The NASCAR fan’s guide to enjoying Chicago

Posted on March 1, 2023March 1, 2023 by Josh Terry

This July, NASCAR comes back to the Windy City for the inaugural Chicago Street Race on Sunday, July 2 (5:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, Sirius XM, NBC Sports App). While this isn’t the first time the sport has held races in the area, as suburban Joliet hosted Cup Series events at the 1 1/2-mile Chicagoland Speedway from 2001-2019, it’ll certainly be one of the most unconventional. (At least since downtown’s football stadium Soldier Field held a Grand National division race in 1956). The 2.2-mile track, the first city-set street course of its kind for NASCAR, will utilize parts of the city’s iconic streets Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive as well as Grant Park’s gorgeous Buckingham Fountain. Ask a local and they’ll tell you Chicago in the summertime is the best place to be.

MORE: NASCAR reveals plans for 2023 Chicago Street Race | Xfinity Series to take part, too

Because you’ll be spending time downtown at the races (both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series are hitting the track that weekend), this will be a guide for anyone who wants to explore this great city even more. While Chicago’s skyline is certainly iconic and its downtown area is full of shops, great restaurants, and scenic views, it’s the neighborhoods that really make this city one of the best in the world. Just look at a map: the place is huge! It’s the Talladega Superspeedway of Midwest cities. This locally-sourced roundup will take you around town, give you expert recommendations on cuisine staples, and tell you about the hidden gems that people who actually live here frequent.

BUY TICKETS: 2023 Chicago Street Race

Hot Dogs

The hot dog wasn’t invented in Chicago — we can thank 12th-century Germans for that — but hundreds of years later it has been perfected in this city. The Chicago-style hot dog is a culinary miracle and better than deep-dish pizza and Italian beef, the city’s other two famous exports. A creation of working-class Chicagoans in the ‘30s, it’s a wiener (usually Vienna Beef) placed in a poppy seed bun and topped with mustard (never ketchup), neon-green relish, onions, tomatoes, a pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. You can get this iteration at the popular chain Portillo’s, which is the platonic ideal of a local hot dog. However, Superdawg, the city’s only drive-in restaurant in Jefferson Park on the northwest side has its own creation: the Superdawg.

nascar drivers look at the bean in chicago — Getty Images

It boasts a house-made beef sausage and a simpler ingredient list in relish, mustard, sport peppers, and chopped onions. Redhot Ranch, a cash-only dive in Bucktown and Lakeview, sells “Depression dogs” which can feature two links in one bun, mustard, relish, onions, sport peppers, and always french fries on top.

Pizza

You’ve heard the debates: Chicago deep-dish or a New York-style slice? While deep-dish, a thick, lasagna-like pie whose ingredients, including the cheese, are buried under tomato sauce, can be delicious, a large portion of born-and-raised locals only eat it when their aunt from Wisconsin is in town. Instead, the true Chicago favorite is tavern-style with a thin and crispy crust, and the entire thing is mostly cut into squares. Some people like the cheesy center squares while the real heads go for the tiny, triangle-shaped crust-only bites. Vito and Nick’s is the leader of this specialty in Ashburn on the southwest side while Barnaby’s in the northern suburbs is also worth a look. However, one of the best places for a pizza here actually makes New Haven-style, another thin-crust variety. Piece in Wicker Park arguably takes the top spot with its Hot Doug’s Atomic Sausage Pizza and house-made beers. If you’re still curious about deep-dish after reading all this, just go to Pequod’s in Lincoln Park.

Sandwiches

If there is one thing FX and Hulu’s The Bear got right, it’s that Chicagoans love sandwiches. You can get an Italian beef sandwich like one from that TV show, conveniently, at the shop where they filmed it: Mr. Beef in River North. An arguably superior version of this local specialty of thin-sliced roast beef, giardiniera (pickled peppers), and au-jus comes from Al’s #1 Beef, specifically the one on Taylor street in Little Italy. In the South Loop, Manny’s Deli is an iconic Jewish deli and the best pastrami in town. Elsewhere, you can buy a life-changing Italian sub at Bari Foods in River West while Ricobene’s breaded steak sandwich near Chinatown must be experienced to be believed. Chicago: The City That Meat Made isn’t an official slogan but it should be.

Live Music

There will be a lot of music to take in during the Chicago Street Race weekend. NASCAR is hosting a two-day music festival in Grant Park with Miranda Lambert, The Chainsmokers, The Black Crowes, Charley Crockett, and more all slated to perform. However, that won’t be the only gig in town. This city thrives on its vibrant music community and wealth of historic, small venues that constantly host great artists of all genres. If you’re into country music, venture up the north side to Uptown where there’s Carol’s Pub, a late-night honky tonk where you can buy a bologna sandwich while you take in a band. Not too far from Carol’s is the legendary Green Mill, an old-school jazz club and cocktail lounge that once counted Al Capone as a regular. In Lincoln Park, blues run the game at Kingston Mines while the Hideout is a favorite among local indie rockers, punks, and alt-country lovers.

MORE: Star-studded musical lineup for 2023 Chicago Street Race

Walking Around

Don’t let Chicago’s size intimidate you: it’s a great place to walk around, especially in the summertime. You may be already familiar with the gorgeous Lakefront Trail but even locals take advantage of this impossibly scenic route for bicyclists, runners, and those on leisurely strolls. A bit west is the 606, also known as the Bloomingdale Trail, an elevated 2.7-mile path that stretches from Bucktown to Humboldt Park. If that’s not enough nature for you, the Garfield Park Conservatory on the west side is a perfect place to take in exotic greenery, gorgeous floral displays, and art installations. The city also has multiple beaches thanks to Lake Michigan. Check out Loyola Beach or Montrose Beach on the north side.

Sports That Aren’t Motorsports

When NASCAR visits Chicago, it’ll be during baseball season. The Cubs play on the north side at Wrigley Field while the White Sox call Guaranteed Rate Field on the south side home. They’ll both be in town during the days surrounding the Chicago Street Race. At Soldier Field, home of the Bears, you can also find Chicago Fire taking on their opponents in Major League Soccer. Not too far from that stadium is Winstrust Arena, where you can catch the city’s WNBA team the Chicago Sky focusing on young talent to reclaim the winning ways that won them the 2021 title.

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Staff Report

Two pit crew members of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota have been suspended for the next two NASCAR Cup Series races, the sanctioning body announced Tuesday.

Tire changer Danny Olszowy and jackman Kellen Mills will be sidelined for the upcoming events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway as a penalty for violating Section 8.8.10.4.C in the NASCAR Rule Book, which addresses the loss or separation of an improperly installed wheel from the vehicle.

RELATED: Auto Club results | Las Vegas schedule

The No. 19 Toyota, driven by Martin Truex Jr., saw its left-front wheel dislodge from the car on the backstretch under caution at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 26. Because the wheel came loose past pit exit, the two crewmen responsible for the infraction face respective two-week suspensions. The team was also assessed an in-race two-lap penalty.

This is the first penalty issued for a wheel violation in 2023. Before the season began, NASCAR’s competition team updated how detached wheels would be officiated. If a team loses a wheel between pit entry and pit exit, the team will be assessed a pass-through penalty under green-flag conditions, or it must restart at the tail end of the field if under caution.

MORE: Updated rules for 2023 | New aero package to debut at Phoenix

Truex’s wheel came loose on the racing surface, which led to his crewmen’s suspensions.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action at Las Vegas on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Reid Spencer

Viva Las Vegas!

The National Football League and National Hockey League were late to the party in Sin City.

Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association haven’t arrived yet, but they’ll get there eventually.

And NASCAR was and will be there to welcome them.

While the NFL’s Raiders and NHL’s Golden Knights are recent additions to the landscape, NASCAR has had a continuous and highly visible presence in the Las Vegas market since 1996, when Speedway Motorsports, Inc., then headed by Bruton Smith, bought what is now Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Jack Sprague won the speedway’s inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race that year. The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced at the 1.5-mile track for the first time in 1997, with Jeff Green as the winner.

And in 1998, NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin won the first NASCAR Cup Series event held at the track located roughly 15 miles north of the Las Vegas Strip.

That wasn’t the first Cup race held in Las Vegas, though. NASCAR celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, and, surprisingly, the roots of NASCAR racing in Nevada extend almost to the date of the founding of the sanctioning body.

In 1953, a combination horse and one-mile dirt speedway opened as the Las Vegas Jockey Club on land now occupied by the Westgate Hotel, the Las Vegas Convention Center and part of the Las Vegas Country Club.

By the time the Cup Series raced there for the only time on Oct. 16, 1955, the track was known as Las Vegas Park Speedway because the horse racing ventures there had failed miserably.

Norm Nelson, a three-time USAC stock car champion, won the race, which was shortened from 200 to 111 laps because of darkness. Driving a 1955 Chrysler fielded by legendary owner Carl Kiekhaefer, Nelson led the final 106 laps to score his only NASCAR victory.

Johnny Mantz, whose only NASCAR Cup win came in the inaugural Southern 500 at Darlington in 1950, ran seventh.

All told, Las Vegas Park Speedway held three motorsports events before it was demolished—the 1955 Cup race, a 1954 Champ Car race and a 1959 USAC Stock Car race won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen.

If the relationship between auto racing and Las Vegas began tenuously, the current century has underscored NASCAR’s popularity in one of the world’s top destination markets.

And Las Vegas also has given rise to two of the foremost drivers to enter NASCAR’s premier division since the turn of the century—brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch, who grew up racing on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring.

Kurt won the series championship in 2004, his fourth full year of Cup racing and the first season of NASCAR’s Playoff format, then known as the Chase.

Kyle won Cup titles in 2015 and 2019 and currently leads all other active drivers with 61 career victories. His win on Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, achieved a significant milestone. Kyle and Kurt now have 95 victories between them, most by brothers in NASCAR history.

MORE: Sibling success in NASCAR history

In his first year with Richard Childress Racing, Kyle expects to add to that total. Kurt was sidelined with concussion-like symptoms last year and currently serves as a consultant for 23XI Racing. Kurt was one of the first to come to Victory Lane to congratulate his brother.

“He’s left all the heavy lifting for me to do for the rest of my time here,” Kyle Busch quipped after Sunday’s win. “He took a break. But, no, it would have certainly meant a lot to have him in the field, but just him being here and being around, and still, his role over at 23XI is really special. I know he’s got a lot of friends over there, a lot of great guys over there that really pull for him.

“It’s neat to have him be there. He was emotional. He’s getting soft in his old age. It was just cool to see him come up to the car and be a part of our celebration there for a quick moment. But it’s fun to set records always, and when you’re able to do it as a brother tandem, there’s nothing more special for our parents, I’m sure.”

Posted on February 28, 2023March 8, 2023 by Zach Sturniolo

NASCAR will debut a new aerodynamic rules package for the NASCAR Cup Series in March at Phoenix Raceway, aimed to enhance the racing product at short ovals and road courses, the sanctioning body announced Tuesday.

The package features slight modifications to the Next Gen car that significantly decrease the downforce created by the vehicles. This configuration will be utilized at all tracks where “wet weather equipment” will be required: Charlotte Roval, Chicago Street Course, Circuit of The Americas, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Martinsville, New Hampshire, North Wilkesboro, Phoenix, Richmond, Sonoma and Watkins Glen.

MORE: 2023 rules updates announced | Cup Series schedule

Chief among the changes are a two-inch rear spoiler (a reduction from the current four-inch blade on the rear deck lid) in addition to several tweaks underneath the car. Those include the removal of three diffuser strakes, engine panel strakes and trimming the diffuser’s outer fencing. All changes were run together during the second day of a January test at Phoenix.

“That basically adds up to about a 30% downforce reduction,” Dr. Eric Jacuzzi told NASCAR.com. “We’re now in a downforce level we haven’t been at since pre-2000s for sure — like mid ’90s.”

CoForce | NASCAR

Much of the direction of these changes was inspired by the Garage 56 program, a project NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear are working closely on to compete at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first day of Phoenix testing earlier this year saw three different packages with that inspiration; but none of those combinations did enough to warrant any change from the original product.

“We put our heads together and we came up with a greatly reduced downforce package,” Jacuzzi said. “Because one of the things that drivers kept saying was that the car — there’s so much tire grip, the brakes are so good. So we said let’s really just take a big swing at this and see if we can solicit a reaction, almost, out of them.”

Teams were alerted of the new alterations the next morning and began setting up the adjustments over the next two hours. Through single-car and simulated mock race runs, a breakthrough was finally made.

“In those two races, definitely, the cars were noticeably tighter together,” Jacuzzi said. “They didn’t spread out as far and some of the drivers commented that they were really sliding around a lot, and they feel that the more kind of out of control the car is, the more real estate on the track becomes available to them to use. So that was kind of the feedback that led us to moving forward with this package.”

Jacuzzi reiterated drivers were a key part of the conversation as testing continued, affirming the changes were going in the right direction.

“I don’t want to speak for them, just anecdotally what they said at the test in our debrief meeting [was it] felt more like a race car,” Jacuzzi said. “Definitely wasn’t as planted, more able to move around and use all the track. So, a net positive. Of course, some people were a little more hesitant, but the difficulty in those tests is you’re really making big changes and you don’t have infinite practice time. So it tends to be people who aren’t maybe running well at the test don’t like it, obviously, because you don’t want to be running around the back. But I think given enough time to adapt to things and have some prep time, they will be able to respond just like any other weekend.”

However, there was another element tested at Phoenix: mufflers. Only The Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum and the Chicago Street Course will feature mufflers this season, meaning the removal of the mufflers alters the aerodynamics a bit more.

With that in mind, NASCAR took the new rules package into the wind tunnel on Feb. 13 to confirm what was learned at the test and ensure the same desired impacts will be produced in later competitions.

MORE: Power Rankings heading to Las Vegas

Ultimately, NASCAR’s competition team saw significant improvement in parity and racing quality on intermediate tracks in 2022, the Next Gen vehicle’s debut season. But the same couldn’t be said for its short tracks or road courses.

“We’d seen such great racing at the intermediates,” Jacuzzi said, “and then the road courses and the short tracks lacked some of the action we expected. And the comments from the drivers about how good the brakes are and how much grip the tire has, it’s fantastic but we do rely on, from our side, drivers making mistakes and things like that.”

MORE: NASCAR 101 breaks down Next Gen | Celebrating NASCAR’s 75th anniversary

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

All road courses will see this package used as well as most of the short tracks on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Excluded from this change are the 0.533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway and 1-mile Dover Motor Speedway.

“We wanted to keep it some kind of a rule like, ‘OK, let’s start with a mile and under’ and obviously Dover and Bristol would fall in that category,” Jacuzzi explained. “The one complication is this year where we have the wet-weather ovals, where we would consider running on rain tires. So part of that is they need to essentially have the car prepared like it’s a road-course car. So it’ll have the lights in it. It’s going to have the wiper and the [mud] flaps and everything.

“So a couple of teams and certainly the manufacturers asked us not to include those tracks, Dover and Bristol, because they would essentially create a fourth aero package where they wouldn’t have the flaps and wiper in that. And we said OK, we had some decent events last year. We looked at our metrics and the stats were OK, so we went with that initial conservative approach — just take the industry’s concerns into our minds and kind of wait and see.

“Certainly, I think if it’s a smash hit this year and we see a big difference, we’ll definitely have to look at it again.”

To ensure teams have adequate time to get up to speed, the Phoenix race weekend will now feature a 50-minute practice session on Friday, March 10 as part of an extended practice weekend.

The package debuts Sunday, March 12 in the United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM).

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Cara Cooper

When Scott Gafforini is asked to describe his 2022 race season at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring, he says it “wasn’t anything special.”

“It was pretty mediocre,” Gafforini said. “It was just plugging along and just consistent finishes.”

The veteran driver didn’t win any races last season, but it didn’t matter. He was consistent enough to win a Las Vegas track championship in the venue’s Pro Late Model division. The title was his seventh at the NASCAR-sanctioned short track in Nevada, a record for any driver.

Consistency has been the key for Gafforini over the last 16 years since he won his first track championship. In that first title chase in 2006, he was down by two points going into the final race. He made up one point in qualifying and beat his competition on the last lap to come away with a title by one point.

“After the very first one year, it did get easier,” he said. “The first one always seems to be the hardest, because you’re trying so hard, and you don’t want to make mistakes, and you overthink it. Once you get the first one behind your belt, I think everybody takes a little sigh of relief, and you know what it takes to get there. I think it makes a big difference.”

From 2006-15, Gafforini won the Vegas track title six times, besting driver Phil Goodwin for the most track titles by any driver.

But after 2015, Gafforini hit a lull. He was stuck with consistent second-place finishes for seven years.

“It was always like one fast guy shows up and he’s pretty dominant, either he’s got a brand new car or a brand new team with a lot of money, and I’m just kind of a mediocre Saturday night racing guy,” he said. “I don’t have big finances. I just go out there and use old equipment that was once brand new.”

The string of seconds is what made last season’s title such a surprise to Gafforini. He said his equipment was out of date as Vegas switched from super late models to pro late models.

But, as the year started unfolding, he realized the team was at the top of the standings simply because “we showed up to every single race.”

“That counts because you’ve got to support your local race track,” he said. “We were there every single weekend duking it out, and we just supported the race track and were consistent. We had a top-five car. It wasn’t going to win, but it was still a top-five car, so we knew we could capture points that way.

“If you would have told me the first two races of last year I was going to win the championship, I would have laughed at you. … We just kept plugging along, and about halfway through the year, we were scratching our heads like, ‘Well, if nothing stupid happens, we might be able to pull this thing off.’ And we did.”

Gafforini learned his work ethic at a young age while hanging around racers and sweeping up the shop. He learned the importance of building your own car, no matter if “these guys are going out there and kicking butt or getting their butts kicked, whichever it may be.”

He started racing in 1980 when he got into a go-kart at 13 years old. He was successful in karts and eventually moved up to IMSA road racing, which he did until the short track at Vegas was built.

He started racing stock cars in 1998, but it took eight years before he would win his first title.

“I looked at myself and said, ‘I’m doing my very best, and I’m not getting the job done,’” he said. “I had to learn what it’s going to take to get that championship. Obviously, my very best isn’t enough to get a championship all these years. It’s came down to that one race, that very last race of the year, and I won it by one point… That’s when my very best just went up to a championship level.”

From there, the wins kept coming. He owns a Vegas track record 67 career wins.

“You just keep learning and learning and learning, and your very best becomes more and more and more,” he said. “And as your very best becomes more and more and more, the championships become easier and easier because your very best becomes more than what their very best is because they haven’t figured it out yet.”

Remembering those older drivers who built the sport is important to Gafforini, because, he said, without them, there wouldn’t be racing in the way it’s done now, and he would have never learned those lessons he needed to be successful, both on and off the track.

Gafforini is also hopeful young drivers learn from his legacy, as well, and keep it alive. His biggest lesson is, “It’s not that you did your best, you had to do what it took to get it done no matter what,” he said.

“You need to learn that in life anyhow. You have to show up, no matter what,” he said. “Even if you don’t think you’re going to win… you still show up and you do your very, very best. You don’t halfway do it.

“You want to do your very best, but you’ve also got to be smart enough to know if your very best isn’t going to be good enough. Don’t quit or don’t get disappointed. Figure out what it’s going to take to raise your very best up that extra notch or two… It’s important, and it pays off. It may not pay off immediately, but it will.”

Unlike the last decade when Gafforini and his team were just racing to race and see what happens, this season they are coming in looking for an eighth title. He has a new car, and he feels his updated technology and newly built equipment puts him on the same page as other successful drivers.

But, he plans to still be the same driver he’s been for the last 40 years, and hopefully young drivers take something away from watching his success.

“We’re definitely the people that rooted for the hometown, do-it-yourself racers, the grassroots racer. That’s us,” he said. “For us to go win a championship, that gives other people hope that you don’t need the big sponsorships, you don’t need the big team, you don’t need the 20-man crew. It’s just me, my dad, who is like 80-something years old, he doesn’t do quite too much anymore, and my two friends. That’s it.

“For the person who’s doing it out of their own pocket, doing it as a hobby, keep your chin up. You can still win races, you can still win championships… you can do it, and that’s what I’m for. That’s what I advocate for.”

On Feb. 18, Gafforini finished fourth in the Pro Late Model feature on The Bullring’s 2023 opening night. He did so after placing third in his heat race.

The Bullring’s season continues Saturday, March 4 with the Bash at The Bullring, a free-admission event.

Posted on February 27, 2023March 1, 2023 by Press Release

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. – Brenden Queen has emerged as one of the most prolific stars in late model stock car racing in recent years.

The Virginia driver hoping to add to his growing list of accolades on Saturday when he competes in the Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars this weekend at New River All-American Speedway.

Saturday’s $20,000-to-win NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series late model stock car race will be Queen’s first trip to the 4/10-mile track in Onslow County, and his third race with Lee Pulliam Performance. As is the case for everyone who will unload their cars from their haulers in Jacksonville this weekend, Queen’s goal is to win.

“It would be a huge deal to win,” Queen said. “A new track to win at and a good payday. Tons of momentum for us but this is a time in my career where I need to win every chance I get, so I’m staying focused on that and, of course, having a good time.”

Queen, who goes by the nickname ‘Butterbean,’ is the three-time defending track champion at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia, and also a champion at the now-defunct East Carolina Motor Speedway in Martin County, North Carolina. In 2020, Queen picked up a victory in the Hampton Heat 200 at Langley, but his biggest accomplishment came last season when he won the South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway, racing against Dale Earnhardt Jr., among others. That victory came in his first race driving for four-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I National champion Lee Pulliam.

“Winning the Hampton Heat was very special, but winning the 400, with that being my first race with Lee Pulliam Performance, was really cool,” Queen stated. “The attention that race was getting made it an even bigger deal. It’s something I will be proud of forever.”

Becoming one of the more respected drivers, and one who is now considered a contender week in and week out, was what Queen hoped to become when he started out his racing career.

“It’s really special,” Queen remarked. “Growing up, I just wanted to be one of the guys that was respected and one that was considered a threat to win. I definitely do not take it for granted. I feel like I’ve come so far, especially in the past few seasons, and started finishing races out.”

Teaming up with Pulliam provides Queen with the opportunity to become one of late model stock car racing’s elite competitors as he chases wins all around the region. During his racing career, Pulliam was one of the most successful drivers in the history of the discipline with 176 wins, championships in three different states and three different tracks, and was the only driver during the span of his career to win all of late model stock car racing’s biggest events.

Since then, Pulliam has worked with up-and-coming drivers, such as Corey Heim, Brandon Pierce, Jonathan Shafer, and now Queen.

“Working with Lee is very special,” Queen explained. “He’s a big help. He is someone I Can lean on for advice all around. He knows what it takes to win at every track whereas, for me, I haven’t been to most of the tracks we are going to. I’m excited to be a part of his organization.”

Queen is not just a frequent contender on asphalt, but on dirt as well. Along with his championship at Langley Speedway in an asphalt late model, he picked up a title at the Dixieland Speedway dirt track in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in the track’s late model division last season.

“Dirt racing has been a huge help,” Queen commented. “I think it’s really helped me with how I manage my gas pedal in a race, and also managing grip.”

While Saturday night will be his first start in Jacksonville, it will not be his first start at an Eastern North Carolina track. Queen’s first late model stock car victory, and championship, came at the tight confines of the three-eighths-mile East Carolina Motor Speedway in Robersonville, North Carolina.

“Eastern Carolina definitely holds a special place to me,” Queen said. “I loved racing in that area and spent a ton of time down in the area.”

While Queen hopes, and expects, to win on Saturday, he will have some elite company in the Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars, including three-time CARS Tour champion Bobby McCarty in his debut with Marcus Richmond and R&S Race Cars, former New River All-American Speedway winner Connor Hall, and rising star Connor Jones, among many others.

Qualifying for the Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars will take place on Saturday, March 4, at 4:30 p.m. ET and the feature racing program will commence at 7 p.m., with the 200-lap, $20,000-to-win late model stock car race expected to go green around 8-8:15 p.m. Tickets are available online on MyRacePass and at the gate on race day for $25, and the event will be broadcast live on FloRacing.

The complete weekend schedule and additional information about the Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars is available here.

Posted on February 27, 2023February 27, 2023 by Staff Report

Race organizers for the 24 Hours of Le Mans released the event’s entry list Monday, officially confirming the collaborative effort from NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear as the invited Garage 56 entry.

That showcase entry for the June 10-11 endurance race will carry a car number familiar to NASCAR fans and the Rick Hendrick-owned organization – No. 24.

The modified No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will be driven by Jenson Button, Jimmie Johnson and Mike Rockenfeller in a class by itself, designed by race organizer Automobile Club de l’Ouest to highlight distinctive and innovative vehicles at the 24-hour event. The “Garage 56” designation is a nod to the entry list’s former cap at 55 cars and the plus-one created by an extra participating team.

The No. 24 was made famous in NASCAR by four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, who won 93 times as a driver for Hendrick Motorsports and is now its vice chairman. William Byron currently drives the No. 24 for the team, and he has added four victories to its Cup Series win tally.

The Garage 56 project was launched last March 17 at Sebring International Raceway. The group recently completed endurance testing on Feb. 20-21 at Sebring as part of the next phase in its development.

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Pat DeCola

FONTANA, Calif. — The last time JR Motorsports did not finish with one of its cars in the top five of an Xfinity Series race was at Daytona International Speedway — last August.

The most recent non-superspeedway-style race where the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned operation fell short? Well, you’ll have to go all the way back to the Xfinity Series Championship … in 2021.

While the checkered flag and trophy will wind up at the Joe Gibbs Racing HQ with race-winner John Hunter Nemechek outpacing JRM’s Sam Mayer on the final run to win the Production Alliance Group 300, the class of the field for (what’s usually) NASCAR’s Saturday series was once again up to its weekly ways Sunday night at Auto Club Speedway. The 300-miler was initially slated to run Saturday afternoon in Southern California before heavy rain — and at times, snow flurries the size of cotton balls — pushed the event to Sunday after the Cup Series race.

Saturday, Sunday; the day of the week matters not. If there’s an Xfinity race, you’ll find a JRM car finishing in the top five. There were three of ‘em Sunday, with Nos. 7 and 8 drivers Justin Allgaier and Josh Berry finishing third and fifth, respectively.

MORE: Full Auto Club results | Updated Xfinity Series standings

Mayer, who started 22nd after the lineup was set per the rule book with qualifying canceled, said he had a mid-pack car at the start of the race that his team cranked on throughout the evening to give him a shot at the win. Had a few things gone his way on pit road, he would’ve.

“I think we were just as good as the 20 (of Nemechek) at the end. I mean, we did not start off that way and we had a lot of work to do and our No. 1 Accelerate Camaro definitely got a lot better throughout the day when the kitchen sink was added,” Mayer said on pit road after the race. “But super proud of my guys. I mean, they did everything right there at the end … that’s a lot to be proud of, to kind of go from a 20th-place car to like a solid second-place car.”

Allgaier and Berry echoed those sentiments about their own teams, with the latter crediting JRM and Hendrick Motorsports specifically for the “tons of support” the championship Cup operation lends the closely associated JRM.

It’s evident that Earnhardt’s four-car operation, though it’s seen its share of faces come and go over the years (often to the Cup Series, if that’s any indication of how things are going for them) has had things clicking on all cylinders for years now. The cohesiveness between cars, drivers and crews across the company is a major factor.

“Our team is rock solid. You know, I say our seven team is rock solid, but really JR Motorsports as a whole,” said Allgaier, JRM’s longest-tenured driver having been there since 2016. “There’s a lot of depth. A lot of great crew chiefs. A lot of great drivers, a lot of great just information flowing through our building. What, three in the top five? And honestly, the nine (of teammate Brandon Jones, who spun and finished 33rd) doesn’t have his issues early on, I think he’s equally up there with us as well.”

Even if everyone in the shop is on the same page and working toward the same organization-wide goals — namely, its first championship since going back-to-back with William Byron and Tyler Reddick in 2017 and ’18, respectively — don’t get it twisted. These are still race car drivers competing against each other when it all boils down.

And there are bragging rights on the line.

“Yeah, I mean, that’s huge (to finish as the highest JRM car). Like, that’s goal number one going into every week is to be the top JRM car,” said Mayer. “Because if you do that, you’re gonna be top three at least. Our (car) was really good there at the end and obviously, it was the best one of the four, so that’s a big deal.”

Meanwhile, Mayer remains the lone JRM driver without a series victory in his career, but it’s coming. Clearly.

The first two weeks of the season have both ended in a degree of disappointment for the 19-year-old Wisconsin native — spending part of last week’s Daytona opener on his roof after a crash at the end of the race before coming up just short on Sunday.

“Yeah, heartbreak, because I can taste that first win there … it’s literally like 20, 30 yards ahead of me and I just can’t break that bubble,” said Mayer, who walked out of Auto Club seventh in points. “But I’m super happy. I’m super happy to be a part of that gig and obviously, the race director being proud of me is a really big deal.

“So I mean, I’m just ready for next week to come because I know we’re gonna have a lot of speed and be really good. … Vegas is another good track of mine, so I’m looking forward to going there.”

And if it’s not that elusive first win that he picks up, you can take it to the bank that it’ll be a top five.

Posted on February 26, 2023February 27, 2023 by Reid Spencer

FONTANA, Calif. – After the sun set on Auto Club Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek drove his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to victory in Sunday’s Production Alliance Group 300 in the final race at the 2-mile track.

It wasn’t supposed to be that way. The NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers were scheduled to race on Saturday, leaving the speedway’s swan song to the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday, but rain and snow — yes, snow in Southern California’s Inland Empire — forced postponement of the race until Sunday.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

And after Kyle Busch won the Cup race, Nemechek, who drove for Busch in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series last year, took the checkered flag in his first full-time stint in the JGR Supra.

“Man, this whole 20 team gave me one heck of a race car,” said Nemechek, who took the lead for the last time after a restart on Lap 139 of 150. “Just a huge shout-out to all the guys who work on this 20 team.

“I think a lot of guys doubted (crew chief) Ben (Beshore) coming down from the Cup Series, and to have him on the box and to be able to establish the relationship I have with him, it’s been awesome. I’ve worked with a lot of the guys on the team the last couple of years, and the pit crew — they got it done when it counted tonight.”

Nemechek, who finished second by a matter of inches in the NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona, led a race-high 49 laps and finished 0.761 seconds ahead of runner-up Sam Mayer. The Xfinity Series win was the third of his career, and it came at the track where his father, Joe Nemechek, won the first Cup pole of his career and the first-ever pole at the venue.

Justin Allgaier ran third, followed by Chandler Smith. Josh Berry was fifth, joining JR Motorsports teammates Mayer and Allgaier in the top five.

Mayer chased Nemechek for the final 12 laps but couldn’t get close enough to make a move for the win.

“I’m super proud of my team,” Mayer said. “We struggled early on, that’s for sure. We had our work cut out for us, but we threw the kitchen sink at it, and we ended up second. All things considered, I’m really happy and really proud of these guys.”

Cole Custer may have had the fastest car in the race. The driver of the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, the defending race winner, swept the first two stages and led twice for 46 laps. But after a Lap 91 restart, Custer hit the outside wall, thanks to a flat tire, and sustained further damage when the Chevrolet of Austin Dillon couldn’t avoid Custer’s wounded car.

Custer finished 27th, one lap down.

The Xfinity Series’ next race is the Alsco Uniforms 300, scheduled Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Note: Post-race inspection in the NASCAR Xfinity Series garage was completed without issue, affirming Nemechek’s victory in Sunday’s 300-miler.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on February 26, 2023March 1, 2023 by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find USA Network | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App | Watch on USA Network | Get the NBC Sports App | Watch on Peacock | FloRacing | How to watch NASCAR International

Monday, Feb. 27
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Production Alliance Group 300 at Fontana (re-air), FS1
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Pala Casino 400 at Fontana (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Tuesday, Feb. 28
2 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1
3 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Pala Casino 400 at Fontana (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock
8 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Pala Casino 400 at Fontana (re-air), FS2
11 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Production Alliance Group 300 at Fontana (re-air), FS2

Wednesday, March 1
3 a.m., Greatest Races: NASCAR (re-air), FS2
5 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Las Vegas (re-air), FS2
6 p.m. NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Las Vegas (re-air), FS2
9:30 p.m., Greatest Races: 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 300 at Las Vegas (re-air), FS2

Thursday, March 2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock

Friday, March 3
Noon, NASCAR Pace Lap, MAVTV
3 p.m., NASCAR Pace Lap (re-air), MAVTV
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NCTS at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS1
9 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS1

On MRN:
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Saturday, March 4
1 a.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
3 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Las Vegas (re-air), FS1
6 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Las Vegas (re-air), FS1
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
8 a.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Las Vegas (re-air), FS1
11 a.m., NASCAR Presents: Beyond the Wheel (re-air), FS1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS1
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NXS at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco Uniforms 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS1

Sunday, March 5
1 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco Uniforms 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
9 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco Uniforms 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
11 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NCS at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, FS1
3 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube, FOX
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube, FOX, FOX Deportes
11:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco Uniforms 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2