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.”
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.
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. 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)
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
AVONDALE, Ariz. — One last cheers for the No. 2 crew.
After Sunday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway, Brad Keselowski toasted his Team Penske mates on pit road in honor of their last race together. Instead of just lifting a can of beer, like everyone else, Keselowski filled and hoisted the large glass he notoriously chugged out of while celebrating his 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship. Two coolers stocked full of Miller Lite sat next to their Ford, ready to refill or replenish for as long as nostalgia flowed.
“Definitely feels like the last weekend,” Keselowski said. “I’m trying to soak up what there is to soak up. But it’s going to be a different world for sure.”
After 12 full seasons with Team Penske, Keselowski heads over to Roush Fenway Racing in a driver-owner role. He’ll pilot the No. 6 Ford in 2022, while Austin Cindric takes over the No. 2 car at Team Penske. Both moves were announced back in July.
Keselowski joined Team Penske on a full-time basis in 2010 after three part-time races the prior season. Thirty-five of Keselowski’s 36 career victories came in the No. 2 car, including that 2012 championship.
“It’s still hard,” Keselowski said. “There’s a lot of great friendships I made. I couldn’t have picked a better time to do it. There’s a huge workforce transition with the Next Gen car and all that stuff happening at the same time to where next year is going to be a culture shock for the entire garage. I kind of feel like I’m playing even there.”
The Next Gen car is set to debut when the 2022 season kicks off with the Busch Light Clash exhibition event Feb. 6 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
In his final season, Keselowski had one win (Talladega Superspeedway), 10 top fives and 17 top 10s. His last race result for Team Penske was an 11th-place finish. He checked in sixth in the championship standings.
“It’s a little bit surreal,” Keselowski said. “It felt like the last day of school. You’re on the next chapter.”
— Crew chief Todd Gordon is retiring from atop the No. 12 pit box. He closes out his full-time NASCAR Cup Series career with 25 victories and the 2018 championship with driver Joey Logano. Gordon’s latest wheelman, Ryan Blaney, finished fourth Sunday at Phoenix Raceway and seventh in the championship standings for his final race and season. Said Blaney: “It was a really good last run for Todd before he hangs it up. I wish it was a win. I can’t thank him enough for the last couple of years and I can’t thank this whole group enough for this year. It has been a lot of fun.”
Every 2021 race, except the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, is comprised of three stages — Stage 1, Stage 2 and the Final Stage. The Coca-Cola 600 added a fourth stage. Drivers who finish in the top 10 in Stage 1 and Stage 2 earn additional race points, with the winner of each stage earning 10 points, second place earning nine points, third place earning eight points, etc., down to one point for 10th place. Stage 3 of the Coca-Cola 600 awards points in the same manner as Stages 1 and 2 in the other races.
The Final Stage produces the race results and awards points across the field.
Below is a cumulative running tally of how many stage points drivers have earned this year, as well as their stage wins — a stage win will provide an additional bonus point per win of the postseason.
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, entered Sunday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway as the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion. The 2020 title holder exited the Arizona desert as the 2021 fourth-place finalist.
“All you can do is the best you can do, right?” No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson told NASCAR.com. “You do it every week. Certainly, when there’s circumstances like this, you find a little extra motivation. But we try hard every week, we try to win every week.”
Elliott ultimately finished fifth, the lowest of the Championship 4 contenders. Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson won the race and therefore the Bill France Cup trophy. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin placed second and third, respectively, on the results sheet and in the season standings.
Larson led a race-high 107 laps, including the last 28 to the checkered flag. Elliott had the second-best tally out of the 312 total with 94 leading circuits.
“You get a caution with 20 laps to go, it’s going to be very difficult to run down and pass the guy that jumps out front in the restart,” Elliott said. “But yeah, proud of our team. Felt like we had a nice game plan coming into the week, felt like our car did a lot of things we wanted it to do. No major mistakes, just needed to be a little better in those first few sequences of restarts and pit stops there at the end.”
With 29 laps remaining, debris on the track drew a yellow and the field pitted. The No. 5 crew performed the fastest stop that allowed Larson to gain three spots off of pit road, jumping from fourth to first. Elliott, meanwhile, lost a spot and settled in fourth.
Larson chose the top lane for the restart, and Hamlin took the bottom next to him. Elliott lined up behind Hamlin, alongside Truex.
The final green-flag stretch lasted 24 laps. Larson held off his competition and wound up with a 0.398-second margin of victory.
“All those cars were so good, whichever one was out front was probably going to be the only one who was going to win,” Gustafson said. “I was pretty happy we could pass the leader. We did that a few times. Just disappointed we didn’t keep up with it again at the end.”
Elliott last held the lead with 62 laps remaining. He had taken it from and lost it to Larson. Actually, every time Elliott moved into first – four total occurrences – it required passing Larson.
The No. 9 group won two races in 2021. Both came at road courses – Circuit of The Americas (NASCAR’s debut) and Road America (series’ first race there since 1956). That gives him 13 career victories since his first in 2018.
This marked Elliott’s second Championship 4 appearance overall.
“I’m happy to be here, I’m not happy right now,” Gustafson said. “I mean, it’s hard two minutes after the race to sit here and find the good.”
