Posted on by Staff Report

The Nationwide Series season will open at Daytona International Speedway on ESPN

For the third consecutive season, the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule will consist of 33 races on intermediate venues, road courses, superspeedways and short tracks, and all will air on the ESPN family of networks. All races are broadcast by either Motor Racing Network, Performance Racing Network or Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, and also air on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel 90.

Three road course races will again be showcased, including Road America (June 21, 2:45 p.m. ET, ABC ), Watkins Glen International (Aug. 9, 2:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Mid-Ohio (Aug. 16, 2:45 p.m. ET, ESPN), which is located less than 60 miles from Nationwide Insurance’s Columbus, Ohio headquarters.

Changes to the schedule include three date shifts from the 2013 edition: Darlington Raceway will hold its race a month earlier (April 11, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2), while the first Iowa Speedway event is now slated for May 18 at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN (it had previously been held in June). Texas Motor Speedway’s date moved one week earlier in the calendar to April 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2; the Texas and Darlington date changes coincide with the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. Chicagoland Speedway’s standalone event will return to a night race (July 19, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2) for the first time since hometown driver Justin Allgaier won there in 2011.

Daytona International Speedway hosts the season opener on Feb. 22 at 1:15 p.m. ET on ESPN while the series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway is set for Nov. 15 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The full telecast schedule for the NASCAR Nationwide Series is below, and subject to change:

All times listed are Eastern

*Will air on ESPN family of networks

Date Race/Facility Network TV Start Race Start Radio
22-Feb DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ESPN 12:00PM 1:15PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
1-Mar PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY ABC 3:30PM 3:45PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
8-Mar LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN2 4:00PM 4:15PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
15-Mar BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN2 1:30PM 2:00PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
22-Mar AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY ESPN 4:30PM 5:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
4-Apr TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN2 8:00PM 8:30PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
11-Apr DARLINGTON RACEWAY ESPN2 7:30PM 8:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
25-Apr RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY *TBD 6:30PM 7:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
3-May TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY ESPN 2:30PM 3:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
18-May IOWA SPEEDWAY ESPN 1:30PM 2:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
24-May CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ABC 2:30PM 2:45PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
31-May DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ESPN 2:00PM 2:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
14-Jun MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ESPN 1:30PM 2:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
21-Jun ROAD AMERICA ABC 2:30PM 2:45PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
27-Jun KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY ESPN 7:00PM 7:30PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
4-Jul DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ESPN2 7:00PM 7:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
12-Jul NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN2 3:00PM 3:30PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
19-Jul CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY ESPN2 8:00PM 8:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
26-Jul INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN 4:00PM 4:30PM IMS/SIRIUSXM
2-Aug IOWA SPEEDWAY ESPN 7:30PM 8:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
9-Aug WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL ABC 2:00PM 2:15PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
16-Aug MID-OHIO ESPN 2:30PM 2:45PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
22-Aug BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN 7:00PM 7:30PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
30-Aug ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN2 7:00PM 7:30PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
5-Sep RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY ESPN2 7:00PM 7:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
13-Sep CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY ESPN2 3:30PM 3:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
20-Sep KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY *TBD TBD 7:30PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
27-Sep DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ESPN2 3:30PM 3:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
4-Oct KANSAS SPEEDWAY ESPN2 3:30PM 3:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
10-Oct CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN2 7:00PM 7:30PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
1-Nov TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN2 3:30PM 3:30PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
8-Nov PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ESPN2 3:30PM 4:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
15-Nov HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY ESPN2 4:00PM 4:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM

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Pair of talented drivers turn JR Motorsports into Nationwide powerhouse

The return of a veteran driver who contended for the season title last season, the addition of a part-time competitor with a winning track record in the Sprint Cup Series, the debut of a rookie who shapes up as one of the most promising in the sport. The arrival of a crew chief with nine race victories to his credit, and a sponsor that’s backing all 33 events on one car.

No wonder Kelley Earnhardt Miller feels JR Motorsports is as strong as it’s ever been.

That’s certainly saying a lot, given that last season saw Regan Smith lead JRM to the top of the Nationwide Series points standings for the first time ever, this after snapping the organization’s two-year winless skid in the final race of the 2012 campaign. Smith won two races and finished third in points last season, and this coming year will be part of an effort that will feature a second full-time entry driven by Chase Elliott and backed by NAPA, as well as a part-time schedule for Kevin Harvick and crew chief Ernie Cope, both most recently at Richard Childress Racing.

 

To Miller, who as vice president oversees the team’s day to day operations, the additions combined with the growth from last season make JRM as good as it’s been since it moved into full-time competition in 2006.

"You’ve got Kevin Harvick, who is unprecedented in the Nationwide Series as a driver, and to compete for wins, he is going to be a great mentor for Chase in the series and be a great person that Chase can look up to to get a quick lesson and move that learning curve even faster. We’ve got a veteran in Regan Smith who’s been with us for a year and has a lot of knowledge under his belt about the way our company works, and is looking to go out and improve his third‑place position in the points to contend for the championship," she said.

"We’ve got the addition of Ernie Cope, and that’s kind of self‑explanatory with the wins and the success that he’s had with Kevin Harvick Incorporated and RCR, and … we’re just continuing to perfect people’s roles and the relationships that we have with Hendrick Motorsports and our chassis and engines and the engineering support that we receive from them. We’ve had 15 months under our belt to continue to perfect that, and I feel like this year will be a real strong year for us because we’ve been able to kind of work out, kind of iron out some of the different pieces of that."

Last year JRM fielded the full-time effort of Smith, another car split by Kasey Kahne and Brad Sweet, and a third Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove in a few events. This season brings two full-time championship efforts built around Smith and Elliott, with Harvick driving at least 12 events in a third car. Earnhardt Jr. will also make his usual handful of starts, beginning with the Nationwide Series opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Great Clips, the company that backed the combined Kahne/Sweet effort, has moved up to the Sprint Cup Series, so JRM is still working to fill out the remainder of the season in the car driven by Harvick and Earnhardt Jr. Miller said the team would be open to Kahne returning, but right now nothing is set. On the sponsorship front, though, the team received a major boost with the arrival of NAPA, which had most recently been a Sprint Cup car sponsor at Michael Waltrip Racing. Miller said the auto parts company inked a multi-year deal to cover the full season, something it also made a practice of doing at the sport’s premier level.

NAPA split with MWR after last season over the race manipulation scandal at Richmond, which ultimately forced the Waltrip organization to scale back from three to two full-time teams for 2014. Miller and Earnhardt Jr. had preexisting relationships at NAPA from its days as a sponsor at Dale Earnhardt Inc., so they sent in a proposal soon after the company announced its intention to split from Waltrip at the end of the 2013 campaign.

"I’m sure that we were one of probably 30 teams that sent a note to them after what they experienced in September, and as they were looking at what they were going to do in the sport. We would be ignorant if we didn’t put something together," said Miller, whose team is affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports and co-owned by Rick Hendrick.

"Our role was to try to find sponsorship, and we knew at that point that we had the opportunity to put Chase in a car if we could come up with the right sponsorship scenario in working with Hendrick Motorsports. Of course we sent them a note, a proposal, and as many of you know, Dale and I worked with NAPA at Dale Earnhardt Inc. for many years, and had many of those same relationships that are at NAPA. It was an easy note to send from the standpoint of Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports."

The deal came together, Miller said, only in the past 30 days. "To really get serious about it, we had to stand up to a lot of different things for NAPA, as they have very high standards," she said. "We had to prove to them that we are going to go out and do what we said we could do and be a great representative for them. That’s kind of how it took place."

From there, many of the other pieces fell into place. With Cope in house to oversee Harvick’s effort, JRM moved crew chief Greg Ives from Smith’s team to Elliott’s for 2014. Ryan Pemberton, a veteran crew chief who was most recently the team’s general manager, will now oversee Smith’s car. Since Elliott was a Hendrick developmental driver and Ives a former engineer on Jimmie Johnson‘s team at Hendrick, JRM officials felt the pairing was natural.

"Greg came to us from Jimmie Johnson, being an engineer there for eight years. He has the desire and goals to move up within the various series, and so it’s kind of a natural scenario for Greg and Chase to be paired together as they can progress through the Nationwide Series and hopefully for both of them into the Cup Series if that’s what’s in their future," Miller said.

"And Ryan is a veteran crew chief, has done a great job for us in his role as general manager, and is excited to partner with Regan. They’ve both worked together. I feel like Ryan’s experience and knowledge, and Regan’s year in the series and what he has under his belt, will definitely produce a team to be reckoned with for the championship. We’re excited about all of that, and moving the various folks around in the organization to accomplish what we want to accomplish."

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Posted on by Holly Cain

Son of former Indy 500 pole-sitter to compete in minimum of 15 races in 2014

Chad Boat is set to join a distinguished list of previous open-wheel young talent such as Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson, in officially turning his career path to NASCAR.

Billy Boat Motorsports announced Tuesday that the 21-year old Boat will campaign for 2014 Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors driving the No. 84 Chevrolet owned by his father, 1998 Indianapolis 500 pole-sitter Billy Boat.

Veteran crew chief Dan Deeringhoff — who won the 2008 Nationwide championship with driver Clint Bowyer — will lead the effort, which will include a minimum of 15 races, perhaps more.

"I’m excited for the opportunity to compete at the next level in my career," said Boat, who will participate in Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway this weekend, but who will make his first Nationwide start April 4 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Boat, a Phoenix native, began his racing career competing and winning in the USAC ranks before periodically venturing into stock cars the past couple years.

He has seven starts in the NASCAR K&N Series West from 2010-12, posting a pair of top-fives and five top-10s including a best of fourth place at Iowa Speedway in 2010. He has 19 starts in the NASCAR K&N East Series during that same time including a top-10 finish.

Boat had six top-10 finishes and four top-five efforts in 10 ARCA Series races in the past two years leading 64 laps and posting a career-best third place at Iowa Speedway in both 2012 and last season.

"I have been around racing my entire life and it is an honor to have the opportunity to form a NASCAR program like this," said team owner Billy Boat.  "Chad has shown so much promise in stock car racing, especially with our limited ARCA program last year, we felt it was an appropriate time to take this next step. 

"We are lucky to add Dan Deeringhoff to our team and we are confident his knowledge and experience will lead us in the right direction as we get ready for this season."

Boat’s announcement marks the second high-profile "next generation" driver to join the Nationwide Series ranks in 2014. Chase Elliott, the son of 1988 Sprint Cup champion Bill Elliott, was introduced as a rookie contender Monday and will drive the No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet for JR Motorsports.

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Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Chairman and CEO still feels good about decision to add 13th driver to Chase

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France covered a wide variety of topics in his appearance on MRN’s "NASCAR Live," answering questions from host Eli Gold as well as callers’ questions.

France covered topics ranging from his decision to add Jeff Gordon as the 13th driver in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup to his thoughts on the return of the No. 3 car to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action and the type of racing the sport is striving for.

On the decision to add Gordon as the 13th driver to the Chase just days before the 10-race playoff got underway:

"If you know in your gut that something’s really right, and you have an opportunity to correct it — and in this particular situation I did — we did and you just take the criticism, that’s understandable. … It’s very unusual for us to do something like that, but these were very unusual circumstances. I felt compelled to do the right thing, and I really feel, still, good about that decision."

When asked later if he felt the Chase should expand to 13 drivers every season, France answered, "We feel really good with 12."

On whether a format change could happen down the line:

“We’re working on the format of the future. Whatever that might be. Maybe it’s a little different, maybe it’s more than a little but we’re looking at different things.”

France added, “we are not satisfied that we have the exact balance with winning, consistency, points, running for a championship. We think we can make some tweaks that continue to incentivize risk-taking and racing harder and so on.

“We’ll undoubtedly be coming with things that put the incentive on winning races and competing at the highest level.”

During Champion’s Week in December, France said that NASCAR was examining possible changes to the qualifying format.

On whether Jimmie Johnson‘s run of success is good for NASCAR:

"Historically, dynasties in sports have always been revered and favored and admired. On the other hand, having different people winning at different times is also helpful and impactful," France said.

“When you’re the best at something, and you dominate, it’s up to the other teams and drivers to knock him off, and they have not been able to do that. He’s just dominant."

France likened Johnson’s run to the University of Alabama’s recent run of college football success and how a dominance like that adds "intrigue."

On his thoughts about Richard Childress bringing the No. 3 car back for the 2014 Cup season with Childress’ grandson, Austin Dillon:

"I like it. I wondered when it was going to happen and if it was going to happen," France said.

"What Richard (Childress) has said, is that he wanted to make sure it was the right circumstance, not just bring it back because he could. But because it was right and felt right. … The way they’ve done it, keeping it in the family, it’s really a neat thing and I’m looking forward to watching the ‘3’ out there in 2014."

On what he hopes to get out of the recent test at Charlotte (Preseason Thunder begins Thursday at Daytona):

"We are very committed to getting rules packages that create more side-by-side racing. That’s the hallmark of what we do. That’s what we wake up every morning trying to do. And I’m confident that we’ll make the racing, which is already very good by the way, statistically better than it ever was," France said.

"The standards are high, and we’re going to meet those standards and create the best racing in the world. And that’s our job."

Earlier in the chat, France mentioned that at "the heart of what we do is to make sure we have a fair and balanced set of rules that creates the tight racing that we all like. The lead changes, the dramatic finishes and all the rest."

Listen to the full interview here on MRN.com.


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Posted on by Staff Report

Two days of testing for Sprint Cup Series begin on Thursday at Daytona

RELATED: Complete Preseason Thunder schedule

Preseason Thunder gets underway on Thursday with the first of two days of testing for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers at Daytona International Speedway.

Team Penske, Richard Childress Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Michael Waltrip Racing, Roush Fenway Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing are among the organizations participating in the two days of Sprint Cup testing.

Tony Stewart will not be testing for Stewart-Haas Racing in the No. 14 Chevrolet as he continues to recover from a broken right leg. Mark Martin will test the car for him at Daytona.

Brian Vickers will also not be at Preseason Thunder. Vickers had his 2013 season cut short when a blood clot was found in his right leg. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver’s No. 55 Toyota will be tested by team co-owner Michael Waltrip.

Justin Allgaier and Bobby Labonte will be testing for Phoenix Racing. Labonte will be driving for Phoenix Racing in the Daytona 500.

Ryan Truex and Alex Bowman will be testing for BK Racing. The organization recently parted ways with David Reutimann.

Among the organizations to not take part in Preseason Thunder: JTG Daugherty Racing, Furniture Row Racing, Front Row Motorsports and Phil Parsons Racing.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series will have their sessions on Saturday and Sunday and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will have its sessions on Monday and Tuesday.

Below is the full roster of drivers participating in the two days of Sprint Cup Series testing.

NSCS DAYTONA TEST      JANUARY 9-10, 2014
Car # Team Driver
1 Ganassi Jamie McMurray
2 Penske Brad Keselowski, Rusty Wallace
3 RCR Austin Dillon
4 SHR Kevin Harvick
5 HMS Kasey Kahne
7 TBR Michael Annett
9 RPM Marcos Ambrose
10 SHR Danica Patrick
11 JGR Denny Hamlin
13 Germain Casey Mears
14 SHR Mark Martin
15 MWR Clint Bowyer
16 RFR Greg Biffle
17 RFR Ricky Stenhouse
18 JGR Kyle Busch
20 JGR Matt Kenseth
21 WBR Trevor Bayne
22 Penske Joey Logano
24 HMS Jeff Gordon
26 Swan Cole Whitt
27 RCR Paul Menard, Matt Crafton
30 Swan Parker Kligerman
31 RCR Ryan Newman
32 FAS Reed Sorenson
33 RCR Brian Scott
40 Hillman Landon Cassill
41 SHR Kurt Busch
42 Ganassi Kyle Larson
43 RPM Aric Almirola
48 HMS Jimmie Johnson
51 Phoenix Justin Allgaier
52 Phoenix Bobby Labonte
55 MWR Michael Waltrip
77 R Humphrey Dave Blaney
83 BKR Alex Bowman
87 Nemco Joe Nemechek
88 HMS Dale Earnhardt, Jr
93 BKR Ryan Truex
95 Leavine Michael McDowell
99 RFR Carl Edwards
152 in 2013 B Keselowski Brian Keselowski
        
47    JTG – not testing
78    Furniture Row – not testing
34, 35, 36, 38    Front Row – not testing
98    Phil Parsons – not testing

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Team also announces car numbers for Whitt, Kligerman

Swan Racing announced crew chiefs and car numbers for its 2014 Sprint Cup Series entries Tuesday, with Cole Whitt driving the No. 26 Toyota Camry and Parker Kligerman driving the No. 30 Toyota Camry.

The 22-year-old Whitt will team up with crew chief Randy Cox, who was Whitt’s crew chief for 12 Nationwide Series races last season in which the duo scored four top-10 finishes. They also matched up for Whitt’s two Cup attempts in 2011. Whitt brings a total of 14 premier series starts over the past three seasons with him into 2014.

Veteran Steven "Bones" Lane will serve as the crew chief Kligerman’s No. 30 ride after sitting atop the box for 34 races last year for both Front Row Motorsports and Swan Racing. He and Kligerman teamed up for two of those races, including the season finale at Homestead.

"Things are shaping up for the team," said Swan Racing general manager Bray Pemberton in a team release.  "We expect to make more announcements in the near future about new partners and sponsors."

Both drivers will compete for the Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.

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Richard Childress Racing to field four entries at Daytona

Nationwide Series regular Brian Scott will enter the Daytona 500 in a No. 33 Sprint Cup Series car fielded by Richard Childress Racing, the team announced Tuesday.

Scott’s entry will give RCR four entries for the Great American Race, joining those of Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon and Paul Menard. Nick Harrison will serve as crew chief for the No. 33 car, and Shore Lodge — which also backs Scott’s No. 2 entry on the Nationwide tour — will serve as sponsor.

Scott, who turns 26 on Sunday, placed seventh last season in the final Nationwide standings for RCR, with a best finish of second at Indianapolis and Richmond. He has made one previous Sprint Cup start, last fall at Charlotte, finishing 27th in the No. 33 car. The Idaho native will also run the full Nationwide slate for RCR again this season.

The Daytona 500 is scheduled for Feb. 23.

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Previously suspended crew chief has completed NASCAR Road to Recovery program

NASCAR reinstated crew chief Todd Parrott on Tuesday after successful completion of the NASCAR Road to Recovery program, nearly three months after his indefinite suspension for a substance abuse violation.

Parrott, most recently the crew chief of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford driven by Aric Almirola, was suspended Oct. 17 after a positive test during events last fall at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Petty organization terminated Parrott shortly thereafter.

Five days after the suspension was announced, Parrott spoke about the violation on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, offering an apology and saying his use of the undisclosed substance was an isolated incident. He also disclosed to the satellite radio channel that he had contacted John Bobo, NASCAR senior director of racing operations and substance abuse program, to begin the Road to Recovery process.

"I know it’s not going to be pretty, it’s not going to be fun," Parrott told SiriusXM on Oct. 22, regarding the reinstatement program. "It’s tough on my family, my kids, my wife, mom, dad, my brother, everybody involved. But I’m going to do everything I can do to prove to everybody that I’m a whole lot better person than this."

Each person who enters the Road to Recovery program must complete a personally tailored plan before they can return to competition.

Parrott, who helped guide Dale Jarrett to two Daytona 500 wins and the 1999 title in NASCAR’s premier series, had been with the Petty team since the summer of 2010. His biggest successes with RPM were being atop the pit box for both of Marcos Ambrose‘s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories at Watkins Glen International.

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Posted on by Zack Albert

Track dryer can successfully condition track before events

Before every race, NASCAR drivers and crew members go through a certain amount of conditioning to close up any potential gaps in performance. In a novel turn last season, tracks began to undergo their own form of pre-race conditioning.
 
To carry the analogy one step further, drivers and crew members have personal trainers and fitness coaches in their corner for motivation. Tracks? They have Air Titan.

"You’ll see the difference — there’ll be a noticeable difference on the track."

— Jerry Kaproth, NASCAR’s manager of race track infrastructure

The bonus facet of NASCAR’s evolutionary track-drying system came to light last season as an additional form of track preparation. The asphalt conditioning process and the next phase of the Air Titan dryer were focal points of the three-day NASCAR Track Services Summit, which wrapped up Tuesday in Concord, N.C.
 
Jerry Kaproth, NASCAR’s manager of race track infrastructure, said the feedback from pre-race conditioning in the handful of applications last season has been overwhelmingly positive. He recounted that after the process was complete at Phoenix International Raceway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Danica Patrick approached NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director John Darby to say they could feel the difference.
 
"They said, ‘whatever you did, we could see it right away,’ " Kaproth recalled.
 
NASCAR.com rode along with the lead truck of the Air Titan convoy before season-ending events in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway to gain more insight into the track conditioning system. The low-speed ride failed to register on the truck’s speedometer, but was nevertheless instrumental in getting the 1.5-mile speedway in peak condition to crown champions in NASCAR’s three national divisions.
 
In basic terms, the process uses the Air Titan’s normal setup, but a water truck rides in front, wetting the track. The water loosens any debris or residue on the surface, helping the Air Titan’s powerful vacuum to clean the track.
 
The resulting combination of dirt, sand, debris and water gradually fills the Air Titan’s collection tanks with what Kaproth calls a broth-like mixture. Kaproth said his team sent samples of the mix to the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University for analysis to get a better handle on the process.
 
"It came back slag aggregate, meaning it does have some asphalt component but it’s just junk that sits on top of the road that is loose already," Kaproth said. "We’re just cleaning out the pores. Now that we know what it is, we just have a vacuum sweeper pick it up and dump it on the apron."
 
The system is more effective than in previous years, where a jet dryer would simply blow off the track. The new process has helped the track surface take rubber faster, causing an uptick in early practice speeds.
 
"It looks likes where we’ve done (conditioning), they’ve been running faster quicker," Kaproth said. "Instead of taking that first practice session to fiddle around, they’re coming right at it."
 
At Homestead, Air Titan driver Rob Angle led the conditioning charge on the eve of on-track activity. Though his speed never reached more than 5 mph, his task required continual radio communication with the other vehicles around him — the water truck and the tractor-trailer carrying the collection tanks.
 
A video camera facing backward helped Angle guide the white Ford pickup, working his way down in 9-foot swipes from the top groove against the outside retaining wall toward the inside of the track, much like a Zamboni would clear an ice rink. The difference was that the truck’s windshield wipers were in continual motion to combat the excess spray from the water vacuum, forcing Angle to use visual cues — asphalt seams or painted lines on the track — to navigate the circuit.
 
Other visual cues make it clear that the process is working. Before and after pictures of the track reveal a much lighter shade of asphalt after the cleaning. Even more noticeable is the grime that accumulates on the Air Titan truck’s white paint.
 
"You can see all the dirt on the vehicle," Angle said. "(At Phoenix) when we went out, the truck was white like this one here. When we came back, it was as black as that track. It was pretty nasty."
 
Not every track will get the conditioning treatment in 2014; Kaproth said each race is considered on a case-by-case basis. But the next evolution of the Air Titan system may make the process much more efficient as the season progresses. Kaproth said a new, self-contained "Air Titan 2.0" could be ready by spring. He also said that his team has worked with innovation partner Sportvision to map out preferred grooves in past races. Using those coordinates, Kaproth’s infrastructure team can tailor-condition tracks with the goal of widening the racing line and facilitating side-by-side racing.
 
The technology has come a long way from the days when the only track sweeping was done with brooms.
 
"We have all the parts and pieces," Kaproth said. "You’ll see the difference — there’ll be a noticeable difference on the track."

 

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Posted on by Staff Report

Season will once again open with Daytona 500 on FOX

RELATED: Full 2014 Sprint Cup schedule

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series officially gets underway with the 56th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. The season will once again culminate with the final race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule will consist of 36 points races as well as two additional weekends featuring non-points events. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races can be seen on either FOX (first 13 events), TNT (next six events) or ESPN/ABC (final 17 events). All races are broadcast by either Motor Racing Network, Performance Racing Network or Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network; all races will also air on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel 90.

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Two events will see significant start time changes: the spring race at Texas Motor Speedway will shift to Sunday, April 6 and begin at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. The Kansas Speedway spring event on Saturday, May 10 will be under the lights for the first time, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

The Sprint Unlimited, which takes place on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET, and two Daytona 500 qualifying races, which will take place in primetime for the first time at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 20, will once again highlight the non-points races at the start of the season. Both events will air on FOX Sports 1. The third non-points event will be the annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which will also be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 on Saturday night, May 17.

Start times for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will remain the same, with five of the first seven races beginning at 2 p.m. ET and the last three races beginning at 3 p.m. ET. The Bank of America 500 from Charlotte Motor Speedway is the only night race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and will air on ABC on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET. All remaining Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races will air on ESPN.

The full telecast schedule is below, and subject to change:

* designates a non-points race
All times listed are Eastern

Date Race/Facility Net.work TV Startt Startrt Radio
15-Feb *DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (SPRINT UNLIMITED) FS1 8:00PM 8:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
16-Feb *DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (DAYTONA 500 QUALIFYING) FOX 1:00PM 1:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
20-Feb *DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (DUELS) FS1 6:30PM 7:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
23-Feb DAYTONA 500 FOX 12:00PM 1:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
2-Mar PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY FOX 2:30PM 3:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
9-Mar LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY FOX 2:30PM 3:00PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
16-Mar BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY FOX 12:30PM 1:00PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
23-Mar AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY FOX 2:30PM 3:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
30-Mar MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY FOX 12:30PM 1:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
6-Apr TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY FOX 2:30PM 3:00PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
12-Apr DARLINGTON RACEWAY FOX 6:00PM 6:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
26-Apr RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY FOX 6:30PM 7:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
4-May TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY FOX 12:30PM 1:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
10-May KANSAS SPEEDWAY FOX 7:00PM 7:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
17-May *CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY (NASCAR SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE) FS1 7:00PM TBD  MRN/SIRIUSXM
25-May CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY FOX 5:30PM 6:00PM  PRN/SIRIUSXM
1-Jun DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY FOX 12:30PM 1:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
8-Jun POCONO RACEWAY TNT 12:00PM 1:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
15-Jun MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY TNT 12:00PM 1:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
22-Jun SONOMA RACEWAY TNT 2:00PM 3:00PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
28-Jun KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY TNT 6:30PM 7:30PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
5-Jul DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY TNT 6:30PM 7:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
13-Jul NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY TNT 12:00PM 1:00PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
27-Jul INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN 12:00PM 1:00PM  IMS/SIRIUSXM
3-Aug POCONO RACEWAY ESPN 12:00PM 1:00PM  MRN/SIRIUSXM
10-Aug WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL ESPN 12:00PM 1:00PM  MRN/SIRIUSXM
17-Aug MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ESPN 12:00PM 1:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
23-Aug BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY ABC 7:00PM 7:30PM  PRN/SIRIUSXM
31-Aug ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN 7:00PM 7:30PM PRN/SIRIUSXM
6-Sep RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY ABC 7:00PM 7:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
14-Sep CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY ESPN 1:00PM 2:00PM  MRN/SIRIUSXM
21-Sep NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN 1:00PM 2:00PM  PRN/SIRIUSXM
28-Sep DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ESPN 1:00PM 2:00PM  MRN/SIRIUSXM
5-Oct KANSAS SPEEDWAY ESPN 1:00PM 2:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
11-Oct CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ABC 7:00PM 7:30PM  PRN/SIRIUSXM
19-Oct TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY ESPN 1:00PM 2:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
26-Oct MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY ESPN 1:00PM 1:30PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
2-Nov TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ESPN 2:00PM 3:00PM  PRN/SIRIUSXM
9-Nov PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY ESPN 2:00PM 3:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM
16-Nov HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY ESPN 2:00PM 3:00PM MRN/SIRIUSXM

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