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Race debuted in 2013 on temporary oval layout of backstretch

Daytona International Speedway will discontinue the UNOH Battle at the Beach in 2015.

The event, an invitational showcase for NASCAR’s regional touring and weekly series, enjoyed a successful two-year run using a temporary oval layout on the 2.5-mile speedway’s backstretch. This year, a mix of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, Whelen Modified Tour and Whelen All-American Series will focus on near-nightly racing at nearby New Smyrna Speedway.

In a statement, DIS track president Joie Chitwood III said the decision came "after much consideration."

"It was necessary for us to make this difficult decision given that we will open 40,000 new seats during Budweiser Speedweeks 2015 as part of the Daytona Rising redevelopment project and will remove the backstretch grandstands prior to 2016 racing season," Chitwood said. "We are pleased to see the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will remain in Central Florida during Budweiser Speedweeks at New Smyrna Speedway and encourage fans to attend those exciting races."

Track officials broke ground on the $400 million Daytona Rising project in July 2013. The redevelopment, which will feature a modernized 101,000-seat grandstand as the centerpiece, is scheduled for completion by the season-opening Speedweeks in February 2016.

The Battle at the Beach debuted in 2013 with close-quarters racing and last-lap contact deciding the outcome of all three events in its opening year. The inaugural running was noteworthy not only for Kyle Larson‘s victory in the Whelen All-American Series race, but for Mike Stefanik’s grumpy post-race interview with Ray Dunlap, a video that went viral after Steve Park bumped aside the seven-time modified champion on the final lap.

Daniel Suarez (K&N) and Doug Coby (Modified) prevailed in the Battle at the Beach in 2014.

Chitwood said the track looked forward to continuing its relationship with the University of Northwestern Ohio, which sponsored the event in each year of its existence.

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Posted on by Zack Albert

BK Racing co-owner believes move still likely to happen

A representative for Front Row Motorsports denied rumors that Cole Whitt would join the team in 2015, saying that social media and reports about a potential move were untrue. But a team co-owner with close ties to Whitt said the transition is all but certain.

A Tuesday night tweet from Anthony Marlowe, co-owner of BK Racing, seemed to indicate that Whitt had left his team to join Front Row. Via Twitter, Marlowe congratulated Whitt on securing a ride in the No. 34 Ford, which has been driven the past three seasons by David Ragan.

Wednesday morning, Front Row Motorsports reps said that reports that Whitt was shifting to the Statesville, North Carolina,-based team were "not true." Reached Wednesday afternoon, Marlowe said such a move might still become reality.

"I think Cole is a very talented driver. I don’t think Front Row Motorsports has much of a choice but to say what they’ve said or respond the way they’ve responded pursuant to certain agreements. Cole is still under contract with BK Racing," Marlowe said from his Iowa home. "Am I 100 percent certain he’s going there? No. If you would’ve asked me a few months ago if I would be surprised, I would say absolutely yes. If you’d have asked me a few weeks ago if I was surprised, I’d say no, probably not."

Marlowe confirmed that Whitt had informed the BK team that he didn’t intend to exercise a contract renewal for next season.

"Maybe I’ve made a mistake in (that) he’s going to the 34," Marlowe said of Whitt, "but I’m like 98 percent certain he’s going to Front Row Motorsports, and if not, the bellwether on garage rumors and Gmail is [that] my pulse is off on that. I think 99 out of 100 times, those rumors tend to be true and an overwhelming amount of people, including your colleague team owners, are kind of unofficially confirming it."

Whitt, 23, recently completed his first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, finishing 31st in the overall standings as a Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate. He began the year with Swan Racing, which was sold and merged with the BK Racing team in the spring. BK fielded entries for Whitt’s No. 26, plus full-time entries for the No. 23 and 83 cars.

Ragan, 28, brought Front Row and car owner Bob Jenkins their only victory in NASCAR’s premier series at Talladega Superspeedway in May 2013. Ragan struggled last season, though, winding up tied for 32nd in the final standings, a single point behind Whitt. He recorded his lone top-10 finish of the season at Martinsville Speedway in the fall with a paint scheme honoring 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Wendell Scott.

Jenkins also fields the full-time No. 38 entry driven by David Gilliland.

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Lady Antebellum, Aloe Blacc and ‘Nashville’s’ Stella Sisters to perform

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 24, 2014) — The slogan is as recognizable as any: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

But NASCAR will make an exception on Dec. 5 when it gives audiences a front row seat as Jay Mohr, Lady Antebellum, Aloe Blacc and Lennon and Maisy take the stage at the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards™ show from the Wynn Las Vegas® live on FOX Sports 1.

This year, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards will honor 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, as well as celebrate the other Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ Challengers. FOX Sports 1 will provide coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will begin coverage at 8 p.m. ET.

Mohr will serve as the host for the second consecutive year. The actor, comedian, radio host and best-selling author has one of the most expansive backgrounds in show business. After landing his dream job at "Saturday Night Live" and launching his career in film alongside Tom Cruise in "Jerry Maguire," Mohr appeared in approximately 200 network television episodes and more than 25 feature films. Additionally, his national radio show, "Jay Mohr Sports," is syndicated in more than 155 markets across the U.S. With a career in entertainment that spans over three decades, Mohr has become an artist who knows no limits, making him the perfect person to help celebrate NASCAR’s most prominent drivers. 

"This is my fifth time hosting the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards and I’m honored to share the stage once again with some of the most talented athletes in the world," said Mohr. "This has been an incredibly exciting year for NASCAR and it’s not every day that you get to be a part of a defining moment in the history of a sport."

Keeping his NASCAR performance streak rolling following his act at NASCAR’s season-opening, crown jewel event the 2014 DAYTONA 500® at Daytona International Speedway®, Blacc will kick off the musical entertainment for the night with the soulful selection that has "woken up" audiences around the world. The singer / songwriter collaborated as vocalist and co-writer on well-known DJ/producer Avicci’s 2013 track "Wake Me Up," which topped the charts in more than 100 countries across the globe, before releasing his third album "Lift Your Spirit" in March 2014. The rapper-turned-singer uses his surging popularity to affect social change and to deliver messages of positivity and passion.

Later in the evening, the seven-time GRAMMY™ Award winning trio Lady Antebellum will keep the audience rocking with a new song from their fifth album entitled "747." The 11-song disc has already spawned the PLATINUM certified multi-week chart-topping smash hit "Bartender," and its new single "Freestyle" is quickly climbing the charts. The new album follows over 11 million albums sold worldwide, nine trips to No. 1 on the country radio charts, six Platinum singles and "Vocal Group of the Year" honors from both the CMA and ACMs three years in a row. Lady Antebellum just wrapped their headlining "TAKE ME DOWNTOWN TOUR," which hit 80 cities in Canada and the U.S. over the course of the year, and delighted both fans and critics with the "Dallas Morning News" declaring, "Lady Antebellum shows off its warranted leap to superstardom." For more information visit: www.ladyantebellum.com.

Additionally, 15-year-old Lennon Stella and her 10-year-old sister Maisy Stella from ABC’s hit drama "Nashville" will perform. The daughters of the recording duo Brad and MaryLynne Stella, Lennon and Maisy’s musical roots run deep. In 2013, the sisters had a show-stopping performance of "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers on "Nashville," which quickly entered the top 40 of Billboard’s "Hot Country Songs" list. Later that same year, Lennon and Maisy performed at the CMA Awards™ and presented Taylor Swift with her Pinnacle award. They also performed at The White House this year and sang alongside cast members from "Degrassi," Magic Johnson, Martin Sheen, The Band Perry, and J.R. Martinez at "We Day Minnesota" last month.

This year’s talent will join the esteemed list of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards show artists from previous years, which include chart-topping singers, such as John Mellencamp, Phillip Phillips, Sara Bareilles, Dierks Bentley and Kid Rock.

"The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards present the opportunity to spotlight the biggest names in NASCAR, and we are thrilled to augment that star power with some of the most popular personalities in the entertainment industry," said Zane Stoddard, NASCAR vice president of entertainment marketing and content development. "This year’s line-up is sure to add to what has been one of NASCAR’s most climactic racing seasons ever."

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See all that happened as the Sprint Cup Series drivers took over Las Vegas

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After a season filled with exciting racing fueled by the revamped Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ format, NASCAR will return to Las Vegas in December for its annual postseason celebration – this edition with first-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick as the guest of honor.

NASCAR dignitaries, Hollywood stars and race fans will convene for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week™, Dec. 2 through Dec. 5, for an exciting lineup featuring new consumer activations, fan-favorite events and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards™. Once again, NASCAR headquarters will be anchored at Wynn Las Vegas, a premier resort destination in Las Vegas.

Among the fan-friendly and interactive events this year will be Champion’s Week Live at The LINQ Promenade, a new open-air fan hub located in the shadow of the 550-foot tall High Roller experience, offering an assortment of new activities. Returning will be the fan-favorite NASCAR Victory Lap parade, which provides fans with up-close views of Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Challengers in their race cars beginning at Miracle Mile Shops and ending at The LINQ.

Another notable event on the schedule is the annual NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon, where drivers and teams collect a number of year-end awards and accolades. In addition, NASCAR After The Lap™ sponsored by Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola and Sprint, will feature an interactive Q&A where Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Challengers share their biggest moments of the season, followed by an event-closing performance by Republic Nashville artist Cassadee Pope.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week will culminate with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards, where this year’s Chase drivers will be recognized for their accomplishments on stage before a star-studded audience comprised of teams, owners, celebrities and fans. FOX Sports 1 will provide coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will begin coverage at 8 p.m. ET.

Following is a rundown of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week activities; all times are Pacific time unless otherwise noted.

Tuesday, Dec. 2

• NASCAR Live: Eli Gold will sit down for an hour with 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick to discuss his season, the new Chase format and what winning the championship means. NASCAR Live will air from inside the Race and Sports Book at Wynn Las Vegas from 4 – 5 p.m. on Motor Racing Network. This event is free to the public and fans in attendance will have a chance to participate in the live broadcast.

Tuesday – Wednesday, Dec. 2 – 3

• 2014 NASCAR Motorsports Marketing Forum: The 15th annual NASCAR Motorsports Marketing Forum, presented by SportsBusiness Daily/Global/Journal, is the motorsports industry’s most comprehensive business forum. Once again, the event will be held at Aria Resort & Casino. Registration is required at www.MotorsportsMarketingForum.com.

RELATED: Dewar highlights positive effects of new Chase

Wednesday – Friday, Dec. 3 – 5

• Pit Pass Check-In: Beginning Wednesday, Dec. 3, fans can pick up a Pit Pass at NASCAR fan headquarters, Champion’s Week Live at The LINQ Promenade, and start checking in at various locations around the city where NASCAR partners will feature displays, including show cars. Running from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. each day, check-in locations include Tropicana (Ford), Treasure Island (Daytona International Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Auto Club Speedway), Paris Las Vegas (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) Caesars Palace (Chevrolet), Lagasse Stadium at The Palazzo (Toyota), and Excalibur (Mechanix Wear).

RELATED: Watch Kevin Harvick visit Air Force base

Wednesday – Friday, Dec. 3 – 5

• Champion’s Week Live at The LINQ Promenade: The center of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week experience will be at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip – Champion’s Week Live at The LINQ Promenade, the ultimate NASCAR fan headquarters. Open from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. each day, fans can purchase Chase merchandise at the NASCAR Superstore, get their photo taken with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series trophy, and view Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver cars on display. For a full list of activities, fans and media can visit www.ChampionsWeek.NASCAR.com.

RELATED: Watch DeLana Harvick’s prank on husband, Kevin

Wednesday, Dec. 3

• Fanfest Presented by Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Held at the Fremont Street Experience, the sixth annual LVMS Fanfest will begin at 2 p.m. This event is free to the public and will consist of a red carpet walk by the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Challengers, followed by a special "game show format" event. Select fans may be chosen to participate in an onstage game with the drivers with the chance to win two tickets to the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards held two nights later at Wynn Las Vegas.

RELATED: Drivers play ‘Win, Lose or Draw’

Thursday, Dec. 4

• NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon: The annual awards luncheon and industry gathering will take place from 11 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. in the Encore Ballroom at Wynn Las Vegas, where several team and individual awards will be presented. The event will be live-streamed on www.NASCAR.com.

RELATED: Dale Jr. wins 2014 Myers Brothers Award
RELATED: Harvick honored at Myers Brothers Awards

• NASCAR Victory Lap: The green flag on the Victory Lap will fly at 3:30 p.m. when the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers parade down Las Vegas Boulevard in their race cars. NASCAR Victory Lap will start in front of the Miracle Mile Shops and finish at The LINQ Promenade. Fans will once again have the unique opportunity to experience the excitement of NASCAR with two burnout sections and viewing areas along the route. Portions of the event will be broadcast live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and www.NASCAR.com will live-stream the event, beginning at 3:15 p.m.

RELATED: Watch as Dale Jr. takes fans along for the ride
RELATED: Drivers talk after Victory Lap

• NASCAR After The Lap sponsored by Ford, Coca-Cola and Sprint: Another highly-anticipated event is NASCAR After The Lap sponsored by Ford, Coca-Cola and Sprint, which will be held from 5 – 6:30 p.m. at The Pearl Theater inside Palms Casino Resort. Featuring the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Challengers and a performance by country artist Cassadee Pope, the sold-out event will be live-streamed on www.NASCAR.com, beginning at 5:15 p.m., and it will air later that evening on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio from midnight – 2 a.m. ET.

RELATED: Watch a full replay of the event

Friday, Dec. 5

• 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards: This black-tie celebration will be held at Wynn Las Vegas, where the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion driver and owner and the other Chase drivers will be honored. The drivers and stars will walk the Red Carpet from 4 – 5 p.m. and NASCAR.com will live stream the arrivals from 4 – 5 p.m. FOX Sports 1 will air the show live beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will begin coverage at 8 p.m. ET.

RELATED: See the Red Carpet Arrivals
RELATED: Harvick focus of jokes, adoration and respect at Awards
RELATED: Dale Jr. wins 12th Sprint NMPA Most Popular Driver Award

• Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Reveal: The Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award will be given to one dedicated NASCAR fan who has made a profound impact on children in his or her community. The NASCAR Foundation will announce the national award winner during this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards. Fans can cast their vote for the 2014 Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award winner by visiting www.NASCAR.com/award before 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 4.

RELATED: Noltemeyer wins Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award

For more information on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week in Las Vegas, visit www.NASCAR.com/ChampionsWeek.

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Driver on heels of career-best finish in Nationwide Series

Richard Childress Racing announced Tuesday that Mike Hillman Jr. will serve as crew chief for driver Brian Scott with the No. 2 Chevrolet team in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

Hillman, 36, won championships in the Camping World Truck Series with Todd Bodine in 2006 and 2010. Of his 20 wins in the truck tour, 19 came with Bodine and the other was delivered serving atop the pit box for Jeb Burton‘s breakthrough victory in 2013.

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"This is a great opportunity for a guy like me to become part of RCR and the No. 2 Chevrolet team," Hillman said. "When we first talked about this position, I knew this was something I wanted to do and RCR is known for their storied success at every level in NASCAR. Brian Scott is a talented driver who is coming off the best season of his career. He and I share the same goals — wanting to win multiple races and ultimately the XFINITY Series championship. With the team they already have in place, I am confident we will achieve our goals."

Scott, 26, joined the Childress operation for the 2013 season and worked with crew chief Phil Gould the last two seasons in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, which will gain title sponsorship from XFINITY next year. Scott placed fourth in the overall standings, posting the best finish in his five full seasons in the series.

"I look forward to building on what we have achieved the past two seasons with RCR," said Scott, who has five Coors Light Pole Awards but is still looking for his first victory in the series. "Mike Hillman Jr. is an excellent addition to our No. 2 Chevrolet team and has a proven track record of success and experience. I am more than confident he will take our team to Victory Lane and race for a championship.

"We already have a great nucleus of people on our team and our XFINITY program is strong from top to bottom. With the momentum we had at the end of this past season, I feel confident about our 2015 hopes."

Hillman, who starts his RCR tenure immediately, spent last season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on a part-time basis, working with a variety of drivers in 13 races with Circle Sport Racing’s No. 33 team. One of those was Scott; the two got a jump on developing chemistry in the season-ending Sprint Cup race, where the two combined for a 28th-place finish.

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Race shop hosts event to promote science, technology, engineering, math

CORNELIUS, N.C. — The questions weren’t surprising and ranged from "how much do you make" to "how did you get interested in racing."

Nothing too bizarre to start off, and with just enough feedback to keep the trip interesting and the attendees attentive.

UPS

Last month, Michael Waltrip Racing and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brian Vickers hosted approximately 30 teenagers from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Charlotte (Mecklenburg and Union Counties). It was one of four events the organization took part in this year to help demonstrate the importance of STEM, an academic curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering and math.

According to the U.S. Department of Education (www.ed.gov/stem), "only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career. Even among those who do go on to pursue a college major in the STEM fields, only about half choose to work in a related career. The United States is falling behind internationally, ranking 25th in mathematics and 17th in science among industrialized nations."

Following the screening of a short video and the open discussion, the teens, ranging in age from 13 to 18, toured the expansive facility where MWR personnel explained the engineering and safety aspects of today’s Sprint Cup Series cars in a more hands-on setting.

Vickers, a three-time winner in Sprint Cup and a former NASCAR Nationwide Series champion, said he has tried to tailor his approach to the interest of each individual group.

"I wouldn’t say it’s changed it dramatically but certainly there are some things you learn as you go through the process," he said.

"It’s interesting. Every group is different, some are totally engaged, absolutely thought it was the coolest thing ever, especially the younger kids. The older groups, when you’re in high school … they want to pretend like they’re not impressed even though they are. They’re just that age where all their peers’ opinions really matter so you have to really pull it out of them.

"One mistake I made early on was just hammering science, technology, engineering and math. Because that’s what it’s about, right? I think it should be an integral part of it but the reality is you’re not going to get 100 kids in one room and they all want to be engineers."

The bigger picture, he said, was the opportunity to promote the value of getting an education. And that was the message he tried to impress upon the teens.

"Something I have learned is that everyone here is intrigued by different things. Maybe it doesn’t involve STEM, but maybe it does," he said.

"What I would say to you is you should take your education seriously, but do something you love. Maybe it is working on race cars or building rockets or building skyscrapers, whatever. Maybe it’s writing a play, or maybe it’s being the next great artist. I don’t know.

"I’m not going to stand here and tell you that you need to be an engineer if that’s not something that intrigues you. But I will tell you that your education is one of the most valuable assets you’re going to have in your life."

He doesn’t undersell the importance of the STEM program, however. Integrating it with the Boys and Girls Clubs has been a success from the standpoint of providing youngsters with hands-on learning opportunities. In addition to the tour of the race shop, the teens were also the guests of the team at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

"It works for us," Vickers said of the program. "Because that’s what racing is about. It’s engineering-based. One of the last ones we did was in Atlanta, and we got just some amazing responses.

"Those kids were so engaged. They had these dreams, and yeah, some of them, a big group of them in fact, wanted to be engineers. We had two or three that really wanted to work on race teams. And one young boy wanted to be an architect, a couple wanted to be musicians. … And that’s great.

"But to only talk about (engineering), I think, it doesn’t go as well. So I’ve kind of opened it up a little bit more; still focus on that but talk to them about what do they want to do, what are they interested in?"

So just how much does he earn?

"I always get that question," he said, laughing. "I do pretty well."

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Rheem to sponsor Richard Childress Racing’s No. 33

Austin Dillon will participate in a majority of NASCAR XFINITY Series races in 2015, driving the Richard Childress Racing No. 33 Chevrolet.

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Dillon, 24, claimed the 2013 championship in what was then known as the NASCAR Nationwide Series before moving to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series last season. He also scored a national series title in 2011 driving for grandfather Richard Childress in the Camping World Truck Series.

Next season, Dillon’s XFINITY Series Camaros will carry sponsorship from Rheem, an Atlanta-based manufacturer of heating, cooling and water-cooling products that has been a sponsor of RCR’s efforts since 2007.

Dillon completed his first full season in NASCAR’s premier series this month, finishing 20th in the yearlong standings and second to Kyle Larson in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award standings.

He landed his first Coors Light Pole Award in the season-opening Daytona 500, then claimed his first top-five finish at NASCAR’s top level in the return trip to Daytona International Speedway in July, claiming fifth in the Coke Zero 400.

Dillon competed in only one Nationwide Series race last season, finishing seventh in the No. 33 at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 1.

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Former Dale Jr. crew chief reflects before joining NBC Sports booth

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Few people get to conduct their exit interview from a place they’ve called their work home for the better part of two decades through social media channels. If you’re a race-winning crew chief with one of NASCAR’s most prominent teams, these things happen.

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Steve Letarte, outgoing crew chief for the No. 88 Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr., gave his thoughts on the transition from the pit box to the TV booth during the offseason. It’s not exactly pulling the curtain back on Hendrick Motorsports’ human resources practices, but the pair of video clips provided by the team Monday and Tuesday offer an honest glimpse at Letarte’s 19-year run and his relationships with Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon, but especially team owner Rick Hendrick, who helped shape the face of his career.

"No one could ever walk in his shoes — professionally, personally — the things he’s done," Letarte said of the 65-year-old team owner. "He’s taught us all how to live life, how to enjoy life, how to act in business, how to treat teammates, how to treat sponsors. There’s just so many things he has taught us about being better people, and in the end, that’s why it really doesn’t matter how many races we win or how many championships we win. I think we’re very proud about the ones we have won because of how we have won them, and we have won them kind of the way Mr. Hendrick has blueprinted — be a good human being first and everything else will kind of follow."

Letarte started with the Concord, N.C.-based team in 1995. He announced in January that he would leave the team at season’s end to join NBC Sports, which becomes a NASCAR broadcast partner in 2015, as a crew chief analyst.

In Letarte’s swan-song season, Earnhardt enjoyed a career resurgence, winning four races and qualifying for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs for the fourth straight year. The success was sweet, Letarte said in Tuesday’s second installment, but only served to reaffirm his decision to enter the next phase of his career.

"The question I get asked is the opposite all the time," Letarte said. "So people ask me, it’s got to be hard stepping away after such a successful season and my rebuttal is no, it would be the opposite. I don’t know how I could ever step away with a disappointing season."

Letarte has a total of 15 victories as a crew chief in NASCAR’s top division, five with Earnhardt and the remaining 10 with Gordon.

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Denny Darnell left lasting impression on those in the racing community

RELATED: Denny Darnell, former VP at Bristol Motor Speedway, dies

I considered Denny Darnell one of my best friends and I don’t think anything he accomplished in the world of public relations can touch that.

Let’s just say he achieved a lot and leave it alone. The particulars can be found elsewhere.

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Darnell, affectionately referred to as the General on occasion, passed away Saturday at age 70. He might have "retired" but he was still active, as anyone who kept up with him on Facebook could attest.

At one time or another, he worked for NASCAR series sponsor RJ Reynolds, Dodge, the National Hot Rod Association and Bristol Motor Speedway.

It’s unlikely any of the news stories will mention his time at Northeast State Technical Community College, located alongside Tri-Cities Airport in Blountville, Tennessee. But if I remember correctly, for a brief period in between motorsports engagements, he worked there as well.

I first worked alongside him when he was at Bristol Motor Speedway and I was at the International Hot Rod Association, both owned by Larry Carrier.

It was a time when NASCAR drivers and teams were much more accessible and a bit more relaxed. Toward the end of a test session at BMS in the mid ‘80s, Darnell was "prodded" into taking one of the Cup cars for a spin. Try and imagine something like that taking place today.

It seemed harmless enough at the time, but there was one problem — the crew hadn’t slipped the hood pins back into place. As soon as Darnell reached the appropriate speed on the track, the hood of the race car flew up, covering the windshield. I still don’t know how he made it back to pit road without incurring any further damage.

When there weren’t pressing duties at the track to occupy his time, Darnell would often go on the road to assist with the IHRA program.

I think one of the only occasions I ever heard him complain came during one of those ventures. We were just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, at a track named Edgewater Sports Park and the big news of the weekend was to be the drag racing debut of professional boxer Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns.

Hearns was a big draw at the time, having beaten Wilfred Benitez and Roberto Duran. His drag racing credentials, however, were suspect.

Darnell, who never shirked his duties as a public relations representative, had worked the local media to cover Hearns’ debut. But when Hearns and his entourage finally arrived, Darnell’s responsibilities took on a different look.

"They want me to leave the track and go get him a roast beef sandwich," an exasperated Darnell said. "Can you believe that?"

Hearns got his sandwich, thanks to Darnell, but I don’t believe he qualified for the race that weekend.

Darnell and I traveled a lot of the same roads at different times in our careers. He covered southwest Virginia sports for the Kingsport Times-News before focusing on racing; I did the same several years later.

We came to know many of the same figures in the coalfields, and years later when we were both on the racing "beat," some of our most enjoyable times were spent spinning tales about some of the region’s legendary characters.

One that always brought a chuckle from Darnell involved his own high school, whose football coach once actually hid his team’s biggest players during media day activities to keep the local press from telling rival coaches how his team measured up.

But the best times came later, during the postseason and the annual NASCAR awards ceremony in New York City.

It was almost always cold, it was often snowing, or about to do so, and the city would be decorated as only it could be for the holidays.

Darnell was always accompanied by his wonderful wife Jean, who often insisted on taking photographs of our group beside the Christmas tree in the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria.

I still have those photographs, and every Christmas I take them out and remember the good times, the laughs and the friendship we shared.

I treasure those photographs today more than any gift I’ve ever received.

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Posted on by Fraser Nye

With six titles in 11 NASCAR national series seasons, Ives could bridge gap

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Entering his 16th season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 40-year-old Dale Earnhardt Jr. has 23 wins, 11 NMPA Most Popular Driver Awards and has made the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in each of the last four seasons. Missing a championship, Earnhardt may have found the solution in new crew chief Greg Ives.

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EARNHARDT JR.’S CREW CHIEF ROSTER
Year
Chief
Races
Wins
1999
Tony Eury Sr.
 5 0
2000
Tony Eury Sr.
 34 2
2001
Tony Eury Sr.
 36 3
2002
Tony Eury Sr.
 36 2
2003
Tony Eury Sr.
 33 2
2003
Tony Eury Jr.
 3 0
2004
Tony Eury Sr.
 36 6
2005
Pete Rondeau
 11 0
2005
Steve Hmiel
 15 1
2005
Tony Eury Jr.
 10 0
2006
Tony Eury Jr.
 36 1
2007
Tony Eury Jr.
 23 0
2007
Tony Gibson
 13 0
2008
Tony Eury Jr.
 36 1
2009
Tony Eury Jr.
 12 0
2009
Brian Whitesell
 1 0
2009
Lance McGrew
 23 0
2010
Lance McGrew
 36 0
2011
Steve Letarte
 36 0
2012
Steve Letarte
 34 1
2013
Steve Letarte
 36 0
2014
Steve Letarte
 36 4

Totals: Eight crew chiefs, 23 wins

In 11 years at Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports, Ives has won six NASCAR national series titles.

Beyond winning titles, NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Chase Elliott says it’s Ives’ personal touch with his team members that makes him successful and will serve him well with Earnahrdt and the No. 88 team.

"I think anybody that is wondering about the change, I think they’re going to be pleasantly surprised by the results and the effort and the teamwork and the way that Greg treats people, not only to me this year driving his cars, but he treats people the way they should be treated that work on the cars …

"He obviously has the smarts and whatnot to do the job. But I think the biggest thing is leadership, and like I said, treating people the right way will go a long way, and I think he treats his guys the way they should be treated."

Joining Hendrick at the dawn of the Chase era in 2004, Ives began as a mechanic in the 24/48 shop. By 2006, Ives became an engineer on the No. 48 team and won five consecutive titles with Jimmie Johnson. In 2014, Ives won the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship with Elliott, the first national series title for JR Motorsports.

Like Elliott, outgoing No. 88 crew chief, Steve Letarte, believes Ives’ ties to Hendrick Motorsports make him the best successor at the helm of a team that helped Earnhardt to his best season since 2007.

"He has a personal relationship with everyone on the 88 team because he has been at Hendrick Motorsports for years before going to JRM. …" Letarte said on Dale Jr.’s "Dirty Mo Radio" Podcast. "When Greg got brought to the table, and (I was asked) ‘Hey Stevie, what do you think?’ I didn’t have much response. I’m like, ‘It seems like a no-brainer. This is a slam dunk. It’s really not a tough conversation to have here.’"

Earnhardt’s Nationwide race team provided Ives with the opportunity to become a crew chief and create his own identity as a team leader. Over the last two seasons, he delivered five wins and two poles while earning 23 top-five finishes and 44 top-10s in 65 races. He led Regan Smith to a third-place finish in points in 2013 and Elliott to the championship this season.

"Coming off that (title), I think, will give Greg the confidence he needs to be him," Letarte said. "I didn’t try to crew chief like anyone else, and Greg shouldn’t try to crew chief like anyone else."

In addition to his personal and team-building skills, Letarte, who is helping the new No. 88 boss in his first week on the job, explained why Ives has won titles in more than half of his years in the sport and will excel in his new role.

"What makes Greg so good is what every crew chief needs to have and that is good is never enough," Letarte said. "Pushing for perfection in every area of the race car, every area of the race team, every lap, every practice, every qualifying session.

"’No’ doesn’t come out of his mouth very often. ‘Can’t’ doesn’t come out of his mouth very often. When something is a ‘no’ or a ‘can’t,’ it just turns in to an obstacle, and he wants to know how to get around the obstacle. ‘Don’t tell me we can’t do that. Tell me how we’re going to do it. How can we do it better, different.’ "

A Green Bay Packers fan, Ives appears to live by the saying "winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing," made famous by the Packers’ six-time NFL champion and two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Vince Lombardi.

"My job, when I got announced with Regan Smith in 2012, was to go out and win races and try to win championships," Ives said. "When I got announced with Chase, that did not change. When I got announced for Dale, that didn’t change, either."

The 35-year-old Bark River, Michigan native learned Chad Knaus’ winning ways early and often, taking part in 42 wins, 113 top-fives and 21 poles in seven seasons with the No. 48 team. Now, Ives will work alongside his old boss, and Knaus knows he’ll be a good fit, working together while battling for wins and titles.

"Greg understands how we work," Knaus said. "We work with a three-person task force between the two crew chiefs and (team manager) Michael Landis to make the decision and the directions that we go in our shop — what we do with our race cars and how we approach life.

"Our goal is to keep that No. 88 car running up front, hopefully win the championship or finish second in the championship between us and the No. 88."

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