Posted on by Track Release

ARLINGTON, Va.– Wednesday, as a prelude to its Memorial Day weekend salute to the U.S. Armed Forces, Charlotte Motor Speedway hosted defending Coca-Cola 600 winner Kyle Larson and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon for a poignant visit to Arlington National Cemetery, where the Hendrick Motorsports representatives laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for approximately 400,000 individuals, including servicemen and women from every major United States conflict since the American Revolution.

MORE: NASCAR Salutes returns

Larson and Gordon were joined by Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith, Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter and Rep. Richard Hudson, congressman from North Carolina’s eighth district, which includes Charlotte Motor Speedway and Fort Bragg.

In addition to the wreath-laying, the group enjoyed a private viewing of artifacts that paint the rich history of Arlington National Cemetery in the Memorial Amphitheater Display Room and watched a changing-of-the-guard ceremony. At the iconic tomb, which marked its centennial anniversary in 2021, members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment known as The Old Guard, stand watch 24 hours a day, a tradition that began in 1948.

“One of the honors of winning the Coca-Cola 600 is getting to come to Arlington National Cemetery and (Washington) D.C.,” Larson said. “I’ve never been here before. Seeing the ceremony for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was truly special – a huge honor. There is so much prestige with the 600. Then having a tradition like this just adds on to that.

“I’m proud to be here today, proud to pay my respects and get to feel the sense of honor here. As I get to come here and experience these things, it gives you even more of an appreciation for the men and women who have sacrificed their lives and are currently serving. Being here today, getting to shake the hands of so many people was special. I look forward to the 600 even more. I’m excited to get back there again. Hopefully I can win again and make another trip.”

Said Gordon: “Tradition is obviously a big part of NASCAR, a big part of the Coca-Cola 600, being on Memorial Day weekend. I love that Charlotte Motor Speedway and NASCAR are coming together to bring the past champion of this event here to Arlington. Seeing the changing of the guard, laying that wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, it really speaks volumes and connects what the 600 means to families out there who have lost a loved one in battle and those who are currently serving. I wish that they had done this when I was still driving. This is something that I’m sure is going to become a tradition for a very long time.”

TICKETS: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Each Memorial Day weekend, Charlotte Motor Speedway pays tribute to those men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice during a moving Coca-Cola 600 pre-race show that includes representation from all five branches of the military.

“It’s such a special opportunity to be back in Arlington as part of Mission 600, and this year to have Kyle and Jeff to celebrate by laying a wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” Smith said. “The whole program for Mission 600 is really an opportunity to celebrate our troops, to celebrate every part of the Armed Forces and to take a special moment to celebrate those who made the ultimate sacrifice. With NASCAR’s entire NASCAR Salutes program, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway serve as the crowning moment to celebrate NASCAR Nation’s love of our military. All the work that goes into it, the coordination with the Pentagon, with Fort Bragg, with all the different groups that come in to help us, it’s such a special thing for us.”

In recent years, the speedway’s salute has expanded to include Mission 600, a campaign pairing NASCAR drivers with military bases designed to educate the NASCAR community about the day-to-day lives of the men and women who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. To date in 2022 on behalf of the Coca-Cola Racing Family of Drivers, Denny Hamlin virtually met members of U.S. Army Central, Kuwait; and Daniel Suarez visited Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach for a first-hand look at training exercises on the water. Additional Mission 600 visits in the coming weeks leading up to the May 29 Coca-Cola 600 will include Coca-Cola Racing Family and other drivers visiting units from the U.S. Army (at Fort Bragg), the U.S. Marine Corps (at Camp Lejeune) and the U.S. Air Force (virtually with a unit at Camp Ali Al Salem, Kuwait).

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson doesn’t have the most experience of late at Darlington Raceway, the track for Sunday’s Goodyear 400, but he has had a ton of success.

DARLINGTON: Paint schemes | Weekend schedule | Betting odds

Since spring 2019, Larson has competed in three races at Darlington and finished second in all three of them – the Bojangles’ Southern 500 (Sept. 1, 2019), the Goodyear 400 (May 9, 2021) and the Cook Out Southern 500 (Sept. 5, 2021). This is why it’s no surprise the NASCAR odds this week have Larson at +500 to win, best in the field.

Larson will enter this week’s race with some momentum after last weekend’s DuraMAX Drydene 400, which was completed on Monday after the race was stopped 78 laps in Sunday due to rain. Larson came back from a spin in Stage 2 to finish sixth and record his third consecutive top-10 finish after leading 19 laps.

The 29-year-old is also in a good position to win this year’s NASCAR Cup Series championship. 

In 11 starts, he has five top-five finishes, including his win in the Wise Power 400 in February. This has him currently ranked eighth in the standings, but at +500, he has the best odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Larson is also the NASCAR betting favorite to win the Cup Series championship, pulling in 9.8% of the tickets and 14.3% of the handle, both the highest of any driver.

A win, or at least continuing his success at Darlington, will only boost his odds and increase his chances.

Besides betting on who will win the race, there are also a few interesting Featured Matchups over at BetMGM.

*** Denny Hamlin (-115) vs. Martin Truex Jr. (-115)

It’s no surprise this featured matchup is so close. Both drivers have had a ton of recent success at Darlington. Since February 2019, Hamlin and Truex have competed in six races at the track. Hamlin has an average finish of 9, while Truex’s is 9.7. 

Hamlin has two wins to Truex’s one. Meanwhile, Truex has led 24.4% of the laps compared to Hamlin’s 9.7%.

Both have +700 odds to win this week, so this featured matchup truly is a toss-up.

 *** Chris Buescher (-135) vs. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+105)

Both Buescher and Stenhouse are +8000 to win the race, but it’s easy to see why Buescher is a favorite in this matchup.

In both drivers’ last six races at Darlington, Buescher has an average finish of 18.5, while Stenhouse’s is 25.7.

With that being said, Stenhouse is coming off a second-place finish last week so, he is entering the week with some good vibes.

*** Kyle Busch (-135) vs. Ross Chastain (+105)

Busch the favorite in this matchup, and it shows in the odds to win the race. He is +900, while Chastain is +1200.

Busch also has faired much better at Darlington than his counterpart. His average finish in his last six races at the track is 12.7, including three top-five finishes. Meanwhile, Chastain’s average finish in his previous four races at the track is 18.8.

*** William Byron (-165) vs. Ryan Blaney (+125)

Byron is the biggest favorite of any of the featured matchups this week. He has two top-five finishes in his last three races at the track. Meanwhile, Blaney has just one top-10 finish in 10 career races at Darlington.

Byron also has slightly better odds to win the race – +1000 to Blaney’s +1400. It is worth pointing out that Blaney’s average finish at the track in their last six races is actually better than Byron’s – 17.3 to 18.5.

At plus-money, Blaney may offer some good value given there isn’t as big of a difference in the two drives as the juice would indicate.

You can view updated Goodyear 400 odds and more online sports betting opportunities at BetMGM.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Editor’s note: NASCAR.com’s Zack Albert is among the 63 voting members — including the fan vote — casting ballots to elect the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023. This year marks his fourth time participating in Voting Day. Here, he shares an explanation of his three choices on his ballot, a handful of honorable mentions and the pick for the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

Class of 2023 selections

Matt Kenseth — As a former Cup Series champion and 39-time winner at NASCAR’s highest level, Kenseth receives the vote on statistics alone. But his sustained on-track brilliance for more than two decades, plus a knack for gathering crown-jewel victories give him the extra edge as a slam-dunk selection. Kenseth quietly assembled a Hall-worthy career. A vote for first-ballot inclusion resonates loud and clear.

Kirk Shelmerdine — The man behind the wrenches and making the pit-crew calls for Dale Earnhardt may have been overshadowed by the larger-than-life personality of the Intimidator. But his four Cup Series titles and bounty of victories while paired with the Man in Black speaks volumes, and his induction is well-deserved.

Hershel McGriff — The longtime West Coast driver came in second to 2021 inductee Red Farmer during the Hall’s most recent vote for the Pioneer Ballot. Amazingly, the 94-year-old only hung up his helmet four years ago. Few can say they have devoted a super-majority of their lives to one pursuit; that’s the case with McGriff and his dedication to NASCAR, which deserves acknowledgement.

Honorable mentions: Harry Hyde will get his due sooner than later as a standout crew chief who worked with a who’s who of stellar drivers; he was third in the voting among Modern Era nominees. … Neil Bonnett merits his own mention as well, not just as a founding member of the Alabama Gang and an 18-time Cup Series winner, but his contributions as a broadcaster.

Landmark Award

Janet Guthrie — This was, by far, the toughest ballot to cast with five overwhelmingly deserving nominees, all of whom have shown unrivaled leadership in their roles. It’s rare, though, to be able to cast a vote for a true barrier-breaker, and that’s what gave the nod to Guthrie, who opened doors for women at all levels of the sport with a multitude of firsts.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Driver Matt Kenseth and crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine — both champions at NASCAR’s highest level — will become the newest Modern Era members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, along with ageless Hershel McGriff, who was elected from a group of five Pioneer Division nominees.

Longtime NASCAR executive Mike Helton also was named the recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR during the announcements made by NASCAR chief operating officer Steve O’Donnell at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.

HALL OF FAME: 2023 nominees | All-time members

Kenseth and Shelmerdine were voted into the Hall of Fame from a group of 10 nominees by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, which met in person for the first time since 2019. The panel met via Zoom in 2020 and did not meet in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Kenseth, who led the Modern Era vote with 69 percent, won the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2003, his fourth full season of competition. Included in his 39 career victories (tied for 21st all-time) are wins in NASCAR’s marquee races — the Daytona 500 (twice), Southern 500, Coca-Cola 600 and NASCAR All-Star Race.

Getty Images | Getty Images
Getty Images

Kenseth’s championship also had ramifications that remain part of the sport today. Though he led the Cup standings for the final 32 events of the 2003 season, he won the series title with one victory. That contributed to the impetus for a playoff, which was introduced the next year and evolved into the elimination format currently in place.

Kenseth also posted 29 victories in the NASCAR Xfinity Series — eighth-most all-time.

“It feels good,” Kenseth said during an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “It’s obviously a huge honor just to be on a list or to be under consideration, but to be voted in really means a lot to me. It’s kind of like the bookend of your career.

“It’s not for anything you did today, but what you did throughout your career. Kind of like the perfect bookend. To go into the Hall of Fame when everything is said and done and all over, to kind of look back at it, it’s pretty neat.”

Kenseth added that, in retrospect, his view of his own career has changed over the years.

“I’ve slowly been changing my view of my career the longer I’ve been away from it,” Kenseth said. “When you’re in the middle of it, I don’t know if it’s a good habit or a bad habit, but it always seemed to work for me, when you’re in the middle of it, you agonize over the losses and the mistakes a lot more than the successes and the wins, unfortunately.

“So I think the longer you’re away from it, certainly, you start to shift your focus a little bit from having knots in your stomach over losing the Daytona 500 in the last corner or getting beat by Jimmie (Johnson) in the last corner way back, 15 years ago, in Las Vegas. Obviously, I still think about it, or I wouldn’t remember that right now.

“Instead of trying to agonize over some of that stuff and trying to figure out how you’re going to be better, you start to change your focus on some of the things that did go right and how extremely fortunate I was to have so many great race teams, crew chiefs, sponsors and owners — everybody that makes it happen to give me the chance to be successful.”

Shelmerdine posted his first win as a crew chief in 1983 at Riverside, California, with driver Ricky Rudd. That was the start of a long skein of success at Richard Childress Racing, where Shelmerdine won championships with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt in 1986, 1987, 1990 and 1991.

RacingOne
RacingOne

The 1987 season was a watershed campaign for the crew chief from Philadelphia. The Earnhardt/Shelmerdine pairing won 11 races and posted 21 top fives and 24 top 10s in 29 starts.

Shelmerdine took the concept of early retirement to an extreme. In 1992, at age 34, he left his role as crew chief to try his hand at driving. All told, Shelmerdine made 41 starts across NASCAR’s top three national series.

In 50 ARCA Menards Series races from 1993 through 2008, Shelmerdine claimed three victories and finished in the top five 14 times. He was named on 52 percent of ballots during Hall of Fame voting.

“I’m still kind of in shock, actually,” Shelmerdine said. “I’ve been on the ballot before, and there’s a whole lot of pretty big names that should be there as well. I just kind of thought it would be a few years before it happened. But my phone started blowing up about 20 minutes ago, and here we are …

“Racing at the level we were at, the things we were trying to do took everything you had and then some,” Shelmerdine said. “That was pretty much all you did. But the longer away it gets to be, the tougher it is to express how much it meant to us at the time and nowadays. It feels really good to get some kind of fresh recognition for it, because it was pretty big for us back then and in our aging minds, it still is.”

MORE: Photos: Scenes from Voting Day

McGriff, who turned 94 in December, competed in NASCAR races for seven decades, starting with the 1950 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and ending with the 2018 K&N Pro Series West race in Tucson at age 90.

RacingOne
RacingOne

In 1954, McGriff picked up his only four victories in the Cup Series, at San Mateo, Macon, Charlotte and North Wilkesboro. The driver from Bridal Veil, Oregon, distinguished himself on the West Coast, winning 37 times, third all-time in what is now the ARCA Menards West Series, and earning the championship in 1986.

McGriff was participating in the Kyle Petty Charity Ride when his name was called, so he didn’t get the official word until the motorcycle riders stopped for fuel.

“I always loved the sport,” McGriff said, “but I couldn’t go full-time because I had to raise a family … I started when they didn’t have go-karts — we just drove street cars. Right after World War II, September 16, 1945, I ran my first race (on a dirt track).

“I borrowed my dad’s 1940 Hudson, got a couple of friends to help me and finished 12th or 13th.”

When Helton was named to the NASCAR presidency in 2000, he was the first person outside the founding France family to hold that position. Helton began his nearly five-decade-long career in motorsports as public relations director for Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The safety of the competitors has always been front-of-mind for Helton, who was a leading voice in NASCAR’s commitment to safety and in promoting the creation of the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

Named Vice Chairman of NASCAR, Helton serves as senior adviser to the sanctioning body and has been a driving force in the charitable endeavors of The NASCAR Foundation.

“It’s kind of humbling,” Helton said. “I’m better suited recognizing people that did things in the sport than accepting. When we first put this Hall together, we kind of knew that it was going to be a big part of our sport going forward, because it could tell of our story from the past. To have been part of that story along the way has been rewarding of its own, but this is kind of out of the box for me. I’m better off recognizing somebody else than being recognized, but I am very grateful.”

On the Modern Era ballot, other top vote-getters (in order) were Harry Hyde, Neil Bonnett and Harry Gant. For the Pioneer Ballot, A.J. Foyt and Banjo Matthews were the other highest recipients of votes, in that order.

An additional vote was cast as the collective result of fan balloting on NASCAR.com. The fan vote went to Kenseth and Gant on the Modern Era Ballot and to Foyt on the Pioneer Ballot.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Bozi Tatarevic

Editor’s note: Bozi Tatarevic is a professional racing mechanic and pit crew member. He will provide technical analysis for NASCAR.com throughout the 2022 season.

Dover was an eventful race and showed the Next Gen car was able to handle some of the biggest forces of any current race track. Dover Motor Speedway has always been tough on race cars, especially as drivers get into Turn 3 and see incredibly high loads from those bumps, so this was an important test in durability for the cars. Engineers, mechanics, and fabricators have often said that race cars were designed and built with the stresses of Dover in mind, because if they could survive there, then they could survive any other oval on the circuit — and the Next Gen car delivered.

RELATED: Chase Elliott wins at Dover | Full Dover race results

While the parts and pieces on the Next Gen car did their job to tackle the forces of Dover, that didn’t mean drivers didn’t have a battle as Dover acted much like an intermediate track with lift-off oversteer being a common thread. As we discussed earlier this year when we saw incidents at Auto Club Speedway, lift-off oversteer is a condition where load transfer happens from the rear to the front tires of a car as the throttle is lifted, which causes the rear tires to lose traction and the tail of the car to snap around. This is also often referred to as the car snapping loose.

One main difference from Auto Club was drivers were able to save the car much more effectively, and that was likely a result of them becoming more familiar with the handling and changes to the car from a setup perspective. We also saw the improvement in how the cars were able to recover if they got flat during such an incident, as Kyle Larson lost both right-side tires during lift-off oversteer where he slid with the wheels locked up but was able to drive back to pit lane on the flats and get a fresh set of tires. He was able to recover successfully enough from that incident to finish sixth.

The situation on pit lane was equally as chaotic as the Nos. 11 and 16 teams did not successfully tighten all of their wheels. While the situation for the No. 16 appeared to be a typical one where a wheel nut was not torqued all the way down, the situation on the No. 11 was a lost wheel nut during the stop and the car taking off without one mounted at all on the left-front wheel. Going back through the footage of the stop, one can see the tire changer on the left front pulled the old tire and attempted to fasten a wheel nut to the new one, but then he noticed the nut had left the socket. He tried to signal the car to stop, but it was too late as the car had already been lowered from the jack and released.

RELATED: Nos. 11 and 16 Cup teams penalized post-Dover

The wheel nuts for the Next Gen car are captured by the socket on the wheel gun using magnets and an o-ring that is mounted inside of the socket. This way the nut stays in the socket as a new wheel is mounted, so the same nut is used to fasten the new wheel. While this typically doesn’t present issues, on occasion there might be debris in the nut or socket that prevents the socket from being retained, causing it to fly off. The tire changers carry a spare nut on their suit, but in this case, the stop was moving so fast that the tire changer never had a chance to grab the spare before the car departed.

Teams are always trying to find an edge on pit road, and pit stops are as fast as they’ve ever been. But part of the errors we see is that this system is all new to teams and pit crews so they’re learning and adapting to prevent mistakes. Justin Fiedler, who is the rear tire changer on the No. 43 of Erik Jones, shared an excellent thread on Twitter showing his perspective on how these pit stops happen and what he has learned in the first 11 races this year.

Paolitorqueled

As Justin shares, one of the biggest challenges is understanding when a wheel nut is tight because the wheel gun is so different from the previous ones they’ve used, and you only have one chance to get it right versus five in the past. This is not uncommon with this style of wheel and wheel nut because it is being fastened to an aluminum wheel that is typically also prepped on the mating surface with a compound to help the nut seat better, so it is hard to get a feel.

This issue has presented itself in other series and there is technology out there to signal when a wheel is fully tight. Some of that has been implemented on Paoli wheel guns similar to ones that are used in the Cup series. The way these systems work is that a torque sensor is installed on the wheel gun along with LED lights. The torque sensor is programmed to a specific torque where the wheel is known to be tight and the LED lights illuminate on top of the gun for the tire changer to know that the wheel nut has been properly torqued. This solves the issues that Justin mentions in his thread above, which is likely what happened with the No. 16.

The issue on the No. 11 can also be covered with additional equipment that is available for those torque sensor systems as they have a central box that they can be connected to for monitoring and logging. The tightness of each wheel can be displayed on the pit box, and if the crew chief or another crew member notices a wheel is not fully tight, then they can prevent a driver from leaving. This data can also be logged to understand what the trends are in how wheels are tightened so teams can get additional data for training and NASCAR and Paoli can get data for possible improvements to the wheel gun.

PaolipitstopmonitorLosing a wheel is something that should not happen, and luckily the instances we’ve seen so far this year have not created dangerous situations. However, the industry should do everything possible to make sure wheels are safely tightened. Training is the biggest part of that, but technological solutions can also offer an additional layer of security.

Posted on by Dustin Albino

Over the course of the past decade, many fans have found reason to cheer on RSS Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. After all, it’s the little team that could, having outrun teams with much larger budgets for years.

Before the 2021 season, RSS Racing made the jump to Ford Performance after running Chevrolets since its entry into the series in 2013.

“With Chevrolet having so many teams, we were pretty low in line of Chevrolets and trying to get some more help,” Ryan Sieg told NASCAR.com. “We figured Ford would want to help more and just tried to get further up on the list to get more help.”

RELATED: Darlington weekend schedule

Initially, there were hiccups, causing the team’s results to sag on the race track. Through it all, the No. 39 car had speed, despite just seven top-10 finishes over the 33-race schedule.

Though it was frustrating internally, Sieg anticipated some glitches along the way. This was the first time his small family-run operation had experienced a switch of this magnitude.

“Last year was a struggle swapping over because everything was new and you’re dealing with new people at Roush Yates (Engines) and we were getting acclimated to how they do things after doing everything with Chevrolet for so long,” he said. “But about three-quarters of the way through last year, we got it figured out and it has carried on to this year.”

Carried over, indeed.

During the offseason, RSS Racing hired new employees for its Sugar Hill, Georgia, race shop. The team also received newer Ford Mustangs from Stewart-Haas Racing, and Sieg now has eight cars in inventory for the No. 39 team.

Tim Nwachukwu | Getty Images
Tim Nwachukwu | Getty Images

On the race track, those newer chassis have paid dividends, with Sieg already matching his seven top 10s from 2021 through just 10 races. And outside of a run-in with Ty Gibbs early into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, Sieg has no finishes worse than 11th.

“It’s been a great year,” Sieg said. “We’ve been fast and pretty consistent, just need to keep working harder to work toward the top five and hopefully eventually get a little further up. It’s been a great year. We just want it to be spectacular and we want to win.”

In past years, Sieg has gotten off to similar starts. In 2019, he had five top-10 finishes through the opening 10 races of the season; in 2020, he fell just below that total with four. As the season progresses and the equipment starts to wear, it will be about how RSS can maintain what it has done thus far.

“We always start out pretty fresh, and that’s an advantage,” said Kevin “Cowboy” Starland, Sieg’s crew chief. “Our biggest challenge is going to be staying that fresh. We’re mixing the cars up, and we’ve got enough cars for Ryan now that we can rotate them out and they all perform well. We’re going to try to have the freshest stuff come the playoffs.”

The start of the year has been promising for RSS. Currently, Sieg’s average finishing position is 11.8, on pace to shatter his previous best (14.6 in 2019). The team’s goal, this time, is not to fade as the year continues.

“We just have to keep defending,” Starland said. “Keep knocking out the top 10s, be consistent and race hard.”

Part of the increased speed is finding additional sponsorship. Last year, RSS picked up sponsor A-Game — a sports drink that launched earlier this year. With two-time World Series champion Johnny Damon as the face of the company, it has helped the team with marketability.

Sieg’s primary sponsor, CMR Construction & Roofing, is one of the shareholders of A-Game. Putting its brand on Sieg’s car helped ramp up the launch of the drink, while also showing its faith in the underdog team.

“I’m excited about Ryan Sieg,” said Damon, whose A-Game company sponsored the Xfinity Series race at Dover Motor Speedway last weekend. “He’s an up-and-coming racer that cares. He wants to bring it every time he races.”

With still 16 races remaining before the postseason begins, Sieg sits ninth on the playoff grid, 45 points above 13th. He has been a factor for the win at both Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, leading on the white flag at his home track.

MORE: Sieg makes gains at Atlanta | Xfinity Series standings

Sitting with the fourth-best average finish among series regulars, Sieg is confident his team will be part of the playoffs for a third time.

“We’re going in the right direction, and we’ve got a couple of speedways,” Sieg said. “Hopefully, we can make a few corrections and find ourselves towards the front for most of the day and try to win somewhere.

“Our stats show that we run right there, and we’ll keep continuing to improve and get better.”

Posted on by Brandon White

Jennerstown Speedway, which recently rejoined the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, welcomes back the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour this Saturday for the running of the Jennerstown Salutes 150.

Jennerstown has undergone numerous changes in nearly 100 years of operation, but the facility has maintained a vibrant short track culture that sees the best drivers in the region battle each other for a shot at a track championship.

Nearly every weekend from May to September features some form of on-track activity at Jennerstown. Along with once again host the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on May 28, the track’s 2022 schedule also includes monster truck events and prestigious races like the Motor Mountain Masters and CRA Fall Brawl to close out the year on Oct. 1.

FLORACING: Catch the on-track action all year long at Jennerstown Speedway

A stout entry list is expected for Saturday’s Jennerstown Salutes 150. Defending Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore headlines the strong field of competitors alongside other notables in Patrick Emerling, Mike Christopher Jr. and Max McLaughlin.

Below is everything to know about Jennerstown Speedway

Jennerstown Speedway

Track Profile

The green flag waves for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Jennerstown Speedway on August 22, 2020. (Nate Smallwood/NASCAR)
Track Jennerstown Speedway
Location Jennerstown, Pennsylvania
Opened 1929
Length 0.522 miles
Banking Nine degrees in turns, six degrees on straightaways
Surface Asphalt

Constructed on the site of the old Jenners Fairgrounds, Jennerstown was subjected to a variety of different iterations before a major revitalization project in 1967 transformed the track into one of the fastest, half-mile dirt ovals in the United States.

Twenty years later, owner Piney Lanksy elected to turn Jennerstown into an asphalt track. This decision quickly brought NASCAR and other major touring series to the facility, where drivers like Ricky Craven, Steve Park, Johnny Sauter and Mike Stefanik all found their way to Victory Lane.

From a local standpoint, Awtey has been one of the most consistent Late Model drivers at Jennerstown with six track championships; the most of any driver. Other competitors that have multiple Jennerstown titles include Garry Wiltrout and Steve Peles, who briefly co-owned the facility during the early 2000s. 

FOLLOW JENNERSTOWN: Twitter | Facebook

The brief closure of Jennerstown from 2009 until 2013 did little to impact the popularity of the track, as drivers from across the country regularly make the trip up to Pennsylvania for an opportunity to compete at the historic half-mile facility.

Now operating as a NASCAR-sanctioned track, another exciting evening of on-track action is ahead at Jennerstown as the seasoned veterans of the Modified Tour look to add their own chapter towards the track’s long and prestigious history.

Below are the complete lists of winners across all NASCAR divisions at Jennerstown Speedway along with the track champions.

Jennerstown Speedway (Nate Smallwood/NASCAR)

East Series races at Jennerstown Speedway

Year-Race No.  Date Winner
6/12/87
6/17/88
7/22/88
6/17/89
7/22/89
6/16/90
6/15/91
6/13/92
6/12/93
6/11/94
5/6/95
5/5/96
5/4/97
8/22/98
6/19/99
6/17/00

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at Jennerstown Speedway

Year-Race No. Date Winner
6/28/87
5/1/88
7/10/88
4/30/89
7/8/89
7/7/90
7/6/91
7/15/95
6/8/96
6/14/97
6/13/98
6/19/99
7/9/05
6/13/06
6/21/20
8/22/20
5/29/21

NASCAR Southeast Series races at Jennerstown Speedway

Year-Race No. Date Winner
1992-11 7/19/92 Jeff Purvis

Jennerstown Speedway track champions

Year Track champion
1987 Steve Peles
1988 Steve Peles
1989 Steve Peles
1990 Steve Peles
1991 Green Gault
1992 Glenn Gault
1993 Charlie Cragan
1994 Charlie Cragan
1995 Jeff Dunmyer
1996 Jeff Dunmyer
1997 Jeff Dunmyer
1998 Mark Cottone
1999 Richard Mitchell
2000 Barry Awtey
2001 Neil Brown
2002 Neil Brown
2003 Barry Awtey
2004 Garry Wiltrout
2005 Tommy Beck
2006 Mark Smith
2007 Barry Awtey
2008 Jason Mignogna
2009 No champion
2010 No champion
2011 No champion
2012 No champion
2013 No champion
2014 Barry Awtey
2015 Matt Sever
2016 Barry Awtey
2017 Jeremiah Kuntz
2018 Garry Wiltrout
2019 Teddy Gibala
2020 Albert Francis
2021 Barry Awtey
Posted on by Staff Report

Voting Day for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023 is scheduled Wednesday afternoon. When this year’s honorees are revealed, NASCAR.com will provide a live video stream of the ceremonies.

BOOKMARK: Watch here on NASCAR.com

The three inductees for the Class of 2023 will be announced Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET from the Hall of Fame’s Great Hall. The recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR will also be revealed.

Fans can tune in to the live-stream broadcast multiple ways — on the NASCAR.com website, through Facebook or by viewing from YouTube. Click below to watch the ceremonies live or set a reminder to tune in. Read on to see more info and the nominees.

THE NOMINEES

NASCAR announced in April the 15 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023, a group that will comprise the first Hall of Fame ballot in two years after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Matt Kenseth (2003 Cup Series champion) and Tim Brewer (two-time Cup Series champion crew chief) join the Modern Era Ballot for the first time; A.J. Foyt (seven-time Cup winner) is added to the Pioneer Ballot along with Sam Ard, who was a nominee for the Class of 2020.

RELATED: Class of 2023 nominees | Elliott, Larson to vote

This is the second nomination class under the redesigned format. Ten nominees appear on the Modern Era ballot, five on the Pioneer ballot – designed to honor those whose careers began more than 60 years ago. Two Modern Era candidates and one Pioneer candidate will be elected as the Class of 2023.

Lesa France Kennedy joins the Landmark Award ballot, an award given for outstanding contributions to the sport. Award winners are also eligible for NHOF enshrinement.

In total, there are 62 people on the voting panel. Because there was no Class of 2022, both Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson will participate as one-time voters as NASCAR Cup Series champions. The 63rd vote is determined via a NASCAR.com Fan Vote.

The Modern Era Ballot and Landmark Award nominees were selected by the Nomination Committee, which consists of representatives from NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks. The Honors Committee, largely comprised of all living Hall of Famers, Landmark Award winners and Squier-Hall Award winners, selected the Pioneer Ballot.

Following are the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2023 nominees and Landmark Award nominees:

Modern Era Ballot

Neil Bonnett, won 18 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including consecutive Coca-Cola 600 victories

Tim Brewer, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief 

Jeff Burton, won 21 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the Southern 500 and two Coca-Cola 600s 

Carl Edwards, winner of 28 NASCAR Cup Series races and 2007 Xfinity Series champion 

Harry Gant, winner of 18 NASCAR Cup Series races, including two Southern 500 victories 

Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief

Matt Kenseth, 2003 NASCAR Cup Series champion and winner of 39 Cup races 

Larry Phillips, first five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion

Ricky Rudd, won 23 times in NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400

Kirk Shelmerdine, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief

Pioneer Ballot

Sam Ard, NASCAR Xfinity Series pioneer and two-time champion

AJ Foyt, won seven NASCAR Cup Series races, including the 1972 Daytona 500

Banjo Matthews, built cars that won more than 250 NASCAR Cup Series races and three championships

Hershel McGriff, 1986 NASCAR West Series champion

Ralph Moody, two-time NASCAR Cup Series owner champion as mechanical genius of Holman-Moody

Landmark Award

Janet Guthrie, the first female to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway race

Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman; established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with Bill France Sr.

Mike Helton, named third president of NASCAR in 2000; career included track operator roles at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway

Lesa France Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice Chair and one of the most influential women in sports

Dr. Joseph Mattioli, founder of Pocono Raceway

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

Peyton Sellers’ defense of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national championship is off to a fantastic start.

The two-time Weekly Series national champion is the early leader in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I standings, which were revealed for the first time this year on late Tuesday afternoon.

Sellers has scored four victories in 11 starts at a pair of Virginia race tracks – South Boston Speedway and Dominion Raceway – to earn 294 points thus far. He has nine top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in addition to his four victories early in the year.

RELATED: 2022 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series standings

He has a 58-point advantage ahead of Layne Riggs, who leads the Weekly Series ranks with five victories early this season between South Boston and Dominion. Another Virginia competitor, Mason Bailey, is currently third in the Weekly Series standings.

Hickory Motor Speedway rookie William Sawalich finds himself fourth overall, with ARCA Menards Series East championship leader Sammy Smith currently scored fifth thanks to an impressive start to the season during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway.

In addition to leading the national standings, Sellers is also the current leader in the race for the Virginia State championship as well as the Southeast championship. Other regional championship leaders include Jared Russel (Midwest), Brett Kressley (Northeast) and Linny White (West).

Other state championship leaders early in the season are Brett Yackey (Arizona), White (California), Jace Hansen (Colorado), Smith (Florida), Zachary Webster (Idaho), Mike Brightman (Massachusetts), Kyle Crump (Michigan), Sean Hingorani (Nevada), Matt Kimball (New Hampshire), Ed Dachenhausen (New York), Sawalich (North Carolina), Russel (Oklahoma), Preston Luckman (Oregon), Kressley (Pennsylvania), Kade Brown (South Carolina), Ronnie McCarty (Tennessee) and Naima Lang (Washington).

NASCAR uses a driver’s best 18 finishes from any sanctioned track in North America to determine the National champion. Drivers received two points for every NASCAR-licensed competitor they finish ahead of, up to 16 cars; and can receive two bonus points for winning from a starting position five through eight, and four points for winning from ninth or further back. State and province championships utilize the best 14 races.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials penalized two Cup Series teams Tuesday for lost wheels during last weekend’s event at Dover Motor Speedway.

The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team for driver Denny Hamlin and the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team of AJ Allmendinger were each issued penalties for violating Section 10.5.2.6 of the NASCAR Rule Book, which specifies the separation of an improperly installed wheel. Because of the safety violations during the DuraMAX Drydene 400, four-race suspensions were issued to each of the following crew members:

RELATED: Hamlin’s woes at Dover | Cup Series standings

• No. 11 team: Crew chief Chris Gabehart, jackman Derrell Edwards, front-tire changer Blake Houston
• No. 16 team: Crew chief Matt Swiderski, front-tire changer Keiston France, jackman Jonathan Willard

UPDATE: On Wednesday, a NASCAR spokesperson said Joe Gibbs Racing will appeal the penalties to the No. 11 team. While under appeal, the JGR crew members listed in the penalty report will be permitted to participate for the No. 11 team.

In the Xfinity Series, two wheel-related penalties were handed out after Dover. The JR Motorsports No. 1 Chevrolet team for driver Sam Mayer was hit with four-race suspensions to three crew members for the loss of a wheel during Saturday’s 200-miler. Crew chief Taylor Moyer and crew members Orane Ossowski (rear changer) and Markus Pierce-Brewster (jack) were suspended for the next four events.

Additionally, the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team on the Xfinity side was fined for having one unsecured lug nut in a post-race check. Crew chief Bruce Schlicker was fined $5,000.

NASCAR officials also announced an indefinite suspension to Jason Houghtaling, the result of a behavioral penalty under Sections 4.4.e of the Rule Book (NASCAR Member Code of Conduct). Houghtaling had been listed as the crew chief of Jesse Iwuji Motorsports’ No. 34 entry on team rosters for the first eight races of the season.