Kevin Harvick will see changes to his pit crew before Sunday’s Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway (5 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Stewart-Haas Racing confirmed the news Thursday, and the change comes after Harvick criticized his crew in two of the last three races.
“We had our minimum of once-a-week catastrophic failure on pit road and got back as far forward as we could, as usual,” Harvick said after the race at Sonoma Raceway. “It is what it is, I guess.”
Harvick’s final stop at Sonoma was 22 seconds, according to Racing Insights.
The 2014 Cup champion has scored top-five finishes in three of the last five races but remains winless through 16 races and is currently outside the playoff bubble — seven points behind teammate Aric Almirola.
Daniel Coffey takes over as the front-tire changer for Harvick’s team, while Brandon Banks is the No. 4 team’s new jackman. Both crew members come from Chase Briscoe’s team. Rear-tire changer Daniel Smith, tire carrier Jeremy Howard and fueler Evan Marchal will remain on Harvick’s crew.
Briscoe will get Shayne Pipala, who had been the front-tire changer for Harvick’s team. Jackman Stan Doolittle moves from the No. 4 team to Cody Ware’s No. 51 Rick Ware Racing team.
A victory was what Justin Bonsignore needed, and that’s exactly what he got last Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway.
The two-time defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion has battled bad luck and mechanical gremlins all year and, other than his win at Richmond Raceway in April, seemingly could not buy a strong run.
That all changed at Monadnock, where he took advantage of slower traffic to steal the lead from Matt Hirschman late in the race to earn his 33rd Tour victory.
Now with momentum on his side, Bonsignore returns to the track that is statistically his best.
Justin Bonsignore celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Duel at the Dog 200 at Monadnock Speedway on Jun. 19, 2022. (Nick Grace/NASCAR)
New York’s Riverhead Raceway hosts the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 this Saturday (8 p.m. ET on FloRacing), and Bonsignore is looking forward to going back to a track that has treated him so well in the past.
“I’m excited to get back to Riverhead,” Bonsignore said. “The win at Monadnock was a good confidence booster for us. We’ve been struggling lately at Riverhead for the way we know we can run, especially at our home track.
“I’m hoping we can capitalize on some momentum and try to hang with Doug Coby, who’s been unbelievable there in the last few races, no matter what car he drives. The track has changed some over the last two years, and we’re looking forward to trying to get back to Victory Lane.”
Bonsignore is an eight-time winner with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Riverhead dating back to 2011, and he also claimed the 2011 Riverhead Raceway Modified track championship. His most recent win at the track came in 2019, and since then, he has rarely finished outside the top five.
The lone exception is a 25th-place finish at Riverhead earlier this year, caused by a mechanical issue beyond Bonsignore’s control.
The victory at Monadnock was vital for Bonsignore, who is doing everything he can to keep himself in the hunt for his fourth (and third consecutive) Tour championship.
Bonsignore enters Saturday’s race sixth in the standings, 35 points behind leader Ron Silk. Bonsignore is the only driver in the top 10 in the standings with a victory, but multiple finishes outside the top 20 have hindered him in his quest for a fourth title.
Now with two victories in the bank, we could be witnessing the start of a summer renaissance for the 34-year-old native of Holtsville, New York.
Solomito looking to defend his home turf
Timmy Solomito, driver of the No. 66 Natural Designs Modified ahead of the Miller Lite 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Riverhead Raceway on May 14, 2022. (Photo: Mike Lawrence/NASCAR)
When the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour last visited Riverhead in May, Timmy Solomito led the field to the green flag.
He ultimately led 17 laps during the race before fading to a fifth-place finish at his home track.
This week, the nine-time Tour race winner and native of Islip, New York, is back in action at Riverhead as he looks to stop drivers like Bonsignore, Doug Coby and Ron Silk from taking home the trophy.
Riverhead is a track with which the Solomito family is intimately familiar. Shawn Solomito, Timmy Solomito’s brother, is a two-time Modified track champion at the Long Island bullring.
In addition, three of Timmy Solomito’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories have come at Riverhead. His last visit to Victory Lane at Riverhead came in 2017, when he led 158 laps en route to victory.
Four members of the Solomito family have made NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts at Riverhead. Jerry Solomito Sr. made two Tour starts at Riverhead while his three sons, Timmy, Shawn and Jerry Jr., followed in his footsteps and have raced against the Tour at Riverhead.
Brunnhoelzl name returns to Whelen Modified Tour
It’s been a few minutes since a member of the Brunnhoelzl family raced in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
That honor belongs to George Brunnhoelzl III, a four-time champion who made three Tour starts during the 2019 season.
On Saturday night, the Brunnhoelzl name returns to the Tour when Eddie Brunnhoelzl III, George Brunnhoelzl III’s cousin, makes his return to the series for the first time since 2015. He’ll pilot a car fielded by the McDonald family in the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200.
Eddie Brunnhoelzl III is a regular weekly competitor at Riverhead, having earned a best finish of second so far this season. He is currently fifth in the Modified division weekly standings.
The Brunnhoelzl family has made 38 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts at Riverhead between four family members, with Eddie Brunnhoelzl III’s father, Eddie Brunnhoelzl Jr., earning the family’s only Riverhead Tour win in 1995.
Notes:
Despite being winless this year, Ron Silk holds a 10-point advantage over of Eric Goodale in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings entering Saturday’s race at Riverhead. Tommy Catalano, Jon McKennedy and Austin Beers complete the current top five.
In addition to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event, four NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series divisions will be in action Saturday at Riverhead. They include the Crate Modifieds, INEX Legend Cars, Blunderbusts and Street Stocks.
Current Riverhead Raceway Modified division championship leader Kyle Soper headlines the list of weekly competitors entered in Saturday’s Tour race. He is joined by the aforementioned Eddie Brunnhoelzl III, John Beatty Jr., Chris Young and Dylan Slepian, all of whom are ranked within the top 10 in the weekly standings at the track.
This weekend, NASCAR’s premier series returns to Nashville Superspeedway for just the second time.
The Cup Series heads back to the 1.33-mile concrete oval in Lebanon, Tennessee, for the Ally 400 on Sunday (5 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) after the series’ off weekend.
Just 10 races remain in the regular season. The final stretch before the playoffs begins now.
GETTING REPS
Drivers will get a full 50-minute practice session to open their weekend on Friday (6:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN).
Nashville marks the fifth of six race tracks to host an extended practice session this year and the last until Championship Weekend kicks off at Phoenix Raceway in November.
Friday’s racing rehearsal will be followed up by single-lap, single-car qualifying on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. ET, USA, MRN). The fastest five drivers from Group A and the fastest five from Group B will advance to the second round of qualifying, where those 10 drivers will post one more timed lap. The fastest of those 10 will start Sunday’s race from the pole position.
– Nashville Superspeedway’s 1.33-mile concrete oval layout sits 30 miles southeast of Nashville, Tennessee.
– The track opened in 2001 and was owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc. until Speedway Motorsports purchased Dover and its properties in December 2021.
– Myriad series races at Nashville from its debut year forward, including the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series, ARCA, ARCA East and IndyCar. Xfinity races twice annually at the track from 2002-11. Trucks, meanwhile, competed once a year from 2001-09 and added a second date for the 2010-11 seasons after the closure of Memphis Motorsports Park.
– The track was put up for sale in 2012 after Dover Motorsports decided it would no longer sanction NASCAR races at the facility.
– Nashville remained available for private use and became a popular NASCAR testing facility and venue for commercial and film opportunities.
– NASCAR held its season-ending banquet in Nashville in 2019, bolstering the sport’s return to the area.
– The Cup Series made its debut at the track in June 2021, the track’s first NASCAR race weekend since 2011.
Source: Racing Insights
GOODYEAR TIRES
While there is plenty of “new” in 2022, NASCAR Cup Series teams enter this weekend with a good notebook on these tires, according to Goodyear.
The tire combination used this weekend is the same combination teams competed with at both Kansas Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. Additionally, the left-side tire compound was utilized at Dover Motor Speedway while the right-side compound was used at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
In a press release, Goodyear noted its minimum recommended air pressure for left-rear tires was “of particular importance” this week, re-emphasizing the higher loads impacting that corner of the car compared to the previous generation car. Setup components will also affect how the tires wear throughout the weekend.
“Every time we race on a concrete track, like the one we have at Nashville this week, we design our tires to specifically lay rubber on the surface,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Rubbering in the primary groove helps the racing by causing drivers to move around to find the grip provided by fresher concrete. As we come back from an off weekend for the Cup cars, having a full practice, it will be important for teams to find the right balance in their car set-ups on the left rear of the car. Having an established tire set-up they have run before should help them with that.”
NASHVILLE STORY LINES
– Kyle Larson is the defending race winner, leading 264 of 300 laps in last year’s inaugural Nashville race.
– Aric Almirola won the pole for last year’s race, which featured 11 cautions and an average green-flag stretch of 20 laps.
– Twelve different drivers have gone to Victory Lane in 2022, leaving just four playoff positions available with 10 races to go in the regular season.
– Four drivers (Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez) have collected their first career wins this year, the most in 16 races since 1950.
– Of the eight active Cup champions, only Martin Truex Jr, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski have yet to win in 2022. They have combined for just six top fives.
– Harvick is in the midst of a 59-race winless streak, the second longest of his career.
– The longest top-10 streak this season is five (Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott).
– Michael McDowell’s six top 10s and 38 laps led this year are career-high marks.
Source: Racing Insights
BEST OF THE BUNCH
With just one Cup race in the books at Nashville, there’s not a lot of data to rely on for this week’s favorites.
But it should come as no surprise Kyle Larson is BetMGM’s opening favorite at 5-1 odds after his dominant 2021 performance. Anytime one driver manages to lead 88% of the race and finish the job with a win, leaving them off your bet slip or fantasy team the next time around is a bad move.
Kyle Busch (7-1) has two Xfinity wins and a Truck Series triumph on his Nashville resume, but the two-time Cup champ finished 11th at Nashville last season. Chase Elliott (9-1) earned a Dover win in May, conquering the concrete in Delaware for his first win of the year. Will that translate to success in Nashville on Sunday?
Ross Chastain (8-1) earned a season-best runner-up finish at Nashville a season ago. Now a two-time Cup race winner, Chastain enters as a known threat for this week’s checkered flag.
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 3, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner.
The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Chase Elliott (530), Ross Chastain (509) and Kyle Busch (506).
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.
“Race fans are, and always will be, the lifeblood of NASCAR. Few knew this truth better than Bruton Smith. Bruton built his race tracks employing a simple philosophy: give race fans memories they will cherish for a lifetime. In doing so, Bruton helped grow NASCAR’s popularity as the preeminent spectator sport. His vision and legacy inspired many, and his fan-first mentality remains today through his son Marcus. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Bruton Smith, a giant of our sport.” – Jim France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO
The NASCAR and motorsports community mourns the loss of Bruton Smith, the NASCAR Hall of Famer, visionary track promoter and founder of Speedway Motorsports who died at 95 years old Wednesday.
Bruton’s contribution to stock car racing is hard to measure. His ambitious vision created growth and opportunities that I am forever thankful for. My heart is with the Smith family. https://t.co/GUSu7kxLQS
I’m heart broken this afternoon my good friend Bruton Smith passed away, he helped me in so many ways, he was an icon in the sport he loved, RIP my dear friend!
There have been many great men in this sport but very few visionaries. Today we lost one of the greatest visionaries that racing ever had. Bruton’s impact on the sport will continue to be felt for decades to come. Today my heart is sad for the entire Smith family. Godspeed… pic.twitter.com/qlbKSweOS0
I have so much respect for Bruton. He was a true trailblazer of our sport. Always did things big. So sad to hear the news of his passing. Sending condolences to the Smith family. https://t.co/8HOENlxjbw
Sad day…Bruton had a huge impact on our sport and had a huge amount of ingenuity. If you haven’t, you need to watch his @NASCARHall speech, there will never be another one like him! https://t.co/JKAMJPtUXm
I'm really sad to hear about the passing of Bruton Smith. He was a personal friend. Everyone knows what he's done for motorsports, @NHRA & @NASCAR. He was like a 2nd father to me, I met him when he opened Bristol. I sure loved him. I'm going to miss him. His legacy will live on. pic.twitter.com/6Zuhiqnx69
Statement from EDDIE GOSSAGE regarding the death of Bruton Smith:
“I’ve met American Presidents and scholars. Astronauts and artists. World famous musicians and athletes. But the greatest man I ever met was Bruton Smith. For whatever reason, he saw something in me… (1 of 2)
Statement from EDDIE GOSSAGE re the death of Bruton Smith:
“…blessed me with the opportunity to join him in building one of the largest stadiums in the world. We had so much fun working together. He always treated me like an equal as he taught me lessons about business & life.”
Anyone who made a living around the @NASCAR world, should thank Mr. Bruton for his vision, leadership, and dedication to the sport. I sure appreciate everything he has done for my family!
Bruton Smith, a true legend in our sport has passed. Praying for the entire Smith Family and all of those who had the opportunity to work with Bruton. Keeping @MarcusSMI and the entire Smith family in our thoughts and prayers.
— Todd Bodine (Official) (@Team_Onion) June 22, 2022
A true visionary in the sport, rest easy Bruton Smith. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Smith family at this time. pic.twitter.com/G7WgVc0Bcg
A really fun night of storytelling. Bruton Smith’s 92d birthday party at Michael’s in Las Vegas. Thanks @cbboydcars for the photo. pic.twitter.com/m4c8hqmfRf
This is not “goodbye…” This is “I’ll see you later…”❤️ In loving memory of Ollen Bruton Smith. March 2, 1927 ~ June 22, 2022 pic.twitter.com/gmHLcR5hBL
Bruton Smith, founder of Speedway Motorsports and one of the most forward-thinking track operators and promoters in motorsports, has died.
Smith, a native of Oakboro, North Carolina, was 95. Speedway Motorsports announced his passing Wednesday afternoon.
With Smith at the helm, Speedway Motorsports became the first motorsports company to trade on the New York Stock Exchange in 1995. The group’s holdings would eventually grow to include 11 racing facilities that currently host 15 NASCAR Cup Series events in 2022, including four of the series’ 10 playoff races.
Today, tracks operating under the Speedway Motorsports banner are: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sonoma Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway.
Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images
Charlotte Motor Speedway was Smith’s jewel, a facility that he helped construct in 1959 with fellow NASCAR Hall of Fame member Curtis Turner. But it wasn’t until he returned to regain sole ownership of the 1.5-mile track in 1975 that Smith began a decades-long process of upgrades for his company’s facilities that quickly made them the envy of the industry.
At Charlotte, Smith added thousands of seats as attendance began to soar, installed permanent lights that allowed the facility to become the first speedway of its size to host races at night and built condominiums overlooking the track as well as a distinctive “Speedway Club,” where guests could dine in comfort while taking in the action on the track.
The addition of lights in 1992 was the key to CMS retaining the series’ annual All-Star Race, which it has hosted 34 times in the event’s 38-year history.
CMS was also the first track to construct a huge, 16,000-square-foot HDTV on which fans could see all the action. When it was built in 2011, the screen was billed as the world’s largest HDTV.
“Bruton Smith is a special guy and someone who has brought so much to NASCAR,” team owner Roger Penske said during a 2016 preseason media gathering. “When you think about the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Bristol, and tracks like New Hampshire and Sonoma and Atlanta, he’s been the best. There’s no question. He set the bar.”
Smith was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2016 for his lifetime of achievement in the industry. His son, Marcus Smith, continues the family’s tradition as president and CEO Speedway Motorsports.
Smith’s Midas touch wasn’t limited to the Charlotte track, though. Major upgrades occurred at all his facilities, whether it was the addition of condos and major infrastructure upgrades at Atlanta, the unveiling of “Colossus” –- the world’s largest permanent outdoor center-hung digital display –- at Bristol, the bar-raising Neon Garage at Las Vegas or “Big Hoss,” a 22,704 square-foot HD screen at Texas, a $225 million facility that set new standards for fans and competitors alike.
“He has an incredible sense of how to make money,” H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, former president and general manager of CMS, told the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press in an interview in 1996. “The best thing is, he puts almost all the profits back in. He always wants to improve things for fans and competitors.”
In 2015, it was announced that Smith, then 88 and out of the public eye for some time, had been battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Family members revealed later that year that he had been diagnosed as cancer-free.
In addition to his racing-related endeavors, Smith built Sonic Automotive, an automotive sales empire that encompasses more than 100 dealerships in 13 states. In 2021, the company was ranked No. 308 on the Fortune 500 list. Sons Scott and David Smith have been involved in executive roles with the company.
Smith was the youngest of nine children born to parents James and Mollie Smith, a Depression-era child born in 1927 and raised on a farm. As a teenager, he had other ideas besides spending the day behind a plow.
“You have food, clothing and shelter,” Smith said in a 2003 interview in Car & Driver magazine, “but you never have any money. And I never did like that. I did not like it.
“You worked from sunup to sundown, but you did not see the rewards. I decided by the time I was eight or nine, I was not going to stay on the farm.”
As a teen, Smith took a turn behind the wheel, racing at local dirt tracks in a car he purchased for $700. While he said he enjoyed his share of success, his driving career was soon cut short by a “higher power.”
“I started driving … and it was not as difficult as I thought it was,” he said during his 2016 Hall of Fame induction speech. “I thought, ‘OK, now I’ve got my career going.’
“My dad didn’t have a problem with it, he just said, ‘Be careful, boy.’ I was, but my mom had a problem with it, and she said, ‘I wish you wouldn’t do that’ … and my mother was a very religious person, and my mom started praying I would quit.
“Well, I knew then … it was time for me to quit because I was not going to compete with that.”
Promoting races in the 1950s was different, but Smith excelled there as well.
In 1954, he won the right to host the national modified championship at the three-quarter-mile Charlotte Speedway, moving it from West Palm Beach, Florida, where it has been contested for several years.
“Just little by little, I found out that you could make money doing what I was doing, and I made money,” Smith said.
Smith was ranked No. 3 in a 2004 listing of the top 20 most powerful people in U.S. motorsports by the Charlotte-based Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal.
Since 2006, the winner of the annual Coca-Cola 600 has been presented the Bruton Smith Trophy. The event, which was the first contested at CMS, is the longest in terms of total miles on the NASCAR schedule.
Smith established Speedway Children’s Charities, Speedway Motorsports’ nonprofit arm, in 1982. The group, which established fundraising chapters at each of its stock-car facilities, reportedly distributed more than $2 million in grants to 260 charitable organizations in 2020, bringing its total fund distribution to more than $61 million since its founding.
The arrival of summer in the Pacific Northwest coincides with Evergreen Speedway’s first tentpole event of the season: the Mark Galloway Shootout.
Dubbed “the Superspeedway of the West” by late NASCAR champion David Pearson, Evergreen Speedway boasts a proud history that dates back to its grand opening in 1954. The track hosted six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events from 1995-00 while also serving as a recurring stop for the NASCAR West and Northwest Series.
Evergreen maintains an active short track culture into the modern day, with the Mark Galloway Shootout being a part of a packed schedule for the facility that includes its most prestigious event in the Summer Showdown as well as the return of the ARCA Menards Series West on Aug. 20.
Now entering its 11th year, the Shootout is expected to attract many of Evergreen’s top drivers as they look to make their own mark on the event while also building momentum heading into the summer.
Below is everything you need to know about the Mark Galloway Shootout at Evergreen Speedway.
Evergreen Speedway boasts a proud history of racing that includes hosting races for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, West Series and Northwest Series. (Photo:NASCAR)
What TV channel is the Mark Galloway Shootout at Evergreen Speedway on?
All of the on-track action for the Shootout at Evergreen Speedway can be viewed live on FloRacing, the official streaming home for all NASCAR Roots properties.
The racing action will not be shown on a television network.
Below is the complete schedule for FloRacing’s coverage of the Mark Galloway Shootout.
This year’s Shootout is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 25.
Five different divisions will encompass Saturday’s on-track activity at Evergreen in Vintage Mods, Mini Stocks, Legends, Street Stocks and Pro Late Models. The main event will be the 100-lap Pro Late Model feature.
Below is the complete race-day schedule at Evergreen Speedway.
Plenty of local Evergreen Speedway regulars are looking to add another chapter in the brief history of the Mark Galloway Shootout, including two-time winner Naima Lang. (Photo: NASCAR)
Mark Galloway Shootout history, list of winners
In the brief history of this event, the only driver who has multiple wins in the event is six-time track champion Naima Lang.
The inaugural running of the Mark Galloway Shootout back in 2011 saw Lang take home a checkered flag, but it would take another decade before Lang finally added a second victory in the race to his resume. Lang’s win in 2021 also marked the official return of the Shootout after it was canceled in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outside of Lang, numerous accomplished short track competitors have visited Victory Lane in the Mark Galloway Shootout. Tyler Tanner, who has made 14 career Truck Series starts, won the race in 2014. Former West series competitor Gracin Raz claimed a victory back in 2019.
The battle is expected to be intense when the green flag flies on Saturday, but everyone will be chasing Lang as he goes for his third victory in the race.
Below is the complete list of winners in the Mark Galloway Shootout at Evergreen Speedway.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. and CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Beginning Thursday on NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports and NASCAR Productions bring fans the latest edition of the three-time Sports Emmy Award-winning short-form documentary series, “Beyond the Wheel.”
The three-part short film series takes viewers inside the sport’s most compelling stories and pivotal moments through the eyes of influential NASCAR legends and characters – both past and present.
The first film, titled “Vintage to Vogue,” dives into the evolution of NASCAR fashion from mere appeal to an iconic statement. It premieres Thursday during NASCAR Race Hub on FS1 at 6 p.m. ET.
The following documentaries comprise the sixth season of “Beyond the Wheel:”
“Vintage to Vogue” – Host Quincy takes viewers on a journey through NASCAR style, showing how NASCAR fashion has moved beyond mere appeal to become an iconic statement, from gearheads to fashionistas. The film illustrates how NASCAR touches all areas of the style industry from shoe customizations to branded apparel.
“Evolution – Stock Car to Racecar” – The film tells the 75-year history of NASCAR, told through the evolution of its most important asset. It highlights the numerous changes and groundbreaking advancements the NASCAR Cup Series vehicle has undergone over the last 75 years, shining the spotlight on all seven generations of the NASCAR race car. The NASCAR race cars in the 1950s and ’60s were truly stock cars. “Evolution – Stock Car to Racecar” journeys viewers through the years to show how the earliest forms of race cars evolved into the sophisticated, ultra-safe Next Gen car.
“Beating the Odds – The Ernie Irvan Story” – Ernie Irvan overcame adversity in his career to find success in NASCAR. From starting his career as a California outsider in a traditionally southern sport to almost losing his life in a crash at Michigan, Irvan’s perseverance is truly inspirational. “Beating the Odds” displays how a never-give-up attitude and a naturally talented race-car driver can tackle all obstacles and win at the sport’s highest level.
“Evolution – Stock Car to Racecar” premieres June 30, followed by “Beating the Odds – The Ernie Irvan Story” July 7. Both will air at 6 p.m. ET on FS1’s NASCAR Race Hub simultaneously live streaming on the FOX Sports App.
Emmy-nominated NASCAR Race Hub is averaging 131,000 viewers, up more than 32% over 2021 (99,000). It continues on FS1 through the remainder of the 2022 NASCAR season.
Austin Dillon is no stranger to living in the fast lane. The adage takes on a new meaning for the driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, however, as Dillon will add “reality TV star” to his resume.
Premiering Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, “Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane,” will follow the 2018 Daytona 500 champion, alongside his wife, Whitney, and their two-year-old son, Ace.
“You should expect a lot of laughs,” Whitney said. “We are a really funny crew.”
This isn’t the first trek for Whitney on reality TV as she starred on CMT’s “Racing Wives.”
However, this is Austin’s debut, and while the 32-year-old is excited for the show to air, he said nerves will play a role.
“I’m definitely nervous,” Austin said. “I don’t like watching myself do anything. I barely re-watch my races. But I think it’ll be good. Everyone else will be pumped.”
Co-starring with the Dillons will be their best friends, Paul and Mariel Swan.
Paul serves as a tire carrier for the No. 3 team and was a former middle linebacker at Bowling Green University. Before joining RCR, Dillon said Paul knew nothing about NASCAR prior to them meeting.
“He came to a combine and worked his way up to being on the No. 3 team,” Austin said. “It all worked out and now we’re married with kids.”
Whitney and Mariel were both cheerleaders in Tennessee and became best friends from there. Both Whitney and Austin agreed that the way they all came to know each other, even though they were from different places, was special.
The biggest point of contention between the Dillons was about who the star of the show will be.
For Whitney, she said the answer was simple.
“Ace is going to be the star,” Whitney said. “He’s just so cute and this little thing running around. He just makes people smile. It’s what our world needs.”
Austin said he’s deferring the star power over to his counterparts but gave the nod to Paul.
“It’s going to be between Paul, Mariel and Whitney,” Austin said. “Ace will be the cuddliest for sure. But Paul will be fighting for that title because he’s going to give you the most laughs and energy.”
Regardless of how the show plays out, Austin said he understands the reach the show could have and hopes to grow the sport through this venture.
“There’s a lot of people that don’t know about NASCAR and what we go through just getting to the track,” Austin said. “I just hope we bring new eyeballs to our sport.”
This Saturday, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour rolls back into New York’s Riverhead Raceway for the running of the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200.
Saturday night’s race marks the second time this season the Tour has visited the quarter-mile oval, and the event doubles as the eighth race on the schedule for Tour competitors.
This will be the 69th Riverhead race in Tour history, with Doug Coby winning three of the last four events at the popular Long Island facility. Coby is also the most recent winner at Riverhead after capturing the Miller Lite 200 on May 14, 2022.
Coby is one of seven competitors entered in Saturday’s race who have won in Tour competition at Riverhead, but he is not the winningest active driver at the track with the series. That honor belongs to Justin Bonsignore, who has eight victories at Riverhead. The winningest driver in Tour history at the track is Mike Ewanitsko, who won 11 races in 35 Tour starts at Riverhead.
Other drivers on the entry list with Tour triumphs at Riverhead include Patrick Emerling, Donny Lia, Timmy Solomito, Eric Goodale and Jimmy Blewett.
Emerling is the most recent driver not named Coby to win at Riverhead. He picked up a win, his most recent in Tour competition, last September.
Below is everything you need to know about Saturday’s Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway.
Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway
What to watch for:
What started as a one-off deal to drive Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s No. 7NY at Riverhead Raceway earlier this year has turned into a regular arrangement for Coby, who returns to Riverhead aboard Baldwin’s Modified.
He will attempt to win his third race of the season and his fourth in five starts on Saturday night, but he will have plenty of competition looking to stop him.
One of those looking to upend Coby will be Ron Silk, the current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship leader. Silk has yet to win this season, but his consistent approach has kept him at the top of the Tour standings through seven races. He has never won at Riverhead, but now could be as good a time as any for Silk to kick down the door to Victory Lane at the Long Island race track.
Coby will have a teammate again this week at Riverhead, as Jimmy Blewett is slated to make his Tour return in the No. 1NY for Baldwin. He was initially scheduled to return last week at New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway, but when the race was pushed to Sunday by bad weather, Blewett was unavailable for the Sunday rain date.
Bonsignore will attempt to win his second straight race with the Tour after a controversial victory last weekend at New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway. He finished 25th at Riverhead in May.
As is typically the case at Riverhead, several local drivers are also entered and should be considered serious threats to win. They include Dylan Slepian, John Baker, Kyle Soper and John Beatty Jr., all of whom finished in the top 10 when the Tour last visited Riverhead in May.
Solomito, who was the only driver not named Coby to lead laps in May at Riverhead, will attempt to earn his first Tour win since 2017 Saturday evening. Of his nine Tour wins, three have come at Riverhead.
Two-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Donny Lia is slated to make his second start of the season in the Boehler Racing Enterprises No. 3. Lia has four Tour wins at Riverhead, including three of his first four Tour victories from 2003-05.
Eddie Brunnhoelzl, the cousin of four-time NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion George Brunnhoelzl III, is scheduled to make his first Tour start since the 2015. His only two previous Tour starts both came at Riverhead.
Tyler Rypkema, who led the most laps in his last Tour start earlier this year at Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway, has also filed an entry for the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200. He hasn’t finished worse than fifth in his three Tour starts this year.
Other Tour regulars expected to compete include rookie contender Austin Beers, Richmond Raceway runner-up Tommy Catalano, Jon McKennedy, 2014 Riverhead winner Eric Goodale and Craig Lutz, to name a few.
The complete entry list for the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 is available here
Cars race during the Miller Lite 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at New York’s Riverhead Raceway on September 18, 2021. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Schedule: Garage opens at 12:45 p.m. ET … Final practice from 3-4 p.m. ET … Single-car qualifying (two laps) at 6 p.m. ET … Race at 8 p.m. ET
Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 is limited to 28 starters including Provisional Positions.
Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eight (8) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is zero (0) tires, any position.
What started as a one-off deal to drive Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s No. 7NY at Riverhead Raceway earlier this year has turned into a regular arrangement for Coby, who returns to Riverhead aboard Baldwin’s Modified.