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  • Roger Penske buys Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar Series

    Roger Penske buys Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar Series

    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.

  • Kyle Busch to compete in 2020 Rolex 24

    Kyle Busch to compete in 2020 Rolex 24

    Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    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.

  • Harvick wins AAA Texas 500, will race for championship in Miami

    Harvick wins AAA Texas 500, will race for championship in Miami

    Kevin Harvick had the dominant car at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday night, leading 119 laps from the pole and winning his third-straight AAA Texas 500 for a spot in the championship round at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Harvick held off Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola at the checkered by 1.594-seconds.

    “Our car was just so fast through [Turns] 3 and 4, as long as I could keep my momentum up, I could get up beside [Almirola],” Harvick said of his late-race battle with his teammate. “So it was definitely fast, and speed made up for our Ducks Unlimited Busch Beer Ford Mustang in what we lacked a little bit in our handling.”

    Fellow SHR driver Daniel Suarez finished third after leading 25 laps.

    “That was a very solid night, and I’m very happy with the performance and speed that we brought from the shop,” said Suarez. “Everyone back at the shop did a great job. We knew we would be fast here.

    “We had a solid perfomance here last time. We did a good job. We had good execution and a good clean day. I’m very happy for Stewart-Haas Racing and the No. 41 Ford Mustang was pretty sporty. I am very happy for Kevin getting his ticket for Homestead.”

    Playoff driver Joey Logano finished fourth and Alex Bowman rounded out the top-five. Playoff drivers Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, and Ryan Blaney finished sixth through eighth, with Kurt Busch and Erik Jones rounding out the top-10.

    Playoff driver Kyle Larson had a quiet day as well, finishing in 12th after starting 13th.

    The race was slowed 11 times for 56 laps, with Playoff drivers Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin finding trouble with the wall or the frontstretch grass early in Stage One. Elliott would finish 32nd, several laps off the pace, while Hamlin would finish six laps down in 28th, despite winning at TMS in March.

    Seven-time Texas winner Jimmie Johnson also found the wall after leading 40 laps. The No. 48 was running in second when he spun off the second turn and slapped the wall, relegating his Hendrick Motorsports team to a 34th-place finish.

    There were 26 lead changes among 11 drivers, with 2,957 green flag passes (10.6 per green flag lap).

    The next race will be at ISM Raceway for the Bluegreen Vacations 500, the final race in the Round of Eight. The race will air on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET and will also be streaming on MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90 and the NBC Sports app.

  • KEVIN HARVICK OVERPOWERS FIELD FOR THIRD STRAIGHT AAA TEXAS 500 AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

    KEVIN HARVICK OVERPOWERS FIELD FOR THIRD STRAIGHT AAA TEXAS 500 AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

    FORT WORTH, Texas (Nov. 3, 2019) – Kevin Harvick looked good early, fought back from a pit road penalty midway through and dominated the final stage, leading 73 of the final 80 laps, to capture his third consecutive AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

    The victory secured Harvick and the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) Ford team a spot in the Championship 4 of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs for the fifth time in the past six years.

    Harvick moved past SHR teammate Aric Almirola’s No. 10 Ford on Lap 255 of the 334-lap race and, after a final green-flag pit stop, drove away to a 1.594-second win and trip to Sunoco Victory Lane. Daniel Suarez’s third-place finish in the No. 41 Ford led to a 1-2-3 SHR Texas sweep.

    The balance of the top-10 finishers were Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford), Alex Bowman (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet), Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota), Kyle Busch (No. 18 JGR Toyota), Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford), Kurt Busch (No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) and Erik Jones (No. 20 JGR Toyota).

    The victory was Harvick’s 49th in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, tying SHR team owner Tony Stewart for 14th all-time. NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett are tied for 12th with 50. Harvick becomes the second driver to lock a spot in the Championship 4 after Truex.

    “Our car was just so fast through 3 and 4, as long as I could keep my momentum up, I could get up beside him,” said Harvick of his side-by-side battles with Almirola. “So it was definitely fast, and speed made up for our Ducks Unlimited Busch Beer Ford Mustang tonight what we lacked a little bit in handling.”

    “They’ve already built the car, picked a direction,” continued Harvick about preparation for the championship race. “Like we talked about earlier, we’ve got so many things that — so many things that you had to choose from an aero standpoint, and Homestead is such a unique racetrack. We’ve already been to the simulator, we’ve already built the car, and now we’ve just got to make sure that we do what we think is right and go with our gut and see what happens.”

    Harvick started from the pole after Saturday’s qualifying lap of 28.465 seconds at 189.707 mph on the 1.5-mile asphalt oval. He led three times for 43 laps in Stage 1 which was very busy due to six caution flags, the most in a single stage all season, continually shuffling the field. Harvick’s SHR teammate Clint Bowyer led the majority of the first 85 laps, but also shared the top spot Erik Jones.

    Four of the six Stage 1 cautions were for crashes by playoff contenders Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin, as well as Brad Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The top 10 at the end of the stage were Harvick, Bowyer, Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Kurt Busch, Ryan Preece, Ryan Blaney, and Daniel Hemric. Six lead changes among three drivers.

    Jimmie Johnson, who holds a record seven victories at Texas Motor Speedway, was a contender early, leading 40 laps (99-138) before spinning in Turn 2 on Lap 187 and finishing 34th. Despite the end result, the seven-time series champ must have felt at home at Texas this year, having also earned the pole and leading 60 laps during March’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.

    Almirola won Stage 2 with Jones, Johnson, Larson, Logano, Harvick, Bowman, Suarez, Kyle Busch and William Byron rounding out the top-10. There were no cautions in Stage 2 after the tumultuous first stage.

    The AAA Texas 500 saw 26 lead changes among 11 drivers and 11 cautions for 56 laps.

    Harvick celebrated in victory lane with the Texas Motor Speedway traditional hand-crafted Justin Cowboy hat and the pair of Smith & Wesson 629 Deluxe six-shooters, the finest handguns possible with designs harkening back to the most famous and collectible guns that Smith & Wesson ever constructed. His pole-winning run earned Harvick a brand new Henry Texas Tribute Edition shown to the public for the first time and featuring a black American walnut stock with gold inlaid stars and map of the state of Texas

    For 2020 season ticket or race information, please visit texasmotorspeedway.com or call the speedway ticket office at 817.215.8500. With an adult ticket purchase, accompanying tickets for children 12-and-under are $10 for the AAA Texas 500 and free for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 playoff race.

  • Harvick wins pole for AAA Texas 500, Jones to start second

    Harvick wins pole for AAA Texas 500, Jones to start second

    Kevin Harvick wheeled his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang to a 28.465-second lap at 189.707 mph around the Texas Motor Speedway to earn the pole for Sunday’s AAA Texas 500. The pole was Harvick’s second at the speedway in 34 races and sixth overall of 2019.

    “I think the key to the lap was knowing that you had to be wide open and kind of did a halfway qualifying run yesterday and worked most of the day on race runs and making sure we ran enough laps to know where our car was,” said Harvick.

    Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones put his No. 20 Toyota on the outside of Row 1 with a lap of 28.588 at 188.890 mph. Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, and Alex Bowman rounded out the top-five.

    Harvick and Hamlin were the only Playoff drivers to qualify in the top-10, as the other six drivers in the Round of 8 will start in the top-20. Joey Logano will start 11th, with a lap of 28.755 seconds, while Kyle Busch will start on the outside of Row 6 with a lap of 28.764 seconds.

    Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Ryan Blaney will start in positions 13-15, while Martin Truex Jr. will be starting from the 17th spot with a lap of 28.863.

    The AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway will start at 2 p.m. CT on NBCSN/SiriusXM Channel 90.

  • Kurt Busch Returns as Driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet in a New Multi-Year Deal

    Kurt Busch Returns as Driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet in a New Multi-Year Deal

    Monster Energy Signs Multi-Year Extension with Chip Ganassi Racing

    CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 2, 2019) – Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today they have signed a multi-year extension for Kurt Busch to return as the driver of the No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. In addition, the team also announced a multi-year extension to their partnership with Monster Energy Brand. Busch, a 31-time winner in NASCAR’s premier series will look to build on his success with CGR, after becoming both a race winner and Playoff participant in 2019.

    Monster Energy became the title sponsor of NASCAR’s premier series, starting with the 2017 season, renaming it the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS). Monster Energy has also been a staple in the action sports world, sponsoring athletes, sporting events and musical acts and concerts, including a near decade-long relationship with driver Kurt Busch.

    NOTES OF INTEREST:

    · A Monster Career: Busch will extend his accomplished career in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series and beyond for his 21st season of competition. Overall, he has won 31 races and the MENCS Championship in 2004. His resume includes victories in marquee events such as the Daytona 500 (2017) the Coca-Cola 600 (2010) and the NASCAR All-Star Race (2010). His racing resume highlights also include four victories in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS), a runner-up finish in the NGOTS point standings in his first full-time year of competition in 2000, five wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), two starts in the Rolex 24 At Daytona (2005, 2008) and one start in the Indianapolis 500 (2014). He also boasts championships in the 2003 International Race of Champions (IROC) and the 1999 NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series.

    · Veteran Talent: In just his first season with Chip Ganassi Racing, Busch extended his streak of winning at least one race per season in the MENCS to six-consecutive years. He has won at least one MENCS race in 16 of his 20 years of competition. Additionally he has won a MENCS race and claimed a pole on every type of track on which the series competes on (superspeedway, intermediate, short-track and road course).

    · A Monster Lifestyle: In addition to the title sponsorship of the MENCS, Monster Energy also sponsors the FIA World Rallycross Championship and the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Tour. Monster Energy is also known for supporting many extreme sports events such as Bellator MMA, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Moto GP, BMX, Motorcross, skateboarding and snowboarding, as well as Esports. Additionally, Monster Energy promotes a number of music bands around the world.

    QUOTEBOARD:

    · Chip Ganassi, Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing: “We couldn’t be more pleased to be making this announcement. We have developed a great relationship with Rodney Sacks (CEO) and everyone at Monster. We look forward to this partnership lasting for a very long time. As for Kurt, I must say that I have been nothing but impressed with him both in and outside of the car. He has such great instincts behind the wheel, has been tremendous with all of our partners and everyone on the shop floor feeds off his intensity on the track and his enthusiasm off it.”

    · Mitch Covington, Vice President of Sports Marketing, Monster Beverage Company: “We’re racing people at Monster Energy and we knew immediately that we had found fantastic racing partners in Chip Ganassi, Kurt Busch and all involved at Chip Ganassi Racing. NASCAR is a major part of who we are at Monster Energy and to be able to compete at a championship level with Kurt Busch and Chip Ganassi Racing truly reflects who we are and fires-up our desire to not only win races, but to make a serious all-in run at the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series title. Go Kurt, Unleash the Beast and welcome race fans!”

    · Kurt Busch, Driver, No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1: “Chip made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse! For me personally, it is the fun and refreshing atmosphere working with Matt McCall and all the team here at Chip Ganassi Racing. All signs pointed toward, ’let’s keep going; let’s keep winning.’ It has also been the fans, continuing to work with Monster Energy, the chance to be part of the Next Gen car introduction in 2021, along with building on our successes in 2019 that together makes it an easy decision to continue here at Chip Ganassi Racing. Monster has been with me for nearly a decade and they are so much fun to work with; it is just a natural fit. The outreach of fans to me this year has been inspiring to hear all of them encourage me to keep racing. Additionally I have enjoyed sending veterans and active-duty military to the races this year through our relationship with VetTix.org. This is a chance for me to continue being part of something that I have really enjoyed.”

    About Monster Beverage Corporation:

    Based in Corona, California, Monster Beverage Corporation is a holding company and conducts no operating business except through its consolidated subsidiaries. The Company’s subsidiaries develop and market energy drinks, including Monster Energy® energy drinks, Monster Energy Ultra® energy drinks, Monster MAXX™ maximum strength energy drinks, Java Monster® non-carbonated coffee + energy drinks, Espresso Monster™ espresso + energy drinks, Caffé Monster® non-carbonated energy coffee drinks, Monster Rehab® non-carbonated energy drinks, Muscle Monster® energy shakes, Übermonster® energy drinks, Monster Hydro® energy drinks, Reign Total Body Fuel™ high performance energy drinks, NOS® energy drinks, Full Throttle® energy drinks, Burn® energy drinks, Samurai® energy drinks, Relentless® energy drinks, Mother® energy drinks, Power Play® energy drinks, BU® energy drinks, Nalu® energy drinks, BPM® energy drinks, Gladiator® energy drinks, Ultra Energy® energy drinks and Predator® energy drinks. For more information, visit www.monsterbevcorp.com

    About Chip Ganassi Racing:

    Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include three cars in the NTT IndyCar Series and two cars in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Overall his teams have 19 championships and more than 220 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400, eight Rolex 24 At Daytonas, the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis, and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh.

  • Go Fas Racing forms alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing for 2020 Cup Series season

    Go Fas Racing forms alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing for 2020 Cup Series season

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 1, 2019) — Starting with the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, Go Fas Racing (GFR) will enter into a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), one of Ford’s most competitive organizations.

    GFR team-owner Archie St. Hilaire has been preparing for the opportunity to take his organization to the next level since the team’s first full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014.

    “2020 will be an exciting year at GFR with the addition of SHR cars and their technical assistance,” St. Hilaire said. “I can’t thank all of the great people at SHR for the opportunity to align with them. All of this couldn’t happen without the help of our wonderful sponsors and marketing partners. GFR has improved every year in our six years in the NASCAR Cup Series and I believe that the best is yet to come for this little team and our great group of employees.”

    Via this new alliance with SHR, GFR will be provided with chassis, data and technical support for the No. 32 Ford Mustang in addition to their present relationship with Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines.

    “This arrangement will allow Go Fas Racing to improve its performance in 2020 and position itself for future growth,” said Greg Zipadelli, Vice President of Competition for SHR.

    To date, St. Hilaire has more than 200 NASCAR Cup Series starts under his leadership, giving a wide array of drivers the opportunity to compete at NASCAR’s level, including past champions.

    2020 driver negotiations are still ongoing.

    Archie and Mason St. Hilaire, team owner and team manager of Go Fas Racing respectively, will be available to all NASCAR credentialed media at the No.32 hauler for questions at 3:30pm local time today, November 1st.

    ————————————————————–

    About Go Fas Racing:
    Go Fas Racing (GFR) currently fields Ford Mustangs in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for driver Corey LaJoie. Located in Mooresville, North Carolina, GFR has competed in the NASCAR’s premier series since 2014; fielding cars for some of NASCAR’s top drivers, including past champions. To find out more information about our team please visit www.GoFasRacing.com.

  • Front Row Motorsports Update on Matt Tifft

    Front Row Motorsports Update on Matt Tifft

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 29, 2019) – After suffering a medical condition at the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this past Saturday, Matt Tifft continued further evaluation with family doctor’s on Monday. It has been determined that Tifft will not compete for the remainder of the season. He will continue to consult with his doctor’s and work with the NASCAR medical team to return to the driver’s seat as soon as possible.

    John Hunter Nemechek will race the No. 36 Ford Mustang for the final three races. Nemechek will make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway.

    “This isn’t the way any driver wants to make their Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut,” said Nemechek. “I am hoping that Matt feels better and can get back in his car as soon as possible. That is what is important. Hopefully I can learn a lot and make Matt, the Front Row Motorsports team and its partners proud.”

    “We want to thank John Hunter for filling in Matt’s seat as he continues to recover,” said Jerry Freeze, General Manager, Front Row Motorsports. “Our thoughts are still with Matt and his family. We feel that John Hunter can step up and do a great job for us as Matt heals.”

    About Front Row Motorsports
    Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields three full-time entries – the No. 34 of Michael McDowell, the No. 36 of Matt Tifft and the No. 38 of David Ragan – from its Mooresville, N.C., headquarters just outside of Charlotte. The team’s partnership base includes CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Ford Performance, Love’s Travel Stops, Select Blinds, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Tunity, Surface and Speedco. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

  • Martin Truex, Jr. dominates Martinsville to win third Playoff Race

    Martin Truex, Jr. dominates Martinsville to win third Playoff Race

    Truex locks down run for the Championship and captures seventh win of the season at the First Data 500 at Martinsville

    MARTINSVILLE, Va. – It’s another victory for Martin Truex, Jr. who has won three of the seven 2019 Playoff races. Driving the No. 19 Toyota Camry, Truex conquered the half-mile Martinsville Speedway, leading a staggering 464 laps, to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Data 500 October 27. It is the former NASCAR Cup Series champion’s seventh win of the season, ninth career Playoff victory and his 26th career win.

    Having never won a NASCAR Cup race at a half-mile track before this year, Truex now has three to his credit. Earlier this season, he finished eighth at Martinsville Speedway, 12th at Texas Motor Speedway and second at ISM Raceway. He entered the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 8 ranked second and now has secured his place in the Final Four.

    The No. 19 team finished sixth at Kansas Speedway last Sunday. After starting 11th, Truex raced his way into the top 10 early and finished fourth in stage one. He led 33 laps during stage two before ultimately ending up third.

    Racing towards Homestead, drivers will continue their playoff push next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Bass Pro Shops, which was founded in 1972 by avid outdoorsman and conservationist Johnny Morris, is a leading retailer of equipment for hunting, fishing, camping, boating and other outdoor pursuits. The outdoor retail leader has 102 stores throughout the United States and Canada, serving more than 120 million sportsmen a year. Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.

    About Bass Pro Shops
    Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”

  • Hamlin captures Busch Pole Award at Martinsville

    Hamlin captures Busch Pole Award at Martinsville

    MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Denny Hamlin will lead the field to start the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway after earning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole with a 97.840 mph lap Saturday afternoon. This is Hamlin’s 33rd career pole, his third this season and the fourth at the 526-mile track.

    “It (qualifying run) was good,” said Hamlin. “We definitely didn’t expect to run that fast for sure. We didn’t make any mock run and the fastest in practice was something like a 59 or something like that, so certainly caught us off guard, but really I just drove it to its capability and that’s kind of all I had.

    “I knew when I ran it, I was pretty happy with the lap, so to have the pole is obviously a huge, huge deal here.”

    Chase Elliott was the second fastest with a lap speed of 97.694 but will have to drop to the rear of the field for the start of the race after he blew an engine in practice Saturday morning.

    “We broke a motor there, five laps in,” he said, “and it’s obviously an unfortunate way to start the day, for sure. But, it’s one of those things really that it kind of is what it is at this point and everybody is working hard to try to get our car back put together to get some practice in this next one. At this point, that’s the most important thing.”

    Martin Truex Jr. qualified third with a 97.694 lap followed by Aric Almirola and Michael McDowell.

    Playoff driver Ryan Blaney (eighth in standings) will start sixth. Clint Bowyer, Erik Jones, and Daniel Suarez qualified seventh – ninth, respectively. Joey Logano who is currently fourth in the standings will start in 10th.

    Of the remaining Playoff drivers, Kyle Busch qualified 13th, Kyle Larson 14th and Kevin Harvick will start 22nd.

    Daniel Hemric was the fastest qualifying rookie, qualifying 18th, and is optimistic heading into the race.

    “Since we unloaded, our Chevy Accessories ZL1 was good,” he said. “Looking forward to an opportunity to redeem ourselves from our run in the spring. It will be interesting. We had a solid lap. Looking forward to tomorrow.”

    Sunday’s First Data 500 is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET Sunday afternoon on NBCSN with radio coverage by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.