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Tag: Dale Jarrett

  • Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 to reach 1,000 starts at the Roval

    Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 to reach 1,000 starts at the Roval

    A significant milestone is in the making for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 car in the NASCAR Cup Series, currently driven by two-time reigning series champion Kyle Busch. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Cup event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course for the Bank of America Roval 400, the No. 18 car competing under the JGR banner will reach 1,000 starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    The No. 18 car serves as the first car fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR when the team made its debut in the 1992 Daytona 500 led by Washington Football Team head coach Joe Gibbs. By then, Interstate Batteries was sponsoring the car while Dale Jarrett, a second-generation competitor from Hickory, North Carolina, was serving as the team’s first competitor. Jarrett and the No. 18 team achieved two top-five results and eight top-10 results throughout the 29-race schedule before finishing the team’s first season in 19th place.

    The following season, Jarrett and the No. 18 Interstate Batteries car opened the season in style by winning the season-opening Daytona 500 as Jarrett recorded the first NASCAR win for Joe Gibbs Racing. Jarrett went on to record a total of 13 top-five results and 18 top-10 results before he finished in fourth place in the final standings. In 1994, Jarrett won at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October and he notched four top-five results and nine top-10 results in 30 of the 31-race schedule, where he did not make the field at North Wilkesboro Speedway in October, before he concluded the season in 16th place in the final standings.

    Following the 1994 season, Jarrett moved to Robert Yates Racing while Terry Labonte, the younger brother of the 1984 Cup champion Terry Labonte, took over as driver of JGR’s No. 18 Interstate Batteries car for the 1995 Cup season. Eleven races into the season, Labonte scored his first Cup career win in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May and he became the second competitor to win in NASCAR’s premier series for JGR. Ironically, JGR’s No. 18 car made its 100th Cup career start when Labonte won his first career race at Charlotte.

    Ultimately, Labonte achieved two additional victories throughout the 1995 season: Michigan International Speedway in June and again at Michigan in August. He also achieved two poles, seven top-five results and 14 top-10 results before he concluded the season in 10th place in the final standings.

    From 1996 to 1998, Labonte and the No. 18 team won a total of four races and racked up 25 top-five results and 50 top-10 results, with Labonte’s best final result in the standings being a sixth-place result in 1998. By then, JGR’s No. 18 car surpassed 200 Cup starts. After winning five races and concluding the 1999 season in second place in the final standings behind Jarrett, Labonte and the No. 18 team notched four victories, 19 top-five results and 24 top-10 results before claiming the 2000 NASCAR Cup championship by 265 points over Dale Earnhardt. The championship was a first for both Labonte and Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR. 

    In 2001, Labonte and the No. 18 team were unable to defend their title after winning only two races, recording 20 top-10 results and concluding the season in sixth place in the final standings. By then, JGR’s No. 18 car surpassed 300 Cup starts. The following season, Labonte and the No. 18 team recorded only one victory throughout the 36-race schedule before finishing the season in 16th place in the final standings. By then, Joe Gibbs Racing achieved its second Cup championship with Tony Stewart and the No. 20 Home Depot team.

    In 2003, Labonte and the No. 18 team rallied by winning twice throughout the 36-race schedule and racking up four poles, 12 top-five results and 17 top-10 results before concluding the season in eighth place in the final standings. For the next two Cup seasons, however, Labonte and the No. 18 team went winless. They also achieved one pole, nine top-five results and 18 top-10 results, with Labonte’s best points result being 12th place in 2004. By then, JGR’s No. 18 car surpassed 400 Cup starts.

    For the 2006 season, J.J. Yeley, a native from Phoenix, Arizona, and a former USAC competitor who competed for JGR as an Xfinity Series competitor, assumed driving responsibilities of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet while Bobby Labonte made the move to Petty Enterprises. In his first full Cup season in the No. 18 car, Yeley struggled on the track as he only achieved three top-10 results before he finished in 29th place in the final standings. Following the 2006 season, JGR’s No. 18 team reached 500 Cup career starts.

    Yeley and the No. 18 team rebounded the following season by notching a second-place result in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 in May, three top-10 results and a pole position at Michigan International Speedway in June before concluding the season in 21st place in the final standings. Following the 2007 season, Joe Gibbs Racing changed manufacturers from General Motors to Toyota.

    In 2008, JGR welcomed Las Vegas, Nevada’s Kyle Busch as the newest driver of the No. 18 Toyota Camry sponsored by M&M’s/Mars Inc. and Interstate Batteries. It only took the first four races into the season until Busch achieved his first victory with the team at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. Busch’s win at Atlanta was historical with Toyota achieving its first victory in the Cup Series. Through the first 26 races of the season, Busch won eight races, recorded 17 top-10 results and led the standings for the majority of the season. When the 10-race Playoff stretch started, however, Busch struggled with on-track consistency and only notched four top-10 results before concluding the season in 10th place in the final standings.

    Following the 2009 season, where Busch won four races and finished in 13th place in the final standings after missing the Playoffs, JGR’s No. 18 car surpassed 600 Cup starts. Busch and the No. 18 team went on to win a total of seven races from 2010 to 2011. At Texas Motor Speedway in November, Michael McDowell drove JGR’s No. 18 M&M’s Toyota after Busch was not allowed to compete in the Cup and Xfinity events at Texas throughout the weekend due to intentionally wrecking Ron Hornaday Jr. in the Truck Series race at the track on Friday night. 

    After the 2012 season, where Busch won only once throughout the season and missed the Playoffs while JGR’s No. 18 car surpassed 700 Cup starts, Busch and the No. 18 team rallied in 2013 by winning four races before finishing in fourth place in the final standings. The fourth-place result in the 2013 standings marked the highest result for JGR’s No. 18 car in the standings since winning the 2000 championship. Busch and the No. 18 team went on to win only once and finish in 10th place in the 2014 final standings.

    JGR’s No. 18 Toyota team started the 2015 season on a rocky note when Kyle Busch suffered a massive compound fracture on his right leg and fractured his left foot following a harrowing multi-car wreck in the Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway in February. The injuries prevented Busch from competing in the early portions of the season. As a result, the No. 18 car was piloted by two-time Truck Series champion Matt Crafton, two-time Cup winner David Ragan and four-time Truck winner Erik Jones through the first 11 races of the season. Following the Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in May, Busch made his return to racing the following week at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the All-Star Race. After finishing in sixth place in the All-Star Race, Busch finished in 11th place the following race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Ironically, Busch’s first points race of the 2015 season at Charlotte occurred as JGR’s No. 18 car made its 800th Cup start.

    Though Busch completed his first points race of the 2015 Cup season at Charlotte, he needed a win and enough consistent runs to make the top-30 cutoff mark in the standings by September and when the regular-season stretch concluded before the 16-car Playoff field would be determined. Busch and the No. 18 team achieved their first goal of winning at Sonoma Raceway in June. After finishing 17th at Daytona the following event, Busch and the No. 18 team went on a three-race winning span. The four victories along with five additional top-10 results throughout the summer were more than for Busch and the No. 18 team to remain inside the top-30 mark in the standings and make the Playoffs.

    Following a consistent run in the Playoffs, Busch and JGR’s No. 18 team were one of four driver/team pairings to make it all the way to the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November and with an opportunity to win the 2015 Cup championship. During the finale, Busch led 41 laps and pulled away in a late shootout to win the finale and his first title in NASCAR’s premier series. With Busch becoming the first competitor since Richard Petty to win a Cup title despite not competing the entire season and recording the first Cup title for Toyota, JGR achieved its fourth Cup championship overall and its first since the 2005 season with Tony Stewart.

    From 2016 to 2018, Busch and the No. 18 team achieved 17 wins. 53 top-five results and 75 top-10 results. In addition, Busch made the Championship Round in all three seasons, with a best result of second place in 2017 and finishing no lower than fourth place. Following the 2018 season, Busch surpassed 900 Cup career starts. He had also achieved a victory across every active track.

    In 2019, Busch and the No. 18 team achieved five victories, 17 top-five results and 27 top-10 results throughout the 36-race schedule. By winning the season finale at Homestead in November as a title contender, Busch achieved his second Cup championship and he became the 16th competitor to win multiple titles in NASCAR’s premier series. In addition, Joe Gibbs Racing achieved its fifth Cup title, third with the No. 18 car.

    This season, through 31 races, Busch and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota have recorded 12 top-five results and 17 top-10 results, though the driver and the team remain winless. Currently, Busch is in ninth place in the Playoff standings and is 21 points below the top-eight cutline to advance to the Round of 8 in the Playoffs.

    Catch Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 milestone start in the Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course on Sunday, October 11, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. 

  • My First Race: 2001 Harrah’s 500 at Texas Motor Speedway

    My First Race: 2001 Harrah’s 500 at Texas Motor Speedway

    We’re one month removed from the end of the 2019 NASCAR season, which means we’re enmeshed in the holiday routine race fans across the world are taking part in. This includes but is not limited to excessive eating, family visits, excessive viewings of Days of Thunder, Talladega Nights, Redline 7000, Driven, Rush, Grand Prix, et cetera, excessive podcast listening of everything from the Dale Jr. Download to Off-Track with Hinch and Rossi. So on and so forth.

    But the holiday season is also a time to reminisce, and what better things for race fans to reminisce about than the first major race event they ever attended? Very few of us can remember the first race we saw on TV that got us hooked (For me it was the 1999 Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 at Richmond…otherwise known as Tony Stewart’s first Cup win). But we all remember that first time waiting in line to get tickets and entering the tunnel on the way to find a seat and take in our first green flag. In my case, it was the 2001 Harrah’s 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Those of us who remember the 2001 season remember the tagline networks used in reference to it: 2001: A Race Odyssey. In many ways, by the seventh race of the Winston Cup season we were facing a season’s worth of surprises: The loss of Dale Earnhardt. Three first-time winners in the first six races including Michael Waltrip and Earnhardt’s rookie replacement Kevin Harvick. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s slump following his Daytona 500 runner-up finish.

    With that said, many believed that things would turn around for Junior at Texas, given it was the site of his first Cup win the year before. He was due for a good run, as his Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammates Waltrip and Steve Park had won the first two races of the season. In qualifying, he added fuel to the fire by putting his red No. 8 Chevy on the pole for Sunday’s race.

    Meanwhile, Winston Cup points leader Dale Jarrett had turned a DNF at Daytona into two poles, three top-fives, and four top-10s including a win at Darlington coming into the race weekend. He put his No. 88 Robert Yates Racing Ford into the third-place qualifying slot for Sunday’s event. Meanwhile Park was also coming into the weekend fourth in points, with a win, two top-fives, and four top-10s. He’d put his No. 1 Pennzoil Chevy fifth on the grid for Sunday’s race.

    Starting grid for the 2001 Harrah’s 500. Photo by Joseph Shelton

    When the green flag dropped, Junior immediately took charge of the event as expected, before the race was slowed for a multi-car accident on lap five that involved rookie Kurt Busch, Waltrip, rookie Ron Hornaday, Jimmy Spencer, and Buckshot Jones. From my vantage point in the infield, all I saw coming back around the track were the heavily damaged cars of Waltrip, Spencer, and Jones, while the others weren’t as heavily damaged. It wasn’t enough for them to fall out of the race, as every driver who went to the garage returned to the track.

    When the race restarted Junior continued to lead before Jarrett took the point, and over the first 100 laps of the race the lead was exchanged between those two as well as Johnny Benson before outside pole-sitter Bobby Labonte took the lead for two laps. They would be the only two laps he would lead before we saw his green No. 18 Pontiac slowly putter by on the apron on lap 150 when his engine expired.

    By this point Park had taken the lead on lap 142 and had a stronghold on it. In his first venture with the front he would lead the next 48 laps before Junior would retake the lead on lap 190 and would hold onto it until lap 208. Around this time a caution would come out for a backstretch tangle involving Ward Burton, rookie Casey Atwood, and Joe Nemechek. Sterling Marlin would lead a few laps under caution before the restart, when Jarrett retook the lead.

    This late in the race, it was looking like it’d come down to a battle between Jarrett, Park, Junior, and Benson, as all four happened to have the strongest cars in the race. Jarrett had had some strong runs at Texas at this point, holding two runner-up finishes at the speedway (1997, ’99) heading into the weekend. Meanwhile Park was in the midst of hitting his stride in Cup racing, in only his fourth full season in the No. 1 Chevy. Junior had the provenance of TMS being this site of his first Busch Series and Cup series wins, and Benson’s No. 10 Pontiac just so happened to have Hendrick Motorsports power under the hood, which seemed to be working just fine for his MB2 Motorsports team.

    When Junior wrestled the lead from Jarrett on lap 275 and held onto it on a lap 285 restart following a caution where we saw Marlin’s No. 40 Dodge back into the turn three wall, we knew at that point a win for the DEI camp was certain, and Junior’s slump would be over. But when Elliott Sadler’s No. 21 bounced off the turn one wall and brought out a caution, on the lap 314 restart Benson stole the lead and held on tight.

    But just like the ending of the 2000 Daytona 500, we saw as Benson was chased relentlessly by Jarrett. Park was close behind, while Junior’s No. 8 was shuffled back into the field. With six laps to go, the inevitable happened when Jarrett and Park finally stole past Benson, and when the checkered flag dropped Jarrett became the first repeat winner of the season. Park finished second, while Benson finished third and Busch finished fourth. Jeff Gordon rounded out the top-five.

    Dave Blaney had an admirable day, meanwhile, turning a last-place starting spot to a sixth-place finish for his Bill Davis Racing Dodge. Harvick would finish seventh, and Junior would finish eighth after leading 107 laps on the day. Mark Martin would finish ninth, while Benson’s MB2 teammate would round out the top-10.

    The race saw 18 lead changes among seven drivers, while the race was slowed 10 times for 44 laps. Jarrett would go on to finish fifth in points after winning two more times, while Park would be sidelined in the fall following a violent crash at Darlington. Benson would finish the season 11th in points, scoring six top-fives and 14 top-10s before scoring his only Cup win the next fall at Rockingham. Gordon would go on to win the championship later that year, while Busch would score his first Cup championship three years later.

    As for Junior, 2001 would prove to be the season where he became a legend in his own right. He would win three times, starting with an emotional win at Daytona in July, and would follow it up with huge wins at Dover and Talladega before finishing eighth in the final standings, a huge improvement over his rookie season the year before.

    As of this writing, only two drivers from that race are still racing full-time (Harvick, Busch).

    2001 Harrah’s 500 Post-race. Photo by Joseph Shelton

    Meanwhile, this race became the turning point for me as a fan. It probably helped that I was only 12, because while some of the more experienced fans/pundits would call this an average race for Texas, for me it became a watershed moment. It was everything I needed as a fan: Eventful, loud, fast. I saw drivers in person I’d never expected to encounter. I saw things in a perspective I never knew existed.

    In the years since, I’ve been fortunate enough to cover multiple events at Texas thanks to the folks here at SpeedwayMedia.com, and I’ve been fortunate enough to meet several drivers and dignitaries across the world of motorsport from NASCAR to Formula One. How different would things have been had I not attended that race in April of 2001?

    Would my love for NASCAR had gone the way most things do in regards to young pre-teens? I was the only NASCAR fan in my family at the time, and there’s no telling if my fandom would have intensified or not. But what I do know is that when it comes to professional sporting events, from NASCAR to Major League Baseball (Go Braves!), there’s no better way to intensify a young fan’s love for the sport. It can only grow from there.

    So kudos to NASCAR and to the staff at the Texas Motor Speedway, because on April 1, 2001, they undoubtedly played a vital part in my love for motorsport. So on that note, I have to ask you a question:

    What was your first race like?

  • Hot 20 – 50 years of NASCAR at Michigan

    Hot 20 – 50 years of NASCAR at Michigan

    Another weekend. Another race. Another track that does not excite me. Welcome to NASCAR.

    Michigan International Speedway, located in the lush, rolling Irish Hills, is about 40 miles southwest of Ann Arbor. The fact it is considered a sister track of Texas, and the basis of the facility in Fontana does not exactly thrill anyone, but they do go fast there. Speeds of over 215 mph can be expected. Will it cause a newbie to tune in for all of the excitement? Nope. However, there are questions those of us who follow the sport will watch in order to uncover some answers.

    Will the race change who is in a Chase place and who is not? Erik Jones and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are less than 20 points to the good, leaving them vulnerable to be caught by Alex Bowman. That could happen. A win by Paul Menard, Daniel Suarez, Jamie McMurray, William Byron, Ryan Newman, or Bubba Wallace would tumble at least one of them out. Are the odds good that this will happen? Nope.

    As they are working on their 14th name sponsor since 1969, this track does not have a brand name that much resonates. That is unless you happen to have been a big fan of the FireKeepers Casino Hotel over the past couple of years. Newman has won there twice, in 2003 and 2004, so that should still your beating heart. Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson, and Matt Kenseth each have three to their credit over the years.

    If you want tradition, there was nine-time track winner David Pearson. Cale Yarborough had eight. Bill Elliott shook the suds seven times. Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace both won at Michigan five times. Four-time victors there include Dale Jarrett, Bobby Allison, Richard Petty, and Greg Biffle.

    This is not to say there have not been exciting finishes. Jarrett won his first in Cup with a razor-thin margin over Davey Allison in 1991. Ernie Irvan took one in 1997, three years after nearly losing his life at the same track. Jeff Gordon claimed a tight contest with Ricky Rudd in 2001. 2009 was the year Martin won when both Jimmie Johnson and then Biffle ran out of fuel on the final lap. Of course, there was 2012 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally snapped a 143-race winless streak. Great finishes. Great races? Don’t ask and I won’t tell.

    The last four who won this particular event include Johnson, the elder Busch, Logano, and Larson. If it is not Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, or Martin Truex Jr., the smart money is on either Logano or Larson. Anything else would be something of a shock.

    Here is a look at our Hot 20 going in.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS – 624 Pts
    Has won here, but that was August 21, 2011.

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 4 WINS (1 E.W.) – 537 Pts
    One pit stop at Pocono made all the difference.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2 WINS – 487 Pts
    After last weekend, he is back among the Big Three where he belongs.

    4. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN – 524 Pts
    One more win, and we will be talking about a Big Four, and all would belong on that pedestal.

    5. CLINT BOWYER – 1 WIN – 453 Pts
    I just saw a photo of Carly Bowyer. She looks nothing like Clint. Hey, just sayin’.

    6. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 269 Pts
    It is a very good thing a win is a golden ticket, as he has done nothing since Daytona.

    7. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 474 POINTS
    Just a 90 mile drive from his Michigan hometown to the track.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 447 POINTS
    Has won there with Roush Fenway, Penske, and Stewart-Haas. Maybe it was the driver.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 437 POINTS
    With less than 15 laps to go last week, turned a shot at a Top Ten into 35th.

    10. KYLE LARSON- 425 POINTS
    Has won three of the last four Michigan races, including a spring-summer sweep last year.

    11. RYAN BLANEY – 413 POINTS
    Took the pole last week, but only dogs truly appreciate a pole.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 406 POINTS
    He is about as safe as one can be without a win.

    13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 360 POINTS
    Five Top Tens in his last seven events. I do believe Mr. Johnson has returned.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 334 POINTS
    Finished in the top dozen the last half dozen races. The boy is movin’ on up.

    15. ERIK JONES – 322 POINTS
    The pride and joy of Byron, Michigan has finishes of 13th and third in his two starts near home.

    16. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 319 POINTS
    Have You Driven a Ford Lately? This would be a good time to drive the hell out of this one.

    17. ALEX BOWMAN – 310 POINTS
    Last week’s meeting with Hamlin tumbled Alex out of his Chase place.

    18. PAUL MENARD – 289 POINTS
    Unless he has a win up his sleeve, he can not afford to let the points gap grow any wider.

    19. DANIEL SUAREZ – 258 POINTS
    The best Monterrey, Mexico born driver in NASCAR.

    20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 253 POINTS
    The best Joplin, Missouri born driver in NASCAR. Carl Edwards was born in Columbia.

  • Hot 20 – The Yates legacy will come to life under the hood of a third of the Charlotte field

    Hot 20 – The Yates legacy will come to life under the hood of a third of the Charlotte field

    When one of the legends in the sport leaves us, we remember. If a man is known simply by the company he keeps, Robert Yates did very well.

    As a team owner, he was the boss to such NASCAR luminaries as Davey Allison, Larry McReynolds, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, and Ricky Rudd. His boys led him to 57 Cup wins over parts of nearly 20 campaigns. Jarrett and Allison allowed him to celebrate three Daytona 500 wins and a pair of July races. They each brought him a World 600 victory. He was a five-time winning owner at Talladega. Thanks to Jarrett, he got to kiss the bricks twice at Indianapolis. The boys helped him to a pair of Bristol wins. Six Richmond triumphs, two each delivered by Irvan and Jarrett, with Allison and Rudd chipping in the other two. In 1999, Jarrett delivered a Cup championship. Yes, Yates knew talent, and they produced for him.

    Robert Yates also knew engines. Not only was there a Yates engine powering Jarrett, they also sent Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip to the top of the mountain. Yates Engines provided the gusto that provided 77 Cup wins, and continue to do so under the guiding hand of his son, Doug.

    NASCAR owner, engine maker, and Hall of Fame inductee in the class of 2018, Robert Yates leaves us at 74 years of age.

    When the engines come to life this Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, a third of the field will have Roush-Yates power plants under the hood.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3059 POINTS – 5 Wins
    Could sit Saturday night and still rank among the top dozen.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 3041 POINTS – 4 Wins
    Elliott did not try to block him or send Kyle into the fence and lost. Chase needs a new plan.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 3034 POINTS – 4 Wins
    Ganassi has won 16 titles – 7 IndyCar crowns, 5 Grand-Am, 4 Champ Car. One appears missing.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3020 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Not sure if he be a Hatfield or McCoy, but Rowdy wants to womp him low and womp him high.

    5. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3017 POINTS – 3 Wins
    Not only is he NASCAR’s most decorated active driver, but also its highest paid. Sorry Junior.

    6. KEVIN HARVICK – 3015 POINTS – 1 Win
    Wants the future of the sport, Mr. Elliott, to win soon. As for what Mr. Busch thinks…

    7. DENNY HAMLIN – 3013 POINTS – 2 Wins
    “NASCAR drivers should be making NBA, NFL money.” I wonder if track owners will pony up?

    8. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 3010 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Sometimes a gamble earns you seven points and advancement in the Chase.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 3008 POINTS – 1 Win
    Give a kid a checkered flag, and that Kyle Larson cap he was sporting comes right off.

    10. CHASE ELLIOTT – 3006 POINTS
    The day he decides to be a selfish jerk on the track is the day he will head to Victory Lane.

    11. MATT KENSETH – 3005 POINTS
    Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the next WWE heavyweight champion.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 3003 POINTS
    Ganassi came close in 2005 to a title, but Stirling Marlin broke his leg. This was his replacement.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 2067 POINTS – 1 Win
    No doubt he loves his crew chief, but probably loves Stenhouse’s just a bit more.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON – 2065 POINTS – 1 Win
    Won the last time he was at Charlotte. Another would be a lovely consolation prize.

    15. KASEY KAHNE – 2046 POINTS – 1 Win
    Can he do for Leavine Family Racing what Kurt did for Furniture Row?

    16. KURT BUSCH – 2044 POINTS – 1 Win
    19th was his best first-round finish, and that is just not good enough. It really is not good at all.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 750 POINTS
    Sixth place finish at Dover was good. His crew chief’s $10,000 fine…not so much.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 741 POINTS – 1 Win
    If Kim Jong-un had launched those bad boys on Wednesday, Joey would have been safe.

    19. ERIK JONES – 728 POINTS
    If Hamlin is right, we might need a bottle drive to help top up Erik’s salary for next season.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 653 POINTS
    Suarez could take the next three races off, and still would easily claim a spot in our Hot 20.

  • Robert Yates, NASCAR Championship Owner, Dies at 74

    Robert Yates, NASCAR Championship Owner, Dies at 74

    Robert Yates, a renowned engine builder and NASCAR Cup Series champion team owner died Monday after losing his battle with liver cancer. He was 74. His son, Doug Yates, president and CEO of Roush Yates Engines, announced his father’s passing Monday night, onTwitter.

    “My Dad and Hero, Robert Yates, has passed and is with the Lord. Thanks for all the prayers and support.”

    “Hero — my dad’s my hero,” his son said. “My dad’s the toughest guy you’ve ever met. Never give up, always looking for the positive and looking for a competitive advantage, and that’s the way he raised myself and our family and everybody at Roush Yates.”

    In May, Yates was in attendance for his selection as an inductee into the 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame, winning 94 percent of the votes. The emotion was evident in his voice as he said, “I don’t even know if I’ll sleep tonight. I’m so honored and I love this sport, and I want this sport to do the same thing it did for me, again and again and again.”

    At the induction announcement, Yates also recalled a former professor saying, “Robert Yates will never amount to anything. He’s working on a tractor instead of studying.”

    However, his expertise as a mechanic would lead to 77 victories as an engine builder. Yates made the move to NASCAR in 1971, working with Hall of Famer Junior Johnson. His engines powered Cale Yarborough’s cars and propelled Bobby Allison to a Cup Series championship title in 1983 for DiGard Racing.

    Yates’ 21-year career as a NASCAR Premier Series team owner began in 1989 where he went on to capture 57 wins, 49 poles and 270 top-five finishes. In 1999, he won the Cup Series championship with NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett. Yates fielded cars for Davey Allison, Ernie Irvan, Ricky Rudd, Elliott Sadler, David Gilliland, Paul Menard and more. He won three Daytona 500s, one with Allison in 1992 and two with Jarrett, in 1996 and 2000.

    Yates will be missed in the NASCAR community, not only for his contributions to the sports but for the personal impact he made on the lives he touched.

    As three-time Cup Champion Tony Stewart said, “Our sport lost one of the most inventive minds and kindest personalities in Robert Yates. I’m glad I got to know him and proud our race team was able to honor him this year at Darlington. He leaves a strong legacy that is carried on by his son, Doug, and all of their employees at Roush Yates Engines. While Robert will certainly be missed, he will always be remembered.”

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

     

  • Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Did You Know?

    Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Did You Know?

    The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for the Brickyard 400. There are 41 drivers entered into the event and with only seven regular season races remaining before the playoffs begin, expect the competition to intensify.

    Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 with a track surface consisting of crushed stone and tar but was repaved with 3.2 million bricks for the first running of the Indy 500 in 1911. By October 1961 the bricks were completely covered with asphalt and now only a one-yard strip of bricks remain at the start/finish line.

    The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 was held on August 6, 1994, and was won by Jeff Gordon. It was the first race, other than the Indianapolis 500, to be held at the track since 1916. But did you know it was NASCAR’s most-attended race of the season with an estimated 250,000 plus fans on hand to watch the event?

    While the track is best known for the Indianapolis 500, NASCAR has made its mark there as well. Did you know that “kissing the bricks” was started by Dale Jarrett? In 1996, after winning the Brickyard 400, Jarrett and his crew chief, Todd Parrott, paid tribute to the track’s history by kneeling down and kissing the “Yard of Bricks.” The entire team quickly joined them, starting a tradition that continues today with winners of both the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400.

    There have been 23 Cup Series races at the 2.5-mile track and 13 different drivers have visited Victory Lane. Gordon leads all drivers with five wins and Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with four. But did you know that only two drivers have captured consecutive Cup Series wins at Indy? Johnson did so in 2008 and 2009 while Kyle Busch won the last two (2015-2016).

    Johnson leads the way as we head to Indianapolis with four victories, the series-best driver rating (105.7) plus six top fives and one pole. He is one of only four drivers who have won from the pole (2008). Johnson also has the distinction of winning from the deepest in the field, starting in 16th place, for his 2009 triumph.

    But did you know that last year at Indianapolis Busch became the only driver in history to win the XFINITY Series and Cup Series races from the pole in the same weekend? Busch, still seeking his first victory of the season, has the series second-best driver rating (105.5) at the track plus two wins, five top fives, one pole and the second-best average finish of ninth. He also has the series-most quality passes with 356.

    Matt Kenseth is another driver to watch as he looks for his first win of the year to guarantee his spot in the playoffs. He is currently 12th in the standings and has never won at Indy. However, he has the fourth-best driver rating (98.3), eight top fives and 11 top 10s. And did you know that Kenseth leads all active drivers at Indianapolis with three runner-up finishes and eight top-five finishes?

    Qualifying well will be crucial this weekend. The Coors Light Pole has produced four winners while two races have been won from second place. Twelve of the 23 Cup Series events (52.2 percent) have been won from a top five starting position.

    The on-track Cup Series action begins Saturday with the first practice at 9 a.m. ET and concludes with Coors Light Pole qualifying at 6:15 p.m. ET. The Brickyard 400 is set for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

    In the meantime, check out the video below to relive a few of the most memorable Brickyard 400 finishes.

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

  • Hot 20 – Michigan is a track for legends, but no Junior to be seen as Buescher gets Ford support

    Hot 20 – Michigan is a track for legends, but no Junior to be seen as Buescher gets Ford support

    Michigan. A big track, a fast track. Sadly, not exactly a legacy event, like winning at Daytona or Bristol or Talladega or Indianapolis or Darlington or either road course.

    What it is, is a track where legends have celebrated since 1969. In fact, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Richard Petty, Dale Jarrett, and Bobby Allison have combined for 46 victories there. That is a lot of suds for a lot of Hall of Famers.

    Greg Biffle is the only four-time winner not in yet. In fact, he needs to make it five just to make the Chase this year. Same goes for teammates Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The only driver at the big boy table sitting in a Chase place at present is Chris Buescher. He and crew chief Bob Osborne now attend the Jack Roush organizational meetings as Ford desires to have one of their boys succeed. Instead of leasing older engines and used bodies, the manufacturer wants to see Bob Jenkins compete in the best Roush has to offer. He might be a step-son, but right now he is Ford’s favorite son.

    Being a France has meant running the show, not being the show. At least, until last week at Bristol when Ben Kennedy won the Wednesday night truck event. The 24-year old is the son of Lesa France Kennedy, the daughter of Bill France Jr.

    Being Dale Earnhardt Jr. has delivered some terrific highs and tragic lows. His 2016 Chase hopes are down to winning at Richmond, but maybe his best health hopes are to take it easy until he is truly good to go. Alex Bowman returns to the seat of the “88″ this weekend, with Jeff Gordon expected to be back for Darlington.

    Kurt Busch ran the opening 6273 laps of the 2016 season, a streak that came to an end 372 laps into Sunday’s Bristol affair. While vying for the lead he came into contact with Brad Keselowski, to ruin the day for them both. If one has to go out, might as well do it with all guns blazing. It beats fading away with a whimper.

    Anyone remember the XFINITY or the Camping World Truck Series? If you do, and if you are 12 and younger, you get to go to all those races for free next season. What a wonderful way to introduce young fans to the sport. What a wonderful way of trying to get somebody to attend those races. Nobody else is. They do not really have much to lose. An empty seat buys nothing and appreciates nothing. This move is better than nothing.

    This is the final year of the Sprint Cup. Soon, it will be parked in the garage alongside the Nextel Cup, the Winston Cup, and the Grand National and Strictly Stock monikers. I joked that the GoBowling.com 400 race in Kansas could have had a worse name, then one wag commented “Don’t diss SpongeBob. That might be next year’s Cup sponsor.” Good Lord, he might be right!

    Heading into Michigan, here is a look at our QuikTrip, Auto Club, Food City, Bass Pro Shops, Coca-Cola, Bank of America, MyAFibStory.com, AAA, Ford EcoBoost, GoBowling.com, Hollywood Casino, Quaker State, Kobalt, STP, Goody’s, FireKeepers Casino, Pure Michigan, Camping World, Good Sam, Xalta, Toyota Owners, Federated Auto Parts, Save Mart, GEICO, Duck Commander, Cheez-It Hot 20.

    Sadly, despite these name mentions, I get not a dime. I obviously need a foundation.
    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4 WINS (735 Pts)
    So ends Kurt’s streak. Mission accomplished.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS (674 Pts)
    Last week Kyle’s car was dying. All Allgaier did was put it out of its misery.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (762 Pts)
    Not the most wins, but probably the best damn car week in and week out.

    4. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (689 Pts)
    Having fun and thinking a third beer bath at Michigan is in order.

    5. DENNY HAMLIN – 2 WINS (659 Pts)
    Good finish last week and with the boss talking an extension, things are good for the Pied Piper.

    6. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (612 Pts)
    If the sticky stuff worked at Bristol, why not pine tar the rest of the tracks?

    7. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (604 Pts)
    Drive well, make the Chase, but be considered an old fart and one’s job could be in jeopardy.

    8. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (692 Pts)
    So, that is what a garage looks like.

    9. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (684 Pts)
    Since with Penske, has never finished here outside the Top Ten…and won in the spring.

    10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (630 Pts)
    His crew chief is Canadian, eh?

    11. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN (400 Pts)
    Tony is a big fan of virtual reality. Nothing gets broken.

    12. CHRIS BUESCHER – 1 WIN (328 Pts)
    All of a sudden, he is feeling the love from Ford.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 596 POINTS
    A Top Five last Sunday was more than welcome.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 588 POINTS
    If you are surprised he is where he is, say his name slowly. That was our first hint.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 583 POINTS
    At Darlington, he is wearing the former colors of an older Elliott.

    16. RYAN NEWMAN – 576 POINTS
    He does not need to make the Chase to keep his job. Who am I kidding? Damn right he does.

    17. TREVOR BAYNE – 541 POINTS
    Crew chief Matt Puccia has won twice before in Ford country…with Greg Biffle.

    18. KYLE LARSON – 537 POINTS
    Sunday sure sucked. Maybe it is time for that first career win.

    19. KASEY KAHNE – 537 POINTS
    With Danica buried deep, it appears NASCAR’s two prettiest will both miss the Chase.

    20. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 518 POINTS
    Top Ten last Sunday, but needs a Top One this time out.

  • The Final Word – NASCAR truly is a family tradition, as another Busch celebrates

    The Final Word – NASCAR truly is a family tradition, as another Busch celebrates

    Family. We often hear how NASCAR is a family sport, where drivers, their wives, and their kids all share in the experience behind the scenes. The family theme has dominated since the sport’s earliest years. I mean, it starts with the France family, as Bill, Bill, Jr., and now grandson Brian have held the reins of the family operation since the very beginning.

    Family. If you do not know the names of Allison, Baker, Bodine, Earnhardt, Flock, Wallace, Waltrip, and Wood, welcome to NASCAR. You must be a newbie, my friend. Might I suggest that you have some catching up to do.

    In 1954, Lee Petty won his first of three titles, while 10 years later his son Richard claimed his first of seven. Ned Jarrett was champion for the first time in 1961, with his son Dale taking the title in 1999. It was good enough for father-son tandems, so the siblings got into the act. Terry Labonte first claimed the crown in 1984, with brother Bobby taking his in 2000. Then, Kurt Busch, the 2004 king, was joined last Sunday by brother Kyle as the Sprint Cup series champion. That should take the edge off the family Christmas dinner next month.

    Only under this format could Kyle Busch win it all. He missed the first 11 races of the season as he mended a broken leg. In the not so old days, that would have been the end of his hopes. A win gets you in, almost, and he then stormed back to win four to get over one hurdle. Now, all he had to do was be within the Top 30 in points to cash those wins into a post-season berth. Busch then eliminated that barrier with a few races to go before the Chase. In the year he and Samantha extended their family with the birth of son Brexton, Busch won at Homestead to beat out runner-up and defending champ, Kevin Harvick to win it all. Did I mention that along with his wife and son, he was joined in Victory Lane by his parents and even got a post-event hug from brother Kurt?

    Family. That is what means more to Jeff Gordon that a fifth championship. Sure, he would have loved to have finished better than sixth in his last race and third in his last season, but what and who was more important were there for all to see. Ingrid, Ella, and Leo joined such motorsports royalty as Mario Andretti and Lewis Hamilton at center stage to wish farewell to an icon after a career of 797 consecutive starts and 93 victories. Few are able to quit while still at the top of their game. We saw a legend do just that at Miami.

    Family. Gordon is the bridge between Richard Petty, who ended his Cup career the same race Gordon began his, and 19-year old Chase Elliott. The youngster, who began his Cup experience this season and who takes over from Gordon in the No. 24, is himself the son of former champion Bill Elliott. By the way, Elliott won that race, 23 years ago, that saw both Petty and Gordon on the track together.

    Like in all families, we have had to say goodbye to loved ones over the years, like Lee and Adam Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Davey Allison, Buck Baker and, earlier this year, his son Buddy. Like in all families, roles change over time. This off-season team owner Richard Petty will be searching for a new driver for one of his teams, Jeff Gordon prepares to enter the FOX broadcast booth in February, joining Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip’s brother Michael closes his race team, Chase Elliott prepares to build on his family’s Hall of Fame legacy, while Kyle Busch, like his brother before him, becomes the face of the sport as its latest champion.

  • The Final Word – A Southern 500 that took us on a nice ride back to the future

    The Final Word – A Southern 500 that took us on a nice ride back to the future

    Tradition. On Sunday, we learned that tradition means something. We learned it is actually worth waiting for its return, though why it took NASCAR a decade to solve the hot, muggy conditions of a day race in early September by simply moving it to the evening still boggles the mind. The Southern 500 was back, back to where and when it belonged, along with throwback paint schemes and other nods to the past. Tradition.

    We learned that Ken Squier should be cloned. He is to auto racing what Vin Scully is to baseball, a poet with a microphone who has the gift to paint vivid pictures through prose, to enhance the action we see with our own eyes, to allow us to commune with the best of the sport’s past even as we watch its future unfold before us. One is an 80-year-old legend who we got to hear from again on Sunday night, the other is an 87-year old Dodger icon. We learned that sometimes the best of what is has been with us all along. Tradition.

    Jeff Gordon, for one. Seven times he managed to not just survive but to thrive on the track too tough to tame over the course of his career. He finished 16th on Sunday in his event curtain call. Jimmie Johnson, a six-time Cup king and three-time Darlington winner, was 19th. These two eventual Hall of Famers were seen last weekend in the company as such past stars as Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, and Bill Elliott. Terry Labonte was the Grand Marshal. Ned Jarrett was put to work in the broadcast booth, alongside his son Dale. Tradition.

    We learned that even though it is possible for 26 drivers to win a race from Daytona in February to Richmond later this month, it seems improbable. Only 11 different pilots have shaken the suds in Victory Lane this season, with the last first-time victor coming in the form of Martin Truex Jr. three months ago. For the second time this season it was Carl Edwards doing the backflip at the finish line, his first at Darlington’s Lady in Black. Once again, the same 16 drivers sitting in a Chase place coming in will be the same when they hit the line at Richmond next Saturday night.

    Racing began in Darlington in 1950. Three years later, the Richmond tradition got its start. Potential winless Chasers have won there, including Gordon, Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer. Drivers such as Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne have claimed the prize before, and their only route to the Chase is to do it again this Saturday night. Of the quintet, though, only Bowyer has done so in the past decade. In fact, 19 of the other past 20 Richmond winners have already punched their tickets for this season’s Chase. Unless there is a break in tradition, the 20th should as well.

    The 20 Richmond race winners over the past ten years include…

    Kyle Busch (4)
    Jimmie Johnson (3)
    Kevin Harvick (3)
    Denny Hamlin (2)
    Kurt Busch (2)
    Clint Bowyer (2)
    Brad Keselowski
    Carl Edwards
    Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    Joey Logano

  • Matty’s Picks 2015 – Volume 1 – Daytona

    Matty’s Picks 2015 – Volume 1 – Daytona

    After a one-year sabbatical, Matty’s Picks is back for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. I had a great year last year, enjoying a few races from the stands as a fan, but I’m back in action this year on the keyboard and behind the camera lens bringing you my less than expert picks for the races each Sunday.

    This year, I’ve decided to expand my picks and because the world of fantasy sports has exploded since the first Matty’s Picks column hit SpeedwayMedia.com back in 2010, I’ll be sharing my Fox Sports Fantasy Auto roster each week. In case anyone is unfamiliar with the Fox Sports Fantasy Auto rules, here’s the skinny; Each week, participants pick a roster of up to five drivers who are given a value each week based on past performances, stats and trends. Players are given a pool of $50,000 to play with each week and drivers earned points based on laps led, positions gained and finishing position. I’ll provide a brief recap of my weekly picks, provide an update of how my team is stacking up and even mix in some Vegas odds for those who might be interested in some financial advice throughout the season.

    Hoping to have a bit more success in picking winners this year than in 2013, the year before my sabbatical from sports writing, I’ll be soliciting advice throughout the season, so feel free to drop me a note with your picks throughout the season at mattl@speedwaymedia.com.

    Wasting no time getting into my picks for The Great American Race, I’ll disclaimer my column this week by letting everyone know my picks were made prior to the finish of both of the Budweiser Duel at Daytona races on Thursday night – my once-a-year excuse for making poor picks due to the qualifying procedures for the Daytona 500. Without further ado, here are my picks to start the 2015 season off this Sunday at the 2.5-mile superspeedway in Daytona Beach, Florida:

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