When Martin Truex Jr. made his only serious mistake on Saturday afternoon, Justin Allgaier took full advantage.
Even so, Allgaier had to hold off Truex during a 26-lap, green-flag run to the finish to win the EchoPark 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“We didn’t start out the day like we wanted to — these guys persevered behind it,” said Allgaier, who picked up his first win of the season, his first at Atlanta and the 15th of his career. “They pushed and made great adjustments on pit road — (crew chief) Jason Burdett and all the guys on the team did a great job. My wife and daughter are here. They may not be able to come out here (to Victory Lane), but I get to go celebrate with them. Just proud of the effort that we put in today.
“Martin had a great race car. They definitely had the car to beat at the beginning. We made good adjustments, and that’s what it came down to at the end.”
Harrison Burton ran third, followed by Noah Gragson, who recovered from a Lap 40 wreck and ended his day exchanging blows on pit road with Daniel Hemric — the result of an earlier pit road altercation between their two cars.
A pit-road speeding penalty under caution on Lap 114 of 163 spoiled what had been the Truex show up to that point. Truex, who won the first two stages and led 103 laps, restarted at the back of the field on Lap 118 and spent the rest of the race working his way back to the front, aided by two subsequent cautions.
But Truex used up his No. 54 Toyota charging into the runner-up position and had little left for Allgaier in the closing laps.
“We got back up there, but obviously, we were kind of out of tires at that point,” said Truex, a two-time Xfinity champion who was racing in the series for the first time since 2010. “Got close, and then the last 10 (laps), the right rear was completely smoked off. Just had to use too much to get there.
“Thanks to (sponsor) Stanley and everyone else at JGR for letting me go do this. It was fun until I screwed it up. Just came up a little short at the end there.”
Hemric confronted Gragson after the race for backing into the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on pit road. Hemric had to pull into Gragson’s stall to avoid a car blocking his own pit box. After Hemric backed into his own stall, Gragson entered his and backed into the nose of Hemric’s Supra as crew members scattered.
“I got a hole in the nose of my car, and he got popped in the eye, so I’d say we’re in good shape,” Hemric said after the combatants were separated and had a chance to cool down.
A multicar wreck on the final lap of Stage 1 ruined the winning chances of a handful of contending cars. Contact from Brett Moffitt’s Chevrolet turned Brandon Jones’ Toyota into the outside wall on the backstretch.
Moffitt fell out of the race in 40th place, and Jones finished 37th, 31 laps down. The No. 22 Ford of series leader Austin Cindric, as well as the Chevrolets of AJ Allmendinger and Gragson, all sustained enough damage in the chain-reaction crash to affect their performance adversely.
Gragson and Allmendinger recovered to finish fourth and fifth, respectively. Cindric came home 13th, as his streak of five straight top-five finishes to start the season came to an end.
Allgaier, Burton, Gragson and Allmendinger qualified to race for the Dash 4 Cash prize when the Xfinity Series resumes at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, April 9 at Martinsville Speedway (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Note: The Nos. 07, 11, 17 and 98 cars each had one lug nut not secure in post-race inspection. There were no other issues.
Kyle Busch wasn’t about to let two straight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races slip away.
Leading 102 of 130 laps and pulling away in the final stage of Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Busch notched his first victory of the season, his sixth at the 1.54-mile track and the 60th of his career — extending his own series record.
Busch beat runner-up Austin Hill to the finish line by 4.133 seconds. Third was John Hunter Nemechek, who had held off Busch, his team owner, to win the last Truck Series outing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“I thought we had a great truck at the start of the race,” said Busch, who collected his 214th NASCAR national series win. “We just kept working on it all day. We were loose to start, and we got it a lot better there. That final stage, we just took off, and it was super-fast, super-good. Can’t say enough about everybody at Kyle Busch Motorsports.”
Busch led most of the first two stages, but at the end of each, he surrendered the top spot to Nemechek, who picked up a pair of playoff points for the stage wins. But Busch beat Nemechek off pit road on Lap 63 during the Stage 2 break and held it the rest of the way, save for a cycle of green-flag stops that put Chase Purdy out front from Lap 102 through 105.
The race featured three cautions, one for a planned competition yellow after Lap 15 and two for the stage breaks. With the race going green for the final 63 circuits, Hill never had a chance to test his No. 16 Toyota against Busch’s No. 51.
The victory was the first for crew chief Mardy Lindley, who joined Kyle Busch Motorsports this year. The only improvement Busch could have wished for was a 1-2 finish for KBM instead of a 1-3.
“Anytime I’m in my truck, I want to be able to go out there and score the victory,” Busch said. “With good competition and good competitors, it’s not easy. With John Hunter coming on board, at Vegas he was super-fast and did everything right, no mistakes.
“We’ll go back and regroup and make sure that 4 truck (Nemechek) can stay in front of that 16 truck (Hill) the rest of this year.”
Johnny Sauter ran fourth, followed by GMS Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Zane Smith. Ross Chastain, Matt Crafton, Brett Moffitt and Stewart Friesen completed the top 10. Friesen recovered from a penalty for an uncontrolled tire during a stop under caution on Lap 63.
Bill Lester finished 36th, seven laps down, in his first NASCAR national series start since 2007.
The Camping World Truck Series’ next race is the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt, scheduled next Saturday (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) on Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt surface.
Note: The race-winning No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota of Kyle Busch passed NASCAR’s post-race technical inspection. Busch’s truck did have one lug nut not safe and secure. In addition, the engines from the No. 51, No. 13 (ThorSport Racing Toyota of Johnny Sauter) and No. 44 (Niece Motorsports Chevrolet of Ross Chastain) trucks will be brought back to the NASCAR R&D Center for evaluation.
1. Kevin Harvick by no means has been a slouch in 2021, but after what we saw out of him a year ago it’s a bit surprising to see the No. 4 seem on even ground with so many teams. That could all change this weekend, however. Atlanta has been his new Phoenix in terms of domination, leading 49% of laps over the last seven races at the track, winning two of the last three. He’s been a stage-points machine, finishing in the top six of every stage run at Atlanta and is riding a series-best six-race top-10 streak there. If he’s unable to put it all together and at least lead laps and emerge with a top five — if not an outright win — the questions will start to crop up.
2. Similarly to Harvick, it’s a bit surprising that 2020 stalwart Denny Hamlin has yet to win this season — but he’s still been 2021’s best driver. The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver leads all competitors in points per race, average running position and average finish to sit 39 points in the standings above second-place Brad Keselowski. Hamlin finished in the top five in two of the last three Atlanta races, but there’s still some concern he can keep it rolling this weekend. In addition to no Toyota victories at the track since 2013, Hamlin himself has only led one of the last five Atlanta races and his 17.3 average finish there is lowest of all oval tracks for him.
3. The 2021 season continues to entertain, with our fifth different winner last weekend in five races. The parity is noticeable, and five drivers are currently in playoff position who missed last year’s postseason. Two of the season’s five winners have never made the playoffs, and three drivers who made the 2020 16-driver field are still looking for their first top-10 finish this season. None of the season’s winners has ever won at Atlanta previously, and it’s likely that we’re going to see another first-time ’21 winner on Sunday, further complicating the playoff picture … in March.
4. It feels like Joey Logano has been in the mix for the win late in just about every race so far this year, a trend that feels like it should continue this weekend. Logano also hasn’t capitalized on any of these chances yet this season — a trend that is also likely to continue this weekend, as the No. 22 Team Penske driver was passed for the win with 55 laps or fewer remaining in each of the last three Atlanta races (one of which was at the hands of his teammate). Ford has won the last four races at Atlanta, however, so perhaps it’ll be his turn on Sunday.
5. One thing you’re going to hear a lot this weekend — tire wear. And with heavy tire wear comes four-tire stops, maybe even for every stop of the race. Though his finishes haven’t been there yet this season, Alex Bowman‘s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports crew has the best average four-tire pit stop in 2021. He could use all the help he could get at the moment, as Hendrick’s resurgence hasn’t quite hit the 48 group just yet, and his Atlanta history is checkered at best. Sitting behind both JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolets in the standings, Bowman will need to figure out how to turn things around at the Georgia track, where he’s yet to land a top 10 or earn a stage point in his career.
Race-day staples
Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles. •Power Rankings: Blaney riding pair of top 10s into Atlanta | See the ranks •Paint Scheme Preview: 2021 Atlanta spring weekend | See the schemes •Fantasy Fastlane: See which drivers to use, avoid | Full Fantasy advice | Set your roster •Preview Show: Jonathan Merryman and Alex Weaver preview the race | Watch the show
Get in on the action
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy. • Betting odds for today’s race | See the odds • Who’s a dark horse bet to consider? | BetMGM’s preview • Harvick set to break slump at Atlanta? | Full betting preview • Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot • Full guide to 2021 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
Track history
Every track has a story to tell. Here’s what we’ve seen go down at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the past. • Memorable moments at Atlanta | See the moments • All-time track winners | See the list • Top 10 lap leaders at Atlanta | See the list • Throwback: Harvick reflects on 2001 Atlanta win | Watch the video • Relive Morgan Shepherd’s fourth and final Cup win in 1993 | Watch the race
Fast facts
Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
• Atlanta Motor Speedway is the only intermediate track at which Austin Dillon does not have a top-10 finish. • Though he’s been close, Atlanta is one of just two intermediate tracks that Martin Truex Jr. has not won on (Texas is the other). • William Byron is currently riding a three-race top-10 streak — the longest of his career. • Atlanta is one of three active race tracks where Byron’s teammate, Alex Bowman, does not have a top-10 finish. • Daniel Suarez is searching for his first top 10 with his new Trackhouse Racing team — and his first since Texas in November 2019.
Catch the pack
Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.
• Backseat Drivers: Is Kyle Busch or Alex Bowman’s start worse? | Hear the debate • COVID-detecting dogs to get trial run in screening for Cup Series race at Atlanta | Read more • Chase Elliott explains key to Hendrick Motorsports resurgence | Read more • Penalty report: Crew chiefs for Nos. 2, 99 teams suspended after Phoenix | Read more
• Streak of new winners to open 2021 likely to continue at Atlanta | Read more
Say what?
Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.
“Atlanta has always been a track that I’ve enjoyed. I feel like — we haven’t won there yet — but we’ve been very successful there and led a lot of laps and always seem to be around the front. Very, very fun race track, being able to run all over the track, the tire wear and all of those things are things that I enjoy behind the wheel and been fortunate to have some really good cars there as well. Going there with some momentum this time, and hopefully we can take advantage of that.” – Martin Truex Jr.
“Atlanta is tough. It’s an old surface, for sure, which I think makes it fun for the drivers. I feel like a lot of people enjoy going there because of that. But, overall for us, it’s been super hit or miss and I really don’t know why. We’ve gone there and we’ve had some really good runs; a couple of days that I thought we were capable of winning. And then we’ve been there and just been way out to lunch. So, I’m not exactly sure what that is all the time.” — Chase Elliott
Getty Images
“I feel like we’ve made some pretty big gains for us on the 550 (horsepower) package. I think our 750 package needs a lot of work, based off of what I experienced in Phoenix and then a little bit of a combination of the road courses, so what I was fighting with my race car in Phoenix is very similar to what I was fighting with it at the road course in Daytona, as well as some races last year.” — Ryan Newman
“Really, (the cars at RPM are) what I thought they would be. I felt pretty confident going in, to be honest with you, about what the equipment is and what they have with the resources we have at RPM. And it’s been similar to what I thought. Really, the cars are really close. We have opportunities, like I was mentioning a second ago, to really hit it right and have an opportunity to run really well week in and week out.” — Erik Jones
The following article is brought to you by BetMGM.
Since 1960, NASCAR has visited Atlanta International Speedway. With no restrictor plates holding cars back, this is one of the fastest venues in NASCAR. For more than 60 years, fans have flocked to this speedway — typically for two races. But in 2011, it was scaled back to just one. In 2021, things changed. We’re back to two visits to The Fastest Track in the South.
So what is going to happen this weekend? Take a look:
THE FAVORITE
Kevin Harvick (+550)
Sometimes, it seems like we’re stuck on repeat when it comes to Kevin Harvick — but there’s good reason for it. The guy is good. He isn’t competing against the gauntlet of veterans he was for the first 15 years of his career, and the guy has dominated at certain tracks. Hey, what else can we say? He’s good.
This 1.5-mile track is known for its speed, and that will be in play this weekend. Harvick has been the best of the pack at taming the craziness of Atlanta, posting nine top-five finishes to go with his three career wins.
He’s actually been exceptionally good on the track since coming over to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, finishing with six top 10s in seven races with two poles and two wins. Harvick will start No. 7 on the grid based on the NASCAR’s lineup formula for weekend’s without practice or qualifying, but even with this being a standard intermediate 1.5-mile track, that shouldn’t be a problem for him if his car is good enough to push forward.
OTHERS: Brad Keselowski (+700) may be listed with the fourth-best NASCAR odds to win at Atlanta, but he has arguably the second-best resume. In 12 career Cup races at Atlanta, he has eight top-10 finishes, four top-fives, and two wins. Kyle Larson (+650) has one of the top average-finish marks among active drivers in NASCAR Cup and also had four top-five finishes in the Xfinity Series.
THE DARK HORSE THREAT
Kurt Busch (+2500)
Sometimes I get the feeling people are ruling Kurt Busch out as a serious competitor because he’s getting up there in age. But this guy can seriously race, and Atlanta is one of the hotspots. Among active drivers, Busch is tied with Harvick (above) with three career wins at the track.
The same goes for top-ten finishes with 15 apiece for the elder brother Busch and Harvick. Busch is still in good equipment with Chip Ganassi Racing, so don’t count out Kurt. He likes Atlanta, and his track record — pun intended — is pretty strong in the Peach State’s state capital city.
OTHERS: Are Joey Logano (+900) and Kyle Busch (+900) really ever “dark horses” in any race? That’s a good question. But in this race, they’re not considered top threats when it comes to NASCAR racing odds. So there may be an advantage here for a shrewd racing fan.
Logano not only dominated this track in his short time in the Xfinity Series, he has performed well in NASCAR Cup. And Kyle Busch? Come on, he’s Kyle Busch. He’s won twice — one of only four current drivers who’ve won NASCAR Cup races here — and he has one of the top average finishes here. He’s a threat anywhere he goes, but any diehard fan knows that.
THE INTRIGUING LONG SHOT
Christopher Bell (+2500)
Bell won one of his two Xfinity Series races at Atlanta but has only run once with the NASCAR Cup Series. Still, he’s been strong in 2021 and is turning heads. He’s a young talent with three top 10s already this year, a victory at the Daytona Road Course and he will start No. 8 on Sunday in his Joe Gibbs Racing machine.
Bell currently is eighth in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series standings. With his Daytona win, he’s already set up nicely for the postseason, but even if he didn’t have a victory, he’d be off to a great start.
OTHERS: Erik Jones (+15000) has an average finish of 15th in four career starts at Atlanta, and he performed rather well in the lower NASCAR series when he visited Atlanta. He’s an up-and-comer to keep an eye on and seems to enjoy racing at Atlanta.
Jimmie Johnson’s debut weekend at Sebring International Raceway got off to a rough start with a crash in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series qualifying.
The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion looped the No. 48 Action Express Ally Cadillac in Turn 16 and then made significant contact with the tire barrier at Sunset Bend, the last of the 3.74-mile course’s 17 turns. Johnson was evaluated and released from the track’s care center.
Qualifying for the 12 Hours of Sebring ends in disaster for the No. 48 Ally Cadillac. Jimmie Johnson spun in Turn 16 before crashing hard in Sunset Bend not even half a minute later. It was Pipo Derani meanwhile who took Pole position.#IMSA#Sebring12pic.twitter.com/bYKVYzrdex
Johnson, 45, retired from full-time NASCAR competition after last season, transitioning to part-time duty in both IndyCar and IMSA this season. Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (10 a.m.-10 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMSA.tv, NBC Sports Gold TrackPass) is the second of four IMSA starts planned for Johnson this season, who competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January and intends to enter endurance events at Watkins Glen (June 27) and Road Atlanta (Nov. 13).
“I’m certainly disappointed that I tore up the car for the team, putting them in a difficult position,” Johnson said in a news release. “They seem eager and ready for the challenge to get the Ally Cadillac back together for tomorrow. I spun in Turn 16. I was trying to get up and going to catch another flying lap before the session ended. Sadly, I had some debris on my tires as I entered 17 and tagged the outside wall. I learned a couple of lessons there. Call them rookie lessons.”
Johnson will share driving duties Saturday with Kamui Kobayashi and Simon Pagenaud. Chad Knaus, who was crew chief for Johnson’s seven Cup Series titles, is on hand at Sebring to assist the Action Express team and to plan race strategy.
Fellow Action Express driver Pipo Derani won the pole position for Saturday’s Sebring race in the No. 31 Cadillac. The No. 48 Cadillac was listed last among the seven DPi entries on the qualifying chart after Johnson’s trouble.
Bettors faded Kevin Harvick ahead of last week’s race in Phoenix, but as the NASCAR Cup Series visits Atlanta this week, it’s clear the betting market still has plenty of faith in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. At both BetMGM and Barstool Sportsbook, as of this Friday writing, Harvick is listed as the +550 favorite (bet $100 to win $550) to take the checkers at Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
Priced at +160 to finish in the top three and -115 (bet $115 to win $100) for the top five, Harvick boasts the shortest odds in those Barstool markets as well.
After a dominant 2020 season, in which he won nine races and logged a 7.3 average finish, Harvick seeks his first victory since last September in Bristol, a span of 12 races. He also has just one top three over that stretch.
Several indicators, though, point to Sunday as the day Harvick gets off the schneid, beginning with his stellar history at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54-mile layout on which he has thrived.
Harvick has won two of the last three races in Atlanta and has led 1,111 laps there over the last seven – no other driver is even close. His nine career top fives and 1,348 laps led at the track lead all active drivers, and his 15 top 10s (out of 30 starts) are tied for first with Kurt Busch.
And with the exception of his 20th-place finish in Las Vegas, Harvick hasn’t exactly struggled this season. He’s finished sixth or better in four of the five races, and he ranks third among full-time drivers in average finish (8.2) and fifth in average running position (9.7).
So while Harvick’s early-season woes seem to have been overstated, the betting market is ready for his rebound. Another indicator: He’s listed as the +235 favorite in a group prop against Brad Keselowski (+260), Joey Logano (+260) and Kyle Busch (+340), the shortest price for any driver in the six group props posted at SuperBook USA in Las Vegas.
Lots of ways to get involved Sunday
Earlier this week, we stressed the importance of bettors having multiple “outs,” or sportsbooks where you’re able to make bets, allowing you to shop for the best lines. What may seem like minimal gaps between odds offered at various shops can make major differences in your long-term betting success.
Looking at this week for examples, if your pick to win in Atlanta is Keselowski, Barstool’s +750 offers the fatter payout than BetMGM’s +700. But BetMGM has +225 on Denny Hamlin to be the top Toyota, 10 cents better than the +215 hung at Barstool.
There are also over/under props posted at both books on the number of the winning car. Which shop you should place your bet at depends on which side of the prop you like. If you think the winner’s number will be over 9.5, Barstool’s -143 is the better price; if you like under 9.5, BetMGM’s +110 is the more advantageous number.
Barstool continues to offer lots of creative ways to get involved in Cup races. Among this week’s options: three different over/unders on car of race winner (5.5, 9.5, 18.5), three over/unders on grid position of race winner (4.5, 6.5, 9.5), and odds on any driver winning both Stages 1 and 2 and win the race.
Championship odds update
Kyle Larson, who won the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas and whose only finish outside the Top 10 came at the Daytona Road Course, has made the most significant leap up the championship odds board at the SuperBook since the season began. Opening at 10-to-1 odds at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign last November, Larson has been shortened to 5/1, sharing co-favorite status with Harvick, Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., to lift the trophy this November in Phoenix.
Hamlin, who sits atop the Cup standings heading into Atlanta, and Truex, who secured his spot in the 16-team playoff with a win last week in Phoenix, were both 8/1 when betting opened.
The long-shot winners of the season’s first three races, naturally, have seen their prices trimmed with their playoff spots all but locked up. William Byron has moved from 30/1 to 20/1 and Christopher Bell from 50/1 to 30/1, while Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell is a distant 1,000/1 after being left off the SuperBook’s initial futures offering.
Moving in the wrong direction is Kyle Busch, who’s been lengthened from 12/1 to an 8/1 opener during his less-than-impressive start to the season that sees him in 15th place. A third-place finish in Vegas is the best result so far for the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Toyota, which has finishes of 14th, 35th and 25th through the season’s first five races.
Ryan Blaney’s odds to win the championship, meanwhile, have stretched to 20/1 after opening 14/1.
Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports 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.
The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series makes its return next week with a twist, one that parallels the real-life NASCAR Cup Series’ newest schedule addition.
The iRacing circuit — which made its debut last year with Cup Series drivers and other stars in action — opens its 10-race season Wednesday on the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track, four days before the Cup Series races on its real-world counterpart venue. Series organizers announced some details about the race format and schedule Friday afternoon.
Coverage on FS1 begins at 6 p.m. ET Wednesday, with the first of three 20-lap qualifying heats to start at approximately 8 p.m. ET. Qualifying to set the fields for the qualifying heats will take place at 7:50 p.m. ET, with drivers using the best of two laps. Seven drivers will advance from each heat to make up a 21-car field for the feature.
The nearly two-hour block before the heats will be for open practice, and FOX Sports’ Race Hub will feature live look-ins as drivers get their feel for the half-mile track’s surface. The main event — set for an 8:40 p.m. ET grid — is scheduled for 70 laps.
Caution periods will be set manually, and competitors will be allotted two car resets for damage. Should the race go into overtime, a maximum of three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish will be held.
A full entry list will be released next week. NASCAR Cup Series standouts will be featured, and former driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. has committed to entering the Bristol Dirt event.
The iRacing Pro Invitational Series was created last year as NASCAR officials looked for alternative ways to race after the COVID-19 outbreak. Drivers from multiple NASCAR circuits competed in the seven-race simulation series, which began March 22 and concluded May 9.
Brad Keselowski enjoys giving back, especially to those who have served in the military for the United States of America. This weekend he and his Checkered Flag Foundation are taking it to a new level with a special Tribute 2 Veterans paint scheme and custom-painted helmet.
Originally, starting the Checkered Flag Foundation was a no-brainer for Keselowski. As a privileged person who can live out his childhood dream, he needed another purpose. Thus, the Checkered Flag Foundation was born.
“When I think of those that make our sport possible and that I appreciate, the military and our first responders stand out the most,” Keselowski recently told NASCAR.com. “I wanted to do something to help those that are willing to make that tremendous sacrifice.”
Over the years, Keselowski’s foundation has done tremendous work for the community, raising over $3.8 million to support heroes. Some of the activities have included building a Fisher House in his home state of Michigan, and help fund the Town of Mooresville’s Officer Jordan H. Sheldon Memorial Dog Park which is scheduled to open over the next two months. Now, throughout the month of April, the name of a child whose parent(s) are in the military will ride along the No. 2 car above the passenger side window to raise awareness for Month of the Military Child. The list goes on and on.
That continues this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Celebrating the foundation’s 10th anniversary, Keselowski’s No. 2 Autotrader Ford will feature more than 200 names on it, spanning from military veterans to active military, military families and their caregivers. The reason is to acknowledge the ongoing commitment to the well being of veterans and those around them.
Similar to years past at Atlanta, Autotrader has allowed Keselowski to use its primary scheme to help promote his foundation, but more importantly, current and past military members.
“There are very few sponsors in NASCAR that have embraced my foundation, or foundations in general like Autotrader has,” Keselowski said. “They’re such a great company for giving back to their team members. They have a number of their team members that are on the car as well, which is really cool.”
For this year’s Tribute 2 Veterans paint scheme, people submitted their hero’s name via the foundation’s social channels. Also, for the first time in eight years, Keselowski will be wearing a custom-painted helmet, which will be auctioned off beginning Sunday, March 21 at 9 a.m. ET on his foundation’s social media pages and the NASCAR Foundation’s pages. The auction will close on March 29.
To wear a painted helmet is different for Keselowski, but an idea through a combination of people: the foundation and the designer at Off Axis Paint, Greg Stumpff. It’s a white layout with the American flag and Ford logo plastered on it. On the side, there’s a logo of CFF and the rear features Keselowski doing a burnout with his signature American flag out the window.
Photo courtesy of Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation
Plain and simple, Keselowski was happy with the way the helmet turned out.
“I usually don’t ever sell anything helmet related, but my wife (Paige) asked very nicely and I said, ‘Yes, we’ll raise proceeds with the helmet for the foundation after the race,’” Keselowski said. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Keselowski noted he typically wears an unpainted helmet because it sends a message to his team: he cares solely about winning and not the aesthetics of looking glamorous.
When it comes race time, don’t be surprised to see Keselowski running towards the front. Not only is he a two-time Atlanta winner, but he’s on a streak of six consecutive top-10 finishes at the track, tied with Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. for the longest active streak.
“It’s been a good track for us for sure,” he said. “It’s a track that we’ve just taken to, and I’m looking for big things this weekend.”
Since first running the special Autotrader paint scheme to honor the military, Keselowski was victorious in 2019 at Atlanta, leading 33 laps.
“[That] was a huge win,” Keselowski added. “It’s such a tough racetrack. It’s so fast and loses all the grip in the tires and becomes just a complete cardio and arm workout session, trying to keep the car manhandled on the bottom or top of the racetrack as it’s sideways.
“I really like the challenge that track represents, and to win there means a lot to me personally.”
NASCAR Hall of Famer, three-time Cup Series champion and Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart is engaged to drag racer Leah Pruett.
Stewart announced the news on Twitter Thursday evening, and Pruett also tweeted about the happy moment.
So excited to spend the rest of my life with a truly amazing woman. She’s motivated, hard working, funny as hell, and as dedicated to her sport as anyone I’ve ever known. Love you babe. pic.twitter.com/AMJ9sQtjwz
The undeniable level of love, happiness and soulfulness we have together is monumental. He might run in circles but he is a straight shooter and the salt of this Earth. Looking forward to a lifetime of sunrises and sunsets that the Lord has gifted us together. Love you babe! pic.twitter.com/etMD25Z52y
Stewart retired from full-time NASCAR competition after the 2016 season. He had 49 wins for his Cup career and won championships in 2002, 2005 and 2011. He was inducted to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020.
Because girls have the power to grow into strong, trailblazing women.
And in honor of Women’s History Month, NASCAR.com is recognizing female members of the NASCAR community — as evidenced in the above video profile on nine different women across the sport, both on and off the track.
What makes this even better: The project not only featured women on camera but also behind it. The entire production crew was female.
Interviews and footage were gathered last Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, as the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series each hosted a race on the 1-mile Arizona track. Producers then returned to Charlotte and went to work in the edit rooms Monday through Thursday.
Below is a list of the women involved (not including yours truly as the writer of this short piece).
Profiled:
Shannon Bednarek – NASCAR official
Toni Breidinger – ARCA Menards Series driver
Brehanna Daniels – Pit-crew member
Julie Giese – Phoenix Raceway track president
Jamie Little – FOX reporter
Tiffany Myrick – NASCAR official
Dalanda Ouendeno – Pit-crew member
Stephanie Russo – NASCAR official
Gracie Trotter – ARCA Menards Series driver
Production crew:
Aurora Bellard – Producer/Editor
Jaynie Buford – Camera operator/Producer/Editor
Glen Charlton – Camera operator/Producer/Editor
Leslie Clough – Audio
Paula Hermsdorf – Producer/Editor
Mele Mason – Camera operator
Jennifer McCaffery – Field Producer
Autumn Read – Field producer/Production manager
Remember, these women and all of the women within the NASCAR industry deserve to be recognized and supported even outside the month of March.
