Posted on March 26, 2022March 26, 2022 by Sean Montgomery

Echopark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas (COTA)
(⏰ 3:30 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s twists and turns in Texas, the sixth regular-season NASCAR Cup Series race of the 2022 campaign.

Race-day info 📝

Where: Austin, Texas
Approximate start time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Grand Marshal: Michael Waltrip
Pace-car driver: The Undertaker, WWE superstar
Forecast: Sunny, with a high near 86 degrees, according to NOAA.gov
Race distance: 68 laps | 231.88 miles
Stages: 15 | 30 | 68
Pit-road speed: 40 mph
Caution car speed: 50
The Purse: $8,799,709
COTA 101: Get the full lowdown | Weekend schedule
Starting lineup: How drivers stack up Sunday
Pit stalls: Assignments for Sunday | Expert pit analysis

Key things to watch 🔑

Practice and qualifying notes: Ryan Blaney bounced back after an early practice incident, blazing his way to his second Busch Light Pole Award of the season. While names like Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and AJ Allmendinger have dominated road courses as of late, a mix of new faces atop the leaderboards raised eyebrows and surely shuffled around favorites for Sunday’s race. Trackhouse Racing continued to flash its early-season strength with Daniel Suárez missing out on the pole by just .026 seconds.

Cole Custer also made an early statement. His name was toward the top of the practice and qualifying leaderboards throughout the morning, and he emerged as a serious contender for Sunday. He will start third. We’ve seen plenty of parity on ovals to start the Next Gen era. And from an early assessment, it looks like it will translate to road courses, as well. | Practice, qualifying recap

Big story line: Chase Elliott hasn’t had a terrible start to the season, like some drivers with high pre-season expectations. After his best finish of the season — sixth — at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Elliott took the lead over Joey Logano in the Cup Series points standings. Yet six races into the season and after each of his teammates has already reached Victory Lane in 2022, questions along the lines of ‘When will it be the No. 9’s turn?’ have begun to roll in. Circuit of The Americas, a 20-turn, elevation-changing gauntlet, could not have come at a better time for the road-course ace. The No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports wheelman won this race a year ago and has finished first in six of the last 11 races with left-and-right turns. In those last 11 road-course races, he’s only finished outside of the top four twice. Even though he’s winless so far this season, he’s arguably been the most consistent driver to this point. And Elliott remains one of the key drivers to beat Sunday in Texas. | BSD: Does Elliott need to win at COTA?

Who’s hot? Who’s not?: Is there a driver on the planet as in-form as Ross Chastain is right now? He’s finished top three in the last trio of races, including a pair of runner-ups. And while he’s yet to cross the finish line first, his consistency makes him a threat to win every week. While he doesn’t have the strongest history at road courses, he did finish fourth here last season. Chastain is a serious contender and is on pace for the best season of his entire racing career. A driver trending in the opposite direction is Austin Cindric. Cindric opened the season with an electrifying win in the Daytona 500 but has been relatively quiet since. Four straight finishes of 12th or worse leaves you scratching your head a bit. But the young, talented, multifaceted racer should return to form on a familiar road course where he placed fifth in the Xfinity Series race in 2021. | See where each driver ranks so far

Driving under the radar: One of the most impressive drivers this season has been Kurt Busch. The veteran has had a very strong start with his new, young 23XI Racing team. Busch leads the series with a 9.6 average finish compared to his 21.6 average start. That means he’s getting much of his work done in the race even when he doesn’t qualify well. The No. 45 team still hasn’t flashed race-winning speed and they’ve only led eight laps this season. But with back-to-back top fives and a strong start to another title-seeking campaign, Busch should have a lot of confidence heading into COTA. | Cup Series standings

Joey Logano speeds down a straight during last year’s race. | Getty Images

Race-day staples ✅

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Power Rankings: Chase Elliott set to complete Hendrick playoff bids? | See which drivers are rising
• Paint Scheme Preview: Awesome schemes for Austin | Pick a favorite
• Fantasy Fastlane: The weekend of the underdogs at COTA | Top sleepers to include
• NASCAR betting: Cup Series odds for Circuit of The Americas | Solid bets, longshots

Catch the pack 💨

Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.

• Back at COTA: Kyle Busch out to build on ‘decent speed’ so far in COTA return | See Busch’s take
• The legend himself: WWE’s Undertaker set to drive pace car | Learn more
• Hold your horses: No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports team will serve penalty | Inspection report
• Early reps: Blaney tops qualifying, Busch tops practice | Read full recap
• Technical analysis: How Next Gen’s new features impact flexibility at road courses | Expert insight
• Hammer down: RFK Racing penalized 100 points, fined $100,000 | Team will appeal | More details | Video breakdown
• Women’s History Month Spotlight: Terrin Waack | Read more about award-winning journalist
• Watching Wallace: Bubba Wallace to run Xfinity Series race at COTA with JGR | Full story
• Start your engines: Waltrip named Grand Marshal for Sunday’s race | Read more
• At-track photos: First look at NASCAR action at COTA, updated throughout the weekend | See photos

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

NASCAR Creative Design

• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
• Placing your picks: Ringers, Allmendinger and bad bets at COTA | Top tips for Sunday
• Backseat Bets: Who wins head-to-head matchups at COTA? | Hear what the experts said
• BetMGM: Elliott, Allmendinger headline this week’s matchups | Who’s your pick?
• The Action Network: See which prop bet to jump on | Find out here
• Weekly props: Boris Said or the regular ringers? | Make your picks
• Going all the way: NASCAR betting: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Another chance at COTA 🤠

Sunday marks the second-ever NASCAR race at this Texas track. Take a look back at some important details.

• Ride along: Turn-by-turn analysis | Learn about all 20 turns
• Youth movement: Drivers under 30 have been dominating road courses | See the last 11 winners
• Not one, not two: NASCAR’s all-time winners on road courses | Who has the most?
• Memory lane: Some of our favorite recent road-course moments | Which ones do you remember?
• Inaugural race: Chase Elliott flexed his road-course muscle, yet again | Full 2021 race recap

Fast facts ⏩

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Chevrolet has won 10 of the last 11 road course races and only one has been won by a driver over 30 (AJ Allmendinger).
• The final green-flag stretch was 10 laps or fewer in eight of the last 10 road-course races.
• COTA is the first of six road-course races on the 2022 Cup Series schedule. Last season’s race here was the inaugural NASCAR event at the track.
• Ross Chastain is the first driver without a Cup Series win to finish top three in three straight races since Alex Bowman in 2019.
• COTA is the fourth different track where the Cup series has competed in the state of Texas: Texas World Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Meyer Speedway in Houston.

Say what? 🎙

Getty Images

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

• “We’re excited to go back to COTA. We did not run well there last year at all, so I feel like we want to show that we’re better than we were running even before the crash knocked us out of the race. There’s no rain in the forecast this weekend, so we should be able to put on a much better show than what we had there last season with all the rain and visibility issues. I’m looking forward to it. I think it should be a fun race.” — Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

• “I think it gives me a lot of confidence, especially since we talk about the Next Gen car being an equalizer, and then COTA also. Everyone has only been there one time and I didn’t realize talking to my teammate Michael McDowell that they only ran like one lap in the dry all weekend, which was for qualifying I believe. We were able to practice in the dry the day before and even that I feel like I have more laps in the dry than anyone there, so I’m just really looking forward to it. It’s a beautiful race track. I love road course racing in general. It’s a lot of fun. It seems like you’re always busy inside the car, so, overall, I’d say I have a lot of confidence going to COTA and I’m just super excited about it in general.” — Todd Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford on the confidence from winning at COTA last year in the Truck Series.

Posted on March 26, 2022 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit for Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on March 26, 2022March 26, 2022 by Holly Cain

AUSTIN, Texas — Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney will start from pole position in Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), becoming the first multi-time pole winner of the 2022 season — tallying eight in his career.

Blaney’s lap of 92.759 mph around the 3.41-mile, 20-turn road course in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford held up to a late charge by Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez, who edged Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer for the outside of the front row but was still just .026 seconds off Blaney’s fastest lap.

RELATED: Sunday’s lineup | Inspection failures | COTA weekend schedule

“I wouldn’t really say I’m a great road-course racer by any means, I enjoy road courses a lot but never been in great contention to win one,” Blaney said, adding, “So I would say I’m an average road-course racer. And honestly what made me happy about the pole was that we were fifth in our (first round) group and barely made the Round of 10 and then picked up half a second from first round, so I was as proud we picked up that speed.”

Custer will start third, lining up alongside Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick. Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman, Team Penske’s Joey Logano, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley and Team Penske rookie Austin Cindric rounded out the top 10.

It was quite the day’s comeback for Blaney, 28, who went off course and hit the soft barriers during opening practice but was able to rebound to the top position when it mattered most.

“Talk about an up-and-down day for sure, from putting it in the barriers on my third lap and not knowing if the car was killed, if we would have to go to a backup, what it was going to take to fix it,” Blaney said, noting the incident with the barriers knocked his left-side mirrors off, preventing him from being able to really see the damage on the left side.

“I got out of the car and looked at it and it was scuffed up but not too bad,” he said. “They went through everything thoroughly and nothing was bent so got really lucky, honestly from a mistake of mine. Really lucky we hit those plastic blocks.”

Notably absent from the final 10-car round were defending COTA race winner Chase Elliott, who was 12th fastest in qualifying. His teammate and the reigning series champion Kyle Larson was 13th fastest.

Kyle Busch, a four-time road-course winner, was only 15th fastest and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. — another four-time road-course winner — was 17th fastest. Road-course ace A.J. Allmendinger was 20th — fast in practice but having a hiccup in qualifying.

Busch topped the lone practice session of the morning, capitalizing on a seven-lap run and a 132.455-second lap time at a top speed of 92.68 mph. The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing machine was the only Toyota in the top 12 on the leaderboard. JGR teammate Christopher Bell was next in line in 13th, more than a second behind.

Harrison Burton (fourth) and Blaney (seventh) led the Ford group at 92.436 mph and 92.376, respectively.

PRACTICE: Results from Saturday’s session

Chevrolet finished with the most drivers inside the top 10 after practice, led by Trackhouse Racing: Suárez (second), Bowman (third), Reddick (fifth), Ross Chastain (sixth) and Allmendinger (eighth). Chevrolet has won 10 of the last 11 road-course races.

Contributing staff reports.

Posted on March 26, 2022March 26, 2022 by Zack Albert

AUSTIN, Texas – The NASCAR Cup Series season to date has been a curious mix so far for Kyle Busch, who tried to explain those ebbs, flows and undulations Friday afternoon at the Circuit of The Americas. The mostly flat expression said it all.

Five races in, there’s more to the season’s story for the driver of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota, and maybe more to crow about than his explanation might reveal. He has the chance to improve on what’s already there in Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (3:30 p.m. ET, PRN, SiriusXM), just the second Cup Series race at the 3.41-mile circuit and the first road-course event for the Next Gen car.

RELATED: Weekend schedule: COTA | At-track photos

“I think the car is fine. We are all trying to figure it out and learn what it potentially is and what it is that makes it go fast, what the knobs are that you need to turn at particular places,” Busch said about the adaptation. “I feel like we’ve had decent speed everywhere we’ve been except Phoenix. Phoenix was really bad. Vegas, we were fast – coulda, shoulda, woulda. California, we were OK, worked on it and came back from five laps down. Picked up 10 spots in five laps. Last week was fast. Probably one of the fastest cars in the field and just got caught up in a wreck. We don’t really have anything to show for this year, which is disappointing. No stage points. That’s about it.”

The frank assessment did omit some of the plusses from Busch’s season so far. His stage-point count is actually better than zero, but it’s still just a meager eight – placing him in a tie for 22nd-best in the series. Still, he’s currently the only JGR driver with a top-five finish this year, and that was the fruit of a mammoth rally at Las Vegas to lead a season-best 49 laps and claim fourth.

Last week’s 33rd-place effort at Atlanta Motor Speedway ended in a tangle with Austin Dillon that set him back a piece, knocking him from second place in the Cup Series standings to 11th. Busch was mostly mum in the Atlanta garage after the early exit before the Stage 1 break, but had a more detailed perspective to share five days later.

“I mean, a couple of replay angles I saw looked a little tough to exactly decipher, but from my vantage point in this seat, I think the air changed in front of him and he wasn’t ready for the air change that happened and he got loose, and then I touched him,” Busch said. “Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know. But I certainly wouldn’t push through the corner. I’m smarter than that, better than that. I wasn’t trying to push anybody else any other part of the day through the corner. It wasn’t the time in the day to be pushing. We’re not even in the first stage yet. So I hate it for him. I think he lost it.”

MORE: Cup Series standings

Busch and Co. return to COTA under far different conditions – sunny warmth instead of last year’s rain-sloshed debut in Austin. Busch led 12 of 54 laps, won Stage 2 and ultimately wound up 10th behind race winner Chase Elliott here in 2021. He paced the opening practice session on Saturday morning.

Busch has four road-course wins in the Cup Series – two each at Sonoma and Watkins Glen – and the schedule’s recent influx of more road circuits has forced the field to sharpen skills at this discipline.

“I’ve always enjoyed the road racing,” Busch said. “Back years ago, when we had two on the schedule – Sonoma and Watkins Glen – it was kind of fun because it was like an off-week. You would go and enjoy the experience and try to learn and get better at it each time that you would do it, but now that there is six of them on the schedule, it’s definitely more loaded towards needing to be good at it — not wanting but needing with the amount of road-course races we have. I feel like I’m a decent road racer and would love to have a chance to showcase that here on Sunday.”

Posted on March 26, 2022March 27, 2022 by Zack Albert

Race-day update: NASCAR has announced the final list of cars to the rear.

No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford for driver Joey Hand (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet for driver AJ Allmendinger (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 27 Team Hezeberg Ford for driver Loris Hezemans (Daytona engine change)
No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford for driver Michael McDowell (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 43 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet for driver Erik Jones (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford for driver Boris Said (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet for driver Josh Bilicki (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford for driver Andy Lally (Three inspection failures; will also serve pass-through penalty)

AUSTIN, Texas — NASCAR officials cited five Cup Series teams for multiple failures in Friday’s pre-qualifying inspection at the Circuit of The Americas.

The No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford, driven this week by Andy Lally, failed inspection three times and will not be able to participate in Saturday’s Busch Light Pole Qualifying (11 a.m. ET, FS1). Lally will also have to make a pass-through penalty on pit road after the green flag to Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM) and had a team member (engineer) ejected.

RELATED: Weekend schedule: COTA | At-track photos

Four teams failed inspection twice before the garage closed Friday evening, and each will be down a crew member for the weekend. Those teams, plus the type of crewmember ejected, are:

• No. 6 RFK Racing Ford for driver Brad Keselowski (car chief)
• No. 50 The Money Team Racing Chevrolet for driver Kaz Grala (chassis specialist)
• No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford for driver Boris Said (chassis specialist)
• No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet for driver Josh Bilicki (race engineer)

The Nos. 6 , 50, 66 and 77 teams each passed inspection on their third attempts. The No. 78 team passed on its fourth try during Saturday morning inspection.

The No. 6 team announced earlier Friday that it would appeal the L2-level penalties that NASCAR officials handed down Thursday after an inspection at its Research & Development Center.

Lally, the 2011 Cup Series Rookie of the Year, is making his second Cup start in the last 11 years. He drove one race — Indianapolis Road Course — for Live Fast last season.

TMT Racing is making just its second start of the year, its first since Grala finished 26th in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Posted on March 25, 2022March 26, 2022 by Track Release

AUSTIN, Texas (March 25, 2022) – Circuit of The Americas is “resurrecting” one of WWE’s biggest names for this weekend’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. The Undertaker will descend upon NASCAR at COTA on Sunday to lead the field to the green flag as Honorary Pace Car driver.

Houston, Texas-native Mark Calaway, best known as “The Undertaker,” is one of WWE’s most popular and enduring figures and a pop culture icon. He is a multi-time WWE and World Heavyweight Champion, a six-time tag-team champion and a Royal Rumble Match winner.

Next week, he will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

In addition to his larger-than-life persona, The Undertaker is known for his WrestleMania streak of 21 consecutive victories.

“I am honored to be the Honorary Pace Car driver at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix in Austin,” said Calaway. “It’s a big week for Texas with WrestleMania in Dallas on April 2 and April 3, and I am excited to kick it off at Circuit of The Americas.”

Posted on March 25, 2022April 3, 2022 by Staff Report

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

Note: All times are ET.

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

Monday, March 28
2:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss 250 (re-air), FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series XPEL 225 (re-air), FS2
11 a.m., IMSA Auto Racing: Michelin Pilot Challenge, USA
Noon, NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss 250 (re-air), FS2
1 p.m., ARCA Menards Series East, USA
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock
10:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (re-air), FS1

Tuesday, March 29
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, Radioactive: Best of Richmond, FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Nalley Cars 250 (re-air), FS2

Wednesday, March 30
1 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (re-air), FS2
4 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss 250 (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Boundless: Betty Skelton, FS1

Thursday, March 31
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Game Night: Family Edition, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Radioactive: Best of Road Courses, FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Classics: 1986 Miller High Life 400, FS2

Friday, April 1
1 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Best of Radioactive: Road Courses, FS2
3:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Game Night: Family Edition, FS1
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1986 Miller High Life 400, FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Best of Radioactive: Road Courses, FS2
11 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Game Night: Family Edition, FS2
Noon, ARCA Menards Series NAPA Auto Parts 150, USA
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1986 Miller High Life 400, FS1

On MRN
6:30 p.m., Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150

Saturday, April 2
6 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1998 Autolite Platinum 250, FS1
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, FS1
9 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Weekend Edition Richmond
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole Qualifying, FS1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Xfinity, FS1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250, FS1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250, FS1 (re-air)
10:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, FS1 (re-air)

On MRN
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole Qualifying
1 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250

Sunday, April 3
12:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250, FS2 (re-air)
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250, FS1 (re-air)
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive, FS1
7:30 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1986 Miller High Life 400, FS1
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250, FS1 (re-air)
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Richmond, FS1
3 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Richmond, FOX
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400, FOX

On MRN
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Staff Report

Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing announced Friday afternoon via a statement that the team will appeal the L2-level penalty NASCAR officials issued to its No. 6 NASCAR Cup Series team.

“In connection to the penalties announced yesterday by NASCAR, we have filed a notice of appeal and look forward to the opportunity to work through the process,” the statement read.

MORE: RFK No. 6 docked 100 points, McCall suspended

NASCAR officials issued an L2-level penalty to the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing team on Thursday morning, penalizing the team 100 driver points and 100 owner points. The penalty comes under Sections 14.1 and 14.5 in the NASCAR Rule Book, both of which pertain to the modification of a single source supplied part.

In addition to the points penalties, crew chief Matt McCall was fined $100,000 and suspended from the next four NASCAR Cup Series points races. Should the No. 6 team of Brad Keselowski qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, it will be penalized with the loss of 10 NASCAR Playoff points.

Next up: A three-member panel from the National Motorsports Appeals Panel will hear and consider the appeal at a later date.

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Chase Wilhelm

Like her last name is pronounced, NASCAR.com writer Terrin Waack walks the walk, but she’ll let her achievements do the talking.

In January, Waack won the 2020-21 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year award, a prestigious accomplishment bestowed upon a writer within the motorsports industry. She earned it for various pieces of work, including:

• Saving the season: A five-part series detailing how NASCAR ran its 2020 season amid COVID-19 pandemic
• Racing helps soul of NASCAR fan Travis Carpenter
• A local lovin’ concessions crawl at Road America
• Timing everything: How to consistently nail the perfect pre-race flyover

Waack has worked for NASCAR since July 2019. Prior to her current run in Charlotte, North Carolina, Waack was a beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News with a focus on University of Alabama athletics, which is also where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in journalism. Her work has also been featured for the Associated Press and in The Chicago Tribune.

Waack is the first woman in NASCAR.com history and third woman ever to win the NMPA Writer of the Year award.

“I love supporting females in the industry,” Waack told NASCAR.com. “Don’t get me wrong, you need to earn it. But, I think when you earn it and when you’re doing well, you deserve the support and recognition. So, to get that support and recognition as not only a female, but as a writer, meant so much to me. It was a huge shock.”

The above interview with Waack via Zoom showcased just two of five total awards she earned during the awards ceremony. What is just as telling regarding her accomplishments is the countless lanyards hanging beside them, which contain media credentials from national and international events she has covered throughout her career.

“They are all different,” Waack said. “There’s football, NASCAR, Formula E, boxing, golf and even a gaming championship. I’ve covered so many different things and they all have a special place in my heart. To see them is a reminder of what all I have done and what more I can do.”

Waack’s passion for sports transfers over to her personal life. In her spare time, she loves to run long distance and participate in boxing classes. She completed her first marathon in December 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

The juxtaposition of her personal and professional life exhibits a constant focus in striving for perfection — on the run to improve her physical fitness each day, but never willing to run away in the face of adversity — hitting a challenge head-on and with success in a profession that is continually evolving.

Her biggest piece of advice to other young women looking to break barriers is to work hard, take all the opportunities you can and don’t be scared to accomplish your goals.

“Any fear I have in going toward a situation, it’s like well, if you don’t do it, then you’re out of a job,” Waack said. “If I don’t get the interview, then I don’t get the story and that’s me not completing my job. That squashes any fear or nervousness I have in a situation.

“Knowing I am employed, I do have a job, I have a spot at the table, whether or not someone believes I deserve it, I don’t care. I have it. It’s mine. You’re not going to take it from me unless you do better than me.”

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Kyle Souza

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has a storied history of teams, tracks and fans who have been around the sport for decades. Many who travel to events have been attending for years, and the teams remain committed to racing at the highest level with the goal of becoming a NASCAR champion in mind.

Better yet, the series also attracts specific followings at different tracks, and with a diverse schedule in place for 2022, more new fans than ever before will see NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing at their local short tracks.

Behind the scenes, work continues to produce the best for teams, drivers and fans alike. For 2022, that work is not just coming from NASCAR and the tracks, but also from an outside promotional group that is joining the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour for the second straight year.

JDV Productions, led by former Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park general manager Josh Vanada, will bring the Tour to four different venues in 2022. Vanada and his team have leased some of the Northeast’s top venues to bring the rumble and roar of NASCAR’s oldest touring series directly to diverse fan groups — specifically to some tracks the Tour has not visited in years.

JDV will continue to bolster the series through its own channels with some of the top professionals in short-track racing working behind the scenes to make it all possible.

Vanada, who grew up in a racing family, has been through the ranks of the sport. He started as an official at Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway, where he became the Chief Starter. Years later, he operated one of the most historic tracks in the country, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, as General Manager.

“From the first time I saw a Modified, I was hooked,” Vanada told NASCAR.com. “There was something about the wide stance, low-to-the-ground look and noise that just drew me in. It’s important to me that our team produces regional stock car racing events with national quality. I think the Whelen Modified Tour fits in nicely with what we are trying to do with JDV Productions. It’s professional, organized and nationally recognized.”

The JDV season opens May 21 at New Hampshire’s Lee USA Speedway with the Granite State Derby 175, and it will conclude at New Hampshire’s Claremont Motorsports Park on July 29 with the Clash at Claremont. In between, the Tour will visit Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway on Memorial Day weekend (May 28) and Monadnock Speedway in the mountains of New Hampshire on June 18.

All four events will include a full slate of local track house divisions, most under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series sanction.

In 2021, Vanada and his team operated successful events at Jennerstown, New York’s Oswego Speedway and Maine’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. This year, they’re taking the next step.

“I’m very encouraged by the energy and momentum that the NASCAR industry has this year, starting with the (Cup Series’) Clash at the Coliseum,” Vanada said. “The competition has been intense, and the crowds have been spectacular. It was encouraging to see a sellout crowd for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opener at New Smyrna. We are looking to build on that momentum in the Northeast.”

JDV will bring the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to Lee for the first time since 1998 and to Claremont for the first time since 2007. The return to Jennerstown will be for the fourth straight year (second under JDV), and Monadnock’s high-banks will host the Tour again after a hiatus in 2021.

Fans look on during the Laurel Highlands 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Jennerstown Speedway in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania and wins on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. (Nate Smallwood/NASCAR)

“I’m excited about each of our events for different reasons. The returns to Lee and Claremont, honoring our fallen heroes with a special Memorial Day weekend race at Jennerstown, and dueling it out on Monadnock’s high-banks — they will all provide their own unique flare for a race fan,” he continued. “New England has always been home to me, and while the Modifieds are nationally recognized, New England is Modified country. It’s important that the Whelen Modified Tour competes on the tracks with the fans who are most passionate about them.”

As part of the season, JDV and Whelen Engineering have teamed up to bring the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup into the series. With more than $15,000 as part of the bonus program, the three New Hampshire events — Lee, Monadnock and Claremont — will give teams even more incentive to chase the checkered flag.

“The Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup brings the series to New Hampshire three times and invites local drivers like Steven Dickey to take on three-time champion Justin Bonsignore and the rest of the field,” Vanada said. “Giving the drivers and fans access to that competition is something that we view as important.”

As part of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup, the team who sees their driver earn the most points over the three events will earn a smooth $5,000 as the champion to be crowned at the Claremont finale. Second place will earn $2,000, with third collecting $1,000.

Other awards involved in the Bonus Program include:

$200 Challenger Bonus per race – offered to the driver who competed in fewer than 50 percent of the races in the past two seasons
$200 Hard Charger Bonus per race – offered to the driver who gains the most positions from their starting to finishing position in each event
$500 Lap Leader Bonus – offered to the driver who leads the most laps over the three events in the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup
$800 Consistency Bonus – offered to the driver who has the worst average finish over the three races

JDV will also offer the JDV Experience at all four races, and it’s something fans won’t want to miss. They can purchase an all-inclusive pass for a special treat of a day at the races.

Available now, the JDV Experience will give fans who purchase special tickets preferred seating at the specific race, but that’s just the start. The JDV Experience will also offer fans a private autograph session with some of the top Whelen Modified Tour drivers, a JDV Experience hat, a tour of the inspection area in the pits and a voucher for track concessions. Fans can purchase the Lee USA Speedway Experience for $150 per person, or the other three events for $125.

RELATED: How to buy the JDV Experience

“It’s important to us to provide the best entertainment we can. We have many different ways to take races in from purchasing a grandstand ticket, to a pit pass, to the premium JDV Experience,” Vanada said. “Regardless of that ticket a fan purchases, they are going to get the great wheel-to-wheel, door-to-door racing that will showcase a variety of stock cars with New England’s most talented drivers behind the wheel. Meanwhile, we will build events around the racing – that includes unique trophies, appropriate pageantry, autograph sessions and excitement all the way through.”

Above all, Vanada and his team want what is best for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the teams, drivers and fans who support one of the top short-track divisions in the country.

“It’s easy to work with people when you value the same things. Since I’ve started working with Jimmy Wilson (director of the Whelen Modified Tour) 10 years ago, we have often thought similarly about important preparation and execution that go into these events,” Vanada said. “We do most of our work prior to the race, communicate widely, prepare for the unknown and demand that our events are executed with national quality.

“When two teams come together around those ideas, success is a lot easier. We’re grateful for our partnership with NASCAR, and we’re looking forward to some competitive racing for fans to enjoy in 2022.”

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