Denny Hamlin: ‘I’ll race until I’m Mark Martin’

Posted on December 2, 2021December 6, 2021 by Holly Cain

NASHVILLE – It was a packed year for Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, who fielded his own team 23XI Racing team, and nearly claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Hamlin won a pair of races and posted career-best marks in top-five (19) and top-10 (25) finishes and took eventual NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson to the wire in challenging for the regular season championship. He won two Playoff races – at Darlington and Las Vegas – and came a pit stop away from nearly pulling off his first NASCAR Cup Series title.

His 23XI Racing team officially expanded by a car and will add veteran, former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kurt Busch to the fold for 2022. Bubba Wallace scored a victory for the organization in its first season in 2021.

On paper it’s a challenging balance, but Hamlin and his ownership partner NBA legend Michael Jordan, certainly delivered on the team side and the 41-year-old Hamlin certainly delivered on the competition side.

“My passion for work is still really, really high and I knew that I wanted to run a business,” said Hamlin. “I didn’t know what that business would be, it turns out it’s team ownership. And hopefully I make the right decisions in the long term to make that all work out.

“I had to compartmentalize my time. I had to make sure that I designated certain days for certain aspects of my life.

“… I’m planned, I’m programmed, that’s the way I work,” Hamlin added, insisting about his time behind the wheel, “I feel as good as I’ve ever felt about the driving aspect of my career.

“If you had asked me three years ago, I’d have been like, ‘ugh, how much longer do I want to do this?’ And now I have no horizon, I don’t know. As long as I stay competitive like I’ve been doing, I don’t know. I’ll race until I’m Mark Martin, I guess.”

Posted on December 2, 2021December 2, 2021 by Holly Cain

NASHVILLE – The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion and perpetual title contender Kevin Harvick was philosophic about his 2021 season — the first winless year he has had at the NASCAR Cup Series level since 2009.

Asked about the year, Harvick reminded reporters Thursday he finished in the exact same championship position in 2021 – fifth place – when he went winless that he did in 2020 when he won nine races.

“I think our guys did a good job,” Harvick said at the Music City Center before the NASCAR Awards. “Obviously we’d love to have won, but we did a great job in managing the season. I don’t know what it says with how we currently exist with our current system.”

He added with a smile: “We won nine times last year and finished fifth, and we won nothing this year and finished fifth. I don’t really know how to take that, personally.”

Harvick extended his run of 20 or more top-10 finishes to nine years. He has had at least 10 top-five finishes for the past eight years. And while the driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford was eliminated after the second round of the NASCAR Playoffs, he did score a pair of top-10 finishes in the round before getting derailed at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. He then closed out the year with top 10s in three of the final four races.

“I thought there were two or three [races] that we were in position to win and for one reason or another, running out of laps or following a roadblock, whatever the scenario was [we didn’t get them],” Harvick said. “I thought Phoenix, the last race of the year, we didn’t do a good job on pit road and to give ourselves a chance but I thought we had one of, or even the best car just needed to finish off track position.

“I think as you look at the season and look at the result, most people would say, ‘How did that happen?’ and that’s just a huge credit to the guys for giving us something manageable at the end of the year.”

Posted on December 2, 2021December 2, 2021 by Reid Spencer

NASHVILLE – Under normal circumstances, Kyle Larson doesn’t relish the media obligations that accompany his status as a top-level NASCAR Cup Series driver.

But these aren’t normal times.

Securing the 2021 series championship Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway caused a substantive shift in Larson’s perspective.

“It’s been cool to enjoy all the championship stuff, all the interviews, pictures, everything — all the stuff that you wouldn’t normally have fun with, I’ve been enjoying doing it this time,” Larson said Thursday at the Music City Center during an interview session with reporters before the NASCAR Awards. “Being a champion, I went into this and I want to enjoy every interview, every picture, every moment that I have.”

As to recognition from the general public, Larson still maintains a relatively low profile. Out in his native state of California last week for the Turkey Night Grand Prix USAC midget race, Larson made a side trip to Disneyland.

“I don’t know if any more people recognize me, now that I’m a champion,” Larson said. “I went to Disneyland and only had a handful of people recognized me, which was cool. Going to race the dirt stuff out West, there were a lot more people hanging around the pit area and taking pictures than normal.

“And all that stuff can get overwhelming at times, but again, it’s really cool. I want to just enjoy all of that.”

Before the race in Ventura, Larson’s hometown of Elk Grove gave its favorite son a parade worthy of a champion on Nov. 22.

“That was awesome, getting to go home, getting to go to Elk Grove and having that parade for me,” Larson said. “I wasn’t sure how many people were going to turn out. I was hoping it was going to be a lot, but you just don’t know, and I didn’t want it to be embarrassingly small either.

“The turnout surprised the heck out of me. It was way bigger than I thought it would be. So that was really awesome. I got to see a lot of familiar sprint car fans and some aunts and cousins and stuff I haven’t seen for a little while. It was awesome to get there.”

LONGFORM: A weekend home with NASCAR champion Kyle Larson

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Staff Report

Matt Tifft’s career took a bit of a detour over the past few years, seeing the 25-year-old transition from the driver’s seat to the owner’s chair following an epilepsy diagnosis.

While that may have not been the long-term vision during his on-track come-up with top organizations like Kyle Busch Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing before a season in the Cup Series with Front Row Motorsports, it seems to be paying off — Tifft was named to Forbes Magazine’s prestigious ’30 Under 30′ list for 2022.

The annual list, released on Dec. 1 each year, recognizes “600 of the brightest young entrepreneurs, leaders and stars,” according to the outlet, and features fellow honorees among the sports category such as NBA shooting guard Devin Booker, NFL quarterback Dak Prescott and MLB first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace was also named to the list in 2014.

“To be recognized in this year’s Forbes 30 under 30 Class of 2022 is absolutely surreal,” Tifft told NASCAR.com. “Looking at the list of people I am involved with here is so incredible, but makes me want to prove myself even more and strive for even greater achievements. The NASCAR community has given me so much in my life from being a fan, a driver, and now an owner. I can’t put to words about how much I appreciate everything and everybody this great sport has done for me.”

This past season marked Tifft’s first as an owner — NASCAR’s youngest — with co-owner BJ McLeod piloting the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford in 28 of 36 Cup races in 2021. McLeod earned the team’s first top 10 in the regular-season finale at Daytona.

See the full entry on Tifft’s accolade over at Forbes.com.

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Press Release

1. What content is included with FloRacing?

The NASCAR Roots vertical from TrackPass will be joining FloRacing. It includes the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Pinty’s Series, and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, along with tentpole events from Bowman Gray Stadium, Berlin Raceway, New Smyrna Raceway and more.

It combines with FloRacing properties to create the most comprehensive digital motorsports offering in the United States — nearly 2,000 races from NASCAR Roots, USAC, All Star Circuit of Champions, Eldora Speedway, IRA Outlaw Sprints, Short Track Super Series, Chili Bowl, Gateway Dirt Nationals and more.

The subscription also unlocks premium FloRacing content, including exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes access with drivers, news and analysis, as well as archived races and highlights that fans have come to expect from the FloRacing platform. Subscribers also receive complete access to the entire network of FloSports verticals ranging from hockey, wrestling, football, baseball, softball, grappling, rodeo and more.

2. What is happening to TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold?

TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold is discontinuing on Dec. 31, 2021.

3. Will I still need my TrackPass log-in information for FloRacing?

No. When you purchase FloRacing you’ll have new log-in information for the platform.

5. Does a fan have to log in with a cable TV package to use FloRacing?

No. FloRacing does not require a cable TV subscription.

6. Where do I purchase FloRacing?

Visit FloRacing to purchase.

7. What is the cost to purchase FloSports?

Fans can subscribe via FloRacing, gaining access to nearly 2,000 races annually for $150/year. The subscription also unlocks premium FloRacing content, including exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes access with drivers, news and analysis, as well as archived races and highlights that fans have come to expect from the FloRacing platform. Subscribers also receive complete access to the entire network of FloSports verticals ranging from hockey, wrestling, football, baseball, softball, grappling, rodeo and more.

8. What devices can I watch live events and videos on?

Web: Watch on any desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone using the latest version of Chrome (recommended), Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge.

Mobile & TV Apps: Watch on the FloSports app, available on the following platforms:

App Store (iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV)

Google Play (Android phones and tablets)

Roku Channel Store (All Roku devices)

Amazon Fire (Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick)

9. Can a fan purchase a live stream on a race-by-race basis?

No. FloRacing races are only available for streaming as part of an annual subscription package.

11. Can I watch multiple livestreams at the same time?

Yes, you can watch up to 12 streams in total on one or many devices connected to the same WiFi. For example, you can have one stream up on your iPhone, one on your Roku, and another on your laptop.

12. Can I access my FloSports account on multiple devices?

Yes, you can access your account and subscription from any of the supported devices listed above. If you want to stream from multiple devices (e.g., your iPhone and Roku) at the same time, just make sure they’re on the same WiFi connection.

13. Can I cancel anytime?

Yes, you can cancel anytime from Account Settings.

14. Who can I get in touch with someone if I have more questions?

You can reach out to us at [email protected]

For answers to more Frequently Asked Questions, please visit https://support.flosports.tv/s/

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR and leading sports streaming service, FloSports, today announced a multi-year partnership that will make FloRacing, FloSports’ dedicated motorsports platform, the home of NASCAR Roots properties including: the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Pinty’s Series, and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. The landmark partnership represents an alignment of two champions of live motorsports with a shared mission of delivering the best in grassroots racing to fans around the world.

The partnership will also deliver an unparalleled investment in grassroots racing, including funding for local tracks and increased purses for drivers that compete in NASCAR’s touring and weekly series events. The transformational agreement further cements NASCAR and FloSports as advocates of grassroots/developmental racing and ensures a healthy economic model that will bolster tracks and drivers for years to come.

NASCAR’s grassroots properties, formerly housed within the NASCAR Roots vertical on TrackPass, will now join FloRacing’s comprehensive offering that includes USAC, All Star Circuit of Champions, Eldora Speedway, IRA Outlaw Sprints, Short Track Super Series, Chili Bowl, Gateway Dirt Nationals and more. Over 280 NASCAR Roots races annually will stream live and on-demand under the TrackPass banner on FloRacing, transforming the popular platform into the leading destination for grassroots motorsports.

RELATED: TrackPass on FloRacing FAQ

In the past three years, FloRacing has experienced exponential growth. Since 2020 alone, the service has seen an explosive 100% YOY subscriber growth as FloSports continues to bring together grassroots racing media rights onto one platform while also expanding into other motorsports categories. In 2019, FloRacing streamed just 141 races and has been able to quickly expand its offering to over 1,600 races annually, representing 151 million hours of live content streamed in 2021. Overall event viewership has soared 263% YOY in 2021 while per event viewership has increased 87%. Across FloRacing social media platforms, FloRacing has generated over 70 million video views in 2021 so far. In addition to grassroots racing, other categories of motorsports streamed on FloRacing include drag racing, motocross, supercross, snowmobile racing and more.

FloRacing’s dedicated content team will bolster NASCAR’s grassroots racing scene with new original programming including driver interviews, behind-the-scenes access, on-site race day coverage, analysis and more. The partnership will give fans access to more NASCAR Roots racing than previously available, including tentpole events at Bowman Gray Stadium, New Smyrna Raceway and Berlin Raceway.

“Our partnership with FloSports is a win for motorsports fans at all levels and doubles down on NASCAR’s commitment to grassroots racing — the foundation of our sport,” said Brian Herbst, NASCAR senior vice president, media and productions. “We look forward to bringing fans all the racing they crave and investing in the tracks that provide lifelong memories to motorsports fans each weekend.”

“NASCAR shares our mission to grow grassroots motorsports and bring these races and athletes to an even wider audience across America and the world,” said Mark Floreani, CEO and Co-Founder, FloSports. “We are honored to align with NASCAR as we continue to invest in the future of this sport so that we build a home for fans to both watch and experience racing in completely new ways. We’re excited for what’s to come.”

Fans can subscribe via FloRacing.com, gaining access to nearly 2,000 races annually for $150/year. The subscription also unlocks premium FloRacing content, including exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes access with drivers, news and analysis, as well as archived races and highlights that fans have come to expect from the FloRacing platform. Subscribers also receive complete access to the entire network of FloSports verticals ranging from cycling, wrestling, football, baseball, softball, grappling, rodeo and more. Watch the races across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.

Posted on December 2, 2021December 4, 2021 by Zack Albert

NASHVILLE — Team Penske had a special all-hands celebration Wednesday night for its burnout exhibition on the city streets of Nashville. If there are style points for collaborative creativity, then the organization’s 2021 driver lineup of Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano earned high marks.

The Burnouts on Broadway show aired Saturday at 6 p.m. ET, one hour before air time for The NASCAR Awards — both broadcast on NBCSN. But glimpses of the three-man Penske pirouettes have already emerged, with all three Mustangs smoking the tires, lined up nose to nose to nose.

Blaney said the plan was hatched just 10 minutes before their exhibition runs on Nashville’s main drag, and with all three drivers finishing together in the Cup Series standings, the stars aligned for a group burnout. Logano’s wife, Brittany, planted the idea.

“She said we all should do something together, and I thought that’d be kind of cool, especially with Brad kind of moving on,” said Logano, noting Keselowski’s departure to the newly renamed RFK Racing in 2022, “and we were you know, sixth, seventh, eighth in points, and so we lined up right next to each other. So I just randomly went to Brad and Blaney and said, so let’s just come out there, all three of us, and put like three noses together.

“So during the safety meeting … we drew up this plan that (Corey) LaJoie named ‘The Iron Lotus’ afterward, so now we have a name for it, and we put all three noses together, and we really weren’t sure this is gonna work, just never seen it done before. But what the heck, you got to try it.”

It was not only a last hurrah for Keselowski, who rounded out his 12-year term with Roger Penske this season, but also for the Gen-6 car. With the Next Gen car making its debut in 2022, the current models used in the burnout were expendable.

“Let’s do something different, let’s do something unique, and we planned that but I didn’t know if it was gonna work or not,” Blaney said. “I’m honestly, I’m surprised it did work. Because when we were, you know, ‘driver engineering’ it, you know we’re not the smartest people in the world, that we didn’t know if it was gonna work out. I thought, me and Brad we’re gonna end up dooring, but I can’t believe we stayed together.”

Neither could Logano, who continued to do separate burnouts with Keselowski after their three-car formation ended.

“You should have seen all our faces,” Logano said. “We could see each other inside, and when it actually started working, we were like ‘aaahhh! Oh my God, this is fun.’ It’s pretty cool.”

Posted on December 2, 2021December 2, 2021 by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday that Hooters Restaurants has renewed its sponsorship agreement with Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Chevrolet team, re-upping for a three-year extension.

The deal was announced on the same day as the NASCAR Cup Series Awards in Nashville. Elliott will be recognized for his appearance in this year’s Championship 4 alongside teammate and first-time champ Kyle Larson.

“They’ve been a great partner, a lot of fun to work with and I feel like they do a really good job of making the most of their few races a year, which is huge and hard to do,” Elliott said during a Thursday morning media availability, held just moments after the announcement. “So, looking forward to three more years together and try to get to Victory Lane. That’s been kind of the one thing we haven’t been able to check the box with them yet, so hopefully we can do that and have a successful run.”

Hooters first partnered with Elliott in the 2017 season. The brand has been a primary sponsor of the No. 9 Chevy for three races in each of the last two seasons.

Elliott has been close to scratching the win column with Hooters on board, finishing second with the sponsor on two occasions (Homestead, Daytona) in his Cup Series title season of 2020.

Elliott will be returning for his seventh full-time Cup Series season — all with Hendrick Motorsports. The 26-year-old driver won twice last year, pushing his career Cup Series win tally to 13 victories.

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Reid Spencer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – If Nashville didn’t know NASCAR was in town, the city found out emphatically Wednesday night when the world’s best stock-car drivers lit up Broadway in the heart of the Music City’s nightclub district (Burnouts on Broadway airs Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN).

Some of them lit up Broadway, that is.

On a night when veteran 40-somethings ruled the Burnouts on Broadway, Kevin Harvick destroyed the rear tires of his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford and walked off, leaving his disabled Mustang in the center of the street.

“Everybody tries to overcomplicate everything,” Harvick said. “I drove right to the dry area (after an earlier rain had dampened the asphalt). My hope was that we could blow the tires off down to the wheels, shoot sparks and walk off.

“We did everything but the sparks… My whole purpose was to make up for a year without winning.”

VIDEO: Sneak peek at Burnouts on Broadway

Fellow veteran Kurt Busch, who, like Harvick, had a secret weapon under his hood — one that produced copious smoke as Busch put the No. 1 Chevrolet through its paces.

“Given that Ganassi’s (Chip Ganassi Racing) shutting down, that was our backup car from Phoenix with a bona fide race engine in it,” Busch said.

Most other drivers had tamer power plants, but that didn’t prevent them from breaking transmissions.

As soon as NASCAR Cup Series championship runner-up Martin Truex Jr. released the clutch to start his routine, the car stalled and wouldn’t refire. Alex Bowman, William Byron and Tyler Reddick had similar issues during their runs.

“Hendrick Motorsports really let me down,” Bowman said, clearly tongue-in-cheek. “I broke it way too early, as soon as I dumped the clutch.”

PHOTOS: See the scenes from Champion’s Week

The 16 Cup playoff drivers, along with NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes and ARCA Menards Series champion Ty Gibbs, found novel ways to provide entertainment.

The crowd that packed the restraining barriers five-deep along Broadway got a back flip from Hemric and a salute from Gibbs as he stood on his driver’s-side window ledge. Denny Hamlin bounced off a jersey barrier and kept going, turning in a creditable performance.

NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson closed the show with an extended run as his father — in the passenger seat — held the steering wheel aloft out the window as Larson deftly guided the car.

“That was a lot of fun,” Larson said. “I hope the fans enjoyed it. I know I did. I’m like shaking. That was more nerve-wracking trying not to embarrass ourselves right there than we do for a whole race.

“I enjoyed having my dad riding passenger with me, and we got to explode some tires, so that was cool.”

Posted on December 1, 2021December 14, 2021 by Staff Report

Richard Petty Motorsports and GMS Racing announced that Richard Petty Motorsports will sell a majority interest to GMS Racing owner Maury Gallagher.

In a statement from Gallagher and Richard Petty Motorsports, it reads: “Richard Petty Motorsports has agreed to sell a majority interest to Maury Gallagher, owner of GMS Racing. Two charters are included in the agreement and will be operated during the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. This is a special moment for both organizations as the Next Gen car allows a new chapter to be written.”

GMS Racing shared back in June it will expand its NASCAR operation into the Cup Series level in 2022. Ty Dillon was revealed as the driver in October. He’ll pilot the brand-new No. 94 Chevrolet.

Richard Petty Motorsports, owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, has Erik Jones as its sole driver. His return to the No. 43 Chevy was confirmed in August. Jones is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner.

Since its formation in 2014, GMS Racing has won the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship as well as the ARCA East championship in 2019 and 2020. The organization has won 41 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races and one NASCAR Xfinity Series race through the end of the 2021 season.

Richard Petty Motorsports began racing in 2000 under a different name, Evernham Motorsports, and took on its current branding in honor of “The King” in 2009 following a merger between Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises.

Since 2009, AJ Allmendinger, Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson, Aric Almirola, Paul Menard, Marcos Ambrose, Sam Hornish Jr., Brian Scott, Bubba Wallace and Jones have been full-time Cup drivers for the organization. During that time, RPM has won five Cup races and two Xfinity Series races.

Petty won seven Cup championships and 198 of his 200 Cup wins driving for his family team Petty Enterprises.