Randy Dorton was a mastermind engine builder whose legacy endures to this day.
Dorton’s NASCAR career began in the 1970’s assembling engines for legendary crew chief Harry Hyde, and continued to the formation of his own company Competition Engines.
But it was Dorton’s partnership with Rick Hendrick in 1984 that changed everything. Dorton served as lead engine builder for Hendrick Motorsports from 1984-2004 winning 136 NASCAR national series races and setting the foundation for an engine shop that has won more than 500 NASCAR races.
Dorton’s engines won nine NASCAR championships (Cup – 1995-98, 2001, Xfinity – 2003, Truck – 1997, ’99, 2001), three DAYTONA 500s, six Coca-Cola 600s, four Brickyard 400s, seven Southern 500s and five NASCAR All-Star Races.
Beyond the on-track success, Dorton’s leadership style and foresight helped shape Hendrick Motorsports, as well as engine programs across NASCAR.
Dorton tragically died in a plane crash that took the lives of 10 members of the Hendrick Motorsports family in October 2004.
Randy Dorton bio
Born: May 1, 1954 Died: Oct. 24, 2004 Hometown: Concord, North Carolina
Early success on local short tracks in Michigan led Jack Sprague to North Carolina and a legendary career in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
After winning several track championships in the NASCAR Weekly Series, Sprague found his footing with the formation of the Truck Series in 1995.
He finished fifth in the series’ inaugural season and followed with an impressive streak which saw him finish first or second in the standings in five of six years (1996-2001).
Sprague won Truck Series championships in 1997, 1999 and 2001 for Hendrick Motorsports, becoming the first three-time champion in series history.
In 297 starts, he captured 32 poles and 28 wins, finding Victory Lane everywhere from short tracks to Daytona.
Sprague’s success in the formative years of the Craftsman Truck Series have made him one of the all-time greats of the series.
Jack Sprague bio
Born: Aug. 8, 1964 Hometown: Spring Lake, Michigan
Championships (3)
Truck – 1997, 1999, 2001
Truck Series Stats Competed: 1995-2011 Starts: 297 Wins: 28 Poles: 32 Years on Ballot: 2
The original “Mr. Modified,” Ray Hendrick is one of the winningest drivers of all time, amassing more than 700 modified and late model sportsman wins between 1950-88.
Hendrick’s success started in his home state of Virginia, where his famous No. 11 was known to all. He won five track championships at South Boston Speedway — four modified and one late model sportsman.
Hendrick was known as a driver that was willing to race ‘anywhere and everywhere,’ filling his schedule with modified and late model sportsman races across the East Coast. Though he made his name dominating short tracks, Hendrick also produced impressive victories at Talladega, Charlotte and Dover.
Despite never winning a Modified Division championship, Hendrick finished in the top 10 in the standings nine times from 1960-69.
Hendrick was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers and one of NASCAR Modified’s All-Time Top 10 Drivers.
Ray Hendrick bio
Born: April 21, 1929 Died: Sept. 28, 1990 Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
Modified / Late Model Sportsman Stats Competed: 1950-88 Wins: 700+ Years on Ballot: 2
When you think of the NASCAR Convertible Division, you think of Bob Welborn.
In 1956, the “King of Convertibles” found his niche in the newly formed NASCAR Convertible Division. Welborn had reasoned that convertibles were going to take over the sport because the fans could physically see the driver.
In its inaugural season, Welborn would compete in 45 of the 47 events grabbing three wins and the series championship. He would go on to dominate the series for the next two years capturing 15 poles, 14 wins, and becoming the back-to-back-to-back Convertible Division champion.
In 1959, Welborn won the first NASCAR Cup Series points-paying race held at Daytona International Speedway, the convertible qualifier for the inaugural Daytona 500, earning the race’s pole position.
In 183 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, Welborn captured nine wins and seven poles.
Welborn was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.
Bob Welborn bio
Born: May 5, 1928 Died: Aug. 10, 1997 Hometown: Denton, North Carolina
Championships (3)
Convertible – 1983-84
Convertible Division Stats Competed: 1956-59 Starts: 111 Wins: 19 Poles: 18 Years on Ballot: 2
Greg Biffle was first noticed nationally during the 1995 NASCAR Winter Heat Series. On the advice of Benny Parsons, Jack Roush hired Biffle and the pair experienced immediate — and lasting — success.
“The Biff’ quickly made a name for himself in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series winning the 1998 Rookie of Year award and the 2000 series championship.
Similar success came in the NASCAR Xfinity Series — a 2001 Rookie of the Year award followed by the 2002 championship, the latter making him the first driver with championships in both the Xfinity Series and the Truck Series.
And while Biffle was unable to win a Cup Series championship in 14 full-time seasons, he earned 19 wins in 515 starts and was a perennial playoff contender. Biffle finished in the top 10 in the standings six times, including a runner-up finish in 2005.
Biffle was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.
Greg Biffle bio
Born: Dec. 23, 1969 Hometown: Vancouver, Washington
Championships (2) Xfinity — 2002, Truck — 200
Cup Series Stats Competed: 2002-16 Starts: 515 Wins: 19 Poles: 13 Years on Ballot: 2
Legacy Motor Club revealed on Wednesday a paint scheme for the organization’s No. 43 Toyota that will pay tribute to the Petty family during its 75th anniversary in NASCAR.
The Toyota will don the iconic ‘Petty Blue’ and ‘Day Glo Red’ colors for Sunday’s Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway with LMC partner Dollar Tree using its vendor program STP Fuel Additives.
The scheme also pays tribute to Richard Petty’s 200th win in NASCAR that came in 1984 at the Daytona summer race.
Legacy Motor Club’s special paint scheme at Dover pays tribute to this paint scheme — when Richard Petty won his 200th Cup Series race in 1984. (Getty Images)
Full-time driver Erik Jones’ name will remain above the door Sunday, although he’ll miss Dover’s race recovering from an injury sustained in a wreck last weekend at Talladega.
“I think the influence that the Pettys have had on NASCAR is self-explanatory; you can see it through everything that has happened,” Jones told NASCAR.com last week prior to his injury. “They have been around for 75 years with Lee, then on to Richard, Maurice, Kyle, Adam, and everyone else that has been involved. The years of racing they have put in, the success that they have had in the sport, and the hand that they have played in bringing the sport to its current height, I think is in huge part to the Petty Family.
“It has been such a huge honor for me to drive the No. 43 for them over the last handful of years while also getting to know them (the Petty Family) better and being a part of it; they are just a really neat family and a neat group of people.”
Jones, 27, has driven the No. 43 since 2021. He reached Victory Lane in the iconic number in the 2022 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Corey Heim will instead pilot the special scheme at Dover when he makes his Cup Series debut.
“Wishing Erik a quick and full recovery,” Heim posted on social media yesterday. “I’m ready to make the most of this opportunity.”
NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports officials announced Tuesday the format for this year’s NASCAR All-Star Race, introducing a new strategy element with multiple tire choices and adding a new-look qualifying procedure to the May 19 exhibition event at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The All-Star Race returns to the historic 0.625-mile oval for the second consecutive year, again with a 200-lap main event (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and a select field of eligible NASCAR Cup Series drivers bidding for a $1 million payday. But teams will have three types of Goodyear tires on hand — a baseline “prime” tire, a softer “option” tire, and wet-weather tires should conditions warrant.
The prime tire was developed through Goodyear testing at the repaved track last month and will have the conventional yellow lettering on the sidewalls. The option tire — which will have distinctive red sidewall lettering — uses the same rubber compound as the wet-weather tires in a slick, providing improved short-term grip but more rapid wear. Teams will be required to qualify on the prime tire and start the main event on the option tire; tire changes beyond those times will be the teams’ choice.
The use of tire alternatives comes as NASCAR competition officials explore ways to enhance the series’ short-track package and in the wake of a March 17 race at Bristol Motor Speedway where increased tire wear produced an intriguing strategy twist. At Bristol, teams and drivers were forced to manage their tires — conserving them to prolong their life, or pushing forward at the risk of blistering or failure.
The non-points event provides an opportunity for competition officials to launch a low-risk trial balloon, says NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst, who added “never say never” about the format’s potential for future races.
“I would say that we’ve often used the All-Star Race in the past to try some things,” Probst said last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. “It’s an opportunity for us without the pressure of points being paid, and certainly … with the cooperation of Goodyear and our teams, in this case, a chance to just try something. When we were at Bristol, we certainly saw a very entertaining race there when tire wear became something they had to manage, and so it’s just an opportunity for us to try it. If it does look good, we will certainly consider it.”
Eligible drivers include Cup Series points-race winners from this season and last year, previous All-Star Race winners competing full time, and past Cup champions who also race full time. The top two finishers from Sunday’s 100-lap All-Star Open preliminary qualifying race (5:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will transfer into the main event, and a final berth will be determined by the results of fan voting, which is now open.
Friday’s qualifying sessions will set the starting lineups for both the Open and for a pair of 60-lap heats scheduled Saturday that will establish the All-Star Race’s lineup.
The 200-lap main event will have two breaks this year — one at the halfway point and another at Lap 150 with the following rules, allotments, and other details for the tires:
— Teams will have nine sets of tires for the weekend — five sets of primes, four sets of options. Teams will have three sets of primes and two sets of options for the preliminaries (practice, qualifying, heats, Open), and two sets each of primes and options for the main event.
— Teams must use all four tires of the same type at all times — no mismatching, for instance, of left-side primes and right-side options.
— Qualifying for both the All-Star Open and the All-Star Race will be conducted on prime tires.
— Teams may select either tire type for the start of practice, heats and the Open.
— Teams must start the All-Star Race on option tires. Teams must also make a pit stop for four tires at the midpoint break of the qualifying heats, the Open, and the All-Star Race.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Friday’s qualifying for eligible All-Star Race competitors will have a different structure this year, with the Pit Crew Challenge incorporated into the format. Drivers will take the green flag to start their qualifying attempt and run one lap at speed. On the second lap, the driver will bring the car to pit road at the pit-lane speed limit for a four-tire stop and mock fuel delivery, then complete the qualifying attempt by returning to the track and racing back to the checkered flag. Total elapsed time will determine the pole starter for both the All-Star Race and the first heat.
The Pit Crew Challenge will be judged from a pair of timing lines near the designated pit boxes — one pit stall before and one pit stall after. The team with the fastest penalty-free stop between the timing lines will be crowned as the Pit Crew Challenge winner, and the results will determine pit-stall selection order for the main event.
“That’s a way we thought would be a good reward beyond the monetary recognition and the bragging rights you get by winning the pit-stop competition,” Probst says, “but then also that group of guys can affect where their team pits during the All-Star Race.”
The format was developed in coordination with Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith, who helped bring the North Wilkesboro track back to life after 26 years of near dormancy. Further vetting of the format was provided by Kevin Harvick, a two-time All-Star Race winner during his driving days who will help call this year’s festivities from the FOX Sports booth.
“As we were bringing this all together, in addition to consulting Goodyear and the teams, we wanted to bounce off some more ideas, and Marcus has always been willing to innovate on the side of if it’s aero packages, or different formats, or reconfiguring of race tracks,” Probst said. “He’s always been a proponent of innovating and trying things in the All-Star Race, and this was an example of working with Goodyear and SM to come up with some solutions. We ran them by Kevin in Texas, just to get his feel on it and made some modifications based on feedback that he gave us, as far as how long we’d have those stages, if you will, for the All-Star break and what tires they should be on. So thanks to them for just providing the input as far as how we were going to do this.”
NASCAR officials provided an option-tire choice during the All-Star Race in 2017, but the experiment made only minimal difference in performance or wear. Probst said that the softer tire used seven years ago produced lap times nearly half a second faster at Charlotte Motor Speedway; at North Wilkesboro, Probst said, such a gain would be more pronounced at a track that’s more than twice as short as Charlotte’s 1.5-mile layout. Probst also indicated that tire falloff was expected to be more dramatic this year.
Even though NASCAR has used softer-compound tires in a previous All-Star events on an intermediate-sized track, Probst said the primary target for a more aggressive tack with tires remains the circuit’s short tracks — using 1.366-mile Darlington Raceway as an unofficial dividing line between those track types.
“The moment we get over into the Darlington, mile-and-a-half-type stuff, that’s a little bit different beast and arguably right now some of the best racing we have going on,” Probst says. “So I think we would tread pretty lightly when we got into say, Darlington and above, but certainly that Darlington and below are tracks right now that are squarely in our focus for development of tires. I’ve learned long ago, never say never, never say always, but if this works, we will experiment with it on the bigger tracks, but it will probably be at a test, not in any kind of points or even exhibition race to start.”
Probst applauded Goodyear’s willingness and flexibility to experiment with different tire choices, but also noted the tiremaker’s diligence in developing the All-Star weekend rubber on an accelerated timetable.
“It’s always difficult to ask your tire partner to build a tire like this, because they build great tires, and we’re asking them to actually build a tire that’s going to wear out and maybe fail ultimately if the teams drive it too hard for too long,” Probst said. “So we’re actually trying to thread the needle of making entertaining racing without the tire becoming the overwhelming story from a failure perspective, because in a way it’s what we’re asking for, but Goodyear as a company is not going to want to be seen with their tires failing even though that’s what we’re asking for. So we’ve been asking them to do things that probably make them a little uncomfortable to do from a corporation, but they have been phenomenal to work with.
“Everything we’ve asked them to do, they’re willing to consider and in this case, we’re taking advantage of a non-points race to get a little aggressive. If this works well, then we’ll continue to take steps in this direction and just keep walking down a path of trying to get the tires to really wear out and have to be managed.”
Now is your opportunity to support your favorite driver for a chance to compete in the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race, scheduled for May 19 at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The All-Star Race Fan Vote polls are officially open, and this year, Fan Rewards members will receive 50 points for their first vote.
Fans can vote up to five times per day, per unique email address. The voting period opened at 6 p.m. ET on April 23 and will conclude at 5:30 p.m. ET on May 19. The winner of the fan vote will be revealed after the NASCAR All-Star Open on May 19 and before engines fire for the main event later that night.
Notable past winners of the fan vote include Ken Schrader, who was the first to receive the honor in 2004. Other familiar names on the list of past winners include Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2011), Danica Patrick (2013, ’15) and Clint Bowyer (2020). Noah Gragson was the most recent recipient in 2023.
Kasey Kahne, who secured the fan vote victory in 2008, stands as the sole fan vote winner to have subsequently triumphed in the All-Star Race. This highlights the significant impact of fan support in shaping the event.
Stay tuned to NASCAR.com over the coming weeks for updates on the progress of the fan vote.
Erik Jones will not compete in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway, Legacy Motor Club announced Tuesday. Corey Heim, the organization’s reserve driver, will pilot the No. 43 Toyota in the Würth 400, scheduled for 2 p.m. ET (FS1, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Jones was involved in a nose-first wreck into the outside retaining wall in Turn 3 during Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Although he was initially evaluated and released from Talladega’s infield care center, Jones later returned and was transported to UAB University Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, for further evaluation. Jones returned home to North Carolina on Sunday night and met with specialists in the Charlotte area, where it was determined that Jones suffered a compression fracture in a lower vertebra, Legacy M.C. said in a statement.
Although there has been no timeline set for his return behind the wheel, Jones will be in attendance in Dover to help call the race with his crew.
“Erik’s long-term health is our number one priority,” said Jimmie Johnson, co-owner of Legacy M.C. “It will be great to see him at the track Sunday and we intend to give him the time it takes to recover properly. I know Corey will do a great job behind the wheel for the Club. In the meantime, our thoughts are with Erik and his wife Holly — they have our total support.”
Jones, 27, is currently ranked 20th in the Cup Series standings and has one top-10 finish (Daytona International Speedway) in 10 starts this season. In his career, he has three Cup wins (two at Darlington Raceway and one at Daytona), 37 top fives and 89 top-10 finishes in 265 starts. Jones has driven the No. 43 since 2021, first for Richard Petty Motorsports then for Petty GMS Motorsports and then Legacy M.C.
NASCAR officials confirmed that Jones has been granted a medical waiver for the Cup Series Playoffs. He would be allowed to qualify for the 16-driver postseason field despite being sidelined, should he meet all other requirements for eligibility.
Heim, 21, is a full-time driver for Tricon Garage, piloting the No. 11 Toyota in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Heim currently sits second in the Truck standings and has one win, five top fives and seven top-10 finishes in seven races. Heim has additionally started nine races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series spanning from 2023-24, scoring a career-best fourth-place finish in March at Richmond Raceway.
Sunday’s race at Dover will mark Heim’s Cup Series debut, with the Georgia native set to compete in Saturday’s Xfinity race for Sam Hunt Racing as well. Heim made his Xfinity debut at the Monster Mile in 2023 but was forced to the garage with an engine failure with 30 laps to go. He has just one other start at the 1-mile oval, netting a sixth-place result in ARCA Menards Series East competition in 2020.
TALLADEGA, Ala. — “Just wanted to get to the line. Come on!”
Michael McDowell radioed that frustration — perhaps to his team, perhaps to himself, perhaps to no one in particular — as he sat in the grass of the Talladega Superspeedway tri-oval in a destroyed, banged-up, beaten-down No. 34 Ford that was leading the GEICO 500 entering that tri-oval on the final lap on Sunday afternoon. Everything nearly went so right for the Front Row Motorsports driver. All the way until it went wrong.
Last-lap shoves from Ford housemates Brad Keselowski and Noah Gragson pushed McDowell out to a clear lead at the exit of Turn 4. With momentum, Keselowski darted high to make his move and was quickly blocked by McDowell. So Keselowski went low — and so did McDowell. But that final dart sent McDowell spinning sideways in front of the field as it stormed to the checkered flag, triggering the Big One — the often-inevitable multicar accident that rears its head in the midst of the Talladega draft.
McDowell, polesitter for Sunday’s race, was feet away from his third trip to Victory Lane and first of 2024. Instead, Tyler Reddick celebrated the win while McDowell finished 31st, the first car one lap down because his No. 34 Ford — its nose ripped off and hanging toward the vehicle’s passenger side — couldn’t make it across the finish line.
“Heartbroken, man,” McDowell said. “You know, I pull down a little bit sooner and we win the race, you know? But that’s racing.”
The anguish was written all over the face of the 2021 Daytona 500 champion.
“It’s super unfortunate. So disappointed,” McDowell said. “Yeah, you just want to get to the finish line there, and we had an opportunity to win the race. And I haven’t seen the replay and I’m just going off of what I felt and saw. I’ve moved up to block Brad’s run, and when I pulled back down, I just, just wasn’t clear, you know? Barely got my bumper and turned me, you know, but just unfortunate because we had a good chance of getting the Dark Horse Mustang in Victory Lane.”
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR.com
McDowell, winner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2023, has shown superspeedway superiority in qualifying this season, nabbing Busch Light Pole Awards at both Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega in addition to a front-row start for this year’s Daytona 500 — all resulting in a combined 69 laps led between the three events.
But Sunday’s sting nullified much of that final stretch, even after McDowell led 33 of the final 47 laps at Talladega. Across the three drafting races, McDowell has just one top 10 to show for his strength.
“I mean, it’s encouraging that we’ve had the fastest car at all three speedways so far this year,” crew chief Travis Peterson told NASCAR.com “Obviously, fastest car up front trying to manage at the end and he couldn’t put it in a better spot. Just the way the runs play out. It was perfect when the 45 (Reddick) and 6 (Keselowski) were side-by-side, and unfortunately the 6 got clear. He started dragging (brake). We drug back to him.
“I think we had the right block. I think when he (McDowell) turned back right to not go below the line, he got a little loose at the same time the 6 hit us, and it’s just one of those speedway deals, you know? Nobody at fault. If we’re second, we’re making the same move. Just, heartbreaker man. We’ve been so close to a win about four or five times this year I feel like already, and something happens — crash, something. It just kills you. I feel like we’ve had really fast cars and now we’re gonna be about last in points. But if you keep showing up with fast cars, it will take care of itself.”
McDowell’s name is no longer a surprise to see atop the leaderboard, particularly at these mammoth speedways where the quality of a driver’s drafting abilities dictates success. The aftermath of Sunday’s race, however, left him plenty to dissect.
“I’m a student of the game, you know?” McDowell said. “I’m gonna go back and watch and study and learn and figure out what I could have done differently and better and work with my spotter (Michael Fisher) and try to figure it out. But I’m super disappointed. I hated that other people got caught up in my mess. But I’m proud of our effort and proud of our speed and I’m proud of our race team.”
