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  • Travis Mack named crew chief for Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021

    Travis Mack named crew chief for Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021

    Trackhouse Racing Team announced that Travis Mack will be serving as crew chief for the team’s No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team and driver Daniel Suarez for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    The announcement comes approximately a week after the 2020 NASCAR season concluded, where Mack is coming off his second full-time season as an Xfinity Series crew chief for Michael Annett and the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro team.

    Mack, a native from Louisville, Kentucky, joins Trackhouse Racing with an extensive resume of working on race cars and for racing teams. Starting his career working as a car chief for 10-time ARCA Racing Series champion Frank Kimmel in the early 2000s, Mack joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2005 and worked as a shock specialist. From there, his career blossomed as he was also a member of Hendrick Motorsports’ Nos. 24 and 88 teams before becoming a car chief for JR Motorsports and HMS in 2012-2017, working with names like Regan Smith, Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Mack made his first two appearances as a crew chief late in the 2017 Cup Series season for Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 Chevrolet SS team before being announced as a full-time crew chief for Kasey Kahne and the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team for the 2018 Cup season. Midway through the 2018 season, Mack returned to JR Motorsports to serve as crew chief for Michael Annett and the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro team.

    In February 2019, Mack achieved his first win as a crew chief when Annett also achieved his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Daytona International Speedway in February after leading a race-high/final 45 laps of the race. They went on to achieve a total of six top-five results and 19 top-10 results along with a pole as they made the Playoffs, where they concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings.

    This past season, Annett and Mack achieved four top-five results and 22 top-10 results as they made the Playoffs before concluding the season in ninth place in the final standings.

    The move to Trackhouse Racing will mark Mack’s return to the Cup Series as a crew chief since June 2018 when he was with Kasey Kahne and Leavine Family Racing.

    Trackhouse Racing Team is a newly formed NASCAR Cup Series team created by Justin Marks, an entrepreneur and former competitor, that announced its entrance into the sport in October. During the announcement, the team revealed that Daniel Suarez, the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion and Cup Series veteran from Monterrey, Mexico, will be serving as their driver for the 2021 season. The team will be technically aligned with Richard Childress Racing and operate in Welcome, North Carolina. The team is also guaranteed an entry for every Cup race next season after being leased a charter from Spire Motorsports.

    Catch Mack’s return and Trackhouse Racing Team’s debut at Daytona International Speedway for the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 on February 14, 2021.

  • Berry to compete with JR Motorsports on a part-time Xfinity basis in 2021

    Berry to compete with JR Motorsports on a part-time Xfinity basis in 2021

    Fresh off this year’s NASCAR Weekly Series championship, Josh Berry will be competing as a part-time competitor in JR Motorsports’ No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for the first half of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, spanning approximately 12 races.

    The news was revealed by team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Thursday and it also comes as Berry achieved the 2020 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly National title in a season where he earned 24 victories, 33 top-five results and 36 top-10 results in 37 starts.

    “I’m honestly speechless,” Berry said. “That’s the last thing I would have expected. Gosh, that’s amazing. I can’t wait to prepare for that and get going. [It’s] truly unbelievable. I just can’t thank everybody enough for believing in me and giving me these opportunities. For a short track guy, it’s just amazing to see these opportunities come about.”

    The 29-year-old competitor from Hendersonville, Tennessee, is no stranger in achieving past success in racing nor with JR Motorsports. Having raced in JRM’s late model program for 10 years, Berry is also the 2017 CARS Tour Late Model Stock champion and the 2019 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 winner. He has also achieved the 2016 CARS owners’ title and track championships at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway and at Virginia’s Motor Mile Speedway.

    Berry has also made limited starts across NASCAR’s top three national touring series. In August 2014, Berry made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut with JR Motorsports at Iowa Speedway. Driving the No. 5 Tackle Grab Powered by Earnhardt Outdoors Chevrolet Camaro, Berry started 10th and finished 12th in his series debut.

    From 2014 to 2017, Berry has made seven career starts in the Xfinity Series, all except one occurring with JR Motorsports, and has earned two top-10 results. His lone start outside of JRM was at Darlington Raceway in September 2016 with Obaika Racing. His best result in the series was a seventh-place result at Richmond Raceway in September 2015 while driving JRM’s No. 88 Speedco Truck Lube & Tires Chevrolet Camaro. He has also made one career start in the NASCAR Truck Series, which occurred at Chicagoland Speedway in September 2016. Driving the No. 71 American Club/RaceTrac Chevrolet Silverado for Contreras Motorsports, Berry started 22nd and finished 13th.

    Berry joins Sam Mayer, the 2020 ARCA Menards Series East champion, as two competitors who are scheduled to share the seat of the No. 8 JRM Chevrolet Camaro for next year’s Xfinity Series season, with Mayer graduating to a full-time role with the team in 2022.

    Further details regarding Berry’s schedule and JRM’s No. 8 team will be announced at a later date.

  • Jeffrey Earnhardt to make 100th Xfinity start at Texas

    Jeffrey Earnhardt to make 100th Xfinity start at Texas

    A significant milestone is in the making for Jeffrey Earnhardt, driver of the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway, Earnhardt will achieve his 100th career start in the Xfinity Series.

    A fourth-generation competitor from Mooresville, North Carolina, and grandson of the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt, Jeffrey made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen International in August 2009. By then, he had competed in the NASCAR Busch East Series and what is now the ARCA Menards Series East for the last two seasons for Dale Earnhardt Inc. before being released. 

    Driving the No. 40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet at Watkins Glen, Earnhardt started 36th and finished 24th in his series debut. He ended up competing in another Xfinity race in 2009 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, where he finished 31st. 

    After competing in select NASCAR Truck Series races for Rick Ware Racing in 2010, Earnhardt was set to compete in the series on a full-time basis with RWR as a rookie contender. Following the first four races of the season, however, Earnhardt’s full-time ride was cut and he ended up competing in one additional Truck race and two Xfinity races for the remainder of the season. In the Xfinity Series, he drove for RWR in two races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and at Daytona International Speedway in July, where he notched a 19th-place result.

    In 2012, Earnhardt competed on a full-time basis in the Grand Am Series in the Rolex GT Class for Rick Ware Racing. He also competed in a total of six Xfinity races, four with RWR while making one with Go Green Racing and one with Randy Hill Racing. His best result during his six-race slate in 2012 was 21st at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.

    Earnhardt’s racing schedule in 2013 expanded as he made 17 starts throughout the 33-race Xfinity Series schedule. During the season, all but one of his 17-race Xfinity schedule occurred with Go Green Racing, where he finished no higher than 16th place. His lone start outside of Go Green Racing was with JR Motorsports and for his nephew, Dale Earnhardt Jr., at Richmond Raceway in April. Driving the No. 5 Keen Parts/CorvetteParts.net Chevrolet Camaro for JRM, Earnhardt started 22nd and finished 17th.

    In 2014, Earnhardt competed on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series with JD Motorsports and in the No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro. Throughout the season, his best result was 12th place at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. He was able to capture six top-20 results and an average result of 26.3 throughout the 33-race schedule before finishing in 18th place in the final standings.

    Throughout the 2015 season, Earnhardt made a total of six Xfinity starts in the No. 55 Chevrolet Camaro for Viva Motorsports. His best on-track results were 15th at Bristol in April and 12th at Talladega in May.

    From 2016 to 2018, Earnhardt competed in a total of 73 races in the NASCAR Cup Series as he drove for teams that included Go Fas Racing, BK Racing, Circle Sport-The Motorsports Group, StarCom Racing, Premium Motorsports and Gaunt Brothers Racing. His best result in NASCAR’s premier series during the three-year span was 11th place at Daytona in July 2018.

    A week before the 2018 season concluded, it was announced that Earnhardt will be returning to the Xfinity Series and join Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 18 Toyota Supra sponsored by Xtreme Concepts/iK9 for nine races in 2019. A few days before the 2019 Xfinity Series commenced, Earnhardt’s part-time 2019 schedule expanded when Xtreme Concepts Inc. formed Xtreme Concepts Racing (XCI Racing) with intentions of competing in five Xfinity races and two Cup races with Earnhardt driving throughout the season. 

    Earnhardt made his first start with JGR in the 2019 season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. During the event, Earnhardt finished in the top five in both stages and led 29 laps before being shuffled back to a 15th-place result. The following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Earnhardt restarted on the front row alongside teammate Christopher Bell on a three-lap shootout and was in position to win his first NASCAR career race. His chances of winning, however, evaporated when he struggled to pick up speed on the outside lane and was shuffled back. Nonetheless, he was able to finish in sixth place and achieve his career-best result within NASCAR’s top three major division series. 

    Four races later, Earnhardt made his first start with XCI Racing at Texas Motor Speedway, where he finished in eighth place. Another five races later, Earnhardt rallied from a spin with 58 laps remaining to make a late charge and notch a career-best third-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The result marked Earnhardt’s first top-five career result across NASCAR’s top three major division series and it was also meaningful for Earnhardt, who sported a special patriotic scheme to his No. 18 Toyota during the Charlotte race while paying tribute to Mooresville, North Carolina, Officer Jordan Sheldon, who died in the line of duty during a traffic stop earlier in May. 

    In August, Earnhardt announced that he and XCI have parted ways, which ended Earnhardt’s 2019 season early and the end of his partnership with XCI and Joe Gibbs Racing. By then, he had made five Xfinity starts with JGR, two Xfinity starts with XCI Racing and one Cup start with XCI, which occurred at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

    In February 2020, Earnhardt rejoined JD Motorsports with Gary Keller and started the season with plans on competing in 12 Xfinity Series races. He made his first start of the season at Darlington Raceway in May, where he finished 23rd. He went on to finish 25th the following week at Charlotte before he notched a 15th-place result the next week at Bristol.

    Since Darlington in May, Earnhardt ended up competing on a full-time basis with JDM and he has driven the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro in all but two races, where he drove the No. 15 Chevrolet for JDM. Through last weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway, Earnhardt has achieved 13 top-20 results, a best result of 11th place at Charlotte in October and an average result of 22.3.

    Catch Earnhardt’s milestone start at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 24, at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Annett to reach 400 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    Annett to reach 400 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    A significant milestone is in the making for Michael Annett, driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. When Annett takes the green flag this weekend at Darlington Raceway, he will achieve 400 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of Des Moines, Iowa, who achieved two ARCA career victories from 2007 and 2008, Annett made his debut within NASCAR’s top three division series at the Milwaukee Mile in June 2008, where he piloted the No. 22 Toyota Tundra for Bill Davis Racing in the NASCAR Truck Series. He finished in sixth place in his series debut and two races later, he earned a career-best runner-up result at Kentucky Speedway. He made a total of eight starts in the Truck Series in 2008 (seven with Bill Davis Racing and one with Germain Racing). He also made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, where he drove the No. 03 Toyota for Germain Racing and finished 36th.

    In 2009, Annett campaigned on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series as a rookie candidate and in the No. 15 Toyota Camry led by crew chief Bruce Cook for Germain Racing. Throughout his rookie season, Annett achieved four top-10 results (best result of sixth place at Auto Club Speedway in October) and he concluded the season in 10th place in the final standings. He remained with Germain Racing for the 2010 Xfinity season, where he achieved two top-10 results and concluded the season in 13th place in the final standings and with crew chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle.

    In 2011, Annett moved to Rusty Wallace Racing to pilot the No. 62 Toyota Camry with primary sponsorship from Pilot Flying J and led by crew chief Rick Viers in the Xfinity Series. For the first 13 races of the season, he finished no higher than 13th place. For five of the next six races, however, he achieved five top-10 results. He nearly won at Daytona International Speedway in July after taking the lead on the final lap with two corners remaining. He, however, lost the draft with teammate Steve Wallace and settled in sixth place. For the final 15 races of the season, he achieved two additional top-10 results and he concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 career starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    For the 2012 season and after Rusty Wallace Racing ceased operations due to lack of sponsorship, Annett made the move to Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the No. 43 Ford Mustang sponsored by Pilot Flying J and led by crew chief Philippe Lopez. Annett had a successful run in the series, where he achieved his first six top-five career results, led by a pair of third-place results at Daytona International Speedway in July and at Dover International Speedway in September. He also earned a total of 17 top-10 results and he claimed the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July following a sixth-place result. When the season concluded, he ended up with a career-best fifth place in the final standings.

    Annett started off the 2013 Xfinity season on a rough note, when he was involved in a late multi-car accident in the season opener at Daytona and had dislocated and fractured his sternum. Missing the first eight races of the season and while Aric Almirola and Reed Sorenson filled in for Annett, he returned at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, where he finished 17th. For the remainder of the season, he achieved one top-five result and a total of four top-10 results before he concluded the season in 15th place in the final standings.

    Following a five-year run in the Xfinity Series, Annett moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014 and he entered the series as a rookie candidate in the No. 7 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet SS for Tommy Baldwin Racing led by veteran Kevin “Bono” Manion. Making his series debut at the Daytona 500, Annett was involved in a late multi-car wreck and finished in 37th place. Throughout the 36-race stretch, Annett only achieved four top-20 results and he concluded the season in 33rd place in the final standings. He also competed in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway for NTS Motorsports, where he raced his way into the main event following a final qualifying race and finished 25th. By then, he surpassed 200 career starts across NASCAR.

    The following season, Annett remained in the Cup Series, but he made the move to HScott Motorsports to pilot the team’s second car, the No. 46 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet SS, led by crew chief Jay Guy. Annett achieved a career-best result of 13th place in the Daytona 500. The following week, however, Annett initially failed to qualify for the upcoming race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Nonetheless, Annett still got to race at Atlanta when Brian Scott relinquished his seat, the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet SS, since Annett was competing for Cup points. Driving under the Hillman-Circle Sport LLC banner, Annett finished 29th. The remaining 34 races of the season, however, was a disappointing one as Annett finished no higher than 23rd place and he concluded the season in 36th place in the final standings. He also failed to qualify at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

    Returning for a third season in the Cup circuit with Hscott Motorsports in 2016, Annett’s best result throughout the 36-race schedule was 20th, which occurred at Daytona in July. At Bristol Motor Speedway in August, Justin Allgaier filled in as an interim competitor when Annett suffered from flu-like symptoms. Prior to the season concluding, Annett declared himself a free agent for the 2017 season.

    After three seasons in the Cup Series, Annett scaled back down to the Xfinity Series for the 2017 season and joined forces with JR Motorsports to pilot the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro sponsored by Pilot Flying J, TMC Transportation and Allstate Parts & Service Group, and led by crew chief Jason Stockert. Annett started the season with a 14th-place run at Daytona followed by a 15th-place run at Atlanta. Two races later, he achieved his first top-10 result of the season at Phoenix (ninth place). Through the first 22 races of the season, Annett recorded a total of five top-10 results. At Road America in August, Annett achieved a career-best runner-up result behind Jeremy Clements. Following his result, Annett dedicated his run to Adam Wright, a mechanic at JR Motorsports who died in a car accident a week prior to Road America. Annett went on to make the 2017 Xfinity Series Playoffs before he was eliminated from title contention at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October. He wrapped up the season in ninth place in the final standings and with seven top-10 results. By then, he surpassed 300 career starts across NASCAR.

    Returning for a second full-time season with JRM in 2018, Annett struggled with on-track consistency. For the first 21 races of the season, he finished no higher than 11th. A week later, he recorded his first top-10 result at Bristol in August. By then, he was paired with new crew chief Travis Mack. He only achieved one additional top-10 result (10th place at Darlington Raceway) throughout the regular-season stretch while he also recorded five DNFs. Following the regular-season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September, Annett failed to make the Playoffs. He went on to conclude the season in 14th place in the final standings.

    For the 2019 Xfinity season, Annett remained at JRM, but assumed driving responsibilities of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro with crew chief Travis Mack remaining with Annett. To start the season and with American Heart Association co-sponsoring the No. 1 car along with Pilot Flying J, Annett responded back to all of his past struggles throughout his career by winning the season opener at Daytona and achieving his first victory across NASCAR’s three major series in his 230th Xfinity career start. The victory guaranteed Annett’s No. 1 team a spot in the Playoffs. His early success did not stop there as he recorded a total of five top-five results and 15 top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch. He also achieved his first career pole at Talladega in April. During the Playoffs, Annett earned finishes of ninth, 15th and sixth in the first round, spanning three races, to advance to the Round of 8. He finished fourth, 11th and ninth in the second round, but he failed to transfer to the Championship Round at Homestead. He concluded the season with an 11th-place run at Homestead and a ninth-place result in the final standings. Though he fell short of the 2019 Xfinity title, Annett achieved a career-high six top-five results, 19 top-10 results and 94 laps led throughout the season.

    This season, his fourth consecutive season with JRM, Annett started off the season with an 11th-place run at Daytona and after being involved in a multi-car accident on the final lap. Through the first 22 races of this season, he has recorded three top-five results and 13 top-10 results, and he is in eighth place in the regular-season standings. He has also started on pole position for three consecutive races in the summer (Texas, Kansas and Road America) by virtue of a random draw amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

    In addition to making his ninth Xfinity career start at Darlington this weekend and while he continues to secure one of 12 spots for this year’s Xfinity Playoffs, Annett is set to sport a special Oreo scheme to his No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro that his boss and former NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove to an Xfinity win at Daytona in February 2002.

    Catch Annett’s milestone start at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, September 5, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Newman to make 750th start across NASCAR at Daytona

    Newman to make 750th start across NASCAR at Daytona

    A significant milestone is in the making for veteran Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 6 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, as he battles for a spot in this year’s Playoffs. When the green flag waves in the upcoming Cup race at Daytona International Speedway, Newman will achieve 750 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of South Bend, Indiana, who started his racing career in the United Midget Auto Racing Association and the All-American Midget Series before moving to USAC, Newman achieved three ARCA victories while driving for team owner Roger Penske in 2000 before he made his first NASCAR start at Phoenix in the Cup Series in November 2000. Driving the No. 02 Alltel Ford for Penske led by crew chief Matt Borland, Newman started 10th and finished 41st due to an engine failure.

    In 2001, while Newman was pursuing his B.S. degree in engineering at Purdue University, he competed in 15 Xfinity Series events and seven Cup Series events for Penske. In the Xfinity side, he achieved his first career win at Michigan International Speedway in August. He also earned six poles, two top-five results, eight top-10 results and an average result of 12.6. In the Cup side, he achieved his first career pole for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May. Despite a strong start, where he led the first 10 laps, he wrecked in Turn 3 the following lap and retired in last place of the 43-car field. Overall, he earned two top-five results, including a career-best runner-up finish at Kansas Speedway in September behind Jeff Gordon, in seven Cup starts.

    In 2002, Newman graduated to a full-time driving role for Penske and in the No. 12 Alltel Ford for Penske led by Borland. Through the first 11 races, Newman earned a pole and four top-10 results, including a second-place finish at Richmond in May. The following race, which was The Winston (All-Star Race) at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Newman was one of two competitors to transfer to the main event from The Winston Open after winning the No Bull 5 Sprint. In a five-lap shootout in the main event, Newman held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win The Winston and a total of $750,000. He became the first Cup competitor to win The Winston after transferring from the Open since Michael Waltrip made the last accomplishment in 1996 and the first to do so from the No Bull 5 Sprint. From the Coca-Cola 600 in May through Richmond in September, Newman earned 11 top-10 results and four runner-up finishes. The following race at New Hampshire, Newman achieved his first Cup career win in his 35th series start. For the final nine races of the 2002 season, Newman earned five six top-10 results and three poles before he concluded the season in sixth place in the final standings. In the end, Newman emerged as the Rookie-of-the-Year recipient over Jimmie Johnson with 14 top-five results and 22 top-10 results. His six poles were the most achieved by a rookie competitor.

    Newman started off the 2003 season on a rough note by flipping in the Daytona 500 in February following contact with Ken Schrader. It took until Texas Motor Speedway in April for Newman to achieve his first victory of the season and the second of his Cup career. The 2003 Cup season was an up-and-down season for the Indiana native. The pros to the season were the driver of the No. 12 Alltel/Penske Dodge achieving a season-high eight victories (winning at tracks like Dover, Chicagoland, Pocono, Michigan, Richmond and Kansas), 17 top-five results and 22 top-10 results. In addition, Newman earned a season-high 11 poles and was nicknamed “The Rocket Man” for his strong qualifying efforts and pole awards. The downside to Newman’s sophomore season was that he earned seven DNFs, including his flip at Daytona and after triggering a vicious 27-car wreck in the early laps at Talladega in April when he blew a tire in the middle of the pack, made hard contact against the Turn 1 outside wall and nearly flipped. He went on to conclude the season in sixth place in the final standings.

    Throughout the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series season, Newman won two races (Michigan in June and Dover in September) and recorded nine poles. He also earned 11 top-five results and 14 top-10 results as he was one of 10 competitors to make the inaugural postseason battle in the Cup Series. He concluded the season in seventh-place in the final standings. Prior to the conclusion of the 2004 season, Newman surpassed 100 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    In 2005, Newman remained as a full-time competitor of the No. 12 Alltel/Penske Dodge in the Cup Series while he also competed in nine Xfinity Series races in the No. 39 Alltel/Penske Dodge. Throughout the 2005 Cup season, he won only one race (New Hampshire in September) and he earned eight poles, eight top-five results and 16 top-10 results. In addition, he made the Playoffs and concluded the season in sixth place in the final standings for the third time in his career. In nine Xfinity starts, he won six races, including the season finale at Homestead while also winning at Watkins Glen, Michigan, Bristol, Dover and Charlotte.

    In 2006, Newman remained as a full-time competitor of the No. 12 Alltel/Penske Dodge in the Cup Series while he also competed in six Xfinity races in the No. 39 Mobil 1/Alltel/Penske Dodge. The 2006 Cup season was a down season for the Indiana native, who went winless and only earned two poles, two top-five results and seven top-10 results. In addition, he missed the Playoffs and concluded the season in 18th place in the final standings. His best result in the Xfinity Series was a runner-up finish at Auto Club Speedway in February. Following 2006, Newman surpassed 200 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    Throughout the 2007 Cup season, Newman achieved five poles, seven top-five results and 15 top-10 results before he concluded the Cup season in 13th place. He also made eight Xfinity starts, where he earned two top-five results and three top-10 results. In 2008, Newman received a draft from teammate Kurt Busch to pass Tony Stewart on the final lap and win the 50th running of the Daytona 500. The victory was Newman’s 13th of his Cup career, it snapped his winless drought dating back to September 2005 and it was the first Daytona 500 win for team owner Roger Penske. Despite winning the 500, Newman only achieved one more top-five results, one pole and a total of eight top-10 results before he concluded the season in 17th place in the final standings. Throughout the season, he made two Xfinity starts (Watkins Glen in the No. 22 FitzBradshaw Racing and at Homestead in the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc.). He also made his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October while driving the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado for KHI, which he won following a late battle with NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. To August 2020, Newman is one of 33 competitors to achieve a win across NASCAR’s three major division series. Following 2008, he also surpassed 300 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    Midway into the 2008 season, Newman announced his departure from Penske to drive for the newly formed Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009. Driving the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet for SHR with support from crew chief Tony Gibson, Newman finished 36th in his first start with SHR. Though he did not record a victory, the 26-race regular-season stretch was a consistent run for Newman as he achieved 12 top-10 results and made the 2009 Playoffs along with teammate/owner Tony Stewart, which marked his first appearance in the Playoffs since 2005. At Talladega in October, he was involved in a harrowing accident in the closing laps when he was sent airborne and landed upside down on Kevin Harvick’s hood before he slid across and down the banking on his roof and flipped once before he came to rest on his roof. He was able to emerged uninjured. For the final 10 races, he earned three more top-10 results and concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings. Throughout the 2009 season, he made 10 Xfinity starts between the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc., the No. 5 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports and the No. 1 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing. His best run was at Talladega in April, where he started on pole and was in prime position of winning before he was edged by David Ragan at the finish line. He also made two Truck starts in the No. 2 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. as he finished in fourth place in both races.

    Through the first six races of the 2010 Cup season, Newman finished no higher than fourth place. The following race at Phoenix, Newman, sporting the Tornados Ruiz Foods colors on his car and racing on two fresh tires on a two-lap shootout, overtook Jeff Gordon for the lead and held off Gordon to win as he achieved his first victory since the 2008 Daytona 500 and his first with Stewart-Haas Racing. He also recorded the first victory for veteran crew chief Tony Gibson. Though he missed the Playoffs and concluded the season in 15th place in the final standings, Newman and the No. 39 Chevrolet team achieved 12 additional top-10 results and a pole. He also made 12 Xfinity starts, all with Phoenix Racing, and he earned seven top-10 results.

    Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch of the 2011 Cup season, Newman won one race (New Hampshire in July) and earned 13 top-10 results as he made the Playoffs for the fourth time in his career. For the remaining 10 races of the season in the Playoffs, Newman recorded four additional top-10 results and concluded the season in 10th place in the final standings while Tony Stewart went on to win his third Cup championship. Newman also competed in one Xfinity event and one Truck event throughout 2011, both with Turner Motorsports. Following 2011, he surpassed 400 starts.

    After finishing in the top 10 in two of the first five Cup races in 2012, Newman, sporting the Outback Steakhouse colors on his No. 39 SHR Chevrolet, made a late pass for the at Martinsville Speedway in April following a restart collision that knocked out Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer, and he went on to win following a late battle with A.J. Allmendinger. Throughout the season, he earned six top-five results and 14 top-10 results before he concluded the season in 14th place in the standings while missing the Playoffs for the second time in the last four seasons. He also made one Xfinity start at Texas in November with Turner Motorsports, where he finished 19th.

    For the first 19 races of the 2013 Cup season, Newman earned eight top-10 results. The following race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, his home track, he started off the weekend by achieving his 50th Cup career pole. On race day, he and crew chief Matt Borland opted for a two-tire pit stop in the closing laps to beat Jimmie Johnson and achieve his first victory of the season at Indianapolis in front of a home crowd. For the next five Cup races, Newman earned two additional top-five results. At Richmond in September, he took the lead late in the race and was in position of claiming a second victory and qualifying for the Playoffs when Clint Bowyer spun late in the race. Following an ensuing pit stop, where Newman exited in fifth place, he made his way up to third place, but he missed the Playoffs in a tiebreaker with Martin Truex Jr., Bowyer’s teammate. A few days later, however, Newman replaced Truex in the Playoffs along with Jeff Gordon after NASCAR determined that Bowyer’s spin was intentional in an effort for Truex to make the Playoffs and place two Michael Waltrip Racing cars in the postseason. He went on to achieve six additional top-10 results before he concluded the season in 11th place in the final standings. He also competed in the inaugural Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway, where he finished in third place. Following 2013, Newman surpassed 500 starts.

    After five seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing, Newman joined forces with Richard Childress Racing to drive the No. 31 Caterpillar/Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS led by crew chief Luke Lambert in 2014 while SHR expanded to a four-car operation as Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch joined the organization. He finished 22nd in his first start with RCR in the Daytona 500 and went on to achieve nine top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch to make the Playoffs. For the first eight races in the Playoffs, he earned five top-10 results. At Phoenix in November, Newman made a heroic bump and last lap pass on rookie Kyle Larson to finish in 11th place and earn a spot in the Championship Round at Homestead. At Homestead, he finished second on track and in the final standings to race winner and the champion Kevin Harvick. Overall, he earned five top-five results and 16 top-10 results in his first season with RCR and the runner-up result in the standings was his best in his 13th full-time season in the Cup Series.

    Throughout the 2015 and 2016 Cup seasons, Newman earned seven top-five results and 25 top-10 results while achieving a best points result of 11th place in 2015. He also made one Truck start at Kansas in May in the No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet, where he finished second. Following 2016, Newman surpassed 600 starts. In 2017, following the first three races, Newman and crew chief Luke Lambert gambled in the closing laps by remaining on track on old tires with the lead. In a two-lap shootout, Newman held off Larson to win his first Cup race since the 2013 Brickyard 400 and his first with RCR. He concluded the 2017 season with a total of seven top-five results, 13 top-10 results and a 16th-place result in the final standings along with his Phoenix win.

    After five seasons with Richard Childress Racing and coming off a disappointing 2018 season, where he only earned nine top-10 results and concluded the season in 17th place in the final standings, Newman moved to Roush Fenway Racing to pilot the iconic No. 6 Ford Mustang in the 2019 Cup Series season led by crew chief Scott Graves. Newman finished 14th in his first race with RFR in the Daytona 500 and he earned nine top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch to make the Playoffs. Following finishes of 10th, fifth and 32nd in the first round (three races) of the Playoffs, he was eliminated from title contention. He went on to earn three additional top-10 results and conclude the season in 15th place in the final standings. Following 2019, Newman surpassed 700 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    This season, Newman started off 19th full-time season in the Cup Series on a harrowing note. He was in prime position of winning his second Daytona 500 entering the frontstretch until a bump from Blaney turned Newman’s No. 6 Ford across the track and into the outside wall, where he flipped upside down and was hit on the driver’s side by an oncoming Corey LaJoie. The impact launched Newman into the air and across the finish line in ninth place before he came to rest on his roof with oil leaking and flames bursting out of his car. Following the accident, Newman was transported to a local hospital in Florida, where he sustained serious but non life-threatening injuries. Nearly two days after his accident, Newman walked out of the hospital while holding the hands of his daughters. With Newman recovering from a head injury, Ross Chastain drove Newman’s No. 6 car in three races.

    In May, when NASCAR returned to on-track racing in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Newman was medically cleared to return to racing. He achieved a pair of top-15 results in his first two races back since his injuries at Darlington Raceway. He went on to earn six additional top-15 results in 22 starts through the first 25 Cup races of this season. He is currently ranked in 25th place in the regular-season standings, 245 points below the top-16 cutline, and is in a “must-win” scenario to make the 2020 Cup Playoffs.

    Catch Newman’s milestone start and final bid to make the 2020 Cup Playoffs at Daytona on Saturday, August 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Keselowski to make 400th Cup start at Daytona RC

    Keselowski to make 400th Cup start at Daytona RC

    With the NASCAR Cup Series set to race for the first time at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Brad Keselowski is set to achieve a milestone start of his racing career. By taking the green flag at Daytona on Sunday, August 16, Keselowski will reach 400 career starts in the Cup Series and in his 11th full-time season in the series.

    A native of Rochester Hills, Michigan, Keselowski was already a rising star in the 2008 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, racing for JR Motorsports, when he made his first two Cup career starts late in the season. Driving the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Impala for Hendrick Motorsports, Keselowski finished 19th in his Cup debut at Texas Motor Speedway on November 2 followed by the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 16, where he finished 23rd.

    The following season, aside from competing on a full-time basis with JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, Keselowski competed on a part-time basis in the Cup Series between the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 09 Miccosukee Resorts & Gaming Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing. At Talladega Superspeedway, in his fifth series start, Keselowski battled and made contact with Carl Edwards on the final lap through Turn 4 to grab the lead and notch his first Cup career victory in upset fashion while Edwards spun, was hit by Ryan Newman and went airborne before colliding against the catch fence while upside down and came to a halt shy of the finish line. The victory was also the first for James Finch, owner of Phoenix Racing, as Keselowski also secured a starting spot for the 2009 All-Star Race. Through August 2020, Keselowski is one of 11 competitors to record a first Cup career victory at Talladega.

    Keselowski competed in a total of 12 Cup races throughout the 2009 season between Phoenix Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, and earned four top-10 results (his victory at Talladega included). For the final three Cup races of the 2009 season, Keselowski drove the No. 12 Dodge for team owner Roger Penske. His best result was a 25th-place result in the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway in November.

    For the 2010 season, Keselowski competed on a full-time basis for the Penske organization in both the Xfinity and Cup Series. He made his Daytona 500 debut in February, where he finished 36th after being involved in an early multi-car wreck. After finishing 21st and 26th the next two races, he was primed for a top-10 run the following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was during the closing laps, however, where Carl Edwards, who was irritated from being involved in an earlier incident caused by Keselowski, intentionally spun Keselowski in Turn 4 as Keselowski’s No. 12 Dodge went airborne, flipped over and made hard contact against the outside wall before rolling back on all four wheels and coming to rest against the top lane in Turn 1. Despite the incident, Keselowski emerged uninjured as NASCAR would park Edwards for the remainder of the race. Keselowski struggled throughout his first full-time Cup season, though he earned his first career pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September, recorded a seventh-place result in the All-Star Race in May and recorded back-to-back 10th-place results in October. When the 2010 Cup season concluded, he settled in 25th in the final standings. Keselowski, nonetheless, had a breakout season in the Xfinity Series, where he won six races, recorded 29 top-10 results and achieved the series championship, the first for himself and the first for Roger Penske

    In 2011, Keselowski remained with the Penske organization, but transitioned to the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge led by his Xfinity championship crew chief Paul Wolfe. For the first 12 Cup races into the season, Keselowski recorded one top-five result (third at Darlington Raceway in May) and one pole (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May) while he finished outside the top 20 five times. At Kansas Speedway in June, Keselowski gambled on fuel in the closing laps to beat Dale Earnhardt Jr., his mentor, and claim his second Cup triumph. The victory was Keselowski’s first since winning at Talladega in 2009, the first of the season for the Penske organization and the first Cup victory for Paul Wolfe.

    In August, Keselowski was in a testing session at Road Atlanta when he was involved in a vicious accident, where he made head-on contact into a concrete wall at nearly 200 mph, and broke his left ankle. Despite the injuries that also included back pains, Keselowski continued to race in the Cup Series. Not long after the accident, Keselowski held off Kyle Busch to claim his second victory of the season at Pocono Raceway. After finishing second and third the next two races, Keselowski responded back by claiming his unprecedented third win of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway under the lights. With a sixth-place finish the following race at Atlanta, Keselowski locked himself into the 2011 Playoffs. Throughout the postseason, he earned four top-five results before he settled in an impressive fifth place in the final standings.

    Keselowski started the 2012 season with his second consecutive DNF in the Daytona 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. Three races later, Keselowski prevailed in a late battle with Matt Kenseth to win at Bristol Motor Speedway for his first victory of the season. Throughout the 26 regular-season stretch, Keselowski achieved wins at Talladega in May and at Kentucky Speedway in June as he secured a spot into the 2012 Playoffs. By then, he also surpassed 100 Cup career starts.

    During the first Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway in September, Keselowski prevailed in a late battle with Jimmie Johnson to win for the fourth time of the season as his quest for the Cup title over Johnson ignited. Two races later, Keselowski achieved his unprecedented fifth win of the season at Dover International Speedway following a late battle on fuel mileage. By then, Keselowski was leading the championship standings. Though Keselowski continued running and earning top-10 results throughout the Playoffs, Johnson reassumed the points lead following back-to-back victories at Martinsville Speedway and at Texas Motor Speedway in late October and early November. Then, during the following race at Phoenix, Keselowski was back atop the standings after dodging a handful of incidents in the final laps and taking advantage of Johnson wrecking out midway into the race to finish sixth. Entering the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Keselowski was leading the standings by 20 points over Johnson. When the checkered flag flew in the finale, Keselowski finished in 15th place, but he achieved his first Cup championship while Johnson was eliminated late in the race due to a rear gear issue. The Cup championship was the first for Keselowski in his third season in competition, the first for Roger Penske and the last for Dodge with the manufacturer withdrawing from the sport following the 2012 season.

    Piloting a Ford Fusion, Keselowski started off the 2013 season with four consecutive top-five finishes. Despite earning 11 top-10 results throughout the 26 regular-season stretch, inconsistent results and failing to achieve a win throughout the regular season cost him an opportunity to defend his title as he failed to make the Playoffs. Nonetheless, he earned five top-five results for the remaining 10 races, which included his lone win of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October, before he concluded the season in 14th place in the final standings.

    Keselowski rallied back the following season with three consecutive top-three results to start the season, which included a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as he secured his spot into the 2014 Playoffs. He went on to earn victories at Kentucky, New Hampshire and at Richmond, and he recorded the 400th all-time win for Team Penske as he entered the Playoffs with the top seed based on his four regular-season wins. He started the Playoffs by winning at Chicagoland Speedway and advancing into the second round. In the first two races of the second round, Keselowski was involved in incidents on the track and was left in the danger zone of not advancing into the third round of the Playoffs. Though he made rivals for his aggressive driving, among which included Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart, he responded back by winning at Talladega and securing a spot into the third round of the Playoffs. Keselowski’s late misfortunes, however, continued, starting at Martinsville, where he was involved in a late multi-car accident late in the race, followed by Texas, where he made contact with Jeff Gordon on a late restart, an incident that cost Gordon a shot for the victory and led to a brawl on pit road following the race. Despite finishing fourth the following race at Phoenix, Keselowski was eliminated from title contention and he went on to conclude the season in fifth place in the final standings. Though he came up short in achieving his second Cup title, he earned a career-high six victories, a career-high five poles and 20 top-10 results.

    Throughout the 2015 season, Keselowski achieved one victory (Auto Club Speedway in March), nine top-five results and a career-high 25 top-10 results before he concluded the season in seventh place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 200 Cup career starts. From 2016 to 2017, Keselowski won a total of seven races, including his first victories at Daytona, Atlanta and Martinsville, and achieved 43 top-10 results with a best points result of fourth place in 2017 after making it all the way to the Championship Round. By then, he surpassed 300 Cup career starts.

    In 2018, Keselowski won the non-point Clash at Daytona International Speedway in February, but went winless for the first 24 races of the season. The following race at Darlington Raceway, Keselowski won the Southern 500 and achieved his first crown-jewel event win in NASCAR. He backed it up the following race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Brickyard 400, while recording the first NASCAR Cup victory at Indianapolis for Roger Penske. For the 2018 Playoff opener at Las Vegas, Keselowski won and achieved the 500th win for Team Penske across motorsports. Despite winning three races in consecutive weeks, he concluded the season in eighth place in the final standings after being eliminated from title contention following the second round.

    Last season, Keselowski recorded the first victory for the new Ford Mustang in the Cup Series at Atlanta, the second race of the season. He went on to win at Martinsville in March and at Kansas in May. Though he achieved 19 top-10 results, he was eliminated from title contention following the second round of the Playoffs and he concluded the season in eighth place in the final standings and for the second year in a row.

    This season, through the first 22 races of the 2020 Cup season and his first full season with crew chief Jeremy Bullins, Keselowski has won three times (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, Bristol in May and at New Hampshire in July) to tally his win column to 33. He has also achieved six stage wins, nine top-five results and 16 top-10 results. He is currently ranked in second place in the regular-season standings and trails points leader Kevin Harvick by 137 points. A day after winning at New Hampshire, Keselowski also announced that he will be remaining with Team Penske for the 2021 Cup season.

    Catch Keselowski’s milestone start in the inaugural Cup Series race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on August 16 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Greg Ives to reach 200 Cup starts as crew chief following Michigan

    Greg Ives to reach 200 Cup starts as crew chief following Michigan

    A significant milestone is in the making this weekend for Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE driven by Alex Bowman in the NASCAR Cup Series. When the Cup Series completes its upcoming doubleheader races at Michigan International Speedway, Ives will achieve 200 starts in NASCAR’s premier series as a crew chief.

    A native of Bark River, Michigan, Ives graduated from Michigan Technological University with an engineering degree in 2003 and joined Hendrick Motorsports as a mechanic for the No. 24 Chevrolet team driven by Jeff Gordon the following year. As a lead engineer for the No. 48 Chevrolet team driven by Jimmie Johnson and led by crew chief Chad Knaus, Ives was part of Johnson’s historic run of winning five consecutive Cup championships from 2006 to 2010.

    Following the 2012 season, Ives spent the next two seasons in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as a crew chief for Regan Smith in 2013 and rookie Chase Elliott in 2014. In his two-year role as crew chief, Ives achieved his first five career wins, two poles, 23 top-five results and 44 top-10 results. In addition, he achieved his first NASCAR championship in 2014 with Elliott.

    In July 2014, Ives was named crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS team for the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series season following the departure of veteran Steve Letarte, who joined NBC Sports as an analyst. Nine races into his rookie season as a Cup crew chief, Ives notched his first career win with Earnhardt Jr. in May 2015 at Talladega Superspeedway, the same venue where he also achieved his first Xfinity career win in 2013 with Regan Smith. Throughout the 2015 season, the combo also won at Daytona International Speedway in July and at Phoenix Raceway in November while racking up 16 top-five results and 22 top-10 results. When the final checkered flag of the 2015 Cup season waved, they concluded the season in 12th in the final standings.

    The 2016 season was an eventful season for Ives and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team. For the first 18 races, Earnhardt Jr. drove the No. 88 car to five top-five results and six top-10 results, and they were situated in 13th place in the regular-season standings. The following race, however, Earnhardt Jr. was sidelined due to suffering concussion-like symptoms. When Earnhardt Jr. opted out of racing for the remainder of the 2016 season, Ives worked with Alex Bowman and Jeff Gordon for the final 18 races. With Gordon, the No. 88 team achieved two top-10 results and seven laps led. With Bowman, the team achieved a pole position at Phoenix in November along with three top-10 results and 200 laps led.

    In 2017, Ives reunited with Earnhardt Jr. with Earnhardt receiving medical clearance to return to racing. Following the first eight races of the season, where the combo only achieved one top-five result, Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from full-time NASCAR racing following the 2017 season. Three months later, Bowman was named as Earnhardt Jr.’s successor of the No. 88 Chevrolet with Ives to continue to lead the team. Throughout the 2017 season, though he was absent for two races, Ives achieved one top-five result, eight top-10 results and two poles with Earnhardt Jr. before concluding the season in 21st in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 Cup starts as a crew chief.

    In 2018, following Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement and with Bowman behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro, the combo started off on a high note by winning the pole position for the Daytona 500. Throughout the season, however, Bowman and Ives achieved three top-five results and 11 top-10 results. Though they made the Playoffs, they concluded the season in 16th in the final standings.

    The following season, it took until the first 16 races into the new season for Bowman to achieve his first Cup career win at Chicagoland Speedway in June. Bowman’s victory also snapped a three-year winless drought for Ives and the No. 88 team since their last victory in November 2015. Throughout the 2019 season, the two achieved seven top-five results and 12 top-10 results as they made the Playoffs again before concluding the season in 12th in the final standings, four spots higher than the previous season.

    Through the first 20 races of this season, Bowman and Ives have achieved one victory at Auto Club Speedway in March. They have also achieved two top-five results and six top-10 results, and they are one of 10 teams to be guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Cup Playoffs. Heading into this weekend’s doubleheader races at Michigan, Ives’ home track, the U.P. native has achieved five career wins, four poles, 34 top-five results and 70 top-10 results in his sixth year as a Cup crew chief for Hendrick Motorsports.

    Catch Greg Ives’ milestone at Michigan on August 9 at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Bowman to make 100th start with Hendrick Motorsports at Texas

    Bowman to make 100th start with Hendrick Motorsports at Texas

    When the green flag waves in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 19, Alex Bowman will reach a significant milestone in his racing career. By starting this Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at the Lone Star state, Bowman will make his 100th Cup start in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.

    When the 2015 season concluded, Bowman had competed in his first two full-time seasons in the Cup Series between BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing. His best finishes between the two seasons was 13th at Daytona in July 2014 and 16th at Talladega in May 2015. Prior to the 2016 season, however, Bowman was left without a full-time ride after Tommy Baldwin Racing decided to replace Bowman with Regan Smith for the upcoming Cup season. All the Arizona native had in his racing schedule for 2016 was a nine-race stint in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports.

    Through July and following his first five races with JRM, Bowman finished in the top 10 in all of his starts, which included a third-place result at Dover in May. Then, an opportunity made way for him when Dale Earnhardt Jr., two-time Daytona 500 champion and one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, experienced concussion-like symptoms and did not participate in the upcoming Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July 2016. During the race, Bowman had a strong run in his first Cup race in Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Nationwide/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS led by crew chief Greg Ives. Despite running in the top 10 the majority of the run, he cut a tire on Lap 272 of 301 and finished 26th, but he still left New Hampshire satisfied with his run while receiving the opportunity to compete alongside NASCAR’s elite. Bowman and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon would, ultimately, fill in the No. 88 Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2016 season when the concussion symptoms sidelined Earnhardt Jr. Competing in nine of the remaining 13 Cup races, Bowman recorded three top-10 results, including a career-best sixth place at Phoenix in November on a weekend where he recorded his first Cup career pole. He also competed in four more Xfinity races with JR Motorsports and earned two more top-10 results.

    Based on winning the pole position at Phoenix, Bowman piloted the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet in the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona in February 2017, where he finished third after battling Kyle Busch on the final lap. While Earnhardt Jr. returned to racing full time for the 2017 season, Bowman, again, was left without a full-time ride within NASCAR’s three major division series, making only one start in the NASCAR Truck Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway with GMS Racing in February, where he finished sixth. In April, Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from racing full time in the Cup Series and was a leading advocate for Bowman to replace him. On July 20, Bowman was officially named the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide/AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports for the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season. For the remainder of the 2017 season, Bowman competed in two Xfinity Series races in the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing. In October at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he notched his first Xfinity career victory after leading the final 32 laps. He finished eighth in his other start at Phoenix in November.

    In his first run in the No. 88 Chevrolet in 2018, Bowman won the pole position for the 60th running of the Daytona 500 with a pole-winning speed at 195.644 mph in 46.002 seconds. Leading 13 laps, he finished 17th in the 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. Finishing no higher than 13th in the first five races of the 2018 season, Bowman recorded his first top-10 result, seventh, the following race at Martinsville Speedway. Two races later, he recorded his first career top-five result, fifth, at Bristol Motor Speedway. For the remaining 18 races of the regular season, Bowman recorded seven more top-10 results, including a career-best third place at Pocono Raceway in July, to make his Playoffs. With finishes of 19th, 12th and fourth in the three races of the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, he advanced to the Round of 12. The following round, he recorded finishes of 28th, 33rd and ninth, and was eliminated from title contention. Ultimately, he concluded the season in 16th in the final standings. During his first full-time season racing for Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman recorded three top-five results, 11 top-10 results and an average result of 17.0. In May, he competed in the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway and won the first segment to advance to his first All-Star Race, where he finished last of the 21-car field following an accident in the third stage.

    Bowman started the 2019 Cup season by qualifying on the front row for the Daytona 500, starting alongside teammate and pole-sitter William Byron, and finishing fifth in the rain-shortened Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona. For the first nine races of the season, he finished no higher than 11th. By then, he surpassed 50 starts with HMS. In April at Talladega Superspeedway, Bowman notched a career-best second place behind teammate Chase Elliott. He went on to finish in the runner-up spot the following two races at Dover and at Kansas. The following week, he finished third in the Monster Energy Open, but he advanced to the All-Star Race after winning the Fan Vote, where he finished eighth. For the next four races, he finished no higher than seventh. In June at Chicagoland Speedway, Bowman prevailed in a late battle with Kyle Larson to score his first NASCAR Cup Series career win. With the victory coming in his 134th series career start, Bowman became the 18th competitor to win driving for Hendrick Motorsports and the 192nd competitor to win a Cup race. He also recorded the first victory for the No. 88 HMS Chevrolet team led by crew chief Greg Ives since November 2015 at Phoenix, an accomplishment last made by Earnhardt Jr. The win at Chicagoland guaranteed the Arizona native a spot for the 2019 Cup Playoffs. In the three races featured in the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, Bowman recorded finishes of sixth, 23rd and second to advance to the Round of 12. For the second round, however, he recorded finishes of third, 37th and 11th, and was eliminated from championship contention. He went on to finish 12th in the final standings while recording seven top-five results, 12 top-10 results and an average result of 14.4.

    This season, Bowman recorded his second Cup career victory at Auto Club Speedway in March after leading a race-high 110 of the event’s 200-scheduled laps. He has also recorded two top-five results, five top-10 results and an average result of 16.9 through the first 17 Cup races of the 2020 season. He is coming off an eighth-place result in the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, which occurred on July 15, and is ninth in the regular-season standings, trailing points leader Kevin Harvick by 177 points. He is, nonetheless, guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Playoffs by virtue of his victory at Auto Club. He is also scheduled to remain as driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports after signing a one-year contract extension with the 12-time championship-winning team in May.

    Catch Bowman’s milestone start with Hendrick Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas on July 19, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • A career-defining run for Jeb Burton at Talladega

    A career-defining run for Jeb Burton at Talladega

    It was a near-perfect day for Jeb Burton, the son of the 2002 Daytona 500 champion, Ward, who rallied from the rear of the field to lead in the closing laps of Saturday’s Unhinged 300 at Talladega Superspeedway. While the Halifax, Virginia, native did not leave Talladega with his first NASCAR Xfinity Series career win, he crossed the line in third for his career-best finish in an afternoon where the cards fell in his favors in the final laps and he nearly capped off an upset story of his own.

    Based on a random draw, Burton was due to start in eighth, but was dropped to the rear of the field when his No. 8 LS Tractor Chevrolet Camaro failed pre-race inspection five times. 

    When the green flag waved, Burton methodically worked his way through the field and was in 21st when the competition caution flew on the 10th lap. He made an early pit stop for fuel under the caution, where he lined up in 25th when the race restarted five laps later. Ten laps later, when the first stage concluded, Burton had worked his way up to 15th as he continued to demonstrate patience early in the race while preserving his car to the end.

    Restarting 13th for the start of the second stage, Burton was able to crack the top 10 by Lap 35 and five laps later, he moved into the top five, running third. By Lap 45, he dropped back to 15th, but was running in a single-file line with his JR Motorsports’ teammates led by Justin Allgaier followed by Michael Annett and Noah Gragson. In the closing laps of the second stage, Burton was able to race his way back into the top 10 and conclude the stage in seventh, earning valuable owner points for JRM’s No. 8 Chevrolet team led by crew chief Taylor Moyer.

    Under the stage break, Burton pitted for fuel and restarted in sixth with 56 laps remaining for the start of the final stage. Three laps later, Burton and his JR Motorsports’ teammates occupied the top-four positions on track. With Jeb Burton settling in third, his cousin/rookie, Harrison, was running in fifth.

    Seventeen laps later, the caution flew following a four-car wreck on the fronstretch and Burton pitted under yellow for fuel to make it to the end. Restarting in fifth with 33 laps remaining, he moved into third a lap later behind Kaulig Racing’s Ross Chastain and AJ Allmendinger. He then raced on the outside lane and as the lead JR Motorsports’ competitor until the caution returned with 17 laps remaining for a six-car wreck in Turn 3 that involved his cousin, Harrison. The wreck halted the race for nearly 11 minutes.

    When the race restarted with 14 laps remaining, Burton dropped the hammer and made a bold move below Allmendinger to move into second as he went to work in challenging Chastain for the lead. Despite falling back to fifth, he worked his way back to the front two laps later after drafting Austin Cindric to the lead. With 11 laps remaining, Burton led his first lap of the day before Cindric reassumed the lead. Two laps later, Burton was back ahead of the field. Just after he took the lead, the caution returned with eight laps remaining for an 11-car pileup on the frontstretch, a wreck that involved Burton’s teammates Gragson and Allgaier while his other teammate, Annett, barely escaped.

    Following a second red-flag period spanning six and a half minutes, Burton restarted with the lead with three laps remaining. From there, he was pressured by Justin Haley for the lead and the first win. Despite having no teammates lined up behind him in the final shootout, Burton was able to maintain the lead on the inside lane and by a hair on the penultimate lap. He was, however, overtaken by Haley for the lead in Turn 2 when Haley received a push from teammates Chastain and Allmendinger. With Haley clearing the field and powering to the win, Burton would take the checkered flag in third behind Chastain after leading eight laps.

    While it was not a day where he walked away with his first Xfinity win at a track where the Burtons have never won at, the third-place result was Jeb’s best of his career along with his fourth top-five career finish in his 34th series start. It also marked his third top-five result in his ninth race with JR Motorsports, a part-time deal that started last season. His only other start this season came in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, where he led a race-high 26 of the 120-scheduled laps and won the first stage until he was eliminated in a late multi-car wreck and finished 23rd.

    “Looking back on it, I should’ve picked another lane,” Burton said. “I didn’t know Ross was behind [Haley]. I probably should’ve done something a little different there, split those teammates up. I probably should’ve jumped up high with [Haley], but I think they had such a head of steam. I thought [Cindric] was close enough to me and we would’ve had a run, but those [Kaulig Racing] teammates got hooked up and it was nothing. Nothing we can do. The guys did a good job. They brought a fast racecar. Daytona, we almost won and we almost won here. Just appreciate the effort. We’re gonna go to Indy in a couple of weeks, so I get to race again soon, and then, we’ll go to Kentucky and Texas. So, I got a couple coming up.”

    In addition to pursuing his first Xfinity win, a feat accomplished by his father, Ward; uncle, Jeff; and cousin, Harrison; Burton also continues to pursue his first NASCAR national division series win since winning his lone Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in June 2013 and a possibility of returning as a full-time competitor in the sport.

    Burton will return on July 4 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval-road course venue for his next scheduled series start of the season while Daniel Hemric will compete in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet next weekend at Pocono Raceway on June 28, which will air at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • JR Motorsports – NXS Watkins Glen Preview

    JR Motorsports – NXS Watkins Glen Preview

    JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
    TRACK: Watkins Glen International
    RACE: Zippo 200 at The Glen (82 laps / 200.9 miles)

    Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on NBC / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on
    MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

    Michael Annett
    No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
    • Michael Annett’s best NASCAR Xfinity Series finish at Watkins Glen International is 11th and came in 2012.
    • Annett comes to Watkins Glen on a run of eight top-10 finishes in his last 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, three of those in the top five.
    • Annett is consistently running at the finish at Watkins Glen, completing 99.5 percent of the laps run in his seven starts on the upstate New York road course.
    • The familiar colors of Pilot Flying J return to the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro SS at Watkins Glen.

    Justin Allgaier
    No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
    • Justin Allgaier has eight NXS starts at Watkins Glen, with two top-five and five top-10 finishes. His best finish came in last year’s event, when he raced his way to third.
    • Last season, Allgaier proved himself to be a bit of a roadcourse ace, claiming wins at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America and earning three top-three finishes in four starts.
    • Overall, in 24 starts on road courses, Allgaier has three wins, seven top fives and 15 top 10s.
    • With seven races left in the regular season, the Illinois native sits fourth in the NXS point standings.

    Ryan Preece
    No. 8 Louisiana Hot Sauce Chevrolet
    • Ryan Preece returns to JRM’s No. 8 Chevrolet for the fourth time in 2019 this weekend at Watkins Glen.
    • In three previous starts this season for JRM, Preece has recorded one top five, three top 10s and a best finish of fourth at Pocono Raceway in June.
    • In two career NXS starts at Watkins Glen, Preece has earned a best finish of fourth, coming in this event last season.
    • Overall, Preece has scored two top fives and two top 10s in five career starts on road courses in the NXS, earning a best finish of fourth at both Watkins Glen and the Charlotte ROVAL in 2018.

    Noah Gragson
    No. 9 West Herr Chevrolet
    • Noah Gragson will make his first NXS start on a road course this weekend at Watkins Glen.
    • In two previous starts on road courses in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, Gragson has earned one top five and two top 10s with a best finish of second coming at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2017.
    • The Las Vegas native has also made a combined 10 starts on road courses in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West, scoring a total of four wins, five top fives and seven top 10s. Gragson most recently visited Victory Lane in the K&N Pro Series West earlier this summer at Sonoma after starting second and leading 24 laps en route to the win.

    Driver Quotes
    “We are on a pretty good roll here lately, and Watkins Glen is a fun place to race. It’s a great layout, challenging with all the right-hand corners, and we’ve had some good performance on road courses here with JR Motorsports. The key to our season, besides winning at Daytona, is our consistency. Travis Mack (crew chief) and the No. 1 team have been rock-solid all year long, and we’re in a good place in preparing for the Playoffs in a few weeks.”– Michael Annett

    “Being successful on road courses is all about car management, making sure that you manage your tires, the brakes, and keeping your car on the course. If we can do that, then I think our BRANDT Professional
    Agriculture team will be in great shape. The playoffs are right around the corner and bonus points are key. I feel like the road courses are where we really have an opportunity to gain some ground. We were
    strong on those tracks last season and I’m confident we can continue that momentum as we enter this stretch of road courses coming up, starting with Watkins Glen this weekend.”– Justin Allgaier

    “I’ve really enjoyed racing with JR Motorsports this season, and I’m looking forward to the culmination of that this weekend at Watkins Glen International. I, by no means, have a road course racing background, but it’s something I enjoy to break up our schedule. I was fortunate to have a top-five run here last year in the Xfinity Series, and I’m hoping to build upon that this weekend with Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and the No. 8 Louisiana Hot Sauce team. I’m really grateful to Kelley, Dale and the entire JR Motorsports organization for the opportunities this season to be a part of the team.” – Ryan Preece

    “I really enjoy racing on the road courses and I’m really excited to get that stretch of the season started this weekend in Watkins Glen. We were able to knock the rust off earlier this year in Sonoma with the K&N car and were fortunate enough to come away with the victory. Watkins Glen is definitely a different kind of animal than Sonoma but I am really looking forward to seeing what we can do this weekend with our West Herr Chevrolet.” – Noah Gragson

    JRM Team Updates

    • JRM at Watkins Glen: JR Motorsports has 33 NXS starts at Watkins Glen International, earning six top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. The team’s best finish came in 2011 when Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line in second.
    • JRM on Road Courses: In 97 NXS starts on road courses, JRM has scored four wins, 23 top fives and 47 top 10s. Ron Fellows and Regan Smith earned the organization’s first two road course victories at Montreal in 2008 and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2015, respectively, while Justin Allgaier went to Victory Lane at Mid-Ohio and Road America last season.
    • Gragson Media Availability: JRM driver Noah Gragson will be stopping by the media center at Watkins Glen International for media availability on Friday, Aug. 2, at 4 p.m. EST.
    • JRM Souvenir Autograph Session: JRM teammates Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 10 – 10:30 a.m. EST.