2015 schedules and tickets

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Staff Report

Dates for all three national series unveiled with new network partners

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

The 2015 NASCAR national series schedules (non-points races noted in parentheses):

Posted on January 27, 2015 by George Winkler

There appears to be room for improvement between Toyota teams  

RELATED: Latest from Charlotte Media Tour

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Clint Bowyer disagreed with Kyle Busch‘s style of delivery, but when Busch said the Toyota teams of Michael Waltrip Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing were "idiots" for not working as closely together as other alliances, Bowyer couldn’t deny the importance of that type of collaboration in today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing.

The success of teams like Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing working together has provided a strong example to follow, with drivers from each of those four-car super teams claiming the past two championships and three of the past four. And like it or not, that could be putting more pressure on others to follow suit.  

"I wish we could go back to no simulation, no testing, show up with a group of guys and get the most out of a weekend," Bowyer said Tuesday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour presented by Technocom. "Unfortunately, those days are over. … The success, I’m afraid from here on out, is going to be in numbers."

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

Those numbers grew when Joe Gibbs Racing expanded to four Cup cars for the 2015 season, adding veteran driver Carl Edwards to a team of Busch, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth. Between JGR’s four Toyotas and Michael Waltrip Racing‘s two full-time cars, the teams appear to be better positioned to work together. But that’s not what’s happening, according to Busch.

 "I’m very vocal about it because I feel like we’re idiots by not continuing to work in the right direction in order to put our companies together and do the right things for Toyota and for all of us collectively," Busch said Monday. "Nothing has happened where Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing are going to collectively work together as in-depthly as Stewart-Haas Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are."

  Bowyer admitted HMS and SHR are setting the benchmark for team alliances, because, as he says, you’re racing against eight cars and their collective information when you take on those teams on a weekly basis. So what is it that MWR and JGR can do better?  

"No doubt, more data points would be potentially more helpful," MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman said. "That’s something that if we can work with our fellow Toyota teams to collaborate in that regard, we’d certainly like to do that. It’s really a three-legged stool between MWR, JGR and Toyota TRD as they call themselves. That’s kind of how we’re organized amongst ourselves as we look at all of those three points and what can you do to raise the level of those three together."

Michael Waltrip agreed with Kauffman that more could be done between the two teams.  

"Could we collaborate on more? Yes, and I think that’s ultimately the goal," Waltrip said. "I think everyone sees the success that organizations have by working together."

  But Waltrip pointed out that the super-team approach isn’t the only way to reach success in Sprint Cup.  

"Well, then you look at Roger’s (Penske) two cars and they do pretty good and there’s only two of them," Waltrip said. "We feel like that there’s going to be some advantages by collaborating with Gibbs more and we continue to work toward that." 

Of course Bowyer, in his own tongue-in-cheek way, had a suggestion for better cooperation between the teams.  

"If we could get Kyle to work better with us, I think it would be beneficial for sure," Bowyer said with a laugh.

MORE: Bowyer on Gordon: ‘It’s kind of like a divorce’

Posted on January 26, 2015 by

Is veteran next driver to change teams, thrive?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — By the time late January rolls around, most people have long since abandoned their New Year’s resolutions, an apathetic tone clear as they think to themselves, "I guess there’s always next year."

Carl Edwards is not like most people.

In addition to a new sense of rejuvenation so apparent it was practically dripping from the sleeves of his crisp, navy blue suit, the freshly minted driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is taking the popular New Year’s resolution phrase "New Year, New You" to a new level, tossing new team, new teammates, new manufacturer and new crew chief into the mix — and he couldn’t be more thrilled.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

"This year’s a little bit different," Edwards said Monday during the Charlotte Motor Speedway NASCAR Media Tour presented by Technocom. "It reminds me of my first year full time in the Cup Series. I feel like I’ve really got to prove myself. I feel a little anxious; a little nervous about it. It’s nice. I haven’t had that feeling for a long time and it’s a motivator. I’m as focused as I’ve ever been and I’m excited as I’ve ever been. This is a neat opportunity for me.

"I’m just excited to get to learn from these guys and get to race under the JGR banner for Toyota. We had a great test at Charlotte and I’m really ready to go. I’ve been wearing my driver’s suit a lot."

The veteran sounds like a kid itching for the first day of school, right down to wearing his new clothes before he even has to.

Edwards has every right to be excited for the 2015 season. After spending his entire premier series career with Roush Fenway Racing, his racing tenure seemed to hit a high mark in 2011 when he finished runner-up to Tony Stewart, stalling somewhat in the years since.

The 35-year-old was ready for a change of scenery, but needed some assurance that making such a landmark move would be the right choice.

Seeing the success of the sport’s newest champion, Kevin Harvick, switch organizations to helm a newly formed team and create a four-car organization — sound familiar? — certainly didn’t hurt.

"To make this decision, it’s obviously the toughest decision I’ve had to make in my life, period," Edwards said. "But I looked around and all these guys were making changes and doing very well. … Kevin and Ryan (Newman) this year basically switched teams and (finished) one-two. … Even if you take Tony Stewart‘s change, when he left Joe Gibbs Racing, I thought that was crazy. That didn’t even seem like it made any sense, but it spurred great performance. Joey Logano, he made a change; huge performance. At the same time, (former Roush teammate and current JGR teammate) Matt Kenseth came over and filled Joey’s seat and his performance went through the roof.

"I didn’t understand that until we first made the announcement. I got that feeling … of ‘Man, I’ve got to go prove myself.’ That little bit of insecurity that every driver walks around with for a long time. I hadn’t had that feeling for a while and I’m curious to see if that’s it. But either way I hope I can do the same thing that those guys have done and have a great year." 

With Harvick being the ultimate example of what a change of scenery can do, Edwards perhaps will identify a little closer with Kenseth’s situation of two seasons ago.

After Kenseth made the jump to from Roush to JGR following the 2012 season, the he came out and won a career-high seven races in 2013 to lead the series and finish runner-up to Jimmie Johnson.

That said, Kenseth doesn’t know if the transition will come as easily to Edwards.

"It’s probably a little bit different of a situation because it’s starting a whole new team for Carl, but he’s a guy who’s been in one place for a while and is making a jump," Kenseth said. "That’s never easy to do, to leave some place where you’re comfortable and you understand how it works and you’ve won some races. I know what it feels like."

Even if the No. 19 team stumbles out of the gate, it’s something for which Edwards is prepared.

He also feels that the new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format plays to the benefit of newly formed teams, much like his own.

With a ban on private testing and limited seat time thus far (just a short tire test at Charlotte in December), Edwards is almost expecting to have some bugs to work out in the early going.

"It was possible that we were going to go to Daytona and not have any practice in the car. That was a little scary," he said. "But if you look at the Chase format, it allows for some growing pains. You can go 20 races and then hit your stride and still be a championship team. We feel like with this new format, there’s not a lot of pressure to start. We can go out and find our way.

"I believe the Chase format favors guys that have made changes. If you look across the board, people are probably more likely to make driver and crew chief changes, team changes really all that stuff with this format because really you can go 15 races or 20 races and figure things out and still be in the Chase and win the championship. That 4 team (of Harvick) proved it last year. Brand new team. They worked out all the bugs all year and they went and (won the championship)."

So, given that Edwards appears to be in the prime of his career, with a crew chief in Darian Grubb that he touts as a "genius" and the stars aligning the way they did for Kenseth two years ago and Harvick last season, does this mean that Edwards will finally break through for his first title? Is he the driver to beat?

"I hope so," he said. "If I take a look as objectively as I can, Darian Grubb is an amazing crew chief. He’s just amazing. … I feel like I have experience and I’ve learned a lot and I feel like I’m in the best form I’ve ever been as a driver.

"We should have opportunities to go and perform at a high level. I’m excited to be a part of a four-car team that is this stout. These guys are amazing."

Posted on January 26, 2015 by

Six drivers will compete in diverse driver development program

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D), the leading developmental platform for female and multicultural drivers and pit crew members, announced its 2015 class today. The program welcomes four talented program newcomers to the roster of six drivers striving to transition into the sport’s national series spotlight. Rev Racing, the program’s competition arm, has played a key role in the development of 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson and NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers Darrell Wallace Jr. and Daniel Suarez.

"Taking steps to find and develop young female and multicultural athletes who could represent the future of NASCAR is at the core of our organization’s mission," said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. "We were impressed by the talent displayed at the Combine [in October of 2014], and are eager to help this group develop their strengths on and off the track."

Rev Racing will field four teams in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and two in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. The 2015 class is led by returning K&N Pro Series East driver Jay Beasley and Devon Amos, who after an impressive 2014 performance in the Whelen All-American Series earned a spot in the K&N Pro Series East.

The 2015 NASCAR D4D roster includes:

Devon Amos: Returning to the team, the 23-year-old Rio Rancho, New Mexico, native will make the jump to the K&N Pro Series East after two full seasons in the Whelen All-American Series.

Jay Beasley: Finishing 13th overall and sixth in a loaded Sunoco Rookie of the Year field in the K&N Pro Series East last season, the 23-year-old from Las Vegas, Nevada will return for a second season, aiming to best his rookie campaign.

Collin Cabre: After an impressive NASCAR D4D Combine performance, the 21-year-old Thonotosassa, Florida, native will compete in the K&N Pro Series East in his first year with Rev Racing. Cabre has spent the past five years racing asphalt and dirt sprint cars.

Natalie Decker: A 17-year-old newcomer to the Rev Racing roster from Eagle River, Wisconsin, Decker collected feature wins in a limited late model and super late model, as well as earning Rookie and Sportsman of the Year honors in ARCA SCAG Midwest Truck Tour. She will compete in the Whelen All-American Series in 2015.

Kenzie Ruston: Entering her third season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and first with Rev Racing, the 22-year-old El Reno, Oklahoma, native is also a member of NASCAR Next, an industry initiative to identify tomorrow’s stars. Ruston broke her own record in 2014 as the highest finishing female driver in the K&N Pro Series East with a runner-up finish at Iowa Speedway on her way to finishing ninth in points.

Dylan Smith: The 22-year-old from Randolph, Vermont earned a spot with Rev Racing in the Whelen All-American Series after competing in his own Late Model last year. The Stewart-Haas Racing employee ran 15 races and finished 38th in the Whelen All-American Series Division I national standings.

Under Rev Racing owner and CEO Max Siegel’s leadership, the development program aligns drivers with a team of executives, athletic directors, crew chiefs and mentors tasked with helping NASCAR D4D drivers achieve career successes; thus, improving their goal of reaching one of NASCAR’s three national series.

"NASCAR Drive for Diversity goes much deeper than putting drivers behind the wheel of race cars," said Siegel. "The program is all encompassing, providing competition, athletic training and professional development opportunities for drivers who have the determination and talent to reach NASCAR’s top levels. We’ve seen this with Larson, Suarez and Wallace Jr. and are excited about the potential of this talented group of drivers."

Growth of the program extends to pit crew members under the NASCAR D4D Crew Member Development Program, also managed by Siegel. In 2014, over 30 multicultural athletes pitted fulltime for teams across all three national series.

Posted on January 26, 2015 by

No changes to postseason, but flared side skirts will be policed

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The way NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France sees it, no news is good news, as far as potential changes to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format are concerned.

In confirming that the sanctioning body will stand pat with its 10-race playoff format this year, France indicated that one of the primary governing factors in the decision to keep the Chase status quo was the overwhelming response from fans.

"I want to talk a little bit about the Chase, because it’s overwhelmingly popular with the most important stakeholder — our fans," said NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France in kicking off the Charlotte Motor Speedway NASCAR Media Tour presented by Technocom at the Charlotte Convention Center. "The research and data that we’ve got over the winter not only suggests that, it determines that loud and clear.

"They like the fact that it tightened up competition. They liked the drama down the stretch. They liked the emphasis on winning. And one of the things they told us that they really liked is the idea that we weren’t going to change anything, and they strongly suggested that we didn’t, and we’re not going to."

Accordingly, the 16-driver Chase will use the same criteria for determining driver eligibility and the same elimination format for determining the champion.

"It’s not because there aren’t a tweak or two here that we didn’t get good suggestions on," France said. "but one of the magical parts of this Chase, and we want to make sure we keep it this way, is the simplicity of it: Win and you get in; be in the top eight, top four, whatever it may be, and move on; coming down the stretch, beat the other three drivers and you win the championship.

"So whatever we would do into the future, we want to make sure that simplicity is right there."

The Chase aside, it’s not as if there won’t plenty of changes for fans to embrace in 2015. Perhaps most highly visible is the new pit road officiating system that combines video and computer technology with a smaller number of officials on pit road.

A sophisticated computer system will make cut-and-dried calls and will flag possible violations (such as pit crew members over the wall too soon) for review and verification by a team of eight officials at computer terminals in a trailer.

The input for the system consists of approximately 46 high-definition cameras mounted above the grandstands. Overall, the new officiating system promises to provide more relevant data to television partners, media and fans.

"We already know that 2015 and the edition of the Great American Race (Daytona 500) will forever have a chapter in the sport’s history," said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. "It will be the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event to utilize our new pit road technology, and if you haven’t heard of the innovation, you soon will.

"At the heart of this, its purpose is the ability to provide an extraordinary experience to our broadcast partners, the race teams, and ultimately our fans. We’re going to do this by way of statistics, video, and data during a NASCAR event. And with this technology, we know that we’re going to be safer, we’ll be more exact, and we’ll realize a fairer and more balanced playing field."

O’Donnell also addressed the issue of side skirts on the cars, which teams have used to improve the aerodynamic performance of their cars. In 2015, manipulation of the fenders and flares no longer will be permitted, and teams will be required to return to pit road when a violation is detected.

NASCAR teams will have to adapt to a new rules package on open-motor tracks this season, one that features lower downforce numbers (via a smaller spoiler) and reduced horsepower, factors NASCAR hopes will make the racing even more competitive than it was during last year’s first 16-driver Chase season.

France stressed that the new rules package is a work in progress, as NASCAR continually strives to improve the quality of its on-track product.

"It’ll always evolve, and the reason for that is the teams are always trying to gain an advantage, and that’s what they do," France said. "They go out, whatever we package we present, and they try to lead every lap and they try to have an advantage, and so our job is to make sure that the playing field is level and that more teams have a good shot at competing at a high level.

"And given that it always changes, we have to change, too, and circumstances change. Tires change, tracks wear down differently. We change tracks from time to time. So there are other variables outside of what even the teams do that will always keep us looking ahead."

Closing his speech, France spoke about NASCAR Sprint Cup Series four-time champion Jeff Gordon‘s announcement that 2015 would be his final full-time season.

"From everyone at NASCAR, I want to wish him a strong final season," France said.

NASCAR also unveiled its new Drive for Diversity class for the 2015 season. Competing under the auspices of Rev Racing will be returnees Devon Amos, 23, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; Jay Beasley, 23, of Las Vegas, Nevada; and newcomers Collin Cabre, 21, of Thonotosassa, Florida; Dylan Smith, 22, of Randolph, Vermont; Natalie Decker, 17, of Eagle River, Wisconsin, and Kenzie Ruston, 22, of El Reno, Oklahoma.

Ruston already has two years of competition in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, where she finished ninth in the final standings last year.

Also speaking on changes at the track, Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood provided updates on Daytona Rising, the major redevelopment project at the Florida track.

"We have 40,000 new seats open and available for the Daytona 500," Chitwood said. "We’re going to change the way fans enjoy our sport."

The track now features a wider concourse for fans to walk and new escalators that will make travel to seats and concession stands easier.

NASCAR.com staff reports contributed to this story.

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Staff Report

Busch says he hasn’t ‘spoken to’ older brother regarding domestic abuse allegations

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kyle Busch said Monday that he has steered clear of involving himself in older brother Kurt’s recent legal issues, even though reporting mistakes have confused the two.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

Kurt Busch has been the center of an investigation for allegations of domestic assault by the Dover (Del.) Police Department since November, two months after an alleged incident took place at Dover International Speedway. The elder Busch has not commented on the incident or investigation, except through court testimony or statements from his attorney, Rusty Hardin.

The younger Busch, speaking Monday at the Joe Gibbs Racing portion of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour, said that he has taken a hands-off approach to the developments.

"Haven’t spoken to him," Kyle Busch said. "Don’t know nothing and I’m trying to stay away from it all and let him handle his business.

"Obviously, it’s got to be painful for him and you don’t ever want to see anybody go through this sort of thing, but I don’t know. Besides not wanting to get too far involved in it, that’s about all I want to say."

But the younger brother has been indirectly involved through erroneous reporting. Kyle Busch said he bristled at seeing his name attached to tweets or reports concerning the case.

"I think it’s stupid," he said. "I think people need to do a little bit more background before they write names or say names if they don’t know what the heck they are talking about. It’s not that hard to differentiate between two people that have the same last name. I think people need to do a better job and not be so slackish."

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Staff Report

Beasley, Amos return to join four newcomers in NASCAR program

RELATED: NASCAR Official Release

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR announced its 2015 Drive for Diversity class Monday, welcoming back two returning veterans with the addition of four newcomers to the initiative.

The driver roster was announced as part of NASCAR’s State of the Sport program, kicking off the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour at the Charlotte Convention Center. The D4D driver development program, which was founded in 2004, is designed to identify and help promote drivers in an effort to diversify the sport.

Devon Amos and Jay Beasley — a pair of 23-year-olds — return to the program, and both will drive for Rev Racing as part of Max Siegel’s four-car team in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Collin Cabre, 21, and Kenzie Ruston, 22, complete the rest of the Rev Racing driver lineup in K&N competition.

Two more fresh faces — Natalie Decker, 17, and Dylan Smith, 22 — will compete for Rev Racing in the Whelen All-American Series. The drivers were selected from a pool of 20 drivers participating in the Drive for Diversity Combine last October at Langley Speedway in Virginia.

The timing of the announcement — four days before Wendell Scott’s induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as the only African-American winner in the sport’s premier series — was not lost on Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer. But as O’Donnell lauded the efforts to expand the sport’s driver base, he acknowledged that the responsibility comes with a certain degree of difficulty.

"One of the challenges for us was really starting grassroots. Kids don’t grow up with race cars in their backyard, and it’s a challenge," O’Donnell said. "So introducing the sport to younger kids, introducing the sport to a different demographic took some time, and I think now where you see the talent coming up through the system — Daniel Suarez, Darrell Wallace — not just getting rides because they’ve been part of the D4D program, but going out and winning races in our premier series really puts them on the map.

"As you fast-forward five years from now, those folks will be in the Cup Series, they’ll be doing well, and NASCAR will truly reflect what North America looks like, not only in the stands, but on the track."

For Ruston, perhaps the most familiar name on the list, the initiative helped her continue her run in the K&N Pro Series East, where she’ll embark on her third season starting next month. She’s come close to winning before, finishing second in a combined race for the East and West tours last summer at Iowa Speedway.

To hear Ruston tell it, it was hard to say which experience was harder — the combine or keeping her new driving duties a secret for several weeks.

"It was a little stressful. I’ve never had to try out for anything before," Ruston said. "Once you’re there and in competition mode, you keep a straight face and go for it. It’s super exciting. They told us right around Thanksgiving, and I’ve just been dying to tell people. I’m so excited that I can finally tell people that I have something set and secure for 2015."

Among the returning names, Beasley is aiming for more with Rev Racing after his first run through the K&N East circuit. He said he’s thankful for the opportunities that have come since Siegel plucked him from the Las Vegas racing scene to drive on NASCAR’s regional and touring series stage.

"It’s big for everyone," Beasley said. "It’s big for me, it’s big for the other drivers, for the team. It helps us all and gives us more exposure, so it’s a great thing for all of us."

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Staff Report

Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski also aboard

Former NASCAR.com video reporter, Alan Cavanna, has joined the FOX NASCAR team, working as a reporter on FOX Sports 1’s "NASCAR Race Hub" and at track on "NASCAR Raceday" as FS1 launches shows for Daytona Speedweeks and beyond.

"NASCAR Race Hub" returns Monday, Jan. 26 at a new time, 6 p.m. ET, with co-hosts Adam Alexander, John Roberts and Danielle Trotta manning the desk for the hour-long program, which airs every Monday through Thursday.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

The show will feature analysis from former crew chiefs and current FOX NASCAR personalities Jeff Hammond and Larry McReynolds, along with two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Todd Bodine and former NASCAR driver and NASCAR on TNT analyst Wally Dallenbach.

Current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers AJ Allmendinger, Greg Biffle and Joey Logano and current crew chiefs Drew Blickensderfer and Chad Knaus will round out the analysis crew. Cavanna, Andrew Doud and Kaitlyn Vincie will report from NASCAR race shops and Ray Dunlap will deliver feature reports on the Truck Series.

As previously announced, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski will be analysts on NASCAR XFINITY Series races this season as the 15th year of FOX NASCAR begins.

RELATED: Jeff Gordon joins FOX Sports as NASCAR analyst

FOX Sports’ multi-network, multi-platform coverage from Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway will culminate with live coverage of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. ET, with live pre-race coverage on "FOX NASCAR Sunday" at noon ET. FOX will also have live coverage of Coors Light Pole qualifying on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. ET and the Sprint Unlimited on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. ET.

"Daytona 500 Bash at the Beach" returns to FOX on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 9 p.m. ET. On the eve of "The Great American Race," NASCAR drivers welcome fans to a pre-race party celebrating the 2015 season on the sands of Daytona Beach.

FOX Sports 1 presents live coverage of its first NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 3:30 p.m. ET, the Budweiser Duel at Daytona on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. ET and the season-opening NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

In addition, FOX Sports 1 premieres two NASCAR original specials during Speedweeks in a special programming block on Friday, Feb. 13. "A Perfect Storm" debuts at 7:30 p.m. ET, detailing how a major blizzard struck the Eastern seaboard on Feb. 18, 1979, creating a "captive" audience for the first live flag-to-flag television broadcast of the Daytona 500.

The one-hour special, produced by Emmy Award-winning NASCAR Productions, features excerpts from the race broadcast, recently discovered archival footage and first-person accounts from the network broadcasters, drivers and fans who witnessed the historic event that is credited with putting NASCAR on the map. A second special, entitled "1979 Daytona 500," premieres at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Returning in May for the second consecutive year is "FOX Sports 1 — 10 Days of Thunder," a special multi-sport programming block anchored by two weekends of NASCAR racing from Charlotte Motor Speedway. Highlights include the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, the Truck Series race, the Coca-Cola 600, comprehensive support programming and premieres of FOX Sports 1 originals.

All NASCAR programming on FOX and FOX Sports 1 will be streamed live through FOX Sports GO. FOX Deportes begins its third season of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series coverage with eight live races, beginning with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb 22. Mexican driver and Truck Series competitor German Quiroga joins the broadcast booth as analyst.

In 2013, FOX Sports extended its media rights agreement with NASCAR, ensuring the FOX family of networks’ broadcast of the first 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races each season beginning in 2015, as well as the first 14 NASCAR XFINITY Series races of the season and all NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events, through 2024.

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Staff Report

Hall of Famer to appear in pre-race and post-race coverage

Dale Jarrett will join NBC Sports Group as a pre- and post-race analyst for select NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series races, the organization announced Monday.

A NASCAR Hall of Famer and three-time Daytona 500 winner, Jarrett will join previously announced talent Krista Voda and Kyle Petty when NBC begins its live pre-race coverage from Daytona International Speedway in July.

"I’m very pleased and excited to be a part of NBC Sports and their NASCAR coverage," Jarrett said. "NBC has assembled an All-Star crew for their coverage, and I’m honored to be a part of this group that will bring NASCAR fans inside the sport we all love."

Jarrett has worked for ESPN since 2008 and joins NBC just as the network returns as a broadcast partner.

"We are excited to welcome Dale and his Hall of Fame credentials to our NASCAR broadcast team," said Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports and NBCSN. "As a former Champion, his experience and insights will help us set the stage and break down key races throughout the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup."

Last week, NBC announced that motorsports journalists Nate Ryan and Dustin Long would join the platform. The on-air talent includes, in addition to Voda and Petty, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, race announcer Rick Allen and reporters Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Mike Massaro, Dave Burns and Rutledge Wood.

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Staff Report

Longtime sponsor signs on with Erik Jones in XFINITY Series

RELATED: Watch JGR live stream, 4 p.m. ET

Joe Gibbs Racing announced Monday that longtime sponsor GameStop will continue its partnership in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and will adorn Erik Jones‘ No. 20 Toyota Camry for 10 races.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

Jones’ first 2015 showing will be at the season opener on Feb. 21 at Daytona International Speedway.

"As a gamer, I’ve always followed the cars GameStop puts on the track each year," Jones said in a Joe Gibbs Racing release. "It’s so cool that they change their paint scheme for every race, and they’ve featured many of my favorite games. It’s exciting to have the opportunity to combine my love for gaming with my career as a NASCAR driver. I know we’ll be competitive each week with the GameStop Toyota, and I’m confident we’ll be able to get us a win, or a few, this season."

The 2015 season will mark the second year that Jones has competed in the XFINITY Series with JGR and GameStop’s eighth season partnering with the team.