See where your favorite NASCAR Cup Series driver is pitting for Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Watkins Glen International.
RELATED: Watkins Glen weekend schedule | Keselowski, Penske top lineup
LAS VEGAS (August 4, 2021) – Allied Esports, a global esports entertainment company and a subsidiary of Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AESE), and NASCAR today announced an event tour that will bring gaming activations to racing fans in 2021.
The Allied Esports Truck, North America’s first and only 18-wheel gaming truck, will make seven stops at NASCAR Cup Series race Midways and Fan Zones starting August 6-8 at Go Bowling at the Glen in Watkins Glen, New York and concluding November 7 at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in Phoenix, Arizona.
RELATED: Learn more about the eNASCAR world
The 80-foot, 35-ton mobile gaming arena, which includes a main stage, caster booth, roof deck and full production capabilities, will host gameplay featuring Rocket League and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as well as iRacing on simulators. Participating fans will have the chance to play for prizes and giveaways throughout each weekend activation. On select dates, fans will also have the first opportunity to get their hands on a limited demo of the new NASCAR 21 video game from Motorsport Games.
“The integration of gaming into major sporting events is a family focused, entertaining way to attract new audiences and brands,” said Jud Hannigan, CEO of Allied Esports. “The Allied Esports Truck shines a spotlight on gamers and the communities they live in, and we are thrilled to partner with NASCAR to bring racing and gaming fans across the country a new race weekend experience.”
“Gaming has had a massive impact on the world of NASCAR over the past year and a half – to the point where it is now undeniably part of the sport’s DNA in the digital age,” said Nick Rend, managing director of gaming, NASCAR. “With that in mind, as fans across the nation return to our race tracks this summer and fall, we believe it’s crucial that gaming plays a central role in that on-site NASCAR experience – and Allied Esports is helping us accomplish that in a truly unique way.”
The Allied Esports Truck will make appearances at the following NASCAR Cup Series races:
August 6-8 – Go Bowling at the Glen, Watkins Glen, New York
August 21-22 – FireKeepers Casino 400, Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan
August 27-28 – Coke Zero Sugar 400, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
October 2-3 – YellaWood 500, Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama
October 23-24 – Hollywood Casino 400, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas
October 30-31 – NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race at Martinsville, Martinsville, Virginia
November 4-7 – NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Arizona
The Allied Esports Truck made its sporting event debut at the 2018 DAYTONA 500. Since then, the popular mobile competition arena has been a regular attraction at some of the biggest gaming, sports, entertainment and consumer events, including Super Bowl LIII, CES, DreamHack, WonderCon, KAABOO, E3, VidCon and Posty Fest.
On Sept. 9, the first day of the 2021 NFL season, legal sports betting is expected to launch in Arizona, and through NASCAR’s expanded partnership with Penn National Gaming and Barstool Sports, race fans can look forward to new and fun ways to wager on their favorite sport.
Penn, which announced in January 2020 an acquisition of a 36% stake in Barstool for $163 million, was the first of three official sports betting sponsors to sign on with NASCAR, joined later by BetMGM and WynnBET. While the initial Penn/NASCAR deal was inked in February 2020, Arizona represents a new frontier for the partnership.
Sports betting laws vary, often significantly, from state to state. In Arizona, sports betting licenses are granted to sports facilities and are sub-licensed to sportsbook operators. The Phoenix Suns chose FanDuel, the Diamondbacks are going with Caesars, and the PGA Tour tabbed DraftKings.
RELATED: NASCAR, Penn expand partnership with strategic alliance | NASCAR BetCenter
NASCAR, which owns Phoenix Raceway, site of the Cup Series Championship in November, believes Barstool can help grow betting interest in the sport in Arizona and beyond.
“Barstool is the sportsbook for the every person,” said Joe Solosky, NASCAR’s managing director of sports betting. “Barstool is going to capitalize on getting NASCAR fans to use their sportsbook, and we’re also going to get new fans to watch NASCAR and go to our events because they’re a Barstool fan or ’Stoolie.’ ”
New ways to bet
For NASCAR fans and bettors, Barstool plans to roll out a suite of new wagering options.
Most prominently, Penn promises to feature NASCAR in “Barstool Exclusives,” the first tab listed on the betting app. The section includes odds boosts and the opportunity to bet with or against the picks of Barstool personalities.
“The Barstool Exclusives section is where we put two things. We put our odds boosts there, and we also put content that you can’t get anywhere else,” Jeff Kaplan, head of finance and strategy for Penn Interactive, told NASCAR.com. “It’s things that come from the minds of the personalities at Barstool, like Dave Portnoy, like Big Cat, Rone and Smitty and many, many others.”
While Kaplan said it’s too early to know the specifics about what wagering options the content and trading teams may come up with, he floated a few possibilities NASCAR fans could see.
“There might be a head-to-head rivalry that’s brewing. You may be able to parlay some races together or some driver performances together,” he said. “One of the things we’ve done in golf that’s worked really well is odds for four golfers to finish in the top 20. I can see us doing something unique like that with NASCAR, where we say here are three drivers and here are the odds that all three finish in the top 10. That’s a fun market, and it keeps your engagement for the entire race.”
Also, cross-sport props, once reserved for the Super Bowl, are becoming part of the everyday sports betting experience. As the Buccaneers vs. Chiefs betting menu listed props such as “Who will have more points: Damian Lillard or the Chiefs,” Barstool bettors may see props or parlays mixing the season-opening NFL game with the Cup race in Richmond two days later.
We’re speculating here, but how about: “Total TDs in Cowboys-Bucs vs. Total cautions in the Federated Auto Parts 400?”
“I think you’ll see a lot of cross-sports stuff from us, because that’s a good way to introduce bettors to new sports,” Kaplan said. “And bettors who bet on multiple sports are more loyal to the sportsbooks.”
And with the expansion of the Penn/NASCAR partnership centered around Arizona, Kaplan added, “I could see us doing some really unique things on Championship Weekend as well.”
RELATED: Phoenix Raceway to host 2022 Championship Weekend
Fast forward to Nov. 7 and beyond
After Sept. 9, the next key date for Penn’s Arizona foray is Nov. 7. There won’t be a full-scale retail sportsbook built at Phoenix Raceway by Championship Weekend, but you can be sure Barstool will have a big presence at the track.
While specific plans are TBD, there will be multiple pop-up stations around the facility where Barstool personalities will engage with race fans. Brand ambassadors will walk interested bettors through the registration process and show them how to place a bet on the app.
Even if you don’t happen to be in Phoenix that weekend, you’ll almost certainly hear about Barstool and NASCAR.
“They don’t necessarily have to be physically located somewhere to get people excited,” Kaplan said of Barstool personalities. “They’re shouting from the rooftops online on Twitter, on Instagram, on TikTok. You can engage with that content whether you’re in New Jersey, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, anywhere around the world, it doesn’t matter.”
The possibility of an actual sportsbook being built at some point during the 10-year length of this partnership is real, too.
“As (NASCAR looks) to turn the Raceway into more of a multifaceted venue, where there’s concerts and there’s car shows or different events, as that number creeps up, it becomes more and more attractive for us to think about putting in a fully operational retail sports book,” Kaplan said. “But what we and NASCAR agreed to is we can create an awesome experience for users and fans without that retail sportsbook space.”
Added Solosky, “We want to get this right. This is at least a 10-year partnership, and we’re looking at it that way. … Longer term, the venue has a ton of space in terms of places that could potentially have a brick-and-mortar sportsbook.”
Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports business for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.
Brad Keselowski has won the pole position for Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the NASCAR Cup Series’ first race back after a two-week break. He leads a 1-2-3 sweep of Team Penske drivers in the top starting spots.
Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford will take the green flag first at Watkins Glen International, which is back on the schedule after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the series’ planned visit there in 2020. Keselowski is seeking the first road-course win of his Cup Series career.
LINEUPS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Camping World Truck Series
Teammate Joey Logano is set to line up second in the No. 22 Ford, and Ryan Blaney is scheduled to start third in another Penske entry, the No. 12 Mustang.
Justin Allgaier, a three-time winner on road courses in the Xfinity Series, won the pole for Saturday’s Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 (4 p.m. ET, CNBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Austin Hill, the Camping World Truck Series’ most recent winner, is on the pole for Saturday’s United Rentals 176 (12:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in the No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota.
RELATED: Watkins Glen schedule | 2021 Cup Series standings
As NASCAR adapted to COVID-19 protocols last season, practice and qualifying were eliminated at a majority of national-series events to limit at-track time, exposure and to cut race weekend costs. To determine starting lineups, competition officials used grouped draws, added inversions for weekend doubleheaders, and eventually adopted a performance-metrics formula. That metrics format remains in place this season, drawing on performance from both individual races and season-long results.
NASCAR’s metrics formula for 2021 weighs:
See the full lineup for Sunday’s Cup Series race below.
| Start pos. |
Driver | Car # | Team |
| 1 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske |
| 2 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 3 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 4 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 5 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 7 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 8 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 9 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 10 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 11 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 12 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 13 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 14 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 15 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 16 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 17 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 18 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 19 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 20 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 21 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing Team |
| 22 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports |
| 23 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 24 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 25 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 26 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 27 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 28 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 29 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 30 | Justin Haley | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 31 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 32 | Garrett Smithley | 53 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 33 | Kyle Tilley | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
| 34 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 35 | Quin Houff | 00 | StarCom Racing |
| 36 | James Davison | 51 | Petty Ware Racing |
| 37 | RC Enerson | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
Practice and qualifying are tentatively scheduled for eight Cup Series races this year. Two races remain with Busch Pole Qualifying on the schedule — Aug. 15 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course and the season-ending championship race Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway.
COVINGTON, GA – Dead Down Wind, the outdoor industry leader in scent elimination and Tink’s, America’s #1 Buck lure for almost 50 years, are excited to present the first-ever Racks & Laps Sweepstakes.
Fans will be in the running to experience a $3,500 whitetail dream hunt, a VIP weekend for two at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) and a great Dead Down Wind and Tink’s prize pack in 2022 just by entering at www.deaddownwind.com/racks&laps and www.tinks.com/racks&laps.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for both new and experienced hunters and race fans alike,” said Amanda Popp, Marketing Director for the brands. “We know NASCAR fans love to hunt or are considering it and just haven’t had the right opportunity. Tink’s and Dead Down Wind are proud to create the hunting experience of their dreams and help get them to MIS for a VIP Experience for two never to be forgotten in the fall of 2022.”
“There is a natural connection between NASCAR fans and a love of the outdoors and this sweepstakes is the perfect way to combine the two,” said Michigan International Speedway President Rick Brenner. “We look forward to hosting the winners next year for an unforgettable VIP weekend at NASCAR’s Most Entertaining Track.”
About Arcus Hunting
Arcus Hunting, LLC is an acquisition and organic growth platform seeking to build a strong portfolio of leading brands in the bowhunting and archery consumables and accessories category. Under its brands, Tink’s, Dead Down Wind, Ramcat Broadheads, Trophy Taker Arrow Rests and Rack One Whitetail supplements, Arcus markets and manufactures a range of leading deer lures, attractants, scent control products, broadheads, and archery accessories. To learn more about Dead Down Wind, Tink’s and Arcus Hunting’s other best-in-class brands, please visit www.arcushunting.com.
Ryan Blaney said Tuesday that Team Penske’s search for a new crew chief for his No. 12 Ford next season is still in progress.
Todd Gordon will step aside from that role next year, having announced June 28 that he would retire at the conclusion of the season, ending a 10-year run as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief for Roger Penske’s organization. Blaney did not provide a timetable for when the team would determine Gordon’s replacement, but said that preparations for next season are already underway.
RELATED: Silly Season’s key figures | Watkins Glen schedule
“That search is still ongoing,” said Blaney, who is eighth in the Cup standings in his second season paired with Gordon. “It’s been trying to balance that out of focusing on this year, but then also you can’t just forget about next year. You’re always trying to … you need to prepare. You can’t wait until November, December and then try to do something. That’s still a work in progress.”
Blaney’s remarks came in an afternoon media availability ahead of Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the NASCAR Cup Series’ first race after a two-week break. Blaney has secured a spot on the provisional playoff grid based on his win at Atlanta Motor Speedway back in March. That victory was his second with Gordon atop the No. 12 team’s pit box.
Blaney says he has prospective candidates on his list who could step into the role, noting that replicating the calming influence of Gordon would be a positive attribute for his next crew chief to possess.
“There’s some people in mind that I think are really good fits,” Blaney said, “but who I’m looking for is someone … I thought me and Todd got along so well because we’re kind of, at the race track, we’re almost a yin and yang kind of thing. I can get fired up on the radio, and Todd is very calm and it evens itself out of those personalities when we’re doing our jobs. Someone like that.
“Like I said, that just is ongoing, but someone who can get me when tense situations do come up of getting me back where we need to be, and that’s how it always should be. You kind of have to have both of them. I think if you’re two people who clash a lot and have the same personalities, that can sometimes be good but sometimes it can be a little rough. That’s where I’d want it to start, and all the crew chiefs I’ve worked with have all been open-minded on really listening to your ideas and what you have to say about the race cars and integrating them, so that’s never been an issue. But that personality side that I talked about, for me personally, it’s big.”
SAN FRANCISCO, California and LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Logitech G, a brand of Logitech and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, is proud to announce that it has become an official partner of eNASCAR, and the Logitech G 923 will be the official wheel and pedal of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series™.
“We’re excited to team up with eNASCAR to upgrade the driving experience for the remainder of the 2021 season.” said Jim Hoey, global head of G Challenge at Logitech G. “Our TRUEFORCE technology taps into the physics of iracing providing a super realistic racing experience, and we know the drivers are going to love it.”
RELATED: eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series schedule
“Logitech has for many years been an ardent supporter of sim racing, and they have played a major role in elevating the profile of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series,” said Nick Rend, managing director of gaming and esports, NASCAR. “We’re excited to help them take a deeper dive into the world of eNASCAR as they continue to innovate around how partners activate in the sim racing space.”
As part of the collaboration with eNASCAR, Logitech G will also serve as the entitlement sponsor for the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series event, now called the Logitech G Challenge 100, at the virtual Michigan International Speedway on August 17. Logitech G will use this platform to promote its annual G Challenge event, with 2021 marking the fourth annual Logitech McLaren G Challenge. As a result of this agreement, this joint venture is now the largest global eRacing event.
RELATED: More about eNASCAR
In addition to the partnership with eNASCAR, Logitech G has established additional relationships in motorsports as virtual racing and simulation continues to be a key training technique for younger racers. Some of those relationships include William Byron and Bubba Wallace in the NASCAR Cup Series. Logitech G is the title sponsor of Bryon’s eRacing team – William Bryon eSports – which fields two cars in the Coca-Cola iRacing Series for Nick Ottinger and Logan Clampitt. The Brand also supports Formula 1 racing through relationships with McLaren and Lando Norris, and is shepherding the next generation of racers with a relationship through TRD (Toyota Racing Development) and its TD2 driver development program.
Ross Chastain will pilot Trackhouse Racing Team’s second car — the No. 1 Chevrolet — in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series, the organization announced Tuesday. The deal is a multi-year agreement with Chastain also slated to drive the car in ’23.
RELATED: Tracking the rides for 2022 | All the Silly Season news
The 28-year-old currently drives the No. 42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing. Trackhouse revealed it had purchased Ganassi’s NASCAR operations back on June 30, a transaction that included its two Cup Series charters. That left Chastain’s future in question, but not anymore.
“Excitement is always the name of the game with an announcement like this, but it’s more than excitement for just another team,” Chastain told reporters after the Tuesday announcement. “I’ve been now, crazy enough, in this sport for 10 years. … It’s more than just another team. I’ve been fired and I’ve left teams and done a lot of things and could do a lot of things better but to bring it all full circle with somebody I’ve known my entire life in the sport and do it with a group that just truly feels like more than a team, that’s what made this process of getting in this car so much easier.”
Upon learning of the CGR sale, Chastain texted longtime acquaintance and Trackhouse co-owner Justin Marks and simply said, “I want this.”
There were some formalities to iron out of the past month, but the two sides were eager to work out a deal together as Trackhouse continues its march toward the future with exciting, young talent.
“I know for myself and I think I can speak for Justin that we wanted it. And whether or not it all worked out — we had to work through the other stuff — but fundamentally down to the core of it, I knew this was where I wanted to be,” Chastain said.
Through 22 races this 2021 season, Chastain has tallied two top-five runs – a career-best mark in 101 starts overall. He was the runner-up at Nashville Superspeedway on June 20, another career high. He also has six top 10s and is averaging a 17.8 finish. Chastain sits four spots below the NASCAR Playoffs cutline, out by 144 points with four races remaining until the postseason begins.
After a pair of near full-time Cup seasons in 2018-19 behind the wheel of the No. 15 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet, the 2020 season saw him take on a brief stint as a fill-in for Ryan Newman while the veteran recovered from injuries sustained in a last-lap crash in the season-opening Daytona 500. He also drove the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevy part-time last year, with a best finish of 16th in the summer race at Daytona International Speedway.
Chastain previously raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series. He has two wins in the Xfinity Series and three in the Camping World Truck Series. He was the ’19 Camping World Truck Series runner-up before placing seventh in Xfinity points last year driving for Kaulig Racing.
With the move, Chastain gains Daniel Suarez as a teammate in place of Kurt Busch, whose 2022 plans are still up in the air. Suarez handles Trackhouse’s sole Cup Series car right now – the No. 99 Chevy. He’ll return to the team next season, that has already been made clear.
“Trackhouse, we’re trying to build something real special for the future and that means recognizing talent that sort of is at a point in their career where they’ve got experience but they’re young and still building their career. That’s what we feel we have with Daniel and now for sure we have with Ross,” said Marks. “He’s got a number of Cup starts under his belt. Just like Daniel, when he’s been sitting in race-winning equipment, he’s gotten the job done. That is a talent and a skill that is independent of just how fast you can go. … We’ve got two closers on this team now.”
Trackhouse, co-owned by Marks and Grammy winner Pitbull, is currently in its first Cup Series season.
RELATED: New ownership movement embraces future
Marks talked at length about the kind of driver and person Chastain is, and how much he appreciates the hurdles that the old-school racer has had to overcome in his career to this point. It’s a notion that Marks and Pitbull have embraced thoroughly, and that general underdog, us-against-the-world vibe has been evident from Day 1 at Trackhouse.
It’s what makes this union the perfect fit.
“He’s got a lot of fight and a lot of want in him. And I tell people this: there’s a real nuance when you’re looking at drivers and you’re trying to determine what skill set they’ve got and what kind of potential they have and to me, I’m a huge fan of people that have had to work hard against adversity and against odds to try to get where they’ve gotten in their careers. I think it’s that fight and those years of working hard towards something when it’s been difficult along the way that pays dividends at the Cup level.”
Chastain will make his Trackhouse debut in the 2022 Daytona 500 on February 20.
Contributing: Staff reports
After a thrilling inaugural race at Lancaster Speedway, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour blazes back to Stafford Motor Speedway for the 30th annual GAF Roofing 150 presented by Riverhead Building Supply on Friday night (9:15 p.m. ET, TrackPass).
Patrick Emerling took home the checkered flag last week at his home racetrack and enters Friday as the defending winner at Stafford, winning the April 30 event earlier this year.
Stafford’s history is well documented. Built as a horse track in 1870, the dirt half-mile oval began hosting auto racing following World War II and welcomed modifieds as early as 1952. The track was finally paved in 1967 and hosted weekly NASCAR-sanctioned races through 2020, including tour races since 1985.
The late, great Ted Christopher is listed as the all-time record holder for feature wins at the northeastern Connecticut racetrack with an astounding 131 victories. Woody Pitkat, who enters this week’s contest eighth in points, sits second at Stafford with 78 feature wins, two of which were wins on the tour.
Along with the tour’s usual suspects, Ryan Preece will join the series for the sixth time this season. Preece led 13 laps in April’s Spring Sizzler but came away 17th after contact between him and Ronnie Silk sent them and others spinning while battling for the lead.
Tickets are still available with live streaming coverage available on NBC Sports Gold via TrackPass.
RACE INFO: Entry list | Race Center
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
Patrick Emerling led 30 of the final 31 laps en route to the win last weekend at Lancaster Speedway and is locked in a tight battle for the points with Justin Bonsignore, who finished second in a photo finish one week ago.
Six races remain before the 2021 modified champion is crowned, and the season finale will come at Stafford on Sept. 25, adding even more emphasis on Friday night’s action.
In April, Matt Swanson led 84 of the 130 laps of the rain-shortened 49th annual Spring Sizzler but was caught in a Lap 111 crash that ended his night early. Emerling spun at lap 96 but found himself celebrating in victory lane with only seven laps led after dicing through the wreck that eliminated Preece, Silk, Anthony Nocella and Justin Bonsignore. Under that yellow, Mother Nature canceled the final 20 laps.
Preece returns to the circuit with eight wins at Stafford under his belt, his most recent coming in September 2018. In fact, Preece has won three of his last five entries at Stafford, a track which sits just 45 minutes northeast of his hometown of Berlin, Connecticut.
Silk has had three straight strong runs on the tour but only two top fives to show for it. Last week at Lancaster, Silk had another top-five performance going but was caught up in the Lap 141 crash that took out eight cars, relegating Silk to a 12th-place finish. Silk took home a Stafford win in September 2020 and has three career wins at the half-mile.
Doug Coby returns to Stafford with a fantastic resume and strong momentum, bringing the experience of 12 modified tour victories in 59 starts along with him. Coby started from behind one week ago at Lancaster and needed his shifter replaced before even taking the green flag, which set him back two laps. He rebounded to finish ninth, but two straight races with mechanical troubles – a failed engine at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17 – coupled with a missed race in May have almost certainly dashed Coby’s chances of a seventh modified tour championship this season.
Bonsignore, meanwhile, finds himself on a hot streak. The Holtsville, New York, native has finished inside the top three in six of this year’s eight races, including two consecutive second-place finishes. Locked in a tight battle with Emerling for the championship, it’s clear this fight may continue into September. But Bonsignore has yet to win at Stafford Motor Speedway, only coming as close as second four times in 39 starts and most recently in 2019. The only other track on the tour where Bonsignore has that many starts is Thompson Speedway, a track where he’s won 12 times and which isn’t on the 2021 calendar.
Other drivers on this week’s entry list include Chuck Hossfeld, who won at Stafford in 2008; 2017 winner Eric Goodale; 2018 winner Kyle Bonsignore; and 2019 winner Craig Lutz.
RACING REFERENCE:
RACE FACTS
| Race | GAF Roofing 150 presented by Riverhead Building Supply |
| Date | Friday, Aug. 6, 2021 |
| Track | Stafford Motor Speedway |
| Layout | Half-mile oval |
| Location | Stafford, Connecticut |
| Start time | 9:15 p.m. ET |
| Laps | 150 |
| Miles | 75 |
| Tickets | Click here |
| TV channel | NBCSN (Delayed: Sunday, Aug. 15, 9 p.m. ET) |
| Live stream | TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold (Live) |
RACEDAY SCHEDULE: Friday, Aug. 6 — Garage opens: 1:15 p.m. ET; Practice: 3:45-4:45 p.m.; Qualifying: 6:20 p.m.; Race: 9:15 p.m.
CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the GAF Roofing 150 Presented By Riverhead Supply Building is limited to 28 starters including provisionals. The field will be set by qualifying (1-22) and provisional process per the entry blank (23-28) for the GAF Roofing 150 Presented By Riverhead Supply Building. In the event that qualifying as stated on the entry blank does not take place for any unforeseen circumstance, the field will be set in accordance with the 2021 NASCAR Touring Series Rule Book.
QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start-finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time.
The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eleven (11) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event.
The tire change rule is four (4) tires, any position. To utilize the fourth (4th) change tire, the team will have to take a practice tire purchased at Stafford Motor Speedway and turn in by the conclusion of practice.
QUALIFYING AND SPECIAL AWARDS
$400 Phil Kurze Halfway Leader Award presented by Josten’s per event award to the race leader at the halfway point of the event, regardless if the race is running under green or yellow.
$600 Hoosier Tire “Lap Leader” per event award to the eligible car owner whose driver leads the most laps in each event. In the event of a tie, the award will go to the highest finishing car in the event.
$500 Hoosier Tire “Hard Charger” per event award to the highest finishing eligible driver who advances the most positions during the course of the race. In the case of a tie, the highest finishing driver will receive the award.
$500 Hoosier Tire “Most Improved” per event award to the eligible new team/organization whose driver improves the most positions during the course of the race. In the event of a tie, the award will go to the highest finishing car in the event. If money is not awarded during this event, funds will roll over to the next event and will continue to roll over until an eligible new team/organization claims the money.
$1,000 Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole per event award to the driver with the fastest qualifying time eligible to participate under the Manufacturers’ Prize Money Conditions.
$550 Sunoco Spec Fuel award divided: 1st-$300 5th-$150 10th-$100.
$3,500 Whelen Engineering “Winner of the Race” award to the winning driver.
Whelen Non-Starter award will be paid to the first 15 competitors throughout the season who pass inspection, practice, attempt to qualify but fail to make the feature event.
Name: Deke
Current City: Annapolis, Maryland
Member Since: 2020
Getting to KNOW Deke:
Q. How did you first become interested in NASCAR?
“Back in 2015, I asked about ten of my friends if they would be interested in a NASCAR fantasy league. Most of us knew nothing about the sport, but after watching the Daytona 500 we were HOOKED! We have since become huge fans, all with our own favorite drivers and have been to races in Michigan, Dover, Daytona and Richmond.”
Q. What is your favorite part about NASCAR?
“I love the driver personalities and merchandise (and I collect all of it!). I love how teams and drivers adapt from race to race. Most of all I love the smell of burning rubber and exhaust on Sunday afternoons at the racetrack.”
Q: What is your favorite NASCAR memory?
“My first race, Dover 2015 in the fall. It was a playoff race and I’ll never forget the people, the sights and the smells of that weekend. A close second was the first time I arrived at Daytona International Speedway — just seeing the grandstands in person was epic.”
Q: Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?
Current Driver: “Alex Bowman.”
Past Driver: “Dale Earnhardt Jr.”
Up and Coming Driver: “Sam Mayer.”
Team: “Hendrick Motorsports.”
Track: “Road America.”
Q. What do you like to do in your free time?
“Corner flagging at Road America and Blackhawk Farms, iRacing leagues, and working in the garage.”
FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK DEKE FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HIM IN 2021!
Look for Deke on the Official NASCAR Fan Council page on NASCAR.COM.
