Where are they now? Catching up with Doug Richert

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Jerry Bonkowski

Doug Richert will forever go down in NASCAR Cup Series history as the first crew chief to win a championship in his debut season in stock-car racing’s premier series.

But there’s more to the story.

Richert did so:

* at 20 years old, the youngest championship-winning crew chief in Cup annals, and at an age when he wasn’t even able to legally buy a drink.

* with Dale Earnhardt behind the wheel, winning the first of what would become a record-tying seven Cup championships.

* having taken over for Jake Elder, who quit as Earnhardt’s crew chief after 13 races into the 31-race season in 1980. Richert then kept Earnhardt in first place in the standings for the remaining 18 races, including guiding “The Intimidator” to three of his five wins and 12 of his 19 top-five finishes that season.

Crew chief Doug Richert and Rod Osterlund in 1980 (Photo: ISC Archives/CQ-Roll Call Group via Getty Images)

On Nov. 15, it will be 41 years since Earnhardt and Richert combined to win the 1980 Cup championship for former owner Rod Osterlund.

While it has been more than four decades, it seems like just yesterday for the now 61-year-old Richert.

“That topic comes up a lot, because it’s one of the big highlights in my career, and especially being with the late Dale Earnhardt Sr.,” Richert told NASCAR.com. “Something made Jake (Elder) mad during the middle of the season, and he just left the team.

“So, I was just kind of like the next guy in line, they asked me if I’d do it and I was like, ‘Yeah, OK, sure.’ Now, I’m the guy that pushes the button and talks during the race, not him (Elder). I didn’t really think much about it, we just did it.

“It wasn’t like I was worried. It happened and it worked out. Dale and I would call each other to discuss setups, talk about what we’re going to do, what we’re going to show up with. Dale had a lot of input in it. We got along, got together, the thing just fell together and we ended up winning the championship, which was awesome. So yeah, a big, big highlight in my career.”

While it was a great pairing, it was also the start of a long and close friendship that continued for more than 20 years before Earnhardt was tragically killed in a crash in the 2001 Daytona 500.

In a sense, Richert and Earnhardt became almost like brothers. The pair literally came out of nowhere to beat the best in NASCAR in the 1980 campaign, including Cale Yarborough (who Earnhardt beat by a mere 19 points), Richard Petty, Benny Parsons, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Terry Labonte, Harry Gant, Neil Bonnett and Richard Childress.

“We all raced, we all wanted to win, we all wanted to do good – and the championship was the bonus,” Richert said. “That’s what we all worked for.”

Even though it has been more than 40 years, Richert still keeps in contact with several members of that championship-winning team.

When Osterlund sold the team near mid-season in 1981 due to financial difficulties, Earnhardt drove the final 11 races of the season for Richard Childress Racing (taking Richert with him, as well) before moving to drive for Bud Moore from 1982-83.

When Earnhardt moved to Moore’s team, Richert moved to Junior Johnson’s squad, and while he wasn’t crew chief, he worked in a variety of capacities as Waltrip would go on to win the Cup championship in 1982 and finished runner up in 1983.

When Earnhardt left Moore after the 1983 season to return to RCR, Richert remained with Johnson’s team, taking over as crew chief for Bonnett for the 1984 season, and then remained in other roles until the mid-point of the 1986 season before taking over as crew chief for Buddy Baker’s team midway in 1986 as well as the bulk of the 1987 season.

In addition to being locked forever to Earnhardt with their championship win together, Richert and “The Intimidator” were locked together in a different way: Earnhardt was Richert’s best man in his 1985 marriage to wife Robin.

“I mentioned to him we were going to get married and Dale said, ‘I’m going to be your best man,'” Richert said. “We waited until the season was over and got married on Dec. 21. It was an honor to have him and (Dale’s wife) Teresa there with us.”

Richert then recalled a humorous sidelight to his nuptials.

“The funny thing is I didn’t really have like a full-size car at the time,” he said. “So I actually borrowed Junior’s and Flossie’s (Junior Johnson and then-wife Flossie) car because I was working for Junior at the time. That’s what I used to drive away.”

Then, in 2010, when Robin and Doug renewed their vows on their 25th anniversary, they both broke into tears when, as both were standing at the altar, Doug suddenly felt a hand on his right shoulder.

“While we’re standing there and the preacher was talking to us, all of a sudden I felt a hand on my shoulder,” Richert said with a smile. “And there he was, Dale Jr.

“It was emotional. When you put all the thoughts together, Dale Sr. being my best man, tragically gets hurt in a race car, then we have this ceremony and Dale Jr. standing there in his place, and Kelley (Earnhardt Miller) was up there with us, too, it was awesome, really something. Just a total surprise, but it was a very good surprise.”

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Brian Vickers talks with crew chief Doug Richert at Bristol in 2007. (Photo: John Harrelson | Getty Images)

In 45 years in the sport, Richert has literally worked for or with a Who’s Who of NASCAR drivers and team owners, including Earnhardt, Childress, Johnson, Bonnett, Junie Donlavey, Waltrip, Carl Edwards, Ron Hornaday Jr., Jack Roush, Buddy Baker, Benny and Phil Parsons, Greg Biffle, Hut Stricklin, Joe Nemechek, Brian Vickers, Kenny Irwin Jr., Landon Cassill, Andy Lally, David Reutimann and Matt DiBenedetto.

Richert joined Osterlund in early 1976 at the young age of 16, basically doing whatever job needed to be done. Several months later, Richert moved east to Charlotte to work for a new Cup team started by Roland Wlodyka. Osterlund purchased the team in late 1977.

Earnhardt would win NASCAR Cup Rookie of the Year in 1979 and, even though expectations were high for 1980, the team had no inkling it would win the championship, especially after Elder left.

But despite his young age, Richert was promoted to fill Elder’s role just a month shy of his 20th birthday. And the rest is history.

Richert almost led another driver to a Cup championship. In an ironic twist, in the 25th year after Earnhardt’s first title, Richert and Biffle just barely missed taking the 2005 championship, losing out by a mere 35 points to Tony Stewart.

“My stint with Roush (Roush Fenway Racing) was some good years,” Richert said. “First I was with Carl Edwards (in the Truck Series in 2003) and then Greg Biffle in Cup (2003-06). Between Carl and Greg, we won 14 (national series) races between the two guys. Those wound up being some of the best times of my life, being involved with Carl and Greg, with Jack (Roush), Ford Motor Company, all the people there, winning six races in one year (2005), winning Homestead three years in a row, coming so close to winning that championship.”

Had it not been for a wheel coming loose late in the fall playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway in 2005, Biffle and Richert may well have pulled off the upset over Stewart and won the championship. It’s something they still talk about today.

“The last time I went over to Greg’s house, that came up,” Richert said. “I was like, ‘Can you believe, we were that close?’ We always talk about Texas, that we had such a good car, we had a wheel come loose and couldn’t overcome it. That’ll always be the one that got away, the big fish!”

RELATED: Catching up with Greg Biffle

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While he has enjoyed a lot of good times in the sport, life hasn’t been easy for Richert the last few years, most notably for wife Robin, who has battled a rare cancer – mucinous carcinoma – for nearly three years.

“I wish I could sit here and say we do have a good handle on it, but it’s very up and down right now,” Richert said of his wife’s condition.”Each day is a question.”

Richert then falls back on verbiage he normally uses as a crew chief to further explain how he and his wife are handling her disease.

“We have to come up with the proper setup that we can make a long run functioning body out of her now,” Richert said. “Just like we get cars that have short run speed and long run speed, now I’ve got to get a process together for her so she has long, long life and quality of life ahead of her.

“Because it’s a different type cancer, it’s a little bit of a juggling act to maintain the growth, don’t let it get any bigger, manage it and keep an eye on it. She’s been through two major surgeries, already. She don’t have any large intestines left, part of her stomach, her spleen. I mean, she’s running out of parts and pieces to take out. We get a CAT scan every three months. We try to monitor it, we look at is it growing? Is it maintaining? Is it shrinking? And then we just go from there.”

The couple will celebrate their 36th anniversary on Dec. 21.

Somehow, someway, Richert still tries to go through life each day with what he has long been known for – an ever-present smile on his face – but he admits it’s very difficult to watch the person he loves so much, suffer so much.

“It’s hard, it’s just hard to watch,” Richert said. “I know the person there. I know what that person was capable of doing prior to cancer and it’s a shame. She wants to but don’t feel good enough to do it. And it’s really, really beaten her down.

“But she’s a fighter. I mean, she feels awful quite a bit of the time, but she keeps trying. She wants to live. We’ve got a bunch of people praying for her, a bunch of people behind her, the doctors, everything, everybody’s there to help. It’s just we’ve got to figure out the right process to help her the best way.”

Richert had already turned in his resignation with MBM Motorsports and agreed to become a crew chief for a team next season, only to see the deal fall through. Still, Richert isn’t letting himself get down, which is one of the biggest attributes he has displayed throughout his career. When one door closes, Richert has had a knack of finding another door open soon thereafter. He’s weighing two other opportunities he has been presented with recently, both which would see him shift from a crew chief to a team manager/administrator role for next season.

“My wife with the cancer now, it’s hard to leave town and go away when she’s dealing with all that,” he said. “So something to stay at home, something to be like a team manager or something, that would pique my interest.

“If that doesn’t come along. I might change professions and maybe do some woodworking and some handyman, woodworking, slab tables, whatever. My dad and my brother were both carpenters in their careers and I’ve got some of their tools. That might be the line I go down next.

“But most important, my light will definitely brighten up if I can get my wife back on-track.”

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The Doug Richert File:

* Age: 61

* Hometown: San Jose, California

Career highlights as a crew chief:

* NASCAR Cup Series career: 588 races, 13 wins, 66 top-five and 120 top-10 finishes. Also 5 poles. Best season finish: first with Dale Earnhardt (1980) and second with Greg Biffle (2005).

* NASCAR Xfinity Series career: 91 races, 1 win, 6 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. Also 1 pole. Best season finish: 11th with Jeff Purvis (2000).

* NASCAR Truck Series career: 64 races, 12 wins, 35 top-5, 45 top-10 finishes. Also 7 poles. Best season finish: first with Ron Hornaday Jr. (split the 1996 season with Doug Williams) and third with Hornaday (1995).

Veteran motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski is writing a number of “Where Are They Now?” stories this year for NASCAR.com. Check out stories he has already done on Brian Scott, Robby Gordon, Ricky Craven, Terry Labonte, Kenny Wallace, Trevor Bayne, Ken Schrader, Shawna Robinson, Sam Hornish Jr., Bobby Labonte, Greg Biffle, Ricky Rudd, Darrell Waltrip, Mark Martin, Marcos Ambrose and Juan Pablo Montoya. Follow Jerry on Twitter @JerryBonkowski.

Posted on November 11, 2021November 11, 2021 by Staff Report

Brian Wilson has been tapped to serve as crew chief for NASCAR Cup Series rookie Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing team for the 2022 season.

Wilson makes the leap after three full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series seasons with Austin Cindric and the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. The pair earned Penske the 2021 owners’ championship after Saturday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Wilson also propelled Cindric to the 2020 Xfinity Series championship. In 99 races over three years, Wilson earned 13 race wins, 55 top fives and 76 top 10s.

From 2016-18, Wilson handled crew chief duties for the No. 22 Ford Xfinity Series entry driven by various drivers, including Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Sam Hornish Jr., Paul Menard and Cindric. Wilson earned four victories apiece with Keselowski and Logano and two with Blaney.

Wilson has four career Cup Series starts as a crew chief under his belt with Keselowski in 2017, filling in for Paul Wolfe on the No. 2 Team Penske Ford pit box on those occasions. All of those finishes were in the top 10, including three top-five finishes that consisted of two runner-up results.

Burton will leave Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity Series effort after two full-time seasons driving the No. 20 Toyota. Burton earned four victories, 25 top fives and 44 top-10 finishes during those two full-time seasons.

Posted on November 10, 2021November 10, 2021 by Staff Report

Richard Petty Motorsports announced Wednesday that Dave Elenz will be the crew chief for the No. 43 Chevrolet driven by Erik Jones in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series.

Elenz makes the move from the JR Motorsports No. 9 Chevy team, which reached the Championship 4 with driver Noah Gragson in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs this year. At RPM, Elenz will replace Jerry Baxter, who has spent the last two years atop the No. 43 pit box — working with Bubba Wallace in 2020 and with Jones last season.

Elenz has 15 wins as an Xfinity Series crew chief, tying Jason Burdett for the most in JR Motorsports’ team history. His seven-year run included a pair of Xfinity Series championships — 2017 with William Byron and 2018 with Tyler Reddick.

“In 2001, when I started in NASCAR, my goal was to contend for a NASCAR Cup Series championship-title as a crew chief,” Elenz said in a team release. “The past seven years at JR Motorsports has prepared me for the next chapter in my career. Working with champion-caliber drivers like William (Byron), Tyler (Reddick), and Noah (Gragson) has not only fueled my desire to move up to the next level, but has also prepared me to the fullest for that next step.

“I appreciate Noah’s support and encouragement on this decision. I have immense gratitude for everyone at JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports and their continued support over the years. I cannot thank them enough. I am excited to start my next chapter with Erik (Jones) and Richard Petty Motorsports.”

The 40-year-old Michigan native has paired the last three seasons with Gragson, scoring five wins together for the No. 9 group. Gragson finished 12th in Saturday’s Xfinity Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway, missing out on his bid for the championship claimed by first-time winner Daniel Hemric.

Gragson was among those wishing Elenz well after his final race with the team, echoing the thoughts of JRM team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“I’ll miss him,” said Gragson, who added that he savored spending time with his crew chief in the next-to-last weekend together, carpooling before and after their clutch win at Martinsville Speedway. “He’s not going to be there, but he’s not going anywhere either in my personal life. Just thankful to get to know him over the years. Would love to have a good crew chief step in for us. We don’t really have anyone right now.”

A new voice will be atop the pit box for @NoahGragson in 2022.@DaleJr on the move and what it means. pic.twitter.com/z1BQEIjol1

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 5, 2021

Jones confirmed in August that he would return for a second season with the Richard Petty-owned organization. Jones finished 24th in the Cup Series standings, with six top-10 finishes in the 36-race season.

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Staff Report

Delma Cowart, the colorful independent driver known for his valiant low-budget attempts to qualify for the Daytona 500, has died. He was 80.

Cowart’s passing was reported by his daughter on social media.

“Somebody asked me about my career once,” Cowart said in a 1998 interview with the Associated Press. “I told him I never won a race, but I never lost a party.”

That phrase became Cowart’s calling card in a NASCAR Cup Series career that spanned 17 years. Cowart failed to qualify or withdrew from more races (61) than he appeared in (21), often fielding car No. 0 in his attempts. “It’s neither negative or positive,” he once said.

His best finish was 17th at Daytona International Speedway in the summer of 1982. Cowart last attempted to make the Daytona 500 field in 1997, crashing in the 125-mile qualifying race and taking contender Geoff Bodine out with him as he was being lapped. He made the field for The Great American Race four times.

Cowart remained a popular figure for his engaging personality and his willingness to raise a glass with fans and locals. His unofficial retirement came before the 1998 season in a corner booth with his name on it at the former Whiskey Pete’s bar in Daytona Beach.

“I’m a dinosaur,” Cowart told the AP. “There ain’t no room for guys like me no more. To me, racing was a hobby. You gotta be professional now.”

Cowart was a swimming pool contractor from Savannah, Georgia, by trade. Racing was his pastime. He often competed with an all-volunteer crew and modest means, which left him as an underdog as the sport grew.

“The only way I can answer that is why do gamblers gamble?” Cowart said when asked what pushed him to keep racing. “I’m a racer, man, that’s all I know.”

Cowart leaves the sport with a legacy of colorful quotes and sayings.

— “One time, my spotter asked me about a wreck in Turn 2 and I told him, ‘what wreck?’ By the time I got around to it, they’d had plenty of time to clean it all up.”

— “The Lord watches over idiots and drunks. So I had ’em covered on both ends.”

— “It’s pretty simple. All the big races pay the most money, and if you luck up and win the race, well, last place pays about $48,000. And Lord knows I can use the money. I’ve got three ex-wives. I’m so broke, I can’t pay attention.”

— “I just smashed it to the floor and told the good Lord that if He’d help me get through Turns 1 and 2, I’d take it from there.”

— “You know I never get down about it all. This is a dream that came true for me and for my guys, too. The worst crime you can commit is never to try.”

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Longtime NASCAR broadcaster Bob Jenkins has been named the winner of the 2021 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. He is the 10th recipient of the prestigious award named after Ken Squier and Barney Hall.

Jenkins served as the lead lap-by-lap announcer for NASCAR broadcasts on ESPN and ABC from 1981-2000. He passed away in August at age 73 after a battle with brain cancer.

“The voice of Bob Jenkins is synonymous with the many great NASCAR moments he called over two decades,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France. “The broadcast team of Jenkins, Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons is one of the most memorable in NASCAR history, it is fitting to see Bob honored in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

Jenkins will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022 and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tickets and more information on the weekend’s events are available at www.nascarhall.com.

Jenkins was an original at ESPN, joining the network in 1979. In addition to announcing more than 400 NASCAR races, he spent 15 years as host of ESPN SpeedWeek, from 1983-1997.

Beyond his NASCAR work, Jenkins lent his iconic voice to various other forms of motorsports. The Indiana native had a special bond with Indianapolis Motor Speedway, serving several different roles over four decades including TV announcer, radio announcer and turn reporter, and public address announcer.

Jenkins won the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence (then known as the Henry T. McLemore Award) in 2001 and the Bob Russo Founders Award in 2008.

He was one of eight nominees voted upon by a panel of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, journalists, public relations representatives and former drivers. The Squier-Hall Award was created in 2012 to honor the contributions of media to the success of the sport. Chris Economaki, Tom Higgins, Steve Byrnes, Benny Phillips, Norma “Dusty” Brandel, Steve Waid and Dick Berggren also have won the award.

The other seven nominees for the 2021 award were:

Russ Catlin, one of the best-known early racing writers and historians; editor of Speed Age Magazine.

George Cunningham, long-time beat writer for The Charlotte Observer, Atlanta Constitution and NASCAR Scene; is the namesake for the annual NMPA award for Excellence in Writing.

Shav Glick, covered motorsports for the Los Angeles Times for 37 years bringing NASCAR coverage to the West Coast.

Mike Harris, spent 30 years as the lead motorsports writer for the Associated Press.

Bob Moore, spent more than 20 years as a NASCAR beat writer including stints with the Daytona Beach News-Journal and The Charlotte Observer.

Taylor Warren, best known for his three-wide photo of the 1959 Daytona 500 finish, he covered every Daytona 500 until his death in 2008.

Deb Williams, the first woman to receive the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence.

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Staff Report

NASCAR issued fines to 10 national series teams and handed down a one-race suspension to a crew chief for lug nut violations coming out of the Championship Weekend held at Phoenix.

No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota crew chief Ben Beshore has been fined $20,000 and suspended from the next NASCAR Cup Series event (the Clash) as the No. 18 of driver Kyle Busch had two lug nuts not safe and secure in a post-race check.

Five other Cup crew chiefs were fined $10,000 for having one lug nut not safe and secure in a post-race check, including three of the Championship 4 crew chiefs and the race winner/title winner Kyle Larson. They were:

—No. 2 Team Penske crew chief Jeremy Bullins (for driver Brad Keselowski)

—No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Cliff Daniels (for driver Larson)

—No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Chris Gabehart (for driver Denny Hamlin)

—No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief James Small (for driver Martin Truex Jr.)

—No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing crew chief Jonathan Hassler (for driver Matt DiBenedetto)

Sunday’s Cup race marked the last of the Gen-6 car that saw each wheel have five lug nuts on it. The Next Gen that will debut in 2022 has just a single center-locking lug nut on each wheel.

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, two crew chiefs were fined $5,000 for having one lug nut not safe and secure in a post-race check. They were:

—No. 11 Kaulig Racing crew chief Alex Yontz (for driver Justin Haley)

—No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Chris Gayle (for driver John Hunter Nemechek)

In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, two crew chiefs were fined $2,500 for having one lug nut not safe and secure in a post-race check. They were:

—No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises crew chief Scott Zipadelli (for driver Austin Hill)

—No. 26 GMS Racing crew chief Charles Denike (for driver Tyler Ankrum)

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Front Row Motorsports (FRM) ended their 2021 season this past weekend at the Phoenix Raceway. Michael McDowell, Anthony Alfredo and Todd Gilliland completed a historical year for FRM that featured a Cinderella-story Daytona 500 win and its first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory.

Beyond the organization’s two wins, FRM earned continued respect on the track through its most top-10 finishes ever in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. McDowell and the No. 34 Ford Mustang team led the way in the Cup Series with five top-10 and two top-five results. McDowell ended the year 16th in the championship.

Gilliland led FRM to a new high mark in its second year in the truck series. The team dominated the field at the inaugural event at the Circuit of The Americas and also earned 16 top-10 and 10 top-five finishes to end the season seventh in the championship standings.

“We are very pleased with the progress that both our programs made on the track this season,” said Jerry Freeze, General Manager, Front Row Motorsports. “We feel our organization took another step in being more competitive and giving more value to our partners. We still need more consistency, but we can’t take anything away from the success and hard work from the organization this year. We’re very proud of that effort.”

Moving into 2022, FRM will continue its efforts in the NASCAR Cup Series and will field the No. 34 and No. 38 Ford Mustangs. The organization continues to analyze its NASCAR Camping World Truck Series operation and Anthony Alfredo will explore other opportunities.

“We would like to thank Anthony for being an outstanding ambassador of our team as well as for our No. 38 partners,” said Freeze. “He showed a lot speed in what was very difficult circumstances. He is a true professional and we wish him nothing but success in his future racing endeavors.”

FRM will make further driver and partner announcements when finalized as the team continues to build its fleet of Next Gen Mustangs and prepares to test on the track.

“We will have a very busy next three months as we build for 2022,” concluded Freeze. “Our men and women are working hard as we usher in the next generation of NASCAR. It’s an exciting time and we are embracing the challenge and excitement.”

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Press Release

NASCAR, JDV Productions and Claremont Motorsports Park announced on Tuesday that the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will visit the New Hampshire facility on Friday, July 29, 2022 for a 150-lap race.

The event will be promoted by JDV Productions — led by Josh Vanada and his team of motorsports professionals. It confirms another race on the 16-event schedule for the Whelen Modified Tour, with three of them now officially set to be promoted by JDV Productions. The team will also promote events at Jennerstown Speedway on May 28, 2022, and Monadnock Speedway on June 18, 2022.

“We are eager to bring the prestige and the excitement of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour back to Claremont, New Hampshire for the first time in over a decade,” said Josh Vanada, owner of JDV Productions. “The long time between visits will provide an interesting challenge for those who may not have competed at the third-mile oval before. The track’s unique characteristics will put crew chiefs and drivers to the test. Fans will not want to miss this race.”

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has only visited Claremont twice — once in 1985 — and another race in 2007. Richie Evans went to Victory Lane in the inaugural race, while James Civali used his southern flavor to steal the show in 2007.

The track, nestled deep into the mountains of New Hampshire, runs NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series divisions on Friday nights throughout the summer

“We are really excited to welcome the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour back to Claremont,” Mike Parks, promoter and operator of the track, said. “Having the Whelen Modified Tour is something we have been looking at doing for a while ourselves and it just wasn’t quite right for us. I’ve worked with Josh on and off for about 10 years. We communicated with each other and we felt this was the right time to work together and have JDV Productions promote the race.”

NASCAR’s 16-race schedule for the Whelen Modified Tour for the 2022 season begins on Saturday, February 12 at New Smyrna Speedway, and will end on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at Martinsville Speedway. In between, teams will visit over five different states and showcase Modified racing in front of passionate race fans. JDV Productions is excited to continue to work with NASCAR, the teams, and the race fans to put the best product possible on the track.

Posted on November 9, 2021November 9, 2021 by Reid Spencer

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Voting for the 2021 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Most Popular Driver Award presented by Hooters opens on Tuesday at noon ET.

Fans can cast a vote for a single driver once daily at www.nascar.com/mostpopulardriver or on the NASCAR Mobile app. Votes shared by fans on Facebook and/or Twitter count double.

To be eligible, drivers must have declared for series points and be in the top 32 in NASCAR Cup Series points by the start of the voting.

Voting closes for the NMPA Most Popular Driver Award on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at noon ET.

The 2021 NMPA Most Popular Driver will be announced during the NASCAR Cup Series Awards program on Thursday, Dec. 2. NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM will provide coverage of this year’s program.

The award was first presented to Curtis Turner in 1949 at the completion of NASCAR’s inaugural season. It has been administered by the NMPA and presented annually by the organization since 1983 and remains the only major NASCAR award determined solely by fan vote.

Twenty drivers have received the award at least once since the program began. NMPA Hall of Fame member and 1988 Cup Series champion Bill Elliott holds the record for most popular driver award wins with 16 — 1984-1988, 1991-2000 and 2002. Dale Earnhardt Jr., elected to the NMPA Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2020, won the award 15 consecutive seasons from 2003-2017.

RELATED: Every NMPA MPD Award winner

Chase Elliott, son of Bill Elliott and driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, has received the honor for the past three years.

“Thanks to the fans throughout this year,” Elliott said during the 2020 awards show at the end of a year in which the coronavirus pandemic severely limited fans’ ability to attend races. “I know it hasn’t been the most normal thing ever, but you guys are awesome, and I hope you enjoyed what the season had to offer.”

Formed in 1965, the National Motorsports Press Association consists of qualified members of the media who report on the sport of auto racing through affiliations with print, radio, television and/or Internet news-gathering organizations. In addition to the NMPA Most Popular Driver Award, the NMPA presents an array of significant honors in auto racing, including the Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award, the Myers Brothers Award, the NMPA Pocono Spirit Award and the Wood Brothers Award of Excellence.

Additional information about the NMPA can be found at nmpaonline.com.

Posted on November 8, 2021November 8, 2021 by Zack Albert

AVONDALE, Ariz. — His coronation as NASCAR Cup Series champion was just hours old, but Kyle Larson was already being asked in post-race media sessions to reflect on his lasting memory from Sunday’s clinching victory, the thing he’ll remember most once he reaches his golden years. His answer was an aspect of the race that he may have been the least involved with.

In the final foreseeable race for the five-on, five-off lug nut choreography of pit stops, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet’s over-the-wall crew provided Larson with a signature, season-saving moment from the march to his first Cup Series title. Speedy pit service moved Larson from fourth place to first on the final round of stops, providing him a crucial advantage for the last green-flag run of the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

WATCH: Larson goes fourth to first on final stop

“It all came down to the final pit stop,” said No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels. “And I have always pushed our guys so hard back at the shop, the guys working on the car, the guys pitting the car, and to see them shine in a moment where they could shine I think is just incredible.”

Larson’s indisputable talent deserves a fair share of the credit in his championship run, and so does the near-bulletproof equipment that team owner Rick Hendrick provided him. But the No. 5 pit crew has its own memory to cherish, converting a clutch 12.345-second final stop that ranked as the Hendrick organization’s fastest all season, according to the Racing Insights statistical service.

Once Larson’s No. 5 car rolled out of the first pit stall at pit exit, the crew celebrated the momentum shift. Front-tire changer Donnie Tasser, tire carrier RJ Barnette, rear-tire changer Calvin Teague, jackman Brandon Johnson and fueler Brandon Harder had all done their jobs. That put Larson in position to do the rest in the 24 green-flag laps to the end.

“It’s the competitor in you, taking the last shot,” said Chris Burkey, Hendrick Motorsports pit crew coach. “… It’s really amazing because with pit stops, the only time people really know about pit stops is when something goes bad. Tonight it worked for them. We were up and down during the middle part of the race, but other than that, we bounced back and made it happen at the very last stop. It was awesome to watch.”

The Hendrick No. 5 crew has been a reliable presence all year in Larson’s first season with the team. But the stop that predated the final trip to pit road was not as successful; Larson lost a position in that exchange, allowing Joey Logano to briefly slip by into third place.

That kept Larson third among the four title-eligible drivers, dimming his title hopes as the clock ticked down on the season. A caution for debris in the form of a broken brake rotor just 28 laps later gave the No. 5 crew a quick chance at redemption.

“At that point, when you’re running fourth, you want a pit stop. So our wish was granted,” said Barnette, a tire carrier who has been with Hendrick Motorsports for 10 years. He worked his way back onto the team this year, completing his recovery from a pectoral muscle injury in 2018. “We got to come down, and the guys busted off one of the best stops we’ve had all year. I mean, that’s what we’ve done. When the pressure’s on, we’ve always stepped up, and I couldn’t be more proud of these guys. It’s an amazing year.”

Teague seconded that the No. 5 Chevy’s next-to-last stop was “not up to our standards.” Burkey, ever the observant coach, said he could see the team’s desire to make amends for its earlier miscue as they awaited the car’s arrival to the first pit stall.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

“Since we didn’t have the greatest pit stop the one before, you never want to end on a bad one, right?” said Teague, the rear-tire changer who celebrated his fourth championship in his 13 years with Hendrick Motorsports. “So we went out there and did what we know we can do. We’ve done it all year, and we’ve proved it to ourselves. We don’t have to prove anything to anybody. Our job is to just go out there and do the best we can each and every week, and I think we’ve done that. …

“No matter if our name’s on the car or anywhere, this team, the guys that we have on this team, it’s not about any one specific person. We are a team for a reason, and the team that we have and assembled is one of the greatest I’ve ever been a part of and it shows. If somebody has a mistake, they come and they pick you up, right? Nobody hangs their heads. We just go and do what we know we can do, and everybody has faith in everybody.”

While Larson’s title-winning car is emblazoned with No. 5, the team’s makeup has the lineage of the No. 48 team that Jimmie Johnson carried to legendary status. When the No. 48 transferred to the former No. 88 team and driver Alex Bowman before the season, the car that Larson would drive to 10 victories this year was rebranded with No. 5, Hendrick Motorsports’ original car number.

No matter the number, the team has remained a cohesive group, one that soaked in the champagne from a championship stage as the sun set on the 2021 season.

“It’s a great team to be a part of,” said Tasser, the front-tire changer in his third year with the team. “Everyone plays their role and plays it well. All season it’s been that way. We have great cars, we’ve had great stall selections, Kyle’s an amazing driver, and we’ve had a pretty good year, I’d say. Just a special thing to be a part of.

“This is mostly the same team as last year, teams of 48 past. There was a while there when you thought that we were never going to get to feel this again. This is amazing.”