Analysis: Can Denny Hamlin turn it around at Phoenix?

Posted on March 11, 2022March 11, 2022 by Terrin Waack

Denny Hamlin’s delivery has been delayed, but it could arrive at Phoenix Raceway.

The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, whose primary sponsor is FedEx, has yet to finish better than 15th so far this season. He placed 37th at Daytona International Speedway, 15th at Auto Club Speedway and 32nd at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s only the second time in his career he did not manage a top 10 through the first three races; the other was 2010.

PHOENIX: Weekend schedule | Paint schemes | Betting odds

Hamlin registered a DNF at Daytona and Las Vegas, and two DNFs this soon is a first for him. He crashed out at Daytona after completing just 63 of the 201 laps – unlike the three-time Daytona 500 winner – and had a drivetrain issue at Las Vegas with 55 laps remaining. Las Vegas was also unfortunate for Hamlin because he had led 31 laps – currently his only time out front.

Out of the six completed stages, Hamlin has worked his way into the top 10 three times. Given his front-running at Las Vegas, it’s no surprise two of those occurred there – fourth in Stage 1 and ninth in Stage 2. And given how he wrecked out before the first stage even wrapped at Daytona, it’s easy to conclude the third effort was at Auto Club – 10th in Stage 2.

Those 10 stage points paired with his 28 race points leaves him with 38 points overall – and therefore 30th in the standings. At this point last season, Hamlin was atop the rankings board with 139 points after inking fifth (Daytona), third (Daytona Road Coruse) and 11th (Homestead-Miami Speedway) on the early schedule sheet. Hamlin closed out 2021 in third.

PHOENIX: All-time wins | Qualifying order | Practice procedure

Hamlin’s mark of 38 is 75 less than points leader Kyle Larson (113). There are five competitors who have broken 100 points. Thirteen have notched 75 or more.

This weekend, though, has the potential to turn things around for Hamlin – or at least turn them in the right direction.

Hamlin has a strong history at Phoenix, host of Sunday’s Rouff Mortgage 500 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). In 33 career starts, he has just two wins (spring 2012 and fall 2019), but he averages a 10.5 finish on the 1-mile track – good for second best among the garage (Kevin Harvick leads actives with an 8.8 stat line). And since 2005, Hamlin only has one DNF, yet it came after he led a Phoenix personal-best 193 laps (fall 2017, crash).

Better yet: In the past six visits to the Arizona circuit, Hamlin has a win, three top threes and five top fives.

PHOENIX: Previewing Sunday’s race | Expectations for pit road

As of Thursday, BetMGM has Kyle Larson as its favorite to win Sunday’s race at 4-1 odds, surely banking on the fact he was the last to enjoy Phoenix’s Victory Lane back in November. Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., are then listed at 7-1 each. Hamlin is next, tied with Larson’s teammate, Chase Elliott, at 8-1.

All of those with better or equal odds are holding court much higher in the standings than Hamlin. Larson, again, is first. Truex is then second, while Busch and Elliott are fifth and seventh, respectively. Unlike Hamlin, they’ve all ticked the top-10 box.

In reality, 25 different drivers have registered a top-10 run in 2022 – the most through three races since 26 in 1973. Hamlin happens to be an outlier in this case, which also makes him the only winner from 2021 to not have done so.

But thinking forward to this weekend, Hamlin is one of three who were in the top five and one of eight who were top 10 at the end of both Phoenix races last year – third in each.

This drought could oddly enough end in the desert and very well be short-lived.

Posted on March 10, 2022March 10, 2022 by Press Release

For the first time in more than a decade, Jennerstown Speedway will once again race under the NASCAR banner, as the Speedway has signed a sanctioning agreement with NASCAR for the 2022 season.

Originating in 1929, the Jennerstown Speedway Complex located in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania, is one of the nation’s oldest short track racing facilities that is still in operation. The Speedway, which began as a quarter-mile dirt track, was eventually expanded to a large half-mile dirt oval.

In 1987, the future of the Speedway would be forever changed under the direction of Piney Lasky when he made the decision to pave the .522-mile oval and then sanctioned the Speedway with NASCAR. These decisions would create a rich history with some of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time.

NASCAR championship drivers such as Dale Earnhardt, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano have all competed at the scenic Laurel Highlands facility. The Speedway hosted 16 NASCAR Busch North Series events between 1987 and 2000, and 14 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events between 1990 and 2006.

Despite thriving for many years and hosting some of the nation’s largest late model events, the Speedway closed its doors at the completion of the 2008 race season. It appeared that race cars would never see the track again.

In 2014, a local group of motorsport enthusiasts tried to save the Speedway by reopening the venue and ran an abbreviated schedule. The group was unsuccessful in their effort and once again the future of the Speedway was in doubt.

With the foreseeable future showing all signs the Speedway would indefinitely close, a group of local successful businessmen banned together to lease the Speedway and try their hand at what could be the last chance for the Speedway to survive. Fortunately, the Speedway operated in 2015, and it began to flourish in the following seasons.

Subsequently, in 2019, the Speedway was purchased by John Morocco, Richard Pologruto and Larry Hemminger. The group, along with General Manager Billy Hribar, have seen record car counts, record crowds and great improvements to the facility, including a $350,000 Musco LED lighting project.

“The Speedway is our field of dreams,” says Hribar, who has served as the general manager of the Speedway since 2017. “The key to our success is consistency. Drivers and fans both know we put the best interest of the racers and fans in mind when making all decisions. These decisions have allowed our program to grow from just 10 late models in 2015 to a record 34 late models taking points in the 2021 season. The weekly crowd can exceed 5,000 fans of all ages cheering for their favorite drivers. It’s the place to be on Saturday nights.”

So why make the decision to once again make Jennerstown Speedway part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series?

“It’s an outstanding opportunity for our fans and drivers to showcase the Jennerstown success to the entire country,” Hribar said. “Additionally, we felt the timing was right to bring Jennerstown back to its NASCAR roots, opening up marketing opportunities for both the track and drivers as well as allow the drivers to compete back on the national level.”

NASCAR is just as excited as the Speedway is in the renewed partnership.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming Jennerstown Speedway back to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series family of tracks,” said Brandon Igdalsky, NASCAR managing director, weekly and touring series. “Jennerstown has such a storied history with NASCAR, and is going to be a great venue for showcasing talented drivers on a weekly basis to the local fans who mean so much to the sport.”

Jennerstown Speedway will host its season-opener with a six-division show on Saturday, May 7, 2022. For additional information, please visit Jennerstown.org.

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Zack Albert

Here and now, just three races into Trackhouse Racing’s second NASCAR Cup Series season, the organization’s name doesn’t yet ring out as a proven, perennial contender, with the word “yet” doing plenty of lifting. More finishes like Ross Chastain’s inspired top-five run last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway would hasten that rise in profile.

Chastain and teammate Daniel Suárez have flourished early on in Trackhouse’s second year of competition, posting head-turning results and inching in on the territory of established NASCAR powerhouses. The team is still building its roots, but the early returns have shown that the organization isn’t a fringe upstart.

“We are no underdog,” Chastain said during a Thursday media availability. “I think we don’t have the legacy of winning. I mean, it’s a big deal right now, we win a stage, we’re proud of that. I think where the plan is and the preparation we’re putting in is to get to a point where that’s just, ‘Yep, OK. We won another stage, (but) did we win the race?’ … I don’t view us as an underdog and I walk around the shop, we don’t feel like we’re lacking anything.”

Chastain led the most laps and finished third last weekend in Vegas, shaking off incidents that slowed his progress in the first two weeks of the season. That performance came a week after Suárez dazzled in placing fourth at Auto Club Speedway, adding some substance to his preseason optimism.

The team’s foundation traces its lineage from Chip Ganassi Racing, which Trackhouse co-owner Justin Marks purchased last year. The newly expanded Trackhouse operation occupies the same building, and some of the same personnel made the move as the team’s ownership changed hands.

But Marks’ influence in forging the organization’s direction has been immeasurable, Chastain says, pointing to the sense of purpose behind the performance.

“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen to where what Justin has brought in and the mentality in the shop,” Chastain says. “And now, fast race cars help that, but it all started back with the testing and assembling these cars, and pushing Chevrolet and the new regime of Chevrolet and how well we are working together. It’s the people, that’s the biggest thing. And it’s the same people, so I don’t know if this makes sense, but I’m telling you, there’s a change in the culture here and how Justin has infused this building and motivated people is different. And I’ve never seen a shift in attitude like I have this year. Like I said, fast cars definitely help that, but it’s been a game changer.”

Another development that’s new for Chastain on a personal level is the security of what he termed a “longer-term” contract, one that’s forced him to break old habits. At previous stops in his career, the 29-year-old driver has pushed his cars to the limits in an effort to show his skills and impress prospective team owners. Stability at Trackhouse has altered that mindset.

Chastain said that pit-crew coach Mike Metcalf had given him a book — “It Takes What It Takes: How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life,” by Andy Staples and Trevor Moawad — to help him think through and minimize the extreme highs and lows of a race weekend. He said that he’d made conscious efforts to remind himself of those lessons — from the book, from Marks, from crew chief Phil Surgen — during the course of last weekend’s race.

“I struggled to bring it all back to anything more than just going as fast as I can,” he said. “So Vegas was a total reset for me.”

MORE: Odds for Phoenix race

Staying on an even, neutral keel helped to show some of the team’s potential in Vegas. Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet led a race-high 83 of the 274 laps. He was just one spot shy of his career-best of second place, registered last season at Nashville Superspeedway.

His mood leaving Las Vegas was one of inspiration, rather than any possible frustration for coming so close to victory with just a podium spot to show for it.

“It’s exactly what we needed, more than I could have ever hoped for,” Chastain said. “I mean, we prepare for those days, but until you’re actually there and doing it, I kept thinking, ‘how am I gonna mess this up?’ So a green-flag pit stop at the end, some late-race restarts, just not not putting myself in a position to fail. And we were still able to finish third on a weekend I felt like I really stayed within my means, and a fast race car carried me through a lot of that.

“So no, super happy. Have no regrets. I know things I could have done better, I know things I could have been faster at, but as far as a whole picture, if I could have written down how the weekend would go, I wouldn’t change anything for how it went.”

Posted on March 10, 2022March 10, 2022 by Zach Sturniolo

NASCAR wraps up its West Coast swing with a trip to Phoenix Raceway, the site of this year’s Cup Series Championship Weekend.

The Rouff Mortgage 500 (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be a critical race for teams to learn how the Next Gen car reacts in true race conditions around the 1-mile, D-shaped oval.

Get set for the weekend with everything to know here:

UP TO SPEED

On Saturday, teams will get 20 minutes of practice in two separate groups (Group A and Group B) at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Following the session, each group will participate in single-car, single-lap qualifying (2:15 p.m. ET, FS1). The top five drivers from each group will then advance to the second round of qualifying to fight for the pole with another single-car, single-lap run.

PHOENIX HISTORY

— Richard Petty won the first NASCAR-sanctioned event on the Arizona desert’s 1-mile oval, in the Winston West Series in 1978.

— The first Cup race was run a decade later in 1988, won by Alan Kulwicki, who celebrated with his inaugural trademark “Polish Victory Lap,” circling the track in the opposite direction.

— Phoenix was reconfigured in 2011 and repaved for the first time since 1990. The then-frontstretch was widened from 52 feet to 62 feet and the radius of the famous dogleg was tightened from 800 feet to 500 feet while also adding progressive banking.

— The track was reconfigured again between races in 2018, moving the start/finish line from the center of the track’s longest straightaway to the exit of what was previously known as Turn 2.

— Sunday’s race marks the 52nd Cup race at Phoenix.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

Teams will utilize the same tire compound Goodyear brought to Phoenix for a January test session in the Next Gen car, giving each program a familiar baseline to work with in a sea of unfamiliarity.

“Teams having a chance to get on Phoenix before this weekend is a huge advantage as we move up the learning curve with this Next Gen car and 18-inch tire,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Overall as a sport, we had 30 tests in preparation for this season, and the Phoenix test was very important in that development. Not only is this the track where we crown our champion later in the season, it also falls into a group of tracks that we will race on several times leading up to that weekend.”

Each Cup team will get one set of Goodyear tires for practice, one set for qualifying and then nine sets for the race (eight race sets and one set transferred from qualifying).

STORY LINES APLENTY IN PHOENIX

— The last six races at Phoenix have been won by different drivers: Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson.

— The only driver to win more than once since the start/finish line was moved is Kyle Busch, who won the first two races after the shift.

— Kyle Larson is the only stage winner to win at Phoenix in the past four events.

— Eight of the last 10 Phoenix races have featured at least 15 lead changes. Each Cup race in 2022 has featured at least 23 lead changes.

— The driver who led the most laps won five of the last seven at Phoenix, and finished top-two in seven of the last eight.

— Hendrick Motorsports has won 22 of the last 44 races. A team has never won 23 races in a 45-race stretch in the modern era.

— Denny Hamlin has yet to finish higher than 15th this season with two finishes outside the top 30.

— If Kevin Harvick finishes top 10 at Phoenix, he will tie the record for most consecutive top 10s at a track all-time at 18.

— Toyota is winless in the last eight races, its longest winless streak since the 2014-15 seasons.

Source: Racing Insights

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

Series points leader Kyle Larson has the hot hand and is listed as the 4-1 favorite to win, courtesy of BetMGM. Thanks to his Auto Club win and a runner-up finish in Vegas, Larson is the only driver with two top-five finishes this year and has won five of the last eight races, including his title triumph in November at Phoenix.

Your next best bets shouldn’t come as surprises as they’re all former Phoenix winners — Kyle Busch (7-1), Martin Truex Jr. (7-1), Chase Elliott (8-1) and Denny Hamlin (8-1).

Perhaps the steal of the week, though, is Kevin Harvick at 18-1. Harvick has been relatively quiet in 2022, but that’s all relative. Finishes of seventh (Auto Club) and 12th (Las Vegas) show he’s still plenty competitive, and Phoenix is unquestionably his best track. The 2014 champion has won nine times in Arizona and has collected 18 top fives, his most at any one track.

Harvick hasn’t won there since March 2018 — before the track was most recently reconfigured — but he’s still yet to finish worse than ninth in the seven races since.

RELATED: Odds for Phoenix

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 2, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner.

The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Kyle Larson (109 points), Martin Truex Jr. (102 points) and Joey Logano (102 points).

How to play: Fantasy Live | Set up a team today!

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Staff Report

Sixteen years ago at the Subway Fresh 500, Martin Truex Jr. was widely known as “Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s teammate,” a 25-year-old rookie in his 16th career NASCAR (then-Nextel) Cup Series race and first start at the Phoenix Raceway.

This week at the Ruoff Mortgage 500, Truex arrives as the teammate of another future Hall of Famer, though he does so as a future Hall of Famer himself with 588 career Cup Series races and 31 wins, including last March at the track southwest of downtown Phoenix.

Truex started ninth and briefly sat in the top five during the 2006 race before finishing 22nd, one spot ahead of Earnhardt, then-teammate with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and 12 spots ahead of fellow rookie Denny Hamlin, his future teammate with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Neither seriously contended for their first career win, nor were they expected to do so.

That won’t be the case on Sunday.

Expectations are high for the veteran drivers with 65 combined career starts in Phoenix. Both sit among the favorites in NASCAR odds and face off in the blockbuster Featured Matchup at BetMGM:

Martin Truex Jr., (-115) vs. Denny Hamlin (-110)

“Phoenix has been a tough one,” Truex said after last year’s win, referring to 30 previous winless starts at the 1-mile oval. He posted only seven driver ratings of at least 100 and led 123 total laps in those 30 starts.

In Truex’s last two starts in Arizona – most recently a second-place finish in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race – he posted career-high ratings of 124.7 and 127.4 and led 136 laps. And dating back to 2019, only Joey Logano and Hamlin have a higher rating than Truex in Phoenix.

As of Wednesday, only Kyle Larson (+400) and Kyle Busch (+700) sit ahead of Truex (+700) and Hamlin (+800) to win the Ruoff Mortgage 500. While Larson has been a popular pick among BetMGM bettors with 12.1% of the handle – second to Christopher Bell (12.8%) – Truex and Hamlin haven’t.

Truex has only 3.1% of the handle at BetMGM, 15th among all drivers, while Hamlin is sixth with 5.5%. But Truex is dominating the Featured Matchup splits with 96% of tickets and 97% of the handle, both the highest among all matchups this week.

Kevin Harvick (-165) vs. Brad Keselowski (+135)

Kevin Harvick is years removed from one of the most dominant runs at one track in NASCAR history – six wins in eight starts from 2012-16 at Phoenix Raceway – but the 46-year-old ranks fourth in average finish (6.17) and driver rating (107.4) since 2019.

He’s the only driver with six top-10 finishes at the track over that time as he carries a streak of 17 straight top-10 finishes into Sunday’s race.

Harvick, however, is coming off his first winless season since 2009 and, without a win yet this season, has a winless streak of 49 races, the longest since he went 115 races without a victory from 2007-09.

But he doesn’t necessarily need a win on Sunday to win his Featured Matchup against Brad Keselowski, who’s never won at Phoenix but has 13 top-10 finishes in his last 20 starts at the track.

The two are relatively even in ticket and handle share for race winner, but 96% of the handle (on 60% of the tickets) is on Harvick to finish ahead of Keselowski in the Featured Matchup.

Alex Bowman (-120) vs. Christopher Bell (+100)

In Las Vegas last weekend, Alex Bowman needed only a margin of victory of 0.178 seconds to turn around a self-proclaimed “pretty awful start to the year,” leading only 16 laps en route to his fifth win in his last 31 starts.

The Tucson native is now seeking back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series wins for the first time in his career. In six previous attempts at back-to-back wins, Bowman has an average finish of 17.66 and has zero top-five finishes. And in 13 career starts at Phoenix, he has one top-10 finish and one driver rating of at least 90.

For the first time this season, bettors are pounding Bell at the book.

While receiving 12.5% of all tickets – nearly double the next-highest share – his odds have jumped from +3300 at open to +2500 as of Wednesday. He’s also receiving a majority of the tickets against Bowman, though his 88% ticket share accounts for only 28% of the money.

Aric Almirola (-150) vs. Ross Chastain (+125)

Aric Almirola is the only driver with three top-10 finishes this season. And the 37-year-old Stewart-Haas driver has done so comfortably with finishes of fifth, sixth, and sixth to extend his top-10 streak to five straight races after back-to-back sixth-place finishes to end last season.

Almirola hasn’t fared particularly well at intermediate tracks over the last few years but has six top-10 finishes in his last nine starts at Phoenix. He led the No. 10 Ford to two straight fourth-place finishes in November 2018 and March 2019.

Bettors and oddsmakers are responding to Almirola’s early success this season. His winner odds have skyrocketed from +4000 to +2500 as he receives a season-high 6.8% of tickets and 6.4% of the handle.

He’s also dominating the handle in a Featured Matchup with Ross Chastain; he has 96% of all money despite a 43% ticket share.

You can view updated Ruoff Mortgage 500 odds and more NASCAR betting odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Posted on March 10, 2022March 10, 2022 by Staff Report

Before Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Ruoff Mortgage 500 at Phoenix Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), try your hand at some props on the race ranging from who will win a featured matchup to where a driver will finish.

Best team finishes

Featured Matchups of the Week

Sibling rivalry head-to-head matchups

Added intrigue props for the weekend

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Terrin Waack

Two of NASCAR’s biggest proponents for innovation have been awarded new roles within the sanctioning body.

Steve O’Donnell has been promoted to chief operating officer, and Ben Kennedy has been named senior vice president of racing development and strategy. NASCAR announced the internal movement — effective immediately — Thursday in a news release.

“It’s just another opportunity to continue to push some initiatives with all the great teammates we have,” O’Donnell told NASCAR.com. “Both Ben and I really, really enjoy working with all the different stakeholders, and those projects, particularly around the schedule, allow you to work with the broadcast partners, the race teams to the race tracks. It makes it fun because you’re able to kind of touch all different aspects of the business.”

O’Donnell, whose previous title was executive vice president and chief racing development officer, will continue to oversee NASCAR’s competition and racing operations. His oversight will now also include track operations and strategic development.

Kennedy, meanwhile, is moving from the strategy and innovation sector (previously senior vice president there) to the competition department. He will, however, maintain oversight of schedule development.

“Going into the strategy and innovation side, there’s been a great opportunity to learn so many different facets of the business and areas that are quite frankly outside of my comfort zone,” Kennedy said. “But I think competition … it feels like it’s part of my DNA. … I’m excited to dive back into it. I have a lot of passion for this area.”

Kennedy was a race-car driver himself, competing full time at the touring and national levels from 2011-17. He’s also an active team owner, forming Ben Kennedy Racing in 2010. And he has worked in multiple corporate areas of the sport since he stepped out from behind the wheel. His first job within NASCAR was general manager of the Camping World Truck Series.

Kennedy is a crisp 30 years old.

“It’s just been really eye-opening — in terms of his work ethic — how quickly he’s been able to come up to speed,” O’Donnell said. “He went from someone, when we were first working on the Truck Series, who would not maybe say as much in a meeting to now he’s leading meetings, leading initiatives and really, really comfortable in his role. And for me, I’m just really happy to see him continue to grow.”

O’Donnell and Kennedy already have a successful history of working together. The two played an instrumental part in the NASCAR Cup Series’ schedule advancement in recent years. They were able to keep the sport running during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with unprecedented doubleheaders and midweek shows. They introduced various new venues in 2021, such as Circuit of The America’s stock-car debut, Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt track, Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course and Road America’s return after 65 years. And they pushed the envelope even further in 2022 with the inaugural Clash at the Coliseum, which required NASCAR to build a race track on top of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum’s football field.

“I don’t think it’s, say, change for change’s sake,” Kennedy said. “I think it’s change to be able to challenge ourselves. See if there are different ways that we could do things or ways that we can improve things, but do it measured and calculated, too. … Some of those ideas are probably a little more bold than they were two or three years ago, but I think those are for the right reasons, so we’ve got a lot of cool ideas in the pipeline.”

That’s just all in reference to where and when NASCAR races. As for the what, don’t forget the brand-new Next Gen car took to the track competitively for the first time this year, too. It replaced the model that had been running since 2013.

The 2023 schedule has not been revealed and the Next Gen car is built to stick around for a while, but promises to keep down this path of progress that has been made.

“I’ve been in NASCAR a long time,” O’Donnell said, “and I’ve never seen this much momentum and really positive story lines around the sport — both from the competition side and really what we’ve got going on for the fans and the activities happening at the track.

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 10, 2022) – NASCAR today announced two key executive leadership moves, promoting Steve O’Donnell to Chief Operating Officer and returning Ben Kennedy to the Competition team where he will assume a key leadership position as Senior Vice President, Racing Development & Strategy.

“With more than 25 years of NASCAR experience across a variety of disciplines, Steve O’Donnell has earned the respect of the entire industry, and his collaborative leadership in the competition space has positioned the sport for incredible growth for years to come,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR president. “In a short time, Ben Kennedy has proven to be an innovative, thoughtful leader with bold ideas and a tireless work ethic. He returns to his competition roots with this new role, one in which he will no doubt excel.”

As COO, O’Donnell will continue to provide oversight of all NASCAR Competition and Racing Operations, while adding Track Operations and Strategic Development to his purview. With these added duties, all NASCAR-owned track properties, track presidents and respective events fall under O’Donnell’s responsibilities.

As Chief Racing Development Officer since 2014, O’Donnell guided vital innovative advancements, including the introduction of the development of the Next Gen car, the implementation of the new Playoff format for all three of NASCAR’s national series and the enhanced race format system that was implemented in 2017.

O’Donnell has worked in various areas in the company since joining NASCAR in 1996 as a marketing services representative. After being promoted to manage that group – including work on NASCAR’s 50th Anniversary project – he was elevated to Director of Series Marketing. From there, he moved to Competition as Managing Director of Events and Operations to head the All-American Series and Touring Series before being promoted to Vice President of Racing Operations in charge of the national series. In 2008, he was named to Sports Business Journal’s prestigious “Forty Under 40” list.

“NASCAR is in a prime position for growth, and I look forward to helping our talented team continue the work necessary to build our sport,” O’Donnell said. “I am deeply passionate about NASCAR, its fans and those who work in our industry. Together, we will continue the unprecedented collaboration to ensure our sport’s success.”

In returning to NASCAR’s Competition team, Kennedy will maintain oversight of the national series schedule development, while assuming immediate oversight of Racing Operations, Track Services/Transportation/Officiating, Industry Relations and the NASCAR Touring & Weekly Series. He will work with O’Donnell in managing the areas of at-track competition and racing innovation.

Kennedy, a former race car driver who competed at the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series levels, has held a variety of positions within NASCAR since leaving the driver’s seat following the 2017 season. Kennedy began his corporate career as General Manager of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series before a promotion to Managing Director, Racing Operations and International Development.

Most recently, Kennedy held the position of Senior Vice President, Strategy & Innovation, where he helped guide overall company strategy, including developing the most dynamic NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 50 years in 2021 and innovating the Busch Light Clash by building a quarter-mile oval inside the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in February of 2022.

“I am excited to return to the Competition team and continue to learn from some of the most innovative leaders across our sport,” Kennedy said. “The racing this season with the Next Gen car is some of the best we’ve ever seen. It is truly an exciting time in NASCAR, and I look forward to helping this talented team grow our sport.”

Both O’Donnell and Kennedy will assume their new roles effective immediately.

Posted on March 9, 2022March 9, 2022 by Staff Report

The National Motorsports Appeals panel upheld a penalty issued to the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by Zane Smith after Friday night’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Smith originally finished in second place but was relegated to a last-place finish after post-race inspection revealed that the truck did not conform to NASCAR Rule Book specifications per the following rules: 14.16.1: Wheel Assembly 1-4 Lug Nuts.

The panelists for the hearing were: Mr. Dixon Johnston, Ms. Cathy Rice and Mr. Lake Speed. Because this is a race disqualification appeal, the decision of the panelists is final and there is no ability for Front Row Motorsports to appeal the decision to the Final Appeals Office.

Posted on March 9, 2022March 10, 2022 by Staff Report

Check out the qualifying order (2:15 p.m. ET on FS1) for Saturday’s on-track action at Phoenix Raceway before Sunday’s Ruoff Mortgage 500 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). To view the order, click the printer icon above or click here to see the full order.

RELATED: Phoenix weekend schedule

On most ovals this season, teams will be split into two groups based on odd/even finishing order from the week’s previous race for one warmup/practice session per group. This week’s practice sessions will run 20 minutes.

That practice will lead directly into single-car, single-lap qualifying that is split up into two groups. The top five drivers from each group will then advance to the second round of qualifying to fight for the pole with another single-car, single-lap run.