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  • New Television Package Another Boost For INDYCAR Momentum

    New Television Package Another Boost For INDYCAR Momentum

    Wednesday morning INDYCAR announced a new television package that will start in 2019, with every race being broadcast on NBC or NBC Sports. The multiyear deal, which gives NBC Sports Group exclusive broadcasting rights, will broadcast eight races on NBC, with the remainder airing on NBC Sports. The move also marks the end of ABC’s relationship with INDYCAR, as they have broadcast every Indianapolis 500 since 1965.

    In a press release from INDYCAR, CEO of Hulman & Company Mark Miles said that the arrangement brings all of INDYCAR to one home and increases the sport’s exposure. “We couldn’t be happier to have start-to-finish coverage of INDYCAR’s season with NBC Sports Group,” said Miles. Hulman & Company owns INDYCAR as well as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    The latest announcement comes as a part of a wave of momentum for the sport. Not only was the new car released this season to rave reviews, but television viewership has risen 38 percent in the past four seasons, not to mention social media followers have risen 400,000 in the past year alone.

    Since joining NBC Sports in 2009 when the network was only a part-time partner, viewership has steadily risen, including a 78 percent increase since 2013. Also added to the lineup is exclusive content delivery through the NBC Sports Gold mobile app, available for verified users.

    While NASCAR remains the most popular form of motorsport in America, INDYCAR has steadily risen in prominence. If this current wave of momentum continues, there may be a day where the sport eclipses NASCAR and enters a Golden Age similar to NASCAR’s in the early 2000s.

    Something else that INDYCAR has going for it right now is the sport’s parity. Despite the sport’s smaller schedule (compared to NASCAR, NHRA, and other forms of motorsport), there have been 21 different winners in the last six seasons.

    The road is currently paved for INDYCAR to become the new top motorsport in America because of this momentum. Everything going on with the sport right now has brought continuing growth to the sport, ensuring it’s continued survival and promises to reach new heights, as coverage is bound to reach new demographics that may otherwise not follow any form of motorsport. In turn, the odds of a Golden Era for INDYCAR are higher than they’ve ever been.

     

  • Kasey Kahne Joins Lefty’s Kids Club

    Kasey Kahne Joins Lefty’s Kids Club

    Today, Kasey Kahne was introduced as the new Auto Club Speedway Kid’s Club president.

    Lefty’s Kids Club is a children’s group dedicated to various activities across Auto Club Speedway to help them experience everything a race day weekend has to offer. This year, Kasey Kahne was introduced as the new president of the kid’s club.

    “It’s good to be here in California and get to race at this race track. It’s always a track that I’ve really enjoyed over the years,” Kahne mentioned during his press conference earlier today. “The first practice [today] didn’t go very well for us, but we have a lot of time to hopefully get better as the weekend goes here.”

    When asked about the new position with the kid’s club, Kahne was looking forward to the opportunities and shared some of the work he’s already done with the children.

    “I’ve seen Lefty before, but I met him a little bit two weeks ago when I was out here and we did a deal close to the track with some kids and actually got to learn how to play the guitar. It was a great band and they’re coming as well. To be part of this, see the kids here and the 135,000 people it touches this year is really neat and unbelievable. It’s great to see that and to see kids being into racing and also into education in general.”

    During the press conference, some of the kids were invited to ask Kahne some questions. One child asked where his passion for auto racing originated.

    “Mine started at a young age. I was little the first time I went to a dirt track, which was the kind of racing I started in. My dad worked on dirt cars and we had a local dirt track a couple of miles from our house, so I would see him working on them and I would go to the race track and sit in the grandstands with my mom and watch. My passion started growing at that point in time. I think the competition and just seeing everybody racing for first and things like that really got me intrigued.

    “Then I also had some friends at the race track, so it started building when I was four or five years old and I started racing when I was 14. I talked my parents into it, and I started when I was 14 and have raced ever since. It started by watching and trying to learn, and also by watching TV. I used to watch NASCAR and IndyCar and Sprint Cars on TV back then also.”

    Some of the media also took time to ask Kahne about his new relationship with Levine Family Racing, after being released from Hendrick Motorsports at the end of last season.

    “We’re definitely learning as a team. We all have to keep learning if we want to get better and hopefully soon we’ll start making those strides. But at this point, we still have a good ways to go before it’s anywhere near where any of us want it to be.”

    This weekend, Kahne will be hosting a Driver’s Story Time on Sunday, March 18 at 9:15 a.m. at the Lefty’s Fun Zone for all fans with race tickets. To purchase tickets and race weekend packages, visit the Auto Club Speedway website to view more information.

  • No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team and Jimmie Johnson to have new primary sponsor in 2019

    No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team and Jimmie Johnson to have new primary sponsor in 2019

    CHANGE MARKS FIRST PARTNERSHIP OPENING WITH THE SEVEN-TIME NASCAR CHAMPIONS SINCE TEAM’S INCEPTION

    CONCORD, N.C. (March 14, 2018) – The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champions No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team with driver Jimmie Johnson will have a new primary sponsor beginning next season. Lowe’s Companies Inc., which has been the No. 48 team’s only primary sponsor since 2001, will not return to Hendrick Motorsports in 2019.

    “Working with Hendrick Motorsports, Jimmie, Chad (Knaus) and the entire No. 48 team has been an incredible journey,” said Michael P. McDermott, Lowe’s chief customer officer. “Rick Hendrick and his organization have been exceptional partners, and we could not have asked for more from Jimmie – a consummate champion and an incredible representative for our brand and his sport.

    “The No. 48 team is a valuable property and has been an integral part of building the Lowe’s brand, which makes today’s decision difficult as we now look to invest in other strategic initiatives. Although we are evolving our strategy, there’s no question that being a part of seven championships and many history-making moments has been valuable for Lowe’s.”

    Since the No. 48 team’s debut in 2001, Lowe’s has experienced an unrivaled level of success with Johnson behind the wheel, winning seven Cup championships, 83 points-paying races and 35 pole positions along with 222 top-five finishes, 341 top-10s and more than 18,000 laps led.

    “We are so appreciative of everyone at Lowe’s. They have been amazing partners,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “With seven championships, this program has delivered far beyond what anyone could have imagined. It goes without saying that we will fully support Lowe’s and our program together in 2018 as we pursue another championship. The success of the relationship has been unbelievable.”

    Johnson and the No. 48 team have cemented themselves as one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. Their record-tying seven championships – a feat equaled only by legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt – include five consecutive titles from 2006-2010. In 2009, Johnson became the first race car driver ever to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, joining the likes of Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady and Michael Phelps.

    “Jimmie is one of the greatest champions and ambassadors in all of sports and still at the top of his game,” Hendrick said. “This change opens up all kinds of possibilities, and we look forward to having conversations with potential new partners. It’s a special opportunity with an iconic athlete and team.”

    Johnson, 42, last June signed a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports through 2020. The 2017 NASCAR Cup season marked his 16th year in a row with at least two race wins and his 14th consecutive playoff appearance. The El Cajon, California, native is the only driver to compete in NASCAR’s post-season each year since the format’s inception in 2004.

    “I’ll always be grateful to Lowe’s for taking a chance on me and believing that I could win,” Johnson said. “I’m not sure where I’d be right now if they hadn’t committed to the No. 48 team. It’s hard to see them move on, but we’ve made history together and celebrated so much success on and off the track. There’s still a lot left to do in 2018.

    “I have more to accomplish in this sport. I feel the best I’ve ever felt physically. I’m motivated. I’m focused on winning races and chasing more championships. Someone (a new sponsor) will be a big part of writing that story with us. I’m not going anywhere.”

     

    ABOUT LOWE’S:
    Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 18 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2017 sales of $68.6 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,390 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 310,000 people. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, North Carolina, Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

    ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
    Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 249 points-paying race victories and a record 12 car owner championships in the premier NASCAR Cup Series. The organization fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Cup circuit with drivers Chase Elliott, William Byron, Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman. Headquartered in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs more than 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

  • Brad Keselowski Captures the Checkered Flag in the DC Solar 200 at ISM Raceway

    Brad Keselowski Captures the Checkered Flag in the DC Solar 200 at ISM Raceway

    PHOENIX – Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 22 car for Team Penske, overcame a stage two pit road speeding penalty and multiple weather delays to outlast the field in the DC Solar 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race at ISM Raceway. With Keselowski’s victory, Roger Penske, owner of Team Penske, became the winningest team owner in ISM Raceway history with 15 including six in NASCAR.

    “Brian Wilson (crew chief) made some great adjustments to the car and the weather kind of came to us with what we needed for how our car was handling,” said Keselowski. “It is good to see that work out for everyone at Team Penske with the Fitzgerald Glider Ford Mustang. It was a solid team effort. I wasn’t perfect today by any stretch of the imagination but the car was really strong. Really, really good for about 50-60 laps. The last 20 laps it would fall off pretty good but the guys made it count. I am really proud of them.”

    Keselowski had to endure two red flags for rain during the race. The first came on lap 47 at the end of Stage 1 and lasted for one hour and 34 minutes, and the second was at the end of Stage 2 for 25 minutes. In his second career NXS win at ISM Raceway, the Rochester Hills, Mich., native led 66 of 200 laps, including the final 22.

    “We wanted to make sure that the last lap was a quick one, so we didn’t want to put a wrench in the back window,” crew chief Brian Wilson said. “Listening to Brad’s feedback, he felt like on the green flag stop we didn’t need anything large. We only did air pressure and a little bit of fuel weight. Fortunately, the Fitzgerald Ford was able to pull away there and I think the balance was fairly decent at the end.”

    Justin Allgaier, the 2017 DC Solar 200 winner, earned the pole Saturday afternoon, and led a race-high 76 laps. The pit road strategy, due to four cautions and two red flags, led to 10 lead changes throughout the race. Allgaier finished second, and is now third in the NXS points standings through four races.

    Elliott Sadler had a hard-fought ninth place finish after starting the race from the back due to an engine change. With his top 10 finish, Sadler now leads the NXS points standings, one point ahead of teammate Tyler Reddick, who hit the wall during Saturday’s qualifying and had to go to a backup car.

    Only one other driver led more than eight laps, and that was Kyle Busch, who finished third. Busch took the lead shortly after the beginning of Stage 2 and stayed there for 38 laps. He finished one spot ahead of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, rookie Christopher Bell, who also led five laps. Rounding out the top five was Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 42 car for Chip Ganassi Racing.

    The TicketGuardian 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race will begin on Sunday at 12:30 p.m., local time. Tickets for the TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway are available and can be purchased online at ismraceway.com, by phone at 1-866-408-RACE (7223) or in person at the ISM Raceway ticket office.

    About ISM Raceway

    Since 1964, ISM Raceway has been the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. As part of a $178 million modernization project, the track officially became ISM Raceway in January 2018 as a result of a naming rights partnership with ISM Connect, a pioneer in smart venue technology bringing the digital fan engagement experience to Phoenix. Founded as an open-wheel racing mecca, ISM Raceway is proud to host the Phoenix Grand Prix Verizon IndyCar Series race under the lights in April. Phoenix is the only track in the West to feature an IndyCar Series race and two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series weekends a year, beginning with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 500 race weekend on March 9-11. The schedule is anchored by the Can-Am 500 race weekend on Nov. 9-11, the semifinal race in NASCAR’s Playoffs after which the field is reduced to the final four championship contenders. For more information, visit www.ISMRaceway.com.

  • Martin Truex Jr. Claims Pole for TicketGuardian 500

    Martin Truex Jr. Claims Pole for TicketGuardian 500

    PHOENIX – Martin Truex Jr., the reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, started his quest for his first career win at ISM Raceway in the best possible way, claiming the pole on Friday for the TicketGuardian 500.

    This is Truex’s second career pole at ISM Raceway, with a lap of 136.945 mph. In 24 races at the one-mile oval, he has two top 5’s and eight top 10’s. His best finish was a third in last November’s Can-Am 500, during his incredible run to his first Monster Energy Series championship.

    The New Jersey native is trailed by three young guns who are also searching for their first win at ISM Raceway. Kyle Larson missed the pole by six one-hundredths of a second, and will start alongside Truex on the front row. Behind them are Chase Elliott and Tucson native Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports teammates who have each come up just short of a victory in the desert. Rounding out the top five is Joey Logano, the winner of the 2016 fall race.

    Saturday’s action features NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying at 11:05 a.m. prior to the DC Solar 200 beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 gets under way at 12:30 p.m.

    Tickets for Saturday’s DC Solar 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race and Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at ISM Raceway are available and can be purchased online at ismraceway.com, by phone at 1-866-408-RACE (7223) or in person at the ISM Raceway ticket office.

    About ISM Raceway

    Since 1964, ISM Raceway has been the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. As part of a $178 million modernization project, the track officially became ISM Raceway in January 2018 as a result of a naming rights partnership with ISM Connect, a pioneer in smart venue technology bringing the digital fan engagement experience to Phoenix. Founded as an open-wheel racing mecca, ISM Raceway is proud to host the Phoenix Grand Prix Verizon IndyCar Series race under the lights in April. Phoenix is the only track in the West to feature an IndyCar Series race and two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series weekends a year, beginning with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 500 race weekend on March 9-11. The schedule is anchored by the Can-Am 500 race weekend on Nov. 9-11, the semifinal race in NASCAR’s Playoffs after which the field is reduced to the final four championship contenders. For more information, visit www.ISMRaceway.com.

  • Full Weekend Schedule for Phoenix

    Full Weekend Schedule for Phoenix

  • 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

  • Menard Off to Promising Start with Wood Brothers Racing

    Menard Off to Promising Start with Wood Brothers Racing

    Paul Menard brought his No. 21 Ford Fusion home in ninth place Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, earning his second top-10 of the year.

    It’s a new beginning of sorts for Menard as he joined Wood Brothers Racing this season after seven years with Richard Childress Racing. In only three starts with the new team, he has hit the ground running, finishing sixth in the season-opening Daytona 500 and capturing 11 stage points along the way. Although a 17th place at Atlanta was not the result they wanted, owner Len Wood characterized it as due more to circumstance than performance.

    “The car was set up for hotter weather, and we were off a little on handling mid-race, but it got better as the race went on,” Wood said. “And the pit crew did a good job. They never had a bad stop and were better every time.”

    With Sunday’s ninth-place finish, Menard is encouraged by how quickly the team is coming together.

    “It’s a bit early but the Fords are fast coming out of the gate this year,” he said. “I think we’ll be good in Phoenix next week as well. I feel really good with where our program is at right now.”

    Menard also received two additional stage points after finishing 10th in Stages 1 and 2 and is currently ninth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points standings.

    “Earning stage points is big,” he acknowledged, “and you need to take advantage when you can. We did that today. It wasn’t much but it all counts.”

    He is also encouraged by how effectively they were able to make adjustments and the quality of their pit stops at Las Vegas with crew chief Greg Erwin leading the way.

    “Just a solid day for the Motorcraft Ford Fusion,” Menard said, “a great weekend for us. We unloaded fast on Friday and fell behind a bit on Saturday. We all got together last night and talked about what we needed to do and it worked out for us. A solid car all day.

    “They (the pit crew) made great stops all day which helped me keep track position. We made some good adjustments and Greg (Erwin) called a great race. A good two weeks for the crew guys.”

    The Cup Series heads to ISM Raceway (formerly Phoenix Raceway) next week where Menard has three top 10 finishes in 22 starts.

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

     

  • 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.