Posted on by Zack Albert

With new crew chief, JR Motorsports driver looks to defend 2014 Daytona win

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As last year’s runner-up in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, Regan Smith has only one possible spot to move up the pecking order in the season-long standings. He’ll make that effort by working with new crew chief Jason Burdett, starting a communication process that is more personal than one might think.
 
"We go to the movies, we go to dinner … no, I’m just messing with you," Smith said during a playful moment at last week’s NASCAR Media Day. "We skip through the park together. In all seriousness, we’ve spent quite a bit of time together just at the shop."

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

The imagery, which could’ve been plucked from an online dating commercial, doesn’t quite capture the early semblances of team chemistry for the JR Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet group. But at the same time, Smith said the getting-to-know-you phase has been an important step in moving forward.
 
"I think the season holds some change," Smith said. "New crew chief, some new guys coming in. We kept most of our team intact other than the crew chief position, so that’s going to be a good thing. I think it holds a strong year and a solid year that needs to be stronger than last year was. That means only one position that we can go from where we were."
 
The 31-year-old veteran’s journey begins with Saturday’s season-opening Alert Today Florida 300 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1) at Daytona International Speedway, where Smith is the defending race winner. It marks his third year with JRM, which ran 1-2 in the final XFINITY standings last season, with rookie Chase Elliott hoisting the series title.
 
The opening win wound up being the No. 7 team’s only victory in 2014, prompting JR Motorsports to shuffle the crew chief order, replacing Ryan Pemberton with Burdett, who boasts a history of working on championship-level Sprint Cup Series teams. Though the NASCAR-mandated ban on testing has limited some of the time it takes for a team to become a more cohesive group, Smith said he has little concern about putting the pairing into action for the 33-race long haul.
 
"Our relationship was good before he came to work there, but it’s gotten better since he’s come to JR Motorsports," Smith said. "The more I’ve been around him and seen how he acts with the guys, how he handles the guys, how the guys act with him — it’s gotten me more and more excited about getting down here and just getting everything started."
 
Without testing, Smith has had plenty of off-track developments to keep him busy in the offseason. His wife, Megan, is expecting the couple’s first child — a boy — any day now. For a man who finds comfort driving cars at rapid rate of speed, Smith described the couple’s experience at a birthing class with one word — "terrifying."
 
"I walked out of there, and I’m not going to lie, I got a beer almost immediately," Smith said. "Outside of that, it was good."
 
The other major life adventure of the offseason involved driving of a different sort, a nearly 1,600-mile road trip to Colorado for Thanksgiving with his team boss, Dale Earnhardt Jr. After forging through the night, rain and fog to help move a truck to Smith’s Rocky Mountain home, it left Smith with a better appreciation for their relationship — not to mention a better impersonation of Earnhardt’s trademark North Carolina twang.
 
"I feel like we know quite a bit about each other, just as friends," Smith said. "Yeah, he’s a boss, but he’s a friend, too. Fortunate to have that situation."

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView today
Posted on by Nascar

NASCAR suspended Kurt Busch indefinitely on Friday

RELATED: NASCAR suspends Kurt Busch indefinitely

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Stewart-Haas Racing named Regan Smith as the interim driver for the No. 41 Chevrolet in the season-opening Daytona 500 on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX) in the wake of the suspension of SHR driver Kurt Busch on Friday.

In a team release, the organization says that an interim driver for next weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway and subsequent races has not been determined.

Earlier in the evening, officials from SHR said that the team was "finalizing our plans" for the Daytona 500.
 
NASCAR announced it has indefinitely suspended the 2004 Sprint Cup Series champion following "the findings and conclusions of the Family Court of the State of Delaware."

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule

"We understand NASCAR’s position regarding Kurt Busch and accept their decision," SHR executive vice president Joe Custer said. "We are in the midst of finalizing our plans for the Daytona 500 and we will announce those details as soon as we’re ready."
 
Kent Co. (Delaware) family court commissioner David Jones had granted Patricia Driscoll, Busch’s former girlfriend, request for a protective order earlier this week. Driscoll contended that Busch had smashed her head again the wall of his motorhome during a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekend at Dover International Speedway in September.
 
Busch, 36, had continued to compete throughout the investigation and hearing. He was scheduled to start 24th in Sunday’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
 
SHR began the No. 41 team prior to the start of the 2014 season and team co-owner Gene Haas hired Busch as the team’s driver.
 
Busch won once, at Martinsville, and qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He finished 12th in the series’ final points standings. He is a 25-time winner in the series.

Smith filled in for SHR last summer at Watkins Glen when he subbed for Tony Stewart following Stewart’s involvement in a fatal sprint car accident at a nearby dirt track the night before a Sprint Cup Series event.

Smith finished as the runner-up in the NASCAR XFINITY Series last season and has one Sprint Cup (Darlington in 2011) win in 172 premier series starts.
 
Stewart-Haas Racing also fields Sprint Cup entries for co-owner/driver Stewart, 2014 champion Kevin Harvick and Danica Patrick.

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView today
Posted on by Nascar

Reigning XFINITY champion looks to balance title run, Sprint Cup slate

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The car looks familiar, and the driver is a year older but otherwise unchanged.

The team that helped carry Chase Elliott to the 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series title, however, has undergone a major overhaul.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

Gone is spreadsheet-wielding crew chief Greg Ives, who can now be seen heading up the efforts of JR Motorsports founder and namesake Dale Earnhardt Jr. in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.

Likewise, car chief Travis Mack has departed, and has assumed the same duties with Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports outfit.

Veteran crew chief Ernie Cope, who previously handled the organization’s third team that featured several Cup drivers (Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne), is now overseeing the No. 9 team as Elliott begins preparations to defend his series title.

Christopher Allen is the team’s new car chief, while Tristan Smith (lead engineer), Seth Kookier (assistant race engineer) and Rick Pennington (rear end mechanic) are also new to the team. HMS’ Brad Thompson will serve as engine tuner.

"I think it’s kind of like starting over a little bit, I guess, with Ernie and really a whole new group of guys," Elliott, 19, said. "I think there are only two or three of us that are back with the team from last year, and that includes me.

"Last year we worked pretty closely together. We tried to stay on the same page with setup stuff; we were usually very, very similar last year to (their) car and whatever they were running. I think that relationship helped.

"And we got to work with them firsthand at Road America when Greg was at home with his (new) baby. Having that race behind us will hopefully help us get going."

A three-time race winner last season, Elliott is attempting to become only the seventh driver in the history of the series to capture back-to-back titles. His first opportunity to get a leg up on the competition comes here on Saturday with the running of the Alert Today Florida 300 (FOX Sports 1, 3:30 pm ET) at Daytona International Speedway.

The son of NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bill Elliott (himself a champion in NASCAR’s premier series), the younger Elliott admits he’s a long way from being an expert in the series. One season and one championship taught him plenty, but there’s still much more to absorb.

"It still kind of feels new to me; I definitely don’t feel like a veteran, that’s for sure," he said. "It’s crazy to think that it’s already been a year since that first (series) start and that we’re back at Daytona. A year goes by fast.

"I still have a lot to learn, still a lot of new things I’m experiencing, especially with the personnel changes this season."

Elliott’s journey up the racing ladder has been slow and steady by design. He competed in a mixture of ARCA, NASCAR K&N Pro Series and Camping World Truck Series races – and winning on more than one occasion – while filling the racing void with a Late Model effort. That schedule, he said, helped prepare him for the rigors of last year’s 33-race XFINITY Series schedule.

"I can think back to a couple of years ago when we were running Late Model stuff and we ran something in the mid-40s," he said. "The number of (XFINITY) races, that didn’t feel like a ton to me; the biggest difference was just the traveling."

His Late Model efforts were primarily in the Southeast. There were no West Coast trips, or stops in the Midwest.

In addition to defending his series championship, Elliott is also scheduled to make his Sprint Cup Series debut this season. He will drive a fifth car for Hendrick Motorsports in five events before sliding into the group’s No. 24 car in ’16, replacing four-time champion Jeff Gordon.

The five Sprint Cup races are Martinsville (March 29), Richmond (April 25), Charlotte (May 24), Indianapolis (July 26) and Darlington (Sept. 6).

This schedule might be a bit more hectic on those weekends, but it’s something Elliott said he’s eager to attempt.

"The good part about it is that the first race at Martinsville is an off-weekend for the XFINITY Series," he said. "Having that opportunity to just try to get your feet wet a little bit will be a good time to do that – not having going back and forth.

"But at the same time, I’ve always enjoyed running two races a weekend. I can remember from the go-karting days, I used to always run a couple of races. In Late Model races, the weekend where they had their bigger shows, I used to always try to run the Super and the Pro races as well. I’ve always really liked that."

MORE:

READ: Latest
 NASCAR news

PLAY: Sign up
 for Fantasy Live

WATCH: Latest
 NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
 RaceView today
Posted on by Staff Report

Noted Wisconsin short-track racer Alan Kulwicki moved to Charlotte in 1984 with nothing but a pickup truck, a self-built race car and the hopes of competing in NASCAR’s highest series. He had no sponsor and a limited budget.

A mechanical engineer by trade, Kulwicki’s understanding of the inner-workings of a car helped him burst onto the scene as the 1986 NASCAR Rookie of the Year with his self-owned AK Racing team.

Throughout his career, Kulwicki received lucrative offers from powerhouse race teams, but insisted on racing for himself. That determination eventually led to his first of five career victories at Phoenix in 1988, and the unveiling of his trademark “Polish Victory Lap,” a celebratory clockwise cool down lap with the driver’s window facing the fans.

RELATED: Alan Kulwicki’s career stats | Members of the Hall of Fame

His signature season was his championship-winning 1992 campaign, where Kulwicki overcame a 278-point deficit with six races remaining to capture the NASCAR premier series title. He had two wins, 11 top fives and 17 top 10s to defeat Bill Elliott by 10 points — at the time, the tightest championship margin in series history.

Kulwicki never got the chance to defend his title, dying in a plane crash in 1993.

Five years after his death, he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers.

ALAN KULWICKI BIO

Born: Dec. 14, 1954
Died: April 1, 1993
Hometown: Greenfield, Wisconsin

Championship
Cup Series: 1992 (driver/owner)

Cup Series Stats
Competed: 1985-93
Starts: 207
Wins: 5
Poles: 24

Posted on by Staff Report

 

Hershel McGriff exhibited a competitive passion that lasted longer than any driver in NASCAR history.

Born: Dec. 14, 1927
Hometown: Bridal Veil, Oregon

Championship
Pro Series West: 1986

Pro Series West Stats
Competed: 1971-2012
Wins: 37
Poles: 43

His first race was the 1950 Southern 500, in the NASCAR premier series’ sophomore season, at the age of 22. His final NASCAR race was at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West – in 2012 at the age of 84.

In between: Greatness, and lots of it.

McGriff started 85 races in parts of 28 NASCAR premier series seasons, capturing four wins — all in 1954, when he finished sixth in championship points.

But in what is now known as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, McGriff displayed an excellence that made him one of the best drivers in series history.

RELATED: Hershel McGriff’s career stats | Members of the Hall of Fame

Competing in parts of 35 seasons, McGriff won 37 races, good for third on the all-time West Series wins list.

His signature year came in 1986 when he won the series title, part of a string of 10 consecutive seasons with finishes in the top 10 of championship points.

In 1998, McGriff was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.

Posted on by Staff Report

Harry Hyde was so good, they made a movie about him.

Hyde, who inspired Robert Duvall’s character Harry Hogge in the cinematic classic “Days of Thunder,” enjoyed a nearly three-decade career in NASCAR’s premier series. During that tenure, his incredible leadership skills translated to immense success — even to the greenest of drivers.Prior to guiding Dave Marcis, Neil Bonnett and Geoff Bodine to their first career wins and harnessing the talent of Tim Richmond, Hyde laid a championship foundation with fellow NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Bobby Isaac.

RELATED: Harry Hyde’s career stats | Members of the Hall of Fame

In 1969, Hyde called the shots for Isaac’s 17-win season, which ranks among the most prolific seasons in the history of the sport. That year, Isaac also won 19 poles, which still stands as a NASCAR premier series record.

Hyde’s crowning achievement came in 1970, when he won the NASCAR premier series championship with Isaac, winning 11 times and capturing 32 top fives in 47 starts.

HARRY HYDE BIO

Born: Jan. 17, 1925
Died: May 13, 1996
Hometown: Brownsville, Kentucky

Championship
Premier: 1970 (crew chief)

Premier Series Crew Chief Stats
Competed: 1966-93
Wins: 56
Poles: 88
Years on Ballot: 10

Posted on by Staff Report

 

At the very top of the list of all-time NASCAR championships sit two men: NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans … and Mike Stefanik. Each tallied nine in their exemplary careers, with Stefanik’s coming in both the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

Born: May 20, 1958
Hometown: Coventry, Rhode Island

Championships (9)
Modified: 1989, ’91, ’97, ’98, 2001, ’02, ’06
Pro Series East: 1997, ’98

Driving Stats
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Competed: 1985-Present
Starts: 450
Wins: 74
Poles: 48

Seven of his titles came in his primary racing series — the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. In 2003, he was named one of the Tour’s 10 Greatest Drivers, an obvious choice if there ever was one — Stefanik holds the all-time series record in championships, wins, poles, top fives and top 10s.

RELATED: Mike Stefanik’s career stats | Members of the Hall of Fame

Stefanik won two championships consecutively in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East competition, in 1997-98. That, along with a win total that ties for ninth on the all-time series wins list, earned him a spot on the Top 10 Drivers of the First 25 Years of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East list in 2011.

In addition, Stefanik spent one full-time season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series — and it was a successful one. He captured the Rookie of the Year Award in 1999.

Posted on by Staff Report

Nominee for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2019

At six feet, six inches tall, Buddy Baker was often called the “Gentle Giant,” however, the nickname “Leadfoot” was more apropos due to the blistering speeds he often achieved during his 33-year career.

Born: Jan. 25, 1941
Died: Aug. 10, 2015
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Premier Series Stats
Competed: 1959-92
Starts: 699
Wins: 19
Poles: 38

In 1980, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native won the Daytona 500 with an average race speed of 177.602 mph — a track record that still stands. That same year, Baker became the first driver to eclipse the 200-mph mark on a closed course while testing at Talladega Superspeedway. Although he didn’t win at the 2.66-mile superspeedway in 1970, Baker won there four times throughout his stellar career.

RELATED: Buddy Baker’s career stats | Members of the Hall of Fame

In 1979, Baker, the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker, won the inaugural preseason event now known as the Sprint Unlimited.

He earned 19 wins in the premier series, including a victory in the 1970 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway where he lapped the rest of the field. He also won back-to-back World 600s at Charlotte in 1972-73.

After retiring in 1992, Baker made a successful transition to the television booth as a commentator for The Nashville Network and CBS, and later as a radio co-host on Late Shift and Tradin’ Paint for SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on by Staff Report

The legend of Missouri’s Larry Phillips cannot be measured in wins alone. That’s because nobody can say for sure how many victories there were. He raced here, there and everywhere on dirt and asphalt and in places where record keeping wasn’t always a priority.

Phillips was just happy to vanquish the competition and go on to the next track.

RELATED: Larry Phillips career stats | Members of the Hall of Fame

One crew chief, James Ince, estimated Phillips won 1,000 times; maybe 2,000. Rivals expressed frustration upon seeing Phillips’ No. 75 car come through the pit gate, admitting they were racing each other for second place.

What is fact is that Phillips was the first of two drivers to win five NASCAR Weekly Series national championships. During an 11-year span – from his first title in 1989 through 1996 – the Springfield, Missouri competitor won 220 of 289 NASCAR-sanctioned starts. That’s a winning percentage of 76 percent. Phillips also won 13 track championships in three states.

Phillips was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.

LARRY PHILLIPS BIO

Born: July 3, 1942
Died: Sept. 21, 2004
Hometown: Springfield, Missouri 

Championships (5)
Weekly – 1989, ’91, ’92, ’95, ’96

Weekly Series Stats
Competed: 1989-2001
Starts: 308
Wins: 226
Poles: N/A
Years on Ballot: 12

Posted on by Staff Report

Nominee for the Landmark Award

Ralph Seagraves’ life — and NASCAR’s world — changed the moment he met NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson.

Born: April 21, 1929
Died: Sept. 27, 1998
Hometown: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

In the late 1960s, Seagraves, an official with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, had been searching for a means to market cigarettes after the federal government banned RJR’s products from advertising on television and radio.

Johnson, ever the entrepreneur, had an idea. How about RJR sponsor his cars? Seagraves had a bigger idea: Why not sponsor NASCAR’s top series?

And so, in 1971, for the first time since its inception in 1949, NASCAR’s premier series had major corporate backing. The NASCAR Winston Cup Series was born. The partnership helped NASCAR launch into the national spotlight, and created a bedrock of stability for the next three decades. RJR’s Winston brand sponsored NASCAR’s top series for more than 30 years, ending in 2003.

Under Seagraves leadership, RJR helped a number of race track operators refurbish their facilities, many of which were short tracks that ran developmental NASCAR Winston Racing Series races.  

He retired from R.J. Reynolds in 1986.