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Find out where your favorite Sprint Cup Series star will be

As we get closer to the Daytona 500 on Feb. 22 (1 p.m. ET, FOX), the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be hitting the road to promote the season’s opening points race with the Road to the Daytona 500 Tour.

The cross-country media blitz will feature 11 cities and feature nearly 20 drivers. Each city on the tour will host a driver for a day of special events and media availabilities, all to promote the 57th running of "The Great American Race."

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"We’re excited to work with the drivers as we build the excitement throughou the country about the Daytona 500 and the start of the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season," Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said in a release. "The Road to the Daytona 500 is a critical element in promoting ‘The Great American Race.’ "

The events actually kicked off on Jan. 2 in Jacksonville with 2014 Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. meeting with the media along the side Harley J. Earl Daytona 500 Trophy at the TaxSlayer Bowl, while also participating in a Twitter takeover of the track’s Twitter handle and flipping the coin prior to the college football game between Tennessee and Iowa.

The other cities and drivers on the tour include:
— Washington D.C. (Jeff Gordon)
— Phoenix (Danica Patrick)
— Atlanta (Kyle Busch)
— Boston (Kevin Harvick)
— Chicago (Carl Edwards)
— Tampa (Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart and Kyle Larson)
— Los Angeles (Jimmie Johnson)
— Miami (Joey Logano)
— New York (Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin)
— Orlando (Matt Kenseth)
— Daytona Beach (Clint Bowyer, AJ Allmendinger and Ryan Newman)

Also, on the tour, Austin Dillon and his grandfather, Richard Childress Racing team owner Richard Childress will participate in an Escalator Duel to officially activate the new vertical transportation as part of the $400 million Daytona Rising project.

During Budweiser Speedweeks, Aric Almirola and Kasey Kahne are expected to take flight with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, who will provide the flyover for the 2015 Daytona 500.

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Love’s Travel Stops to serve as primary sponsor for 18 races

Front Row Motorsports announced Tuesday that David Gilliland will return to the team’s No. 38 Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2015.

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The re-signing means the 38-year-old driver will mark his ninth full season in NASCAR’s top division and his sixth with team owner Bob Jenkins. The team also announced that Love’s Travel Stops will be the team’s primary sponsor in 18 races, up from its 15-race sponsorship in 2014.

Gilliland struggled last year with just two top-20 finishes in 36 races, but he did post a milestone at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway in July with the team’s first Coors Light Pole Award. He also helped the Statesville, North Carolina-based team achieve its first win in NASCAR’s premier series at Talladega Superspeedway in the spring of 2013, providing an aerodynamic push to teammate David Ragan in the final lap.

This season will mark the third consecutive year of Front Row’s relationship with Love’s. The team indicated through its news release that the travel center corporation, based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, will be the primary sponsor at the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 22 (1 p.m. ET, FOX). Among the other races for the Love’s team colors: both annual events at Texas Motor Speedway and the series’ two road courses, Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International.

"I am beyond excited about Love’s commitment to our program and to growing it each year," Gilliland said. "What I’m most proud of is the simple fact that it’s working. Our program does exactly what a NASCAR partnership is supposed to do. It’s been hugely successful, for us and for them. I can’t wait to see what we can do as a team this year."

Gilliland has one career victory in NASCAR national series competition. His 2006 triumph in an underfunded entry at Kentucky Speedway in what is now the XFINITY Series was not only one of the sport’s biggest upsets, but also paved the way for his big break into stock-car racing’s major leagues.

See the paint scheme for the No. 38 Ford below.

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Reddick to wheel No. 19 truck full-time; Theriault added to No. 29 team lineup

Brad Keselowski Racing made its driver lineup complete for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2015, announcing the return of Tyler Reddick and the addition of Austin Theriault.

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BKR will continue to field two Ford entries for the full 23-race schedule. Reddick, who drove for the team in 16 races last year, will wheel the No. 19 on a full-time basis in 2015. Driving duties for the team’s No. 29 Ford will be divided between driver/owner Keselowski; his Sprint Cup Series teammate, Joey Logano; Ryan Blaney, last year’s series runner-up; and truck series newcomer Theriault, who is scheduled for a 13-race slate next year.

The organization also announced that Doug Randolph (No. 19) and Chad Kendrick (No. 29) would return as the team’s crew chief. Broken Bow Records and Cequent Performance will share primary sponsorship of the No. 19 Ford, and Cooper Standard will return as primary backer of the No. 29 team.

Reddick, who turned 19 years old Sunday, netted two pole positions and three top-five finishes in his partial schedule for BKR last season. Both poles and two of the top-fives came in the final five races of 2014.

"The way we closed out the 2014 season was quite a statement for us as a team," Reddick said in a release provided by the team. "We were able to do some really good things toward the end of the year. It was a great way to end the season and keep the momentum rolling into 2015 as we compete for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. It’s great to work with everyone at Cequent and Broken Bow Records again this coming season. I can’t wait to get started."

Theriault, 20, made his NASCAR national series debut last year, running three races for JR Motorsports in what is now the XFINITY Series. The Maine native spent 2012 and 2013 with the Keselowski team’s driver development program in Super Late Model competition.

"One of the things I wanted to do at BKR is give talented young drivers an opportunity," Keselowski said. "Both Tyler and Austin are perfect examples of what I’m trying to accomplish. We saw a lot of improvement with Tyler in 2014. He really stepped up his game during the second half of the season and I certainly think he can compete for wins and challenge for a championship in 2015. Austin was part of our driver development program so for him to have an opportunity to drive for us in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is pretty special."

Team owner Keselowski won his first career Camping World Truck Series race last season at Bristol. It was his first win in the series in 62 starts.

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TaxACT to serve as co-primary in Sprint Unlimited, primary at Martinsville

RELATED: See the 2015 paint schemes for SHR

Danica Patrick is off to a busy 2015. Last week, her crew chief was revealed for the season.

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On Tuesday, she got a new co-primary sponsor for the Sprint Unlimited on Valentine’s Day at Daytona International Speedway and a primary sponsor for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on March 29 at Martinsville Speedway.

TaxACT, a tax preparation solutions company, will partner with Stewart-Haas Racing on Patrick’s No. 10 Chevrolet SS. The company will share the car with GoDaddy at the season-opening race on Feb. 14 at the World Center of Racing. It will also appear on the C-Post for the 57th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 22. For the March 27-29 race weekend at Martinsville, TaxACT will be the sole primary sponsor of the car.

"TaxACT’s sponsorship of our race team will span the height of tax season for most people," Patrick said. "It’s a great way to promote a terrific product.

"I always give credit to my team on the racetrack, but in this case it was off the track where my team shined. Stewart-Haas Racing approached TaxACT after cross-referencing the company and its culture with NASCAR fans. It was an ideal fit."

Fans can also participate by entering the TaxACT Fast Cars, Fast Refunds Sweepstakes, which will end Feb. 8, for a behind-the-scenes, VIP experience with Patrick at the Daytona 500.

"The speed, passion and determination that embodies NASCAR aligns with our approach to business, and when Stewart-Haas Racing brought the opportunity for TaxACT to partner with Danica Patrick, we jumped at it," JoAnn Kintzel, TaxACT president said.

Last week, Patrick’s interim crew chief at the end of 2014, Daniel Knost, was named her full-time pit boss for 2015.

Here’s a look at the TaxACT paint schemes:

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After four wins in 2014, can Junior do even more with new crew chief?

RELATED: Complete schedule for driver previews

Team: Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet

Rank in final 2014 standings: Eighth

Wins: 4 (Daytona International Speedway in February; Pocono Raceway in June and August; Martinsville Speedway in October)

Year in photos: Recap Earnhardt Jr.’s 2014 season

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Strides: Earnhardt’s eighth-place points finish was his third top-10 result in the past four seasons and his four wins was the most since 2004. He won for the first time in his career at Pocono, where he swept both events, and at Martinsville. The two Pocono victories marked his first sweep at a track since Talladega in ’02. The Martinsville win upped his career win total to 23 and was especially gratifying.

"This is so special," Earnhardt Jr. said of the Martinsville win. "I try not to get too caught up in the emotion of it because it’s a team deal, but this is very personal and very special to me to be able to win here."

Earnhardt Jr. qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for the seventh time.

In addition to the breakthrough wins at Pocono and Martinsville, he managed personal bests at Darlington where he was runner-up, and Sonoma where a third-place run was his first career top-10 on the California road course. He equaled his best finish at Las Vegas (second) for the third time in his career.

Setbacks: Earnhardt Jr.’s struggles in the Contender Round saw his title hopes end early as he had finishes of 20th or worse at Kansas, Charlotte and Talladega. Needing a victory to keep his championship hopes alive in the Contender Round finale at Talladega, where he has five career wins, Earnhardt Jr. was involved in a late-race accident that relegated him to a 31st-place finish.

The 2014 season was also the first since 2009 that Earnhardt Jr. failed to win at least one Coors Light Pole Award.

Quoteworthy: "I expect the cars to have more speed eventually; it may take us a couple of races or a couple of months to get there but I think our cars will be faster and give us an opportunity to run better (in 2015)."

What’s next: Besides a few changes among those going over the wall on race day, Earnhardt Jr. will have a new crew chief in Greg Ives and a new car chief in Travis Mack.

Ives, who guided Chase Elliott to the 2014 XFINITY (formerly Nationwide) Series title, steps in for Steve Letarte while Mack (Elliott’s car chief) replaces Jason Burdett.

The return of engineer Kevin Meendering to the No. 88 team is expected to help smooth the transitions.

"That’s going to help a ton," Earnhardt Jr. said, "because Kevin has all this information on what’s worked with me. All drivers like things a little different. So Kevin’s going to be real influential in getting Greg up to speed."

While he won’t rule out the possibility of a few rough spots as the team comes together, Earnhardt Jr. said he isn’t worried.

"I don’t know that we will struggle," he said. "I expect us to come out and be competitive. By midseason I expect us to be a better race team than we were last year.

"I think Greg is a talented crew chief. He has many advantages that will make us a better team. Steve was the strategist, one of the best guys on the box when it came to strategies, fuel mileage and stuff like that. It’s too soon to tell exactly where we are there. Greg’s been running in the Nationwide Series for a couple of years and their strategies are kind of mapped out already because of the tire rule and so forth. You can’t really pull a lot of little levers and get things done, get crazy. …

"But I know the engineering side is getting stronger because of Greg’s history as an engineer."

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How will Sadler fare with new crew chief Phil Gould?

RELATED: Complete schedule for driver previews

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Team: Roush Fenway Racing No. 1 Ford

Rank in final 2014 standings: Third

Wins: 1 (Talladega in May)

Strides: Once again Sadler was a contender for the title, and while he eventually finished third (trailing the 1-2 tandem of JR Motorsports drivers Chase Elliott and Regan Smith), it was the fourth consecutive top-five points finish for the Emporia, Virginia racer.

In wrapping up a two-year stint with Joe Gibbs Racing before moving to Roush Fenway Racing for the ’15 season, Sadler added career victory No. 10 at Talladega, his first on the huge, 2.66-mile layout. His runner-up finish at Darlington and fifth at Auto Club equaled previous bests at those two tracks, while his 25 top-10 finishes in 33 starts were a first.

Setbacks: Although his results were far from bad, Sadler was a consistent top-10 performer in need of top-fives down the stretch. After working his way to the top of the points standings with a 10th-place finish at Kentucky at mid-season, he promptly gave it back the following week with a 21st-place finish at Daytona. That began a stretch that saw him finish 10th or worse in five of the next eight races, including 29th at Bristol.

Quoteworthy: "Edsel Ford would come up to me every single race when he was there and we would shake hands and he would ask me how I was doing. It didn’t matter what … manufacturer I was driving (for). No other head of a manufacturer has ever done that. That’s always been special. He came up to me in Phoenix, gave me a hug and told me ‘welcome back’ after we made the announcement. That meant the world to me."

What’s next: Sadler returns to the Ford family for ’15, joining Chris Buescher, Ryan Reed and Darrell Wallace to make up the Roush Fenway Racing XFINITY Series lineup. He last drove for the automaker in 2010 (with Richard Petty Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series.)

Phil Gould, former crew chief for Brian Scott at Richard Childress Racing, made the move to RFR as well and will oversee the No. 1 Ford entry. One Main Financial will provide sponsorship.

"My relationship with Phil is awesome," Sadler said. "We have the same beliefs in racing and a really strong friendship, which to me in this sport means a lot. I feel very confident."

In spite of the move, Sadler isn’t expecting a slow start, or a sub-par effort.

"The last (few) years … we’ve always been in the top three or four in the points, been on poles, won races," he said. "Going back to Ford with Roush Fenway, with (engine builder) Doug Yates especially, we’ve got high hopes.

"Those cars ran very well at the end of the year and I think we can bring some knowledge over there that can help the program. I feel very good about getting back with those guys."

Sadler is a 14-time winner in NASCAR and is one of 24 drivers to have won at least one race in the Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series.

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Will new crew chief help ‘Rowdy’ reach Victory Lane again in 2015?

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Team: Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota

Rank in final 2014 standings: 10th

Wins: 1 (Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, California)

Year in photos: Busch’s 2014 highlights

Strides: Busch won at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race for the 10th consecutive year, and qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for the seventh time in his career. His win at ACS was his third at the two-mile venue. His third-place finish at Kansas was his best result for that 1.5-mile track, while a runner-up finish at Indianapolis equaled his best previous effort there.

Five consecutive top-10 finishes, including top-fives at Kansas and Charlotte, to open the Chase kept Busch, 29, in the thick of the title battle.

"It came down to a pit stop," Busch said of the Auto Club victory, "and my guys hammered out an awesome stop, got us good track position for the final (stop). We won the race holding off a hungry, talented rookie (Kyle Larson). That was a great highlight and it got us in the Chase."

Setbacks: Second in points heading into the Chase race at Talladega, Busch saw his title hopes disappear when he was collected in an 11-car incident that sent his No. 18 Toyota to the garage for an extended stay and resulted in a 40th-place finish.

"The only other way to run the race would be just to run up front with everybody and if there’s a wreck that happens hopefully it takes enough of the guys out that you’re racing against in points that your points will be enough to beat the … those guys that got crashed," Busch said.

For the season, Busch led only 453 laps, fewest for the Las Vegas native since 2005.

Quote-worthy: "We just need to improve in sheer speed; our cars need to turn better. We haven’t been able to go through the center of the corner as fast as some of these other guys and why that is we’re really not sure."

What’s next: Former XFINITY Series crew chef Adam Stevens takes over the helm of the No. 18 team, replacing Dave Rogers as crew chief. Stevens has 31 victories as crew chief, including 19 with Busch in 2013-14.

"The relationship we’ve had over the last year (has) gone really well; we’ve won lots of races and been competitive," Busch said of Stevens. "I think that (XFINITY Series) level (of competition) is obviously a lot less than at Sprint Cup level but still I think he’s got a good repertoire within the shop and with his guys. When you can have all that, there’s no better thing than to try and move that guy up."

Although there may be some growing pains inside JGR with the addition of a fourth Sprint Cup team (fielded for driver Carl Edwards), Busch said the expansion can be a positive for the organization overall.

"Having Carl come aboard is going to be great for the team," he said. "He’s obviously gotten some (good) results in years past; I look forward to working with him, but also having a bunch of new people at JGR and getting the engineering department all ramped up (to) make us more competitive, a stronger team and a force to be reckoned with."

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Free admission, autograph sessions return to NASCAR Hall of Fame

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 12, 2015) — For the second straight year, the NASCAR Hall of Fame will open its doors for FREE for NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day.

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On Saturday, Jan. 31, fans will have free access to the Hall for a full day of activities, including autographs and Q&A sessions with current drivers and NASCAR Hall of Famers. Fans will be admitted into the Hall on a first-come, first-served basis in lieu of needing a ticket.

However, tickets to the below autograph sessions, highlighted by 12-time Sprint NMPA Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and defending NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott, must be secured in advance.

Vouchers for these autograph sessions will be available for free on NASCARHall.com starting at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 17. Each fan can secure up to two autograph session vouchers.

Session One (9:30 a.m. ET) — Kyle Larson, Brendan Gaughan, Tyler Reddick

Session Two (10:30 a.m. ET) — Reed Sorenson, Ryan Reed, Ben Kennedy

Session Three (11:30 a.m. ET) — Michael Annett, Chris Buescher, Timothy Peters

Session Four (12:30 p.m. ET) — Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brian Scott, Tyler Young

Session Five (2 p.m. ET) — Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler, Erik Jones

Session Six (3 p.m. ET) — AJ Allmendinger, Regan Smith, Jennifer Jo Cobb

Session Seven (4 p.m. ET) — Aric Almirola, Chase Elliott, Matt Crafton

In addition, up-and-coming stars of the NASCAR NEXT program and NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2015 inductees Bill Elliott and Rex White will participate in Q&A’s and autographs throughout the day. Advance vouchers are not required for these sessions.

Fans in attendance will be among the first to see a series of new exhibits and facility upgrades. Artifacts from all five Class of 2015 inductees will be on display in the Hall of Honor, an exhibit that opens Friday, Jan. 30. Fans can also relive the 2014 NASCAR season with updated Memorable Moments and Champions displays.

Immediately following NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day, the NASCAR Hall of Fame will close for a special members-only Junior Johnson Midnight Moon Sign & Shine. The event will feature a private Q&A and autograph session with Junior Johnson and other NASCAR Hall of Famers, and a free tasting at the Midnight Moon moonshine bar. Fans purchasing NASCAR Hall of Fame memberships at NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day will have access to the event.

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The 17-year-old will run 16 races in the Truck Series

GMS Racing announced Monday that it has signed 17-year-old Brandon Jones as the driver of its No. 33 Chevrolet for 16 races this season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

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Jones — who drove for the Statesville, North Carolina-based team in two truck series races last season — joins Spencer Gallagher in the GMS driver lineup. The Atlanta native is also scheduled for part-time duty in the NASCAR XFINITY Series this year for Richard Childress Racing.

"I’m happy to be back with GMS Racing for the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season," Jones said in a release provided by the team. "We ran well in my two previous starts with the team, and GMS Racing had strong runs throughout the 2014 season. Having the opportunity to run with GMS Racing is an awesome opportunity. I cannot wait to continue my development with the team."

Jones will partner with veteran crew chief Shane Huffman, who guided all five of the teenager’s truck series starts last year — three with Turner Scott Motorsports and two with GMS. Jones’ best finish in eight career Camping World Truck Series starts was a fourth place at Dover International Speedway last May.

Jones finished fourth in the developmental NASCAR K&N Pro Series East last season, claiming an impressive victory in August in a combined race for the East and West circuits at Iowa Speedway. Jones also has two wins in three career starts in the ARCA stock car series.

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The company will serve as primary sponsor for 11 NSCS races

Jeff Gordon will carry new sponsorship looks in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season with help from new partner 3M. Monday, the innovative technology company announced which races it would be the focal point on Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports entry.

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RELATED: 3M switches sponsorship to Jeff Gordon

3M will be featured on Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet as primary sponsor in 11 Sprint Cup events next season, starting in the second race of the Sprint Cup season, March 1 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The full schedule for 3M’s primary sponsorship:

March 1 — Atlanta Motor Speedway

March 8 — Las Vegas Motor Speedway

April 19 — Bristol Motor Speedway

May 9 — Kansas Speedway

May 31 — Dover International Speedway

July 26 — Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Sept. 6 — Darlington Raceway

Sept. 12 — Richmond International Raceway

Oct. 10 — Charlotte Motor Speedway

Oct. 18 — Kansas Speedway

Oct. 25 — Talladega Superspeedway

The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company announced last August that it would sponsor Gordon’s efforts in 11 races each year through 2017. The deal was announced days after another primary sponsor, the AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger campaign, said it would be back with the No. 24 team for 13 races in 2015.

RELATED: 3M, an official partner of NASCAR

Last June, Panasonic announced that it would serve as primary sponsor for the team in two Sprint Cup races annually through 2016. Axalta Coating Systems is signed to a primary sponsorship role with Gordon for 10 races a year, also through 2016.