Editor’s Note: Today’s Richard Childress Racing preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2023 Cup Series season, ranked in reverse order of best finish in last year’s owner standings.
Team Outlook: This has the potential to be the best season at RCR in close to a decade. While it lost Tyler Reddick to 23XI Racing, the addition of two-time NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Busch should immediately elevate things, and don’t be surprised if some of Busch’s skill and talent rub off on teammate Austin Dillon. Although Ryan Newman finished second in the final standings in 2014 and Kevin Harvick was third in 2013, RCR has struggled for the most part ever since. While its drivers have made the playoffs 10 times since 2015, no one has finished higher than 11th (2017, 2020 and 2022). Improvement is definitely the key word in 2023.
KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 CHEVROLET
Experience: 19th full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
2022 stats: 13th in final standings (tied for second-worst season in his career); 1 win, 8 top fives, 17 top 10s
2023 championship odds (BetMGM): 14-1
Outlook: If you’re a betting person, you may want to consider laying down a hefty futures bet on Busch to do very well in 2023, maybe going all the way to the championship. Busch, who turns 38 in May, moves to RCR with a big chip on his shoulder after Joe Gibbs Racing decided to part ways with him. And when Busch drives with a chip on his shoulder, he typically wins – and wins a lot. Example: When Rick Hendrick dumped Busch after 2007 (to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr.), Busch won 8 races and scored 17 top-five finishes in his first season with JGR in 2008. Busch’s new crew chief this season is Randall Burnett, who helped lead Reddick to his first three career Cup wins, plus 10 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes in 2022.
Experience: 10th full-time season in NASCAR Cup Series.
2022 stats: 11th in final standings; 1 win, 5 top fives, 11 top 10s
2023 championship odds (BetMGM): 150-1
Outlook: While excited to have Busch as his teammate, Dillon will likely also feel a great deal of pressure to improve his overall performance. Other than winning the Daytona 500 in 2018, significant career highlights to date have been few for the grandson of team owner Richard Childress: four total wins, 21 top fives and 68 top 10s in 336 career Cup Series starts. While he’s made the playoffs five times in the last nine seasons, Dillon has never finished higher than 11th (2017, 2020 and 2022). Busch has the potential to bring out the best in Dillon. But the question is, does Dillon have much more “best” still left in him, or has he done as best as he can and will ever do? Like Busch, Dillon will have a new crew chief in 2023 in Keith Rodden, who has been atop the pit box for Jamie McMurray (2014) and Kasey Kahne (2015-2017).
In 2022, NASCAR introduced the Next Gen car — a radically new way to conceptualize how Cup Series vehicles are manufactured while remaining true to the sport’s stock car roots. On the brink of the 2023 season, lessons learned from the Next Gen’s inaugural season have sparked further innovation around the vehicle and its construction in order to enhance the safety for competitors behind the wheel.
Teams will utilize new center and rear clips on the vehicle’s chassis, with both sections modified to better absorb rear impacts following crashes in 2022 that resulted in concussions for two playoff-eligible drivers.
Kurt Busch, the 2004 Cup series champion, was injured after backing his No. 45 Toyota into the wall in July at Pocono Raceway. Two months later, Alex Bowman incurred a concussion upon backing his No. 48 Chevrolet into the wall at Texas Motor Speedway.
NASCAR worked closely with Technique Chassis, which provides all Cup teams with their chassis components, since late May 2022 to improve the crush zones of the rear end and alleviate the energy that has deflected to the driver in rear impacts.
From left, the 2022 and 2023 rear clips of the Next Gen car sit side by side at the NASCAR R&D Center (Zach Sturniolo | NASCAR Studios)
The improved 2023 design features the removal of some bars, a reduction in the thickness of some tubing and adding pivot points called “triggers” in the structure to encourage deformation while protecting both the oil tank and fuel cell.
“It’s not any one of those things by themselves that was the key,” explained Dr. John Patalak, NASCAR’s vice president of safety engineering. “It was the cumulative effect of the whole assembly working together. And so this was kind of the final validation of that. All of those changes were put together through computer modeling all sorts of different crash scenarios at the race track.”
A focal point of the new construction was creating zones that would crumple more easily to absorb energy.
“We took the rear bumper struts,” Patalak said. “They’re made out of aluminum, and so they’re made out of thinner gauge than they previously were. So they collapse at a lower load; their buckling loads are lower.
“And then the rear clip, we removed and/or replaced structures with different cross sections, meaning we weakened the structures so that they would deform under less load. And you have to be very specific and careful where you do that so that we don’t introduce problems in other circumstances where you don’t want it to bend or where you can’t have it bend.”
Additionally, NASCAR will mandate new incident data collection systems on all Cup Series cars in 2023.
“In 2002, we started with our black box or our incident data recorder that goes on the left frame rail [of the chassis],” Patalak said. “There’s been several iterations over the years. In 2018, we added a high-speed camera. So this year in Cup, it is a completely new system from the ground up. This will give us more data channels, will give us dedicated GPS data as far as the speed of the vehicle, and we’ll have a lot of those things all synchronized in time. So when we do our crash analyses, we will have a more powerful data set to work with.”
Some drivers will also wear mouthpiece sensors this season, continuing use from 2022. These sensors are used on a voluntary basis but Patalak noted an increase in the number of drivers who are electing to use them beginning in 2023.
“We talked about the data recorder, it’s on the chassis of the car. So that’s what the car is experiencing,” Patalak said. “But ultimately, what we want to do is make the driver as safe as possible. So this gives us a data point from the drivers from their body themselves. And that’s informative on our computer model in our testing, whether we’re using crash test dummies like physical dummies in the crash lab, or doing human body modeling, numerical simulation, it makes all of that research better. It gives us more confidence in what tools we use. It helps us when we go to make changes and evaluate better strategies.”
More work has gone into evaluating the proper configuration of SFI-approved foam that surrounds the driver’s head within the cockpit as well, specifically addressing the most effective heights, positioning and gaps that best protect the drivers’ heads in a crash.
“The drivers had come to us about this information as we started to exchange this information with them — how can they better digest and they better consume that information and implement into their cars?” Patalak said. “And so right after Thanksgiving, early December, David Green from our Cup safety inspectors and officials [team] went and scheduled shop visits with all the drivers who wanted to participate. And so we had the bulk of Cup drivers and their interior specialists, oftentimes their crew chief, have a car ready at their shop and just go and spend an hour to three or four hours with them and walk through all of these issues. And I think the results of that were very positive.”
By Monday, 27 visits had been completed with six more scheduled ahead of the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 19 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The 2023 year gets underway this Sunday with the exhibition Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum (8 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Another February in Arizona brings another season of short-track racing to the region. It begins with the annual Chilly Willy contested at Tucson Speedway, also known as “The Action Track Built for Speed.”
This year brings the 10th annual Chilly Willy, an event in which Super Late Models, Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Legends and Thunder Trucks compete on the 0.375-mile paved oval over a three-day span.
The main event is the Super Late Models Chilly Willy 150, which caps the weekend with its Sunday evening running. But a full weekend schedule of racing, including practice and qualifying runs, will precede the 150-lap feature.
All of the Chilly Willy racing action can be seen live on FloRacing. Below is the schedule and entry list for this year’s kickoff to the short-track racing season at Tucson Speedway.
What TV channel is the Chilly Willy on in 2023?
All racing action from the 2023 Chilly Willy at Tucson Speedway can be viewed live on FloRacing, the streaming home of all NASCAR Roots properties.
The Chilly Willy will not be shown on a television network.
Below is the complete schedule for Chilly Willy coverage on FloRacing.
Not including Thursday’s practice day, the 2023 Chilly Willy at Tucson features three days and nights of racing involving five divisions: Super Late Models, Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Legends and Thunder Trucks.
The first on-track activity Friday is practice at 11 a.m. MT, and the action continues through the main event — the $10,000-to-win Super Late Models Chilly Willy 150 — on Sunday evening.
Below is the complete track schedule (subject to change) for the 2022 Chilly Willy at Tucson Speedway.
Friday, Feb. 3
Time
Event
8 a.m.
Registration/Pit Gates Open (SLM NASCAR Driver Membership Required)
8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tech Open
8:30 a.m. – close
Tire Barn Open
10 a.m.
Mandatory Drivers & Spotters Meeting
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Scheduled Practice
4 p.m.
Qualifying – Super Late Models / Legends / Pro Stocks
5:55 p.m.
Opening Ceremonies
6 p.m.
50 Lap Super Late Feature(s) / 25 Lap Legend Feature(s) / 50 Lap Pro Stock Feature
(All times MT)
Saturday, Feb. 4
Time
Event
8 a.m.
Registration/Pit Gates Open
8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Tech Open
8:30 a.m. – close
Tire Barn Open
9 a.m.
Mandatory Drivers & Spotters Meeting
10 a.m. – noon
Scheduled Practice
1 p.m.
Qualifying – Super Late Models: Top 3 qualifiers -$250 / $150 / $100 … Top 2 Super Late Models are locked into Chilly Willy 150 … Qualifying – Modifieds & Legends
1:55 p.m.
Opening Ceremonies
2 p.m.
Heat Races & Main Events – Modifieds (75 laps) & Legends … SLM Qualifying Duals (50 Laps): $1200 to Win / $250 to start … Top 10 from each qualifying main will advance to Chilly Willy 150 … (Bon Fire & Chilly feed after racing concludes)
(All times MT)
Sunday, Feb. 5
Time
Event
8:30 a.m.
Registration/Pit Gates Open
9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Tech Open
9:30 a.m. – close
Tire Barn Open
10:30 a.m.
Mandatory Drivers & Spotters Meeting
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Scheduled Practice (All classes for the event) … (Front gate opens at noon)
12:55 p.m.
Opening Ceremonies
1 p.m.
Qualifying – Thunder Trucks … Super Late Model Last Chance Qualifier: Top 6 from Last Chance Qualifier Advance to Chilly Willy 150 … Legends Main Event (50 Laps) … Thunder Trucks Main Event (50 Laps) … Intermission … Super Late Models Chilly Willy 150
A talented field of competitors will be in the presence of NASCAR royalty for this weekend’s Chilly Willy at Tucson Speedway.
Fresh off being enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Hershel McGriff, the 1986 champion of what’s now the ARCA Menards Series West, will serve as the grand marshal for the 10th annual Chilly Willy. Tucson’s flagship event was moved back two weeks so it wouldn’t conflict with McGriff’s induction ceremony on Jan. 20.
With deep family ties at Tucson, including his daughter-in-law Shelly McGriff working as a track administrator, Hershel McGriff enjoys every opportunity to visit the facility. He expects a fun, eventful day of competition in the 2023 running of the prestigious event.
“My kids and granddaughter have all raced at Tucson,” McGriff said. “I haven’t raced there much myself, but I’ve been out there a lot and know many people. With a lot of these guys that are coming out of town [for the Chilly Willy], I raced against many of their dads, so I always have a good time [with this race].”
McGriff’s impact and influence on West Coast stock-car racing remains prevalent. With a storied resume that includes four Cup Series wins to go along with his 37 victories in the West Series, McGriff was instrumental in fortifying the region’s proud history of success that dates to the 1940s when his career began.
Despite all the changes the West Series endured following its first official race on March 28, 1954, McGriff never lost his passion for the division — or for racing in general. He competed in at least one race each decade until his final tentative event at Tucson in 2018 when he was 90.
When McGriff was initially deliberating with his son and fellow racer Hershel McGriff Jr. about where the former would make his final start, they agreed Tucson was the perfect facility for the occasion. The reason was their established connections and the overall quality of the on-track product.
“[Tucson] is such a good, competitive track, because it’s not one groove,” the elder McGriff said. “You can run two grooves and sometimes three a part of the way into the corner. You can have a car with less horsepower and keep it wound up, which always makes for a good show.”
At age 90, Hershel McGriff ran his final race at Tucson Speedway in 2018. He finished 18th after completing 94 of 100 laps. (Photo: Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Tucson track operator John Lashley said he is unsure of where the facility would be today without the McGriff family’s involvement.
Shelly’s input has been invaluable for Lashley when it comes to understanding what drivers need. She provides that while assisting her husband Hershel Jr. with passing down the family’s substantial racing knowledge to their daughter Mariah, who won a Pro Stock title at Tucson in 2019.
Lashley said the professionalism displayed by the McGriffs on many fronts is why Tucson’s culture has thrived over the past decade. He knows the track will only keep growing as long as they’re around.
“No matter where you turn in the McGriff family, they are racers,” Lashley said. “They have racing DNA built into them, but they are all excellent people. Shelly’s influence on the track has expanded as we’ve grown, but her family has gotten more involved with the track, as well. They truly want to help the other racers.”
The development of the Chilly Willy into a marquee short-track event is something Lashley attributes to the hard work of the McGriffs. More than 30 cars are expected for the Super Late Model feature alone, a major improvement over the 16-car field that took the green flag for the inaugural race in 2014.
Being pregnant with her second child is going to keep Mariah out of this year’s edition of the Chilly Willy as a driver, but she does not plan to be too far from Tucson once the weekend’s festivities get going.
For Mariah, the influx of talent for the Chilly Willy, like two-time winner Preston Peltier, has only added to the prestige of the race. It also has created an opportunity for local drivers to showcase their skills on a larger stage.
“The Chilly Willy is one of the biggest races of the year,” Mariah McGriff said. “It’s always a good race to run because you’re going up against the top competitors across the nation. My dad is a crew chief on a few cars, and my husband [Nick O’Neil] is racing in the Modifieds, so I’m just looking forward to supporting both this year.”
Once Mariah has her second child, she is determined to get back behind the wheel and continue her family’s racing heritage that began with Hershel eight decades ago.
Alongside her father and grandfather, Mariah’s mother Shelly also found success as a driver by being the first woman to win an open comp championship on the West Coast during the 1980s. With so much talent in the family, Mariah considers herself fortunate to grow up in an environment that encouraged her to excel both on and off the track.
Watching Hershel McGriff deliver his Hall of Fame speech in person was a special moment for Mariah, who was able to hear stories she had never heard about her grandfather and fully appreciate everything he accomplished.
“[Hershel’s] impact was huge, especially on the West Coast,” Mariah said. “He started back when NASCAR first came about, and the fact that he’s still standing today is impressive, as well. He still has a lot to do with racing today, so it was big to celebrate [his induction] into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, because I know that meant a lot to him.”
Like Mariah, Lashley was in attendance for Hershel’s induction into the Hall of Fame and was overwhelmed by the anecdotes and experiences shared with the audience that night.
Now that Hershel McGriff’s legacy is immortalized by NASCAR, Lashley takes pride in knowing motorsports fans will always be able to cherish McGriff’s influence on racing and enjoy the stories that defined his career.
“Hershel has great recall,” Lashley said. “At 95 years old, he was interviewed for about eight hours a day for three days. That’s a daunting task, but I was listening to his interviews, and I learned so much. What impressed me the most was how honest he was about everything important to him, but that’s the kind of guy he is.”
Hershel McGriff has raced alongside plenty of NASCAR legends, but still hopes to make one more start when he turns 100. (Photo: Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Although he has been unofficially retired for five years, McGriff still believes he has one more chapter left as a driver. He would love to get back behind the wheel at Tucson when he turns 100.
Until that day arrives, McGriff intends to spend as much time with his family as possible. He’s looking forward to observing the current generation of drivers battle for a Chilly Willy victory at Tucson.
McGriff anticipates more changes befalling short-track racing on the West Coast as motorsports continues to evolve. Despite this, he is confident Tucson will continue to flourish with Lashley and Shelly overseeing the day-to-day operations of the track.
“Everything changes,” McGriff said. “John Lashley is pretty organized with everything, so whatever he comes up with will make everything better. He might even be ahead on a few things, and he already pays pretty good money, so that draws some good fields. That also brings the families out, and they always have a great time.”
As everyone makes final preparations for the Chilly Willy, McGriff intends to cherish his first race weekend as a Hall of Famer the only way he knows.
“I’m looking forward to that nice, warm weather,” he said. “I don’t like the wind, and it blows out [at Tucson] pretty good, but I’m looking forward to having a hot dog or two and seeing all my friends.”
Editor’s Note: Today’s Legacy Motor Club preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2023 Cup Series season, ranked in reverse order of best finish in last year’s owner standings.
Legacy Motor Club
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Engine: ECR Engines Driver-crew chief pairings: Noah Gragson-Luke Lambert (No. 42), Erik Jones-Dave Elenz (No. 43), Jimmie Johnson-Todd Gordon (No. 84)
Team outlook: After the merger of GMS Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports in the Cup Series last season, the team saw a much-improved performance from Erik Jones and the No. 43 team. Ty Dillon couldn’t replicate the consistent results as his former teammate, so the team snagged a big fish from the Xfinity Series, bringing in Noah Gragson and crew chief Luke Lambert for the No. 42 Chevrolet after the pair scored eight Xfinity wins in 2022 and reached the series’ Championship 4.
In November, the team made another mega splash as seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson announced he will have co-ownership of the team and compete in a part-time role beginning with the 65th running of the Daytona 500. Two months later, Johnson announced that Petty GMS Motorsports rebranded to Legacy Motor Club and that he will pilot the No. 84 in 2023.
Not one, but two seven-time Cup champions are at the helm of the Chevrolet team, and with two young, exciting drivers coming off impressive 2022 campaigns, Legacy just might serve as the biggest threat to the Cup powerhouses.
NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 42 CHEVROLET
Experience: 18 starts in NASCAR Cup Series. 2022 stats: Second in final Xfinity Series standings; 8 wins, 21 top fives, 26 top 10s (Xfinity); 0 wins, 1 top five, 1 top 10 (Cup) 2023 championship odds (BetMGM): 66-1
Outlook: You can’t have a more fruitful season without a series championship than what Gragson had at the Xfinity level in 2022. Matching Sam Ard’s consecutive race-winning streak en route to eight triumphs on last year’s circuit, Gragson should be considered a playoff threat entering his rookie campaign despite the No. 42 not producing impressive results last season. He will also be paired with his Xfinity crew chief Luke Lambert to carry their stout chemistry into their first Cup season as a duo. There’s every reason to believe Gragson can steal a win or two and earn his way into the 16-driver postseason.
Experience: Six full-time seasons in NASCAR Cup Series. 2022 stats: 18th in final standings; 1 win, 3 top fives, 13 top 10s 2023 championship odds (BetMGM): 66-1
Outlook: Jones appears to be on the precipice of a breakout season as he enters his third campaign with the newly-minted Legacy M.C. The three-time Cup winner seized the evening last September at Darlington Raceway to earn his second victory in the Southern 500, the first time the iconic No. 43 took the checkered flag since Aric Almirola won a rain-shortened race at Daytona International Speedway in the summer of 2014. With the momentum garnered from that “Crown Jewel” victory and a boisterous offseason from the organization, Jones could be in line for a multi-victory year and deep playoff run.
Experience: 19 full-time seasons in NASCAR Cup Series. 2022 stats: Did not compete in 2022. 2023 championship odds (BetMGM): N/A; running part-time schedule
Outlook: He’s no newbie at the Cup level, but Johnson can be considered a rookie when it comes to the Next Gen car. He’ll get his first competitive reps in it when he rips his qualifying laps for the Daytona 500. The No. 84 not only represents the inverse of the No. 48 that Johnson drove to seven championships between 2006-2016 but the quest for his 84th Cup victory that would see him surpass Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough and match Hall of Famers Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip on the all-time wins list. Johnson could certainly pull off the accomplishment as Todd Gordon will sit atop the pit box as crew chief for the No. 84 team. Gordon has crew chiefed 25 wins in the Cup Series and won the 2018 title with Joey Logano. Speedweeks will be quite the thriller as Johnson looks to make the 65th running of the “Great American Race” against the likes of 2022 Truck Series champ Zane Smith, Austin Hill, Travis Pastrana and Chandler Smith.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary season marks its first on-track competition this weekend with Sunday’s primetime Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum in high-wattage Los Angeles. The annual season-opening Daytona 500 is two weeks later – on Feb. 19 – at the most iconic track on the schedule, Daytona International Speedway.
The two venues are a perfect representation of modern-day NASCAR – the bold move into a famed facility like the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that introduces tens of thousands of new fans to the sport in a thrilling, high-energy two days of racing. The other in Daytona Beach is the most famous speedway in the sport hosting an absolute bucket-list weeklong event that has long featured the sport’s legends and provided legendary moments.
The 2023 edition of an ever-evolving NASCAR Cup Series schedule will also mark the debut of a summer street race in downtown Chicago and a return to one of the most iconic and popular venues from its past, North Wilkesboro Speedway for the annual All-Star Race. There is a road course event at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, where Formula One will race later in the year. And there is the traditional Labor Day event in the heart of stock car country at Darlington Raceway – both fan favorites.
For sure NASCAR in 2023 doesn’t look exactly like NASCAR in 1983, but that’s the point of well-considered progress. And the resounding success thereof.
“I take a lot of pleasure in celebrating that time frame whether its 50 years or 75 years, as quick as time goes by now,” longtime NASCAR executive Mike Helton said. “It seems like it wasn’t but a couple days ago we were celebrating the 50th anniversary but when you study the history of our sport you see all the evolutions that went into the first 50 years and then the last 25 years, the things we’ve done and gotten done.
“It’s kind of indicative of that going into 2023 – our 75th anniversary – with the uniqueness of the LA Coliseum for the Clash and then the Chicago Grant Park race because it all signals, yeah, we’ve been doing this for 75 years, but one of the ways we figured out how to do it for 75 years was to stay fresh and current.”
Certainly, the flexibility of the schedule in recent years and the openness to bringing NASCAR to the fan, wherever the fan may be is indicative of the sport’s ever-evolving mindset.
The question isn’t ‘why?’ but ‘why not?’ as the sanctioning body embraces trying bold new initiatives from race locales and Playoff formats; from social media and track entertainment that didn’t even exist during the sport’s grand 50th-anniversary celebration.
“I think it starts with the fan,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said. “Our fans have told us again and again – and again – they want schedule variation. So, whether we’re going to North Wilkesboro for the All-Star race, or to the Chicago street course – in our 75 years we’ve never raced on the street ever – so you’re talking about milestones.
“The Coliseum is 100 years old and for us to go somewhere we’ve never been before and build a racetrack, race on it and then dig it up and put grass back down, that’s big.
“I just think it really comes back to ‘what is going to entertain our fans?’ And we want to put on great racing that will be unique and different and creates visibility for our sport. Last year, 70 percent of the fans that went to the race at the Coliseum had never been to a NASCAR race. … The Chicago street race will probably have a similar number of people having never been to a NASCAR race. And it’s exciting and it’s going to be fun.”
The willingness to think outside the box and to be open-minded is exactly the kind of approach that has sustained NASCAR through so many challenges from the fuel shortage in the 1970s to the COVID-19 epidemic more recently. And the positive results have given the sport and its leadership reason to feel confident going forward with new ideas and approaches.
“In the early days, NASCAR’s game plan was to try and be as consistent as we could for fans to be able to plan and companies involved in the sport to be able to plan because it took that long to do those plans,” Helton said. “Now in the modern world, people make quick decisions and make changes quicker. So, we can move stuff around and have fun and add pizzazz and the industry and the fans aren’t left out.
“They are actually driving us to do things quicker.”
The mix of tradition and innovation is a delicate balance that NASCAR executives take seriously. The cars, the rules, the venues and the speedways are all vital components of that progress.
Yet, above all, is the commitment to stay true to the most fundamental element of the sport: close, safe, thrilling big-time racing in front of packed grandstands – the fans eager and entertained.
“I think anyone who is involved in this sport at all, whether you work at NASCAR, or you work at a race team or for a racetrack, or our fans, it’s just a moment in time for us to take a step back and really celebrate and honor the past which is what we’re going to do,” Phelps said.
“And I think the unique thing is we also need to celebrate what’s happening today in this sport and then a look forward. That’s what we’re going to do. We’re talking about this our “75th” and we have a tagline, “always forward.” That’s going to represent what we’re going to do.
“For anyone, it’s about being a fan. For me personally, I’m just excited about what the opportunity is for us to celebrate 75 years of NASCAR.”
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Interstate Batteries, one of the most tenured team sponsors in NASCAR history, begins its 32nd season as the founding sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) with an expanded presence that will feature the brand’s iconic green livery across all four of JGR’s NASCAR Cup Series entries.
The introduction of Team Interstate more than doubles the Dallas-based company’s visibility with JGR, as Interstate Batteries will have 13 primary sponsorships in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023, up from the six primaries it has typically had each year since 2008.
Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry for JGR, kicks off the Team Interstate effort in the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum Sunday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (8 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM). It marks the first time in Bell’s seven-year history with JGR, which dates back to his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in 2017, that Bell will carry the green-and-white colors of Interstate Batteries, joining such marquee names as Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte and Kyle Busch.
Then, for the first time since 2007, Interstate Batteries returns as a co-primary sponsor in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 19 when it adorns the sides of Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota Camry in the Great American Race. The Daytona 500 will always hold a special place in the respective histories of Interstate Batteries and JGR, as they won their first race together 30 years ago in the 1993 Daytona 500 with Jarrett.
Bell and Ty Gibbs will run the majority of Interstate Batteries’ races, but veteran racers Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., will each carry a primary Interstate Batteries sponsorship. Hamlin, a winner of 48 NASCAR Cup Series races, will drive the No. 11 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry March 26 at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Truex, the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion, will pilot the No. 19 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry July 23 at Pocono Raceway.
“One of the great strengths of our partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing over the last 31 years is the way the sponsorship with them has evolved and changed as our needs as a company and brand have evolved. The expansion of Team Interstate on all four JGR cars during 2023 is the next step in the evolution of our sponsorship,” said Norm Miller, chairman, Interstate Batteries.
“Working together, we always find new ways to use the JGR and NASCAR assets to set up new accounts and sell more batteries. We believe in our partnership and the sport of NASCAR, so when we saw the opportunity to double the amount of races as a primary sponsor — and be a part of such crown-jewel races as the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 again — we knew it made a lot of sense. Since we’ve been with Joe Gibbs and JGR from the beginning, we really feel like all four teams are part of our family, so it’s very exciting for the stars to align and be a primary sponsor with all the JGR teams for the first time ever.”
After racing at the LA Coliseum, Bell returns to Interstate Batteries colors for the NASCAR All-Star Race May 21 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The four-time Cup Series race winner keeps his Interstate Batteries livery for a second straight week when he competes in the Coca-Cola 600 May 28 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bell’s final two Interstate Batteries races are Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and Oct. 29 at Martinsville Speedway.
Ty Gibbs continues his slate of Interstate Batteries races with the Food City Dirt Race April 9 at Bristol Motor Speedway, June 25 at Nashville Superspeedway, July 2 in the inaugural Chicago Street Race, Sept. 24 at Texas and Oct. 8 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
“Our motto at Interstate Batteries is ‘Outrageously Dependable,’ and this expanded partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing drives home that point. We’re incredibly proud of our association with JGR. It’s a program that for more than three decades has resonated with our dealers, distributors and customers,” said Lain Hancock, Chief Operating Officer, Interstate Batteries.
“It’s a winning combination galvanized by the personalities we’ve been associated with at JGR, and it begins with Joe Gibbs. His vision and his ability to put the right people in the right places have made his team and our program a massive success. Expanding our presence with JGR allows us to reap the benefits of the organization’s entire effort, and we’re blessed to have such a talented group of racers represent Interstate Batteries.”
Interstate Batteries helped launch JGR in 1992. In the 31 years that have followed, JGR has scored 200 Cup Series victories — a number that includes four Daytona 500s — and five Cup Series championships. All of JGR’s firsts — win (Jarrett, 1992 Daytona 500, pole (Bobby Labonte, April 21, 1995 at Martinsville) and championship (Labonte, 2000 Cup Series title) have come with Interstate Batteries as the primary sponsor. When all of JGR’s successes are added up across each of the NASCAR series in which it competes, its race victories total more than doubles to 413 (200 in the Cup Series, 193 in the Xfinity Series and 20 in the ARCA Menards Series) with 12 total championships (five in Cup, six in Xfinity and one in ARCA).
“We’re extremely proud of our partnership with our founding sponsor, Interstate Batteries,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “They have been such an important part of our team for over three decades now, and it’s exciting to have them on board all four of our cars this season. The best part of our partnership is the relationships we’ve built with everyone there over the years. It all started, of course, with Norm and Tommy Miller, and now includes Lain (Hancock) and his entire team. It’s going to be a great season.”
Gibbs, along with three of the drivers who have raced for JGR since its inception in 1992, have been inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Jarrett was ushered into the Hall in 2014 while Gibbs, Labonte and Tony Stewart were enshrined together as part of the Class of 2020.
Short-track racing is alive and well in the Arizona desert.
This thanks in part to the existence and excellence of Tucson Speedway, a 0.375-mile paved oval located on the Pima County Fairgrounds about 20 miles southeast of downtown Tucson.
Built in 1968 and having been through multiple renovations over the years, Tucson Speedway became a NASCAR Home Track in 2014. Part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, the venue hosts Super Late Models, Limited Late Models, Pro-Stocks, Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Super Trucks, Hornets, Bandoleros and INEX Legends, almost always featured on Saturday nights.
Tucson Speedway’s flagship event is the Chilly Willy, a Super Late Model race held every January or February to kick off a long season of racing.
Below is everything to know about Tucson Speedway.
When Tucson Speedway was built in 1968 as Raven Speedway, it was constructed as a clay oval. That changed in 1992, a couple years after Brian France took over operations. France led the charge to convert the track to a paved oval.
The venue then went through a series of ownership changes in the early 2000s. Deery Sports West, Inc. purchased the track from France’s group before selling it to Dan and Joyce Ruth in 2005. The Ruths sold it to Mark Ebert. All ownership groups made their own improvements to the facility.
The track closed in 2010 but quickly re-opened in 2013 after local businessman John Lashley had purchased the lease. Lashley again renovated the facility and re-named it Tucson Speedway.
The next year, Lashley’s oval became an authorized NASCAR Home Track.
In addition to its weekly racing — featuring Super Late Models, Limited Late Models, Pro-Stocks, Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Super Trucks, Hornets, Bandoleros and INEX Legends — Tucson Speedway has hosted multiple NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, ARCA Menards Series West races and NASCAR Southwest Series events.
Some of the notable NASCAR names who cut their teeth racing on asphalt at Tucson are Kurt Busch, Ron Hornaday Jr., Mike Skinner and Kevin Harvick.
Below are the results from all of the Truck Series, West Series and Southwest Series races at Tucson dating back to 1993.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Tucson Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The newly announced all-star lineup of drivers for the Garage 56 project was back at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday, but this time without the fanfare, spotlight and festival atmosphere of the Rolex 24 as a backdrop. Instead, the trio of Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button and Mike Rockenfeller were down to business at a virtually empty track, trading their team polo shirts for fire suits in their first test as a group.
The three drivers took turns shaking down the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 test car, getting a feel for the modified Next Gen prototype on the eve of a crucial endurance test Wednesday at the 3.56-mile road course. The two-day session marks the next step in preparations for the project’s expected participation as a showcase entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 10-11.
“It’s the first time to be in a NASCAR car at Daytona, which is where the car really belongs in a way,” said Rockenfeller, who opened the morning session and has been the Garage 56 project’s primary test driver. “So it was nice to do the first laps. I mean, it’s very different to any other track, as we all know, the combination of the banking and then the infield. So yeah, we’re still trying to work on the setup a little bit, but this test mainly is about getting miles, getting the group together the first time, work on maybe some driver change practice and stuff like that.
“So I think tire testing is one big part as well, one big portion. We started this morning, we will continue, so there’s a lot to come on this test. And yeah, I think it’s another milestone in a way, but then we definitely still need a bit of testing after this.”
James Gilbert | Getty Images
The Garage 56 tester — which shared the track Tuesday with the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R that is scheduled to make its IMSA debut next season – will get a generous share of on-track prep during Wednesday’s durability test. The car is scheduled to run for a 12-hour block of track time (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET), stopping only to change drivers or brakes. More endurance testing is scheduled in February at Sebring International Raceway.
The question of whether a NASCAR vehicle could run a 24-hour race was recently broached by Dale Earnhardt Jr. during the 2019 running of the Rolex 24. Earnhardt, in his role as an analyst for NBC Sports, posed that question to engine builder Doug Yates during that year’s broadcast. “But yeah, of course we could do it,” Yates said, noting the balance that teams would have to strike between performance and reliability.
The collaborative team of Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR, Chevrolet and Goodyear will evaluate that balance during Wednesday’s longer haul.
“From my standpoint, I don’t have really any concerns for the car from a durability point of view,” said Johnson, who had also participated in two previous Garage 56 tests. “I think it’s going to be great for Hendrick and a lot of the folks that are here that have not worked through live pit stops and trying to keep the car running like you do an endurance race. I think that for me, I’m more excited about that, so the whole group understands that aspect because there’s a lot of new faces and a lot of first-timers to an endurance race.”
Tuesday presented the first time for the three drivers to get to work and bond in the Daytona garage, working with four-time IMSA champion and Le Mans regular Jordan Taylor. The always clever Taylor, who has been the point of some lighthearted joking for his new role as driver coach and reserve driver, showed up for Tuesday’s test runs with a T-shirt marked “COACH” in big, block letters.
Button, the 2009 Formula One world champion, turned his first laps in the car, taking over from Rockenfeller and loading in just before lunch. The stints marked his first driving experience at Daytona, plus his first hands-on time behind the wheel of a stock car.
“For me, I’ve only done 20 laps, so it’s very difficult for me to talk about where the car is,” Button told NASCAR.com after completing his last afternoon session. “But for me, it’s getting used to the position in the car. Obviously, there is body roll, it feels like it oversteers, but it’s not oversteering; it’s actually just the car itself taking a set. So the car runs like in the Cup Series, it runs very low at the rear, so on the banking, it’s like sitting on the ground. So it’s a lot to learn, but it’s a race car. And I can work with a race car.”
Button’s first impressions also provided a measure of validation for Johnson, who is returning to the NASCAR Cup Series as a part-time driver this season after spending two years on the IndyCar circuit.
“I obviously went the other direction the last two years driving formula cars, and I’ve been waiting for that confirmation just how different the worlds are,” Johnson said of Button’s feedback, to laughs from his co-drivers. “And I got it today.”
Several other elements took shape in the test car’s next stage of development. Most noticeable was the on-track debut of working headlights in place of the faux-headlight stickers. The twin banks of brightness will help light up the evening hours of Wednesday’s Garage 56 test and eventually are expected to illuminate the car’s path through the French countryside during a 24-hour run.
The opening test day also offered a chance for an over-the-wall crew to practice pit stops in a makeshift stall in Daytona’s Cup Series garage. Though the pace of the pit stops is expected to be slower than on a NASCAR weekend to account for driver swaps, the test drivers still screeched to a stop against a Camaro pit sign for a well-choreographed rapid response of four tires and fuel.
The test car’s unofficial lap times compared to those at the top of the GTD class from last weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opener. Though the Garage 56 team won’t be competing for the overall victory as an invite-only entrant in its own category, the project’s performance goals remain set at a high bar.
“We’re all racers,” Johnson said. “And I think we all want to … we’re all looking at these test sessions as an opportunity to make the car as strong as it can be and competitive as it can be. … We don’t have another car that we’re racing, but we all, I think know where we feel like this car, the pace it can do. We just want to help it get there.”
NASCAR’s 75th anniversary will certainly look to be a monumental occasion for each respective driver and team. Fans will additionally have the opportunity to participate in the spectacle, too.
The introduction of NASCAR Fan Rewards will be a way to show appreciation to the latter. NASCAR Fan Rewards is a free program that rewards fans for participating in the action when they watch races and play NASCAR Fantasy. Be sure to join today.
Here are additional pointers on the program:
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE
Fans must be 18 years or older and legally reside in the United States or Canada to participate in NASCAR Fan Rewards.
WHY JOIN
NASCAR Fan Rewards members will earn points toward rewards and experiences. There is no cost to join.
HOW TO JOIN, EARN POINTS
Fans can link their existing NASCAR.com profile to NASCAR Fan Rewards or create a new account from their desktop or mobile device. Once fans are logged into their NASCAR Fan Rewards account, they will earn points by checking into a race from home or at the track, setting their Fantasy Live lineup, making purchases on the NASCAR.com shop and more. For a full list of earning opportunities, click here.
REDEEMING POINT OPTIONS
The Fan Rewards Catalog is a one-stop shop for rewards exclusive to NASCAR Fan Rewards members. Rewards include race tickets, merchandise and VIP experiences at the track, including pace car rides and waiving the green flag at qualifying.
POINT EXPIRATION
All points for U.S. participants will expire on Dec. 31 at midnight PST, beginning in 2023. Points earned in 2022 will roll over into 2023. Points awarded to participants in Canada will expire when and if a participant fails to redeem Reward Points from the participant’s account for a period of 12 months, calculated from either the date of the last Reward Point redemption by that participant or Jan. 1, 2023, whichever is later.
BADGES
Badges act as an opportunity to unlock more earnings. Watch your badges light up as you continue to collect points and achievements. Badges are not redeemable for rewards in the Fan Rewards Catalog.
HOW TO ACHIEVE A HIGHER-TIER STATUS
Earning 3,000 Tier points in a calendar year to reach All-Star status. Earning 6,000 Tier points in a calendar year to reach Champion status. Tier benefits include bonus points, tier graduation gifts and more.
MORE INFORMATION
Click here for full details about NASCAR Fan Rewards.
