Chat with fellow NASCAR fans during this week’s on-track activity
RELATED: Play Perfect Chase Grid Challenge and Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota
MORE:
|
Chase news |
PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks
|
WATCH: Latest
|
FOLLOW LIVE: Get
|
|---|
Beer company will be back on No. 3
RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live | Sign up for RaceView today
Richard Childress Racing and D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. will continue their partnership next year, with Yuengling continuing to appear on Ty Dillon‘s No. 3 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Yuengling will also sponsor the No. 33 Chevrolet, which Dillon will drive, at the Pocono Raceway NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in June.
This was the first year the 185-year-old company had partnered with a NASCAR team.
"We are thrilled to continue our great partnership with Yuengling and showcase their great products to NASCAR fans," said Richard Childress, chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "We have enjoyed working with a family-owned and operated company with such a rich heritage and tight-knit culture. It’s something we mirror here at RCR."
Dillon is in the midst of a tight race for the Nationwide Series championship. In third place in the standings, he’s 38 points behind fellow Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender and series leader Chase Elliott.
Dillon is coming off a third-place finish at Kentucky Speedway after leading 155 laps and has one win earlier this year, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 22-year-old seems excited about the news, too.
So excited and thankful to have @Yuengling_Beer for the 2015 season and for the Pocono Cup race! cheers pic.twitter.com/yV8VIzmwRn
— Ty Dillon (@tydillon) September 24, 2014
MORE:
|
Chase news |
PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks
|
WATCH: Latest
|
FOLLOW LIVE: Get
|
|---|
Bowyer’s wife, Lorra, expecting couple’s first child
Clint Bowyer’s "baby watch" continues. As a result of that, his team has made appropriate accommodations for this week’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway (Sept. 28, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Jeff Burton will be on standby for the No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing team. Burton has 40 career starts at Dover, 15 of which ended with top-10s. He also won once at the 1-mile concrete oval, in 2006.
If called upon, it would be the third time since August Burton has served as a fill-in. He made two starts for Tony Stewart, in consecutive weeks at Michigan and Bristol, before Stewart returned to his seat in Atlanta. Burton has also made two starts in the No. 66 Toyota this year, at Las Vegas and New Hampshire.
Bowyer is 19th in the standings after not qualifying for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. His wife Lorra is due to deliver their first child, a boy — which Bowyer had previously announced in a very Bowyer-esque manner.
MORE:
|
Chase news |
PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks
|
WATCH: Latest
|
FOLLOW LIVE: Get
|
|---|
Chase underdog holds 10th place in the standings heading to the Monster
RELATED: Follow your picks in the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge for chance at $100,000 prize
Before the playoffs, AJ Allmendinger gave his team a chance even when the odds appeared slim. Now the 32-year-old journeyman has one more chance to beat not only the odds, but at least four of his closest competitors to survive the first round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup postseason.
"We’re digging," Allmendinger said Sunday after a 13th-place run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "We’re trying to be the little team that could."
Allmendinger, in his first-ever Chase, remains a dark horse to advance to the Contender Round after this weekend’s AAA 400 (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Dover International Speedway, where the field of title hopefuls will be trimmed from 16 drivers to 12. With a ranking of 10th after the opening two races and a scant 12 points separating eighth place from 16th, Allmendinger said he knows he’ll need another solid, error-free finish to make the cut.
Allmendinger managed to escape the heavy toll of carnage and misfortune that visited several of his Chase rivals in last weekend’s visit to New Hampshire. While he isn’t necessarily wishing for more bad luck to his fellow drivers, he said he may need some help to remain firmly among the top 12.
"We’ve got to focus on us," Allmendinger said. "We know what’s around us. We know we have a lot of great teams. This is what we’ve got to do to keep going is make no mistakes. Chicago, we didn’t run very good; we maximized 22nd. This weekend, thought we were a little better, weren’t great in the race, maximized a 13th. We’re going to need mistakes around us. We’ve just got to go to Dover — one of my favorite places — and just focus on us and get everything we can.
"Wherever that puts us, it puts us."
Allmendinger’s JTG Daughtery Racing team will be bringing the same No. 47 Chevrolet that ran at Chicagoland Speedway two weeks ago, hoping that it can withstand the smaller confines and heavy demands of the Monster Mile. Though the driver’s penchant for Dover is well-known, the team — which shares a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing — will need to make gains from the 21st-place performance it posted there in June to build off last weekend’s effort.
"Momentum is a big deal for any team. We feel like we needed that going into this weekend," said Brian Burns, Allmendinger’s crew chief. "Fortunately for us, Dover is one of AJ’s favorite tracks. We had a really good car there last time. A lot of things that we have learned since then will help us unload better. … Our strategy is quite simple: Qualify good, stay out of trouble, be solid all day long."
Allmendinger insists he won’t be scoreboard-watching this weekend, though it would be hard to fault him if Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth — the drivers close ahead of him — and Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola — the Chase drivers behind him — weren’t part of the approach.
Either way, Allmendinger is just one race away from achieving his pre-Chase goal of making a postseason surprise a reality.
"I got home (Sunday) and all of a sudden it started hitting me that we have a shot to advance," Allmendinger said. "I don’t know, the outlook is different, we can make it now. If we did, it would be good publicity for our sponsors, who have supported our team for such a long time."
MORE:
|
Chase news |
PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks
|
WATCH: Latest
|
FOLLOW LIVE: Get
|
|---|
See how the 16 Chase Grid drivers stack up at Chicagoland, New Hampshire and Dover
RELATED: Track your picks in the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge and Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota
MORE:
|
Chase news |
PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks
|
WATCH: Latest
|
FOLLOW LIVE: Get
|
|---|
NASCAR national series enhancements explained
MORE: NASCAR news release | Drivers weigh in | Horsepower reduction highlights changes
RELATED: Follow your picks in the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge for chance at $100,000 prize
Nearly 60 different enhancements / updates have been made to the NASCAR national series rules packages for 2015 in the following areas:
o New Rules, with one or more of the following goals in mind: enriched competition, improved safety, reduced cost, enhanced product relevance and environmental (green) improvements.
o Enhanced Enforcement of Existing Rules
o New Officiating Processes
o Newly Approved Parts
o Updated Business Processes
The following are among the significant updates to the competition package.
Testing
There will be a NASCAR-mandated ban on all team-initiated private testing in 2015
o Teams will be invited to participate in NASCAR / Goodyear tests
o NASCAR will not conduct a test at Daytona International Speedway prior to the Daytona 500
Rules
o 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Package includes
*Reduction of horsepower to 725 via tapered spacer
*Roller valve lifters to replace flat valve lifter
*Lower rear differential gear ratios targeting 9,000 RPM
*Rear spoiler adjustment to 6 inches high (2014 height: 8 inches)
*Optional driver adjustable track bar
*38-inch wide radiator pan
*Minimum vehicle weight drops 50 lbs. via ballast reduction (2014 weight: 3,300 w/o driver)
*Updated qualifying formats for all tracks
o Rain tires on road courses, similar to rules in place for the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series; mandatory wipers, defogger and rear flashing rain light installed for the event weekend
New Officiating Processes
o Data Log and Capture System for pre-race inspections
o Automated pit road officiating at race events
Newly Approved Parts
o Revised brake calipers
Updated Business Processes
o Electronic rule book
o New parts approval process
MORE:
|
Chase news |
PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks
|
WATCH: Latest
|
FOLLOW LIVE: Get
|
|---|
Find out who can clinch a spot in the next round at the Monster Mile
RELATED: Track your picks in the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge and Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota
With one race left in the Challenger Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, there are 10 spots that have yet to be clinched for the Contender Round. Here is a look at what drivers need to do to grab one of those spots at Dover.
Clinch Scenarios For Dover International Speedway
Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have each clinched a spot in the Contender Round via their wins at Chicagoland Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway, respectively.
Below are the finishes each driver needs in Sunday’s race at Dover (2 p.m. ET on ESPN) to guarantee a spot in The Contenders Round, regardless of the finish of any other driver:
Kevin Harvick: 34th or better; or 35th and at least one lap led; or 36th and most laps led
Jimmie Johnson: 24th or better; or 25th and at least one lap led; or 26th and most laps led)
Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 21st or better; 22nd and at least one lap led; or 23rd and most laps led
Jeff Gordon: 14th or better; 15th and at least one lap led; 16th and most laps led
Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards: 2nd; or 3rd and most laps led
AJ Allmendinger: 2nd
Kasey Kahne: 2nd and at least one lap led
Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola only control their own destiny by winning Sunday at Dover.
MORE:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 18 rises after Loudon comeback; vote now for your favorite driver
RELATED: Play Perfect Chase Grid Challenge for chance at $100,000 prize
MORE: Chase hub page | #MyChaseNation
MORE:
|
Chase news |
PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks
|
WATCH: Latest
|
FOLLOW LIVE: Get
|
|---|
Rules finalized following intensive Research & Development by the industry
RELATED: Horsepower reduction highlights changes | Drivers weigh in | Fast facts
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Following more than a year of extensive collaboration with stakeholders throughout the industry, and with a keen eye towards the future, NASCAR has finalized and delivered to teams the 2015 racing package for all three national series.
"This race package represents a lot of hard work by NASCAR, the race teams, the drivers, our manufacturer partners and Goodyear," said Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR senior vice president of innovation and racing development. "We’ve remained committed to constantly looking at our racing, and the work that has been done has been aimed at getting a rules package delivered to the race teams as early as possible."
Highlighted in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series changes for 2015 are nearly 60 enhancements, including adjustments to the power train, aerodynamics and chassis that are designed to work in concert to deliver drivers more flexibility and teams more adjustability. Fans are expected to benefit from closer racing and more opportunities for drivers to pass on the track.
"We have had fantastic racing so far in 2014," Stefanyshyn said. "We remain committed to constantly looking to improve it. Our fans deserve it and our industry is pushing for it. That will not stop with the 2015 package; the development will continue over many years to come."
NASCAR will institute a shorter rear spoiler in its 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series package, which also includes a reduction of engine power, lower rear differential gear ratios and an optional driver adjustable track bar.
Based on the success of group qualifying formats, which were introduced in 2014 for all national series, NASCAR also announced that group qualifying will be utilized for the first time for the Daytona 500.
Additional changes for the 2015 rules include the elimination of team-facilitated private testing, with race teams being instead invited to participate in NASCAR/Goodyear tests throughout the season. NASCAR also will work alongside Goodyear to introduce rain tires should conditions warrant during road course events in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2015.
"We’re very pleased with the rules package and what it will do for our racing," said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer. "We’re confident it will continue to generate great racing, along with continuous safety improvements.
"The work alongside our industry has been unprecedented. We’ve had great dialogue with our drivers and teams, our manufacturers and Goodyear, allowing us to build greater efficiencies into the 2015 rules package. We’ve met our goal of delivering rules to teams with time to prepare for next season and we’re seeing the benefits of an updated process for developing our rules paying dividends. It will only continue to improve."
Full-length Sprint Cup Series race replays available on NASCAR’s YouTube Channel
WATCH: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Full Race Replay — 2014 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire
MORE: View the Full NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Replays — 2014 Playlist
RELATED: Track your picks in the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge and Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Do you ever wish you could re-watch the bold passes and precise pit stops that secured your favorite driver a win during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup?
For the first time ever, YouTube and NASCAR Digital Media have collaborated to give race fans the chance to relive every moment of NASCAR’s completely revamped playoffs. For the remainder of NASCAR’s postseason, fans will be able to view full-length replays of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on NASCAR’s official YouTube channel, free of charge.
Complete race replays of each Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race broadcast will be available at www.youtube.com/NASCAR each week following the event. Fans may visit the playlist entitled, "Full NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Replays – 2014" on the channel’s landing page to access the videos.
"Enhancing the fan experience through NASCAR’s digital properties is at the core of everything we do, and providing free, full-length race replays on YouTube gives our fans another easy way to interact with the sport," said Colin Smith, managing director of NASCAR Digital Media.
NASCAR Digital Media launched a completely redesigned digital platform in January 2013, which included a brand new YouTube channel. Since then, NASCAR Digital Media, in collaboration with the league’s Entertainment Marketing team, has provided NASCAR fans with fresh content through integrations with YouTube stars, such as the creators of the Canadian cooking show Epic Meal Time, the family-friendly EvanTube and Ultimate Frisbee player Brodie Smith. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race replays are a part of the league’s overall strategy to make NASCAR’s digital properties the premier destination for NASCAR content – before, during and post-race day.
"Having full NASCAR races on YouTube for the first time will be a big win for fans around the world, letting them watch anywhere on any device," said Claude Ruibal, YouTube’s Global Head of Sports Partnerships. "On YouTube, NASCAR Digital Media is now able to connect even more of their fans with the sport they love."
The next Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race will be the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. ET. The race will broadcast live on ESPN, WatchESPN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.
MORE:
|
Chase news |
PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks
|
WATCH: Latest
|
FOLLOW LIVE: Get
|
|---|
