focused on watching — I’m usually more focused on watching how the race as a whole plays out."

Q: The race will be run at one of the fastest races on the circuit, Michigan International Speedway. Are there any specific challenges that track presents for NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers?

DP: "Michigan is a wide, fast track. There’s lots of room to move around and try different lines. I think it’s a momentum track, and you have to focus on being smooth. At the end of the day, the car has to handle well. It has to feel good. It has to be a fast car. I think those are the challenges — getting your car to handle well and being smooth and consistent, lap after lap, at such a fast track."

Q: You started your NASCAR career in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (once called the Nationwide Series). How important was your experience in the series before you made the jump to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series?

DP: "Racing in the XFINITY Series was very important to the development of my NASCAR career. Moving over to stock cars from the IndyCar Series was a huge jump for me, and having that time at the XFINITY level really helped prepare me for the move up to the Sprint Cup Series."

Q: Can you give an early assessment of your team’s performance throughout this season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series?

DP: "It’s been an interesting year so far. We’ve had a few tough weekends, and we’ve also had some races that started out rough, but then we were able to turn things around and ended up finishing pretty well. Daniel (Knost, crew chief) and I are both still relatively green in our current roles and we’re still continuing to work on our communication and how we work together as a team."

Posted on by Nascar

Drivers unhappy after failing to put down a lap in final session at Pocono

Is there yet another change in store for NASCAR’s qualifying format?

That appears to be the case in light of one official’s comments earlier this week on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s morning show, The Morning Drive.

Steve O’Donnell, executive vice president and chief racing development officer for NASCAR, said the sanctioning body is looking at the format following last week’s qualifying program at Pocono Raceway.

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Five drivers had failed to complete an official qualifying lap in the time allotted when officials ended the session due to a spin by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin.

In addition to Hamlin, six-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick teammate Kasey Kahne, JGR’s Kyle Busch and Team Penske’s Joey Logano also failed to post a time in the final round.

Because Hamlin’s incident occurred in the final round, those failing to complete a lap were slotted into the final five spots inside the top 12 (eighth through 12th), based on their best time in the previous round. So although Hamlin’s spin was the reason for the caution and prevented others from completing their laps, his eighth-place starting position was highest among those not completing their laps.

“It’s something that we are going to look at because the rules were in place, and you always see something new,” O’Donnell said. “In this case, is it the right decision to have a driver, not on purpose, but they cause a caution and therefore qualify ahead of two or three drivers who may have not been able to go out and qualify?

“So some folks could say that’s on them. They should have gone out earlier (in the session). But you also have to look at it, is that the right move?”

O’Donnell said conversations about a possible change have already begun “and we’ll have a decision here shortly.”

The format, with only the fastest 12 advancing into the final round, provides something of a safety net, according to Hamlin.

“Knowing that you can only go back to like 12th makes you just put it on the line a little bit more in these qualifying sessions,” he said. “I went for it and just stepped over that line a little bit.”

Logano, who has started on the front row (in positions 1-2) seven times this year through 14 events, wasn’t happy with the turn of events.

“Because a car spins out and they throw a red flag for it and then you don’t get an opportunity to go out and make a lap, I don’t understand it,” he said. “It makes me mad. I don’t get it. We didn’t even have a chance to try to put our car up front.”

Martin Truex Jr., Sunday’s race winner and one of seven that did post an official time in the final round, said afterward that he wasn’t aware of Hamlin’s spin.

“I imagine if I was in that position I would probably be a little bit upset,” the Furniture Row Racing driver said. “At the same time there was plenty of time before that to make a lap. … I’m sure there will be some talking going on with NASCAR from the drivers that didn’t make the lap and come up with a way to resolve it I suppose in the future. I guess I would be pretty mad if it was me. I can feel for those guys.”

Johnson said that while the incident was unfortunate, “as long as NASCAR is consistent through all three series then we will take our medicine and just deal with it.”

Contacted Wednesday, a NASCAR spokesperson said only “as we do every week, (we’re) looking at everything related to the event.”

Timing is Everything

Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway saw 25 penalties doled out to teams, four of which were for speeding on pit road.

Fortunately for two of the three teams tagged for excessive speed, the infractions occurred early enough in the race to likely not be a factor in the outcome.

Logano was the first driver hit with a pass-through penalty for speeding exiting pit road on Lap 22; the Team Penske driver worked his way back despite the loss of track position to eventually finish fourth.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth was flagged for speeding when coming onto pit road (Lap 28), but was sixth by the time the checkered flag appeared.

Richard Childress Racing driver Paul Menard was doubly unfortunate, receiving speeding penalties when entering pit road at Lap 26 and again at Lap 28 when he came in to serve the initial penalty.

Making matters worse, a lug nut cut the inner valve stem as he left pit road, forcing Menard to bring the No. 27 Chevrolet back to his pit stall a third time.

The resulting 31st-place finish was the team’s worst of the season and the third time he has failed to finish on the lead lap this year.

Unofficially, there have been 396 penalties called this year (excluding non-points events). There were 303 through the first 14 races last season.