The NASCAR Cup Series races around the corners at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) for the first time in the series’ history Sunday in the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Before you enjoy a piece of history, take some time to scroll through the details and information you should know.
LAYOUT, PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING
Located just outside of Austin, Texas, the Circuit of The Americas has hosted races in nearly every major series in the world. NASCAR Cup Series drivers will take on the 3.41-mile “long course” layout, featuring 20 turns.
The practice session is scheduled for Saturday at 10:05 a.m. ET (FS2), with qualifying on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET (FS1, PRN) before the race.
Which drivers are slated to compete this weekend? Check out the intriguing COTA entry list.
Seeing Chase Elliott (9-4 odds to win) atop the BetMGM betting odds list for COTA is no surprise — and neither is seeing his usual road-course rivals, Martin Truex Jr. (9-2) and Denny Hamlin (8-1), just slightly behind.
But with a new track and weather potentially coming into play, there is a chance for the underdogs to steal the show.
Fresh off a win at Dover International Speedway, Alex Bowman (20-1) again presents strong value after finishing three of the last four road-course races inside the top 10. Further down the charts, AJ Allmendinger (28-1) and Kurt Busch (30-1) also make a solid case for bettors.
Aside from Truex and Elliott, Ryan Blaney (16-1) and Christopher Bell (20-1) are the only other Cup Series drivers with a road-course win in the last 10 road races.
The usual road-course package returns this weekend, featuring a significantly shorter rear spoiler and front splitter. Cars are fitted with a tapered-spacer engine, targeting around 750 horsepower and emphasizing lower downforce due to aerodynamic changes.
GOODYEAR TIRES, RAINY FORECAST
Though both practice and qualifying sessions should aid teams in dialing in their cars for the weekend, many will look to combine familiar aspects of previous road courses to plan ahead. The Circuit of The Americas combines high-speed straights often seen at Watkins Glen International with the technical turns of Sonoma Raceway and will test race strategy throughout the entire afternoon.
Cup Series teams will have three sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for practice, one set for qualifying and six sets for the race (five new sets plus one transferred from practice or qualifying).
With this weekend’s forecast showing rain on the radar, the wet weather radials are expected to be in play at some point during the afternoon. Differing from the standard radials, wet weather tires will be treaded and have white lettering in the place of yellow.
Another week means another chance to beat the competition and show off your NASCAR instincts. Take control of your very own team each week with NASCAR Fantasy Live — it’s free to play. Learn everything you need to know at fantasygames.nascar.com.
The 2021 fantasy points leaders are Hamlin (574), William Byron (473) and Truex (472).
ALSO ON NASCAR.COM
Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available – as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.
New for this season, NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more – and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.
For years, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has been putting on compelling, exciting and dramatic road-course races, and the trucks’ debut Saturday afternoon at the Circuit of The Americas promises to be a worthy chapter in the road-course annals.
The Toyota Thunder 250 (1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be the second of four scheduled road-course races for the Camping World Truck Series this season, and the 3.41-mile, 20-turn course just outside Austin, Texas, will undoubtedly be a must-see venue. A new challenge awaits everyone on the grid.
Perhaps not too surprisingly, the very drivers currently leading the championship have a road-racing resume that makes them the favorite again this weekend at COTA.
The seasons’ two-race winner, John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, holds a 46-point edge over fellow two-race winner Ben Rhodes in the points standings. Reigning series champion Sheldon Creed is ranked third, having picked up his first 2021 victory in the last race at Darlington Raceway.
Those three drivers bring plenty of road-course merit to COTA as well.
Nemechek, 23, won at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in 2016 and finished runner-up there in 2018. He was third in the only road-course race of 2021 to date – at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.
Rhodes, 24, driver of the No. 99 ThorSport Toyota, won at the Daytona Road Course this February and has a third-place finish at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (2019) to his credit. Four times this year, he has finished first or second – winning both on the Daytona superspeedway and then the road course and finishing runner-up at Bristol Motor Speedway and Darlington. He is particularly enthusiastic about this week’s stop.
“Ever since Daytona, I’ve been so eager to get back on a road course and I can’t think of a better place than COTA,” Rhodes said. “Knowing that everyone is learning it together will be fun and quite the challenge.”
Creed, 23, is not only coming off the Darlington win two weeks ago but also looks like a favorite this weekend. He finished runner-up to Rhodes in the Daytona Road Course race — leading a race-best 17 laps in the No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet. He won there in 2020 and also has a top-five at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (2019).
There are other story lines to watch as well. Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Paul Menard will be making his first Camping World Truck Series start since 2007, driving the No. 66 ThorSport Toyota. The former NASCAR Cup Series driver – and winner of the 2011 Brickyard 400 – last raced full time at the Cup level in 2019. This will mark his first NASCAR race since.
Driver/television analyst Parker Kligerman will make his fifth start of the year at Austin, driving the No. 75 Henderson Motorsports Chevrolet. And perennial championship contender Grant Enfinger will be back behind the wheel of the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet. He has only competed in seven of the eight races in 2021 but sits eighth in the championship standings.
Several of the drivers – including rookie Hailie Deegan — took a road-course refresher course with the Skip Barber Racing School to prepare for the weekend. Nemechek did laps with his boss, Kyle Busch.
“I’m really looking forward to going to COTA this weekend,” said Christian Eckes, who will drive the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Toyota. “It’s a race track that I’ve watched F1 at for years and it’ll be fun to race. I’m not extremely experienced with road courses but I have had fun at them in the past. Hopefully we can put on a good show and get another good run for our No. 98 FarmPaint.com/Curb Records team.”
By all accounts, the NASCAR Xfinity Series competitors are eager to give the Circuit of The Americas a true “go” this weekend with championship contenders prepared to have to hold off NASCAR Cup Series regulars as well as a handful of sports-car aces as the series debuts Saturday at the renowned road course.
The Pit Boss 250 (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) on the 3.41-mile, 20-turn, elevation-changing course has brought out big names and plenty of star power intent to be a part of this historic first race.
Five NASCAR Cup Series drivers – Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Cole Custer and Austin Dillon – are entered Saturday. And then there’s another road-course ringer group that includes Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly and one of the sport’s most popular drivers, Boris Said, who will be making his first NASCAR start since 2017 and his first Xfinity Series start since 2015.
However, they will be challenging an Xfinity Series championship contingent that has long established itself as a legitimate force to be reckoned with on road courses.
Reigning champion and current points leader Austin Cindric is not only coming off a series-best third victory last week at the Dover International Speedway, he’s an absolute favorite this weekend at COTA.
The 22-year-old began his career making a name with victories on road courses. In fact, the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford has won at Watkins Glen International, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Road America and the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, where this year he answered his 2020 victory with an overtime runner-up finish.
Chief among Cindric’s competitors – especially on road courses – is the versatile AJ Allmendinger – a race winner in NASCAR, IMSA and IndyCar. The 39-year-old veteran is running a full Xfinity Series season this year and brings with him previous Xfinity Series wins at Road America, Mid-Ohio and the Charlotte ROVAL (twice) as well as scoring his only NASCAR Cup Series win on the famed Watkins Glen road course. The driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet is currently fourth in the Xfinity championship standings with a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway early in the season.
And then there are those NASCAR Cup Series drivers hoping to get some laps in and be better acquainted with the new track by their race Sunday.
Busch has four previous NASCAR Cup Series wins on road courses – a pair at Watkins Glen and a pair at Sonoma Raceway– and two Xfinity Series victories (2008 at Mexico City and 2017 at Watkins Glen). Harvick has won at Watkins Glen (2006) and Sonoma (2017) in the Cup Series and at Montreal (2007) and Watkins Glen (2007) in the Xfinity Series. Dillon, Custer and Reddick have never won a NASCAR race on a road course.
All year, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity Series driver, Daniel Hemric, has been one to watch. He has been ranked second in the championship points since March. Hemric doesn’t have a victory yet in the Xfinity Series, but he has been close with a runner-up finish at Las Vegas and three third-place finishes in 2021. He’s coming off back-to-back top-10 runs at Darlington Raceway and Dover heading into Austin. His best work on a road course is runner-up to Indy 500 champion Sam Hornish in the 2017 Mid-Ohio Xfinity Series race. The driver of the No. 18 JGR Toyota has five career top-three finishes on road courses.
“COTA is unlike anywhere I’ve ever seen or raced on,” Hemric said. “We’ve all been using the simulator and our tools that Toyota provides us with to prepare, but it’s going to be a huge challenge. There are a lot of hard braking zones and long straights; just stuff we aren’t used to with our cars and heavy they are. Managing tires and brakes will be critical because the sharp corners lead onto long straights so that will be a huge opportunity to either gain or lose time with how long it takes to get around the track. I’m pumped up for it.”
Competing on a new, technical road course for the first time has challenges of its own. Throw in the roughly 50-50 potential for wet-weather driving during some of NASCAR’s inaugural weekend at the Circuit of The Americas, and the degree of difficulty gets another turn of the ratchet.
NASCAR’s three national series each get the benefit of extra track time with brief practice and qualifying sessions during the tripleheader weekend, which kicks off Friday at the 3.41-mile Austin, Texas, venue. Unlike oval-track events, NASCAR’s road-course contests feature the opportunity to race in the rain. Any inclement conditions could alter the focus of those sessions and each of the first-time events.
“Some of it’s going to depend on the elements,” said Dave Rogers, crew chief for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota in the Xfinity Series. “If it’s raining and it looks like it’s going to rain during the race, then that’s just as unique as a dirt race at Bristol.”
Further complicating matters is the potential for rain on one on-track day and not the next, a scenario that could minimize the benefit of wet-weather practice, scuttle any early reads on race strategy and increase the possibility for mistakes.
“You try to limit risk, for sure, so you’ve got to assess the entire situation and say what am I getting out of every lap on the track, how is it going to contribute to the weekend’s performance,” said Chris Gabehart, crew chief of JGR’s No. 11 for Cup Series points leader Denny Hamlin. “And certainly, every time you’re on the track in the rain, there is a higher level of risk, so it does depend on that Sunday forecast as to how motivated we’d be to get out there, and that’s really a situational thing, for sure.”
With an eye on how Mother Nature might impact the COTA debut, here’s a handy refresher on wet-weather procedures, the rain-tire situation and NASCAR’s history of dealing with the elements on road courses.
Race rules and procedures
In the event of inclement weather, each series’ race director can declare a “wet” start or “damp” start, according to the NASCAR Rule Book. A wet start means that the entire racing surface is covered in moisture; a damp start means that the track has areas of moisture, but that other areas are dry. The race director can also declare the conditions not race-ready, if heavy downpours cause puddles and impaired visibility.
For a wet weather start:
All vehicles must mount rain tires, activate their rear flashing light and have a working windshield wiper installed.
Normal starting procedures follow.
For a damp weather start:
All vehicles may elect to install rain tires at the crew chief’s discretion. The rear flashing light must be activated, and windshield wipers may be installed.
Any team making a pit stop for rain tires on subsequent pace laps will forfeit its starting spot.
After the green flag, teams are permitted to change tires — to treaded rain tires or dry-weather slicks — at the crew chief’s discretion.
Goodyear rain tires
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
If conditions warrant, Goodyear’s wet-weather radials will be available to teams in all three series. NASCAR Cup Series teams will have up to three sets of rain tires for practice and qualifying and up to five sets for the race; Xfinity Series teams will have five sets of wet-weather tires available for the weekend, capped at a maximum of four sets for the race; Camping World Trucks teams will have four sets of rain tires available for the event, a maximum of three sets for the race.
The treaded wet-weather tires will be further distinguished by white “Goodyear Eagle” lettering instead of the customary yellow on the sidewalls.
Weather outlook
The Circuit of The Americas forecast calls for a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday afternoon, a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday and a 40% chance of the same on Sunday. The thunderstorm advisory carries the potential for a 30-minute hold on at-track activity should a lightning strike occur within an 8-mile radius of the venue.
For further updates, please check NASCAR.com/weather for at-track conditions and hourly forecasts.
Rain-racing history
The NASCAR Xfinity Series has the most experience with wet-weather racing, running eight times in damp conditions since 2008. Three of those instances happened last season, Aug. 8 at Road America, Aug. 15 at Daytona International Speedway’s road course and Oct. 10 in a rain-soaked running of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval event.
The Cup Series got its first taste of rain-tire racing in NASCAR’s modern era during the Roval weekend last fall, and teams briefly navigated a rain shower on the Daytona Road Course in February. When the Cup Series ran its only event at Road America in 1956, some of the race was contested in wet conditions, but the cars were not equipped with special rain tires.
Camping World Truck Series teams began their event at Daytona’s road course last February under wet conditions.
Earlier this week, Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Joey Logano met virtually with troops from American Forces Network Pacific and the U.S. Army 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade from Japan, as part of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s virtual Mission 600. As a prelude to the 62nd running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, Mission 600 was designed to honor the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces by pairing drivers with military bases to educate the NASCAR community about the day-to-day lives of the men and women who serve.
While the traditional Mission 600 connected drivers with regional military bases, the ongoing pandemic shifted plans to a virtual video teleconference. The virtual opportunity opened the door for Logano to spend nearly an hour with troops currently based 6,800 miles away in Japan.
During the visit, the U.S. Army’s 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade showcased simulated live-fire training capabilities on a state-of-the-art Engagement Skills Trainer (EST) II, which facilitates marksmanship and judgmental escalation-of-force exercises for individuals and squads. Troops from the U.S. Army Medical Department Activity-Japan used lifelike mannequins called Tactical Combat Casualty Care Exportables to demonstrate how they train to administer emergency aid in the field.
“When you think of what Mission 600 is doing, it’s shining a light on what our U.S. military is doing for us citizens every single day, whether you know it or not,” Logano said. “Memorial Day is a very special day for a lot of reasons. It’s always a good time to remember what the military has done for us in the past, obviously, but what is going on right now. It’s so easy for us to live in our own little world and worry about our own little problems. It’s refreshing to take a step back and understand what these men and women are doing… They don’t even know me and they’re willing to put their lives on the line for me.”
After the military demonstrations, Logano shared some of the tools of the trade he uses to keep himself sharp and safe in his racing career, including his iRacing simulator, fire suit, Hans device and race helmet.
At the conclusion of the visit, Logano asked and fielded questions from the units, which ranged from radio communications technology to shared connections in his hometown in Connecticut and Bristol, Tennessee.
“I just want to thank everyone that is on this call that has served in our military or is serving in the military… I wish I could shake everybody’s hand right now,” Logano said. “It’s one of those things that I just cannot fathom in my mind what it would be like in some of these combat moments.”
Logano’s virtual visit was the fifth and final Mission 600 engagement of the 2021 campaign. Mission 600 kicked off at Arlington National Cemetery, where 2020 Coca-Cola 600 winner Brad Keselowski went to pay his respects last month. Logano joins fellow Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers Ryan Newman (Marine Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune), Austin Dillon (Army Central Kuwait) and Daniel Suárez (U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Richard Snyder) in taking part in Mission 600.
As his NASCAR Cup career was coming to an end, Bobby Labonte began thinking about what his post-racing future would be like.
“I told myself I can’t wait until I turn 50: I’m going to go to the beach, put my feet in the sand, drink beer all day and watch the sun come up and go down,” Labonte told NASCAR.com. “Well, I tried it and don’t think I lasted a couple hours.”
Ever since his last Cup race in 2016, Labonte has been anything but retired. What’s more, he’s still racing these days, albeit not in NASCAR, but still competing on his own terms primarily in modified and late model racing.
“I have never used the retirement word, never mentioned it,” Labonte said. “I just said, ‘Well, you’ve got to get to this point.’ I like being busy. Sometimes, whenever I think of doing less, I don’t enjoy that.
“Being busy and staying busy, I guess I’m either a glutton for punishment or something because I just enjoy doing things. So put it in that perspective. I like to be on the go and like to be doing stuff. Sure there’s time to slow down. But right now, I feel like I’m still good enough to keep going.”
And that means still going behind the wheel of a race car.
Even though his last Cup race was more than five years ago, Labonte never really stopped racing. He went on a leisure trip to Europe in 2017 that resulted in his competing in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Elite 1 Series for parts of three seasons, including a podium finish in 2018.
“I ran several races, sometimes two a weekend,” Labonte said. “That was the most fun, getting to meet people from all over the world.
“In the garage area, I made friends from England, Spain, Germany, Italy, France. To me was just so much fun.”
He even learned a very valuable lesson on how racing in Europe is markedly different from in the U.S. You might say racing in Europe is more gentle.
“I was in France and I was coming up on a guy’s bumper and I thought, ‘Well, I could do the old shove him out of the way – or no,’ ” Labonte said. “I decided not to because I thought to myself that I really don’t need to show these guys that this is how you raced. It’s not how you really race. If I would have shoved him out of the way and wrecked him, well, OK, it must be normal, but that’s not what you want to do.
“I went over there (to Europe) something like nine times in 11 months. That was really, really cool. I mean, I just really enjoyed that. I really got to spend some quality time or good time and fun time with people.”
Speaking of having a good and fun time with people, six years before he called it quits from NASCAR, Labonte began planning for his post-racing career by forming a company with his wife Kristin called Breaking Limits. In its 11 years, the firm has become quite successful in both the public relations and marketing genres, including working with a number of current IndyCar teams such as Arrow McLaren SP and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for sponsor activation, hospitality experiences and more.
The Labontes are also exploring the possibility of starting a subsidiary that will manage athletes, much like Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. are currently doing.
Labonte’s European experience laid the foundation for a return to racing back in the U.S., particularly in the Modified class. He was only able to compete in a handful of races last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but plans to compete in at least 11 races this season, along with likely competing in at least one Late Model race later this year.
He’ll also take part in all six of the upcoming Ray Evernham/Tony Stewart-led Superstar Racing Experience series races that begin in mid-June and run through the end of July.
“Last year was kind of a bummer,” Labonte said. “I started the year off running a race at Sebring. I’d never been there before. Then I ran a vintage race and an enduro race and won it. Then COVID hit and I didn’t get a chance to run again until last fall. But that’s my competitive juices. I still want to do this.
“So I took the year off not by wanting to, but it kind of just happened that way. Then I realized how much more I missed it.”
Labonte is a happy man, doing what he’s doing these days. He still watches NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series races on TV and occasionally shows up at a few race tracks including Martinsville, Darlington, Bristol and Charlotte, as well as his regular duties as an in-studio analyst for FOX Sports.
But even though former competitors such as Greg Biffle have dipped their toes back in NASCAR racing a few times, particularly in the Truck Series, Labonte has no desire to do so – one of the few acknowledgements that he truly is retired from NASCAR competition.
“I think there’s a part of me that says, ‘Hey, I feel pretty good and pretty healthy. I don’t feel like I’m as old as I am,’ ” Labonte said wistfully.
But then he added with a chuckle: “Bottom line is I am as old as I am. Doing what I’m doing now is all the fun that I need to get so, really, I am 99.9 percent sure that that ship has sailed, and I’m OK with that. I’m getting to do what I get to do with a great group of guys, I get to race and do some fun stuff and I get home Saturday night. I don’t have to stop to fuel up my plane. I can just drive right home after a race. Not a bad deal.”
While the lure of NASCAR’s top series may not be there, racing at fabled locations such as Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, gives more than enough of a challenge to Labonte – not to mention the sometimes outlandish type of racing that takes place there.
“(Bowman Gray) is an example of crazy,” he said with a laugh, adding, “Who came up with the idea of putting 32 cars on a quarter-mile track around a football field? That’s not too crazy, right?”
***
ISC Archives/CQ-Roll Call Group via Getty Images
Labonte has countless memories from his NASCAR career. Among the high points include the 2000 Cup championship, where he wound up with a massive 265-point lead over Dale Earnhardt after the season-ending race at Atlanta. Sadly, Earnhardt would be killed just three months later in a last-lap crash in the 2001 season-opening Daytona 500.
As for individual races, none is any bigger than Labonte’s win on the way to the 2000 championship in the Brickyard 400 that August.
“That win was unbelievable,” Labonte said. “We kind of knew on Saturday night how good the car was. It was like the best I’ve ever had on a Saturday night going into a Sunday. That was pretty amazing, but there’s all kinds of stories for me in different races.
“There was Darlington on Friday (early March 1999), I broke my shoulder blade in a (Busch Series) practice crash. I ran like the first 100 laps on Sunday. And then when the rain came and Matt Kenseth filled in for me. He got in the car and finished 10th.
“To win at Pocono against Dale Jr. (July 2001) was crazy. And (a couple) years before, when we won and beat Jeff Gordon (June 1999). I mean we just trumped old Gordon. We were so fast and didn’t just beat him, we beat him by a ton. We had to slow down because we were going so fast.
“And then Homestead, I was leading Bill Elliott and blew out a tire on the last lap. … And then winning the race the same year (his older brother) Terry won the Cup championship at Atlanta (November 1996), that was a great weekend.
“Yeah, there were some lowlights, but there was a lot of highlights, even in races I didn’t win.”
While happy overall at his career, Labonte admits to one regret: when he left Joe Gibbs Racing after the 2005 season.
“I honestly thought that Joe Gibbs Racing, that whole time span that I had, was really the best there was,” Labonte said. “Looking back on it, I thought the grass would have been greener on the other side of the fence, and I could have done something to rekindle what I wasn’t doing right at Gibbs.
“After all was said and done, I’m like, ‘How could I have done better if I stayed at Gibbs?’ I needed to do something different either there or somewhere else. I think that at the end of the day, I probably wish I would probably (have) told myself to stay there and keep doing what I’m doing, better than I’m doing it.
“Knowing what I know now, I wish I could have done that before moving on.”
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
And then there’s the greatest accomplishment of all: his induction last year into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, joining Terry as one of three brother combinations in the Hall (Richard and Maurice Petty, and Glen and Leonard Wood are the other siblings inducted).
“It’s crazy how you race your whole life, and I didn’t think at all of I’m working towards the Hall of Fame,” Labonte said. “But at the same time, definitely, you worked really hard to get there.
“When you get to a point you’re like your career is about over, and you’re going to get accolades of some type and I still didn’t know that (his career) was going to be worthy enough (for the Hall). And when it happened and I was able to get inducted into it, it’s just like, wow, what an honor that whole night with Tony (Stewart) and coach (Joe Gibbs), Waddell (Wilson) and Buddy (Baker), and Jeff Gordon talking to me, telling me what my night’s going to be like, Roger Penske sent me a text. It’s like, wow, this is way bigger deal than just racing on a Sunday. So yeah, that’s a really cool, cool deal, the biggest honor, you know?
“How do you put it into words, what it means to you and what it did to me?All that time and effort, my parents and all the time and effort we put into (racing as) a family, kind of put all of it full circle and made it all make sense. It just put it all together.
“Obviously, a lot of guys might not get that opportunity. When I was growing up in racing, my parents could have easily said, ‘Hey, we need to do something (else). We can’t either afford it or it was too much work, too much of a headache, the decision could have been made or thinking what could have been, or the transition could have been a little bit different, we never would have known.”
***
The Bobby Labonte file
* Age: 57
* Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas (has lived in North Carolina for more than 30 years)
* Finished second to Jeff Gordon for 1993 Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors
* NASCAR Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2020 along with Joe Gibbs, Tony Stewart, Waddell Wilson and Buddy Baker.
* Notable: Is first and only driver thus far to have won races in all three NASCAR premier series at same track – Martinsville Speedway. … Also became the first of just six drivers who have won championships in both the Cup and Xfinity Series.
* NASCAR Cup career: 25 years, 729 starts, 21 wins, 115 top-five and 203 top-10 finishes. Also 26 poles. Won 2000 championship.
* NASCAR Xfinity Series career: 20 years, 203 starts, 10 wins, 51 top-five and 100 top-10 finishes. Also 10 poles. Won 1991 championship.
* NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career: 10 starts, 1 win, 5 top-five and 5 top-10 finishes.
* Best NASCAR Cup season finish: 2000 – four wins, 19 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes, plus two poles. Won first and only Cup championship of his career.
* Best overall NASCAR Cup season statistically: 1999 – earned five wins, 23 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes, all career bests. Finished second in championship to Dale Jarrett.
Four years ago, Boris Said was set to retire after what he deemed to be his final NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International. Since then, he has had a change of heart.
This weekend, Said, now 58 years old, will attempt to qualify MBM Motorsports’ No. 13 car for the inaugural Xfinity Series race at Circuit of The Americas, an event Said wasn’t expecting to compete in until a handful of days ago.
“I race Trans-Am with Pancho Weaver and he lives next door to Carl Long, and he said, ‘Man, he’d really like some help to get the car into the race. He wanted to know if you’d be interested in doing it,’” Said told NASCAR.com. “I retired in (2017), but I miss it, to tell you the truth. There’s nothing that replaces racing.”
This weekend, Said has his chance to be back on the race track powering a 3,200-pound car into heavy braking zones. Since 2017, he noted there haven’t been any additional opportunities to race in NASCAR, even if he had considered it.
For that reason alone, MBM didn’t need to sell Said very hard on the idea of being the wheelman of the No. 13 car at COTA.
“It’s like the old days, pretty much anybody that called me to drive, I always said, ‘OK, I’ll give it a shot,’” Said said. “I figure I might as well. I’m in good shape, you never know, there’s a 1-in-40 chance you could do something pretty good.”
Said won’t be fitted for the No. 13 car until just before Friday’s practice. He told the team to put a larger seat in the car for his taller frame and make sure it’s as low and far back as it can go. After that, he’ll just deal with whatever he’s given.
Currently, MBM’s No. 13 entry sits 40th in the owner standings, with a best finish this season of 21st at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Getting the car into the race is Said’s first goal. Everything else is gravy.
Originally, David Starr was set to drive the car, but the team – and sponsor Whataburger – decided it would be best to put a road-course specialist in the seat; that way, it can potentially build enough points to make other races this season.
“David Starr was set to drive our (No.) 13 Whataburger Toyota, however, with NASCAR allowing Cup drivers to run in Xfinity this year and only 36 starters, we had to make a change,” MBM said in a Facebook post. “David and I looked at the business side of our race team, realizing we needed to try to give ourselves the best option to be in the race, and then running well enough to keep the points high enough to be able to go to Mid-Ohio (Sports Car Course) and future races.”
Said competed part time in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1998-2017, primarily focusing on road courses. He has one victory in each the Xfinity Series and the Camping World Trucks Series — his 2010 Xfinity win at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada coming 12 years after his Truck triumph at Sonoma Raceway in California.
With the Xfinity Series having five of its next 11 races held on road courses, Said thinks it’s possible he returns at some point this season. As of now, he said there have been no further discussions.
“I’ve raced for 35 years and when you quit, you don’t want to give it up and you realize how much you miss it,” he said. “NASCAR is such an awesome sport. The feeling of driving a car on the edge is something that’s hard to replace. I know I’m 58 years old, so I should just get over it and say, ‘I’m just going to play shuffleboard and stuff,’ but I can’t let go. I don’t really know how to explain it other than I love the sport and it’s hard to give it up.
“In racing, you’re only as good as your last race, so first I have to get (the car) into the show and second I need to have a good run. If I get a good run and if it were Carl Long or somebody else, I would definitely think about it and chances are I would say yes.”
Since last competing in NASCAR, Said has geared a lot of his focus toward his BMW and Volkswagen car dealerships. On June 6, he will celebrate his first dealership’s 10-year anniversary of being open. Said has also been keeping up with an ownership stake in Trust Me Vodka, a California-based spirits company. Plus, his K1 Speed indoor go-kart track franchise is up to 35 locations.
Said continues to race Trans Am cars, most recently notching his 18th series win at Road Atlanta at the end of March. Last November, he dominated another Trans Am event at COTA en route to victory, and he has also competed at the Austin, Texas, road course in prototypes, vintage racing and sports cars.
But even with the added experience, he’s not certain that gives him an advantage for this weekend.
“These guys are the best in the business and they’ll pick it up pretty quick,” he said. “It doesn’t take them long to learn a new track, and I’m sure a lot of them have been on the simulator. I’m still going to drive it at 10 tenths the whole time and have fun. I just can’t wait to get out there and drive it.”
As for what’s next for Said, he hopes he can stick around for a few years and ultimately team up with his son, Boris Said Jr. — who recently began racing in SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) — for a Rolex 24 effort at Daytona International Speedway’s road course.
But Said isn’t ready to hang up the helmet just yet.
“I guess one day you’ll know it’s time,” he said. “I thought it was and I was OK with it for a little while, but you watch it on TV and you just miss it. In NASCAR, even though you’re not battling for the win you can have great battles for 15th, 20th, 25th and you’re driving your heart out. It’s still fulfilling personally, but you have to set some different goals where you’re not going there to win the race, but you’re going there to do the best you can.”
BOSTON – MAY 20, 2021 – Today, DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) announced it will become the first Official Daily Fantasy Sports, iGaming and Sports Betting Partner of 23XI Racing and its esteemed driver, Bubba Wallace, pending regulatory approval in applicable jurisdictions. The official sponsorship will debut at the EchoPark Automotive Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday May 23, 2021, with the team continuing to sport the DraftKings logo for each race of the 2021 season. While DraftKings is already the Official Daily Fantasy Partner of NASCAR, the agreement with 23XI Racing positions DraftKings to hit a new gear in its motorsports offerings, integrations and entertainment.
“Joining forces with the 23XI Racing organization near the beginning of its growth makes this collaboration all the more impactful for DraftKings,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer at DraftKings. “Beyond the brand and product integrations of this deal, we also greatly admire Bubba Wallace’s ongoing advocacy for social justice and Inclusion, Equity and Belonging efforts because they align perfectly with our company values.”
The new deal allows DraftKings and 23XI Racing to promote an authentic in-app experience for racing fans, and they will also collaborate on a cross-channel social media content video series including race previews and data presented by DraftKings. Fans can also expect to see DraftKings as the primary partner of the No. 23 Camry at the NASCAR Cup Series Race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 27, 2021. As the Official Free-to-Play Partner of 23XI Racing and Bubba Wallace, DraftKings Sportsbook will launch a free-to-play pool ahead of the event with custom prizes like signed Bubba Wallace merchandise.
“As we continue to build the foundation of 23XI Racing, it’s important for us to add brands that align with our values both on and off the track,” added interim 23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta. “DraftKings is a leader in sports technology and entertainment and a company that we were able to add to our already stellar list of sponsors who’ve joined us in our first year. Adding DraftKings allows us to bring unique experiences to our fans as we continue to grow our reach showcasing our team to fans outside the NASCAR platform, as well as work together in support for social justice and other Inclusion, Equality and Belonging efforts. We’re looking forward to having DraftKings be a part of the growth of 23XI Racing and seeing them on the track at Pocono for their primary race.”
“I’m excited to see what we are capable of creating together as we welcome DraftKings to the 23XI Racing family,” said Bubba Wallace. “As a big fan of the company, this relationship marks a historic moment as we integrate with a leader in sports technology and entertainment to enhance the experience of racing fans across the board.”
More information about DraftKings is available at www.draftkings.com. DraftKings’ NASCAR and full line of products are available via iOS and Android here.
James Davison made it look easy in NASCAR’s first glimpse at Circuit of The Americas, grabbing a win — a virtual one, at least — in dominant fashion.
Fans and NASCAR Cup Series stars got a first look at COTA Wednesday night in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series before NASCAR’s inaugural visit to the Austin, Texas, road course this weekend.
Davison, the Australian racer, qualified on pole at the 20-turn road course, nearly a half second ahead of fellow sim-racing enthusiast Anthony Alfredo in single-car time trials. With all cars set up equally, qualifying relied entirely on drivers’ ability to post a fast lap.
The field of 39 held a collective breath on the initial start of the race; the close-quarters pack heading into a tight opening set of corners had all the makings for a big mess. But, even on a new track, pros are pros — they made it through cleanly, for the most part.
Davison quickly made headway at the front of the field as Alfredo followed in his trails. Star drivers — Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick, to name a few — experienced trouble navigating COTA’s tricky 3.41-mile circuit.
The 32-lap race required drivers to stop for fuel at least once, most opting to make a single stop — though others, like in-race NASCAR on FOX reporter Joey Logano, opted to make multiple stops for fresh tires. Davison made his lone stop just past halfway, handing the top spot to Alfredo for a moment.
Davison, who drives for Rick Ware Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, experienced a scary moment as the laps wound down in the race’s second half. Clint Bowyer, who provided in-race TV coverage, struggled to keep his car up to speed — eventually careening into Davison, the lead car, while attempting to make a pit stop.
You know anything can happen, right? 😂@ClintBowyer tries to come to pit road … and turns straight into the leader, @DAV15ON_! pic.twitter.com/QRkIobHquj
Alfredo finished second, while William Byron came home third. Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five.
The battle for sixth came down to the wire. In pursuit of Denny Hamlin in the final corner, Timmy Hill gave Hamlin’s Toyota a bump — and then another bump — to send the No. 11 spinning.
While the race was for nothing but bragging rights (and fun), iRacing will donate $5,000 to a charity of Davison’s choice for the win.
NASCAR visits COTA — the real version — for the first time this weekend. Catch the Cup Series’ EchoPark Texas Grand Prix Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1).
Matt DiBenedetto’s phone started filling up with notifications Tuesday. A rise in the amount of grist for the NASCAR rumor mill translated into pings for the Wood Brothers Racing driver, whose career faces an uncertain path for 2022.
Reports that Brad Keselowski could leave the Team Penske fold for a driving role and an ownership stake in Roush Fenway Racing next season began to swirl Tuesday. The potential arrangement, first reported by Motorsport.com, set the early end of NASCAR’s annual ‘Silly Season’ in motion, and DiBenedetto stands to be among those affected by a blockbuster move.
The Wood Brothers team, which shares an affiliation with Team Penske, announced last October that Xfinity Series champ Austin Cindric would move to the No. 21 Ford for his rookie Cup Series campaign in 2022. That meant a one-year extension for this season for DiBenedetto, who is hunting for the next stop in his NASCAR career.
A potential move by Keselowski, who is in his 12th season driving for team owner Roger Penske in the No. 2 Ford, could change that dynamic. Officials with Team Penske and Roush Fenway have declined comment on the potential personnel change, and DiBenedetto says he knows of nothing concrete in place beyond the speculation.
“I’m pretty much on the same page and wondering some of the same questions and who knows what’s going to happen,” DiBenedetto said in a Wednesday morning appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I talk about it all the time with my situation that basically everyone wants to know so early, ‘Matt what do you think, what are you doing for next year, you have any talks, has Team Penske or the Wood Brothers told you anything?’ this and that. I’m like, well, no, no, no and no, and my answer would be that my situation completely relies on other dominos falling first, and maybe that’s one of them.
“I unfortunately have to sit and be patient, which is hard to do, and just focus on my job and let some of those dominos fall, which it sounds like, we’re starting to get into that time of year.”
Roush Fenway Racing president Steve Newmark addressed the reports during a Wednesday media availability, opting to focus on the organization’s announcement of a multiyear extension for sponsor Fastenal. Roush Fenway currently fields two Ford entries in the Cup Series — the No. 6 driven by Ryan Newman and the No. 17 of Chris Buescher.
Penske’s three-driver Cup Series roster currently includes the long-tenured Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. DiBenedetto qualifies as an unofficial fourth Penske pilot through the organization’s tight-knit alliance with the Wood Brothers, but that stable will make room next season for Cindric — an 11-time Xfinity Series winner who is running a partial Cup Series schedule this year before making the full-time jump to NASCAR’s top tour.
DiBenedetto qualified for the Cup Series Playoffs in his first campaign for the Wood Brothers last season and has inched back into the postseason hunt after a slow start to 2021. For now, even the hint of some movement among the Cup Series driver roster has provided DiBenedetto with hopes for stabilizing his career path, either by potentially replacing Keselowski or remaining with the Wood Brothers should Cindric take the No. 2 ride.
“I’d be lying if I told you it didn’t give me some sort of optimism,” DiBenedetto told SiriusXM. “I don’t know what’s exactly set in stone or what’s done, but it’s all speculation at this point obviously on Brad’s side, and I want to wish him the best on whatever ends up happening. Who knows how the rumor mill can work, so I don’t read too much into that stuff, but if something like that winds up to be true or dominos fall and it can be an opportunity for me, of course I’m going to be optimistic about it.
“Obviously I love driving for the Wood Brothers and I love our alliance with Team Penske and also being affiliated with Team Penske, and that relationship with the Captain, Roger Penske, and all that group is nothing short of amazing. So if I can stay in that fold, and I love being part of the Ford family, all that, that’s the ultimate goal for me.”
