Posted on January 24, 2022March 25, 2022 by Staff Report

As the Next Gen car for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series prepares for its first taste of competition, it’s time to review the development and testing so far and to size up what’s next before the new model’s debut.

January 2019: Early discussion

The first talks about the Next Gen project begin in earnest at NASCAR’s Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina. The emphasis for the first discussions: a renewed relevance to each automaker’s production-car counterparts, budget-minded measures meant to attract new teams and manufacturers and also an improved racing product.

Feb. 4, 2019: Next Gen briefing

Our first story on the Next Gen car, then code-named “Gen-7.” Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, detailed the goals for the new-look model in a preseason competition briefing, establishing an accelerated timeline for a 2021 debut. | COVERAGE: 2021 the target for Gen-7 race car

Aug. 16, 2019: Big wheels keep turning

A hint of news to come as details seeped out regarding Goodyear’s work with NASCAR officials to bring a new tire to the Cup Series to accommodate a move from 15-inch wheels to 18-inch models. Again, product relevance is one of the stated goals. | COVERAGE: NASCAR expected to increase wheel diameter

Oct. 8-9, 2019: First test (Richmond)

The first Next Gen prototype hits the track for its first on-track shakedown, with Austin Dillon taking the wheel at Richmond Raceway. The public gets its first glimpse at the design as a busy camouflage body wrap attempts to hide some of the finer details. | COVERAGE: On-track test debut at Richmond | Positive early reviews for Next Gen

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

Dec. 9-10, 2019: Second test (Phoenix)

Joey Logano takes his turn behind the wheel at Phoenix Raceway, providing a thorough video walk-through in between test sessions. Officials from car builders Richard Childress Racing, Team Penske and NASCAR tried multiple setup combinations, cycling through different configurations for tires, spoilers and other aerodynamic features. | COVERAGE: Logano’s first impressions | Phoenix test in photos

Jan. 15-16, 2020: Third test (Miami)

After test runs on a short track then a flat one-miler, the Next Gen car gets its first laps on an intermediate 1.5-mile layout as Erik Jones wheels the prototype at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Among the observations: a noted decrease in side force, Jones said, plus the first glimpse at the sequential shifter that the new car will have. “You can bang right through the gears,” Jones said. | COVERAGE: New details in Miami session | Miami test in photos

March 2, 2020: New look for lugs

NASCAR officials released the first close-up look at the new wheel design, which features a single center-locking lug nut instead of a five-lug pattern. The wheels, made by BBS, had their on-track debut in a test session at Auto Club Speedway in California. Competition officials said they anticipated no dramatic changes to the look and feel of pit stops with the design change. | COVERAGE: Single-lug wheel debuts

March 2-3, 2020: Fourth test (Auto Club)

A new prototype — dubbed P3 — is put through the paces at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway, the largest track yet for Next Gen testing. William Byron drove the vehicle, which was “probably 99 percent what we’re going to compete with next year,” according to NASCAR officials. | COVERAGE: Learning experience for Byron | Test particulars, preview | Auto Club test in photos

April 2, 2020: Project delayed

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted the NASCAR racing season, but it also placed the development and testing schedule of the Next Gen car on hold. Shortly after a test session scheduled for March 16-17 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was canceled, officials made the decision to delay the model’s competition debut until the 2022 season. | COVERAGE: Debut pushed back

Aug. 24-25, 2020: Fifth test (Dover)

Next Gen testing resumes with Cole Custer at the wheel of the P3 prototype at Dover International Speedway. Officials measure the car’s capacity for a rough, high-load oval at the “Monster Mile,” using a setup similar to the current Cup Series car’s rules package. | COVERAGE: Custer piles on the miles

Torey Fox | NASCAR Digital Media

Nov. 16-17, 2020: Sixth test (Charlotte)

For the first time, two Next Gen prototypes hit the track in the same test as former Cup Series champs Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. raced together in a two-day session — one day on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval-road course layout and another on the 1.5-mile oval. “It does everything a little bit better,” Truex said of the car after the first test. | COVERAGE: Busch, Truex on track | Photos from Charlotte test | Post-test quote sheet

Dec. 15-16, 2020: Seventh test (Daytona)

Chris Buescher kept busy in the offseason as the driver of record for the Next Gen car’s first superspeedway laps. The single-car runs at Daytona International Speedway’s 2.5-mile layout allowed competition officials to find a baseline speed for drafting tracks, meeting that goal early in the two-day session. | COVERAGE: Superspeedway sessions for Next Gen | Daytona test in photos

Jan. 12, 2021: Eighth test (Charlotte)

Kurt Busch became the first repeat test driver, as NASCAR officials returned to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a brief session to validate some of the development work on Next Gen components. Feedback from the previous Charlotte test was more favorable for the road course than the oval, so officials re-enlisted Busch for a second shakedown. | COVERAGE: ‘Successful test’ at Charlotte

Feb. 1, 2021: Development complete

Officials highlighted their 2021 competition briefing with the statement that the development phase of the Next Gen car is complete. John Probst, NASCAR senior vice president of racing innovation, said the Next Gen bodies for all three manufacturers had been approved and outlined a timetable for the car’s 2021 slate | COVERAGE: Next Gen enters next phase

March 16-17, 2021: Ninth test (Richmond)

The Next Gen car returned to where its testing journey began at Richmond Raceway as Bubba Wallace took his first turn behind the wheel. Wallace made notes about the car’s balance and the exhaust note, and officials were pleased with the results at the .75-mile track: “Overall, the performance of the car is where we want it to be.” | COVERAGE: Return to Richmond

March 30-31, 2021: 10th test (Martinsville)

Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota each put their manufacturer-specific prototypes on track in a closed test at Martinsville Speedway. Alex Bowman (Chevrolet), Drew Herring (Toyota) and David Ragan (Ford) were the test drivers, each putting laps on the .526-mile oval and gathering data through wheel-force transducers. | COVERAGE: Manufacturers make strides

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

April 6-7, 2021: 11th test (Darlington)

Tyler Reddick had the wheel of the Next Gen car as Goodyear officials went to work with different tire combinations at Darlington Raceway. The historic 1.366-mile track lived up to its “Too Tough to Tame” billing as Reddick looped the P3 prototype, making slight right-side contact with the wall. | COVERAGE: Slight scrape for Reddick | Photos from Darlington test | Video: Riding the high line

April 7: Save the date

Officials set an unveil schedule for the three manufacturers’ Next Gen models, announcing the cars would debut May 5 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The three vehicles were on the track at Martinsville Speedway in a closed session, but their appearance and specifications were set for a full release. | COVERAGE: Watch the big reveal

May 5, 2021: Manufacturer unveil

NASCAR, manufacturers unveil Next Gen models for 2022 Cup Series in Charlotte with NASCAR President Steve Phelps, Senior VP of Competition and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell, Senior VP of Racing Innovation John Probst, NASCAR drivers and leaders of the manufacturers. The same day, Ryan Blaney got his first taste of the Next Gen car in its 12th test, a tire-testing session at Texas Motor Speedway that coincided with vehicle’s official launch. | COVERAGE: Read about the reveal

June 2021: Wheel-force testing (Charlotte, Dover)

The data-collection process continued in June with separate tests of vehicles equipped with wheel-force transducers at Charlotte Motor Speedway on June 1-2 and Dover International Speedway on June 28-30. Kurt Busch drove the Chevrolet wheel-force car at Charlotte, and Ross Chastain was the Chevy representative at Dover. Veteran David Ragan drove the Ford wheel-force test car in both sessions, and longtime test driver Drew Herring participated in both tests for Toyota.

June 30, 2021: Crash test (Talladega)

NASCAR officials organized a real-world test of the car’s crash capabilities at Talladega Superspeedway, fitting a robotically driven Next Gen vehicle with a crash dummy. Findings and data were sent to an independent panel of experts in the biomechanics and safety field for their review. NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller dismissed rumors that preliminary findings showed the car had performed poorly in the test. | COVERAGE: Crash test held

July 19, 2021: Crash-test findings

Competition officials told reporters that a meeting with a panel of crash-test experts went well, and that the findings cleared the way for initial distribution of chassis to teams. Chassis distribution was scheduled to begin by the end of the week, the first week in a two-week break in the 2021 Cup Series schedule. | COVERAGE: Chassis distribution to start

Aug. 27, 2021: New number spot

NASCAR officials indicated that the placement of the side number on Next Gen vehicles will be moved forward for 2020, closer to the front wheel and away from the middle of the door. The confirmation came after 23XI Racing’s announcement that veteran Kurt Busch would join the team in 2022, using a video that showed the number placement on his No. 45 Toyota for next season. COVERAGE: Moving the number forward in 2022

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

Sept. 7-8, 2021: Daytona test with eight teams

Eight teams participated in a two-day test at Daytona International Speedway that served to help Goodyear find the right tire for NASCAR’s return to the 2.5-mile track in February 2022, and NASCAR wanted to make sure it was able to hit its target speeds and learn more about the draft on the superspeedway. | COVERAGE: Eight drivers in two-day test | Scenes from the test | Video of drafting session

Oct. 11-12, 2021: First organizational test at Roval

NASCAR teams conducted their first organizational test, putting 21 cars through their paces during two days on the 2.32-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway. Teams got their first opportunity to tune on the new model, and NASCAR competition officials worked to resolve issues with a steering vibration and heat inside the car. | COVERAGE: Day 1 wrap; updates released | Photos from Roval test | Day 2: Live-show replay

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

Oct. 26, 2021: Hot laps at Bowman Gray

NASCAR’s newest car took to one of stock-car racing’s longest running weekly tracks at Bowman Gray Stadium. Tony Stewart drove the car during the Goodyear tire test portion of the day, and racers-turned-broadcasters Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer took turns shaking down the car during the afternoon — all ahead of next year’s Clash exhibition on a similar quarter-mile track at the L.A. Coliseum. All three drivers got their first impressions from behind the wheel of the new model, which felt right at home at the historic stadium, which hosted the Cup Series from 1958-1971. | COVERAGE: Next Gen wrap-up | Photos: Bowman Gray | Video: Dale Jr.’s turn behind the wheel

Nov. 17-18, 2021: Back at Charlotte to test on the oval

The second organizational test took place at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s oval layout. Austin Dillon’s early Day 1 wreck showed that the Next Gen performed as designed when it comes to safety. Drivers acknowledged that the cooling issues and steering issues have been improved from previous tests. Day 2 saw practice pit stops as part of the action. | COVERAGE: Wreck offers significant learnings | On-track pit practice | Day 1 wrap | Day 2 wrap | Photos: Scenes from Charlotte

Dec. 15 and 17, 2021: Dialing it in on the Charlotte oval

Teams tested four configurations as officials and the rest of the NASCAR industry zeroed in on a baseline rules package for the 2022 Cup Series during two days of testing at the 1.5-mile oval. Three of the four configurations used a 670-horsepower target and the rear spoiler settings were decreased to a final height of 4 inches, centered not offset. Teams made group runs in simulated races with each configuration, and a number of drivers battled spins, scrapes and other incidents as they searched for the limit. “The cars are on edge, which is a good thing,” said Tyler Reddick, who had his own adventures with the No. 8 Chevrolet. Drivers, teams and officials all met post-test to discuss their findings. | COVERAGE: Test focuses on 670-horsepower target | Drivers react after two-day test | Photos: Scenes from Charlotte

James Thomas | NASCAR Digital Media

Dec. 21, 2021: Base rules configuration is set

NASCAR officials delivered the baseline rules configuration to teams, drivers and the rest of the stock-car racing industry, revealing that a 670-horsepower target engine output and a lower-downforce 4-inch rear spoiler would be used at a majority of Cup Series races in 2022. The most recent Charlotte test was key to determining that rules configuration, but so was the positive feedback and collaboration during the car’s development to reach that direction. That setup will be used at short tracks, road courses and intermediate-sized tracks in 2022. | COVERAGE: Base rules package unveiled | Social-media kudos emerge

Jan. 4-6: Atlanta tire test

All three national series tested at the repaved and newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway. The early reviews consider it a new race track as track officials reshaped the turns with steeper banking – 28 degrees, up from the existing 24. For the two-day test, NASCAR officials set a target of 510 horsepower (down from the base 670) and used a 7-inch rear spoiler (an increase from the 4-inch rear spoiler that will be standard on most tracks). | COVERAGE: Drivers ‘starting from a blank sheet’ | Scenes from the test

Jan. 11-12: Daytona test sets superspeedway package

The first-day-of-school feel to preseason NASCAR Cup Series testing at Daytona International Speedway had some element of a class reunion. In the meantime, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took part as he drove the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and NASCAR officials confirmed the superspeedway rules package configuration for 2022 – an engine-output target of 510 horsepower combined with a 7-inch rear spoiler to keep speeds in check. The package will be used at Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta. | COVERAGE: Superspeedway rules set | Unofficial speeds from test | Dale Jr. logs laps | See drafting practice take place | How the rearview camera works | NASCAR’s Probst looks ahead to Phoenix | Scenes from test

INSIDE THE NEXT GEN: Tire and wheel system | Composite components | Door foam upgrade | Modular design

MORE: Tougher penalty system on tap for 2022

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

Jan. 25-26: The final test at Phoenix

Cup Series teams returned to Phoenix Raceway for the last preseason test before the Next Gen car’s 2022 competition debut. Teams and drivers became more familiar with the baseline rules configuration (670 target horsepower, 4-inch rear spoiler) at the site of the season-ending race. “We feel like we’re in a really good spot,” was the word from NASCAR officials about the new model’s readiness for the coming season. | COVERAGE: Optimism after final tune-up |
Scenes from the test | Larson returns as champ | Unofficial test speeds

Feb. 6, 2022: Clash at the Coliseum

Teams got a first taste of the Next Gen car in race conditions in the Busch Light Clash’s debut at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The exhibition event was announced Sept. 15, a one-off to be held on a temporary quarter-mile track. COVERAGE: Next Gen part of Clash plans

Feb. 20, 2022: Daytona 500

Drivers, start your engines — and start a new era. The annual season-opening Daytona 500 saw the formal debut of the Next Gen car that, as you can see by the timeline above, was years in the making. Austin Cindric went down in history as the race winner.

Posted on January 23, 2022January 24, 2022 by Tadd Haislop

In dominating fashion, Preston Peltier won his Super Late Models feature race Friday at the 2022 Chilly Willy at Arizona’s Tucson Speedway. Some wondered whether it was a sign of things to come even though he did not start Saturday’s feature.

Sure enough, Peltier won Sunday’s main event, the Super Late Models Chilly Willy 150, after starting from the pole.

The Brighton, Colorado, native became the first driver to win two Chilly Willy titles in the event’s nine-year history; he also took the victory at Tucson in 2020.

“I wanted to put on a good show,” Peltier said after the race. “I knew we had a good car. It’s all about saving tires. We saved just enough. These guys were beating on me pretty hard, and I was just trying to save.”

Peltier lost the lead on Lap 20 but gained it back for good on Lap 76. He was able to hold the lead despite a pair or restarts with six and five laps to go, respectively.

Asked about the exciting brand of racing he and others produced at Tucson on Sunday, Peltier credited the venue.

“This is an awesome track to race on,” he said. “You can run top, bottom, middle, three-wide. It’s the only place in the country I feel comfortable running three wide with locals. We can’t wait to come back next year.”

Preston Peltier wins the @NASCARRoots #ChillyWilly at the Tucson Speedway and becomes the first two-time Champion!

You can relive every lap @ https://t.co/Rn66QMC5Ny🏁 pic.twitter.com/9Xq1F996W8

— FloRacing (@FloRacing) January 24, 2022

Kody Vanderwal, Edward Vecchiarelli and Ron Norman finished second through fourth, respectively, in the Chilly Willy 150. Defending Tucson Speedway track champion Brett Yackey finished fifth as the last car on the lead lap.

Local driver Brice Bonnett won Sunday’s Modifieds division feature at the Chilly Willy ahead of Dominick Adams in second, Brian Harrington Jr. in third, Nick O’Neil in fourth and Paul French Jr. in fifth.

In the Legends division, Sean Hingorani won the Sunday feature over Cody Brown, Chasen Groff, Cody Milan and Ethan Nascimento in second through fifth, respectively.

Jaron Giannini took the checkered flag in the Legends / Pro & Masters feature event Sunday at the Chilly Willy. Jake Bohlman, Levie Jones, Tyler Hicks and Josh Gross rounded out the top five.

A full replay of Sunday’s Chilly Willy action is available on FloRacing.

Posted on January 23, 2022 by Staff Report

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

Note: All times are ET.

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

Tuesday, Jan. 25
4 p.m., NASCAR Presents Beyond the Wheel, FS2

Saturday, Jan. 29
11 a.m., IMSA Auto Racing: Round 1 IMSA Prototype Challenge (tape delay), USA/NBC Sports App
1:30 p.m., IMSA Auto Racing: Rolex 24 at Daytona, NBC/NBC Sports App
1:30 p.m., IMSA Auto Racing: Rolex 24 at Daytona, Peacock (will air full 24 hours of event)*
4 p.m., IMSA Auto Racing: Rolex 24 at Daytona, USA/NBC Sports App
10 p.m., IMSA Auto Racing: Rolex 24 at Daytona, USA/NBC Sports App

Sunday, Jan. 30
6 a.m., IMSA SportsCar Championship: Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, USA/NBC Sports App
Noon, IMSA SportsCar Championship: Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, NBC/NBC Sports App

Posted on January 23, 2022 by Tadd Haislop

Saturday brought another action-packed day and evening of racing in the 2022 Chilly Willy at Arizona’s Tucson Speedway. Only Sunday’s finale remains on the schedule.

Four classes of cars — Super Late Models, Pro Stocks, Legends and Legends / Pro & Masters — took to the 0.375-mile oval Saturday.

All Chilly Willy action, including Sunday’s main event, the Super Late Models Chilly Willy 150, can be viewed live on FloRacing.

Below are the takeaways from Saturday’s racing.

Brett Yackey of Greeley, Colorado, and Blaine Rocha of Oakdale, California, emerged as the two feature winners in the Super Late Models division Saturday night. Yackey’s win came in stunning fashion, as he drove from fifth to first in 50 laps after qualifying ninth. Rocha started second in his feature after qualifying eighth.
Ron Norman, Dustin Ash, Edward Vecchiarelli and Buddy Sheppard rounded out the top five in the Super Late Models A Feature 1. Ross Strmiska, Rudy Vanderwal, Tyler Tanner and Bruce Yackey completed the top five in the Super Late Models A Feature 2.
Ron Searle Jr. and Don Geary qualified first and second, respectively, in the Pro Stocks division Saturday. But that order flipped in the feature, as Geary was able to pass Searle for the win. Barry Levitt, Brian O’Brien and Richard Dorman rounded out the top five in the Pro Stocks feature race.
Ethan Nascimento of Manteca, California, had himself a day in the Legends division Saturday. He qualified first and went on to win the feature race. Sean Hingorani, Cody Brown, Bryceton Meyer and Chasen Groff completed the top five in the Legends feature.
Like Nascimento did in the Legends division, Jake Bohlman of Huntington Beach, California, swept the day in the Legends / Pro & Masters division Saturday. He both qualified first and won the feature race. Jaron Giannini, Jordan Holloway, Brandon Giannini and Levie Jones rounded out the top five in that division’s feature.

The 2022 Chilly Willy comes to a close Sunday. Racing starts at 3 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. MT and can be viewed live on FloRacing.

Posted on January 22, 2022January 22, 2022 by Staff Report

The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum is getting even more star power for its Los Angeles debut — NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart will join Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer in the broadcast booth for the Feb. 6 spectacle, FOX announced Saturday night.

RELATED: Buy Clash tickets

The Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner will also offer his analysis for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

I’m teammates with @ClintBowyer again. @MikeJoy500 will have his hands full. This is going to be fun. pic.twitter.com/V1MIBHc5GU

— Tony Stewart (@TonyStewart) January 23, 2022

“To call the very first Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum AND the Daytona 500 is an opportunity you don’t pass up,” Stewart said in a FOX Sports release. “The size and scope of both these races is massive, and it’s an honor to be a part of them with FOX. Anytime you get to talk racing with Clint and Mike, you’re going to have a good time.”

The season-opening Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum exhibition race marks a historic first visit to the tradition-rich Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which will add NASCAR Cup Series racing to its 98-year-old portfolio. The event is to be contested around a quarter-mile asphalt oval that has been built on the facility’s football field.

The Los Angeles event (6 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM) will mark the first time the preseason Clash will be held outside of Daytona International Speedway since its inception in 1979, and it will give the sport its first competitive look at the Next Gen car in the non-points event.

MORE: Behind-the-scenes track pics

There’s plenty more in store for fans in attendance or watching on FOX as well, including a Pitbull pre-race concert presented by Coca-Cola along with a race break performance by Ice Cube.

FOX also announced that two-time Daytona 500-winning crew chief Larry McReynolds will return as the FOX NASCAR technical analyst, with Jamie Little and Regan Smith reporting from the pits at the Clash and Vince Welch joining the team in Daytona.

Posted on January 22, 2022 by Tadd Haislop

The first evening of the 2022 Chilly Willy at Tucson Speedway is in the books.

Three classes — Super Late Models, Legends and Legends / Pro & Masters — took to the 0.375-mile oval Friday night, with the evening culminating in the A Features for the Super Late Models.

All of the action at the Chilly Willy is building up to Sunday’s main event, the Super Late Models Chilly Willy 150.

Below are the takeaways from Friday’s action.

Preston Peltier of Brighton, Colorado, proved to be the Super Late Model driver to beat Friday night at Tucson. He topped the division’s qualifying run by 0.2 seconds over second-place Tyler Tanner, putting Peltier on the pole for the A Feature 1. Peltier won that feature from the pole.
Blaine Rocha, Edward Vecchiarelli, Kody Vanderwal and Rudy Vanderwal rounded out the top five of the Super Late Models A Feature 1. Vecchiarelli was able to pass Kody Vanderwal after starting fourth.
Tanner finished second in the Super Late Models A Feature 2 after getting passed by Dustin Ash, who had finished third in the qualifier before winning his feature. Brett Yackey, Ross Strmiska and Dylan Jones rounded out the top five in the Super Late Models A Feature 2.
Sean Hingorani of Newport Coast, California, put together a perfect night in the Legends division at Tucson on Friday. He topped the qualifying chart before starting and finishing first in Heat 1. He then won the feature race after starting on the pole.
Bryceton Meyer, Ethan Nascimento, Chasen Groff and Nathan Quella rounded out the top five in the Legends A Feature race.
In the Legends / Pro & Masters division, Jake Bohlman and Jaron Giannini finished first and second, respectively, in qualifying. And they finished the same in Heat 1. Then Giannini flipped the script on Bohlman to win the feature race. Levie Jones, Jordan Holloway and Andy Hulcy rounded out the top five.

The 2022 Chilly Willy action continues Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. MT on FloRacing.

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Terrin Waack

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – AJ Foyt could win a race in a wheel barrel. Tony Stewart could win in anything that has a steering wheel. At least that is Red Farmer’s reasoning behind why he considers Foyt and Stewart to be two of the best racers he has ever seen. And Farmer is 89 years old, racing for at least 75 of those trips around the sun.

After being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Friday night and reminiscing on his still-active career, Farmer’s status and experience make him worthy of the question: Who is the best race-car driver – ever?

“I’d put Tony Stewart and AJ Foyt up there,” Farmer said Friday at the Charlotte Convention Center. “Now you’ve got this kid, Kyle Larson, coming up who looks like he’s in the same class. He can drive anything and win races in it. Road course. Dirt. Superspeedway. Asphalt. Mile-and-a-half.”

Not an exaggeration. Last season alone in the NASCAR Cup Series, Larson won 10 races, including at road courses, superspeedways, asphalt and mile-and-a-halves as well as the title race at Phoenix. He didn’t win a dirt race on the NASCAR schedule – there was only one – but he did win in multiple other dirt-specific circuits, including the oh-so-popular Chili Bowl.

“That’s kind of a hard decision, you know, to pick one that’s the best driver,” Farmer said. “I think you got to pick a driver that can drive anything on any type of track.”

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Zack Albert

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a self-described lottery-winning moment before he ever hit NASCAR’s big time. He had become a regular competitor on the weekly and touring Late Model circuit, and Dale Earnhardt Inc. was looking for a full-time replacement for Steve Park in its Xfinity Series ride for 1998.

Earnhardt Jr. recalled that his brief, nine-race Xfinity career to that point was middling at best, and that his Late Model record was a modest four wins in 159 starts. Yet when Dale Earnhardt approached crew chief Tony Eury Sr. to discuss the team’s direction, his suggestion hit close to home.

“Dale came to me and said, ‘what do you think about Dale Jr.? Do you think he’ll ever make a driver?’ ” Eury recalled. “And I said, ‘I don’t know. I haven’t been to Myrtle Beach (Speedway) to watch him race and I don’t have time to go to Myrtle Beach, but I see you spending a lot of money on some other people, why don’t you spend it on your own kids? Try it and see. That’s all we can do is see.’

“So we tried it, and it worked.”

From those modest beginnings sprang a NASCAR Hall of Fame career. Tony Eury Sr. and Jr., both of whom played pivotal roles in Earnhardt Jr.’s early years in racing, sat front and center Friday night at the Charlotte Convention Center to watch their former pupil’s induction.

Earnhardt Jr. eventually made Eury Sr.’s suggestion look prophetic. The two combined for 13 wins and a pair of Xfinity Series championships in consecutive years, launching him onto the national scene.

Rusty Jarrett | Getty Images

“I always thought he would be one of the greats,” said Eury Jr., who was atop the pit box for two of his Cup Series wins and one of his Xfinity triumphs. “I’d seen the talent that he had early, when we started the Xfinity stuff. Luckily we were in a position as a company where we were kind of finishing in the top five in points … so I told him, ‘look, just don’t hit nothing and you’ll have this championship in the bag. We’ll do what we gotta do and you’ll learn how to drive these cars and we’ll go.’

“He wasn’t really successful in his Late Model career, but he was consistent. He’d run top five all the time so you knew he could take care of his equipment. That’s what he did. It’s kind of like he says in his videos, in ’98, it was like, ‘wow, we did it.’ We weren’t supposed to do it, but we did it. That was cool, but in ’99 it was more like, let’s get serious about this. We’ve got to repeat. We’re supposed to do this.”

That combination and confidence carried into the Cup Series in 2000, with Earnhardt bringing the Eurys along for the ride. And Eury Sr. drew special mention during Earnhardt’s speech as one of the role models who held him accountable in the early stages of his career. “I think about you all the time, and every day I live my life to please people like you,” Earnhardt said, noting how the elder Eury grounded him as the sometimes chaotic career began to skyrocket.

The Hall of Fame stage gave Earnhardt a chance to thank his longtime crew chief, but it also presented the opportunity to mend a heartache from more than 15 years ago.

“For a long time there, I spent day after day with that man, racing in the Xfinity Series and then the Cup Series with the Bud car,” Earnhardt said after the ceremonies. “One of my biggest regrets, and I’ve said this before, one of the biggest regrets in my professional career was thinking that making a change in his position as a crew chief was what we needed to do. Me supporting that decision is without question my biggest regret in my racing career because I was not only coming off a successful year in 2004, but I needed his leadership and so did the team.

“So it was so nice to be able to look him in the eye and tell him that I think about him every day and the decisions I make in my life are influenced by him, and that he matters, at least to me. I’m glad that I got to share that with him.”

WATCH: Dale Jr.’s Hall of Fame speech

It was one of a multitude of stories on a welcoming, snowy night, from Julie Stefanik’s heartfelt speech honoring her late husband, Mike, a true Modified Tour ace. And Red Farmer stoked the racing hot-stove season with vivid tales pulled from his decades as a pioneer of the sport.

The Eurys had their own stories, either shared themselves or from the recollections of others. Those yarns included the contract negotiations that Earnhardt first had with team owner Rick Hendrick and the almost comically trivial write-in request – that his car’s side skirts always be painted to match the body color.

But the Eurys were also able to share their perspective on Earnhardt Jr.’s growth into his multi-faceted life as a husband, father, team owner and an insightful broadcaster. That public-facing role with NBC Sports marks a long-haul departure from the bashful young driver that they had first urged the Intimidator to promote.

“The media couldn’t get him to talk to them, and just gave short answers to everything. Real shy, didn’t want to talk, wouldn’t look at the cameras,” Eury Sr. said. “Then for him to turn into the TV guy that he is now, it’s really kind of amazing how he’s changed. I tell you, I’m really, really proud of him as a race car driver, but I’m really proud of him the way he’s doing his TV stuff and his Download (podcast). I couldn’t be any happier.”

Earnhardt Jr. has long been a steward of stock-car racing history. Now it’s a role he’s further able to embrace as a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee.

“I think he’s always been kind of timid to be that guy, but I told him tonight when I saw him that one of the greatest things he can do is be an ambassador in this sport,” Eury Jr. said, noting his show of support for the Stefanik family before the Hall of Fame proceedings. “… Stuff like that goes further than you can ever imagine with people. Wins are great, titles are great, but the kind of person you are means more than anything.”

Posted on January 21, 2022January 21, 2022 by Reid Spencer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — At first glance — aside from sharing the profession of “race car driver” — Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mike Stefanik and Red Farmer couldn’t be more different from one another.

A perennial Most Popular Driver at NASCAR’s highest level of competition, Earnhardt holds two Daytona 500 wins among his 26 career victories.

More than that, as a driver, team owner and television analyst, Earnhardt has transcended both the sport of stock car racing and his own legacy as the son of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt.

Stefanik, a hard-nosed New Englander, drove modifieds with a relentless tenacity that carried him to seven Whelen Modified Tour titles. Stefanik, who died in 2019 at age 61 from injuries sustained in the crash of a private plane, also collected two championships in what was then the Busch North Series.

The patriarch of the Alabama Gang, Farmer accumulated innumerable victories — estimated between 700 and 900 — at short tracks located primarily in the Deep South. At age 89, he still competes on the one-third-mile dirt oval at the Talladega Short Track across the highway from NASCAR’s biggest superspeedway.

Despite their varying backgrounds and diverse racing pursuits, Earnhardt, Stefanik and Farmer now share one monumental achievement in common — after all three entered the NASCAR Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony at the Charlotte Convention Center on Friday night.

The climax of the ceremony was the induction of Earnhardt, who has made an indelible mark on a sport he was born into. Earnhardt joined his father, a member of the inaugural class of 2010 in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

MORE: Dale Jr. savors moment | Red Farmer’s racing journey | Magical memories of Mike Stefanik

Earnhardt’s wife Amy performed the induction of her husband.

“My eyes are already watering,” Earnhardt said at the start to his acceptance speech. “…To join Dad in the Hall of Fame is probably as good as it’s going to get…

“I was a mechanic at a dealership. That was my destiny, or so I thought. I changed the oil in thousands of cars.”

From those inauspicious beginnings, however, Earnhardt followed his father into the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he won back-to-back championships in 1998 and 1999, and then into NASCAR’s premier division, where he drove first for family-owned Dale Earnhardt Inc. and then for Hendrick Motorsports.

Earnhardt acknowledged the importance of uncle Tony Eury Sr., his crew chief; his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, who spurred the growth of JR Motorsports and Earnhardt’s broadcasting career; team owner Rick Hendrick; and Steve Letarte, his crew chief at that organization.

Key to his personal life, Earnhardt said, was wife Amy. “How do you explain someone who makes every day of your life better?” he said.

NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Ray Evernham opened the inductions by ushering Stefanik into the Hall. Stefanik’s wife Julie, who served as her husband’s spotter throughout his career, accepted the induction.

“This is a huge honor, and I know Michael would have been very humbled,” Julie Stefanik said of her husband, who set Whelen Modified Tour records for victories (74) and poles (48).

“He was more than just a racer to us. He was a beloved husband, father, brother and friend. And in his honor, I’ll have a Jack and diet (Stefanik’s favorite drink).”

Stefanik and fellow modified driver and mentor Richie Evans are the only drivers to win nine NASCAR championships. All of Evans’ titles came on the Modified Tour.

Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart inducted his close friend and hunting and fishing buddy Charles “Red” Farmer.

“He doesn’t know how to be quiet in a deer stand — I can tell you that,” Stewart said. “But his stats speak for themselves. He’s a racer’s racer and he deserves to be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

Born in Nashville and starting his racing career in Florida, Farmer nevertheless considers Hueytown, Alabama his hometown, in part because of his association with fellow Alabama Gang members Bobby and Donnie Allison. Farmer has been racing for 75 of his 89 years.

“It’s something that gets in your blood, and you can’t get it out,” Farmer said in a “fireside chat” at the induction dinner before the official ceremony.

Though Farmer raced 36 times in the Cup Series over a 23-year span, with a best finish of fourth (twice) at Middle Georgia Raceway in Macon and Talladega Superspeedway, he routinely turned down full-time Cup offers in less-than-competitive equipment.

“I was not going to be an also-ran,” said Farmer, who preferred to win races and championships on the short tracks. That didn’t prevent him, however, from winning the Modified title in 1956.

The NASCAR Hall is the 10th hall of fame to honor Farmer.

“If these Hall of Fames were a Christmas tree with all the ornaments around it, this NASCAR award would be the gold star on top of that Christmas tree,” Farmer said during his induction speech.

As part of the Friday night program, the late Bob Jenkins was recognized with the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence for his pioneering work in television and radio broadcasting.

The late Ralph Seagraves was honored with the 2021 Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR. As an executive with R.J. Reynolds, Seagraves was instrumental in bring the Winston sponsorship to NASCAR’s foremost series, as well as to the grassroots racing NASCAR supported.

Posted on January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 by Staff Report

The 2022 edition of the Chilly Willy at Arizona’s Tucson Speedway arrives this weekend with a hefty entry list.

Announced on Jan. 16 were more than 30 Super Late Model entries and 42 Legends entries for this year’s event, which kicks off a long season of short-track racing on the 0.375-mile NASCAR Home Track in the desert.

Not including Thursday’s practice day, racing action at the 2022 Chilly Willy begins Friday, Jan. 21 and runs through the main event — the Super Late Models Chilly Willy 150 — on Sunday, Jan. 23.

All of the action can be viewed live on FloRacing, the new streaming home of all NASCAR Roots properties.

Below is the entry list for the 2022 Chilly Willy at Tucson Speedway.

2022 Chilly Willy entry list

Super Late Model entries

Car No.	Driver	Hometown
0	Kenny Bumbera	Sealy, TX
2	Michael Egurola	Tucson, AZ
3	Ricky Bogart	Phoenix, AZ
5	David Smith	Sidney, B.C.
7	Zach Riehl	Troutdale, OR
8	Mariah McGriff ONeil	Vail, AZ
9	Ron Norman	Tucson, AZ
11	Dustin Ash	Las Vegas, NV
11r	Darren Robertson	Westminster, CO
12	Bruce Yackey	Greeley, CO
14	Vanessa Robinson	Las Cruces, NM
22	Buddy Sheppard	Bakersfield, CA
25	Kami York	Crystal Lake, IL
26	John Newhouse	Twin Falls, ID
26j	Dylan Jones	Vail, AZ
32	Brett Yackey	Greeley, CO
34	Rudy Vanderval	LaSalle CO
43	Kody Vanderwal	LaSalle, CO
47	Stephen Blankenship	Tenino, WA
55	John Lashley	Tucson, AZ
57	Jennifer Hall	Tucson, AZ
63	Joe Paladenic	Sierra Vista, AZ
65	Tyler Tanner	Mooresville, NC
81	Darrell Midgley	Sidney. B.C.
81c	Brandon Carlson	Victoria, B.C.
89	Zach Morris	Greenwood Village, CO
90	Ross Stirimska	Stockton, CA
98	Blaine Rocha	Stockton, CA
100	Aaron Marthaler	Glenwood, MN
100s	Tristian Swanson	Elko New Market, MN

Legends entries

Car No.	Driver	Hometown
09	Cole Alton	Port Angeles, WA
6	Tyler Hicks	Encinitas, CA
6f	Ken Frickey	Nampa, ID
7	Bryceton Meyer	Brisbee, CA
10	Don Rogers	Puyallup, WA
12	Chase Eisenzimer	Kalispell, MT
12c	Cody Winchel	Cebastopol, CA
12h	Jordan Hollaway	Henderson, NV
12j	TBA	TBA
12b	Bryanna Bruce	Cheyenne, WY
13	Andy Hulcy	Piano, TX
13h	Sean Hingorina	Irvine, CA
13b	Tanner Bennett	Irvine, CA
14g	Madelyn Gjerness	Chandler,AZ
21n	Eathan Nascimento	Manteca, CA
22r	TJ Roberts	Queen Creek, AZ
23	Lonnie Hochstetler	Chandler, AZ
25	Branden Giannini	Henderson, NV
27	Travis Bliven	Stanwood, WA
32	Cody Milan	Pierce, CO
33	Kyle Lang	Snohomish, WA
35	Landon Gresser	Henderson, NV
39	Zeke Hanger	Ft. Lupton, CO
41	Tristian Meyer	Bisbee, AZ
42	Josh Gross	Las Vegas, NV
43	Tristian Bezan	Saugus, CA
44	Alfred Matthews	Arvada, CO
45	Byrson Brown	Las Vegas NV
47	Michael Vanderlip	Carlsbad, CA
48	Nathan Quella	Yorba Linda, CA
50	Chloe Lynch	Las Vegas, NV
50j	Jerry Davis	Emmett, ID
51	Brendan Ruzbarsky	Tracey, CA
71	Jake Bollman	Huntington Beach, CA
79	Jeff Miller	Arlington, WA
81	Jeff Mueller	Lake Stevens, WA
84	Mike Webber	Tonopah, AZ
89	Zack Morris	Greenwood Village, CO
90	Chasen Groff	Denver, CO
91	Martin Gatzulis	Wichita, KS
92	Levie Jones	Puyallup, WA
TBA	Payton Saxton	Las Vegas, NV
TBA	Jaron Giannini	Henderson, NV