Austin Hill won the NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Two weeks later, Hill triumphed on 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
On Saturday, the series leader will try for his third victory of the season on a 1.5-mile track that thinks it’s a superspeedway in the nightcap of a NASCAR doubleheader, the Raptor King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (5 p.m. on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Fresh pavement applied before last year’s races radically changed the character of the Atlanta track, transforming it from a slip-and-slide 1.5-miler to a venue that behaves more like a superspeedway, where cars draft in precariously close quarters.
That’s a bonus for Hill, the defending race winner who has claimed three of his four career Xfinity victories on tracks that feature a superspeedway competition package. But the driver of the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet will have stiff competition.
Full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver Justin Haley, a four-time Xfinity winner on superspeedways, is moonlighting in the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet this Saturday.
“It’s probably my favorite race track right now on the schedule,” Haley said. “It’s just something so different than any other track we go to, with the high speeds and it being an in-between track.”
Driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, John Hunter Nemechek should also be a contender on Saturday. He has started the season with four straight finishes of sixth or better, including a victory at Auto Club Speedway and a runner-up result at Daytona.
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In other series news, defending Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith couldn’t have asked for a better start to his title defense.
For the second straight year, Smith won the season opener at Daytona and the driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford finished second at Las Vegas—to Truck Series career victory leader Kyle Busch, no less—to claim the series lead.
Now Smith comes to a track where his drafting skills should stand him in good stead in Saturday’s Fr8 208 (2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Smith, however, will have to beat defending race winner Corey Heim and TRICON Garage Toyota teammate John Hunter Nemechek, who is running both Saturday races.
Take it with a grain of salt, given the recent changes to the track, but Toyota drivers have won five of the last six Atlanta races, including last year on the repaved surface.
The exception to the recent Toyota dominance is Grant Enfinger, who won in a Ford in 2020—the only time a Ford driver has triumphed in 21 Truck Series races at Atlanta. Enfinger is behind the wheel of the No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet this year.
“Atlanta is a lot different since the reconfiguration,” Enfinger said. “It races more like a superspeedway, rather than a conventional mile-and-a-half track. With the banking and newer asphalt, we will all have a lot of grip, which provides for tight racing. We will have to be aggressive on the track and pit road to position ourselves to be upfront for the end.”
For the first time in more than a decade, a new NASCAR series is set to take the green flag.
The NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, the sanctioning body’s fourth international series, will begin its inaugural season Sunday, March 19 at Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna in Goiânia, Brazil. Practice and qualifying will take place Saturday, March 18.
The series, which is a partnership between NASCAR and the GT Sprint Race series, will host eight events at five tracks in Brazil throughout the course of the 2023 season.
“Growing the fanbase and growing the NASCAR brand is something we focus on every day, whether that’s in the United States domestically or outside the United States,” said Chad Seigler, NASCAR’s Chief International Officer. “For us and our team, we’re willing to expand the ways that we can take the excitement that happens here in the United States every week and be able to showcase that style of racing outside the United States.”
NASCAR has already shown there is a desire from both race fans and competitors to have NASCAR-style competition in markets outside the United States thanks to the success of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR Mexico Series and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
“What we’ve seen with the existing international series that we have in Mexico, Canada and Europe is that there is a strong passion for NASCAR-style racing,” Seigler said. “For us, when we start to look at new markets, we’re always wanting to identify new markets outside the United States that will not only share that passion, but embrace it.”
Even before the announcement of NASCAR’s impending arrival in Brazil, the country already featured a strong motorsports culture.
For that reason, Seigler sees the addition of NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race to the sanctioning body’s list of series as a major win for the future of not just NASCAR, but for those from Brazil who one day hope to compete in one of NASCAR’s three national divisions.
“When you look at the country of Brazil, motorsports is easily one of the most popular sports in the country,” Seigler said. “We already have strong television viewership in the region. The racing itself and with our promoter, what we’ve watched over the last several years with them, it matches up with who we are. It’s side-by-side, fender-to-fender, competitive racing.
“A strong focal point is going to be on driver development and talent development. In addition to having that NASCAR-style racing that people are accustomed to seeing, it’s about providing a pathway for drivers who may decide they want to come to the United States.”
Many of the drivers competing in NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race have extensive racing experience in both Brazil and abroad.
A few examples are Guga Lima and brothers Leo and Rafa Reis.
Lima, 26, competed in Europe in Formula cars during his teenage years and later raced in the Toyota Racing Series’ New Zealand Championship. The former McLaren Driver Academy participant has been racing stock cars in Brazil since 2015.
Brothers Leo and Rafa Reis will race as teammates during the inaugural NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race season. Both began their careers in karts before advancing to the HB20 Cup in Brazil, where Rafa Reis, 21, has claimed two championships, and Leo Reis, 19, has claimed one.
While she has not logged the statistical feats of series legends like NASCAR Hall-of-Famers Richie Evans, Mike Stefanik and Jerry Cook, Fifield has amassed more starts than any other woman in the Whelen Modified Tour with more than 125 dating back to her debut in 2014.
Fifield has emerged as a mainstay on the Tour despite a lack of the funding utilized by her competition. That makes the distinction of being the “Iron Lady” of the series a primary source of pride for the Wakefield, New Hampshire native.
“This is a pretty great milestone for me,” Fifield said. “I’m very proud to have made this many starts and hope to keep making many more. It’s been tough during some of these years, but I’m proud of this accomplishment and all the hard work that’s gone into it.”
Watching the seasoned veterans of the Tour mix it up at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during her childhood is what initially piqued Fifield’s interest to one day race in the series herself.
It took Fifield a few years to convince her parents on pursuing a career in auto racing.
(Photo: Mike Lawrence/NASCAR)
Once she got behind the wheel at age 12, Fifield quickly showcased her capability as a driver by winning a Champ Kart championship at Londonderry Raceway in 2006.
There were opportunities for Fifield to head down south and further develop her talents in a late model, but she admitted her heart belonged in the northeast. She was determined to chart her own path in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, even if it meant doing just about everything herself.
After formally breaking into Modified racing in 2012 and garnering valuable track time competing against drivers like Rowan Pennink and Jon McKennedy, Fifield finally accomplished her childhood dream in 2014 by making her Modified Tour debut with her own operation.
Fifield will be the first to tell anyone her time on the Tour has been far from a smooth ride. She is still searching for her first top 10 in the series, with her best finish being a 15th at Wall Stadium in 2019.
Despite dealing with the pitfalls of owning a small team, Fifield still enjoys every chance to take a green flag on the Tour.
She added that nothing compares to racing alongside the best drivers from both the northeast and around the country.
“I just love racing,” Fifield said. “[The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour] is one of the best series out there, and I think we have the best drivers. Not only with our regulars, but we also have races where we get to compete with NASCAR Cup [Series] stars. Racing with those people only makes you a better driver.”
Since making her series debut in 2014, Melissa Fifield’s black and pink No. 01 has become one of the more familiar cars in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Maintaining her Modified team is only one of many responsibilities Fifield must handle daily.
When she’s not at the track, Fifield runs a car dealership that’s connected to her race shop in New Hampshire. The two jobs frequently overlap for Fifield, who is not hesitant to assist customers on race day and provide them a glimpse into what she does on weekends.
Putting equal emphasis on multiple occupations is a trait Fifield shares with many of her fellow competitors on the Modified Tour. This lifestyle leads to numerous long days and nights for Fifield, but she still has a strong passion for both jobs and welcomes the obstacles each new day brings.
“Some days are better than others as far as both businesses go,” Fifield said. “I love being an entrepreneur and having the challenge of balancing out two businesses. It makes for some exciting times and also some stressful ones.”
(Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Another passion to which Fifield devotes herself is spreading awareness on highway safety. She serves as an official spokesperson on the topic in New Hampshire.
With distracted driving becoming a more pressing issue, especially amongst teenagers and young adults, Fifield wanted to use her platform to encourage responsibility on the highways. She frequently visits high schools around the state to provide insight that could save a student’s life.
The main goal of Fifield’s activism on highway safety is to set a positive example for the next generation by using her own experiences to show them hard work and positive choices can turn their own dreams into a reality.
“I try to correlate having safety in the car and what it’s like to drive on the track with how to drive safe on the road,” Fifield said. “That involves wearing your seatbelt and not driving distracted. There are no distractions in a race car. So it all goes well together.”
Now a 10-year veteran of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Melissa Fifield hopes to inspire other women who wish to join the series. (Photo: Adam Richins/NASCAR)
Inspiring others is a major reason why Fifield remains motivated to improve her equipment and show she can be competitive.
Only a handful of female drivers have raced on the Modified Tour since its inception in 1985. Among the most successful was Renee Dupuis, who earned a pair of top-10 finishes across her 116 starts in the series and is the only woman to earn a front-row starting position.
Fifield would love to eclipse the milestones established by Dupuis during her time on Tour, but she said doing so will require her to find more funding and build consistency with the resources currently at her disposal.
Simply being able to qualify and compete in Whelen Modified Tour events is something Fifield considers a victory. She’s optimistic her involvement in the series will set a precedent for other women who want to race against drivers like Doug Coby, Justin Bonsignore and others.
“I hope [what I’ve done] sets an example for other drivers or anyone out there that does have a dream,” Fifield said. “Don’t ever give up on it, even if you face a lot of opposition. You have to keep going for it because you can accomplish anything you can put your mind and heart to.”
Now in her 10th year, the resolve of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s “Iron Lady” is still strong as she looks to keep adding to her own legacy in the series.
FRISCO, Texas/MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 16, 2023) — Dr Pepper and 23XI Racing announced today the return of the Dr Pepper and 23XI SPEED Institute Tuition Program for 2023. The program provides $5,000 each to 23 college students pursuing their interest in a career in the motorsports industry. Two tuition recipients will also receive an internship in their field with 23XI through the 23XI SPEED Institute.
The Dr Pepper and 23XI SPEED Institute Tuition Program was established in 2021 to amplify the efforts of the 23XI SPEED (scholarship, professional education, executive development) Institute in support of the team’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals. The initiative continues a longstanding Dr Pepper tradition of supporting academic excellence through sporting events, with the brand having awarded more than $13 million in tuition to deserving students since 2008.
“Tuition giveaways are a time-honored tradition at Dr Pepper,” said John Alvarado, senior vice president of Dr Pepper brand marketing. “Every year, we are inspired by the students who apply, and greatly admire their academic drive and career ambitions. We look forward to welcoming this year’s class and supporting them in pursuit of their dreams.”
Steve Lauletta, 23XI Racing president, added, “This season our team is racing under the banner of ‘Forward Together,’ and the Dr Pepper and 23XI SPEED Institute Tuition Program is another great example of how we are embodying that message with our partners. This program would not be as impactful without the support of Dr Pepper and we look forward to another opportunity to provide the next generation of motorsports professionals with assistance as they pursue their education. We are also looking forward to providing work experience to a select number of Tuition Program recipients. The previous interns have contributed to our team in meaningful ways and we anticipate the same from this year’s group.”
Since the inaugural year in 2021, the program has reached nearly 300 students from across the country and distributed over $230,000 in tuition support. Additionally, 23XI Racing has provided opportunities for nine interns to gain first-hand work experience in an industry they care for deeply.
Students interested in applying for the Dr Pepper and 23XI SPEED Institute Tuition Program must be between 18 and 24 years old and pursuing a career in any of the following fields: marketing, communications, human resources, finance, engineering, or trade disciplines in the automotive industry. Individuals meeting these qualifications can apply via a simple video submission process, sharing their stories and explaining why they deserve a tuition award. The application process will open on March 19, 2023 and the deadline to apply is April 30, 2023.
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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest is void outside of the US & where prohibited. Open to legal U.S. residents, 18-24, who are select college students as of date of entry. Begins at midnight CT on March 15; ends 11:59:59 p.m. CT on April 30.
Motorcycle riding isn’t something new for Kenny Wallace. Two-wheeling it has been part of his racing family’s history for years, but it’s only now that the activity has had a resurgence.
When Wallace recently dialed back the dirt-track racing that consumed much of his post-NASCAR career, it synced up with a motorcycle-building venture launched by his brother Rusty and nephew Stephen in 2019. Soon, Kyle Petty – an avid motorcycle rider in his own right – began seeing his friend and former broadcasting colleague pop up at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Daytona Bike Week and other biker haunts.
Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
“I’m thinking, ‘Kenny’s got to go on the ride, man,'” Petty said with his trademark grin.
This year, he will. The Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America is gearing up for its 27th-anniversary edition this spring, with a community of 225 riders joining in to enjoy a roughly 1,500-mile loop through Utah and Nevada from April 29 to May 5. The event, presented by Cox Automotive, benefits the Victory Junction camp that Petty and his family founded in 2004 to provide life-changing camp experiences for medically fragile children, and to honor the memory of his son, Adam.
Petty estimates that 35-40 riders will be first-time participants this year. Among those making their debut on the seven-day trek will be Kenny Wallace and his wife, Kim.
“You have to connect the dots a little bit,” Wallace says. “When you go back in our time that we grew up as a family in St. Louis, we raced motocross. So I mean, we have always been motorcycle people. I think racing consumed us, and we just went all in and focused on four tires on the ground, but always had our eyes on motorcycles. My dad rode them as a kid and always told me stories about him and my mom, how they fell in love on a motorcycle. Like I said, we always grew up riding motorcycles, but we raced motocross, and as I got older and the racing started to slow down, Kyle’s exactly right. I looked up one day, and came up for air, so to speak.
“The timing is perfect now where I am. I got out of my dirt racing what I wanted to do, and it’s something I wanted to accomplish. And now this has given me new life, and I really enjoy the people. So when Kyle asked me, I said, ‘Oh, it’s perfect. Yes.'”
It’s a passion shared by Wallace’s brother and nephew. Rusty and Stephen Wallace formed Southern Country Customs four years ago, creating and selling wild custom-built Harley-Davidsons with a certain flair. “These are not motorcycles, these are works of art,” Petty says. “They’re just rolling works of art, man — the craftsmanship, the workmanship, the paint.”
Kevin Kane Photography
Motorcycles might be the charity ride’s medium, but the people are its currency. Wallace says he’s received primers for what to expect on the road, but connecting with others is a big part of the lure.
“I think we call it fellowship. When the ride is over, meeting everybody either at the hotel later that night or whether we’re stopping at the gas station, everything’s going to be so new to me,” Wallace says. “I understand that part of life. I understand that when things are new, and you see it for the first time. I’ve done so many things, that some of my friends are gonna go, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ve been there and I’ve done all that.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, I feel bad for you, because it’s old to you.’ For me, the Kyle Petty Charity Ride is so new, it’s exciting. It’s like my first Christmas.”
Says Petty: “Once you get about a day or two in it, the scenery is beautiful, the riding is perfect, everybody’s having a good time or everything’s going the way it’s supposed to go. But it’s the times off the bike when you’re just hanging out with people, hanging out with people that you know and then making new friends, I think that’s the cool part about the ride, so that’s what I always look forward to. … This is the first time for Kenny, this is the first time for a lot of these people, so to see that excitement, it kind of fuels that flame and it fuels that passion for doing this thing.”
This year’s route in the American Southwest hits several scenic spots from its starting and end point in Salt Lake City, making trips to Moab’s desert oasis, the mining town of Tonopah, Nevada, and navigating parts of U.S. Highway 50 – the so-called “Loneliest Road in America.”
The sites with connections to racing history rank as another standout. Riders plan to visit and make a lap around Las Vegas Motor Speedway along the way, but are also scheduled to soak in the Bonneville Salt Flats with land-speed record-setter Jody Perewitz to step in as a special tour guide – all before rolling back to the Utah capital city.
“Now that we’ve gotten older, we just make loops,” Petty cracks. “Man, I’m back to running into circles.”
Wallace’s anticipation level remains high for a new voyage on the open road, but he’s also cognizant of the greater meaning to the event. Wallace’s ties to Petty and his family have deep roots, and his memories of Adam note how adept the young racer was at proving himself on the American Speed Association (ASA) circuit as he climbed the racing ladder.
“I’m very clear that when Kyle called me and asked me, that’s what I meant by (saying) I was honored, because we know what the Kyle Petty Charity Ride is all about,” Wallace said. “Adam was, I hate to say it, but I could relate to Adam. He smiled all the time. You know, some competitors kind of sweat on the inside of their body, and Adam was always happy. He was a great talent, a really good race car driver.”
The lasting tribute continues with the works of Victory Junction, which Petty says is back for its first full-fledged year after the outbreak of COVID-19. The pandemic forced two postponements of the charity ride, which returned last year with its 26th edition after a smaller-scale revival in the fall of 2021.
Petty said the medical protocols that were already in place for some campers helped Victory Junction steer through the pandemic better than most facilities. One thing that didn’t change was the level of support; the 2022 ride raised $1.8 million to help fund the camp’s activities.
“Camp is back on track, and camp is thriving,” Petty said. “I will say this, during that whole time, the donations stayed the same. The people that believed in what we were trying to do and believe in camp and what’s going on, they never quit. Even though there was 150 kids at camp instead of 1,500 kids there, people kept digging and kept coming. So we’re in a really good place right now, and it’s going to be a big summer for us.”
SANDUSKY, OHIO — AdventHealth is launching a platform in March during Women’s History Month to celebrate the women working in NASCAR, including women drivers and the business professionals who serve as the backbone of race teams, tracks, agencies and media organizations.
The platform includes a partnership with AdventHealth, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ThorSport Racing driver Hailie Deegan, Women in NASCAR (WIN) and female members of the motorsports media. WIN is an employee resource group that aims to create a supportive community for women and allies in NASCAR offices to foster dialogue and promote professional growth. The organization empowers women at NASCAR by providing opportunities for career development, networking with all levels of the organization and giving back through charitable events in our local communities.
“This is an incredible opportunity to recognize the women working across our different offices,” said Kara Terwilliger, Chair of Women in NASCAR. “We’re honored to participate in this important initiative, and we hope to continue empowering women so that our representation in NASCAR keeps increasing. Women like Annie B. France and Sara Christian created a path for us, and we’re here to expand their legacy.”
As part of the partnership, during the March 18 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the deck lid of Deegan’s No. 13 Ford F-150 will feature the names of many of the women working in NASCAR. In addition, the name of Sara Christian, who was the first female driver to compete in NASCAR, will appear above the passenger-side door.
“I’m excited to partner with AdventHealth on this important initiative to honor Women’s History Month,” said Deegan. “It’s an honor to recognize the incredible women who paved the way for female drivers, as well as the female business professionals who are important to the day-to-day operation of our sport.”
“As a longtime sponsor in NASCAR, we’ve seen firsthand how important women are to the success of this sport on a weekly basis,” said Audrey Gregory, Ph.D., president and CEO of AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division – North Region. “We’re honored to be part of an opportunity to highlight drivers like Sara Christian and Hallie Deegan, as well as the incredible work of Women in NASCAR.”
Sponsorship of Deegan’s No. 13 ThorSport Racing Ford F-150 during Women’s History Month is just one of the many ways AdventHealth is showcasing its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
“At AdventHealth, we recognize that the customers who step inside our facilities represent all walks of life, and we are better positioned to care for our patients if our team reflects the diversity of the communities we serve,” Gregory added. “And as a woman minority leader within the organization, I am so proud of the relationship we have established with Hailie, driving not only for women in NASCAR, past and present but for all our team members across nine states.”
Tune in to FOX Sports 1 (FS1) to catch all the racing action from Atlanta Motor Speedway at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 18, or listen to the race on the Motor Racing Network Radio (MRN).
The combination of the Next Gen car and a repaved/reconfigured track helped produce two of the wildest races in Atlanta Motor Speedway history last year. Lead changes (46 in the spring race) and caution flags (13 in the summer race) were plentiful as the track played more like Talladega Superspeedway than a typical 1.5-miler.
Hendrick Motorsports swept the races last year with William Byron in the spring and Chase Elliott in the summer, but if Atlanta continues to live up to its superspeedway billing, then it’s still possible a surprise winner could emerge. Remember, Spire Motorsports’ Corey LaJoie was leading last summer’s race with two laps to go before he wrecked on the final restart while running second.
To shed some light on what could go down on Sunday in the Ambetter Health 400 (3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Racing Insights is here with its advanced statistical formula for picking the winner and full race results. Racing Insights uses data on the current track, current track type, recent performance, teams and pit crews to make its projections.
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RYAN BLANEY: Has led laps in five of the last six Atlanta races (85 laps led in that span).
ROSS CHASTAIN: Finished second in both Atlanta races in 2022, leading 74 laps.
ERIK JONES: Finished top 10 in three of the last five races on drafting tracks.
CHRISTOPHER BELL: Has finished sixth or better in three of four races this year, but was 23rd and 19th at Atlanta last year.
TYLER REDDICK: A third-place run at Phoenix was his best of the season, but he did not finish either Atlanta race in 2022.
Projections as of Wednesday, March 15:
RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE AMBETTER HEALTH 400
Through the early portion of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series campaign, no driver has found the win column more than William Byron, who has recently claimed back-to-back victories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 5) and Phoenix Raceway (March 12).
Byron, 25, discussed his recent West Coast swing success on the newest episode of the “Stacking Pennies” podcast with Corey LaJoie. In particular, the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports driver not only talked about winning early but also commented on how to overcome past legacy questions associated with the No. 24 and, in turn, shape his own legacy.
“There is a lot of, like, legacy questions, which, I mean, is great, but I mean, I’m just trying to make my own name in that,” Byron said on the podcast. “So, I don’t really look at it as … I don’t know. I just kind of look at Jeff [Gordon] and I’s relationship, and that’s what really matters to me, and obviously love all that comes with the 24. I mean, it’s an amazing fanbase, but I try to stay internally focused.”
Although Gordon and Byron might share similarities in driving the same machine, differences between the two are still readily apparent, according to Byron.
“A lot different. He’s a lot more interesting,” Byron said with a chuckle. “He’s a party animal. I’m kind of a homebody. I’m kind of introverted, so we’re different in that, but yeah. We get along great, honestly. Like, he got me out of my shell at Hendrick, I think, and they talked about that on the broadcast, but it’s a true thing. He really got to know me.”
Be sure to tune in and listen to the entire podcast when the new episode launches at 3 p.m. ET, with topics including the new downforce package, Denny Hamlin, pit stop strategies and more.
NASCAR fined Denny Hamlin $50,000 and docked him 25 driver points on Wednesday for his intentional contact with Ross Chastain late in Sunday’s Cup Series race at Phoenix.
On the next-to-last lap of the race, Hamlin pushed high into Turn 1 in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and took Chastain and his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet toward the wall, making contact. Hamlin, who was in sixth place before the race’s final restart, finished 23rd, one spot ahead of Chastain. They were the final two cars on the lead lap.
The section of the NASCAR Rule Book specifically mentioned in the penalty was Sections 4.4: NASCAR Member Code of Conduct. Within that section, these items were detailed: B. Attempting to manipulate the outcome of the race or championship and wrecking or spinning another vehicle, whether or not that vehicle is removed from competition as a result. D. Actions NASCAR finds to be detrimental to stock racing or NASCAR.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, said in a Wednesday afternoon video call with reporters that each instance of on-track retaliation and contact between rivals is handled on a case-by-case basis. But Sawyer added that Hamlin’s admission of intent — and its impact on the two drivers’ finishing positions — was the tipping point for competition officials in their post-race evaluations.
“They’re all individual, right? They’re unique to themselves,” Sawyer said. “When you look at this one this past weekend, we would have viewed that as a racing incident, but then it’s 24 hours later and you have a competitor that has gone on a podcast, which I will say, we’re delighted that Denny has a podcast. We think that’s great, interacts with the fans, but when you start admitting that you have intentionally done something that would compromise the results of the end of the race, then that rises to a level that we’re going to get involved. There’s no other way to look at that. We’re going to get involved in those situations. We’ve been consistent in the past with that, and we will be consistent going forward.”
After initially posting on social media that he would not appeal the penalty, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver tweeted Friday that he had changed his mind.
After much consideration I’ve decided that I will appeal the decision by NASCAR to penalize me. What happened on Sunday was common hard racing that happens each and every weekend. There was also no manipulation of the race nor actions detrimental to the sport.
After Phoenix, Hamlin was seventh in the points standings and had one top-10 finish in the first four races this season. Chastain was third in the standings and had one top-five finish and two top-10 finishes this season. After the penalty, Hamlin dropped to 12th while Chastain moved up to second.
On Monday, Hamlin spoke on his Actions Detrimental podcast, hosted by Dirty Mo Media, and said the move was intentional and also a measure of revenge for previous run-ins the two drivers have had on the track. The most recent incident was in the preseason Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, when a collision with Chastain’s car sent Hamlin’s No. 11 looping.
“When he knows it’s coming, he is the hardest guy to wreck on the planet,” Hamlin said on the podcast. “But I just, I wanted to get back to racing honestly with him, and I think that that’s a lot of the conversation that we had after. … He came up to me, and he says, ‘I guess I deserve it.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I think so.’ …. So we talked, and I think that we are in a better place where I think we’re willing to put the past behind us, and I think that we’re going to judge each other from this point forward, and I think that’s the fairest way to do it.”
• In other penalties announced Wednesday, NASCAR hit each of Hendrick Motorsports’ four Cup Series teams and the No. 31 team of Kaulig Racing with L2-level infractions for unapproved modifications to parts. The Nos. 5, 9, 24, 31 and 48 teams all lost 100 team and driver points (with the exception of the No. 9, which did not lose driver points) and 10 playoff points. The crew chiefs for each team were suspended for four races and fined $100,000. Hendrick Motorsports released a statement saying it would appeal the penalties but would not request to defer the suspensions. Kaulig Racing also released a Thursday statement noting it will appeal the penalty, but will request to defer crew chief Trent Owens’ suspension until the appeal hearing. | READ MORE
• Competition officials also issued a safety violation for the loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle (Sections 8.8.10.4 A&C) to the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driven by Aric Almirola. Crew members Ryan Mulder (front tire changer) and Sean Cotten (jack) were suspended for two races.
The Cup Series will be on track at 11:35 a.m. ET on Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Busch Light Pole Qualifying (FS1, PRN and SiriusXM Radio).
NASCAR penalized each of Hendrick Motorsports’ four Cup Series teams, along with the No. 31 team of Kaulig Racing, with L2-level penalties on Wednesday for unapproved parts modifications last weekend at Phoenix Raceway. Each crew chief was fined $100,000 and suspended for four races, and each team was further penalized with the loss of 100 team and driver points and 10 playoff points (with the exception of the No. 9, which did not lose driver points because it had a substitute driver who earns Xfinity Series points).
The penalties occurred after NASCAR confiscated the hood louvers from all five cars before Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway. The Hendrick teams involved were the No. 5 Chevrolet driven by Kyle Larson, the No. 9 of Josh Berry (subbing for the injured Chase Elliott), the No. 24 of William Byron and the No. 48 of Alex Bowman; the No. 31 of Justin Haley was the Kaulig team involved. The respective crew chiefs fined and receiving suspensions were Cliff Daniels, Alan Gustafson, Rudy Fugle and Blake Harris for Hendrick and Trent Owens for Kaulig.
The NASCAR Rule Book section specifically referenced for the penalties was Sections 14.5.4.2.A, which deals with how the radiator duct is assembled. The teams were found with unapproved modification of a single-source vendor-supplied part.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, said the severity of the penalties was in line with the deterrence structure put in place with the advent of the Next Gen car in the Cup Series last season. Sawyer referenced other L2-level penalties handed down last year to the No. 6 RFK Racing team and the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports team for unapproved modifications of a single-source supplied part.
“We, from time to time, will capture parts, we’ll bring them back,” Sawyer said in a Wednesday afternoon video conference with reporters. “And as we continue to investigate and look at parts and comparing parts, it was obvious to us that these parts had been modified in an area that wasn’t approved. This is a consistent penalty with what we went through last year with other competitors — the 6, the 34. So we felt like to keep the garage on a level playing field, the competition level where it needs to be, all the dialogue that went around this car last year working with the owners on what the deterrent model should be, we were put in a position that we did feel like there was no other way but to write a penalty.”
Hendrick Motorsports released a statement saying it would appeal the penalties but would not request to defer the suspensions. A Thursday update to the entry list provided the names of each of the four substitute crew chiefs for the upcoming race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Kevin Meendering will crew chief the No. 5 car piloted by Larson; Tom Gray will work with Berry on the No. 9 team; Brian Campe will crew chief the No. 24 car with Byron; and Greg Ives returns to the pit box to crew chief the No. 48 car with Alex Bowman.
Kaulig Racing announced in a Thursday statement it will appeal its L2 penalty and will request deferral of crew chief Owens’ suspension until after the appeal hearing.
NASCAR permitted the Hendrick teams to use the hood louvers for a 50-minute Cup Series practice session on Friday at Phoenix, but then took the louvers back to the R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, for further examination. Hendrick replaced the louvers, and all four cars passed technical inspection before Sunday’s race at Phoenix.
Chad Knaus, Hendrick Motorsports VP of competition, spoke to reporters Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, saying he was “really disappointed we’re in the position we’re in right now.” He said that the violation emerged from a voluntary inspection at Phoenix the previous weekend.
“You have a mandatory safety and a mandatory engine inspection. Everything else beyond that is up to the teams,” Knaus said. “We typically choose to go ahead and put the car in for the voluntary inspection, so NASCAR has the opportunity to say, ‘hey, we don’t like this or maybe you need to tweak that,’ or whatever may be, and that’s been pretty much the standard cadence. I don’t know that there’s too many teams that usually go through the voluntary inspections don’t get told, ‘hey, you need to kind of work on this a little bit before you show back up tomorrow.’ ”
Hendrick’s William Byron went on to win the race, his second victory in a row and the sixth Cup triumph in his career. All the other Hendrick cars also finished in the top 10, with Larson coming in fourth, Bowman in ninth and Berry in 10th.
Before the penalties, Bowman was atop the Cup Series standings with 154 points and had top-10 finishes in all four races this season. Byron was fourth in the standings, and Larson was fifth, while Berry continued to fill in for the injured Elliott, who underwent surgery on March 3 for a broken left leg and is expected to miss six weeks. After the penalty, Bowman dropped to 23rd in the standings, Byron 29th and Larson 32nd.
The hood louvers — which you can see on this Next Gen 3D model — are openings or vents in the hood that serve as a release point for ducts that transfer air out of the radiator. The system is intended to decouple engine performance from aero performance, offsetting the practice of teams taping off air intakes and placing undue pressure and heat strain on the car’s engine.
• In other penalties announced Wednesday, Denny Hamlin was fined $50,000 and lost 25 driver points for violating Sections 4.4 in the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct, which cover — attempting to manipulate the outcome of the race or championship; wrecking or spinning another vehicle, whether or not that vehicle is removed from competition as a result; and actions detrimental to stock car racing or NASCAR. He indicated Friday on social media that he intends to appeal the penalty. | READ MORE
• Competition officials also issued a safety violation for the loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle (Sections 8.8.10.4 A&C) to the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driven by Aric Almirola. Crew members Ryan Mulder (front tire changer) and Sean Cotten (jack) were suspended for two races.
The Cup Series will be on track at 11:35 a.m. ET on Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Busch Light Pole Qualifying (FS1, PRN and SiriusXM Radio).
Even before the announcement of NASCAR’s impending arrival in Brazil, the country already featured a strong motorsports culture.
