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What are Harvick’s chances of claiming the title back-to-back?

RELATED: Full schedule of driver previews

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Chevrolet

Rank in final 2014 standings: First

Wins: Five (Phoenix in March, Darlington in April, Charlotte in October, Phoenix in November, Homestead in November)

Year in photos: Recap Harvick’s 2014 season

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Strides: Harvick often said that a driver doesn’t switch teams with the expectation of running worse. And that was the case for the Bakersfield, California, native when he ended a 13-year run at Richard Childress Racing to join Stewart-Haas Racing for the ’14 season. Although he was stepping into a slot made available with the departure of Ryan Newman, Harvick’s No. 4 team was built new, from top to bottom — a new driver, new crew chief in Rodney Childers, a new, handpicked crew and new equipment.

The result? Harvick won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, five races, a series’ best eight poles and he led more laps (2,137) than any other driver. By a wide margin.

Never higher than third in final points during his stay at RCR, Harvick won early last season to earn a spot in the Chase, and then won key races during the 10-race, elimination-style format to continue to advance. He closed the season with wins at Phoenix, which guaranteed his place in the four-team finale, and then at Homestead to secure the title.

Although his Chevrolet was fast each and every week, it wasn’t consistency that carried him to the title.

"Our success came all from winning races," he said. "In the end, it was winning the last two races; winning early in the season and getting ourselves in the Chase. Pretty much, if you’re going to look at the root of our success, it wasn’t about consistency. It was really about winning for us."

Setbacks: While he won five races, Harvick knows there were several other wins that slipped from the team’s grasp in ’14. Mechanical issues early in the season derailed strong runs on several occasions. Problems on pit road were enough of an issue that heading into the Chase, his over-the-wall crew was swapped with that of teammate and team co-owner Tony Stewart.

It was the final tweak, but a sign that the team was still trying to improve.

"If you look at the first half of the year, we were fast, but we made a lot of mistakes," he said. "We won a couple of races, but it really took us a good half … of the year to get to where we weren’t having problems and get our stuff situated."

The early issues "really tested our team from a mental (aspect) on how we were going to react after having so many disappointments," he said.

Quoteworthy: "You always try to take what you have and make it better. If you don’t do it better than you did last year, it’s your own fault."

What’s next: Once you’ve reached the top, what else is there?

"I think the ultimate drive is just that sense of failure," Harvick said, "especially after you’ve reached the highest amount of success that you can reach. But the team and organization, as a group, we can all get a lot better.

"This is a sport where you have to constantly reinvent yourself and what you do. There isn’t a year that goes by that something doesn’t change. … We’ll re-evaluate everything and talk about what we did this year and how it got better, how the championship affects it."

While Harvick said he expected changes within the SHR organization during the offseason, his core group would remain intact. While he and teammate Kurt Busch qualified for the Chase, Busch was eliminated early while fellow SHR drivers Stewart and Danica Patrick failed to make the 16-team field.

With a pit crew that stepped up when it mattered most, and mechanical issues addressed, Harvick has high expectations as he begins defense of his title.

"This team," he said, "has a lot of confidence."

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Sanctioning body will bring teams down pit road for manipulation

RELATED: NASCAR announces 2015 rule changes

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will no longer be allowed to alter their car’s side skirts during an event, a practice that became widespread during the 2014 season.

At the NASCAR State of the Sport to kick off the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour presented by Technocom, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said the sanctioning body will bring cars back down pit road if officials see that the side skirts have been manipulated during a pit stop in the race.

O’Donnell said it would police flared skirts "by any means possible," including use of the new pit road technology that will make its debut during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway.

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Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition and racing development said the practice was allowed to continue last season because officials "didn’t want to change how we were policing things in the middle of the Chase.

"We knew at the end of the year there was work to do on our part in how we policed it in 2015," he said.

"We’ll do that with our pit road cameras, we’ll do that with our video replay system and we’ll do that with our officials on pit road."

For 2015, NASCAR will police pit road through the use of 45 cameras (located on the grandstand side of the track) that will feed video back to a central location. Software written into the system will alert officials to any potential violations. There will also be 10 officials roaming pit road to monitor pit stops.

If it is determined that a team has altered the side skirt, Pemberton said the team will be required to correct the issue at that time.

"If we somebody physically pulling it out, or doing something to make it come out, we’ll react. We’ll make them fix it (during the race)," he said.

The pieces, officially known as vertical rocker panel extensions, are located along the bottom of the car’s body between the front and rear tires. They help seal the area between the bottom of the car’s chassis and the track surface, limiting airflow underneath the vehicle.

Unlike the thin sheet metal that covers most of the car, the pieces are made of hard plastic, which limits damage when they come into contact with the surface of the track.

However, one short section of the right-side piece, located between the exhaust area and the rear tire, is constructed of metal to withstand heat from the car’s exhaust.

And it’s that piece that drew the interest of officials as teams began to pull out or "flare" the metal portion in an attempt to improve downforce as the car traveled through the turns. The greater the pressure generated, the better the car moves through the corner, allowing the driver to maintain speed.

Not all teams were flaring the pieces last season, but those that did typically would make the adjustment during an early pit stop.

NASCAR allowed the practice to continue as the season progressed, but said on several occasions it was something that would be addressed after the completion of the 2014 season.

Teams haven’t said how much is gained from such an adjustment. There has, however, been talk about possible problems the move creates for other drivers.

Flat tires following contact sidelined at least two Chase contenders late in the year, and both were asked if the flared side skirts were at least partly to blame.

"I would assume it was something like that," Team Penske driver Joey Logano said of contact at Texas between his Ford and that of Richard Petty Motorsports driver Marcos Ambrose. "Obviously, the consequences of that (flaring) is that is you touch each other … you can get a flat tire, but that’s part of it. We all know it. We can see it.

"We know if we touch each other we’ll have an issue because of everyone being so aggressive in that department. But that’s the name of the game right now."

In the same race, contact between Logano’s teammate, Brad Keselowski, and Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon resulted in a flat tire on the No. 24 Chevrolet. It also set the stage for post-race fireworks involving Gordon, Keselowski and various crewmen.

Gordon said whether his flat tire was caused by Keselowski’s flared side skirt or something else was "certainly debatable."

"You don’t know. The … tailpipes stick out, too," Gordon said, "and as hard as the impact was, it’s possible that the tailpipes may have done it."

Still, he said, such body alterations aren’t helping the situation in such instances.

"It is definitely getting a little bit out of control," he said.

Posted on by Brad Norman

Team has come a long way since 1991, has high hopes for 2015

RELATED: Monday’s best quotes from the Charlotte Media Tour

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The spotlight shone down on Joe Gibbs Racing during the first stop of this week’s Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour as its contingent of drivers, crew chiefs and team executives congregated on-stage to discuss the 2015 season. It’s sure to only get brighter until the Daytona 500.

The organization, once a mom-and-pop shop, has evolved into a Fortune 500 company. That transformation was evident when Carl Edwards joined JGR in a fourth car, but the team’s evolution has been a constant force.

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From a one-car team in 1991 with less than 25 employees to today’s four-car group with nearly 500 people, JGR has joined Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing as teams that field four full-time cars at NASCAR’s highest level.

The Edwards addition had some folks whispering of a Hendrick copy-cat, but make no mistake about this group — it is uniquely Joe Gibbs.

"I think in any pro sport, it’s hard to stay at the top," Gibbs said. "Sometimes you can hit it and then fall away, but to stay up there consistently is the key. I think what Jimmie Johnson has done speaks for itself. That’s what everybody else would like to do.

"But I don’t think we’ve patterned us after Hendrick. I think we patterned us after ourselves."

Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth comprise Joe Gibbs Racing, and they own a combined 107 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins. Hamlin advanced to the Championship 4 last year, Kenseth won seven races and finished second in the standings to Jimmie Johnson in 2013, and both Edwards and Busch have made title pushes in the past.

All four drivers qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup last year, although Edwards did so with Roush Fenway Racing. So although Gibbs didn’t model his organization after Hendrick Motorsports, it’s not too difficult to project similar results.

"Anytime you can compare yourself to Hendrick, that’s a good thing," Hamlin said, wearing a grin. "For all of us, this is a change for sure, but the best drivers will always find a way to be successful. We expect success."

"We’ve got a lot of new people and a lot of people who have a lot of different ideas," Kenseth added. "We feel like we’re all going to be better."

So what does it all mean?

Well, no one knows yet. The drivers expect to compete for wins. Ownership hopes to have a driver (or two) in the Championship 4 again in 2015.

But we don’t know yet. For today, in January, we can project and predict. But soon enough, the engines will roar, the green flag will drop, and then we’ll know for sure.

"I think any time you make a big decision like this, you’re always nervous about it," Gibbs said. "But the thing about sports is, you’re going to find out when we get out there and start racing. Everybody’s going to say ‘That was not smart’ or they’re going to say ‘Man, that was smart.’

"And I like that because you don’t guess about it. It’s going to happen on the track, and we’re all going to get to see it. I love that part about our sport. They keep score. So we’re going to find out in how we do. And I feel real good about it."

Posted on by Brad Norman

Driver of JGR’s No. 11 is ready to move forward

RELATED: Relive Brad’s burnout in the garage after run-in with Hamlin, others

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — At least one of the drivers who feuded with Brad Keselowski during last year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is moving on.

During Monday’s Joe Gibbs Racing stop on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour presented by Technocom, Denny Hamlin said he thinks he’s in "a good place" with the Team Penske driver.

RELATED: Monday’s best quotes from the Charlotte Media Tour

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Hamlin and Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, had an on-track incident in October’s race at Charlotte that had Hamlin tailing Keselowski through the garage following the event. Keselowski was also involved in an altercation with Hamlin’s JGR teammate Matt Kenseth the same night, and was part of a post-race free-for-all with Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick after the Chase race at Texas Motor Speedway.

"I think as drivers, we’re becoming a tighter-knit group," Hamlin said. "I think really, it doesn’t take long for stuff like that to kind of wash itself under the bridge. I think that any incidents with myself, or Kevin, or Jeff or anyone who may have had an issue with Brad, it’s in the past and you’ve got to move on.

"It’s hard to hold grudges because they take up so much effort to keep them going. As drivers, you just don’t have time."

The benefit of offseason vision helped Hamlin reach that place. In the throes of the Chase — which he called one of the most exciting things in the history of NASCAR — it can perhaps be more difficult for a big-picture view.

That’s why the man who said Keselowski’s "lack of remorse" wasn’t well received in the garage could offer a smile and well-reasoned dialogue three months later.

"Jeff, he probably knew that was a great opportunity for him to win a championship before he retires, that probably ramped up his intensity," Hamlin said. "For those other moments, we’re all trying to make it to the next round. If you feel like someone causes you to miss it, you are really, really angry. It’s part of racing."

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NASCAR, Martinsville Speedway officials recognized by press organization

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Kerry Tharp, senior director, competition communications for NASCAR, and Mike Smith, public relations director for Martinsville Speedway were among those honored Sunday evening during the National Motorsports Press Association’s annual convention and awards dinner.

Tharp, who joined NASCAR in 2005 as director for the sanctioning body’s licensing office before moving into the competition department role, was presented the Joe Littlejohn award for his service to the NMPA. Since his arrival, Tharp has been instrumental in continuing to develop the relationship between NASCAR and the NMPA.

The Joe Littlejohn Award is presented each year to a person or persons, or an organization, in recognition for or outstanding service to the NMPA. It is named after the former track owner from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Littlejohn is credited with two career NASCAR starts, but raced extensively before the formation of NASCAR.

Smith is the recipient of this year’s Ken Patterson Helping Others award. He has handled the public relations duties at the 0.526-mile track since 2000. The facility hosts two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events each season.

The Ken Patterson award, named after the former director of public relations for Talladega Superspeedway, is determined by a vote of the NMPA membership. It recognizes a public relations representative in the motorsports industry (team, track, and sanctioning body) who has exhibited the kind, generous qualities that Patterson always demonstrated.

Talladega Superspeedway donates $1,000 in the winner’s name to the Kenneth Patterson Educational Trust Fund each year.

Others awards presented by the organization included the Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award, which went to 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, and the NMPA Spirit Award, which was presented to the Petty family in honor of Lynda Petty.

Sunday’s event was held at the Embassy Suites in Concord, North Carolina.

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Founding member of the Racing Wives Auxiliary honored posthumously

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Lynda Petty, the wife of seven-time NASCAR premier series champion Richard Petty, has been named the recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association’s annual Spirit Award for 2014.

Petty, who passed away March 30, 2014, was one of the founding members of the Racing Wives Auxiliary, a charitable organization that provided assistance to those in need within the racing community. Today the group, now known as the Women’s Auxiliary of Motorsports, seeks to enrich the lives of women, children and families through various education and wellness programs.

In addition to raising and caring for a family of four, Petty also was active in numerous community and civic endeavors.

The NMPA Spirit Award is designed to recognize character and achievement in the face of adversity, sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. Each year, the NMPA membership selects four quarterly recipients, with an overall winner chosen from among the four candidates at season’s end.

Petty was the first quarter recipient of the award for 2014. Other recognized for their efforts were driver Martin Truex Jr. (second quarter), longtime car owner W.C. "Junie" Donlavey (third quarter) and brothers Darrell and Michael Waltrip (fourth quarter).

"The example that Lynda Petty and all of our Spirit Award nominees and recipients have set for us serves as a reminder that it’s not what you take from this life that is important, but what you give back," 2014 NMPA President Kenny Bruce said.

"Recognizing the work and contributions of these people is an honor and a privilege the NMPA doesn’t take for granted."

The announcement of the award came during the NMPA’s annual convention, held Jan. 25 in Concord, North Carolina.

NMPA Spirit Award Winners: 2014, Lynda Petty; 2013, Marcy Scott, Atlanta Motor Speedway; 2012, Andy Hillenburg, Rockingham Speedway; 2011, Jeff Gordon; 2010, Jim Hunter, NASCAR; 2009, David Poole, Charlotte Observer; 2008, T. Taylor Warren; 2007, Bill France Jr.; 2006, Benny Parsons; 2005, Morgan Shepherd; 2004, Kyle and Pattie Petty; 2003, Bob Latford; 2002, Larry Hicks; 2001, Ricky Craven; 2000, Kyle Petty; 1999, Clay Earles; 1998, Mark Martin; 1997, Dave Marcis; 1996, Dale Earnhardt; 1995, Ernie Irvan; 1994, Ernie Irvan; 1993, Davey Allison and Alan Kulwicki; 1992, Davey Allison Family

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Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion honored by namesake Richard Petty

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick has been named the recipient of the NMPA’s Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award for 2014.

The award, which has been presented each year since 1969, is determined by a vote of the National Motorsports Press Association membership.

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Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing, was presented the trophy by the award’s namesake, seven-time premier series champion Richard Petty, during the annual NMPA Awards Dinner Sunday night at the Embassy Suites in Concord, North Carolina.

In his first season with SHR, Harvick equaled a career-best five Sprint Cup victories, with wins at Phoenix (twice), Darlington, Charlotte and Homestead. The victory in the season-ending event at the South Florida track secured the title for the Bakersfield, Calif., native.

No other driver captured more poles than Harvick, who started from the No. 1 position eight times, or led more laps (2,137) in 2014.

It is the second time Harvick has been honored with the Richard Petty Driver of the Year award. Elevated to Cup competition following the 2001 death of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt, Harvick responded by winning twice and finishing ninth in points in Cup while also winning the Busch (now XFINITY) Series championship.

"You’ve heard me talk about it before, in the end it’s all about people," Harvick said of his 2014 season. "We were in a fortunate situation where (team owners) Gene (Haas) and Tony (Stewart) said, ‘Alright, you don’t have a budget. Just go out and hire whoever you think you need to hire to make the best team possible.’ Then they built new race cars and every nut and bolt, every (piece) was brand new from top to bottom.

"It’s very rare that you get that situation. Usually when you start a new team you’ve got to mix and blend a lot of stuff from the teams that are already there. It was just a very unique circumstance. In the end, it all boils down to the people; we’re fortunate to have a great organization that has a lot of assets that go with it."

Harvick received nearly 75 percent of the vote cast by the membership.

Other receiving votes were NASCAR drivers Chase Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman, along with six-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz.

Richard Petty Driver of the Year Recipients: Determined by vote of the membership, the Richard Petty Driver of the Year award has been presented annually since 1969 to recognize the season’s most outstanding driver. It is named in honor of the seven-time NASCAR premier series champion: 2014, Kevin Harvick; 2013, Jimmie Johnson; 2012, Brad Keselowski; 2011, Tony Stewart; 2010, Jimmie Johnson; 2009, Jimmie Johnson; 2008, Carl Edwards; 2007, Jimmie Johnson; 2006, Jimmie Johnson; 2005, Tony Stewart; 2004, Jimmie Johnson; 2003, Ryan Newman; 2002, Tony Stewart; 2001, Kevin Harvick; 2000, Bobby Labonte; 1999, Dale Jarrett; 1998, Jeff Gordon; 1997, Dale Jarrett; 1996, Terry Labonte; 1995, Jeff Gordon; 1994, Dale Earnhardt; 1993, Rusty Wallace; 1992, Davey Allison; 1991, Harry Gant; 1990, Dale Earnhardt; 1989, Mark Martin; 1988, Rusty Wallace; 1987, Dale Earnhardt; 1986, Tim Richmond and Dale Earnhardt; 1985, Bill Elliott; 1984, Terry Labonte; 1983, Bobby Allison; 1982, Darrell Waltrip; 1981, Darrell Waltrip; 1980 Dale Earnhardt; 1979 Cale Yarborough; 1978 Cale Yarborough; 1977, Cale Yarborough; 1976, Darrell Waltrip; 1975, Richard Petty; 1974, Richard Petty; 1973, David Pearson; 1972, Bobby Allison; 1971, Bobby Allison; 1970, Bobby Isaac; 1969, LeeRoy Yarbrough

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This victory marks the first Rolex 24 win for Larson in just his second start

Photo courtesy of IMSA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In a big race like the Rolex 24 At Daytona, sometimes it’s the little things that make the difference.

A small miscalculation on the part of the Wayne Taylor Racing team very late in the race essentially erased what could have been a mad dash to the finish. Rules prohibit one driver being behind the wheel for more than four hours in a six-hour period, so with just 10 minutes to go, the team had to pit for an unplanned driver change.

Even so, after 24 hours, 740 laps and 2,634.4 miles, the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona still came down to a seven-minute, 30-second sprint to the checkered flag that saw the No. 02 Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Ford EcoBoost-powered Riley DP squeeze out a 1.333-second victory over the defending Rolex 24 champion No. 5 Action Express Chevrolet Corvette DP.

The Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP had to settle for third after an unprepared Ricky Taylor had to step in for brother Jordan.

"I was not happy to get back in the car," Ricky Taylor said.

IndyCar star Scott Dixon drove the closing stint in the Ganassi car, carrying his three teammates — fellow IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan and NASCAR racers Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson — to the Prototype class and overall win. Dixon has won the race before in a Ganassi car, but it’s the first win for Kanaan, McMurray and Larson. The victory makes Ganassi the winningest team owner in the history of the race, and allowed McMurray to join A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti as the only drivers to have won the Rolex 24 and the Daytona 500.

"It’s such a team effort here," Dixon said. "We kept the car clean, tried to look after it as much as possible. It’s great to get back here for Team Target and Ford EcoBoost. I’m just stoked for the whole team."

Sebastien Bourdais, another visiting IndyCar driver, drove the closing stint in the Action Express Corvette DP, taking a solid, but still disappointing, second with teammates Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa. The good news for the team: They are running for the season championship, but the No. 02 Ganassi car isn’t, so the Action Express car has a good jump on another season championship in the TUDOR series.

Just over a minute back was the third-place Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette, with brothers Ricky and Jordon Taylor sharing the car with veteran Max Angelelli. The fourth-place Prototype was six laps back, so it was definitely a battle between the top-three finishers.

The seven minute, 30-second dash to the end was created by a crash, and then a fire, in the class-leading Prototype Challenge No. 54 CORE autosport Chevrolet-powered ORECA FLM09, which was being driven by Colin Braun.

Braun said he was forced off track by a slower Daytona Prototype car, which apparently damaged the rear suspension. He tried to limp the car back to the pits, "but I think the suspension collapsed," and he "hit the wall pretty hard."

The car then caught fire, but Braun escaped without injury.

That left the door open for a Prototype Challenge win by the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports car, driven by Tom Kimber-Smith, Andrew Palmer, Andrew Novich and Mike Guasch. Kimber-Smith was driving at the end, and he said he was "definitely surprised" at the opportunity created by Braun’s crash.

"It wasn’t nice to see him in the wall, and it definitely wasn’t nice to see the car on fire," he said.

In the GT Le Mans class it was another close one, with the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R taking the class win and a surprising fifth overall, just 0.478 seconds ahead of the No. 25 BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GTE. Antonio Garcia drove the winning Corvette home, and he shared the ride with Jan Magnussen and Ryan Briscoe. It is Corvette’s first Rolex 24 win since 2001.

For Magnussen, a former Formula One driver, the victory was proof that persistence pays.

"I’ve tried to win this race 11 times," he said. This time, "we stayed out of trouble, made no mistakes, had no damage to the car, and had great pit stops."

In GT Daytona, the No. 93 Dodge SRT Viper finished first in class, 13th overall, 7.6 seconds ahead of the No. 22 Alex Job Racing/WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT America. Dominik Farnbacher co-drove the Viper with Al Carter, Kuno Wittmer, Cameron Lawrence and team owner Ben Keating, who is the world’s largest Viper dealer.

Since the factory-backed Dodge Viper team ended its racing program after winning the GTLM title for the 2014 season, Keating said it was important to bring the car back to the Rolex 24.

"This one is for the Viper Nation!" Keating said.

Fifty-three cars started the race, which ran under mostly clear skies and cool temperatures after a heavy rain Saturday morning. Race pace was faster than 2014, the first year for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, when the winning car completed 695 laps, compared to 740 this year.

Next up for the series: The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 21.

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No. 02 Larson trails the leader by less than five seconds

DAYTONA BEACH – "Surreal" is not a word you’d often apply to a motorsports event, but at 2 a.m. in the infield of Daytona International Speedway, almost halfway through the Rolex 24 at Daytona, it applies.

The temperature, nearly 70 degrees at the start of the race, has dropped considerably. Smoke wafts through the air from campfires and smoldering bar-b-ques.

On the track, though, the competition is as hot as it was when the green flag fell. There has been attrition; there are cars on the track repaired under feverish and often heroic conditions, and there are drivers coping with constantly changing conditions and traffic at nearly every turn.

It’s when the cream begins rising to the top, and 12 hours into the Rolex 24, the leaderboard is a testament to teams that have preparation, talent and more than a little luck so far.

In the Prototype class, Jordan Taylor, driving for his father Wayne Taylor in the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP, leads overall, with NASCAR star Kyle Larson less than five seconds back in the No. 02 Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Racing Ford EcoBoost-powered Riley. Both drivers are cranking out laps in the 1 minute, 39.8-second range, which is close to the pole speed in qualifying.

Another 10 seconds back is the Ganassi No. 01 sister car, driven by 54-year-old veteran Scott Pruett. After 12 hours, and 370 laps on the 3.56-mile track, the top three cars are less than 40 seconds apart.

In the Prototype Challenge class at the 12-hour mark, Jon Bennett in the CORE autosport No. 54 has a one-lap advantage over second place. In GT Le Mans, the two factory-backed Chevrolet Corvette C7.R teammates are leading the class, 25 seconds apart. And in GT Daytona, Jeff Segal has his No. 63 Ferrari 458 Italia 35 seconds ahead of the pursuing No. 48 Audi R8 LMS.

Quite a few of the 53 entries have already packed up, including the DeltaWing, which suffered clutch woes and will be scored 53rd, despite turning some very fast laps early in the race. The No. 2 Extreme Speed Honda-powered Prototype will be scored 52nd after a powertrain failure. An oiling issue sidelined one of the Mazda Prototypes, which is presently scored 48th.

Walk down pit lane, and you’ll see snoozing crewmen wrapped in blankets, trying to get a little rest. With 12 more hours of racing left, they’ll need it.

Broadcast coverage of the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona continues until 7 a.m. ET, 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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Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick will also take turns in the broadcast booth

Days after announcing 2015 would be his final full-time season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Jeff Gordon has a new job.

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Gordon along with fellow champions Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski will be analysts on NASCAR XFINITY Series broadcasts as the network broadcasts the first 14 races of the season, 12 on FOX Sports 1 and two on FOX. They will be joined in the booth by play-by-play host Adam Alexander, analyst Michael Waltrip and reporter Vince Welch.

Alexander, along with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series play-by-play announcer Mike Joy and Brian Till will fill in for Steve Byrnes on NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races until Byrnes returns from his medical leave of absence to join analysts Waltrip and Phil Parsons and reporters Hermie Sadler and Kaitlyn Vincie. FOX Sports 1 will televise 22 of the 23 races with the Talladega event on FOX.

Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds begin their 15th season in the Sprint Cup Series booth as FOX NASCAR kicks off its first year of a new 10-year rights agreement. Sprint Cup pit road will be patrolled by returning reporter Matt Yocum as well as newcomers Jamie Little and Chris Neville with the three also working on XFINITY events. FOX expands its schedule from 13 to 16 races with 10 on FOX and six on FOX Sports 1. Chris Myers and the Waltrip brothers return to the Hollywood Hotel for the pre-race show.

"NASCAR Raceday" will be back at the track before every Sprint Cup Series race with Danielle Trotta hosting during the first half of the season with McReynolds and Kenny Wallace while John Roberts will be back for the second half of the season. Vincie, and FOX Sports 1 newcomers Alan Cavanna and Andrew Doud will report alongside FOX NASCAR’s pit reporters.

Trotta will host "NASCAR Raceday – XFINITY" before every XFINITY Series race with McReynolds and Wallace offering analysis and Little, Neville, Welch and Yocum reporting. Roberts will host the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pre-race show, "The Setup," with two-time champion Todd Bodine.