Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson plans to make his first bid at racing in the Indianapolis 500 in 2024.
The deal was announced Thursday, outlining a plan for the 30-year-old driver to make his first attempt to qualify for the Memorial Day classic with the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team. The effort comes with the backing and apparent blessing of NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick, who will co-own and sponsor the entry through his HendrickCars.com automotive group.
“I’m super excited,” Larson told HendrickMotorsports.com. “Competing at the Indianapolis 500 is a dream of mine and something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time – since I was a child before I ever began competing in sprint cars. To do it with McLaren and Mr. Hendrick especially is a dream come true. I’m grateful for the opportunity and am really looking forward to it even though it’s still about a year-and-a-half away. I’m really looking forward to competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Charlotte 600 and maybe even get a win or two that day.”
Larson has not competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, but has proven his versatility in a variety of vehicles on both asphalt and dirt. He also follows the path of former Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time Cup Series champion who made his first Indy 500 start as part of a full-time IndyCar schedule last year.
Larson is a 19-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series and enters his third season driving the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He won the series championship in 2021 and placed seventh in the circuit’s final standings last year.
The last NASCAR Cup Series regular to compete in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day was Kurt Busch, who had double duty in 2014. Busch was the rookie of the year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a sixth-place finish, but engine failure shorted his effort in the 600-miler at Charlotte Motor Speedway and relegated him to 40th place.
Arrow McLaren will field entries for returning drivers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist this season, while also adding 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi to its roster for 2023. O’Ward finished second, and Rosenqvist was fourth behind winner Marcus Ericsson in last year’s Indianapolis 500.
Kevin Harvick announced Thursday that he will retire after the 2023 NASCAR season, bringing an end to a Hall of Fame-caliber career after two-plus decades at the sport’s top level.
Harvick enters what’s scheduled to be his final full-time season as a 60-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 47-year-old driver’s accomplishments include the 2014 Cup championship, achieved in his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 4 team.
“There is absolutely nothing else in the world that I enjoy doing more than going to the race track, and I’m genuinely looking forward to this season,” Harvick said in a team release. “But as I’ve gone through the years, I knew there would come a day where I had to make a decision. When would it be time to step away from the car? I’ve sought out people and picked their brains. When I asked them when they knew it was the right time, they said it’ll just happen, and you’ll realize that’s the right moment. You’ll make a plan and decide when it’s your last year.
“It’s definitely been hard to understand when that right moment is because we’ve been so fortunate to run well. But sometimes there are just other things going on that become more important and, for me, that time has come.”
Harvick’s run of success has come with two organizations — 23 Cup Series victories with Richard Childress Racing and 37 more with team co-owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas. The Bakersfield, California, native also scored championships in the Xfinity Series in 2001 and 2006.
“With championships across several NASCAR series and a NASCAR Cup Series win total that ranks in the top 10, Kevin Harvick’s legacy as one of the all-time great drivers is secure,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said in a statement. “Beyond his success inside a race car, Kevin is a leader who truly cares about the health and the future of our sport – a passion that will continue long after his driving days are complete. On behalf of the France Family and all of NASCAR, I congratulate Kevin on a remarkable career and wish him the best of luck in his final season.”
Harvick was thrust into the Cup Series under tragic circumstances in 2001, called up from the Xfinity ranks by Childress after the death of Dale Earnhardt in that season’s Daytona 500. The ride he took over was changed from Earnhardt’s iconic black No. 3 to a primarily white Chevrolet carrying No. 29.
“Looking back on it now, you realize the importance of getting in the Cup car, and then we wound up winning my first race at Atlanta in the 29 car after Dale’s death,” Harvick said. “The significance and the importance of keeping that car on the race track and winning that race early at Atlanta – knowing now what it meant to the sport, and just that moment in general of being able to carry on, was so important.”
Harvick made that car a winner in his third race out, edging Jeff Gordon by 0.006 seconds at the checkered flag in an emotional victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He went on to claim Rookie of the Year honors and notch more crown-jewel triumphs for Childress, including the Daytona 500 (2007), Coca-Cola 600 (2013) and Brickyard 400 (2003).
When Stewart-Haas Racing expanded to a four-car operation in 2014, Harvick was a key part of the organization’s growth. He joined forces on the No. 4 team with crew chief Rodney Childers, establishing what has become one of the Cup Series’ most enduring partnerships.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Harvick became the first champion of the NASCAR elimination-style playoff format, notching five wins and eight poles in his first campaign for SHR. He has qualified for the postseason field each year with Stewart-Haas, winning multiple races in all but one of their nine seasons together.
“I want Kevin to savor every lap this season, to compete like hell and to take it all in,” Stewart said. “He’s made all of us at Stewart-Haas Racing incredibly proud and we want to make his last season his best season.”
Harvick’s mark on stock-car racing is not confined to his driving talent. From 2001 to 2011, he excelled as a team owner, with his Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) organization posting 53 wins across the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series. Those winning efforts included three championships — two for NASCAR Hall of Famer and fellow California native Ron Hornaday Jr. in the Truck Series (2007, 2009), and for himself as an owner-driver in his last full season of Xfinity competition in 2006.
Harvick’s impact in the broadcasting and sports marketing worlds is expected to continue as he enters this next chapter. His on-air poise and veteran expertise have made Harvick a reliable guest analyst for FOX Sports, and he has anchored recent “drivers only” broadcasts as a play-by-play quarterback. Harvick and his wife, DeLana, have also kept the KHI name alive through KHI Management, a marketing agency that represents fellow drivers and other athletes from mixed-martial arts, bull-riding and professional golf. Harvick also joined Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and Justin Marks as part of an ownership group announced earlier this week for the CARS Tour late model series.
Harvick has also made his influence felt as a senior leader in the Cup Series garage. He has been outspoken as an advocate for safety improvements as the current-model car enters its second year of competition.
The departure of Stewart-Haas Racing’s winningest driver creates a high-profile vacancy with the No. 4 Ford team for 2024. SHR enters this season with Harvick joining returning drivers Aric Almirola and Chase Briscoe alongside newcomer Ryan Preece, a KHI client.
Harvick won two times last year, stringing together back-to-back victories at Michigan and Richmond near the end of the regular season. He failed to advance past the first round of playoff eliminations for the first time in his career.
CONCORD, N.C. — RFK Racing has announced that Esperion Therapeutics, a Michigan-based pharmaceutical company, has partnered with the team for a multi-year agreement pursuant to which Esperion will promote two cholesterol-lowering treatments — NEXLIZET (bempedoic acid and ezetimibe) and NEXLETOL (bempedoic acid). NEXLIZET will be featured on Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford at this year’s Daytona Speedweeks, including the Daytona 500 on Feb. 19. NEXLETOL will be featured throughout the season on Chris Buescher’s No. 17 Ford.
Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Esperion discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines and combinations to lower cholesterol, especially for patients whose needs aren’t being met by current treatment options.
“We’re thrilled to have Esperion, a company that is making waves in the pharmaceutical industry, on board with us,” said Steve Newmark, president of RFK Racing. “We look forward to working with Esperion to create engaging content around their two products in NEXLIZET and NEXLETOL and showcasing their debut on the No. 6 for the famed Daytona 500. We’re thankful to the team at Esperion and can’t wait to introduce them to the sport in a big way in 2023.”
In addition to the Daytona 500 (Feb. 19, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX), Esperion will serve as a primary on the No. 6 Ford at the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (May 21, 8 p.m. ET, FS1) and RFK’s home track at Michigan International Speedway (Aug. 6, 2:30 p.m. ET, USA).
The brand will serve as a primary on the No. 17 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 5, 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX) and Martinsville Speedway in the spring (April 16, 3 p.m. ET, FS1) and in the fall (Oct. 29, 2 p.m. ET, NBC).
“We’re excited to partner with RFK Racing to increase brand awareness, and this sponsorship provides ample opportunities for community engagement and education to their large and diverse consumer base to advance awareness about the benefits of lowering LDL cholesterol and improving cardiovascular health,” said Sheldon Koenig, Esperion’s President and CEO.
Keselowski enters his second season at RFK and 14th full season in the NASCAR Cup Series. With 35 Cup wins to his credit, he is set to make his 500th Cup start in 2023. Buescher, now in his fourth season back with RFK, embarks on his eighth full-time season of Cup competition.
At Daytona and Michigan, Keselowski has 19 combined top-10 efforts, including a win in the 2022 Duels where RFK swept the season-opening exhibition qualifying races. At the two-mile Michigan facility, he has top 10s in half of his all-time starts in his home state.
Coming off a victory in the historic Bristol Night Race, Buescher will carry the NEXLETOL banner at another short track in Martinsville, in addition to the race at Las Vegas.
The 2023 NASCAR season unofficially kicks off with the Clash at the Coliseum (8 p.m. ET, FOX) on Sunday, Feb. 5, in Los Angeles. Coverage of Daytona 500 week begins on Wednesday, Feb. 15, with full-field qualifying, followed by the Duels on Thursday, and a pair of practice sessions set to take place Friday and Saturday.
A new legacy takes center stage in NASCAR with plenty of history guiding it.
LEGACY Motor Club was officially introduced to the NASCAR world Tuesday morning, a rebrand of the former Petty GMS organization as seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson joins fellow seven-timer Richard Petty and Maury Gallagher as co-owners.
It’s another fresh start for a still-fledging team. Despite the association with Petty, whose family history in NASCAR dates back to 1949, LEGACY M.C. itself stands at just 13 months old.
Trying to work the Johnson name into the Petty GMS brand was “clunky and clumsy,” Johnson told NASCAR.com on Tuesday. Finding an alternative that would honor both the history of the team’s owners while driving it forward was imperative to the group.
“We’re looking at the legacy deal,” Petty told NASCAR.com. “You know, we (the Pettys) have been doing this 75 years, OK? And you’re getting a bunch of new fans and a bunch of new situations with a new car, new venues that we’re going to. And you’re saying, ‘OK, you know, what’s our next step?’ And I feel like after 75 years, then we’re looking at (when) people see the 43 car, they think of Petty. We’ve got new fans that, you know, what are they gonna think about a number? So we’re trying to put a team together with legacy.”
A team name absent of Petty won’t deter the family’s tremendous legacy in NASCAR – especially as the Nos. 43 and 42 remain on track, with Erik Jones and Noah Gragson, respectively, piloting their Chevrolets forward.
“Knowing that we’re going to have the Petty font and numbers on our cars forever,” Johnson said, “really gave us a chance to take the team name and try to honor all of us kind of in a founding way and the legacies that we have all built. And then certainly, looking forward [at] the legacy that we hope to create as an organization, our drivers hope to create within their careers, crew chiefs, crew members, personnel in general, we just felt like legacy fit us very well.”
There’s also a quirk to the new name: LEGACY Motor Club.
“The motor club concept was wildly popular in the ‘50s, ’60s, ‘70s, and we felt like it’s a great nod to the past,” Johnson said. “But then also, our plan and vision moving forward in a way to incorporate fans and to bring people into our organization in support of LEGACY Motor Club. We feel that there’s a great story to tell there and a great opportunity to engage with fans and to grow our fan base.”
ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL
Trackhouse Racing ruffled traditional feathers around American motorsports with its sudden rise to prominence in 2022.
A culture built by co-owners Justin Marks and Pitbull centers around the team rather than any particular drivers. With that came strong marketing and on-track success with multiple wins via drivers Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez, emphatically highlighted by Chastain’s Martinsville wall ride that propelled him into the Championship 4.
Leadership at LEGACY M.C. quickly took notice – but still eyes a future all its own.
“That was kind of a situation that we looked at and said, ‘Hey, these guys are looking at racing different than what the regular racing people are looking at,’ and they came in away from racing and brought in new ideas,” Petty said. “And we said, ‘OK, we think this is a good concept and so let’s pick up on that concept.’ We know what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.
“Now, they’ve kind of made a path, so it’s up to us to make a bigger path.”
Johnson echoed those sentiments, acknowledging a rapid evolution in fan culture and motorsports.
“I think as you see younger owners come in, you’re just seeing a different vision, a generational vision […],” Johnson said. “The landscape’s changing. And even the role of a team owner, a franchise owner, if you will, it’s an ever-changing environment that we’re trying to adjust to.
“Hats off to Justin and all the recent work that he’s done on and off the track. And we certainly hope to leave our own mark but in a similar fashion, do it in different ways.”
NEW CHAPTER, NEW NUMBER
With the next step of Johnson’s storied career come fresh digits on his Chevrolet’s vinyl.
The No. 84 serves as a simultaneous nod to his own past and present: an inverse of the No. 48 he made famous at Hendrick Motorsports to pair with the goal of claiming his 84th career Cup win. Johnson currently sits at 83, tied with Cale Yarborough for the sixth-most victories in Cup history.
“At this stage with our third car, when you try to find a number, there are only so many numbers available,” Johnson laughed. “But for me, four and eight have been marquee numbers for me throughout my entire life. I go all the way back to my dirt bike racing days. Clearly, 19 years in the 48 car and the seven championships came with it.
“So, as I perused the list and saw the numbers that were available, I couldn’t help myself. And you know I still am chasing that 84th win, so if that moment does come around for me and we are able to ring the bell and get 84 in the 84 car, part of a team that I own, that would be just off the charts.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Johnson’s races past the Daytona 500 remain unannounced, but the team plans to evaluate how the third car benefits the program. Could another driver compete in the No. 84 this season – or additional races for Johnson?
“I wouldn’t say it’s off the table,” he said. “It just depends on the year. If the third car can help our program and drive us forward, I personally am not against running more. So it just depends on how the year develops.”
His leap to Cup ownership seemed sudden, but don’t mistake this as some quick publicity stunt: Johnson is back in NASCAR to stay.
“Without a doubt, yeah, this isn’t a short-term play for me,” he said. “This is certainly long-term play, long-term vision and trying to build my legacy outside of the car.”
The 2023 edition of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire has arrived.
Considered the Super Bowl of midget racing, the Chili Bowl annually attracts more than 300 competitors from across the United States and the world to compete at Tulsa Expo Raceway, a temporary circuit constructed inside the SageNet Center at Tulsa’s Expo Square in Oklahoma.
This year marks the 37th running of the event, which began in 1987 and has continued to grow in prestige each year since.
Through the years a number of NASCAR stars have ventured to Tulsa, Oklahoma to take part in the Chili Bowl. Several of them have won the event and taken home the prestigious Golden Driller trophy.
They include 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, a two-time Chili Bowl winner, and Christopher Bell, a three-time Chili Bowl victor. Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart has also won the Chili Bowl twice. Dave Blaney, a veteran of more than 450 NASCAR Cup Series races, won the Chili Bowl in 1993.
This year, four drivers who competed in the NASCAR Cup Series last year are entered. They include Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe. J.J. Yeley and Josh Bilicki are also scheduled to compete in the Chili Bowl.
Below is everything to know about the 2023 Chili Bowl, including the TV schedule, the entry list and the list of winners over the event’s 36-year history.
What TV channel is the Chili Bowl on in 2023?
The 2023 Chili Bowl Nationals will be shown live in its entirety on FloRacing, the streaming home for all NASCAR Roots action. FloRacing’s coverage begins Monday, Jan. 9 and includes all five qualifying nights.
In addition, for the first time ever, FloRacing will also provide live coverage of the championship finale on Saturday, Jan. 14.
In addition to FloRacing’s complete coverage, the MAVTV Motorsports Network will air the C-Mains, B-Mains and A-Main during championship Saturday.
Below is the breakdown of the TV and live streaming schedule for the 2023 Chili Bowl.
Date
Event
TV channel
Live stream
Racing start time
Monday, Jan. 9
Cummins, Inc. Qualifying Night plus the VIROC; Vacuworx Invitational Race of Champions
10 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CT (FloRacing)
9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT (MAVTV; pre-show, C-Mains, B-Mains and A-Main)
Chili Bowl 2023 entry list
A pair of NASCAR Cup Series race winners, Alex Bowman and Chase Briscoe, are among the more than 350 drivers who have entered the 2023 edition of the Chili Bowl.
As of Jan. 4, the still-growing entry list for the 2023 Chili Bowl had reached 365 drivers. The all-time record for Chili Bowl entries was set last year when 394 competitors filed entries for the popular midget racing event.
Bowman and Briscoe are two of four NASCAR Cup Series competitors who have filed entries for the 2023 Chili Bowl. They’re joined by Josh Bilicki, who is making his Chili Bowl debut, and J.J. Yeley.
The entry list features drivers from 36 states and four countries (Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand). Tanner Thorson, the defending race winner, is among those entered.
#ChiliBowl2023 So Far: 360 Entries, including 57 A-Feature starters, 82 Rookies, and 5 past Champions from 266 Municipalities across 35 States and 5 countries (USA, Aust., Can., NZ, UK).
Tanner Thorson stamped his name in the record books last year with his first victory in the Chili Bowl. He did so by holding off three-time event winner Christopher Bell, who chased him to the finish in second. Bell is not among those entered this year.
Legendary sprint car driver Sammy Swindell, a three-time World of Outlaws champion, holds the record with five Chili Bowl A-Main victories (1989, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2009). He is entered again in 2023.
Swindell’s son Kevin ranks second in Chili Bowl A-Main victories with four (all in a row from 2010-14), though injuries sustained in a 2015 crash ended his driving career.
Below is the complete list of Chili Bowl winners from 1987-2021.
Year
Chili Bowl A-Main winner
1987
Rich Vogler
1988
Scott Hatton
1989
Sammy Swindell
1990
Johnny Heydenreich
1991
Lealand McSpadden
1992
Sammy Swindell
1993
Dave Blaney
1994
Andy Hillenburg
1995
Donnie Beechler
1996
Sammy Swindell
1997
Billy Boat
1998
Sammy Swindell
1999
Dan Boorse
2000
Cory Kruseman
2001
Jay Drake
2002
Tony Stewart
2003
Dan Boorse
2004
Cory Kruseman
2005
Tracy Hines
2006
Tim McCreadie
2007
Tony Stewart
2008
Damion Gardner
2009
Sammy Swindell
2010
Kevin Swindell
2011
Kevin Swindell
2012
Kevin Swindell
2013
Kevin Swindell
2014
Bryan Clauson
2015
Rico Abreu
2016
Rico Abreu
2017
Christopher Bell
2018
Christopher Bell
2019
Christopher Bell
2020
Kyle Larson
2021
Kyle Larson
2022
Tanner Thorson
NASCAR drivers at the 2023 Chili Bowl
NASCAR competitors have a long history of competing at the Chili Bowl and that tradition will continue in 2023.
Chase Briscoe and Alex Bowman are both returning to the Chili Bowl, with Bowman still looking to qualify for the championship A-Main on Saturday for the first time. Bowman has made it to a B-Main each of the last two years while Briscoe’s best performance came in 2017, when he finished 22nd in the championship A-Main.
J.J. Yeley, a veteran dirt racer with extensive Chili Bowl experience, is also entered and will be attempting to make his first championship A-Main since 2015. His best finish is second, which came in 2007 when he finished runner-up to three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart.
Josh Bilicki, who competed in all three NASCAR national divisions in 2022, is also entered to compete in his first Chili Bowl.
Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, who have won five of the last six Chili Bowl championships, are not entered in 2023.
The same dirt used for the inaugural Chili Bowl in 1987 forms the track each year.
“The Chili Bowl’s key ingredient is the clay which once covered the adjacent fairgrounds,” the event’s website reads. “Without sun or wind to harm it, the indoor garden (roughly a quarter-mile circle) is heavily saturated so that the boldest dirt track artists of our time can truly shine.”
Track is starting to take shape. Wall is placed and roughly 1.5 miles of steel cable has been wound around the Tulsa Expo Raceway. pic.twitter.com/TjN5DHo2YZ
Located outside the Tulsa Expo Center is the famous golden driller statue, a massive figure depicting an oil worker. That is why the driver who wins the Chili Bowl A-Main on championship Saturday will receive a Golden Driller trophy, one of the most sought after trophies in all of motorsports.
Below is the 2023 Chili Bowl format as outlined on ChiliBowl.com.
Qualifying Nights (Monday-Friday)
Heat Races
Drivers draw for heat racing starting position at 2 p.m. at chalkboard each day
The driver who draws lowest number will start on the pole of Heat 1, second lowest number on the pole of Heat 2, etc.
Number of heats decided by number of cars – 7-10 cars per heat race (8 Laps)
Advancement from heat race to features is based upon passing points earned in heat race and qualifying races. Passing points are based upon car starting position when the yellow light goes out prior to the initial start of the heat or qualifying race.
C Mains/Qualifying Races/B Mains/A Main
The 40 drivers earning the most passing points advance to Four “A” Qualifying Races; drivers in passing points positions 41-68 will go to two C Main races. The two C Main races will have 16 cars 12 laps in length.
The top four cars in each C Main race will advance to the back of the B Main races, going 15 laps. (Top four from first C Main to back of first B Main, top four from second C Main to back of second B main)
The lineup of each “A” Qualifying race will include an inversion of six cars. The top 24 cars in passing points will make the inversion. (The top point driver will start on row 3 of the first qualifying race, the No. 2 driver on row 3 of the second qualifying race, etc.)
The four qualifying races will have 10 cars each with the top 16 in combined passing points from the heats and Qualifying races advancing to the A Main.
The balance of the cars (24) from the “A” qualifying races will advance to two 16 car B Mains. The top four in each B Main will advance to the A Main, going 30 laps.
There will be 24 drivers in each Preliminary Night A Feature
The top two drivers in the Preliminary A qualify for Saturday’s A Main.
Saturday Night Features
A Feature
The lineup for the top 10 cars in the A feature will be determined through the Pizza Express Chili Bowl Pole Dash.
The five A feature winners will draw 1-5, followed by the five drivers who finished second drawing 6-10 to seed the Pole Dash.
Pole Dash Procedure
Each of the races will have four cars and be four laps.
Preliminary Night Winners will draw for positions 1st – 5th, Runner up will draw 6th – 10th
First Race will be drivers who draw 7th – 10th, lined up in that order. Top 2 will advance.
Second Race, front row will be drivers who draw 5th & 6th, with the two drivers moving on from the first race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).
Third Race front row will be drivers who draw 3rd & 4th, with the two drivers moving on from the second race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).
Fourth Race front row will be drivers who draw 1st & 2nd, with the two drivers moving on from the third race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).
Winner of the fourth race will earn the pole in Saturday’s A-Feature.
(Note: All positions in races other than Saturday’s A Main will line up upon the original draw of the winners prior to the pole dash. Example: If the Friday winner draws number 1, the Wednesday winner draws number 2, Tuesday winner draws number 3, Thursday winner draws number 4, and the Monday winner draws number 5, all positions in all races will be based on Friday first, Wednesday second, Tuesday third, Thursday fourth, and Monday fifth.)
Seven drivers will advance from each B main to the A for a total of 24 cars with Provisionals set aside for the defending Chili Bowl champion and previous year’s VIROC Winner should they not transfer.
B Mains (20 Laps)
There will be two B mains, with 20 drivers in each B main.
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature in position 3-8 will qualify for the B mains
Five drivers will advance from each C main to the B mains (1st C to 1st B, 2nd C to 2nd B)
C Mains (15 Laps)
There will be two C Mains, with 20 drivers in each C
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature positions 9-14 will qualify for the C mains
Five drivers will advance from each D main to the C Mains
D Mains (15 Laps)
There will be two D mains, with 20 drivers in each D
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature positions 15-20 will qualify for the D mains
Five drivers will advance from each E main to the D mains
E Mains (15 Laps)
There will be two E mains, with 20 drivers in each E
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night A features 21-24 and B features 5th will qualify for the E mains
Five drivers will advance from each F main to the E mains
F Mains (15 Laps)
There will be two F mains, with 20 drivers in each F
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 6-8 will qualify for the F mains
Five drivers will advance from each G main to the F mains
G Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two G mains, with 16 drivers in each G
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 9-10 will qualify for the G mains
Five drivers will advance from each H main to the G mains
H Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two H mains, with 16 drivers in each H
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 11-12 will qualify for the H mains
Six drivers will advance from each I main to the H mains
I Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two I mains, with 16 drivers in each I
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 13-14 will qualify for the I mains
Six drivers will advance from each J main to the I mains
J Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two J mains, with 16 drivers in each J
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 15-16 will qualify for the I mains
Six drivers will advance from each K main to the I mains
K Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two K mains, with 16 drivers in each K
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night C features in positions 5-6 will qualify for the K mains
Six drivers will advance from each L main to the L mains
L Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two L Mains, with 16 drivers in each L
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night C feature in position 7-8 will qualify for the L Mains
Six drivers will advance from each M main to the L mains
M Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two M Mains, with 16 drivers in each M
Drivers finishing in C feature positions 9-10 will qualify for the M Mains
Six drivers will advance from each N main to the M mains
N Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two N Mains, with 16 drivers in each N
Drivers finishing in C feature positions 11-12 will qualify for the N Mains
Six drivers will advance from each O main to the N mains
O Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two O Mains, with 16 drivers in each O
Drivers finishing in D feature positions 3-4 will qualify for the O Mains.
Six drivers will advance from each P Main to the O Mains
P&Q Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two P Mains and possibly two Q Mains, with the number of drivers TBA in each.
Drivers finishing in D feature positions 4 on back will qualify for these race, and lineup position will be determined by finish on qualifying night and number of cars.
The 1992 Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway remains one of the most memorable, cherished races in NASCAR history.
A pair of 37-year-olds each vying for the championship split the big trophies handed out that day — Bill Elliott for the race win, and counterpart Alan Kulwicki finishing second in the race but narrowly claiming the season championship over ‘Awesome Bill.’
Another pair, on opposite ends of the spectrum, saw perhaps the most legendary career the sport’s ever seen wrap up as another one of brilliance was just beginning. A 50-plus-year-old Richard Petty, with 200 Cup Series wins, stepped out of the famed No. 43 after that race. Jeff Gordon, meanwhile, hopped into that No. 24 car he made famous over the next two decades for the first time as a fresh-faced 21-year-old talent for owner Rick Hendrick, himself just 43 at the time.
There perhaps may be no more pivotal race in NASCAR lore, fully displaying the unique atmosphere of the sport of stock car racing where teenagers can compete against drivers theoretically old enough to be their grandfathers — and on equal footing.
Age? Well, in the case of auto racing, it turns out that sometimes it is just a number, but it got us thinking … if we had to pick the absolute best active, full-time drivers for the 2023 season for every age across all national series, who would they be?
Here are our 2023 selections for the best active drivers from 17 to 47.
Note: For simplicity, every age is as of Jan. 1, 2023.
17:Taylor Gray, No. 17 TRICON Garage Toyota (Trucks): Gray enters the fold for the newly re-branded team formerly known as David Gilliland Racing — both an organization on the rise and the kind of young talent to build around. Our youngest driver on this list already has about half a season’s worth of series starts — and some impressive short-track runs among them — before he’s even old enough to vote. The 2022 ARCA Menards East runner-up should be an instant contender this year in his first full-time national series campaign.
18:Sammy Smith, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS): The two-time ARCA East champ and winner of six ARCA Menards Series races inherits a full-time stake in his 2022 ride — one of the premier entries in the Xfinity Series — and could make an immediate impact. He’ll look to build off a strong showing in his initial series starts that included an impressive third-place run at Watkins Glen International.
Jacob Kupferman
19:Sam Mayer, No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS): He’ll still be a teenager come summer, but Mayer will have essentially two full seasons of Xfinity Series competition under his belt at that point, and we’ve already seen a tremendous level of talent from him in both his current jaunt and the Craftsman Truck Series. Though he was held winless in 2022, the 2020 ARCA East champ — who won five races and notched a runner-up in six races that year — nearly averaged a top 10 in 33 NXS starts en route to a playoff appearance and seventh-place series finish among stiff competition in ’22. Honorable mention: Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet (Trucks)
20:Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Cup): The reigning Xfinity Series champion enters the Cup Series fold full time in 2023 after unexpectedly being called upon to make 15 spot starts for an injured Kurt Busch and 23XI Racing at just age 19 last year. Gibbs netted just one top 10 in that span. Still, the experience there will prove immeasurable. Otherwise, he would have replaced a particular two-time Cup Series champion with no prior Cup starts. His impromptu Sunday work clearly didn’t affect his Saturdays on the Xfinity side, either, as Gibbs’ seven wins were just one shy of the series lead — but he was the one holding the championship trophy when all was said and done. Honorable mentions: Rajah Caruth, No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet (Trucks); Chandler Smith, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
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21:Nick Sanchez, No. 2 Rev Racing Chevrolet (Trucks): Sanchez got his feet wet in the Xfinity Series in 2022 with eight starts highlighted by a seventh-place run at Martinsville, but his racing skills were really on display in the ARCA Menards Series where he rode to three wins and the championship. He now benefits from working with some of the most prolific names in the series through an alliance Rev has with Kyle Busch Motorsports and longtime KBM crew chief Danny Stockman — along with the former No. 18 crew — set to call the shots for his rookie season.
22: Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford (Cup): Given his quick rise through the ranks to drive for one of NASCAR’s most prestigious organizations, it’s easy to forget Burton is still a fresh 22-year-old that has shown signs of strength at a variety of tracks since debuting in the Truck Series at just 15 years old in 2016. The pedigree is obviously there, and his development is poised to continue. After all, it doesn’t exactly hurt to have a 21-time Cup winner that you call ‘Dad’ to get advice from.
Honorable mention: Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (Cup)
23:Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (Trucks): The 23-year-old honorable mention here has a tremendously bright future of his own — and a Cup win already — but Smith has been the man to beat in the Truck Series each of the past three years. He was beaten the first of those two, finishing runner-up in the standings in 2020 and ’21 before sealing the deal on his first title this past season in his best year yet. Smith appears to be on a meteoric rise and only getting better, a trend that will likely be accelerated by a handful of planned Cup starts in ’23 alongside his title defense.
Honorable mention: Justin Haley, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (Cup)
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24:Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (Cup): The choice between Cindric and Gragson here was agonizing, given Gragson is coming off eight wins and a near title as he moves up to Cup to race for Petty GMS. Cindric, however, did capture an Xfinity title (2020) and appeared headed toward a repeat in ’21 before Daniel Hemric scored the upset at Phoenix. He was close to making the Round of 8 last year in his rookie Cup season. Then there’s that whole other thing about, you know, winning the Daytona 500 … in his eighth career start. That said, Gragson ran half the Cup season last year and could be a dark horse playoff contender this year himself. A true toss-up.
Honorable mention: Noah Gragson, No. 42 Petty GMS Chevrolet (Cup)
25: William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (Cup): I’m sure there were some reservations when Rick Hendrick announced a 19-year-old iRacing phenom would be not only moving up to the Cup Series, but taking over the No. 24 made famous by Jeff Gordon. But there’s a reason Hendrick is the most decorated car owner in history — and boy, has Byron made him only look like more of a genius. There’s no doubt his 2018 rookie season — just four top 10s — was challenging, but the growth has been quick and obvious since, culminating in an electric 2022 that nearly saw him in the Championship 4 and stretches where he looked like he’d be the man to beat at Phoenix. At just 25, Byron legitimately could have 20-plus years of contending for championships ahead of him. It’s a big claim, but it’s not out of the question that in two decades, Gordon isn’t the Hendrick driver with the most titles behind the wheel of the No. 24.
26:Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota (Cup): Reddick could retire tomorrow, and at 26, he still would’ve had one of the more interesting careers out there, with more storylines to it than you’d believe. One thing, however, has been evident and remained true throughout the team changes, lame-duck championships, Zoom meeting surprises and interestingly timed announcements — dude’s just fast. Reddick has won big at all three national series stops and will now complete the manufacturer trifecta as well, moving over to 23XI Racing to drive a Toyota … for a team co-owned by Michael Jordan. Seriously, storybook stuff. And when Reddick’s final chapter is written well down the line, expect there to be some more zany anecdotes along the way. And probably a few championships.
Honorable mention: Erik Jones, No. 43 Petty GMS Chevrolet (Cup)
27:Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (Cup): NASCAR’s Most Popular driver most certainly inherited a lot of that fandom from his father Bill, a previous longtime holder of the award in his racing days. Boy, has he backed it up with his performance on the track, though. Fans knew from his first-ever national series win — a wild romp north of the border at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park — that there was something different here, and Elliott has only continued to dominate as he climbed the ladder and was a bona fide Cup champion by age 24. It’s hard to see how he’s not going to be a perennial Championship 4 contender for the next two decades; he’s on a streak of three in a row as it is and still getting better.
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28:Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Cup): We’ve known for a while how good Bell is behind the wheel and how talented he is on all kinds of tracks — dirt, pavement or otherwise. After a winless rookie Cup season and an improved but not exceptional sophomore campaign, Bell reminded everyone in a big way in 2022 that he’s the same driver who nabbed 21 wins in a three-year span in Xfinity and Truck competition from 2017-19 and forced JGR’s hand to part ways with a younger and homegrown Erik Jones to make room for him. No other driver at the moment can claim to be more clutch behind the wheel than Bell after the Oklahoma native went back-to-back in must-win elimination races, winning both in spectacular fashion with everything on the line to make his first Championship 4.
Honorable mention: Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (Cup)
29:Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford (Cup): No, Blaney didn’t win in 2022, while the other two honorable mentions here did, but he has seven victories in his career and hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in points since his rookie season in 2016. All the pieces may not have fit together fully yet to make a true championship run, but it’s clear from how fast Blaney runs year after year. Would you be at all surprised to see things break a little more favorably in his direction in 2023 and Blaney finish with four or five wins and a Championship 4 appearance? No, no you would not.
Honorable mentions: Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (Cup); Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (Cup)
30:Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (Cup): It’ll be super interesting to see if either Chastain or Suárez could put Larson on the hot seat here by season’s end — a testament more to the quick-rising star power of that duo and Trackhouse Racing at large than any knock on Larson. One could argue the California native is the overall best driver on this list. The first year of the Next Gen saw him take a slight step back from his ’21 dominance, but with a year’s worth of learning under his belt, expect him to come out in full force in ’23. He’s got to win title No. 2 first, but Larson feels like he has the best chance of anybody to at some point become the first driver to go back-to-back in the playoff elimination-format era. He has shown the ability to be Jimmie Johnson-level dominant.
Honorable mentions: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (Cup), Daniel Suárez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (Cup)
31:Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS): Hemric’s another driver who has had one of the more interesting career paths. The North Carolinian wound his way through the Xfinity and Truck ranks with some strong teams and showings, followed by a one-year stint with RCR in the car Kyle Busch will be piloting this season and then eventually settling back down at the Xfinity level — where he finally won his first-ever NASCAR race in the 2021 Phoenix finale to win the whole dang championship. He saw a drop-off in performance in his first year at Kaulig last season, but look for him to really round into form in his 30s as he appears to have found a consistent home. This season will mark the first time he’s remained with an organization year-to-year since his RCR tenure wrapped after 2019.
Honorable mention: Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (Cup)
32:Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford (Cup): There are clearly a plethora of talented 32-year-olds racing today. After all, this is roughly when a driver can be considered to be at or approaching his peak, where there’s no shortage of experience and also no signs of slowing down with advanced age. It’s the true sweet spot for a driver — and Logano very much showed that he and his No. 22 group were the class of the Championship 4 across the board last fall in Phoenix. Had we done this list in previous years, the two-time champion honestly might’ve picked up the distinction every season since debuting in the sport at 18 years old in 2008. Since then, he’s compiled 62 national series wins, two titles at the highest level, a Daytona 500 victory and plenty more accomplishments. When he hangs up the fire suit, the Connecticut native will certainly be considered one of the best drivers of the modern era and likely one of the best ever.
Honorable mentions: Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (Cup); Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (Cup); Josh Berry, No.8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
33:Landon Cassill, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS): Cassill has yet to land his first career national series win across more than 500 national series starts, but you’d be hard-pressed to find many, if any, out there who don’t respect the grind. It’s starting to pay dividends as Cassill has picked up a boatload of valuable experience and insight running that many races and nearly broke through to Victory Lane in 2022. Five of his eight career national series top fives came last year alone, highlighted by a P2 finish at Martinsville last April.
34: N/A
35:Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet (Cup): It honestly doesn’t feel like that long ago that Stenhouse was one of NASCAR’s hottest prospects, winning back-to-back Xfinity Series titles for Jack Roush in his early 20s, but time is weird, and here we are. He’s probably never quite been in an A-list, top-tier Cup ride, but he has proven more than capable of being a mainstay in the series, becoming a force on superspeedways and short tracks and a playoff appearance during a two-win 2017 season.
36:Justin Allgaier, No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS): It’s almost more impressive that Allgaier remains without a national series title, given he has literally never finished worse than seventh in the Xfinity Series standings across 12 full-time seasons and owns five Championship 4 appearances. It’s just that one hump he’s yet to hurdle because otherwise, he’s looked like championship material for the better part of a decade and a half (his first full-time NXS season was in 2009, with a pair of full-time Cup campaigns in 2014-15 breaking up his current stint). The 19-time series winner will once again vie for a title in 2023 with his longtime seat at JR Motorsports, and this year marks as good a shot as any to finally get it done.
37: Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (Cup): Arguably the easiest selection here, Busch, like his pal Logano, probably could’ve made this list for his age for roughly the past two decades — he’s been that talented, for that long. Along with his rival and former teammate, he’s just one of two active, multi-time Cup champions. Truth be told, it’s surprising to see him at age 37, with literally the most wins in NASCAR history and just two titles to his name. He’ll enter a new era of his career this year with RCR, an organization with a history of winning championships, plural, with a brash driver who had the ability to seemingly win at will.
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38:Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford (Cup): A two-time national series champion — and now, a two-time national series team owner, as well — Keselowski is entering that grizzled veteran stage of his career. It’s easy to look at the longtime Team Penske driver’s 2022 stats — no wins, one top five and just six top 10s — in a vacuum and think the writing is on the wall, but there’s obviously so much more to that story. This past season was his first in the RFK Racing fold (the ‘K’ stands for Keselowski) as he entered a new foray of Cup Series driver/owner. The team showed vast improvement by season’s end, and Keselowski should be viewed as playoff-capable and then some for 2023. Do we really think he’s dropped off that much from his Championship 4 runner-up in 2020? No way. Honorable mentions: Aric Almirola, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (Cup); Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford (Cup)
39:Stewart Friesen, No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota (Trucks): Friesen is another on this list with a unique path to NASCAR stardom, as the dirt stalwart made exactly zero NASCAR starts before six races in his age 32 season in 2016 and working his way up to his first full-time campaign two years later. His three series wins — Eldora, Phoenix and Texas — could not have come at three more dissimilar tracks, and it’s fair to wonder what kind of career he would’ve had if he’d wound up in this discipline earlier. For now, he’s bootstrapping his way to being a perennial title contender in the Truck Series, and it’s quite possible he winds up with a championship this year or in the coming few.
40: N/A
41:AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (Cup): It’s wild to think that Allmendinger, already in his 40s with 394 career Cup starts and 13 Xfinity wins since 2019 alone, could be looking at his best decade in the sport still ahead of him. Allmendinger has pretty much always been viewed as the most lethal road racer in NASCAR, but he’s grown into one of the most well-rounded competitors who can wheel just about anything to Victory Lane these days. The refreshed and reinvigorated California native re-enters the Cup fold full-time in 2023 for perhaps his best shot at a title yet, and it’s entirely conceivable he wins multiple races. It honestly might be a disappointing result for him and the team if he manages to miss this year’s playoffs, despite one of the most competitive Cup fields in recent memory.
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42:Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Cup): How about this one, eh? Both 42-year-olds considered here are bona fide future Hall of Famers, drive for Joe Gibbs Racing and are perennial title contenders — but only one of them has a championship, and he’s our honorable mention. Had one of Truex’s three Championship 4 runner-ups in 2018, ’19 and ’21 gone differently, he probably would’ve been the pick here, but they didn’t — and Hamlin has compiled a whopping 17 of his 48 career wins in the past four seasons alone. When Hamlin’s on these days, he’s near unbeatable — in fact, the only one to beat him typically is himself on pit road — but it’s clear he’s at the absolute top of his game this past half-decade. Considering he’s also been in the process of launching, building and managing an entirely new Cup team the past few years as his moonlighting gig, it becomes all the more impressive what he’s been able to accomplish in his 30s and early 40s.
Honorable mention: Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Cup)
43: N/A
44: N/A
45: N/A
46:Matt Crafton, No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford (Trucks): Crafton is everything you’d want in a 46-year-old Truck Series veteran — occasionally ornery, doesn’t take crap from anybody, is happy to teach a lesson or two … and can still get the job done on the race track. Last year saw a bit of a dip in performance, but the team is making the switch back to Ford for this upcoming campaign, and Crafton’s most recent of his three championships (2018) came while sporting the blue oval.
47:Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (Cup): And here, we’ve arrived at the oldest driver on this list — yet still one of the best. Harvick’s list of contributions to the sport at this point is a lengthy one, as is his list of accomplishments. The slam dunk future Hall-of-Famer went a bit missing on the results sheet early in 2022 (and was held winless in 2021 after nine victories a year prior) but showed the rest of the field why he’s still a force to be reckoned with in late summer by becoming the only back-to-back winner of the season with strong showings at Michigan and Richmond. He’s currently the active leader in Cup wins with 60, along with a 2014 title to his name — figures he definitely plans to add to this year — but even if he were to hang it up tomorrow, he’s one of the best ever to do this and, even at 47, still one of the best drivers on this list.
NASCAR officials announced Tuesday that former crew chief Mike Shiplett has been reinstated to full membership after a penalty late last season led to his suspension.
Shiplett was crew chief for the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing team for driver Cole Custer at the time of the infraction, which came during the Oct. 9 Cup Series playoff race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course. Earlier Tuesday, Shiplett was named competition director for the Xfinity Series efforts at Richard Childress Racing.
Shiplett was suspended indefinitely Oct. 11, two days after the Bank of America 400 — the elimination race in the postseason’s Round of 12 last year. After a review of footage, data and audio transmissions, NASCAR competition officials ruled that the No. 41 team had violated Section 5.5 of the NASCAR Rule Book, which requires competitors to race at 100% of their ability. That section also spells out potential sanctions against competitors who intend to “artificially alter” the race’s finishing positions.
Replays showed Custer appearing to slow ahead of the backstretch chicane on the final lap, blocking the path of his fellow competitors and creating a passing lane for SHR teammate Chase Briscoe.
Custer and Shiplett were each fined $100,000, and the team and driver were each docked 50 points in their respective points standings. The penalty was upheld in an appeal.
The reinstatement restores Shiplett’s membership privileges ahead of the 2023 season.
Custer remains with Stewart-Haas Racing, but has switched series for 2023, moving from the Cup Series to the Xfinity ranks.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer returns to the No. 88 Chevrolet on Sept. 15 for the Xfinity Series’ night race at Bristol Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports announced Tuesday. The announcement comes coupled with news that Unilever returns to sponsor Earnhardt and JRM for a 15th consecutive season. In addition to sponsoring Earnhardt at Bristol, the company will also don the No. 7 Chevrolet driven by Justin Allgaier in six races in 2023.
“We’ve been partners with Unilever since the very early days of JR Motorsports,” Earnhardt said in a press release. “They’ve been with us as our program has grown and been an important part of our success – on and off the track. They’re a key component of our company. I’m grateful for their support, and I’m happy to watch our partnership continue to grow.”
Earnhardt has made his love for short-track racing well known, bolstered by a Monday announcement that the 15-time Most Popular Driver of the Cup Series purchased the CARS Tour with partners Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Justin Marks.
Since retiring from full-time Cup racing in 2017, Earnhardt has continued to make once-yearly starts in the Xfinity Series, making three of his last five starts at Richmond Raceway (0.75 miles) or Martinsville Speedway (0.519 miles). Earnhardt’s last Xfinity start at Bristol came in 2017 where he finished 13th, one lap down.
Earnhardt, a two-time Xfinity Series champion, is slated to compete in two Xfinity races in 2023, marking the first time since 2017 that he will compete in multiple national series events. JRM has yet to announce where Earnhardt’s other race will take place, but announced on Nov. 1 he will compete with sponsorship from Bass Pro Shops.
Unilever has partnered with JR Motorsports since 2009, the organization’s fourth full-time season. The company now serves as JRM’s longest-tenured partner and one of the longest-running active sponsors in NASCAR, according to the release.
“We are so proud and excited to continue our partnership with Dale Jr. and his team at JR Motorsports,” Ben Crook, VP/GM Dressings & Condiments Unilever North America, said in a release. “The equal passion that NASCAR fans have for their favorite brands like Hellmann’s and drivers like Dale Jr. is what makes this partnership so special. We look forward to continuing this ride with Dale for years to come.”
As part of the sponsorship, Earnhardt has donned the Unilever colors at least once in each of the last 14 seasons. Allgaier, who finished third in the Championship 4 in 2022, carried Unilever to Victory Lane at Darlington and Nashville last season.
McNelly at the time owned the Pro Cup Series, a once-thriving short-track stock car series that had fallen on hard times. Car counts were down, and fan attendance had dwindled, leaving McNelly in an unenviable position.
He either had to shut the series down or use the Pro Cup Series as a foundation for something new.
McNelly, a passionate member of the short-track racing community, didn’t like the idea of giving up. So he founded the Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour, which sanctions events for late model stock cars and pro late models across the Southeast.
In the years that followed, a number of drivers who would go on to careers in NASCAR have found success with the CARS Tour. They include drivers like Josh Berry, Zane Smith, Myatt Snider, Christian Eckes, Corey Heim and Sammy Smith, to name a few.
Fast-forward to Monday, when McNelly’s passion for short-track racing and drive to succeed paid off with the announcement that Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Justin Marks had partnered to purchase the series.
“I just feel so lucky and so blessed to get to this point,” McNelly said Monday afternoon during a teleconference with members of the motorsports media.
Former CARS Tour owner Jack McNelly (right) will continue to be involved with the series under the new ownership that includes Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Justin Marks. (Photo: Adam Fenwick)
McNelly’s passion is shared by the new ownership group. Earnhardt, who competed in the CARS Tour race last year at North Wilkesboro Speedway, has been apart of the series for several seasons as a car owner.
It was through his role as a car owner that allowed Earnhardt to get to know McNelly and, ultimately, that led to the opportunity to become one of the new co-owners of the series.
“I was at Wilkesboro last year, and Jack mentioned to me that he was interested in having some people become involved in the series,” Earnhardt said. “Jack was going to continue to manage, with Keeley (Dubensky, series director) the day-to-day. None of that is going to change. He wanted some assurance that the series would be in good hands. That started the conversation with me and the rest of the group.
“My passion is just to help short-track racing and help things continue. The identity of the series won’t change. We just want to give it an opportunity to continue to grow and be successful. I think we’ve got an incredible team put together.”
Much like Earnhardt, Burton grew up racing late models in the Southeast before going on to enjoy a successful career in the NASCAR Cup Series. He became familiar with McNelly and the CARS Tour when his son, current NASCAR Cup Series driver Harrison Burton, competed with the series from 2015-17.
He sees the CARS Tour as a proving ground for young racers and crew members as well as a home for passionate, veteran members of the short-track community.
“[McNelly and Dubensky] built this great foundation, and we hope to be able to make them proud and improve where we can,” Burton said. “People in short-track racing are there because it’s their passion, not their job. We have to give them an opportunity to have a place to do that passion and exercise on it.
“It’s just the very beginning of development of drivers, crew members, officials, all that stuff. This is the very beginning of that. Having a solid structure only makes that better for everybody.”
Harvick has been a vocal supporter of short-track racing through the years after growing up racing late models on the West Coast. He wants learn about the challenges faced by competitors and what he can do to help make the CARS Tour and short-track racing in general thrive.
“Short-track racing is really the root of the thing that feeds everything we do,” Harvick said. “For me, growing up and racing late models on the West Coast and being a part of my career and path to the ladder system of how things work is something that I have a passion for. When Dale and I kind of accidentally sat down and had the first conversation about this particular project, it really sparked an interest in me.
“This is going to be fun because of the fact that I want to be in the car. I want to be in the pits. I want to be in the grandstands. I want to know what these competitors are struggling with and really be a part of this group and try to make it better.”
Three-time CARS Tour late model stock car champion Bobby McCarty (22) races 2022 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National champion Layne Riggs in a CARS Tour event at Hickory Motor Speedway in 2021. (Photo: Adam Fenwick)
Marks is the lone member of the new ownership group who didn’t grow up racing late models, but that doesn’t mean he lacks passion for the discipline. The co-owner of Trackhouse Racing is a firm believer that local short-track racing is a vital part of motorsports in North America.
“It’s going to be a huge learning experience for me just understanding how this series operates and how short-track racing operates,” Marks said. “It’s something that is exciting for me, because while I didn’t really come up short-track racing, I did come up grassroots racing like everybody did. I understand how important that is and how much that serves the foundation, because it’s where the passion for racing really started for me.
“I look at our sport as a marketer, as a brand manager and as a story-teller. There are so many amazing things happening in short-track racing. Great teams and drivers, passionate fans, historic race tracks. The work that we can do to amplify those stories and to show those to the world and to do all the work to put the CARS Tour on a stage that creates a valuable series and one where the economics work for all the competitors and the team is really of the utmost importance.”
Earnhardt believes the acquisition of the CARS Tour is just another in a recent string of positive things to happen for asphalt short-track racing.
Now comes the biggest challenge: keeping that momentum going.
“There is good, positive momentum across the board for short-track racing right now,” Earnhardt said. “And I think everybody from the top down recognizes how important that is and that momentum and keeping that going.”
NASCAR.com readers will notice a bold and fresh look in the form of a site redesign when they log in Wednesday. This launch includes a thoughtful approach to design and the development of new features, all of which come just in time to celebrate the sport’s 75th anniversary.
While change is exciting and invigorating, we’re aiming to make the transition as seamless as possible for you as well, so make sure to bookmark this link for when you need it. Below is a quick “how-to guide” for our sharp new ride for the 2023 season, and here’s a peek at the new site that will help with our explanation below:
The first thing you might notice is the use of larger images across this site to provide enough space for you to enjoy the great visuals and to help illustrate the larger-than-life stories the sport provides.
At the top of the page in the navigation is where you will always be able to find essential information such as the schedule, race results, standings and how to purchase tickets. You will also be able to easily navigate between your favorite series, whether it’s Cup, Xfinity or Craftsman Trucks — plus all the great NASCAR Roots content for our grassroots series in the dropdown navigation.
Also, when you are logged in as part of our Fan Rewards program, you will see your profile highlighted at the top-center of the page. Not aware of our Fan Rewards? Find out more about how you can start earning points toward merchandise, tickets, VIP experiences and more.
Moving just beneath the navigation is the top-story area. During a race, there will be easily identifiable points of entry for Race Center and NASCAR Drive in this top section. But when there’s breaking news, we’ll be able to package content closely to the top story that will allow you to dive as deep as you want to into that news event and the related stories.
An in-depth callout to Race Center and Standings allows you to get all your information for the past or upcoming races, and also dive deeper into standings with manufacturer and owner standings here.
In addition to the overall look of the homepage, there are some other features we’d like you to be aware of as well. These include continuous scroll on articles to allow you to move seamlessly from one article to the next. And don’t forget to check out our new in-depth driver pages with larger, heroic driver images and car badges, as well as bios, career highlights and stats.
We hope you like the way we look — so send us your feedback at [email protected]. Please enjoy a fantastic 2023 season, the 75th anniversary of NASCAR, and enjoy our new homepage along the way.
