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Watch the Rolex 24 on FS1 until 10 p.m. ET Saturday night

DAYTONA BEACH — As darkness falls four hours into the Rolex 24 At Daytona sports car endurance race, the field is maintaining a pace you would associate more with the last lap than the first 125.

Undoubtedly, "endurance" will be the ultimate key to winning the Rolex 24, as both mechanical failures and crash damage has already been a factor in reducing the 53-car field by a half-dozen entries.

"At the start of the race, you would think the best talent would be in the cars," said Scott Pruett, co-driver of the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Ford EcoBoost-powered Riley Daytona Prototype. "Even though, there were some crazy antics out there."

"I am always surprised at how hard people are fighting so early on," said Jeroen Bleekemolen, after his first stint in the No. 33 GT Daytona (GTD) Dodge Viper SRT, which led its class.

To no one’s surprise, though, leading the most laps so far is the No. 02 Ganassi Ford EcoBoost-powered Riley DP, an entry shared by IndyCar regulars Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan, and NASCAR stars Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson.

That car seemed to be the team’s hare, with the No. 01 sister car, driven by Pruett, Joey Hand, Charlie Kimball and Sage Karam maintaining a slightly more conservative pace, as the No. 01 car is running for season-long points in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, and the No. 02 isn’t. That said, Karam took the lead for the No. 01 on his stint and logged the fastest lap of the race so far – 1 minute, 40.107 seconds, less than a second off qualifying pace.

Dixon, who qualified second, took the No. 02 car past polesitter Ozz Negri on the first lap, though Negri and the rest of the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Honda-powered Ligier JS P2 is staying close.

Also strong, as expected, is the defending race and season champion the No. 5 Action Express Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP, and the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP.

Leading overall at the four-hour mark, with the standings skewed a bit by recent pit stops, was Jordan Taylor in the Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP, followed by McMurray and Karam in the Ganassi cars. Eight cars, all Prototypes, remain on the lead lap, separated by less than 60 seconds.

In the Prototype Challenge (PC) class, the No. 54 CORE autosport car led after four hours. In GT Le Mans (GTLM), the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R was ahead, and in GTD, it was the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia. While there has been a fair amount of car-to-car contact and three full-course caution periods, there have been no serious incidents.

One of the biggest developments is that the innovative, lightweight DeltaWing Prototype, after running solidly in the top 10, pulled off the track on lap 43 with transmission issues serious enough to end its race. Other Prototypes suffering early problems were the No. 31 Whelen Chevrolet Corvette DP fielded by defending champion Action Express, as well as the No. 2 Tequila Patron Honda-powered HPD ARX-04b.

The Whelen Corvette got back on track, but multiple laps behind. Also plagued with early problems were the No. 97 BMW from defending TUDOR Championship GTD champions Turner Motorsport, and the No. 98 Aston Martin, which was a front runner early on in GTLM.

The two Mazda Prototypes are showing considerably more speed than last year, and the No. 07, driven by Tom Long, actually led briefly, becoming the first diesel-powered car and the first Mazda to lead overall in Rolex 24 history. But minutes later Long pulled the car to the pits with a drivetrain issue, and while it has returned to competition, it is seven laps down.

Broadcast coverage of the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona continues on FOX Sports 2 until 8 p.m. ET before moving to FOX Sports 1 from 8 to 10 p.m. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., it will be broadcast live on IMSA.com, before returning to FOX Sports 1 Sunday morning at 7 a.m. FOX Sports 1 coverage will continue for the remainder of the race, concluding at 2:30 p.m.

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Notebook: Porsche wins Continental Tire race; Rolex re-ups

Photo courtesy of IMSA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Once again, the Honda-powered Ligier JS P2 of Michael Shank Racing was at the top of the time sheets after Friday morning practice for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Having already won the pole, the No. 60 car was again fastest with NASCAR regular AJ Allmendinger behind the wheel, clocking a lap of 1 minute, 40.877 seconds, just ahead of IndyCar star Scott Dixon in the No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Ford Ecoboost-powered Riley, 0.327 seconds back.

In the Prototype Challenge class, Jack Hawksworth led the field in his No. 11 Chevrolet-powered ORECA. In GT Le Mans, Giancarlo Fisichella was quickest in the No. 62 Ferrari F458 Italia. And in GT Daytona, Kuba Giermaziak was led the class in his No. 81 Porsche 911 GT America.

Broadcast coverage of the 2015 Rolex 24 At Daytona begins at 2 p.m. Saturday on the FOX Network. At 4 p.m., it moves to FOX Sports 2, and at 8 p.m., back to FOX Sports 1. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., it will be broadcast live in IMSA.com, before returning to FOX Sports 1 Sunday morning at 7 a.m., where coverage will continue for the remainder of the race, concluding at 2:30 p.m. All times are Eastern. For additional information, log onto IMSA.com.

PORSCHE SWEEPS CLASSES IN CONTINENTAL TIRE
Porsche won both classes in the BMW Performance 200, the kickoff for the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge at Daytona International Speedway.

It was, as usual, an action-packed event, to be expected when you put 51 cars, for two and a half hours, on a legendary 3.56-mile track with a bunch of drivers who can’t wait to get the sports car racing season started. And when you add in slightly damp conditions late in the race, it just gets that much more exciting.

Taking the Grand Sport (GS) class and the overall win were brothers Matt and Hugh Plumb in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche 911, followed by Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell in the No. 6 Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R. Stevenson teammates Lawson Aschenbach and Matt Bell were third in their No. 9 Camaro Z/28.R.

In the Street Tuner (ST) class, Spencer Pumpelly and Luis Rodriguez, Jr. took the victory in their No. 17 Rennsport One Porsche Cayman. In second was Eric Foss and polesitter Justin Piscitell in the No. 56 Murillo Racing Porsche Cayman, followed by David Murry and Ted Giovanis in the No. 64 Team TGM BMW 328i.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was the pre-race withdrawal of the defending race winner, the No. 48 Fall-Line BMW M3, after co-driver Corey Lewis crashed during the morning warm-up.

GS winner Matt Plumb said that it was "business as usual for our guys," noting that the Joe Varde-led Rum Bum team is among the best prepared in the paddock. "They are winners, and they deserve to win."

In ST, the race turned out to be a fuel-mileage challenge for several of the top teams, as Adam Isman’s Porsche Cayman, a sister car to the race-winning RS1 Porsche, apparently ran out of gas while contending for the lead.

Aside from fuel conservation, ST winner Pumpelly said that a key to victory in his class was hooking up with at least one other car in the draft — "It was good for 10 to 12 miles per hour," he said.

The next stop for the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series is Sebring International Raceway on March 20, a companion event for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida.

HALL OF FAME
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, which is in the process of moving from its home in Novi, Michigan to Daytona International Speedway, announced its 27th class of inductees.

The announcement was made at Daytona International Speedway as part of the Rolex 24 At Daytona weekend. The honorees: Open wheel racers Lloyd Ruby and Duke Nalon; sports car racer Tommy Kendall; NASCAR star Mark Martin; motocross racer Ricky Carmichael; NHRA Pro Stock drag racer Warren Johnson, and off-road legend Walker Evans.

Carmichael, along with Kendall, was present for the announcement. "As a kid growing up racing dirt bikes, I never would have thought something like this was possible for me. To be in the company of some of the greatest names in motorsports is surreal."

ROLEX RE-UPS WITH SPEEDWAY
Daytona International Speedway and Rolex announced that they were extending the premium watch brand’s sponsorship of the Rolex 24 At Daytona sports car race, and its role as official timepiece of DIS.

The expanded partnership also includes naming rights for the new front stretch lounge and suite level associated with the ongoing DAYTONA Rising redevelopment project, as well as enhanced branding opportunities through the Speedway.

Rolex has been connected to Daytona history since 1963, when it began dedicating its Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona to winning drivers. It has sponsored the Rolex 24 for 23 years.

MANUFACTURERS IN GOOD COMPANY
The old adage from NASCAR racing — "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" — suggests one of the marketing philosophies that has kept auto manufacturers involved in motorsports for more than a century.

In no form of motorsports are manufacturers more involved than in sports car racing. And this weekend, the number of manufacturers represented in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, and/or in the TUDOR United Sports Car Championship, numbers an astounding 13.

In alphabetical order, the following manufacturers have cars on the track in one or both series: Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Nissan, Porsche and Subaru.

"The Daytona race is a sports car classic with fans all over the world," said Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, head of Porsche Motorsport. "Porsche has celebrated some of its greatest victories at this famous race. To continue this streak of unforgettable successes is truly motivating for our drivers and teams."

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Will last season’s runner-up find Victory Lane in 2015?

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Team: Richard Childress Racing No. 31 Chevrolet

Rank in final 2014 standings: Second

Wins: 0

Year in photos: Recap Newman’s 2014 season

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Strides: Ryan Newman didn’t win a race for the first time in five years but his runner-up finish in the Sprint Cup Series championship was a career highlight. In fact, Newman had fewer top-fives [five] and top-10s [16] than the previous season yet his consistency and perseverance landed him a shot at the big trophy. He had six top-10s in the 10 Chase races, counting an 18th-place result as his worst finish in that span.

A dramatic runner-up finish to Kevin Harvick in the Homestead season finale meant he fell a mere 1-point shy from claiming his first Sprint Cup championship.

Setbacks: Newman was NASCAR’s poster child for the power of consistency in a season when wins were everything. Still, Newman realizes the necessity for a trip to Victory Lane. His runner-up finish at Homestead was as close as he came to winning in his first year with RCR and the team will need to raise the bar in 2015. Considering what they accomplished without hoisting any hardware, a victory could be the championship difference for the 13-year veteran.

Quoteworthy: "It’s like caramel corn, I guess. It’s a little bit salty and a little bit sweet," — Newman said of championship runner-up effort in 2014.

What’s Next: Arguably, Newman went about his championship bid the hard way – relying on consistency and good points days instead of advancing via victory. A numbers guy and with an engineering degree from Purdue University, Newman was able to earn his shot at a title the old-fashioned way — math.

But let’s not forget Newman knows how to win and is a former Daytona 500 (2008) and Brickyard 400 (2013) winner; however his lowly 41 laps led in 2014 could be improved upon and the security of an notching an early-season win would go a long way toward easing another championship run.

"We all want to win and winning means a lot in a number of facets. … but in the end, the math was there [for us]," Newman said after the season.

"I’m happy with what we achieved. I’m disappointed by how close we were but if we were one point, two points or 20 points it wouldn’t have mattered. You want to finish first. But we have the ability and the opportunity to try again next year."

Certainly good chemistry between Newman and crew chief Luke Lambert contributed to the immediate success in his first year with the team and that bodes well for the future too.

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Brief Yet Prolific Career Lands ‘Clown Prince of Racing’ In Hall

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2015) — Joe Weatherly’s time in NASCAR’s premier series was short, just two full-time seasons.

But what an impact the Norfolk, Virginia, native had on NASCAR racing in those brief, 24 months.

Weatherly, previously a winner of American Motorcyclist Association and NASCAR modified titles, claimed back-to-back premier series championships in 1962-63. He posted 25 victories in 229 starts before his untimely death in January 1964 at Riverside (California) International Raceway.

"He would have been as good as any that’s been along," said one of Weatherly’s early car owners, the late, fellow Virginian Junie Donlavey. "He had quick reflexes and good equipment. He was just a natural born driver.

"He would have been right there with all the greats. He was that good."

Weatherly also was one of the sport’s characters, a one-of-a-kind practical joker whose antics off the racing surface endeared him to fans and fellow competitors and earned him the nickname "Clown Prince of Racing." A friendship quickly blossomed with NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Curtis Turner, another larger-than-life figure. The 5 feet 4 inch Weatherly and the lanky Turner made the perfect Mutt and Jeff pair.

They raced hard and — according to legend — partied just as wide open. Both were reputed to have been black-listed by rental car companies for racing and wrecking numerous cars.

"They were fearless on the track but also fearless as far as their habits and lifestyles," said NASCAR Productions archivist Ken Martin in a Nov. 27, 2014 National Speed Sport News feature written by Ben White. "No one loved to throw a party more than Curtis. Joe was more the comedian and Curtis loved a good laugh."

Earl Swift, writing in Norfolk’s Virginian-Pilot in 2007, remembered Weatherly as "a rough-and-tumble Southern rogue. Weatherly was the archetype of the early NASCAR hero, an inveterate practical joker and hell raiser."

No surprise, Weatherly was voted the premier series’ Most Popular Driver in 1961.

Joseph Herbert "Joe" Weatherly was born May 29, 1922. He served in World War II — as did his later car owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bud Moore — with the 809th Aviation Battalion Engineers of the U.S. Army Air Corps. Discharged in November 1945, Weatherly raced motorcycles from 1946 through 1950 winning a pair of AMA championships as well as the 1948 Laconia (New Hampshire) Classic that resulted in his posthumous induction into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 1998.

"Little Joe," as he’d became known, switched to stock cars telling a reporter for Consumer Guide, "I like having something between my head and the ground when I crash."

Weatherly proved to be a fast learner on four wheels. Between 1952 and 1953, he won 101 NASCAR Modified races as well as the division’s championships in 1953. Weatherly’s first premier division start came in Darlington Raceway’s 1952 Southern 500. He finished 16th driving Donlavey’s Hudson.

Weatherly’s initial premier series victory came on Aug. 10, 1958 in the inaugural race at Nashville Speedway. He drove a Holman-Moody prepared Ford convertible in the "Sweepstakes" event that was open to both hard and soft top cars. Weatherly was no stranger to the open top cars winning 12 times in NASCAR’s short-lived convertible division.

After winning the opening race of the 1961 season in Dr. Bradford "Doc" White’s Ford, Weatherly gave his competitors a taste of NASCAR’s future. Racing in just 25 of the schedule’s 52 events — most of them in Moore’s No. 8 Pontiac — Weatherly posted nine victories, good for a fourth-place championship finish behind champion Ned Jarrett, a NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2011 inductee.

The duo stepped up for a full campaign in 1962. Weatherly again won nine times including his Daytona 500 qualifying race which, at the time, carried NASCAR premier series points. With 45 top-10 finishes in 52 starts, the 40-year-old Weatherly beat NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty by more than 2,000 points to become Virginia’s only premier series champion. Moore also captured his sole owner’s title.

Moore reduced the team’s schedule in 1963 forcing Weatherly to beg and borrow cars from fellow competitors — frequently driving what politely could be called semi-competitive equipment. Weatherly persevered, winning three times and again bested Petty, who counted 14 trips to Victory Lane. What would be his last victory and 20th with Moore came at Hillsboro, North Carolina on Oct. 27.

True to form, Weatherly quipped, "I had greater luck (than Petty), rather than greater skill. I was lucky to get rides when I needed them."

Weatherly’s luck ran out several months later in Southern California. Laps behind due to an early race mechanical problem, his No. 8 Mercury left the track entering Riverside’s Turn 6 and skidded into a steel retaining wall. Weatherly, without a shoulder harness or window net, died when his head struck the barrier.

Weatherly was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. He previously was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, National Motorsports Hall of Fame and National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame. Darlington Raceway‘s stock car racing museum was christened in Weatherly’s name upon its opening in 1965.

 

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Oldest living premier series champion gives his thoughts on induction, Abreu

Rex White, still keeping busy at age 85, reigns supreme as NASCAR’s oldest living champion. He might also rank as its shortest.

But White, who stands just a few inches above five feet, never saw his height as any sort of disadvantage, even in the rough-and-tumble days of stock-car racing’s infancy.

"I really wasn’t built or the size for fighting, so I kind of avoided any physical contact with any drivers," White said. "In the race car, though, I was probably about the same height as all of them."

White’s stature will take another step up come Friday night, when he’ll be enshrined as part of the sixth class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He’ll be inducted with three drivers he competed against — Fred Lorenzen, Wendell Scott and Joe Weatherly — and latter-day star Bill Elliott.

It’s an honor that left the 1960 champion of NASCAR’s premier series at a loss for words.

"It’s just unbelievable because I didn’t really think I was going in that early," White said of his emotions upon hearing the news. "Just unbelievable — I don’t even know the correct word to use for it, but I was really flabbergasted."

White won 28 races in NASCAR’s top division, all but two of which came in a four-year heyday from 1959-62. He never regarded his diminutive size as a hurdle, a point that was underscored just last weekend with a modern-day corollary.

A popular victory by Rico Abreu, who stands 4-foot-4, in the Chili Bowl Nationals sprint car showcase has opened the doors for a driving opportunity in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. White said if Abreu’s talent speaks for itself, all other factors should remain equal.

"If they build the race cars and get him adjusted and sitting in there where he can operate everything," White said, "I would say he’s just as capable of winning races as any other driver."

White’s ascension to the top of the NASCAR ladder came during a time when the sport was expanding its reach, growing beyond the dirt bullrings and entering a major speedway boom. Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway opened in the year White was crowned, and Daytona International Speedway‘s 2.5-mile high banks debuted for business the previous year.

Though he could see the sport transforming, White said he couldn’t have envisioned what NASCAR would look like in 2015.

"No earthly idea that it was going to grow to where it is today and be as popular as it is, and draw the money and pay the purses that they’re paying," said White, who picked up a $13,000 check for winning the 1960 title. "I’m not even sure that Bill France had enough foresight to see that. I don’t know. He may have, but I sure didn’t."

If White happens to cross paths with current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick during the Hall of Fame ceremonies, a link between the two will come full circle. White — who drove a "Gold Thunder" car noted for its pristine gold and white paint scheme — was the last champion to carry the No. 4 before Harvick accomplished the feat last season. White, like Harvick, was particularly loyal to driving for Chevrolet.

The story goes, White needed to change his number from No. 44 once he stopped driving Chevrolet factory cars. Noting that Billy Myers — an early star driver from Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina — was a hero of his, it made White’s choice all the easier.

"Naturally, I grabbed it," White said. "It was a great number. Still is today."

Though White hung up his helmet after a part-time schedule in 1964 and retired from his job at a car dealership in 2003, he said he’s yet to slow down. His active schedule has picked up recently with appearances and interviews ahead of his Hall of Fame induction.

Come Friday night in Charlotte, his stature as one of the sport’s all-time greats will be secured, complete with a personalized blue blazer and the presentation of his NASCAR Hall of Fame ring. White says he’s looking forward to the festivities, even if there might be the potential for stage fright.

"Probably as ready as I’ll ever be," White joked. "I’m sure there’s something that I’ll screw up on, so anyway, I’m going to do the best I can. It’s a great honor, and it’s a pleasure to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame."

Posted on by Zack Albert

Gordon wears fatherhood, philanthropy well as driving days wind down

RELATED: Full coverage of Gordon announcement

It’s easy to think of Jeff Gordon as stock-car racing superstar, the driver who broke into the sport with a certain Madison Avenue polish in the 1990s. Back then, the knock against him was that he hadn’t paid his dues. After 23 amazing seasons, no one will be able to make that claim when the curtain falls on Gordon’s career.

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But portraying Gordon solely in terms of his driving ability as the face of NASCAR fans’ adulation and as a four-time champion at the sport’s highest level sells the man short. Nowhere is that point more evident than when he taught 7-year-old daughter Ella Sofia one of life’s lessons in a touching Thursday morning heart-to-heart, just hours before he announced the 2015 season would be his last full ride in NASCAR.

"Today is an emotional day," Gordon said Thursday afternoon with a chuckle that emphasized the understatement. "I had to tell my daughter this morning when I was explaining to her that I was going to be telling the team and people this and talking about it, and she saw me get very emotional when I was telling her. And I saw a look that I’d never seen in her eye before where she had never seen me like that, and I had to explain to her. Because most kids see when tears are flowing, it’s sadness, and it wasn’t for me. It was pride."

Gordon was in a reflective mood on what turned out to be a whirlwind offseason day, one that gave the sports world a brief respite from the finer points of football inflation. He talked about how his illustrious NASCAR career elevated him from a short-track upstart to a household name. But there are many more opportunities that racing has afforded him, and their reach extends beyond the racetrack.

On Thursday, Gordon recalled a visit he made during the 1990s to Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and how lost he felt upon meeting a family whose child was undergoing treatment for cancer. From that experience early on in his career, Gordon found the inspiration and purpose for helping the cause, and he was determined that his higher calling would entail more than just breezing in for autographs and photo ops.

Some 15 years after its birth, the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation has raised more than $14 million for pediatric care organizations, has helped to fund cancer research and has opened children’s health centers both locally (Concord, North Carolina) and abroad (Rwanda, Africa). His car owner, Rick Hendrick, has also helped support those good works; he sits on the governing board of directors for Gordon’s foundation.

"It’s given me something also to be very proud of beyond just driving a race car," Gordon said, "but also I know there is so much more that needs to be done for pediatric cancer that I want to be a part of in the future."

While Gordon said he welcomed how his impending career change would free up more time for his philanthropic pursuits, he told the Associated Press in a Thursday interview that he also looked forward to spending more time with his family — wife Ingrid Vandebosch, daughter Ella Sofia and his 4-year-old son, Leo.

The family of four was a frequent visitor to Victory Lane in 2014 as the patriarch enjoyed one of his most rejuvenating seasons to date. And just last spring, his daughter suited up for a test run in a Quarter Midget racer, sparking speculation that the advent of the next generation of drivers named Gordon wasn’t far away.

Regardless of what direction his post-driving career takes, Gordon will remain a global star. Thursday morning’s announcement triggered a flood of memories and heartfelt salutes from his fellow competitors, others within the motorsports industry and his devoted abundance of fans about his place as one of the most decorated drivers in the history of the sport. After the staggering news unfolded, many came forward to call him a champion, an ambassador, an icon.

Earlier Thursday morning, Gordon was called something far more important: Dad.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Can veteran make it three straight NCWTS championships in a row?

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Team: ThorSport Racing No. 88 Toyota

Rank in final 2014 standings: First

Wins: Two (Martinsville Speedway in March and Texas Motor Speedway in June)

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Strides: Matt Crafton found paydirt early in the season, crossing off a career goal with his first-ever victory in 25 tries at Martinsville Speedway. Four races later, he scored a dominant triumph at Texas Motor Speedway, covering the field in both horsepower and fuel economy for win No. 5 in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career.

Though his 2014 season lacked the stellar start from the previous year, when he opened with top-10s in the first 16 races, Crafton was more frequently found in the top five, where he finished a career-best 13 times. Moreover, his closing kick — eight top-fives in the last 11 races — helped him re-take the points lead in September and hold it down the stretch.

Though he kept mum about his title hopes over the season’s latter stages, Crafton was finally able to let loose after a ninth-place finish in the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale clinched his second straight championship, the first repeat in series history.

"I think I’m the luckiest man on earth without a doubt," Crafton said. "I get paid to do what I love to do. I mean, there’s not a whole lot of people that can say that. Every day I wake up, I feel very blessed."

Setbacks: Though Crafton’s No. 88 ThorSport entry, helmed by crew chief Carl Joiner Jr., was among the most bulletproof trucks in the garage for most of the season, the path to the championship came with some bumps. His Texas victory was bookended by the season’s only two DNFs, a pair of crashes that sidelined him in May at Dover and in June at Gateway. Crafton also placed outside the top-10 in both restrictor-plate races (Daytona, Talladega).

But Crafton seemed just as irked — if not more — at the races that came oh-so-close to landing him in Victory Lane. With five runner-up finishes and four more third-place efforts over the course of the year, some sore feelings lingered about what could have been.

"I made a promise to Junior that — this last winter that we were going to go out and lead more laps and win more races. And like I said, we led a ton more laps and we won two races and definitely had the capability to win more if we didn’t have the bad luck that we had there in the middle part of the season. It’s a damn shame because I feel like we should have at least won five races without a doubt."

Quoteworthy: "There’s been spots and points of brilliance and we’re going to get to the top of this hill, and I knew we would eventually, but there was definitely a lot of times there was a lot of aggravation and stuff that we had to go through to get here, to get the perseverance to get here. That makes it that much sweeter."

What’s next: Why mess with success? Crafton will be back with ThorSport, working again with Joiner atop the pit box and with the familiar day-glo yellow colors of sponsor Menard’s on the No. 88.

The pressure now rests on Crafton’s chances of securing a three-peat in one of NASCAR’s most competitive and balanced series. Only two drivers in NASCAR’s top division have ever accomplished such a streak — Cale Yarborough, who is already in the NASCAR Hall of Fame; and Jimmie Johnson, a first-ballot lock for enshrinement.

"I feel very good about going into 2015 and maybe making it three in a row," Crafton said after hoisting the championship trophy at Homestead. "That would be — there’s no doubt that we can. I’ve said it’s all about these guys that build these trucks up in Sandusky, Ohio, and having the owners that give us all the tools, Duke and Rhonda Thorson."

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There were temptations to leave, but Jeff Gordon always knew he’d stay

RELATED: Full coverage of Gordon announcement

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There are many remarkable aspects to Jeff Gordon‘s career in NASCAR. That he has competed for the same team owner throughout his stay is only one of them.

Gordon announced Thursday that the 2015 season would be his last. It will be the 23rd year of full-time competition as driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet.

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During that time, he has won four championships and 92 races, totals that very few others have achieved.

Thursday, team owner Rick Hendrick told NASCAR.com that there was only one occasion when he was concerned he might lose the services of his talented driver.

"The only time that I thought that could happen was when (former crew chief) Ray (Evernham) did his (Dodge) deal," Hendrick said. "I talked to Jeff and he said, ‘No, I want to be with you.’ That was the one that I was sweating because they had been together. Between Chrysler and everybody involved, they made it really attractive to him."

No surprise there. From 1995-99, the duo of Gordon and Evernham was nearly unstoppable, winning three NASCAR premier series titles and 47 races. Beating the No. 24 was considered an achievement in itself.

But by the end of that final year, Evernham had already departed, choosing instead to become a team owner and to help usher Dodge back into the sport.

Would the run of success and the potential for a huge financial gain be enough to turn Gordon’s head?

"That’s when we said we’d do the lifetime deal," Hendrick said. "We put it to bed and never had to worry about it again."

In October of ’99, HMS announced it had signed Gordon to a lifetime contract while making him an equity partner in his No. 24 Chevrolet team.

"I can’t say that I was ever serious about it," Gordon said of the opportunity to leave Hendrick. "There were a lot of things going on at that time. I was getting asked to do some Formula One racing, some Indy Car racing.

"Because of the three championships out of four years, I was really, like Ray, being very sought after. I remember (Chip) Ganassi reached out to me, Jerry Jones reached out to me at one point when they were talking about starting a team. … And I didn’t even really speak to them seriously. I said, ‘No, I’m pretty happy with where I’m at.’ "

"But I do remember having some serious conversations with Jacques Villeneuve’s group, the BAR Team, about doing Formula One. The problem was, it wasn’t just to go do Formula One. It was you’ve got to go do Indy Cars, go do a lot of testing, and then maybe, maybe you might have a shot. It was just too many steps backward to move forward. Things were going too well at Hendrick Motorsports.

"I knew where I wanted to be. I knew if I wanted to be successful, Hendrick Motorsports was the place for me."

Eventually, Gordon did find himself in a Formula One car, although the opportunity was a one-day promotional ride swap with Juan Pablo Montoya in 2003 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And just last month, Gordon was given the steering wheel from that particular F1 car as a Christmas gift.

Two years after Evernham’s departure, Gordon won his fourth title, this time with crew chief Robbie Loomis. It was, he said, "one of the most rewarding years I’ve ever had."

With six victories and 24 top-10 finishes, he ended the 2001 season with a whopping 344-point advantage over runner-up Tony Stewart.

"When I talk to Ray — I think he understands it when I tell him this because we’re good friends still — to be able to win that championship with Robby Loomis, without Ray, in 2001 was very rewarding to me," he said. "You go through a time where people go, ‘Oh, well it’s Ray,’ ‘it’s the car,’ it’s this or that and you want to get credit for it. While I got a lot of the credit (before), I got a lot more after winning that championship in 2001."

Gordon has won races with all five crew chiefs that have called the shots for the No. 24 team, from Evernham to Brian Whitesell (who filled in as interim crew chief after Evernham’s departure), Loomis, Steve Letarte and current crew chief Alan Gustafson.

"I think if you’re a good race car driver, you should be able to work with other crew chiefs," Gordon said, "As long as you have good equipment.

"A good crew chief can make a difference in how you get through the race, prepare for the race and the difference between maybe winning and finishing second. But your equipment, that’s what gets you into that position. There are teams out there, it doesn’t matter how good their crew chief or driver is, they’re not going to be any better than 15th."

Forty-five of his wins and one championship came with someone other than Evernham in his corner. But Gordon said had the two worked through their issues of ’99, it’s likely more success would have followed.

"He was getting all the offers and I was making the decision to stay at Hendrick or go with him — I knew it wasn’t going to happen because it was a great opportunity for him … we could have won more races and championships even though we weren’t getting along that great that year," he said. "We were butting heads a little bit."

Gordon’s success with a variety of crew chiefs underscores his talent as well as his ability to adjust to the situation.

"That says that Jeff is adaptable and he’s very unselfish," Hendrick said. "He carried the team a lot. He made the team look better than they were. Then when we got the team as good as he was, he’d shine.

"He’s not a complainer and he’s willing to do whatever he needs to do. That’s the part I guess I admire so much about him. … He’s a team player. It’s hard to find (someone) that has all of the traits that he’s got — his loyalty, his honesty, his integrity … it spoils you."

Posted on by Fraser Nye

What he told his team and what’s next for him? Maybe broadcasting

MORE: NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France statement on Gordon | Gordon hub page
RELATED: Drivers react to Gordon’s announcement | Fans share favorite Gordon memories

The end began with a tweet seen ’round the motorsports world and had ramifications well beyond.

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As Jeff Gordon‘s 23rd season at Hendrick Motorsports starts, the four-time NASCAR premier series champion broke the news to the organization that 2015 would be his final full-time Sprint Cup season as a driver.

"I went off the cuff and from my heart," Gordon said Friday on "The Morning Drive" on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. "I didn’t have anything written down so I don’t know if I can remember all of it, but that was a tough moment.

"When you’re looking at the folks that worked so hard for you for all these years, that you’ve known for so many years, you go into that battle with on the race track every weekend and to tell them that this is going to be your final year was tough, very tough emotionally. I definitely had a lot going through my mind yesterday as I was telling my family and they’re like my extended family over there."

As an equity owner, Gordon plans to stay involved with the team for whom he’s won 92 races when his driving career is over. While he’s looking forward to the next chapter, his talk only inspired his No. 24 team to make Gordon’s drive for five championships a reality in his final season.

"Afterwards, (crew chief) Alan Gustafson and I had a conversation, and we were both really fired up because he was like, ‘man, what you just did just motivated this team to do even more than we were already doing to go have a great year,’ and that made me feel really good."

More than words, though, Gordon’s actions in the shop throughout his career created the strong connection that he and the Hendrick employees felt on Thursday.

"I didn’t have to say anything," Gordon said. "They saw my face and the look in my eyes, how much racing has meant to me and how much Hendrick Motorsports has meant to me and how much those people that I was talking to on my team, how much it’s meant to me."

As he has in recent years, Gordon continues refrain from using the word "retirement." That’s especially true now as he transitions away from being behind the wheel.

"I’ve earned that ability to be able to go to that next stage and enjoy whatever it is that I’m doing, but I’m realistic to know that it is going to be a lot of work," Gordon said. "And that’s why I don’t use the "r" word. I’m not retiring because I’m actually going to start working."

One job that he said he was open to considering was a television analyst.

"I love the sport," Gordon said. "I’m very passionate about it. I love to critique it, and I think that I could do a good job. I don’t think it’s an easy job, to be honest. I have a lot of respect for those like yourself that do it from radio or television.

"I would entertain it. I don’t know if it’s at the top of my list right now, and I think it’s because throughout this year, one of things that I’m going to have to get acclimated to is actually having a real job."

Later in the conversation, Gordon said he would appreciate the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in a new job behind the mic.

"If I go into broadcasting, I’m going to be very thankful of this new points system because of the excitement and entertainment that it brings," Gordon said.

Gordon’s final season begins a new era of television for NASCAR as FOX and NBC will televise NASCAR’s national series for the next 10 years.

Take a look at video of Gordon talking to the team on Thursday.

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Negri turns fast lap for team that includes Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger

Photo: Courtesy of IMSA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A brand-new car, a brand-new engine — that’s typically not the prescription for a pole-winning run for a 24-hour race. But Michael Shank Racing defied the odds, as driver Oswaldo Negri Jr. dominated Prototype qualifying on Thursday for the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona with a blistering lap of 1 minute, 39.194 seconds, and 129.201 mph.

This early success for the MSR No. 60 Ligier JS P2 car, powered by a Honda engine, could be bad news for the competition, but there could be even worse news: "We’re still learning the car," Negri said. If they can eliminate a little understeer, he said, he thinks they’ll be even faster.

In second was IndyCar regular Scott Dixon in the No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Riley DP, powered by a Ford EcoBoost engine, followed by the No. 01 Ganassi team car driven by Scott Pruett. In fourth was the No. 5 Action Express Corvette DP — the defending champion of the race, as well as the 2014 series champion — followed by the innovative No. 0 DeltaWing. The top seven cars were within eight-tenths of a second in lap times.

Despite the pole run, Negri, who also scored a Rolex 24 pole in 2008, was realistic: Qualifying first for a 24-hour race gives you "bragging rights," he said, "but the real deal is being there at the end on Sunday." After all, "We’re all dancing to the same music — we just danced a little bit faster than anyone else." Negri will share the car with co-drivers John Pew, Matt McMurry and NASCAR star AJ Allmendinger.

In Prototype Challenge (PC), a late-session dash put Johnny Mowlem and the No. 16 BAR1 Motorsports entry on the class pole with a lap of 1:42.318 at 125.257 mph. Close behind is the No. 54 CORE autosport car, with the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen car in third. All PC cars use ORECA FLM09 chassis, with Chevrolet engines. Mowlem said the Continental tires the class uses improve as you drive, "and most of us were at our quickest on the last lap" of the qualifying session. He will split driving duties with Tomy Drissi, Tom Papadopoulos, Brian Alder and Martin Plowman.

In the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class, Oliver Gavin placed the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R solidly on the pole with a lap of 1:43.488 at 123.840 mph, a new class record. Unlike many of the other team cars, the two Corvettes — the other being the No. 3, driven by Jan Magnussen — teamed up and often ran close together to take advantage of the draft, so familiar at Daytona to NASCAR fans. "There was a good bit of teamwork" that went into the fastest lap, Gavin said. He will share the car with Tommy Milner and IndyCar’s Simon Pagenaud.

Second in GTLM was Gianmaria Bruni in the No. 51 Ferrari 458 Italia of AF Corse, followed by Pedro Lamy in the Gulf-sponsored No. 98 Aston Martin Vantage V8.

And in GT Daytona, the largest of the four classes, James Davison saved his best for the session’s last lap, running a 1:47.272 circuit around the 3.56-mile track, at 119.472 mph.

His No. 007 TRG-Aston Martin Racing Vantage V12, which he shares with Christina Nielsen, Brandon Davis and Christoffer Nygaard, will line up ahead of the No. 33 Riley Motorsports Dodge Viper SRT qualified by Jeroen Bleekemolen, and in third, the No. 28 Konrad Motorsport Porsche 911 GT America qualified by Christopher Zoechling.

Aston Martin driver Davison was genuinely surprised at qualifying first — simulation runs had suggested they were slightly off the pace. "I’m blown away at ending up on the pole," Davison added, despite winning his fifth consecutive pole in the class.

Davison summed up race strategy for his team and, for that matter, every team: "It’s all about having nothing going wrong."

With a stout field of 53 entries, and an unsure weather forecast for the weekend, "having nothing go wrong" might be a tall order.

Broadcast coverage of the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona begins at 2 p.m. Saturday on the FOX Network. At 4 p.m., it moves to FOX Sports 2, and at 8 p.m., back to FOX Sports 1. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., it will be broadcast live in IMSA.com, before returning to FOX Sports 1 Sunday morning at 7 a.m., where coverage will continue for the remainder of the race, concluding at 2:30 p.m. All times are Eastern. For additional information, log onto IMSA.com.

‘Super Sub’ Leads Continental Tire Challenge ST Qualifying

The last time Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge team owner and co-driver Jeff Mosing missed a race, it was a painful occasion: Back spasms kept him out of the cockpit at last year’s event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Still, he and his teammate, Eric Foss, went on to win the season championship.

For the first race of the 2015 season, Mosing is again among the missing, but this time, it’s a happier occasion: Fill-in driver Justin Piscitell said Mosing’s wife is pregnant, and due to give birth right about the time the green flag drops on Friday’s BMW Performance 200.

But there is a reason why Piscitell, of Patterson, New York, is earning a reputation as being a "super sub" in the sports car series: He put the Murillo Racing Porsche Cayman on the pole for the 31-car Street Tuner class during qualifying Thursday.

"The car felt great," he said. His qualifying lap, he said, benefitted from the draft off of cars in front of him. His lap of 2 minutes, 5.454 seconds (102.157 mph) was just ahead of the second-place BimmerWorld Racing BMW 328i of Jason Briedis and James Clay, with a 2:05.462 (102.150 mph) lap. In third was another Porsche Cayman, the No. 18 RSI entry driven by Jon Miller and Adam Isman with a lap of 2:05.482 at 102.134 mph.

In the faster Grand Sport (GS) class, Ford Mustang specialist Scott Maxwell put the Multimatic Ford Mustang Boss 302R on the pole, his ninth, with a fast lap of 1:56.520 (109.990 mph) around the 3.56-mile road course. Maxwell said he didn’t need the draft to set fast time — "I went out by myself," he said, because in the end, relying on the draft can help you – or hurt you.

Second was the Rum Bum Porsche 911 of Matt Plumb and his brother Hugh, with a lap of 1:56.779 at 109.746 mph. Third was the Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R of Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell, which was the fastest car in the second practice session Wednesday. They came up a little short with a lap of 1:56.941 (109.594 mph). Twenty-two cars in the GS class took time.

The season-opening, 150-minute BMW Performance 200 starts at 1:45 p.m. on Friday.