Tag: Camping World Truck Series

NASCAR Racing Schedule and Format for Charlotte All-Star Weekend

NASCAR heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway this week for the Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Friday night and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star race Saturday evening. Both events will be televised on FS1.

Please check below for the complete schedule of events. All times are Eastern.

Thursday, May 18:

On Track:
5-5:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice
7-7:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice

Friday, May 19:

On Track:
1-2:10 p.m.: Cup Series Practice (Monster Energy All-Star Race) – FS1
2:10-2:25 p.m.: Cup Series Pit Road Speed Practice (Monster Energy All-Star Race) – FS1
3-4:25 p.m.: Cup Series Practice (Monster Energy Open) – FS1
4:45 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
6:05 p.m.: Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying Round 1 (All-Star Race) – FS1
7:30 p.m. (approx): Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying Round 2 (All-Star Race) – FS1
8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (134 laps, 201 miles) – FS1

Saturday, May 20:

On Track:
4:35 p.m.: Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (Open; Multi-Vehicle, Two Rounds) – FS1
6 p.m.: Cup Series Monster Energy Open (20 laps, 20 laps, 10 laps) – FS1
8 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race (20 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps, 10 laps) – FS1 (time approx.)

The All-Star Drivers:

The All-Star race will be made up of 20 drivers. There are currently 16 drivers who are locked into the race. They include Chris Buescher, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr. and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Three drivers will earn a spot by competing in the Monster Energy Open which is comprised of three stages. The winner of each stage will move on to the All-Star race. The final 20th spot will be determined by the fan vote.

Format:

The All-Star race will feature four stages (20 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps, 10 laps) for a total of 70 laps. The final stage of 10 laps will feature 10 drivers.

The winner of each of the first three stages will earn a spot in the final stage, as long as they are running on the lead lap after the third stage.

The cars with the best average finish in the first three stages will make up the remaining seven spots for the 10-car final stage.

The 10 cars will be lined up by the average finish of the first three stages and will be given the option to pit. Exit off pit road will determine the starting order for the final stage.

The winner will receive $1,000,000.

Strategy:

Each team will have one set of softer tires which will provide better grip and speed. The teams can use these tires at their discretion any time during the 70 lap event. But, if a team chooses to use the softer tires to begin the final stage, they will have to start behind the teams who are on regular tires.

Qualifying Notes:

Qualifying for the All-Star Race will include the “no speed limit” four-tire pit stop. Each team will have three timed laps and must include a mandatory four-tire pit stop with no enforced pit-road speed limits. The five quickest teams will advance to the final round of qualifying which will determine starting positions one through five. The team that completes the fastest stop will also earn the Pit Crew Competition Award.

Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

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

May 17, 2017
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Fantasy Preview – Charlotte

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series return to Charlotte Motor Speedway this Friday night for the annual running of the N.C. Education Lottery 200. Thirty-three trucks are currently entered so far on the entry list. So who are some drivers to keep an eye on at Charlotte?

Kyle Busch: Coming off a win last week at Kansas, Busch has two wins at Charlotte in the last five years. Expect him to be in contention for the win on Friday night.

Matt Crafton: After a disappointing finish at Kansas, Crafton is looking for a rebound and Charlotte may be the place. Dating back to 2013, Crafton has one win (2016) and three top fives. If anyone can beat Busch, it’s Crafton.

Christopher Bell: 1.5-mile tracks have been Bell’s strong suit as of late. Bell won at Atlanta earlier this year and placed fourth last week at Kansas. Last year at Charlotte, Bell came home in the eighth position.

Timothy Peters: Peters has a great track record at Charlotte. In the last three years, Peters finished seventh or better. Look for him to be a contender this weekend.

Ben Rhodes: Rhodes is looking for a win this week after his engine blew up at Kansas late in the going. In his only start coming in 2016, Rhodes finished 17th. However, despite Kansas, he finished fourth at Atlanta earlier this year, the other 1.5-mile track.

Brandon Jones: Jones returns to the truck series this weekend at Charlotte driving the no.99 for Matthew Miller. In two starts, Jones has finished 13th or better.

These are just some of the names to keep an eye on at Charlotte this weekend.

On track activities kick-off Thursday, May 18, for two rounds of practice at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET. Qualifying is set for Friday afternoon at 4:45 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 followed by the race at 8:30 p.m., also on Fox Sports 1.

May 16, 2017
Kansas Speedway – Did You Know?

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Camping World Truck Series travel to Kansas Speedway this weekend for racing under the lights. The Truck Series Toyota Tundra 250 is set for Friday, May 12, at 8:30 p.m. ET while the Cup Series Go Bowling 400 will air Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Both races will be televised on FS1.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch is the defending race winner and is still searching for his first victory this season. He has four top fives and six top 10s at the track with the 12th best driver rating. Busch is currently 10th in the point standings.

The first Cup Series race at the 1.5-mile track was on Sept. 30, 2001, but did you know that it was won by Jeff Gordon? There have been 22 Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway, one each year from 2001 – 2010 and two races per year since 2011. Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Kansas with six; Gordon has three (2001, 2002, 2014) and Jimmie Johnson also has three (2008, 2011, 2015).

Fourteen different drivers have won poles at Kansas, led by Kevin Harvick, Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne, with three poles each. But did you know that Jason Leffler won the pole for the inaugural Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in 2001? He won it in the No. 01 Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing with a speed of 176.499 mph and is the only driver to capture his first career Cup Series pole at Kansas.

Leffler, known as “LEFturn,” began his career as an open-wheel driver winning three consecutive USAC Midget championships from 1997-99 and the 1998 USAC Silver Crown championship. He also made three starts in the IndyCar Series and finished 17th in the 2000 Indianapolis 500.

Leffler’s NASCAR career began with four starts in the XFINITY Series in 1999 with Joe Gibbs Racing, running a full-time schedule in 2000. He advanced to the Cup Series in 2001 with Chip Ganassi Racing. During his career, he made 423 starts across the three national series and has two XFINITY wins and one victory in the Camping World Truck Series.

On June 12, 2013, Leffler lost his life in a crash during a 410 sprint car race at Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey. He was 37 and left behind a son, Charlie, who was only five years old at the time

Leffler was a fierce competitor on the track but his most enduring quality was his generous spirit off the track. He will always be remembered for his irresistible smile, his selfless desire to help others and who could forget his trademark haircut?

Three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart remembers Leffler as “a great racer and an even better friend. We raced together a lot, and our career paths were very similar. He loved racing, especially open-wheel racing, and that’s a passion we both share. To not have him around to talk about whatever race one of us had just run, or were going to run, will be hard.”

Qualifying well at Kansas Speedway should give drivers an edge. Five of the 22 (22.7 percent) Cup Series events have been won from the front row, four from the pole position and one from second-place. But did you know that 54.5 percent of the races have been won from a top-10 starting position? Brad Keselowski won from the deepest in the field ( 25th) in the spring race of 2011.

As we head to Kansas Speedway, Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with the series-best driver rating of 110.6, with three wins, nine top fives, 17 top 10s and three poles. Kenseth (108.1), Harvick (105.3), Martin Truex Jr. (95.7) and Kahne (91.4) round out the top five best driver ratings.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has struggled this season but did you know that he has the sixth-best driver rating (90.0) at Kansas Speedway? He has three top fives, nine top 10s and one pole at the track and is looking forward to the race.

“Kansas is a great racetrack for me,” Earnhardt said. “That place has widened out pretty good and you can run against the fence there, which is a line that I like to run. It’s a very fast racetrack and very smooth, a lot of fun, so we should have a good time.”

The on-track action begins Thursday, May 11, with Truck Series practice, culminating with the Go Bowling 400 Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. In the meantime, check out the video below as we take a moment to remember Jason Leffler.

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

May 10, 2017
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Kansas Speedway

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Camping World Truck Series travel to Kansas Speedway this weekend. The Truck Series race is set for Friday at 8:30 p.m. while the Cup Series Go Bowling 400 will close out the activities Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. Both events will be televised on FS1.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson remains the Cup Series points leader while Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. is in second place, 54 points behind Larson. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch is the defending race winner. There are 40 drivers on the Go Bowling 400 entry list.

Please check below for the complete schedule of events. All times are Eastern.

Thursday, May 11:

On Track:
3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Practice
5:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Final Practice

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
1:30 p.m.: Craftsman Truck Series Drivers
4 p.m.: Paul Menard

Friday, May 12:

On Track:
11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: NASCAR Monster Energy Series Practice – FS1 (Canada: TSN 2)
1:30-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR Monster Energy Series Final Practice – FS1 (Canada: TSN 2)
4:35 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
6:45 p.m.: NASCAR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1 (Canada: TSN 2)
8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Toyota Tundra 250 (167 laps, 250.5 miles) – FS1
Stage 1 (Ends on lap 40), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on lap 167)
Radio: MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
10:10 a.m.: Daniel Suarez
10:30 a.m.: Clint Bowyer
10:45 a.m.: Martin Truex Jr.
1 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3:15 p.m.: Jamie McMurray
4 p.m.: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
4:15 p.m.: Danica Patrick
8 p.m.: Post-Qualifying (time approx.)

Saturday, May 13:

On Track:
7:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) – FS1 (Canada: TSN 1, 3, 4)
Stage 1 (Ends on lap 80), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on lap 267)
Radio: MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
3:15 p.m.: Derrick Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs
6 p.m.: Larry the Cable Guy, Grand Marshal
11 p.m.: Post-Cup Series Race (time approx.)

Related Links:

Odds to win NASCAR Go Bowling 400
Kyle Larson +605
Martin Truex Jr +605
Brad Keselowski +605
Kevin Harvick +630
Jimmie Johnson +630
Kyle Busch +787
Joey Logano +807
Matt Kenseth +1216
Chase Elliott +1318
Denny Hamlin +2042
Clint Bowyer +2565
Dale Earnhardt Jr +3092
Kurt Busch +3092
Kasey Kahne +3625
Ryan Blaney +3625
Erik Jones +3732
Jamie McMurray +4000
Ryan Newman +6500
Austin Dillon +8000
Field (Any Other Driver) +1659

Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

Toyota Tundra 250 Entry List

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

Go Bowling 400 Entry List:

[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Kansas-Go-Bowling-400-Entry-List-C1711_PREENTNUM.pdf” title=”Kansas Go Bowling 400 Entry List C1711_PREENTNUM”]

May 10, 2017
Action Sports Star Travis Pastrana Set for Return to NASCAR Competition

By Team release | NASCAR.com

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Action sports legend Travis Pastrana will join Niece Motorsports for select events during the 2017 season, kicking off with a test on Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the No. 45 Chevy Silverado.

Pastrana’s most recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start came in 2015 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In addition to his NCWTS experience, Pastrana has one pole and four top-10 finishes in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, all coming in 2013.

MORE: Travis Pastrana’s NASCAR stats

He’ll get behind the wheel of a NASCAR ride once again at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1 in the Las Vegas 350.

“I love NASCAR, and Las Vegas is always a good time, so I’m really looking forward to racing there later this season,” said Pastrana. “The seat time at Charlotte will be a huge help for me to get up to speed and for the team to get a solid base setup for when we show up to race later in the year. I’ve actually worked with several of the people on this team in the past. It’s a fun group and we have a good rapport.

“NASCAR is something that challenges me. I’ve done a lot of work over the past couple of years to try and improve my pavement skills. I’m racing my first full year of Rally since 2010, and I’m fresh off my first win in over a year, so it’s really exciting to be able to get behind the wheel again and see what we can do in the Truck Series.”

To get the week started, Pastrana will host an event in conjunction with K1 Speed in Concord, North Carolina from 6-7 p.m. ET, including autographs with fellow Niece Motorsports driver T.J. Bell. More information on the event can be found here.

Pastrana reunites with Cody Efaw, who served as his car chief in the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2013. In 2017, Efaw has assumed the role of crew chief of the No. 45 Chevy at Niece Motorsports.

“Any time you can team up with someone you’ve worked well with in the past, there’s obviously a level of comfort there,” said Pastrana. “I know the group of guys that Niece Motorsports has assembled is going to give me a great shot at running well.”

Serving as Pastrana’s primary sponsor for the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be Weinerschnitzel. Additionally, Black Rifle Coffee Company, SilencerCo, Nitro Circus, Alpinestars and Palms Casino Resort will provide sponsorship support to the No. 45 team for the race.

Niece Motorsports, which is owned by Marine Corps veteran Al Niece, has competed in a partial schedule during the 2017 season, with plans of running full-time moving into 2018 and beyond.

“We are thrilled to have Travis behind the wheel this season,” said Niece. “He’s extremely passionate about NASCAR and committed to working with us to have the best run possible in Las Vegas.”

May 1, 2017
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Martinsville

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Camping World Truck Series travel to Martinsville Speedway this weekend. First up is the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 Truck race on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. The Cup Series STP 500 will be televised on FS1 at 2 p.m. ET Sunday afternoon.

Kyle Busch is the defending race winner and enters the race with the third-best driver rating (99.9), 11 top fives, 12 top 10s and one pole. However, the clear favorite at the 0.526-mile track is Jimmie Johnson. Although he has struggled this year, Martinsville could provide the impetus that will re-energize his season. Johnson has the series-best driver rating (117.7) with nine wins, 19 top fives, 24 top 10s and three poles.

Please check below for the complete schedule of events. All times are Eastern.

Friday, March 31:

On Track:
Noon-1 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – FS1
1:10-2 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice – FS1
3-3:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FS1
4:35 p.m.: Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1 (Canceled due to rain)

Garage Cam: (Watch live)
11 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
10 a.m.: AJ Allmendinger
10:30 a.m.: Kyle Larson
10:45 a.m.: Jimmie Johnson
11 a.m.: Timothy Peters, Harrison Burton
1:15 p.m.: Denny Hamlin
2 p.m.: Joey Logano
2:30 p.m.: Kyle Busch
2:45 p.m.: Daniel Suarez

Saturday, April 1:

On Track:
11-11:55 a.m.: Cup Series Practice – FS1
12:05 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
1:30-2:20 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – FS1
3 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Alpha Energy Solutions 250 – (Stage 1: 70 laps, Stage 2: 70 laps, Final Stage: 110 laps = 250 total laps, 131.5 miles) – FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
5:45 p.m.: Post-Truck Series Race (time approx.)

Sunday, April 2:

On Track:
1:20:00 p.m.: MENCS Driver Introductions w/ NASCAR Special Awards
2:00:00 p.m.: Presentation of Colors by: Local Law Enforcement and Public Safety Honor Guard
2:00:20 p.m.: Invocation by: Martinsville Speedway Track Chaplin, Mike Hatfield
2:01:00 p.m.: National Anthem by: Martinsville, Bassett and Magna Vista High School Marching Bands
2:02:30 p.m.: Flyover: The Bandit Flight Team (Turn 4 to Turn 1)
2:07:30 p.m.: “Drivers, Start Your Engines” by: From Hit FOX TV Show “Prison Break,” Rockmond Dunbar
2:13 p.m.: Start of the Cup Series STP 500 (Stage 1: 130 laps, Stage 2: 130 laps, Final Stage: 240 laps = 500 total laps, 263 miles) – FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
10:45 a.m.: Rockmond Dunbar
11 a.m.: Edsel Ford
11:15 a.m.: STP availability with Richard Petty, Aric Almirola, Steve Letarte and Katina Walker, STP Director of Marketing
5:30 p.m.: Post-Cup Series Race (time approx.)

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

Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

Odds to win NASCAR STP 500 by
Joey Logano +610
Martin Truex Jr +630
Kyle Busch +665
Jimmie Johnson +750
Brad Keselowski +755
Denny Hamlin +855
Kyle Larson +910
Matt Kenseth +1010
Kevin Harvick +1400
Dale Earnhardt Jr +1520
Chase Elliott +1730
Clint Bowyer +2035
Jamie McMurray +2555
Ryan Newman +3075
Kurt Busch +4000
Kasey Kahne +4000
AJ Allmendinger +4000
Erik Jones +6000
Austin Dillon +6000
Ryan Blaney +6000
Field (Any Other Driver) +3075

Entry list for Alpha Energy Solutions 250

STP 500 Entry List:

[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/STP-500-Entry-List-Martinsville-Speedway-April-2017-C1706_PREENTNUM.pdf” title=”STP 500 Entry List Martinsville Speedway April 2017 C1706_PREENTNUM”]

March 30, 2017
NASCAR Racing Schedule for Atlanta

NASCAR heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway with all three series for a full weekend of competition. The NASCAR XFINITY Series (2 p.m.) and the Camping World Truck Series (4:30 p.m.) races will be televised on FS1 Saturday. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 will be broadcast on FOX at 2:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

The Cup Series event will be comprised of three stages. Stage 1 and 2 will consist of 85 laps each with a final stage of 155 laps (325 laps total).

Jimmie Johnson, the defending race winner, has the most victories at Atlanta among active drivers, with five, and swept the 2015-2016 races. He also has the series-best driver rating of 107.1. Daytona 500 champ, Kurt Busch, won the Atlanta pole last year and has three victories at the 1.54-mile track.

All times are Eastern.

Friday, March 3

On Track:
10-10:55 a.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – FS1
11-11:55 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice – FS1
Noon-1:25 p.m. Cup Series Practice – FS1
1:30-2:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Practice – FS1
2:30-3:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Practice – FS1
3:30-4:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – FS1
4:30-5:25 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FS1
5:45 p.m.: Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
10:15 a.m.: Chase Elliott
10:30 a.m.: Daniel Suarez
10:45 a.m.: Kurt Busch
11:30 a.m.: William Byron
11:45 a.m.: Brandon Jones
2:30 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson
2:45 p.m.: NASCAR announcement
6:30 p.m. (approximately): Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying

Garage Cam: (Watch live)
11:30 a.m.: Cup Series
3 p.m.: XFINITY Series

Saturday, March 4:

On Track:
9:15 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
10:40 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
Noon-1:20 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – FS1
1:30 p.m.: NASCAR RaceDay: XFINITY Series – FS1
2 p.m.: XFINITY Series Rinnai 250 (163 laps, 251.02 miles) – FS1
4:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Active Pest Control 200 (130 laps, 200.02 miles) – FS1
6:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Post-Race Show – FS1

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
4:30 p.m. (approximately): Post-XFINITY Series Race
6:30 p.m. (approximately): Post-Camping World Truck Series Race

Sunday, March 5:

On Track:
12:30 p.m.: NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show – FS1
2 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series FOX Pre-Race Show – FOX
2:30 p.m.: Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (325 laps, 500.05 miles) – FOX

Press Conference: (Watch live)
5:30 p.m. (approximately): Post-Cup Series Race

Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 TV/Radio Coverage:

Broadcast Booth: Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Gordon
Pit Reporters: Jamie Little, Chris Neville, Vince Welch and Matt Yocum
In-Race Analyst: Larry McReynolds
Race / Hollywood Hotel Host: Chris Myers
Analysts / Hollywood Hotel: Jeff Gordon, Darrell and Michael Waltrip
Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN) and SiriusXM Satellite NASCAR Channel 90

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

Complete NASCAR TV Schedule

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Entry List:

[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Atlanta-entry-list-C1702_PREENTNUM.pdf” title=”Atlanta entry list C1702_PREENTNUM”]

March 3, 2017

NASCAR Racing Schedule for Daytona 500

The 2017 season officially begins this weekend as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series compete at Daytona International Speedway for the 59th running of the Daytona 500. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

Chase Elliott won the pole position this past Sunday during qualifying. He will be joined on the front row by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. in second place. The remainder of the field will be set Friday, Feb. 23 in the Can-Am Duels. These twin 60-lap races will determine the field as well as the full lineup for the Daytona 500.

There are 36 Charter teams that are locked into the race, leaving four open spots and six contenders hoping to secure one of those four positions.

Thursday, Feb. 23:

On Track:
Noon-12:55 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – FS1
2-2:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series First Practice – FS1
4-4:55 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FS1
7 p.m.: First Can-Am Duel race (60 laps, 150 miles) – FS1
9 p.m. (approx.): Second Can-Am Duel race (60 laps, 150 miles) – FS1

Garage Cam: (Watch live)
1:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
1:30 p.m.: NASCAR Drive for Diversity
3 p.m.: Denny Hamlin
10 p.m. (approximately): Post-Can-Am Duels Races

Friday, Feb. 24:

On Track:
Noon-12:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series First Practice – FS1
1-1:55 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 Practice – FS1
2-2:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – FS1
3-3:55 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 Practice – FS1
4:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Qualifying (single vehicle/two rounds) – FS1
7:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 (100 laps, 250 miles) – FS1

Garage Cam: (Watch live)
11:30 a.m.: XFINITY Series
12:30 p.m.: Cup Series

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
11 a.m.: Team Penske
11:30 a.m.: Team Chevrolet and owners (Jim Campbell, of Chevrolet, U.S. VP, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports; Richard Childress of Richard Childress Racing; Chip Ganassi of Chip Ganassi Racing; and Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports)
10 p.m. (approximately): Post-Camping World Truck Series Race

Saturday, Feb. 25:

On Track:
10:30 a.m.: XFINITY Series Qualifying (single vehicle/two rounds) – FS1
12:30-1:55 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 Final Practice – FS1
3:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Powershares QQQ 300 (120 laps, 300 miles) – FS1

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
10 a.m.: Ford Performance and team owners (Raj Nair of Ford Performance Executive VP, Product Development and Chief Technical Officer; Roger Penske of Team Penske; Jack Roush of Roush Fenway Racing and Tony Stewart of Stewart-Haas Racing)
12:30 p.m.: Toyota Racing and team owners (Ed Laukes, the VP of marketing, performance and guest experience, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.; Joe Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing; and Barney Visser of Furniture Row Racing
6 p.m. (approximately): Post-XFINITY Series Race

Sunday, Feb. 26:

On Track:
2 p.m.: Daytona 500 (200 laps, 500 miles) – FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Press Conferences: (Watch live)
10:20 a.m.: Honorary Race Official Mario Andretti
10:40 a.m.: USAF Thunderbirds
10:55 a.m.: Daytona 500 Grand Marshal Owen Wilson
11:05 a.m.: Daytona 500 National Anthem Singer Jordin Sparks and Honorary Starter LaDainian Tomlinson
11:30 a.m.: Daytona 500 Pre-Race Performers Lady Antebellum
6:00 p.m. (approximately): Post-Cup Series Race

DUEL 1 LINEUP
STARTING POSITION	DRIVER	TEAM
1.	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports
2.	Brad Keselowski	Team Penske
3.	Martin Truex Jr.	Furniture Row Racing
4.	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing
5.	Matt Kenseth	Joe Gibbs Racing
6.	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs Racing
7.	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Roush Fenway Racing
8.	Daniel Suarez	Joe Gibbs Racing
9.	Joey Logano	Team Penske
10.	Trevor Bayne	Roush Fenway Racing
11.	Paul Menard	Richard Childress Racing
12.	Jamie McMurray	Chip Ganassi Racing
13.	Aric Almirola	Richard Petty Motorsports
14.	Landon Cassill	Front Row Motorsports
15.	Matt DiBenedetto	Go Fas Racing
16.	Chris Buescher	JTG Daugherty Racing
17.	Brendan Gaughan*	Beard Motorsports
18.	Cole Whitt	TriStar Motorsports
19.	Reed Sorenson*	Premium Motorsports
20.	Joey Gase	BK Racing
21.	Corey LaJoie*	BK Racing

DUEL 2 LINEUP
STARTING POSITION	DRIVER	TEAM
1.	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Hendrick Motorsports
2.	Clint Bowyer	Stewart-Haas Racing
3.	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing
4.	Kasey Kahne	Hendrick Motorsports
5.	Ryan Newman	Richard Childress Racing
6.	Ty Dillon	Germain Racing
7.	Jimmie Johnson	Hendrick Motorsports
8.	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi Racing
9.	Ryan Blaney	Wood Brothers Racing
10.	Erik Jones	Furniture Row Racing
11.	Kurt Busch	Stewart-Haas Racing
12.	Danica Patrick	Stewart-Haas Racing
13.	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress Racing
14.	AJ Allmendinger	JTG Daugherty Racing
15.	Michael McDowell	Leavine Family Racing
16.	David Ragan	Front Row Motorsports
17.	Michael Waltrip	Premium Motorsports
18.	Elliott Sadler*	Tommy Baldwin Racing
19.	D.J. Kennington*	Gaunt Brothers Racing
20.	Jeffrey Earnhardt	Circle Sport – The Motorsports Group
21.	Timmy Hill*	Rick Ware Racing

* Non-Charter Teams

February 22, 2017

NASCAR Racing Schedule for Daytona Speedweeks

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series will open the 2017 season at Daytona International Speedway this weekend.

Analyzing The Advanced Auto Parts Clash At Daytona:
Unlike previous years, the starting field for the 2017 Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona will not be a predetermined number of cars; rather, the field is limited to drivers who meet more exclusive criteria. The 2017 Eligible Participants Include:

2016 Coors Light Pole Winners: Greg Biffle, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Carl Edwards, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr.

Former Clash Winners: Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Tony Stewart

Former Daytona 500 Pole Winners: Danica Patrick

2016 Monster Energy Playoff Participants: Chris Buescher, Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray

Breakdown of Clash at Daytona Winners:

Year	Driver	Year	Driver
1979	Buddy Baker	1998	Rusty Wallace
1980	Dale Earnhardt	1999	Mark Martin
1981	Darrell Waltrip	2000	Dale Jarrett
1982	Bobby Allison	2001	Tony Stewart
1983	Neil Bonnett	2002	Tony Stewart
1984	Neil Bonnett	2003	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
1985	Terry Labonte	2004	Dale Jarrett
1986	Dale Earnhardt	2005	Jimmie Johnson
1987	Bill Elliott	2006	Denny Hamlin
1988	Dale Earnhardt	2007	Tony Stewart
1989	Ken Schrader	2008	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
1990	Ken Schrader	2009	Kevin Harvick
1991	Dale Earnhardt	2010	Kevin Harvick
1992	Geoff Bodine	2011	Kurt Busch
1993	Dale Earnhardt	2012	Kyle Busch
1994	Jeff Gordon	2013	Kevin Harvick
1995	Dale Earnhardt	2014	Denny Hamlin
1996	Dale Jarrett	2015	Matt Kenseth
1997	Jeff Gordon	2016	Denny Hamlin

Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

All times are Eastern.

Friday, Feb. 17:

On Track:
5-5:55 p.m.: Cup Series First Practice for The Clash at Daytona – FS1
6:30-7:25 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice for The Clash at Daytona – FS1

Saturday, Feb. 18:

On Track:
11:30 a.m.-3:25 p.m.: Cup Series First Practice – FS1
8 p.m.: Cup Series Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona (75 laps, 187.5 miles) – FS1

Sunday, Feb. 19:

On Track:
3:10 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 Qualifying (single vehicle/two rounds) – FOX

TV Schedule Feb. 13-19

Thursday, Feb. 23:

On Track:
Noon-12:55 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – FS1
2-2:55 p.m.: Truck Series First Practice – FS1
4-4:55 p.m.: Truck Series Final Practice – FS1
7 p.m.: First Can-Am Duel race (60 laps, 150 miles) – FS1
9 p.m.: Second Can-Am Duel race (60 laps, 150 miles) – FS1 (time approx.)

Friday, Feb. 24:

On Track:
Noon-12:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series First Practice – FS1
1-1:55 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 Practice – FS1
2-2:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – FS1
3-3:55 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 Practice – FS1
4:30 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (single vehicle/two rounds), FS1
7:30 p.m.: Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 (100 laps, 250 miles), FS1

Saturday, Feb. 25:

Sunday, Feb. 26:

On Track:
2 p.m.: Daytona 500 (200 laps, 500 miles) – FOX

February 17, 2017

Finley Factor: 2017 Championship Picks

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion: Timothy Peters

Peters’ situation in the Truck Series is one of the most stable in all of NASCAR. Since winning his first race for Red Horse Racing in his first start for the Truck Series team in 2010, he hasn’t missed a single race. Last season was the first time since 2008 that the veteran didn’t find victory lane, but it was statistically his best season since finishing runner-up in points in 2012. Peters made the inaugural Truck Series Chase and the championship four but his ninth in the season finale was behind the other three Truck drivers. Peters has been a model of consistency, with only one points finish outside of the top-five since 2011. The 36-year-old from Virginia is the best Truck series veteran to have never won the series championship- expect that to change in 2017.

NASCAR XFINITY Series Champion: William Byron

With Matt Tifft being the lone full-time JGR Toyota and just about everybody else in the series either being a fellow rookie, a teammate of Byron’s, or in a relatively underfunded ride, Byron has to be the favorite. When it comes to drivers moving teams, Byron’s decision to leave Toyota to go over to Hendrick Motorsports was the surprise of last year’s Silly Season. Byron was dominant last year, winning seven truck races after entering the season with just one career start in the series. He just missed out on making it to the championship four at Homestead but won the race anyway. Byron was so good that NASCAR’s new playoff point structure seems to be structured more to prevent such a dominant driver from being so easily eliminated in the Chase, rather than an answer to Jimmie Johnson’s season last year as some in the media argued.

Of the entire flock of full-time drivers this season in the XFINITY Series, Byron is probably the favorite to win a championship in most people’s eyes and there’s no real argument against that. JR Motorsports does a great job of teaching young drivers, with Brad Keselowski being its first graduate and Chase Elliott being its latest. Byron is even stepping into the same car that Elliott drove to a championship his own rookie year; there’s not a lot to go against Byron with besides “He’s a rookie!” or “He’s never even made a start in the series!”, none of which will matter when we get to Homestead and he’s one of the final four.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion: Erik Jones

I love making risky picks. I picked Kyle Larson to win it all last season; it was a genius pick at Richmond when Larson was red hot entering the Chase and it was a stupid pick at Dover when Larson was one of the first eliminated in the Chase.

This isn’t a risky pick.

Erik Jones is a rookie who will be competitive out of the gate. Erik Jones will win races. Erik Jones will become the first driver to win a championship in their rookie season.

Jones has been fast in everything he’s gotten into. When Kyle Busch went down at Daytona in 2015, it speaks volumes that Gibbs wanted Jones to sub for him on day one but had to wait because he was a Truck Series rookie with little experience running big racetracks.

In three races subbing for Busch in 2015, Jones performed very well for an 18-year-old Truck Series rookie. He was on his way to contending for a win in his very first start at Kansas before spinning out. That’s pure insanity. He won a Truck Series championship that season with an average finish of 6.3, then came up to the XFINITY Series in 2016. Jones had consistency problems but was seemingly unstoppable if the car that week was good-to-great and didn’t lose out on strategy.

Toyota seems to be in the best position of the three manufacturers this season. Ford teams are a huge question mark right now. We don’t know if adding four teams will be too big of a strain on the Roush-Yates engine department and we don’t know if Stewart-Haas Racing is going to be able to just continue being great immediately following the move to the blue oval.

Meanwhile, on the Chevrolet side, Hendrick Motorsports presents the biggest challenge to the Toyota dominance of the series but with possibly only two teams. Dale Earnhardt Jr. might take a while to get back up to speed and there are no real signs that show Kasey Kahne significantly improving this season. Chip Ganassi Racing will be interesting to watch, but Larson may be distracted by contract talks and cars get slower if the driver is leaving after the season. Finally, Richard Childress Racing and its satellite teams are probably a year or two from becoming a race-to-race challenge for the rest of the competition.

Now, this pick has one caveat to it. It’s assuming that Furniture Row Racing will receive the same level of support as it did last season when Martin Truex Jr. basically ran the fifth JGR car. As long as this new second car team is getting the same attention as Truex’s team this year, there’s no reason the No. 77 won’t be running at full speed by Charlotte in May.

Jones should be able to get over his consistency problems. Chris Gayle will be a rookie crew chief to go along with his rookie driver, but he isn’t new to being a crew chief; he won 12 races last season working with a variety of drivers in the No. 18 on route to making it to Homestead in the championship four in owner’s points. JGR crew chiefs who move up to the Cup Series rarely strike out; Gayle might not have Kyle Busch in his car this season but he will have a younger, somewhat similar driver.

Jones has a lot to prove. With William Byron’s dominant season in the Truck Series, Daniel Suarez winning the XFINITY Series championship, and Chase Elliott’s impressive rookie season, Jones will be out to prove himself as the best of the young coup invading NASCAR. He hasn’t proven many people wrong so far.

February 16, 2017