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Tag: Chase Elliott

  • Going Once, Going Twice for Kyle Busch, Nationwide Race Winner

    Going Once, Going Twice for Kyle Busch, Nationwide Race Winner

    On Friday, Kyle Busch won the first of three races at the Monster Mile in the Truck Series and on Saturday, he completed the second race in the Nationwide Series in Victory Lane. This was Busch’s 66th victory in the Series and his third victory in 2014.

    Busch also became the first driver to win both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series races in the same weekend at Dover.

    Busch admitted that he may have to start a new trophy case for all of his Monster Mile trophies, but he also wanted to focus on the ‘big’ trophies not just the little ones.

    “I have two Cup wins, so I have a mom and a dad,” the driver of the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota said. “But I have a lot of kids. I guess I need some aunts and uncles now and not as many kid trophies. We will work on that tomorrow and see if we can’t roll out of here with another one.”

    With the first and second race in the books, Busch turned his thoughts to the possible sweep of the Dover weekend.

    “I’ve got 134 wins now but none of them mean nothing,” Busch said. “A sweep here would rank right up there with the Bristol sweep because of the magnitude of stress put on the body, car and equipment through this race track is right up there.”

    Trevor Bayne, in the No. 6 AdvoCare Ford, gave Busch a run for his money but came up short in the second spot. This was his fifth top-10 finish at Dover and his 10th top-10 finish in 2014.

    “We had to battle hard today but I feel like this is a great start to the summer for us,” Bayne said. “We’ve had some big gains at Dover and this is the best finish I’ve ever had here. This is one of the most competitive cars we’ve had all season.”

    “It was a solid run for our AdvoCare Mustang.”

    Joey Logano, who had scored the pole for the Buckle Up 200 presented by Click It or Ticket, and who was trying to make history with a fifth consecutive win, had to settle for a third place finish in the No. 22 Hertz Ford.

    “It went OK,” Logano said. “We were going for five in a row today so we came up short there.”

    “We didn’t have a good enough start to pass cars on the restarts there,” Logano continued. “My car was just too loose and every time I’d get around someone, I’d get freer and I would be too loose to clear them.”

    “It’s kind of frustrating but unfortunately all good things must come to an end,” Logano said. “Hopefully we will get it done in the fall and sit in the same place again.”

    Logano did, however, take some solace in his pole run, scoring his Nationwide pole with a lap of 23.155 seconds and at 155.474 miles per hour. He was also extremely proud that his Penske teammates scored poles as well, with Brad Keselowski on the Cup pole and Helio Castroneves on the Indy pole.

    “It’s frustrating that we didn’t carry the flag for the racing but to have all three series with Penske at the front is pretty cool,” Logano said. “I don’t know if we’ve done that before or not but definitely a great way to have started the weekend.”

    Although Chase Elliott was the highest finishing rookie in fifth, he was most dejected in the media center after the race.

    “It’s a little frustrating,” the driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet said. “Kyle just did a better job getting out front and we didn’t. We will get better for the fall race again when it really counts.”

    “These cars are so close,” Elliott continued. “I don’t think Kyle had a better car than we do but I just think he did a better job than I did today. That’s when I get mad at myself because I know I can do better. We just have to regroup and fine tune before we get back here.”

    “We’ve got to keep performing better than we did today.”

    The unofficial race results for the 33rd annual Buckle Up 200 presented by Click It or Ticket are as follows:

    1 Kyle Busch Monster Energy Toyota

    2 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford

    3 Joey Logano Hertz Ford

    4 Matt Kenseth Resers Toyota

    5 Chase Elliott# NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet

    6 Kyle Larson Target Ticket Chevrolet

    7 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet

    8 Ty Dillon# Bulwark/Airgas Chevrolet

    9 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Toyota

    10 Regan Smith Breyers Chevrolet

    11 Chris Buescher# Ford EcoBoost Ford

    12 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet

    13 Ryan Sieg# RSS Racing Chevrolet

    14 Landon Cassill Meding’s Seafood Chevrolet

    15 James Buescher Rheem Toyota

    16 Dakoda Armstrong# WinField Ford

    17 Joe Nemechek Herbal Mist Tea’s Toyota

    18 Jeff Green Hefty Ultimate/Reynolds Wrap Toyota

    19 Paulie Harraka Buckle Up Toyota

    20 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet

    21 Timmy Hill Lilly Trucking Chevrolet

    22 Mike Bliss TriStar Motorsports Toyota

    23 Joey Gase Chevrolet

    24 Derrike Cope Youtheory Chevrolet

    25 Josh Reaume JGL Racing Dodge

    26 Dylan Kwasniewski# Rockstar Chevrolet

    27 Ryan Reed# ADADrivetoStopDiabetesbyLillyDiabetes Ford

    28 JJ Yeley JGL Racing Dodge

    29 Tanner Berryhill# NationalCashLenders.com Dodge

    30 Jeffrey Earnhardt teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet

    31 Cale Conley IAVA Chevrolet

    32 Mike Harmon The 30 Days Foundation Dodge

    33 Josh Wise Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet

    34 Carl Long Headrush Toyota

    35 Tommy Joe Martins# Dodge

    36 Todd Bodine Chevrolet

    37 Morgan Shepherd King’s Tire Chevrolet

    38 Ryan Ellis RWR Chevrolet

    39 Matt Dibenedetto Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet

    40 Blake Koch Supportmilitary.org Toyota

     

  • Regan Smith Yearning For More at JR Motorsports

    Regan Smith Yearning For More at JR Motorsports

    Regan Smith, following a seventh place finish in the History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, expressed disappointment with his JR Motorsports organization despite being the NASCAR Nationwide Series points leader entering the summer months.

    Smith, who won earlier this season in the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway, was irritated with his team’s failure to adjust the car’s tight-in condition, which loomed over him all race.

    “Our race today (at Charlotte) was relatively uneventful,” Smith explained during the post-race press conference. “We were tight-in all day long, I don’t think I’ve had a car (that was) tight-in in about five or six years. So, as good as it felt off my tongue to say tight into the corner, I got kind of aggravated with having to say tight-in.”

    Failure to adjust the tight-in problem wasn’t the only circumstance that aggravated Smith; he also was annoyed with the team’s continuous inability to make the car faster.

    “Every time we tried to work on it, it just kept getting the back out of the racetrack on exit and it would slow us down,” Smith added. “So, whatever it was, we’ll have to go back to the shop and look at it and decide what we can do different coming back here in the fall when the speeds are up a little bit more to fix that.”

    Smith, though, did give credit to his team on a solid run; however, he longed to have a better car on short runs as he lost the majority of his positions on fresh tires.

    “But, nonetheless, a solid day, if we could’ve started runs 20 laps in on tires and run from that point on I felt like we were  as good as anybody out there,” Smith further commented.  “We just gave up too much in the first 20-laps and that was pretty much the story of our day.”

    Chase Elliott, victor at Darlington Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway, felt his team (JR Motorsports) made little gains during the weekend, leading Smith to further remarks about his team’s performance.

    “Not really,” Smith said after being asked whether he thought his team gained upon their Charlotte program. “I thought we unloaded pretty good, I just felt like we fought the same stuff all weekend long, (especially) with corner entry.”

    “We struggled with all three cars,” he continued. “It just seemed like we were a bit off with all three cars and that’s rare, our cars have been unbelievable this season (though).”

    Smith ended his media center appearance with positive mentions, explaining the team needed to think about the good rather than the bad from this weekend.

    “I think we need to take the positive from this weekend, which is we know we have to work a little bit harder, we have to change some things up,” Smith said. “We are expanding our database, and I guarantee we won’t come back to (Charlotte) and have the same problem twice.”

  • The History 300 is History, Larson Comes Out on Top

    The History 300 is History, Larson Comes Out on Top

    Kyle Larson ran the entire 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series season without a win but he now has two in 2014. Larson scored his first career win at California in March and he backed that up Saturday with an impressive win at Charlotte in the History 300.

    Though he now competes full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he also still competes in most of the Nationwide Series events. The 2014 season has been much better for Larson.

    Larson led 82 laps en route to victory. Larson only led 102 laps for the entire 2013 season. Saturday’s win also gave him nine top-10 finishes in just ten starts.

    “It was nice looking in the rear-view mirror and seeing them get smaller and smaller each lap. It’s not very often that you see the 22 and the 54 get smaller in your mirror. So it just shows how great of a car we had. The pit crew did an awesome job every stop we had. We had a great green-flag stop too, so hats off to everyone on the team for making this win possible,” Larson said.

    Kyle Busch, who often seems unbeatable in the Nationwide Series, dominated practices, qualifying and the early portion of the race leading the first 25 laps. After an early yellow for a spin in turn two, Busch’s car just was not the same. When the No. 54 was in dirty air, the handling just wasn’t the same.

    Busch was asked about the handling problem after the race, “Just been wrecking loose the whole race – just lucky to finish I guess. The Monster Energy Camry was okay – fell back to sixth or seventh at one point, but was able to rally back,” he said.

    After Busch faded, Matt Kenseth took his turn out front. Kenseth was the car to beat for the next 55 laps until Brad Keselowski challenged him for the top spot. Keselowski was at the helm for a 21 lap stint, then came Larson.

    Kenseth talked about how the handing of the car changed during the race, “I honestly have no idea. We were pretty comfortable and just got a little off. Then we just got real loose and not sure what happened or what we adjusted after that, but it seemed like we probably under-adjusted and the track got away from us.”

    Larson put his No. 42 ENEOS Chevrolet out front for the next 26 laps. A late race yellow gave veterans, Keselowski and Busch, a chance to catch Larson. Larson, however, was too strong. He held the lead and didn’t look back. Keselowski, when asked about Larson responded, “He had a fast car. That’s the reality of it. He had a fast car that was very versatile and could run the top and the bottom. That’s what you dream of as a driver.”

    Keselowski ended up second, with Busch in third place. Kevin Harvick and Brian Scott rounded out the top-five.

    Chase Elliott came into the History 300 with the series points lead. A broken right front suspension part sent him into the outside retaining wall and to the garage for repairs. Elliott ended the day 26 laps down in 37th position. He now sits third in the points, 28 points out of the lead.

    Regan Smith, who finished seventh, now leads the series points standings, followed by Elliott Sadler.

    The Nationwide series now heads to Dover International Speedway on Saturday May 31, for the Buckle Up 200 presented by Click It or Ticket.

  • Elliott’s Impressive Season Continues at Charlotte

    Elliott’s Impressive Season Continues at Charlotte

    NASCAR Nationwide Series rookie contender, Chase Elliott, continues to impress at Charlotte Motor Speedway for this weekend’s History 300. Elliott, who drives the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, turned in a lap of 178.330 mph to lead final practice for the Nationwide Series on Thursday.

    The second generation Georgia driver is in the midst of one of the most impressive rookie seasons in quite some time. In just ten starts, Elliott has accumulated two wins, five top-five’s and eight top-10’s, stats that even a seasoned series veteran would envy. To cap off his impressive season stats, he is also the current series points leader. Not a bad start for a driver who is seeing most of these tracks for the first time in a Nationwide Series car.

    Elliott’s first win came at Texas Motor Speedway. He followed that up the very next week at one of NASCAR’s toughest and most difficult tracks – Darlington Raceway, where he waged a fantastic battle with Kyle Larson, who is currently competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The two battled hard and tight, with Larson bouncing off the wall several times as he tried to hold off a hard charging Elliott.

    In a late race yellow, Elliott lost several spots in the pits relegating him to sixth place for the restart, giving him a seemingly insurmountable task with only a green – white – checkered finish left to settle the race to victory lane. Elliott did not waiver. He charged to the front passing Elliott Sadler to score his second victory of the season.

    The Elliott family has plenty to be proud of this week. In addition to the fantastic season Chase has had, it was announced earlier this week that his Father, Bill Elliott, will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. A fitting honor to a great competitor and ambassador for the sport.

    It appears that Chase is following in his father’s footsteps both on track and off. He has a great personality and positive attitude. Those traits coupled with his obvious talent, is a recipe for long term success in NASCAR.

  • Sam Hornish Jr. Wins Decisive Victory at Iowa Speedway

    Sam Hornish Jr. Wins Decisive Victory at Iowa Speedway

    Sam Hornish Jr. claimed his third career Nationwide Series victory in 101 starts at Iowa Speedway. The turning point came on a restart with 21 laps to go when Hornish pulled ahead of Ryan Blaney to take the lead.

    Blaney, who won the pole, and Sam Hornish Jr. who started on the outside pole, had the two fastest cars heading into the Get to Know Newton 250 at Iowa. But in the end, Blaney was no match for Hornish Jr. who led 167 of 250 laps.

    Hornish, driving the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on a part-time schedule was elated with the result.

    “I’m so blessed and thankful that this opportunity came around,” he said. “I was really hoping and praying that I got something good to get into. It’s pretty darn awesome.” Hornish continued saying, I thank God that I got a great opportunity and I got really good people around me and really good people in my life.”

    Hornish will run five more races for JGR this season and in the meantime is taking advantage of his part-time schedule to spend quality time with his wife Crystal and their children.

    “She wanted two kids, I wanted more than that and we’re at three now,” Hornish said. “So I’ve got to be there to help out. I look at it as, each time I get in the race car is a blessing, but on the same hand, each day I get to be at home and do things with them — I think yesterday, my three-year-old cut a big hole in her mom’s shirt, so I was glad I wasn’t at home. But on the same thing, I know that those are moments that you don’t get back.”

    Blaney gave Hornish a run for his money, leading 80 laps in his Team Penske Ford, but his car was strongest on long runs and Blaney simply ran out of time.

    “I felt like if we had maybe 15 more laps I might have been able to get to him, but it would be tough to get around him,” he explained. “But like I said, we just needed to have a little more short-run speed and we might have had something.”

    Regan Smith finished third followed by Chase Elliott in fourth and Elliott Sadler in fifth place. Chase Elliott retains the series points lead by two points over Elliott Sadler and Regan Smith.

    The next stop for the Nationwide Series is May 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the History 300 race.

     

     

  • The Final Word – The Southern 500 featured SHR’s good, their bad, their ugly…and their boss

    The Final Word – The Southern 500 featured SHR’s good, their bad, their ugly…and their boss

    There is a reason we read the entire book, rather than rely totally on the CliffsNotes version. For example, the shortened description of Saturday night’s Southern 500 action at Darlington would read that Kevin Harvick dominated and went on to win his second of the season. That would be correct, yet it misses the fact Jeff Gordon had a shot, then Dale Earnhardt Jr had an opportunity, before Harvick charged ahead on fresh tires in the green-white-checker to run away with it in the end.

    It has been feast or famine for Harvick in the opening eight. He won at Phoenix and Darlington, was 13th at Daytona and 7th at Martinsville. Then there are the four races where he wound up beyond 35th. At least in a season where Stewart-Haas drivers have had their share of adversity on-track, he has given some hope, even if it proceeded a feeling of hopelessness. He has been damned good in all, a force to be reckoned with in each, but too often some part fails and the day goes for naught.  Saturday was not one of those days.

    If not for Harvick, we would be telling tales of woe regarding his team mate Kurt Busch. He did have one of those days on Saturday night, when he crashed out in 31st, a week after crashing out in 35th in Texas. A bad engine left him 39th at Phoenix, and when he clipped his brother at Bristol, once again 35th was his fate. Still, he has that win and that is going to mean a lot over the next few months.

    The CliffsNotes might have missed that little factoid, along with just how ornery that Lady in Black proved to be, especially to the rookie class. Both stand-out rookies Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon clobbered the fence coming off turn two, yet did finish 8th and 11th respectively…and respectfully.  

    When measuring the Danica Line, 25th or better usually finds one sitting ahead of her on the track. Not so on Saturday, when the third member of SHR finished 22nd. Of the other newcomers at Darlington, only the 23rd place of Justin Allgaier came close. Still, you have to show some respect to the other boys and their teams who are out there to race, to learn, to grow, to compete, and not just there to start and park and collect some undeserved cash.  Of the 43 who ran, maybe one might have exited early due to having a bad hair day.

    As for the driver in the owner’s seat, just where did Tony Stewart come from last weekend? Most of the night, he was trailing Danica, for goodness sake, but at the line Stewart recorded a Top Ten. How in blazes did that happen?  Fortuitous and smart pit strategy brought him back from the dead.

    Among those who do not get to hang with Gene Haas, Earnhardt and Gordon finished 2nd and 3rd, while Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Jimmie Johnson all had Top Ten days to remain high on the charts. Carl Edwards is still the best among single race winners, and he came home 13th.

    It burns me that the Nationwide series is still a showcase for five or six Cup guys, but I am pleased to see they are now joined by Chase Elliott. Bill’s boy won his second straight when the series regular won at Darlington to lead the over-all standings. Elliott Sadler (2nd), Regan Smith (8th), Trevor Bayne (9th), and Ty Dillon (10th) also finished strong among the relevant performers.

    If wins are the thing, then Harvick takes over the top spot in the Cup standings, while Gordon and Kenseth remain the best among those who have yet to shake up the bubbly post-race as we take the week off for Easter. A fellow might even have time to read a full sized book this weekend. Any suggestions?

     

    Driver

    Races

    Wins

    Points

    1

      Kevin Harvick

    8

    2

    186

    2

      Carl Edwards

    8

    1

    278

    3

      Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    8

    1

    271

    4

      Kyle Busch

    8

    1

    269

    5

      Brad Keselowski

    8

    1

    246

    6

      Joey Logano

    8

    1

    245

    7

      Kurt Busch

    8

    1

    164

    8

      Jeff Gordon

    8

    0

    297

    9

      Matt Kenseth

    8

    0

    296

    10

      Jimmie Johnson

    8

    0

    270

    11

      Ryan Newman

    8

    0

    236

    12

      Austin Dillon

    8

    0

    235

    13

      Greg Biffle

    8

    0

    227

    14

      Brian Vickers

    8

    0

    224

    15

      Tony Stewart

    8

    0

    224

    16

      Denny Hamlin

    7

    0

    223

    17

      Kyle Larson

    8

    0

    223

    31

      Reed Sorenson

    8

    0

    118
  • Darlington Raceway Rewind

    Darlington Raceway Rewind

    There’s nothing like a weekend at Darlington Raceway to remind you why you love racing. The excitement begins to build as you drive through the tunnel. As you step out of your car and gaze out at the grandstands, your mind begins to fill with the memories of all that has gone before and the anticipation of things to come.

    Will a first time winner be crowned? Will records be broken? Whose dreams will come true and whose hopes will be crushed?

    A look back at some of the highlights from another historic racing weekend at Darlington:

    Nationwide Series:

    Kyle Busch scored his 37th career Nationwide Series pole and with 65 wins in the series was a serious contender for the win in the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 race. But the “Lady in Black had other plans and he had to settle for a fourth place finish.”

    Chase Elliott made it look easy Friday night winning in his first start at Darlington. He also etched his name in the record books becoming:

    • The youngest driver to win two NASCAR Nationwide Series races at 18 years, 4 months and 14 days.
    • The youngest driver to win a Nationwide Series race at Darlington
    • The youngest driver to lead the series point standings.
    • The fourth driver to win in his first start at Darlington. Johnny Mantz did so in 1950, Herb Thomas in 1951 and Dick Rathmann in 1952.

    He now has two wins in only seven starts in the series but if you listen to team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. the best is yet to come.

    “He has amazing car control. We saw that on several occasions out there tonight.” Earnhardt continued saying, “He’s got a great level head, good character and nothing really rattles him. So when it came down to the end there and it was time to really get after it, he kept his composure and did what he needed to do to make it work. That’s going to be tough to contend with for many years. I’d like to think that we’re going to hang on to him for a little bit and try to get him ready for the next level but he’s ahead of schedule.”

    Sprint Cup:

    Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson gave the crowd an electrifying finish at the Bojangles’ Southern 500 Saturday night as Harvick grabbed his second victory of the season in a green-white-checkered finish. He became the first driver to capture two wins this season which virtually assures him a place in the Sprint Cup Chase.

    Harvick waxed poetic as he talked about the allure of Darlington.

    “You’ve got to love it, gray racetracks”, he said. “You can almost see the sparkle of the rocks coming out in the asphalt. That’s so exciting. Maybe we need to spread the South Carolina sand on Kansas and Charlotte and all these other racetracks that haven’t aged as fast as this one. When you start to see that gray and you start to see the seams and you can see the sparkle of the small rocks in the asphalt, it just makes it fun. Darlington is what it was supposed to be tonight, the cars slipping and sliding and bouncing off the walls and hard to drive something, I don’t know.”

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second for the third time this season and Jimmie Johnson saw another race win slip away.

    Earnhardt was clearly disappointed that he came up short but proud of the effort.

    “It’s a little disappointing,” he admitted, “to come that close because I know I don’t really run that well here and the opportunities to win are going to be very few compared to other tracks. It hurts a little bit to come that close because we worked so hard to try to win races. Running second is great but nobody is going to really remember that. But we’re proud of it. ”

    Johnson said that moving forward, their efforts would be focused on “unloading closer.” He explained, “We seem to find a way come race time to get a good finish and honestly have a shot to win some races. But showing up at the track a little bit closer is key for us. We’re really just trying to get a grasp on these rules, and we go home with what we’ve learned from a previous race, bring a new mousetrap, and unfortunately we’ve had to continue to work on it each week. That’s really our goal is to show up closer.”

    2015 and Beyond:

    Darlington Raceway continues to cement its place in NASCAR history and promises to deliver more with plans to “honor the track’s history and shape its future.”

    As part of the celebration, Bill and Chase Elliott were introduced Saturday as the “face” of the program. Track president Chip Wile, along with Bill and Chase, talked about future plans which will include a retro ticket design for the 2015 Bojangles’ Southern 500 and a Classic merchandise product line that will focus on previous decades and will be available for purchase.

    Wile encouraged fans to share their stories saying “We have the most passionate, loyal fans in all of motorsports and we look forward to the role they will play as we celebrate our past, present and future.”

    If you have a story to share or an idea on how to celebrate the history of Darlington and NASCAR, you can send an Email to mailto:darlington1950@darlingtonraceway.com.

    As I left the track and made my way home, my only regret was that it would be another year before I could reunite with old friends and make new memories together at “The Track Too Tough To Tame.”

  • Kyle Busch wins the Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Award at Darlington Raceway

    Kyle Busch wins the Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Award at Darlington Raceway

    After posting fast speeds in all three rounds, Kyle Busch went to the top of the leaderboard in Round 3 of Knockout Qualifying to score his 37th pole in 277 NASCAR Nationwide Series races. He posted a lap speed of 173.681 mph. It is his third pole in ten races at Darlington Raceway.

    Chase Elliott will start on the outside pole position in his debut at “The Track Too Tough To Tame” and scores his fourth top-10 start this season. He also has the distinction of being the fastest qualifying rookie.

    Matt Kenseth will begin third, marking his seventh top-10 in seven races this season. Kevin Harvick will start fourth followed by Ty Dillon in fifth. Chris Buescher, Brian Scott, Regan Smith, Elliott Sadler and Trevor Bayne qualified in positions six through 10, respectively.

    Of special note, all three JR Motorsports cars qualified in the top-10. Kyle Larson spun out during qualifying, hitting the wall and will most likely have to go to a backup car for the race.

    Busch will lead the field to green in the 32nd annual VFW Sports Clips Help a Hero 200 Friday evening. The race coverage will be broadcast on ESPN2 beginning at 7:30 p.m.

    Complete NASCAR Nationwide Series Starting Lineup – Darlington Raceway

    1.  Kyle Busch

    2.  Chase Elliott

    3.  Matt Kenseth

    4.  Kevin Harvick

    5.  Ty Dillon

    6.  Chris Buescher

    7.  Brian Scott

    8.  Regan Smith

    9.  Elliott Sadler

    10. Trevor Bayne

    11. Cale Conley

    12. Kyle Larson

    13. Bendan Gaughan

    14. Ryan Sieg

    15. Joey Logano

    16. Landon Cassill

    17. Dylan Kwasniewski

    18. Ryan Reed

    19. Josh Wise

    20. Mike Bliss

    21. Jeremy Clements

    22. James Buescher

    23. JJ Yeley

    24. David Starr

    25. Dakoda Armstrong

    26. Jeffrey Earnhardt

    27. Mike Wallace

    28. Tanner Berryhill

    29. Todd Bodine

    30. Eric McClure

    31. Kevin LePage

    32. Joey Gase

    33. Matt Dibenedetto

    34. Tommy Joe Martins

    35. Derrike Cope

    36. Carlos Contreras

    37. Matt Carter

    38. Jeff Green

    39. Mike Harmon

    40. Blake Koch

     

  • The Earnhardt Legacy Continues to Evolve

    The Earnhardt Legacy Continues to Evolve

    With Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway, thoughts of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and his legacy on the sport of NASCAR are only natural.

    Yet, in spite of his being gone for thirteen years now, with his fatal crash in the Daytona 500 in 2001, his legacy continues to not only live on but evolve significantly.

    One of the biggest evolutions in the legacy of Dale Earnhardt Sr. is of course the return of his infamous No. 3 car to the track with Richard Childress’ grandson Austin Dillon behind the wheel.

    Both Childress and Dillon were most mindful of their impact on the Earnhardt legacy as they made the announcement prior to the start of the season.

    “I know in my heart, today, as I sit here, Dale Earnhardt is smiling down,” Childress said. “He would want to see this 3.”

    Childress also stated that he believes the return of the No. 3 car actually will serve to preserve the legacy of his friend ‘The Intimidator’ and will provide teachable moments about his place in the sport to new and the new and up and coming fan base.

    “My hope is that Dale Earnhardt fans will be re-energized,” Childress said. “We are going to do our best to make them proud and I know Austin will.”

    “I think the new fans will learn a lot about the great Dale Earnhardt by watching this.”

    Indeed, the No. 3 car has indeed been the talk of the town during preseason testing, atop the speed charts at 195.109 mph when the rain finally stopped enough for the Cup cars to take the track.

    An additional evolution in the Earnhardt legacy occurred this week with the announcement of the dropping of the Earnhardt name from the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates banner.

    While Dale Earnhardt’s widow Teresa Earnhardt has not been involved in the ongoing operations of the team, it is unclear what, if any, her role is moving forward.

    “It’s been an honor to have the Earnhardt name affiliated with our team,” Chip Ganassi Racing President Steve Lauletta said. “Dale and Teresa have done a tremendous amount for the sport.”

    “We’ll continue to do business with those (DEI) companies,” Lauletta continued. “The relationship with Teresa and DEI was a benefit to the organization and we certainly want to continue to be affiliated with them.”

    “But for our partners and for the way we operate the organization, we’re changing the brand to Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.”

    While the Earnhardt name may be going away at the Cup level, the legacy continues on with another team that is affiliated with that famous moniker, JR Motorsports.

    This team, headed by General Manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller, daughter of Dale Earnhardt, Sr., recently announced their new up and coming driver Chase Elliott. The 18 year old will be behind the wheel of the No. 9 NAPA car in the Nationwide Series and will team with Regan Smith.

    “This will be the strongest lineup we’ve put on the track since we started racing full time in 2006,” JRM General Manger Kelley Earnhardt Miller said. “He’s that good.”

    Another major evolution in the Earnhardt legacy occurred this week as well, with the announcement that NASCAR’s most popular driver and reigning Earnhardt heir Dale Junior will be losing his crew chief Steve Letarte in 2015.

    NBC Sports made it official that Letarte will be joining the network in the broadcast booth, leaving the pit box of Earnhardt Jr. after this season.

    “I had a pretty good understanding what his decision was going to be when I left Homestead, so I’ve had time to really wrap my brain around it,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It was a huge shock at first, just for me personally.”

    “I sat down with him and talked about it, the more it made sense and the more I understood his situation and I could put my own selfishness aside and kind of understand what was important to him and how this was good for him.”

    While Dale Earnhardt Jr. is experiencing his own changes, the next generation of Earnhardts are experiencing their own evolutions on the track.

    Jeffrey Earnhardt, grandson of Dale Earnhardt Sr., announced this week that he will be racing full-time in the Nationwide Series. The 24 year old driver will be behind the wheel of the No. 4 Chevrolet, teaming up with Landon Cassill, for JD Motorsports.

    “It’s a great opportunity for me,” Jeffrey Earnhardt said. “This sport runs in my family, and it’s where I want to be every week.”

    “Racing with Johnny and Gary and the guys will give me a shot at running well every week and adding on the experience I need.”

    The final cog in the Earnhardt legacy evolution is another grandchild, however, this one is female. Twelve year old Karsyn Elledge, daughter of Kelley Earnhardt Miller, has been making her own name in the sport, racing her grandfather’s No. 3 in sprint cars with sponsor Nickelodeon.

    “I didn’t get to meet him, but I know that it makes my mom and my dad proud that I run this number,” Earnhardt Elledge said. “I’ve only heard how great it was with this number and this legacy and I am excited to carry it on.”

    Perhaps Dale Earnhardt Jr. summed up the evolution of the Earnhardt legacy best, as he discussed the changes in his own professional career including his crew chief.

    “Life is full of change,” Junior said. “And we have to adjust and be able to move forward.”

  • TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: NAPA’s return to NASCAR is good for all involved

    TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: NAPA’s return to NASCAR is good for all involved

    The recent announcement that said NAPA Auto Parts was the new primary sponsor for rookie driver Chase Elliott and his new ride for JR Motorsports, in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this year, is a win-win situation for all involved.

    First off, NAPA’s marketing division will be doing business with a group of very prominent individuals. Chase Elliott is already recognized as an up and coming future star in NASCAR racing. He’ll also be receiving advice from his father, and a true mentor, NASCAR champion Bill Elliott. Then there’s the matter of the very high profile principal ownership of JR Motorsports, also participating in this new racing partnership. That would be Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kelley Earnhardt-Miller and Rick Hendrick.

    Also of very noteworthy interest is the fact that NAPA will be making another investment in one of NASCAR’s big three national touring series for the 19th consecutive season. More than 85 years ago NAPA, the National Auto Parts Association, was created to meet America’s growing need for an effective auto parts distribution. There are now over 6,100 NAPA stores nationwide serviced by 64 strategically located distribution centers serving all 50 states.

    Over the years, NAPA used motorsports as a means to promote their stores. The impact was both immediate and rewarding. This is especially true of their marketing campaigns in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the National Hot Rod Association. From these two racing formats came the outstanding, and well remembered, “NAPA know how” ads. NAPA also plays a prominent role in regional racing series, local race tracks, and the teams that race there, as well as sponsoring race purses. NAPA and motorsports was a marketing match made in heaven from the very beginning.

    Those well planned marketing matches certainly included Michael Waltrip Racing, (MWR). NAPA signed on with Michael Waltrip’s brand new Sprint Cup Series operation from the very beginning. Unfortunately, that marketing match up hit a major speed bump in September of 2013 at the conclusion of the race in Richmond, Va. Richmond was the final race of the regular season and, of greater importance, the event that determined NASCAR’s official 12 team lineup for the 2013 Chase For The Sprint Cup Championship.

    The aftermath of this event has been well documented. Sadly, it became the story of the 2013 season. MWR was accused by NASCAR of manipulating the outcome of the race. The result was heavy fines, suspensions and the loss of driver and owner championship points. The loss of the points hit MWR the hardest because it eliminated MWR driver Martin Truex Jr. and his NAPA Toyota, from the Chase lineup.

    Needless to say, the negative publicity from this situation was huge and NAPA was incensed over being caught up in the fall out. In the days that followed the Richmond race, Gaylord Spencer, NAPA Vice President of Marketing Strategy, issued the following press release.

    “NAPA announced today that, after due consideration, it has decided to end its sponsorship arrangement with Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) effective December 31, 2013. As many of you are aware, NASCAR determined that MWR attempted to manipulate race results at Richmond, Virginia, on September 7, 2013. NASCAR assessed a large fine, deducted 50 points from each of the three MWR drivers in the race and suspended or banned other members of the MWR team.

    NAPA believes in fair play and we are very disappointed in the actions that led to the NASCAR penalties. We have made NAPA’s decision known to MWR and posted a statement on our Facebook page. There will be significant media coverage and discussion among racing fans and we expect that our decision to terminate our sponsorship will generate additional attention. The decision was difficult, but we believe it is the right thing to do.

    We appreciate in advance your support of our marketing efforts. We will continue to evaluate our future position as it relates to motorsports.”

    Waltrip said he was disappointed in the decision that concluded a long running marketing partnership with NAPA and expressed gratitude for the many years the two companies worked together. At the same time he maintained that MWR in no way devised a master plan to manipulate the Richmond race adding he “was not overly surprised by NAPA’s decision.”

    Essentially what all of this meant was one of the most lucrative sponsorship programs in NASCAR racing was now suddenly available. NAPA officials also found themselves in the unfamiliar position of being a hot topic in the rumor festival known as “the silly season.” Traditionally the focus of NASCAR’s silly season is largely aimed at drivers who may, or may not, be seeking a new ride. Very often high profile crew chiefs are also caught up in the silly season as well.

    However, it’s very rare for a sponsor to find themselves riding this rumor cycle. Some of the silly season rumors that involved NAPA included the following:

    NAPA officials reportedly said they would not be sponsoring any NASCAR teams this year and would be spending the 2014 season rethinking their sponsorship and marketing plans.

    NAPA had made it clear they were not interested in sponsoring a team from NASCAR’s Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series.

    In the latter part of the 2013 season, it was announced that Nationwide Insurance would not be returning as the title sponsor for NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. The silly season indicated that NAPA had been approached to take over this title sponsorship which they reportedly declined.

    There was a rumor that claimed a NAPA official said the company only wanted to sponsor a NASCAR Sprint Cup team for a full year. That led to an additional rumor that said NAPA was considering following former MWR driver Martin Truex Jr. whom they really liked, to his new ride in the No. 78 Furniture Row Motorsports Chevrolet.

    In mid November came a rumor of a meeting between NAPA officials, Rick Hendrick and Kelley Earnhardt Miller along with Chase and Bill Elliot at the company’s Atlanta, Ga. headquarters. This rumor died on the silly season grapevine due to an overall lack of follow up.

    Oddly enough, this was the one NAPA related silly season story that turned out to be true. The result of that meeting led to the following January 6th press release from JR Motorsports.

    “Chase Elliott will compete full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports starting in 2014 and do so with NAPA AUTO PARTS as his full-season primary sponsor. With Elliott as its driver, the 2014 season will mark NAPA’s 19th year in NASCAR sponsorship.”

    NAPA headquarters is in Atlanta, Ga., just a short distance from Elliott’ s hometown of Dawsonville, Ga.

    “NAPA is pleased to continue its long standing involvement in NASCAR, the most popular form of motorsports in the United States supported by its many loyal and passionate fans,” commented Dan Askey, President of NAPA. “Equally, we are proud to form this new partnership with JR Motorsports. Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Rick Hendrick and its many employees have developed one of the premier teams in the Nationwide Series. Chase Elliott is a young and talented future star in the sport and will represent NAPA well both on and off the track. We welcome Chase and the entire JR Motorsports organization to the NAPA Family.”

    Elliott will carry the No.9 on his NAPA Chevy, the same number his father, legendary racer Bill Elliott, carried for much of his storied career that included the 1988 Sprint Cup Series championship. The 2014 season will mark the younger Elliott’s NASCAR Nationwide Series debut. He turned 18 on Nov. 28, becoming eligible for competition.

    “This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Chase Elliott said. “My family and I are still trying to believe it all. I couldn’ t ask to be partnered with anyone better than Dale Jr., Kelley and Mr. Hendrick, along with all of the people at their organizations who have put in countless hours to pull this together.”

    Again, this is a potential win-win for all parties involved. A tip of the racing hat goes to everyone who played a role in putting this lucrative marketing plan together and thank you NAPA Auto Parts for your years of supporting racing from the local to the national level.