Posted on by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr. unveiled the paint scheme for his annual return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Thursday at JR Motorsports Fan Day.

He is slated to compete in the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 15, which marks the playoff opener for the series.

RELATED: Xfinity Series schedule | Dale Jr.’s most iconic schemes

Dale Jr. will pilot the Hellmann’s No. 88 Chevrolet. The blue and yellow paint scheme harks back to his father dawning the iconic color duo in the Wrangler Chevrolet. In 2010, Dale Jr. took the No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet to an emotional victory an Xfinity Series night race at Daytona International Speedway.

Since beginning his one-and-done Xfinity races per season in 2018, Earnhardt Jr. has tallied three top-five finishes with his best coming at Richmond Raceway where he finished fourth (’18). He finished 11th in his most recent start at Martinsville Speedway last spring.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Before Jeff Gordon was the legendary four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion he’s known as today, he was the new kid on the block, with the eyes of team owners eager to see if this young hotshot could live up to the hype of his potential.

Enter the 1994 Coca-Cola 600.

The first 41 races of Gordon’s career in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet provided glimpses of greatness in addition to some struggles. The 1993 season — Gordon’s rookie campaign — saw seven top-five finishes, 11 top 10s and 230 laps led coupled with a career-worst 11 DNFs.

“My rookie year was a real up-and-down year,” Gordon recently recalled to NASCAR Studios. “There were highlights where we ran really strong. We sat on the pole at Charlotte late in the year. We ran second, I believe, in my first ever 600 to (Dale) Earnhardt. We really showed promise, but we also… not we, me… (I) wrecked a lot, tore up a lot of equipment, and it was not the greatest confidence booster.”

Race No. 42, on the other hand, proved to be the breakout race he and crew chief Ray Evernham dreamt of.

MORE: Relive the entire 1994 NASCAR Cup Series season | NASCAR 75 hub

Gordon won the pole at 181.439 mph, but Rusty Wallace controlled the dominant car in the 1994 running of NASCAR’s longest race, pacing the field for 187 of 400 laps in his No. 2 Miller Genuine Draft Ford. Geoff Bodine’s No. 7 Exide Batteries Ford led early and often for a combined 101 circuits, but Wallace took control as the race neared its halfway point.

As would prove consistent in their tenure together, Evernham knew the Rainbow Warriors were far from out of contention.

“Rusty had that race won and was the dominant car that day,” Gordon said. “But we kept ourselves in position, we fought hard, and sometimes that’s all you need to do is be in position to capitalize. And we did by clearly a great strategy call, a two-tire pit stop, a fast two-tire pit stop, and then up against Rusty’s four-tire stop.”

That decision propelled the iconic red, blue and yellow No. 24 Chevrolet to the lead for 12 of the final 22 laps, including each of the final nine circuits en route to Gordon’s first career victory.

Jeff Gordon celebrates his first career win in the 1994 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Research & Archives Center | Getty Images

The emotion was palpable from the then-22-year-old, tears streaming down his face in Victory Lane as he proclaimed: “This is the greatest day of my life.” Nearly 30 years later, that emotion still bursts through Gordon, who now reigns as the vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports.

“There was a lot of emotion wrapped up in that win because I felt like it was a huge accomplishment,” Gordon said. “Number one, you just want to win. You just hope you could win one race at that level … elite drivers, teams. And I realized how competitive and hard and difficult it was going to be right away. So that day solidified my journey up to that point of, yeah, I have what it takes, we have what it takes and decisions that were made were the right ones to finally accomplish this. And there was no looking back after that.”

Indeed, what followed was a career loaded with unfathomable statistics, totaling a third-best all-time 93 wins, 325 top fives, 477 top 10s and 81 pole positions, including his four Cup championships in 805 starts. Gordon became a transcendent figure for NASCAR, hosting “Saturday Night Live” among numerous appearances in mainstream media.

That level of success was impossible for Gordon to imagine prior to winning the 600 in 1994.

“No way. No way. At that moment, I was just over the moon having one win,” Gordon said. “And of course, that (inaugural) Brickyard 400 was two, three months after that. So we did have our eyes on that and by accomplishing that (win), it did feel like 600, Brickyard 400, sky’s the limit now. But no way could I have ever imagined the race wins, the championships, or even that was going to be a 23-year-long career of tremendous success and great memories.”

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

CHICAGO – Today, NASCAR named Xfinity as a founding partner of its inaugural Chicago Street Race Weekend, which will be held from July 1-2 in Grant Park. This announcement represents an exciting new chapter in the longstanding partnership between the two leading brands over the last nine years.

As a founding partner, Xfinity will have official presenting, marketing, and promotional rights for the Chicago Street Race Weekend including the NASCAR Cup Series’ Grant Park 220 and NASCAR Xfinity Series’ The Loop 121 races. Xfinity joins McDonald’s and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois as the founding partners of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race Weekend.

The Xfinity 10G Network will be featured prominently and integrated on the course with significant branding in Turn 10, which will fittingly be called the Xfinity 10G Turn. The Xfinity brand will have visibility throughout the Chicago Street Race Weekend with additional on-course branding in a dedicated founding partner section as well as the historic start-finish line near Buckingham Fountain, fan entrances, concert stage, wayfinding signage, and other locations throughout the event’s footprint.

MORE: Excitement for Chicago Street Race Weekend grows

“The Chicago Street Race is an incredible moment in NASCAR history, and we can’t think of a better platform to showcase the Xfinity 10G Network and Xfinity Mobile with the iconic Chicago skyline as a backdrop,” said Matt Lederer, vice president, Xfinity Brand Partnerships.

Xfinity is in its fourth season as a Premier Partner of NASCAR and ninth season as entitlement partner of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Xfinity also entitles the Xfinity 500, the Championship 4 elimination race of the Cup Series Playoffs at Martinsville Speedway.

“Whenever we want to do something bold to advance the sport and the fan experience, Xfinity has always been there to help us move NASCAR forward,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race president. “The Founding Partner model is really unique to the Chicago Street Race, and we can’t think of a better organization to add to this incredible list of partners for our first-ever street race.”

“Over the last nine years, NASCAR and Xfinity have become intrinsically linked, and this announcement represents the next step in that proud partnership,” said Jeff Wohlschlaeger, SVP, chief sales officer, NASCAR. “This is an opportunity to showcase our wonderful Founding Partners like Xfinity to a global audience of millions in a brand-new setting here in Chicago.”

Xfinity and the Chicago Street Race have committed to share future announcements on the organizations’ collaborative support for programs that will have a positive and lasting impact in the Chicago community.

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

Three weeks of trekking through the Carolinas come to a close this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series makes its way to Charlotte Motor Speedway.

With the 2023 regular season at the halfway point, Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) marks a pivotal event for drivers to set the tone for the summer playoff push. But before the action gets underway at the home track for numerous drivers and teams, get a primer for the weekend with trends to watch ahead of Sunday, tire notes and interactive ways to follow all the action at Charlotte.

RELATED: See patriotic schemes for Coca-Cola 600 | Betting favorites for NASCAR’s longest race

SHOWSTOPPER OR SCENE-STEALER? 🤔

Whether it’s the behemoth in length or the battle for bragging rights, the Coca-Cola 600 has produced a vast array of results. From some of the most dominant performances in the sport’s history to first-time winners and underdog surprises, the action in Charlotte is never predictable.

The Next Gen car’s debut at the 1.5-mile North Carolina oval produced a thriller for the ages last season as Denny Hamlin won a five-hour, 13-minute battle of attrition to score his first Coke 600 trophy. A year before that, however, eventual 2021 Cup champion Kyle Larson outclassed the field, leading 321 of 400 laps, marking one of his many highlights from his 10-win campaign to the title.

Martin Truex Jr. has the one-up in performance on Larson in this event as he led all but eight laps in the 2016 edition of the Coke 600.

The Coca-Cola 600 produced first-time Cup Series winners in underdogs Casey Mears (2007), David Reutimann (2009) and Austin Dillon (2017) and springboarded the Hall of Fame careers for David Pearson (1961), Jeff Gordon (1994), Bobby Labonte (1995) and Matt Kenseth (2000). 

MORE: See all winners of the Coca-Cola 600

📉 TRENDS TO WATCH 📈

— Four of the last seven Coke 600s were won from the pole, including the last two.

— Six different drivers won the last six Coca-Cola 600s.

— Ford has only scored one win on the Charlotte oval since 2016.

— The final lead change came in the final three laps of the last four 1.5-mile track races.

— Four of the last six Coca-Cola 600 races have seen the final lead change in the final five laps.

(Via Racing Insights)

NOTABLE MOMENTS 🎥

1994: Jeff Gordon scores first Cup win in Coke 600 | WATCH

2005: Johnson outduels Bobby Labonte at the finish line | WATCH

2011: Dale Jr. runs out of gas on final corner, Harvick wins Coke 600 | WATCH

2017: Austin Dillon brings No. 3 back to Victory Lane | WATCH

ON-TRACK SCHEDULE 🗓️

Saturday, May 27

— 7:05 p.m. ET: Practice (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) [CANCELED]

— 7:50 p.m. ET: Qualifying (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) [CANCELED]

Sunday, May 28

— 6 p.m. ET: Coca-Cola 600 (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) [POSTPONED]

Monday, May 29

— 3 p.m. ET: Coca-Cola 600 (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

MORE: Full weekend schedule at Charlotte

RULE CHANGES/GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES 🛞

The GEICO Restart Zone returned to its 2022 dimensions after being extended for this season’s first five races.

Goodyear brings the tire setup to Charlotte that was first featured at Homestead-Miami Speedway last October. It’s the same setup that was used at Fontana, Las Vegas, Kansas and Darlington earlier this season. Teams will be issued one set of tires for practice, one set for qualifying and an additional 12 sets for Sunday’s 600-miler.

NASCAR has implemented an update to the Next Gen NASCAR Cup Series chassis that will go into effect beginning with this weekend’s action at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

In the event of a lost wheel that is contained to pit road, the offending team will be subject to a pass-through penalty under green-flag conditions. If the infraction occurs during a caution period, the offending team will restart at the tail end of the field.

If the wheel breaks free outside of pit road, the new rules guidelines mandate a two-lap penalty plus a two-race suspension for two crew members. Each penalty is series-specific: Violations in one series will not impact those crew members’ eligibility to participate in other series.

NOTE: No. 2 Team Penske crew members Keiston France and Patrick Gray were suspended from the next two Championship Series events after Austin Cindric lost a tire on track at Kansas Speedway on May 7. 

RELATED: See rules changes for 2023

FAN REWARDS 🫵

Fans can get in on the action all season long with NASCAR Fan Rewards, a free program that rewards fans for participating in the action when they watch races and play NASCAR Fantasy.

There’s no cost to join. Fans must be 18 years or older to participate in the program.

Earn points by checking into a race from home or at the track, setting your Fantasy Live lineup, making purchases on the NASCAR.com shop and more. Points can be redeemed for race tickets, merchandise and VIP experiences at the track, including pace car rides and waving the green flag at qualifying.

JOIN TODAY

FOLLOW THE RACE 📲

NASCAR Mobile has now added support for fans to “Follow the Race” and access live leaderboard and race information from Live Activities in the current app release (v13.2.0), available now. Android users, we didn’t forget you — the same functionality has been custom-built for Android devices, as well.

How to access Live Activities on iPhones:

  1. Make sure your iOS device has been updated to 16.1 or higher.
  2. Available on the leaderboard of all NASCAR Series races.
  3. Click on the three-dot menu near the top right of screen.
  4. Select “Follow the Race.”
  5. Swipe up to access the home screen and you will see the Live Activities at the top.
  6. Lock the device and you will see Live Activities on the Lock Screen.
  7. To turn off, simply visit the leaderboard, click the three-dot menu and “Unfollow the Race.”

FANTASY LIVE 🏆

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 2, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner. (NOTE: For this week only the garage will lock after Stage 3. Also, only stage points from Stage 1 and Stage 2 will count toward your score.)

How to play: Fantasy Live | Set up a team today!

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM 💻

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week, in-car cameras will be available.

NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement to the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

The second edition of the Granite State Derby at Lee USA Speedway, scheduled for Saturday night (7:45 p.m. ET on FloRacing), will take on a slightly different look this season.

Much like last year, the event will feature a theme reminiscent of the popular Kentucky Derby horse race held every year Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. As part of the theme, a bugler will be on hand to perform before the start of the 175-lap race for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and the trophies with horses will be presented to the winning driver and car owner.

New this year to the Granite State Derby, which is being held on Memorial Day weekend this year for the first time, will be a sizable tribute to fallen members of the armed forces.

“The Granite State Derby theme was an exciting one last year, and one we wanted to continue to build on, but we didn’t feel it was appropriate to have a race on Memorial Day weekend without acknowledging all the brave men and women whose have lives have been lost in defense of our great country,” said Josh Vanada, the owner of JDV Productions and the promoter of the Granite State Derby.

RELATED: Images of the fallen heroes being honored at Lee USA Speedway

Every car competing in Saturday’s race will feature the name of a fallen service member. Eleven Gold Star families (immediate family members of a fallen service member who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces in a time of conflict) will also be in attendance. Those Gold Star families will stand with the driver representing their family member during driver introductions.

In addition, special performances of “God Bless America,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Taps” will take place prior to the signing of the national anthem.

“I’ve been moved the past two years that we’ve done this,” Vanada said. “In talking with the Gold Star families, I’ve met some of the comrades who have been with some of these men and women when they’ve been killed in the line of duty. Their greatest fear is we will forget the sacrifice of their friends and of their loved ones. For us, honoring the fallen is a way for us to remember their shed blood and the freedoms that it has preserved and that we get to enjoy.”

RELATED: Lee USA entry list | Streaming | Tickets

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour headlines a full day of racing during the Granite State Derby, which also includes Dwarf Cars, 350 Super Modifieds, Pro 4 Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Late Models and the Northeastern Midget Association Lites division.

Fans looking to get a more personal experience during Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event can purchase tickets to the JDV Experience, which provides fans with an exclusive, behind-the-scenes experience during JDV Productions’ NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events.

The JDV Experience includes reserved seating, unique tours on race day, unique swag and more. Click here for more information.

Tight at the top as Justin Bonsignore leads standings

We’re four races into the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, and the battle at the top of the series standings is already as tight as ever.

Justin Bonsignore, fresh off his victory one weekend ago at New York’s Riverhead Raceway, has taken control of the series standings as he chases his fourth Tour championship for team owner Ken Massa.

He’s closely followed by Ron Silk, the same driver Bonsignore narrowly bested last Sunday at Riverhead. Silk won the opening race of the season at New Smyrna Speedway and hasn’t finished worse than seventh this year. He’s one point behind Bonsignore ahead of Saturday’s Granite State Derby.

Austin Beers sits third in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings, 19 points behind Bonsignore. His strong start to the 2023 season included his maiden Tour victory at Richmond Raceway. He’s coming off his worst finish of the season last weekend at Riverhead, where he finished 17th.

Doug Coby, in pursuit of what would be his seventh Tour championship, finds himself 25 points behind Bonsignore in fourth. A difficult day at Riverhead, which started with a two-lap penalty for breaking impound after qualifying, saw him finish 19th.

J.B. Fortin, driver of the No. 34 John Fortin Racing Modified, during the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 for the Whelen Modified Tour at Riverhead Raceway on May 20, 2023 in Riverhead, New York. (Photo: Dakota Moyer/NASCAR)

Strong start has J.B. Fortin in title hunt early

J.B. Fortin has never started a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season like this before.

The driver from Holtsville, New York, has scored one top-five and two top-1o finishes in the first four races of the season, good enough to rank him fifth in the Tour standings early in the year.

Following a 16th-place finish in the opening round at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway, Fortin turned heads with a runner-up finish in Round 2 at Richmond. He followed that with finishes of 12th at Monadnock Speedway and sixth last weekend at Riverhead Raceway.

In his previous four NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour seasons, he’s never scored more than three top-10 finishes in a single year. After four races this year, he’s already scored two. In fact, his average finish of ninth through the first four races is the best he’s ever done at the start of a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.

This weekend, Fortin returns to Lee USA Speedway, a track where he scored one of his three top-10 finishes one year ago as he looks to continue his upward momentum and make himself a contender for the Tour championship.

Notes:

  • Noticeably absent from the entry list for Saturday’s Granite State Derby is Eric Goodale, who will miss his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event since 2008. It ends a streak of 207 consecutive NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts for the driver from Riverhead, New York.
  • After sitting out the most recent Tour event at Riverhead Raceway, Tommy Catalano returns to action at Lee USA Speedway. He finished 11th one year ago during the Granite State Derby.
Posted on by Tadd Haislop

The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series show at Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway on Saturday, May 27 will be special.

Yes, the NASCAR Home Track located southeast of Pittsburgh will host an exiting night of action featuring Late Models, Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Street Stocks, Chargers and Fast 4s, but a couple days ahead of Memorial Day, it will also honor fallen soldiers.

Having teamed up with Operation Vet NOW (OVN) and its Fallen Heroes project, Jennerstown will host its Armed Forces Night, also known as Jennerstown Salutes.

Before the racing begins Saturday evening, the track will hold its Jennerstown Salutes OVN Tribute starting at 5:50 p.m. local time. Gold Star families will be welcomed and recognized, and the ceremonies will include the playing of “God Bless America,” “Amazing Grace,” a 21-Gun Salute, Taps, the national anthem, an honor guard march and a POW/MIA ceremony.

Tickets are available at the Jennerstown Speedway gates. For those who can’t make the show in person, FloRacing will provide live coverage of the racing action.

Below are the fallen soldiers who will be honored at Jennerstown on Saturday.

Michael Anthony Hook – Army

  • Killed in action: Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq
  • Unit: HHC, 2D BATTALION, 35TH INFANTRY, 3 BCT, SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI

Hook was soldier from western Pennsylvania who had ties to New Jersey. He was among 14 U.S. soldiers killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime mission in northern Iraq.

Larry Parks Jr. – Army

  • Killed in action: June 18, 2007 in Arab Jabor, Iraq
  • Unit: COMPANY D, 1ST BATTALION, 30TH INFANTRY, FORT STEWART, GA

Parks was a Pennsylvania soldier known for his dedication as a volunteer firefighter. He died of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Parks was a Tank Gunner. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Christopher Allen Golby – Army

  • Killed in action: Jan. 8, 2004 in Fallujah, Iraq
  • Unit: 571ST MEDICAL COMPANY (AIR AMBULANCE), 3D ACR, FORT CARSON, CO 80913

Golby was killed while on board a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter when it crashed during a Medevac mission.

Aaron James Rusin – Army

  • Killed in action: Oct. 11, 2004 in Baghdad, Iraq
  • Unit: COMPANY A, 44TH ENGINEER BN (COMBAT), 2D INFANTRY DIV, CAMP HOWZE, KOREA

Rusin died of injuries sustained when his military vehicle came under fire from enemy forces.

Brian Paul Hause – Air Force

  • Killed in action: Oct. 23, 2008 in Joint Base Balad, Iraq
  • Unit: 20TH EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE SQUADRON, SHAW AFB, SC

Hause was 29 when he passed away due to a non combat-related medical issue at Balad Air Base.

Randy Donald McCaulley – Army

  • Killed in action: March 23, 2006 in Taqaddum, Iraq
  • Unit: COMPANY A, 1ST BATTALION, 110TH INFANTRY, INDIANA, PA

McCaulley was killed when his dismounted patrol came under enemy small arms fire during combat operations.

Brandon Edwin Adams – Army

  • Killed in action: Sept. 19, 2004 in Washington D.C.
  • Unit: B CO, 1ST BN, 32D INF, 10TH MTN DIV (L), FORT DRUM, NY

Adams died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center of injuries sustained Feb. 16 in Fallujah, Iraq, when a grenade exploded as he was clearing a house.

Curtis John Forshey – Army

  • Killed in action: March 27, 2007 in Homburg, Germany
  • Unit: 494TH TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, FORT CAMPBELL, KY

Forshey’s death was of a non-combat related illness after being medevacked out of Kuwait on March 22. He suffered a brain aneurysm caused by his leukemia treatment.

Shelby James Feniello – Marine Corps

  • Killed in action: Oct. 9, 2006 in Ramadi, Iraq
  • Unit: C CO, 1ST BN, 6TH MAR, (1-1 AD, I MEF FWD), 2D MAR DIV, CAMP LEJEUNE, NC

Feniello died while conducting combat operations against enemy forces when their vehicle ran over an IED. The men were rushing to the aid of Marines involved in a gun battle with insurgents.

Andrew William Brown – Army

  • Killed in action: Oct. 8, 2004 in Baghdad, Iraq
  • Unit: A COMPANY, 1ST BATTALION (AIRBORNE), 509TH INFANTRY (1ST CAVALRY DIVISION) FORT POLK, LA 71459

Brown died of injuries sustained on Oct. 1, 2004 when his patrol vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.

Eric Raymond Hull – Army

  • Killed in action: Aug. 18, 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq
  • Unit: 307TH MILITARY POLICE COMPANY, NEW KENSINGTON, PA 15068

Hull was killed when a military vehicle he was riding in hit an improvised explosive device. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Nils George Thompson – Army

  • Killed in action: Aug. 4, 2005 in Mosul, Iraq
  • Unit: COMPANY C, 1ST BATTALION, 24TH INFANTRY (TF LIBERTY), FORT LEWIS, WA

Thompson was shot by a sniper while in the hatch of an armored vehicle on patrol at an Iraqi police station in northern Iraq. He was award the Purple Heart.

Landon Scott Giles – Army

  • Killed in action: Feb. 26, 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq
  • Unit: HHC, 6TH SQUADRON, 8TH CAVALRY REGIMENT, 4TH BRIGADE, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION, FORT STEWART, GA

Giles was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was on patrol. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Clint Richard Matthews – Army

  • Killed in action: March 19, 2004 in Landstuhl, Germany
  • Unit: COMPANY B 1ST BATTALION 18TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, (1ID), APO AE 09033

Matthews died from injuries sustained two days before when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle went over a 60-foot embankment and flipped over in Baji, Iraq. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Ronald Eric Baum – Marine Corps

  • Killed in action: May 3, 2004 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq
  • Unit: 2D INTEL BN, II MEF, 2D MAR DIV CAMP LEJEUNE, NC

Baum was in the turret of a Humvee when it was hit by a rocket, killed by hostile fire. Baum was posthumously honored with the Navy Marine Corps Commendation for his actions during the attack.

Robert Boyd Jenkins – Navy

  • Killed in action: May 2, 2004 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq
  • Unit: NMCB FOURTEEN, JACKSONVILLE, FL

Jenkins was killed by hostile fire. He was a member of the Navy Reserves Sea Bee unit.

Daniel Russell Lightner Jr. – Army

  • Killed in action: Oct. 27, 2005 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq
  • Unit: HHC, 2D BRIGADE, 28TH ID (2MEF), WASHINGTON, PA

Lightner was killed at age 28 when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations. Lightner was also a Pennsylvania State Trooper. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Scott Sather – Air Force

  • Killed in action: April 8, 2003 in Iraq
  • Unit: 24th Special Tactics Squadron

Sather died following an injury sustained while engaging hostile forces. His death marked the first combat casualty for the U.S. Air Force during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Raymond R. Buchan – Army

  • Killed in action: July 1, 2007 in Ta’meem, Iraq
  • Unit: 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

Buchan died of wounds sustained from enemy small-arms fire during his second tour in Iraq. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Posted on by Staff Report

Gaming enthusiasts call it a heater, and Kyle Larson appears set to go on one. After a decisive victory in last weekend’s All-Star Race, the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is the favorite to win Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), according to Racing Insight’s metric formula.

FANTASY LIVE: Set your roster | See weekend schedule

Where have we seen this before? Larson won the 2021 All-Star Race, then took the Coca-Cola 600 by leading 327 of the 400 laps. And that 2021 season ended with Larson hoisting the Bill France Cup at Phoenix Raceway to cap off a 10-win season.

Could we be seeing the birth of another championship run for Larson? Maybe, but some other drivers could have something to say about it before the long night at Charlotte is over.

OTHERS TO WATCH

Chase Elliott: Elliott has three top-four finishes in the last four Coca-Cola 600s and seems to be on the brink of a breakthrough win.

William Byron: Byron has led laps in three of the last four Coca-Cola 600s and is off to a career-best start with three wins this season.

Denny Hamlin: Hamlin is the defending winner of this race and has six finishes of eighth or better in the last eight Coca-Cola 600s.

Kevin Harvick: Harvick has four straight top-10 finishes in the Coca-Cola 600 and has won twice before (2011, 2013).

Martin Truex Jr.: Truex has two straight finishes of 12th or worse in this race, but his two career wins in 2016 and 2019 are hard to forget.

Projections as of Wednesday, May 24.

RACING INSIGHTS‘ PROJECTIONS FOR COCA-COLA 600

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.

FinishCar numberDriver
15Kyle Larson
224William Byron
39Chase Elliott
411Denny Hamlin
54Kevin Harvick
612Ryan Blaney
719Martin Truex Jr.
88Kyle Busch
945Tyler Reddick
1048Alex Bowman
116Brad Keselowski
121Ross Chastain
1322Joey Logano
1420Christopher Bell
1514Chase Briscoe
1647Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
1743Erik Jones
1823Bubba Wallace
193Austin Dillon
2099Daniel Suarez
2117Chris Buescher
2210Aric Almirola
2321Harrison Burton
247Corey LaJoie
2554Ty Gibbs
2634Michael McDowell
2784Jimmie Johnson
282Austin Cindric
2951Todd Gilliland
3031Justin Haley
3116A.J. Allmendinger
3241Ryan Preece
3377Ty Dillon
3442Noah Gragson
3578BJ McLeod
3638Zane Smith
3715J.J. Yeley

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR has implemented an update to the Next Gen NASCAR Cup Series chassis that will go into effect beginning with this weekend’s action at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The sanctioning body distributed a memo on May 12 to Cup teams detailing the two updates. The new implementation stems from the results of its investigation of the crash involving the Nos. 5 and 41 cars of Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Ryan Preece, respectively, last month at Talladega Superspeedway.


The updates are as follows:

• Right-side door bar gussets: Six right side bar gussets may be added in the outlined locations (see photo). The gussets will be provided to teams at no charge and aim to strengthen a welded joint to limit intrusion.

• The front clip V-brace must be removed from the assembly, which will reduce the stiffness of the front clip.

In the memo, teams were also made aware that additional chassis updates are under consideration. NASCAR will conduct two days of crash testing this week on Wednesday and Thursday at a crash-test facility in Ohio. Following this test, further chassis updates may be made.

NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer noted in late April on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that his crew at the NASCAR R&D Center was working with both teams — including Larson himself — to “reenact what happened” and discover any learnings from the incident that helped lead to these enhancements.

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR officials confirmed Wednesday that Alex Bowman has been given medical clearance to return to competition, and his Hendrick Motorsports team indicated he will make his Cup Series comeback this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Bowman has missed the last four races with a fractured vertebra, suffered in a sprint-car crash April 25. He provided an update on his recovery May 14 at Darlington Raceway, saying he had no firm timetable then for a possible return. Team owner Rick Hendrick said the same day that Charlotte was a potential target for Bowman to be back with the No. 48 Chevrolet team.

RELATED: Standings | Schedule | Bowman driver page

Bowman’s Hendrick Motorsports team asked for the opportunity to gauge their driver’s readiness in a special test session. NASCAR officials granted that request as part of their medical evaluation, and Bowman drove a Cup Series car on Tuesday at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway — the site of last weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race.

Bowman said at Darlington he anticipated that the biggest source of pain with his back injuries in competition would come from tightening his seat belts, plus any jarring motions or impact — such as on-track bumps or the car dropping off the jack during pit stops. Tuesday’s test was meant to address those concerns, and the team indicated Bowman drove 170 laps without reporting pain.

NASCAR competition officials also approved the team’s request for a medical waiver for Bowman to retain his eligibility for the Cup Series Playoffs. He is 17th in the Cup Series standings, just five points outside the cutoff mark for the provisional postseason field of 16.

Bowman’s plan to start Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 (3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM) means he will return in the Cup Series’ longest race. Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry has filled in for the No. 48 team for the last four weeks, and he would be a logical choice for a relief driver if Bowman needs one on standby. He was listed on the preliminary entry list as the No. 48 Chevy’s driver of record.

MORE: Weekend schedule: Charlotte | Paint Scheme Preview

The 32-year-old Berry has been a sub for Hendrick Motorsports in two stints so far this season. He made five starts in the team’s No. 9 Chevrolet of Chase Elliott, who sat out earlier this year with leg injuries from a snowboarding mishap. The JR Motorsports driver’s four starts in the No. 48 included last weekend’s non-points All-Star event, where Berry won the All-Star Open to qualify for the main event.

“Josh is an absolute pro,” said Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “His talent and hard work allowed the team to continue operating at a high level while Alex recovered. We can’t say enough about the great job he did under some challenging circumstances. We’re grateful to Josh and our partners at JRM for their support.”

Bowman led the Cup Series standings for three weeks earlier this 2023 season, with top-10 finishes in six of the first seven races. He has yet to win this year, but has two pole positions (Daytona, Richmond).

“It’s a boost for all of us to have Alex return to the No. 48 car this weekend at our home track,” team owner Rick Hendrick said in the organization’s statement. “The team is still 17th in points, which says a lot about how well he performed at the start of the year. Alex has worked hard to rehab the injury and come back strong, and I look for him to continue having a championship-caliber season.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR penalized the No. 88 Craftsman Truck Series team of ThorSport Racing for a lug nut that was not properly secured after the Tyson 250 on Saturday at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

As a result, crew chief Shane Wilson was fined $2,500.

RELATED: Truck Series schedule | Truck standings

Matt Crafton finished seventh in the race that was won by Kyle Larson, and the three-time Truck Series champ is in seventh place in the points standings.

The Truck Series is back in action on Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (8:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Note: NASCAR also reinstated Jeffrey Shoaf and Deandre Smith, who are eligible to return to all NASCAR activity.