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  • Kyle Larson Inducted into Auto Club Speedway Walk of Fame

    Kyle Larson Inducted into Auto Club Speedway Walk of Fame

    Defending winner of the 2017 Auto Club 400, Kyle Larson, was inducted into the Auto Club Speedway’s Walk of Fame on Friday.

    Larson dominated last season by becoming the first driver to sweep both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Monster Energy Cup Series races, as well as earning the pole during Cup qualifying. He is the first driver to earn this feat, and propelled himself to an eighth place finish in the season standings. His career at the two-mile oval has been solid. In four starts, he has one career win, one pole and two top-5 finishes. In the Xfinity series, he holds five career starts with two trips to victory lane.

    “I didn’t even know they did this until I got the announcement a few weeks ago,” Larson stated during the Walk of Fame induction ceremony, which took place just outside the main gate fan entrance. “Looking at all the names who have won here, it’s nice to have my name next to Jimmie [Johnson], Jeremy Mayfield and Jeff Gordon.”

    After pictures were taken with his plaque and track president, Dave Allen, Larson put on his race shoes for the tradition of placing his footprints into the cement next to his plaque. A special addition was having his son, Owen, join with him and place his hands underneath his footprints on the same slab of concrete.

    “There was a lot of fans out there, which was real cool, and a lot of my fans,” he shared in a press conference later that morning. “Getting awarded that and getting my permanent mark on this racetrack, and to have Owen’s little handprints there, which I think is funny too. I have my footprints and his hands are right below it, so people are going to look at that and think, ‘Man, Kyle Larson has really small hands.’

    “It was cool to do that and to get the surfboard. The trophy that I won from this race last year is still the coolest trophy I’ve got in my collection. This race does a lot for their winner, so it’s cool to see that.”

    Auto Club Speedway, located in Fontana, California, opened the track’s Walk of Fame in 1997 and began their tradition with Jeff Gordon. He was the initial inductee the following year after winning the inaugural race.

  • This Is The Kurt Busch We Were Meant to See

    This Is The Kurt Busch We Were Meant to See

    In this day and age of video clips and instant clicks, it isn’t hard to look up moments from Kurt Busch’s career, moments that would, no doubt, in retrospect, be pretty embarrassing. Remember his “back of the field” gesture to Jimmy Spencer at Indy in 2002? Or his countless radio blow-ups when driving for Penske? What about his raging toward Dr. Jerry Punch in 2011?

    All very embarrassing, no doubt. Busch has proven himself time and again to be very competitive and to hold himself and his team to a higher regard. He’s a champion. He’s won on every type of venue. He’s undoubtedly one of the best in the business driving for one of the best organizations in the business. Eighteen years after his Cup debut, we’re now seeing a man who seems to be at peace after all he’s accomplished and endured in a sport he loves.

    Sunday at Las Vegas, Busch’s No. 41 was quietly running near the front when the car got away from him, sending him into Chase Elliott and the wall beyond. A frustrating end to an otherwise strong run, with Busch exiting the remains of his Ford and taking the mandatory trip to the Infield Care Center. Instead of showing anger and the once-familiar Busch rage, he was apologetic to Elliott, telling Fox Sports that he “hated it for all of the Chase Elliott fans and Kurt Busch fans.”

    Later on, in a Twitter video posted to his account, Busch still seemed upset due to the day’s events, only to be surprised by his wife, Ashley Busch.

    This isn’t a fluke; after crashing out of the Daytona 500 in February, Busch responded to Ryan Blaney’s apology with another encouraging tweet:

    This was a side of Busch that’s always been there. It just hasn’t been seen as often as his angry side.  Many are quick to credit this to his return to the sport following a brief suspension in early 2015 on allegations of domestic violence. In the days after, it did seem like he was mellowed, calmer, and for the most part quieter. Others credit his marriage to Ashley. After a previous marriage ended in divorce and a well-publicized break-up with a long-time girlfriend, Busch seems to be at peace with things and himself.

    The results have translated into success. He won the 2017 Daytona 500 and ended the season with six top-fives and 15 top-10s. Also worth noting was his track-record pole win at Texas Motor Speedway in November. In 2018 he’s had two crashes, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s run near the front in all three races this season, including his first-ever stage win at Daytona.

    Busch isn’t winning as much as his teammate Kevin Harvick; he hasn’t won since his Daytona 500 in. No doubt that’s a priority for him and there’s no question that it pains him that he hasn’t won since then. But his new demeanor, that of a relaxed, quiet, at-ease veteran whose competitive streak has transformed but not diminished, will carry him to a win in 2018. He’s capable, as is his team, and his cars this year are good enough to carry him to Victory Lane. It will happen this year.

     

  • INDYCAR: What’s Missing at St Pete’s Season Opener

    INDYCAR: What’s Missing at St Pete’s Season Opener

    The Stephen Cox Blog is Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance

    Qualifying for an Indycar race is no longer considered an accomplishment of any value in the auto racing world. Of course, qualifying well is still valued. But qualifying itself is not, because every team that shows up automatically makes the race.

    This is one of the unspoken differences between Indycar racing today and Indycar racing of the past. Once upon a time, simply putting the car in the field was a noteworthy accomplishment in motorsports because there were more teams, cars and drivers than available entry positions in America’s highest open wheel series.

    Of course, there has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth over Indycar’s failure to produce bumping on Bump Day at Indianapolis, but that is only part of the story. The meaningful excitement of time trials has collapsed not only at Indy but across the board.

    The opening race of the 2017 Indycar campaign at St. Pete drew twenty-one entries. Everyone who showed up with a pulse and a car made the show. Today this is considered normal. But for much of Indycar’s past, it wasn’t.

    Compare that to 1970 when the Indycar season opener at Phoenix drew twenty-seven entries, all of them fighting over twenty-four available starting spots. Qualifications were exciting and unpredictable. Teams weren’t just worried about a getting good starting position; many of them were concerned about starting at all. When time trials were done, Roger McCluskey, Larry Cannon and Bentley Warren loaded up and went home. They weren’t fast enough to make the show.

    Fast forward to 1998. Thirty-one car and drive combinations showed up for the Indycar season opener at Orlando. Twenty-eight cars started the show. Time trials were again of genuine interest because the previous year’s upset winner at Phoenix, Jim Guthrie, was among three drivers who didn’t make the race.

    For much of its history, Indycars provided a race before the race. Getting into the show at all was considered an accomplishment. That excitement is lost on today’s racing audiences.

    Instead of a real, substantive contest among drivers scrambling to make the race, we are given the “Fast Six” qualifying gimmick that attempts to generate interest over who qualifies in what position, rather than who qualifies and who does not. And the public isn’t taking the bait. It’s obvious to even the casual racing fan that if there was any real drama during qualifications, the “Fast Six” program wouldn’t exist.

    Indycar needs more teams, more cars and more drivers. But the financial barriers to entry remain so high that few can overcome them. Mandated engine programs did not solve the problem. Spec chassis, spec aero kits and spec tires did not solve the problem. Indycar barely fills its own starting fields and has not been able to muster any real interest in qualifications. Worse yet, Indycar’s leadership shows little interest in bringing in new drivers from other disciplines.

    I’m looking forward to this year’s season opener at St. Petersburg. But we’re all still waiting for the day when earning a starting spot in the field at an Indycar race is once again considered a significant accomplishment in worldwide motorsports.

    Stephen Cox

    Sopwith Motorsports Television Productions

    Driver, FIA EPCS sportscars & Super Cup Stock Car Series

    Co-host, Mecum Auctions on NBCSN

  • No. 4 Team fined; Patrick gets final ride at Indy

    No. 4 Team fined; Patrick gets final ride at Indy

    Vegas Troubles For Harvick

    Kevin Harvick won Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but the No. 4 received an L1-level penalty for two violations found during teardown at the NASCAR R&D Center.

    A brace that supports the rear window failed and did not meet specifications for keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions, at all times. Additionally, the rocker panel extension was not aluminum.

    Harvick will not receive the even playoff points for winning the race and both stages, crew chief Rodney Childers has been fined $50,000, car chief Robert Smith has been suspended for the next two races and the team was docked 20 driver points and 20 owner points.

    Patrick Confirms Final Race At Indy

    Danica Patrick will be driving in the Indianapolis 500 in the No. 13 for Ed Carpenter Racing.  This is expected to be Patrick’s last race.

    “I love how everything is coming full-circle,” Patrick said in a team release. “I am going to close out my racing career at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the place where so many amazing things have happened for me. I’m back in GoDaddy green and joining a great team.”

    There will be a lot of betting at internet casinos on how well she does in her final race.

    Gordon Nominated For The HOF

    NASCAR announced the 20 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019.  Included among the list of new nominees is a four-time champion Jeff Gordon.  The four-time champion is expected to be one of the top voted nominees.

    Gordon won his first premier series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and went on to capture 93 wins, third highest on the all-time list.

    This Week At ISM Raceway At Phoenix

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series head to ISM Raceway at Phoenix this weekend.

    Friday, March 9

    • 12:35-1:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice, FS1
    • 2:05-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, FS1
    • 4:05-4:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, FS1
    • 5:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, FS1

    Saturday, March 10

    • 12:05-15:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series second practice, FS1
    • 1:05 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, FS1
    • 2:30-3:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS1
    • 4 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series DC Solar 200, FOX (200 laps, 200 miles)

    Sunday, March 11

    • 3:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series TicketGuardian 500, FOX (312 laps, 312 miles)

    Note: All times are Eastern Time (ET)

  • Former Truck Series Driver Rick Crawford Arrested in Florida

    Former Truck Series Driver Rick Crawford Arrested in Florida

    Rick Crawford, former race winner in the now Camping World Truck series, was arrested on March 1 in Seminole County, Florida, and is being held without bail.

    According to the county sheriff’s website, he was arrested under a federal charge. Other sources state that he is being held for “attempted enticement of a minor.” Crawford allegedly had a regular online contact with a father and his 12-year-old daughter.

    NASCAR officials shared they were aware of the incident with the former competitor and had knowledge of his arrest, but made no further comment. Crawford is no longer a member of the National Motorsports Appeal Panel.

    Crawford was a veteran of the Truck series, making 336 career starts with five victories, six poles and 160 top 10 finishes across 17 seasons. His most successful year came in 2002 when he won over $545,000 in race winnings and was runner-up in the Truck series points to Mike Bliss. Crawford’s last victory came in 2006 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. He also holds two career starts in the now NASCAR Xfinity Series and attempted to qualify for four now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races. He also competed in the early to mid-1990s in the NASCAR Southeast Series with five career wins and held a promoter and manager position at Mobile International Speedway in Irvington, Alabama.

    His next court date is set for Thursday at 2 p.m. ET in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, which will be a preliminary and detention hearing. No other official word of his charges has been posted on the sheriff’s website.

  • How To Drift A 2018 Mustang

    How To Drift A 2018 Mustang

    In a cold and salty parking lot at AmericanMuscle Headquarters, Chelsea and Steph discuss the basics of drift theory. Chelsea’s walk-through sheds light on basic drifting practices, which are completely opposite directions one would provide for normal daily driving. You won’t want to miss their fancy footwork—who’s ready to make some donuts?

  • Kyle Larson Dominates to Win Boyd Gaming 300

    Kyle Larson Dominates to Win Boyd Gaming 300

    Kyle Larson paced the field for 142 laps to earn his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Boyd Gaming 300.

    The final restart resembled closely that of the first start, as Larson pulled away from pole-sitter Christopher Bell after a late race caution for the final seven laps with a margin of victory of 0.881 seconds. The victory was Larson’s first of the season, ninth of his career and first at the speedway.

    “It was an awesome day,” Larson mentioned during his Victory Lane interview. “This car was so fast. It was really fast last year, but you really never know, and this was my first time racing with this new (composite) body, and it performed well.”

    The driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet overcame a pit road issue that dropped him to eighth for a restart on Lap 139, but it didn’t take long to find his way to the front, pushing the issue three-wide to fight his way through the field quickly.

    “Normally my guys are some of the best on pit road,” Larson said. “They said the left-rear (tire) just wouldn’t come out (of the wheel well). I had been fighting a tight issue all day and then finally we got our car to turn better.

    “It allowed me to get to the lead fairly easily, and then I was saving fuel in case the race stayed green.”

    Larson and Bell have found themselves in this position before. They frequently battle each other on dirt tracks. During the off-season, Bell was the driver in Victory Lane in last November’s Turkey Night Classic and January’s Chili Bowl, one of the biggest midget races of the season. Bell was excited to see the friendly face extend their close competition into the stock car series.

    “That was really cool, and there will be a lot more of that,” Bell hinted, who beat Larson earlier in the event at the end of Stage 1. “We were close, running second to Kyle – if I’m going to run second to anyone, I guess I would rather it be him.

    “Special day, we were able to win a stage and get a Playoff point. We need to keep racking those up and get some race wins here.”

    As Bell mentioned, he did win a playoff point and becomes only the second Xfinity driver to earn any playoff points. As for Larson, his feelings about the competition with Bell were mutual.

    “It’s always fun to get to race Bell,” Larson said. “He seems to beat me all the time in the dirt stuff, and he edged me out there in qualifying. That first stage kind of felt like we were dirt-track racing there, swapping lanes and stuff. I was trying to take the air off him, and he got by, and yeah, it was fun.”

    As for the rest of the field, JR Motorsports had a strong showing with three of their four drivers finishing in the top eight with Justin Allgaier (third), Elliott Sadler (fifth) and Daytona 500 winner, Tyler Reddick (eighth). Kyle Busch, yesterday’s Camping World Truck Series winner, struggled all day with an ill-handling race car and faced a pit road penalty on his final stop when his gasman grabbed a tire. This year, the new rule states that they are only allowed to ‘kick’ a tire and fuel the car, and no other service is allowed to be done on the car or in the pit box. His No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota finished in a disappointing 14th position.

    Ryan Blaney, who will start on the pole for tomorrow’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, led 33 laps and finished in fourth. Cole Custer, who makes his Monster Energy Cup series debut tomorrow, finished in the ninth position. Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones, and Spencer Gallagher also finished the weekend with top-10 results.

    Tyler Reddick and Elliott Sadler are tied at the top of the Xfinity Series points after three races. The Xfinity series will continue their west coast swing at ISM Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona next weekend on March 10. Tickets are still available for purchase on the track’s website at http://www.ismraceway.com/Buy-Tickets/NASCAR-Ticket-Prices.aspx.

  • Cole Custer to Make Monster Energy Series Debut in Vegas

    Cole Custer to Make Monster Energy Series Debut in Vegas

    Cole Custer will make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He will run double duty for the weekend, driving the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford Fusion in the Cup series and competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race for Stewart-Haas Racing in the No. 00 Ford Mustang.

    “This is a dream come true to compete in the Cup Series,” said Custer. “I can’t thank Rick Ware Racing and Haas Automation enough for the opportunity to race at Las Vegas.”

    Some of Custer’s NASCAR resume includes becoming the youngest Truck Series pole winner ever at Gateway Motorsports Park in 2014. Later that season, he became the youngest winner in the history of NASCAR’s national touring series at 16 years, 7 months and 28 days when he won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His first career Xfinity Series win came in the 2017 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, leading 182 of 200 laps.

    Rick Ware Racing has an honorable reputation for bringing new talent into the sport. Just this year, the team has given debut rides to Harrison Rhodes and Justin Marks, finishing 33rd and 12th respectively. Ware has been involved in motorsports competition for 27 years. He talked about scouting Custer and what led him to the decision to hire the up and coming driver to pilot the Cup series Ford car.

    “I’ve been watching Cole a long time and he’s a fine young man,” Ware said. “I’ve been friends with the Custer family for a while now and they are truly are amazing people. Over the last couple years, Cole has grown into a stout race car driver with a fine finesse for speed and rhythm.

    “The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is home of some of the greatest race car drivers in the world, and Cole definitely fits into that category. I think our expectations as a team are realistic and achievable. Getting Cole to the checkered flag is our top priority as a race team.”

    Custer has some experience at Las Vegas in NASCAR’s top three touring series. He finished third in the 2016 Truck Series race, 11th in the 2017 Xfinity Series race and ninth in Saturday’s race.

    “It’s going to be a new experience for me,” Custer responded, “but I feel that we can have a productive day by completing all the laps and seeing the checkered flag.”

    This will be Rick Ware’s 33rd race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series as an owner.

  • Christopher Bell Edges Kyle Larson for Xfinity Pole

    Christopher Bell Edges Kyle Larson for Xfinity Pole

    Christopher Bell runs a speed of 183.686 mph at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to claim his second consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series pole, the third of his career.

    The front row for the Boyd Gaming 300 will feature a veteran and a rookie. Bell edged Kyle Larson, Daniel Hemrick, Cole Custer and Kyle Busch, who rounded out the top 5 starting positions.

    “Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) is the best in the business, and I’m lucky to drive for him and the whole organization at Joe Gibbs Racing,” Bell shared after his qualifying round. “That was a lot of fun. The Rheem Camry got better and better with each run, and I got my confidence up.”

    While the No. 20 Toyota won the pole position, Chevrolet dominated the final round with eight cars in the top-12. Elliott Sadler and Tyler Reddick, JR Motorsports teammates, will start sixth and seventh, respectively. The last four positions of the top 12 were swept by Chevrolet teams with Matt Tifft, Austin Dillon, Spencer Gallagher and Justin Allgaier. Yesterday’s Camping World Truck Series winner, Kyle Busch, will roll off the grid from the fifth position. Ryan Blaney, who won the pole for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, starts eighth.

    Some notables who missed the final round of qualifying include Austin Cindric, Ryan Truex and Brandon Jones, who will start 13th, 16th and 18th, respectively.

    Earlier, Bell was in the media center discussing the popular racing simulator, iRacing.

    “I’m a big believer in iRacing,” Bell said during the interview. “It doesn’t give you any feel obviously because it’s all visual. But whenever you go to places you haven’t been to in a while like Las Vegas – last time we were here was last year – you have the visuals of what Turn 1 looks like, what Turn 3 looks like, and you’re still getting put in race situations.”

    Fox Sports 1 will air the 200 lap Xfinity Series race at the 1.5-mile speedway beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET. Stages 1 and 2 will last 45 laps each, and the final stage will run for 110 laps. The green flag is set to drop at 4:16 pm ET.

     

  • The Dale Jr. Foundation Sets ‘Win Dale Jr.’s Ride’ Raffle for 2018

    The Dale Jr. Foundation Sets ‘Win Dale Jr.’s Ride’ Raffle for 2018

    For Eighth Straight Year, TDJF Will Award Dale Jr.’s Corvette to a Lucky Fan

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 1, 2018) – If you can see yourself riding down the street in a Blade Silver Metallic Chevrolet Corvette Z06, then the annual ‘Win Dale Jr.’s Ride’ raffle to benefit The Dale Jr. Foundation is for you. All you need is $25 and a dream.

    For the eighth straight year, The Dale Jr. Foundation is offering a chance to win this lavish machine, a 2018 edition which comes with Adrenaline Red accents, a supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V-8 engine and all the mystique that Corvettes have provided for decades. The $25 raffle ticket, one of 10,888 chances to win, will benefit the good works done by The Foundation, which includes giving underprivileged individuals, with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals. It’s truly a case of a worthwhile prize to support a supremely worthwhile venture. As an added benefit, The Dale Jr. Foundation pays all taxes associated with the Corvette.

    As in years past, the 10,888 tickets will likely go quickly. The raffle has raised more than $1.3 million for The Foundation, which was started by Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller, who serves as vice-president.

    “The raffle is a linchpin of The Foundation’s fund-raising efforts, and thanks to Chevrolet, we’re able to do it for an eighth straight year,” said Earnhardt Jr. “The Foundation is committed to helping as many people in need as possible, and through efforts like these, we’ve been successful in that mission. Every year, we strive to make life better for at-risk youth, and raffling off this Corvette helps us do that.”

    The Grand Prize Corvette is a testament to the long-established reputation of the marque. Equipped with the 3LZ Premium Equipment Group, the Corvette features a seven-speed manual transmission, carbon fiber hood and all the bells and whistles like heated and ventilated seats, leather-wrapped custom interior, curb-view cameras and removable roof panel. It is an enthusiast’s dream, and its retail cost is north of $102,000.

    Tickets, which go on sale today, are $25, and can be purchased here. The raffle ends on Aug. 31, 2018 and the drawing will be held Sept. 3, 2018, with the winner notified soon after.

    “The ‘Win Dale Jr.’s Ride’ raffle enables The Dale Jr. Foundation to do so much good toward its mission, which is to give underprivileged individuals a chance to improve their confidence and education,” said Earnhardt Miller, vice-president and board member of The Foundation. “There are many, many opportunities to help those in our community and others, and this event allows us to do a lot toward that end. When the winner comes to pick up this fabulous machine, it’s one of the best days of the year for us.”

    The Grand Prize is not the only item on hand, either. Second prize is the chance to be honorary pit crew members on a JR Motorsports team at the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series event of the winner’s choice, and it includes pit/garage access, a hauler tour, a tour of the pit box, a VIP gift bag and travel expenses.* Third prize is Pit/Garage access and travel expenses* for two to the May 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway plus a $200 shopping spree at JR Nation. (Travel expenses are reimbursed up to $600 with receipts).

     

    ABOUT THE DALE JR FOUNDATION:
    The Dale Jr. Foundation is a charity dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education, and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals. The Dale Jr. Foundation has made a monumental impact in the local community since its beginning.  Dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals, with a focus on youth, the resources to achieve extraordinary goals, TDJF has contributed to more than 300 charities nationally and locally, including The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Blessings in a Backpack, Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Ace and TJ’s Grin Kids, and Mooresville Christian Mission. For more information, visit www.thedalejrfoundation.org.