Posted on by Holly Cain

Reigning Cup champ: ‘I believe that the schedule needs to be mixed up’

Related: Brad Keselowski’s opinions on the Sprint Cup schedule

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick has some specific ideas about shaking up the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

In answering a reporter’s question about how NASCAR could further invigorate fan interest, Harvick suggested being more open-minded and flexible with the race venues. He emphasized that races are regularly returning to their "sold out" roots, but the champion proposed more road races and even a wild-card venue each season.

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"If you want to talk about growing the sport, I believe that some venues need one race,” Harvick said Friday before opening practice at Talladega Superspeedway. "I believe that the schedule needs to be mixed up. People like things that change, they don’t like stagnant things. In my opinion the most stagnant thing in our sport is our schedule and our venues that we go to. 

" …  And sometimes you just have to change things up to keep the excitement and enthusiasm in the sport."

Asked what he would do and where he would go, this year’s championship points leader was quick with some suggestions.

"I know the first place I would go is Iowa," Harvick said of the Rusty Wallace-designed .875-mile oval that hosts two XFINITY Series and one Camping World Truck Series stand-alone. "I think that everybody wants to see more short tracks and more venues."

Further, Harvick said, "I think road racing — we have a couple of road races on the schedule and most every team has two road race cars and spends a lot of money on their road race program.

"Adding a road race here or there would definitely be something that I would vote for just for the fact internationally road racing is very recognizable to race fans. …  You could take your pick on road courses, Montreal (Canada) does a great job, you could go to Laguna Seca (California), you could go anywhere in the world and race on a road course. There are lots of good venues."


And while he’s at it, Harvick said smiling, he has an unconventional idea of rotating at least one venue every year.

"I have always been a fan of let’s go to the banquet and roll the pills around of race tracks across the country and have a wild-card race every year,” Harvick said. "Go to the ‘Milwaukee Mile’ and really you could go to test these venues and see how the markets react. 

"And see the reaction you get from the market, even if you only have 30 or 40 thousand people in the grandstands. If you put on a good event for TV and do the things that it takes to have a unique event, that is really what people want."

Posted on by RJ Kraft

Additional Driver Draft insight; plus, what if pit stalls could be dealt?

Editor’s Note: Kraft’s Korner will offer a take on a current hot topic in sports.

The cultural phenomenon known as the NFL Draft is underway, and teams are weighing the risk vs. reward of potential picks. Meanwhile, at home, viewers are intrigued to see which potential star plummets on the draft board and has to endure the most agonizing wait in the green room.

Wouldn’t it be great if crew chiefs could trade pit stalls?

At NASCAR.com, we recently put together our own draft board, the 2015 Driver Draft. We pared a list of 40 drivers down to 25 and took into account history, recent performances and potential room for growth.

Spoiler alert: Joey Logano ended up at the top of our list.

Logano is only 24, but it feels like he’s much older since he’s in the midst of his seventh full-time Sprint Cup season. He has wins on virtually every type of track, has won some big races (the 2015 Daytona 500 to name one) and seems to be settling in as a perennial title contender. There are some veteran drivers with championships, but it’s the combination of upside, recent history and a high ceiling that made Logano our top choice.

NFL teams are examining similar scenarios this weekend. They are weighing pros and cons and considering a "safe pick" versus someone who may have a little more baggage but could yield a greater return. The term "value" is thrown around all the time, and in fact there’s something called the draft value chart, which teams consult when making deals.

While there was no mega deal by the Philadelphia Eagles for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, two divisional rivals got some of the best value in Thursday night’s first round. The New York Jets selected defensive end Leonard Williams sixth overall, and many experts had him as the one of the top three players in the draft.

And in a case of the rich getting richer, the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots added a stout interior lineman to their defense in Malcom Brown. The Texas product should help fill the void left by the decision to part ways with Vince Wilfork.

But all this talk about the NFL Draft got me thinking about something NASCAR has that’s similar: pit stall selection. The stalls on pit road are prime real estate, and the ones that go first usually have no one in front of the driver when he exits. The ones that go next have no stall behind, providing the driver the opportunity to pull straight into the area.

We see plenty of wheeling and dealing in the NFL Draft (although not much on Thursday night) and it always spurs discussion among fans. So wouldn’t it be great if crew chiefs could trade pit stalls after qualifying, adding strategy and intrigue to that part of the NASCAR weekend?

Say a driver doesn’t fare well in qualifying, but the car was great in practice and the team expects to contend for a win. Why shouldn’t the team be able to acquire a better pit stall if another team is willing to deal it? Yes, it will come at a price, perhaps giving up a better spot at a future track, but the moves or potential moves could get a lot of fans talking.
 
All the time you hear drivers mention how important qualifying is but not necessarily for the starting spot. It’s for the pit stall selection. For example, Jimmie Johnson has overcome sluggish starting spots the past two weeks at Bristol and Richmond and ended up with second- and third-place finishes, respectively. Would having a better pit stall have helped him score his third win of the season?

It’s certainly possible, and it would be great to see a crew chief such as Chad Knaus working the phones to make a last-minute deal. Perhaps it would be even more amusing if NASCAR fans were to react like fans of all NFL teams do (most notably the Jets) when their picks are revealed.

Posted on by Staff Report

2012 Sprint Cup champion reacts to Kevin Harvick’s comments

RELATED: Kevin Harvick stumps for schedule overhaul

Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick had a strong take on the Sprint Cup Series schedule during his media availability Friday at Talladega Superspeedway.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver said the 36-race lineup "needs to be mixed up" and "in my opinion the most stagnant thing in our sport is our schedule and our venues that we go to."

Another Sprint Cup Series champion had a different take.

Brad Keselowski, who once wrote a blog about his dream NASCAR schedule, reacted via Twitter later Friday afternoon.

His thoughts:

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Next driver to make first national series start at Dover

Team Little Racing announced Friday afternoon that it has reached an agreement with ThorSport Racing for a part-time schedule for NASCAR Next driver Jesse Little in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season.

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Little, 18, had previously announced that he would make his truck tour debut May 29 at Dover International Speedway. Friday’s announcement provided extra detail on his 2015 plans, including the partnership with ThorSport — winner of the last two Camping World Truck Series championships with veteran Matt Crafton.
 
"To have this alliance and support from ThorSport Racing for my Truck Series Events is a huge step forward for me, Team Little Racing and our partners," Little said in a release provided by his team. "Our goals are to put together solid finishes and represent ThorSport Racing, Duke Thorson and our sponsors including NASCAR Technical Institute and Performance Friction Brakes in a first-class manner."
 
Thorson has fielded trucks in the series since 1996. His three-truck effort this season includes rides for Crafton, Johnny Sauter and rookie Cameron Hayley.
 
"We look forward to supporting Jesse as he makes his transition into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series," Thorson said. "We feel that this alliance with (Little) will assist him in reaching his ultimate goal in NASCAR."
 
Little will have a familiar face atop the pit box in Harold Holly, a 19-time winner as a crew chief in what is now called the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The veteran wrench spent two seasons as crew chief for Little’s father, Chad, in both XFINITY and Sprint Cup competition.
 
"Jesse is an impressive young man in so many aspects of life," Holly said. "He’s a strong student, treats everyone with respect and is eager to learn new things. From a racing perspective Jesse has won at every level he’s competed on, takes care of his equipment, provides his team with good feedback and knows how to pace himself during a race. This partnership with ThorSport Racing will give us a chance to compete at one of the sport’s top levels where Jesse can show his skills.
 
"We have solid goals, will work to be a good teammate and always be respectful on the track. As a team we’re excited to get to Dover and see what our team can do in our Camping World Truck Series debut."
 
Jesse Little is in his fourth season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, where he was the rookie of the year in 2013.

Posted on by Staff Report

Teenager edges Roush pair of Wallace, Reed on leaderboard

RELATED: Practice results

Erik Jones topped the speed charts Friday in the lone NASCAR XFINITY Series practice at Talladega Superspeedway.

Jones, driving the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota, rose to the top of the leaderboard with a lap of 188.861 mph around the 2.66-mile track. The 18-year-old driver, who will make his Sprint Cup Series debut next weekend at Kansas Speedway, will be making just his 12th XFINITY start in Saturday’s Winn-Dixie 300 (3 p.m. ET, FOX).

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Teammates Darrell Wallace Jr. and Ryan Reed tied for the second spot at 188.727 mph in a pair of Roush Fenway Racing Fords. Regan Smith, a former Talladega winner in the JR Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet, was fourth-best at 188.086 mph with rookie Daniel Suarez fifth at 187.621 mph in another Gibbs Toyota.

Series points leader Ty Dillon clocked the 26th-fastest lap in the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet. Defending race winner Elliott Sadler was 13th-best at 186.180 mph in the Roush Fenway No. 1 Ford. Chase Elliott, the defending series champion, was 15th-fastest at 185.924 mph in the JR Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet.

Boris Said was 17th-fastest driving the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota in place of the injured Kyle Busch. Said, an occasional NASCAR competitor primarily at road-course events, will make his first start in the XFINITY Series since 2011.

The fastest laps were established early in the 2-hour, 20-minute session, when drivers grouped together in aerodynamic packs. Most of the latter stages were spent in single-car mock qualifying runs.

Several teams were docked 15 minutes of practice time because of inspection infractions the week before at Richmond International Raceway. Among them were the teams for Said, Sadler, Joey Logano, Brendan Gaughan and Brian Scott.

Coors Light Pole Qualifying is scheduled Saturday at 11 a.m. ET (FOX Sports 1). It will mark the first session with revised rules disbanding group qualifying at tracks where restrictor plates limit engine output.

Posted on by Staff Report

Roush Fenway teammate Stenhouse fast in early session

Practice 2

RELATED: Final practice results

Greg Biffle soared to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series speed chart in final practice Friday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway.

Biffle, driving the Roush Fenway Racing No. 16 Ford, registered a best lap of 197.929 mph among light participation from the 45 drivers entered in the final 55-minute session. Biffle currently ranks 21st in the Sprint Cup standings, with just one top-10 finish in nine races this season.

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Tony Stewart, 30th in points in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Chevrolet, was second-fastest at 197.859 mph. Aric Almirola was third-best at 197.696 mph in the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford.

Jimmie Johnson, a two-time Talladega winner, was fourth-fastest in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet. Austin Dillon completed the top five in the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevy.

Kevin Harvick, the defending Sprint Cup champion and current points leader, managed the 16th-fastest lap of the 38 drivers who participated in final practice. Several drivers made just two laps in a mock qualifying run before ending their on-track activity for the day.

Coors Light Pole Qualifying is set for 1 p.m. ET (FOX), marking the first session since NASCAR competition officials dropped the group qualifying format on restrictor-plate tracks.

Practice 1

Stenhouse fastest in opening practice | Results

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. shot to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series leaderboard Friday afternoon, eclipsing the 200-mph barrier in a jumbled opening practice at Talladega Superspeedway.

Stenhouse, driving the Roush Fenway Racing No. 17 Ford, clocked a fast lap of 200.780 mph around the 2.66-mile track. Stenhouse, who failed to qualify at Talladega last October, was also black-flagged midway through the 55-minute session for a blend-line violation, improperly merging onto the track on a warm-up lap.

Michael Waltrip, an occasional Sprint Cup competitor who has all four career wins on tracks where restrictor plates limit engine power, was second-fastest at 200.742 mph. He’ll be attempting to make his second start of the season in the Michael Waltrip Racing No. 55 Toyota.

NASCAR XFINITY Series regular Chris Buescher was third-fastest at 200.268 mph in another interim effort in the Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford. Defending race winner Denny Hamlin was fourth-fastest, just ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate David Ragan, making his last start in the No. 18 Toyota in place of the injured Kyle Busch.

Ragan is scheduled to transition to the MWR No. 55 team next week at Kansas Speedway, with 18-year-old Erik Jones shifting over to the JGR No. 18 for his Sprint Cup debut.

Defending Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick was 31st-fastest in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Chevrolet. Harvick was among four drivers — Aric Almirola, Alex Bowman and Matt DiBenedetto the others — whose teams were docked practice time for inspection delays the previous week at Richmond International Raceway.

Former premier series champ Bobby Labonte was the only other driver issued a blend-line penalty in the opening practice.

Posted on by Staff Report

Camp 95 to provide students an inside look at NASCAR careers

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team Leavine Family Racing will host a one-day summer camp, providing high school students a behind-the-scenes look at the NASCAR industry, from engineering and building cars to marketing sponsorship roles.

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"An important part of our Leavine Family Racing team is focusing on the racing community and our local community," team owner Bob Leavine said in a team release. "I am thrilled to give back to the community by using the organization as a way to provide these students with a look at some different career opportunities available to them."

"Camp 95" will be held on Tuesday, June 16 at the team’s headquarters in Concord, North Carolina and will include a shop tour with crew chief Wally Rogers. Only 30 campers will be selected to participate. Applications are due May 25 and can be found at http://www.lfr95.com/camp95. Campers will be notified of their acceptance via email by June 1, and potential applicants can email [email protected] for more information.

"I’m very excited to have the opportunity to show these students how many different roles there are in NASCAR in a hands-on environment like CAMP 95," Rogers said. "I hope that by explaining how I got started in the industry I can somehow make an impact on how they look at their future careers."

Several key members of the NASCAR industry will also visit the campers. These speakers will share their experiences on how they got started in NASCAR and provide advice to the students as they begin to plan their careers.

Posted on by Nascar

RCR driver sees restrictor plate tracks as opportunities

Related: NXS Talladega practice results

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Ty Dillon, the XFINITY Series points leader, will be looking to extend his advantage Saturday when the Winn Dixie 300 (3 p.m. ET, FOX) gets underway here at Talladega Superspeedway.

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And the wide-open 2.66-mile Talladega track, Dillon said, is just the place to do it.

Dillon, 23, leads defending series champion Chase Elliott by eight points (293-285) after this season’s first eight races. Chris Buescher sits in back of Elliott and trails Dillon by 11.

“I got one of my first ARCA wins here,” the Richard Childress Racing driver said Friday after the series only practice. “… I was able to beat Frank Kimmel down the frontstretch and just edged him out at the finish line.

“Every time we come to one of these (restrictor plate) race tracks I feel like it’s an opportunity for me to win and run well. We were very strong in Daytona.”

Dillon finished third at Daytona in the series’ season-opening race. Buescher finished second, just behind Roush Fenway Racing teammate Ryan Reed, while Elliott came away 28th.

On Friday, Erik Jones led XFINITY practice; Dillon was 26th on the board.

Qualifying is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET Saturday. If he’s not on the front row, Dillon has plans to get there, and quickly.

A self-avowed “aggressive racer,” Dillon said plate tracks “really kind of fit my style."

“I like being able to, as soon as the flag drops to go as hard as I can go and get as many positions (as I can),” he said. “That style has always suited me really well when we go to restrictor plate tracks, where I can be aggressive with the moves I make and get myself to the front and try and stay out of trouble.

“For whatever reason, it’s always worked for me in the past and I’ve had some really good finishes at some of these race tracks. That’s kind of my mentality when I race every weekend, but it really seems to play out well here.”

As for the points, Dillon is mindful of them “but it’s not something I’m worried about every single weekend.

“The main focus no matter what is to win the race,” he said. “If you can go out and win the race every weekend, you don’t really have to worry about points.”

Although Sprint Cup drivers have won six of this season’s eight XFINITY Series races, the last two events at Talladega have seen XFINITY regulars come out on top – Regan Smith in 2013 and Elliott Sadler last year.

Posted on by Nascar

Restrictor plate tracks return to single-car qualifying starting this weekend

Related: Biffle tops final practice | Stenhouse fastest in first practice

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick said, “it just didn’t work.”
 
Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Danica Patrick likened it to the TV show “Survivor.”
 
The shelf life of group qualifying on restrictor plate tracks has expired.
 
Tradition, some would say sanity, has returned.

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When NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series teams hit the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway for qualifying Saturday, fans won’t see packs of cars jostling for position, trailing cars laying back trying to catch the air and possibly ride the draft to a front-row starting spot.
 
They also won’t see multi-car crashes similar to the one that unfolded at Daytona when the format was put into play for this year’s season-opening race.
 
Instead, teams will go it solo with one driver’s qualifying attempt coming to a close as the next begins.
 
“I feel really good about what it has evolved into,” Harvick said Friday at Talladega, site of Sunday’s GEICO 500 (FOX, 1 p.m. ET). “I think all the competitors feel that way. We were tearing up a lot of cars in qualifying.”
 
According to NASCAR officials, each driver will complete three laps – the first to get up to speed, the second which will be the official qualifying lap, and a third as he or she returns to pit road.
 
Approximately halfway through the qualifying lap, the next driver in line will head out for his or her attempt.
 
The qualifying order in each series will be based on a random draw for the first of two rounds.
 
In the final round, the order will be based on first-round times, from slowest to fastest.
 
Each session is expected to take less than one hour to complete.
 
Patrick’s only pole in the Sprint Cup Series came in the Daytona 500 two years ago, under the single-car qualifying format.
 
“It just was, I feel, like a very unnecessary stress for everybody,” Patrick said of the group qualifying format at Daytona and Talladega. “The amount of conversations and meeting with drivers … I felt like I was on ‘Survivor’ … trying to make alliances and finding out the best thing to do was not have any and just be the one that tags onto the group. Because nobody really cared if it was just one car.
 
“But when a group of five saw you, you’re like ‘oh, I can’t have all five of those going faster.’”
 
The speed and closing rate of a car, or cars, catching a group in front often meant the pole winner wasn’t the first to cross the line.
 
Friday’s two practice sessions saw plenty of pack drafting but no significant contact. Roush Fenway Ford driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (200.780 mph) led the opening practice while teammate Greg Biffle (197.929 mph) topped the leaderboard in the second.
 
Biffle, who has one restrictor plate pole and one win, says he’s pleased with the change to the qualifying format “because it’s the speed of the car.”
 
“It’s not who got the lucky lane or who got a draft or who laid back so far and got sucked up on a big run,” Biffle, 45, said. “… I feel (this is) the right way to do it.”
 
Group qualifying will continue to be used to set the starting lineup at tracks other than Talladega and Daytona. Such a format works well at those shorter tracks, Harvick said.
 
“I think there have been a lot of things that have changed, but … our qualifying change has been week-in and week-out probably one of the better changes that we have had in our sport in a while.
 
“I think when you look a the adjustment and the time everybody has put in, I hope it evolves into that … this weekend as well.”

Posted on by Nascar

Driver isn’t discouraged after GoDaddy announces departure

RELATED: GoDaddy to end sponsorship with No. 10

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Just how big of a marketing machine is Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick?
 
The world of NASCAR is about to find out.

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With the announcement that GoDaddy, the Internet web service provider, will not return as primary sponsor after the 2015 season, officials at Stewart-Haas Racing now must find funding to continue to support the 33-year-old and her No. 10 SHR team.
 
Funding that was said to run between $18 million and $20 million for an entire season not that long ago has escalated. Today, those on the high end of the scale seek anywhere from $22 million to $25 million.
 
That increase has led to fewer sponsors willing or able to fund teams for an entire season. The result for the fortunate few has been multiple primaries scattered throughout the year.
 
Companies such as TaxACT and Aspen Dental have provided associate support, and have served as primary sponsors on occasion for Patrick and the No. 10 team. But GoDaddy has funded the bulk of the group’s efforts, as well as Patrick’s, since she made the move to NASCAR from the open-wheel ranks.
 
"It was good that GoDaddy gave us, as a team, time to find someone else for that (sponsorship) role," Patrick said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway, site of Sunday’s GEICO 500 (FOX, 1 p.m. ET). "Either someone new or one of my great partners that already exists and wants to step up. …
 
"They have been an enormous supporter through every transition. They supported me when I just wanted to run (XFINITY) to get experience. So they’ve been great. But it is a new scenario and we’re going to have to figure it out and it’s a challenge, no doubt. Finding primary sponsors is a challenge. But I feel confident that in all the people to find sponsors, I believe in my agent and my team. And we’ll figure it out."

RELATED: Holly Cain on Patrick’s marketability
 
Patrick, who has 91 career starts, enters this weekend’s race 16th in points and has two top-10 finishes this season. Her ninth-place run at Bristol was her sixth career top 10, the most ever by a female driver in NASCAR.
 
In addition to Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing fields Sprint Cup Series teams for defending series champion Kevin Harvick, co-owner/driver Tony Stewart and 2004 Sprint Cup champ Kurt Busch.
 
Patrick said she expects to maintain her personal relationship with GoDaddy but that "it’s just going to look a little bit different from an overall standpoint.
 
"I think we’re going to continue on, obviously, with the things that I have been doing for them as of late," she said, "more smaller events and more specific events for them as opposed as just trying to get their name out there."
 
GoDaddy’s recognition as a brand is huge — officials tout 81 percent brand awareness "so the program worked," Patrick said.
 
"It worked so well that they’ve evolved. But I’m glad to still be with them, and I’m glad that they gave us time to find someone else for that position."
 
As for her future, Patrick said she is happy at SHR. "and they’re working hard … to find someone for the new primary position.
 
"My team is working to find someone for the new primary position. So, I think at this point in time, we’re moving forward with all those intentions.
 
"But I guess it is on some level open season in a lot of areas. So, I don’t think you can ever say never, of course; but I am happy where I’m at right now."