NASCAR
heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend for the season finale as all
three series race to determine their 2019 champion.
Stewart
Friesen, Ross Chastain, Brett Moffitt and Matt Crafton will vie for the NASCAR Gander
Outdoors Truck Series championship Friday night. The Xfinity Series title will
be decided Saturday afternoon between Justin Allgaier, Christopher Bell, Tyler
Reddick and Cole Custer.
Denny
Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch will close out the
season Sunday as they race for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
championship.
All
times are Eastern.
Friday, November 15
9:05 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.:
Truck Series First Practice – No TV
10:35 a.m. – 11:25 a.m.:
Truck Series Final Practice – No TV
2:35 p.m. – 3:25 p.m.:
Xfinity Series First Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports
App
3:35 p.m. – 4:25 p.m.:
Cup Series First Practice -CANCELED
4:35 p.m.: Truck
Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) – FS1 – CANCELED – Lineup set by rulebook
5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m.:
Xfinity Series Final Practice -CANCELED
6:30 p.m. – 7:20 p.m.:
Cup Series Final Practice – CANCELED
9:35 p.m.: Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 (Stages 30/60/134 Laps = 201 Miles ) – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Saturday,
November 16
12:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle / One Lap All Positions) – NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
2:05 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice (In place of qualifying, the lineup
will be set by rule book) NBCSN/MRN/TSN
3:30
p.m.: Xfinity Series Ford EcoBoost 300 (Stages
45/90/200 Laps = 300 Miles) – NBCSN/MRN/TSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Sunday,
November 17
3:00 p.m.: Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 (Stages 80/160/267 Laps =
400.5 Miles) – NBC/MRN/TSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.
1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished sixth at Phoenix and will be joined by Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin in the final four.
“Toyota is well-represented in the finale,” Truex said. “And Kevin Harvick is the lone Ford driver. So, JGR is trying to keep this title ‘in-house;’ Harvick’s trying to keep it ‘in-country.’”
2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won at Phoenix to claim a spot in the championship finale at Homestead. He joins Kevin Harvick and Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch.
“I had to sweat out a late restart before I could breathe easy,” Hamlin said. “After I pulled ahead, I could ‘FedEx-hale.’”
3. Kyle Busch: Busch started on the pole at Phoenix and finished second to secure his spot in the finale at Homestead.
“It’s going to be wild at Homestead,” Busch said. “I think you have the four best drivers battling for the championship. So, there are three drivers standing in my way and 35 other drivers standing in our way.”
4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fifth at Phoenix and will be the lone Ford driver in the championship field.
“And then there was ‘4,’” Harvick said, “or, ‘And then there were four.’”
5. Joey Logano: Logano finished ninth at Phoenix and failed to make the championship field.
“I won’t be able to defend my Cup championship,” Logano said. “So, I’ve gone from ‘Sliced Bread’ to ‘Toast.’”
6. Ryan Blaney: Needing a win to advance, Blaney finished third at Phoenix.
“I came up just a bit short,” Blaney said. “Which is also something people said when I cut my hair.”
7. Kyle Larson: Larson finished fourth in the Bluegreen 500 at Phoenix and failed to make the field of four for Homestead.
“It sucks racing in the finale with no chance to become champion,” Larson said. “So, forget Homestead; I’d rather be ‘home instead.’”
8. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished eighth at Phoenix, recording his 17th top 10 of the year.
“I’m pulling for my Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick,” Bowyer said. “And I’ll do absolutely anything to help him win, except spin intentionally. I have to draw the line somewhere and that line separates me from Bubba Wallace.”
9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski took 10th in the Bluegreen Vacations 500, posting his 19th top 10 of the year.
“Penske Racing won’t be bringing home a Cup championship this year,” Keselowski said. “The only ‘moving’ we’ll be doing is moving out of the way of the championship contenders.”
10. Chase Elliott: Needing a win to advance, Elliott crashed in the final stage and finished 39th.
“My last three races were downright abysmal,” Elliott said. “If my No. 9 car would have gone half as fast as the speed with which I dropped out of contention, I would be in Homestead with a chance at the Cup.”
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Denny Hamlin finds redemption from last week’s mistake to secure his spot into the Championship 4 by winning the Bluegreen Vacations 500 at ISM Raceway.
“I can’t believe it,” Hamlin said post-race.
Hamlin was below the cutoff race and lost 44 points in a single race. Today’s win negates that mistake as the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota will go for his first career NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series championship.
“This race team worked so hard this whole year. They deserve to be there. I put them in a bad hole last week. I told them today in the meeting, I said, I’m going to give everything I’ve got to make up for the mistake I made last week. That’s all I got.”
Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. will join Hamlin and go for their second championship. If one of them wins next weekend, they will become the second active driver in the field with multiple championships (Jimmie Johnson holds seven titles).
“Guys did a great job, this M&M Camry was good,” Busch shared. “Thanks to everybody at JGR, Stanley, Toyota, TRD. It’s cool to have a chance to go race for a championship.”
Truex was the first driver to lock in after winning at Martinsville.
“I know we’re ready for Homestead,” stated a confident Truex. “To put three (JGR) cars in the Championship 4 is pretty incredible, so thanks to TRD and Toyota and all those guys. Bass Pro, Auto-Owners, everybody that helps us on the 19, and we’ll see what we can do next week.”
Harvick will be the second seed with his 49th career victory last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
“The one thing about this particular year, it seems like you’ve had great weeks, you’ve had mediocre weeks so that momentum thing is kind of hit-or-miss as you go through it,” Harvick explained the various parts of his season as being a momentum factor. “Just really proud of everybody on our Mobil 1 Ford.”
Joey Logano comes to pit road for full service, four tires and fuel. The adjustments the crew made would hurt the car instead of help, as the No. 22 team fell one lap down. Photo courtesy of Rachel Schuoler with Speedway Media.
Stage 2 winner and Playoff contender Joey Logano was competing up front in the first half of the race. After the conclusion of Stage 2, Logano’s crew made an adjustment on the car that appeared to not agree with the track conditions. When the field returned to green flag racing, Logano dropped through the field and even fell a lap down. He could never recover, finished ninth, and was the first driver eliminated from the Playoffs after being above the cutoff line to start the day.
“I went from a car that could lead and win a stage and run really well, and from what they told me, it was an air pressure adjustment made it go from a winning car to can’t stay on the lead lap, and one of the tightest things I’ve ever driven. I don’t really understand it. It doesn’t make any sense. You change tires and change a half pint of air, that sounds ridiculous. It is what it is. Just wasn’t our year to make it, I guess. But we’ll fight for fifth, I guess, in points for this year, and we’ll move on.”
“It stinks. It hurts a little bit, but we’ll live,” Logano said. “Everything is going to be OK. Life is a lot worse in other ways for some. We’re still fortunate to be here and get to do what we love. It’s a bummer for sure. It doesn’t take anything away from that, but it’s just part of the game sometimes.”
Three other drivers in must-win situations were also eliminated from the Playoffs: Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott. For Elliott, he battled for the lead throughout the first half of the race, but a blown tire in Turn 1 caused race-ending damage on his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet.
“Yeah, it’s just a continuation of our first two weeks, unfortunately, ” Elliott said. “I feel like we were in a good position to run solid. I’m not sure why we had a tire go down. I think that’s what happened, at least; it seemed like it. It’s unfortunate. Like I said, these last three weeks have been pretty rough. So, hopefully, Homestead goes better and we can get prepared good for next season and get a good notebook for next year.”
“All in all, a great season for our team,” Larson shared after the race. “A little rocky at the start, but we kept our heads down and kept working hard and got our stuff a lot better and more consistent throughout this season. We’ll try to go to Homestead next week and get a win.”
Busch, Blaney, Larson, Harvick and Truex finished in the top six respectively. Erik Jones was the highest non-Playoff driver who finished in seventh. Clint Bowyer, Logano and Brad Keselowski completed the top 10 positions. Elliott, the final Playoff driver, finished 39th after crashing out on Lap 166.
The champion for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be crowned next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Saturday’s qualifying session proved why the eight remaining Playoff drivers are fighting for the last remaining transfer positions for next weekend’s championship race. Kyle Busch earned his first Busch Pole Award of the season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at ISM Raceway.
He set a pole-running pace on his first lap, then ran even faster on his second lap around the one-mile circuit at 140.116 mph (25.693 seconds). He edged fellow Playoff driver and defending Cup champion Joey Logano (139.752 mph) by .067 seconds, as only two points separate the two drivers that currently hold the last two transfer positions.
“I think this is actually the first race all year we made a mock (qualifying) run in practice,” said Busch. “Maybe there’s something to that. The guys did a great job. We fight hard every week trying to figure out what we need to do to continue to improve and get better, and a lot of others guys have certainly done that over the year.”
Denny Hamlin, the first driver below the cutoff line in the championship, qualified third ahead of Martin Truex Jr., the first driver to lock himself into the Championship 4 after winning at Martinsville Speedway. Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott will make up the third row of Sunday’s starting grid.
Last week’s winner, Kevin Harvick, will start seventh. The first non-Playoff driver was Kurt Busch who will start alongside Harvick. Erik Jones and Ryan Blaney round out the top 10, as all Playoff drivers will start in the top 10.
With points being tight and a big potential shuffle if a driver below the cutoff line wins, Busch understands the importance of getting the pole and starting strong with valuable track position.
“Hopefully today bodes well for tomorrow,” he said. “Overall, proud to start out front in this very important race and very important with track position and such.”
Sunday’s Bluegreen Vacations 500 will be the penultimate race of the 2019 season. Four drivers will be eliminated as the others will head to Miami to race for the Cup championship. Coverage for tomorrow’s race will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
AVONDALE, Ariz. — In the first two races of the Round of 8, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series has faced two controversial spins by Joey Logano and Bubba Wallace. Logano has dodged the question about the spin, but Wallace opened up this weekend about his spin at Texas Motor Speedway.
“Until they do anything, no,” Wallace said to NBC Sports reporter Dustin Long in response about any potential repercussions. “I’m not the only one to do it. I’m racing for myself. Not for Larson. Not for Chevrolet at that moment. For myself and going multiple laps down.”
So, NASCAR did something. Saturday morning, they announced a 50 point penalty and a $50,000 fine on the Richard Petty Motorsports driver.
During a green-flag pit cycle, Wallace’s car had a flat tire. NASCAR elected to keep the race green in hopes for no debris and that the No. 43 Ford Mustang could safely make it back to pit road for service. Wallace spun in Turn 2, which forced NASCAR to bring out the caution. While that kept Wallace on the lead lap, it also affected Playoff drivers. Kyle Larson was very open about his displeasure.
“Sometimes you end up on the right side of it and whatnot,” Larson said. “But last week, we didn’t so obviously that’s why I was upset. We all have done it; I’ve done it. I got penalized a lap and still was able to recover and win. We’ve all done it, but it can affect the race.”
And affect the race it did. Larson was in a position for a strong finish as he was running in the top five at the time. He lost track position on the untimely yellow and finished 12th last weekend at Texas. Although Larson gained more points than the next six drivers ahead of him, he looks at it as a missed opportunity for his team.
He also felt it was an opportunity for NASCAR to research data for throttle manipulation.
“We looked at Bubba’s data the next day,” Larson shared. “You could definitely see because we have SMT where you have the digital car, you could see him like swerving, he turns right and at the same time he turns left and stabs the throttle and spins out. It’s whatever at this point.”
Scott Miller, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, met with media on Saturday morning at ISM Raceway to discuss the infraction.
“If we feel like it’s on purpose and we have enough information to determine that 100% it’s on purpose, we will react,” Miller said. “The reaction today was after a complete admission of guilt, so that’s really what led to the penalty happening today. That was a full admission of something that has been abuzz in the garage and the media. (A warning instead of a penalty) wasn’t an option.”
With this penalty and how it was assessed, NASCAR has sent a clear message to all drivers across all three series.
“Just keep your mouth shut.”
That’s what Dale Jarrett said on the air during NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, and explained that if a driver is in a situation where they may go a lap down to simply spin out in a way to cause a caution and never admit guilt.
NASCAR did meet with drivers to remind them of the Playoffs, clean racing and a “good show for the fans.”
Richard Petty Motorsports will not appeal the decision by NASCAR.
AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR issued a behavioral penalty to Richard Petty Motorsports driver Bubba Wallace on Saturday for intentionally manipulating competition last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
The driver has been fined $50,000 and docked 50 driver points as a result.
Wallace brought out a caution during a green-flag pit cycle when his car spun after a tire began going down. In a brief interview with NBC Sports’ Dustin Long on Friday, Wallace said the following when asked if he was worried about a potential penalty: “Until they do anything, no. I’m not the only one to do it.”
Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, met with media on Saturday morning at ISM Raceway to discuss the infraction.
“If we feel like it’s on purpose and we have enough information to determine that 100% it’s on purpose, we will react,” Miller said. “The reaction today was after a complete admission of guilt, so that’s really what led to the penalty happening today.
“… That was a full admission of something that has been abuzz in the garage and the media. (A warning instead of a penalty) wasn’t an option.”
Richard Petty Motorsports put out a statement shortly after the penalty was announced, accepting NASCAR’s decision and noting that Wallace will not appeal.
“We fully understand NASCAR’s position and expectations of its competitors,” said Philippe Lopez, Richard Petty Motorsports’ director of competition. “NASCAR has a difficult job officiating race events and we do not need to make the task more challenging. Wallace will not appeal the penalty, and will direct his immediate focus to this weekend’s event at the ISM Raceway.”
Kyle Larson, a playoff driver running in the top five at the time of last Sunday’s incident, and others had to alter their pit strategy at Texas as a result. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver was perhaps the most vocal to question if Wallace intentionally spun his No. 43 Chevrolet, and later Friday said his team looked at the data, which bolstered his claim.
“We looked at Bubba’s data the next day,” Larson said. “You could definitely see because we have SMT (SportsMEDIA Technology) where you have the digital car, you could see him like swerving, he turns right and at the same time he turns left and stabs the throttle and spins out. It’s whatever at this point.”
Miller, however, disagreed that the call was as black and white as Larson presented it.
“I would dispute that the data clearly shows (an intentional spin) … we don’t have a lot of data comparison of a guy trying to drive a car with a flat tire. So we’ve looked at all that and we don’t really feel it’s as straightforward as some of the others do as far as the data showing definitively that he did it on purpose.
With precedent now set and the message clear – “Don’t do it,” Miller cautioned – the hope is that this will not be an issue moving forward.
“We haven’t spoken to the drivers, but this obviously is going to start some dialogue. … We have the ability to react monetarily and points-wise, what we feel is appropriate. I’d say this is pretty substantial and hopefully sends the right message,” Miller expanded, adding that he hoped the ruling impacts how drivers react when they have flats going forward.
“All we can do is wait and watch and see how we need to react next.
“Hopefully we don’t. Hopefully, it cleans itself up.”
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the Xfinity Series and the Gander Outdoors Truck Series will compete this weekend at ISM Raceway for the final races of the regular season. Kyle Busch (Cup), Christopher Bell (Xfinity) and Brett Moffitt (Truck) are the defending race winners.
Next
week the top four in each division will battle for the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway as NASCAR closes out
the 2019 season.
All
times are Eastern.
Friday,
Nov. 8
10:05
a.m. – 10:55 a.m.: Truck Series First Practice (No TV)
11:35
a.m. – 12:25 p.m.: Truck Series Final Practice (No TV)
3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice (NBC Sports App)
4:05
p.m. – 4:55 p.m.: Cup Series First Practice (NBC Sports App/MRN/NBCSN joins
in-progress at 4:30)
5:05
p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions (FS1)
6:05 p.m. – 6:55 p.m.: Final Xfinity Series Practice (NBCSN/NBC Sports App)
7
p.m. – 7:50 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice (NBCSN/NBC Sports App/MRN)
8:30
p.m.: Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 – (Stages 45/90/150 Laps = 150 Miles) (FS1/MRN/
SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday,
Nov. 9
12:35 p.m. – Xfinity Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) (NBCSN/NBC Sports App)
2 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) (NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 – (Stages 45/90/200 Laps = 200 Miles) (NBC/NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday,
Nov. 10
2:30
p.m.: Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations 500 (Stages 75/150/312 Laps = 312 Miles) (NBC/NBC
Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Playoff standings
prior to ISM Raceway
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series:
1.
Martin Truex Jr. – 4133 points
2.
Kevin Harvick – 4113 points
3.
Kyle Busch – 4113 points
4.
Joey Logano – 4111 points
5.
Denny Hamlin – 4091 points
6.
Ryan Blaney – 4088 points
7.
Kyle Larson – 4088 points
8. Chase Elliott – 4033 points
NASCAR Xfinity Series:
1.
Christopher Bell – 3166 points
2.
Cole Custer – 3135 points
3.
Tyler Reddick – 3119 points
4.
Justin Allgaier – 3101 points
5.
Chase Briscoe – 3083 points
6.Michael
Annett – 3073 points
7.
Austin Cindric – 3070 points
8.
Noah Gragson – 3054 points
NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series:
1.Brett
Moffitt – 3107
2.
Stewart Friesen – 3097
3.
Ross Chastain – 3082
4.
Austin Hill – 3071
5.
Matt Crafton – 3062
6.
Tyler Ankrum – 3056
7.
Johnny Sauter – 2172
8. Grant Enfinger – 2164
Follow @angiecampbell_ for
the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.
1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex, with his ticket already punched to the championship round, finished sixth in the AAA Texas 500.
“I’m feeling no pressure,” Truex said. “My spot in the finale is guaranteed. Heck, not only am I sitting pretty, I’m laying pretty. And in a quick plug for a former sponsor, I’m laying pretty on a Denver Mattress.”
2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started on the pole and won the AAA Texas 500 to earn a spot in the championship finale at Homestead.
“I overcame a penalty in the pits for having equipment over the wall too soon,” Harvick said. “I warned my crew to keep their ‘equipment’ properly holstered. Otherwise, this race could have become the ‘XXX Texas 500.’”
3. Joey Logano: Logano finished fourth at Texas and sits fourth in the playoff points standings.
“Tensions will be high at Phoenix,” Logano said. “If Denny Hamlin and I are racing for a spot in the finale and we crash, you can best believe there will be a confrontation. And it’s gonna take more than just one of my crewmen to pull Hamlin off of me.”
4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished seventh at Texas.
“I’m going to Phoenix with the intention of winning,” Busch said. “I’m not going to guarantee a win, because I don’t want to end up putting my foot in my mouth. I’d rather put my foot on a pedal on my floorboard because I’m gonna be ‘clutch.’”
5. Denny Hamlin: An early spin ruined Hamlin’s day at Texas, resulting in a 28th-place finish. Hamlin is fifth in the points standings and will likely need a win at Indianapolis to advance.
“The pressure will be immense at Phoenix,” Hamlin said. “Stomachs will be in knots. So, the desert will bring the dry heat, and the dry heaves.”
6. Kyle Larson: Larson finished 12th at Texas and is currently seventh in the playoff points standings.
“Bubba Wallace may have spun himself intentionally,” Larson said. “And that really screwed me. I don’t understand why Bubba is intentionally spinning when it happens enough accidentally.”
7. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished fifth at Texas, posting his seventh top-five of the season.
“The Formula 1 Grand Prix Of The United States was going down in Austin,” Byron said. “So, for a day, Texas was the racing capital of the world. As for traffic and parking issues, there was a ‘mess in Texas.’”
8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney took eighth in the AAA Texas 500.
“I’ll likely need to win at Indianapolis to make it to Homestead,” Blaney said. “I’m somewhat confident I can do it. I just need a little extra motivation. So I’m reading ‘The Little Engine That Could,’ because I think I can, I think I can.”
9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski crashed in Stage 1 at Texas and finished a disappointing 39th in the AAA Texas 500.
“I got a little greedy,” Keselowski said, “and as a result, I collected Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. This is all new for both of us because I’m not used to being out of the championship hunt and Ricky’s not used to being in a crash in which he wasn’t to blame.”
10. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 32nd at Texas after an accident ruined his chances of a solid finish.
“I brushed the wall 9 laps into the race,” Elliott said. “Now, I’m really behind the 8-ball, which means I have to win. Well, I guess that’s my ‘cue.’”
On Monday, Penske Entertainment Corp. purchased Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series as the Hulman family hands over control of the prestigious speedway after 74 years of motorsports entertainment.
“Great day for our family and our team,” Roger Penske said in a text message to The Associated Press.
Tony Hulman has owned the complex for 74 years, just after a four-year drought of racing following World War II. With this move, Penske will now become the fourth owner in the track’s 110-year history.
This move came just a couple of weeks after NASCAR and the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) announced their merger in an effort to further advance fan experience enhancement at more tracks across the schedule after some races have started to see an increase in TV viewership. IndyCar is on a similar positive slope as more fans are tuning in to the races and more sponsors are developing an interest in the sport.
Penske’s success in both series is no secret. Brad Keselowski won his first Brickyard 400 driving for Team Penske. Penske holds the record for the most Indianapolis 500 victories as an owner with 18, including earlier this year with Simon Pagenaud. The organization also earned its 15th championship this year when IndyCar crowned Josef Newgarden.
According to documents to various IndyCar teams on Monday regarding the news, the sale is expected to close in early January.
“We have found the ideal steward of the company and its iconic assets,” the document states. “Penske Corporation — with its 64,000-plus employees and more than $32 billion in consolidated revenue — will bring tremendous energy, leadership and resources to IMS, IndyCar and IMSP.
“For a number of years, the Hulman & Company management and board have engaged outside advisors and experts to consider the full range of strategic options available. Ultimately, it was decided to focus on the possible sale of the company and finding a buyer that would be the best steward of the company and its iconic assets.”
Even rival team owners chimed in with positive insight on the acquisition.
“I think it’s good. It’s really good, it’s great,” Chip Ganassi told Associated Press. “The place is going to be run like a business now.”
“Roger has always strived to do great things for both IMS and Indy car racing, and I’m sure he will continue to do so in this new ownership position,” team owner Michael Andretti stated. “Both the Indy 500 and the NTT IndyCar Series have been on a rise, and I look forward to the continued climb.”
But it hasn’t just been fellow competitors who see eye-to-eye concerning the purchase. McLaren, who will join IndyCar as the newest competitive manufacturer in 2020, is also looking forward to the growth of the sport with the purchase. Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, has been a longtime Indianapolis businessman who also has a racing marketing background.
“I cannot think of a better owner than Roger Penske and his corporation to ensure the future and growth of IndyCar,” Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, told the AP. “His business acumen and dedication to IndyCar racing and passion for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is second-to-none,” he said.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver and 2019 Monster Energy Series championship hopeful Kyle Busch will compete in the 2020 Rolex 24 endurance race at Daytona International Speedway.
The 2015 Cup Series champion will make his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut for AIM Vasser Sullivan, driving a Lexus RC F GT3 car in the Jan. 25-26 race.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Lexus Motorsports and AIM Vasser Sullivan and Toyota for this opportunity,” Busch said Monday at a Toyota plant in Texas, according to NBC. “To have the chance to run in such an iconic race as the Rolex 24 is certainly something I’ve thought about and wanted to do. My partnership with Toyota and the history we’ve had together has been incredible. I would love to continue that history and maybe get my Daytona Rolex to add to my trophy collection.”
Busch is the latest NASCAR driver to compete in the prestigious event, joining the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., AJ Allmendinger, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and more. Gordon is the most recent driver with NASCAR ties to win the event, teaming with Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli in 2017.
IMSA indicated that Busch will prepare for the event in the Roar Before the Rolex 24 on Jan. 3-5, 2020.
Busch has a sport-car start at Daytona to his credit, pairing with Scott Speed to finish 10th in a Lexus Daytona Prototype owned by Chip Ganassi.
