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  • NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Elimination Format: 10-Year Anniversary

    NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Elimination Format: 10-Year Anniversary

    Ten years ago on this day, January 30, NASCAR announced a major overhaul to the Cup Series Playoff system by revealing a new 10-week format and postseason battle for the championship. This new format places a heavy emphasis on winning throughout an entire season for an expanded postseason field. It also leaves very little room for error as the field narrows by quarter sections per round throughout the Playoffs until the last competitor standing after the finale will emerge as a champion in NASCAR’s premier series.

    From the new format, a victory for any full-time competitor who qualified and competed in every regular-season event on the schedule, from the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway through Race No. 26, the regular-season finale, would guarantee him/herself a berth for the 10-race Playoffs (except for waiver instances from NASCAR that would even grant those who did not compete the entire regular-season stretch to still be eligible to contend for the Playoffs). In addition, the Playoff field that started with 10 vacant spots (2004-06) and grew to 12 (2007-12) and 13 (2013) would expand to 16, with those accumulating the most regular-season victories along with points and a winless regular-season points leader (if needed due to less than 16 regular-season victors for the latter two categories) clinching spots for the postseason format.

    Once the Playoffs commenced, the first nine postseason events would be sliced into three per Playoff round and eliminate the bottom four competitors in the Playoff standings, from 16 to 12 to eight and lastly, four. Within the new elimination format, a victory within any round (maximum three for three races per round) would guarantee a Playoff competitor a spot into the proceeding round with the remaining vacant rounds being set by those highest in points. After each round, the remaining competitors who are still championship eligible would have their points reset while those who are eliminated would have their points total readjusted to the normal points format in sync with the rest of the field, but still eligible to battle as high as for fifth place in the standings.

    Once the Round of 8, the penultimate round, concluded, the top-four competitors in points would transfer to the Championship 4 round and square off against one another in the final event on the schedule. During the finale, the highest-finishing title contender would be awarded the Bill France Cup championship-winning trophy in NASCAR’s premier series.

    Since the inception of the current Playoff format (2014-23), a total of 40 competitors qualified for the Playoffs at least once, either by winning at least once throughout the regular-season stretch or based on points. In addition, 19 teams had at least one competitor/entry represented in the Playoffs. Through the 2023 season, the following names that include Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick are the only competitors to make the postseason since the current Playoff format’s debut in 2014. Harvick, however, is set to depart this list after retiring from full-time Cup Series competition as he is replaced by incoming rookie Josh Berry for the 2024 season.

    Within the list of 40 names, 19 clinched a Playoff spot by winning for the first time in the Cup Series in the process. In 2014, Aric Almirola and AJ Allmendinger guaranteed themselves first-time opportunities to make the Playoffs and contend for a championship after both scored their first Cup career victory throughout the regular-season stretch. Additional names of first-time winners claiming automatic berths to the Playoffs from 2014 to 2023 include Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Cole Custer, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Daniel Suarez. The most recent newcomer to the Playoffs is Bubba Wallace, who secured the 16th and final transfer berth into the 2023 Playoffs based on points.

    Of the 40 Playoff qualifiers recorded, 16 transferred to the Championship 4 round and contended for a Cup Series championship. Of the 16 finalists, eight won a championship. Of the eight championship-winning competitors, seven became first-time Cup champions. During the current Playoff’s inaugural use in 2014, Kevin Harvick achieved his first Cup title after fending off a late charge from title rival Ryan Newman to also win the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in his first season driving for Stewart-Haas Racing.

    Most recently, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney etched his name as a first-time Cup champion in 2023 after emerging as the highest-finishing title contender over Kyle Larson, William Byron and Christopher Bell during the season’s finale at Phoenix Raceway. Other notable names who became first-time champions from the format include Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. The only competitor who had previously won a championship during the Playoff’s former use from 2004 to 2013 and proceeded to win again during the Playoff’s current use is Jimmie Johnson, who joined Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as the only competitors to win a record-tying seven titles in 2016. From the list of seven competitors who became first-time champions, Busch and Logano would each proceed to win a second Cup title (2019 & 2022).

    With the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season set to mark the 11th consecutive season of the current Playoff format’s use, it presents an abundance of new memories toward the postseason battle for the premier series championship that remains to be determined with the commencement of this year’s Playoffs.

    With this year’s Cup Series regular-season finale occurring at Darlington Raceway on September 1, the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs are scheduled to commence at Atlanta Motor Speedway a week later, on September 8, and air at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. The 2024 Cup Series Championship Race is set to return to Phoenix Raceway for a fifth consecutive season and air on November 10 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Legacy Motor Club executive Joey Cohen on changing manufacturers and the future of NASCAR’s most interesting team

    Legacy Motor Club executive Joey Cohen on changing manufacturers and the future of NASCAR’s most interesting team

    If you haven’t been paying attention to Legacy Motor Club, you need to be. When I spoke with Joey Cohen, Vice President of Racing Operations for the team on January 11th, there was an aura of confidence that surrounded every answer he gave, and rightfully so, as the team has made more noise in the offseason than many pundits thought they would. 

    One of the biggest moves the team made was switching manufacturers from Chevrolet, whom the team had been with since 2018 when they were still Richard Petty Motorsports, to Toyota. Cohen said a lot goes into a Cup Series team changing manufacturers, especially when they have to maintain appearances until the final laps of the season. 

    “The fortunate thing was, we got to go out to the Phoenix test in December when they were testing the short track aero package. That track time is irreplaceable. It’s stuff that you just can’t replicate. To have that track time in the offseason during the transition, to go from running a Chevrolet at Phoenix when the checkered flag falls in November to 30 days later running a Toyota at the same track is a massive effort by our group to build the car, but also by our engineering group. It’s a massive effort on their part to unload another vehicle and go make laps at a competitive pace. So it takes a group effort. It takes a whole team effort and is supported by, obviously, a great OEM partner in Toyota, great people at Legacy Motor Club, great mechanics, great engineers. That’s what gets it done in the offseason.”

    Cohen said the engineering group at LMC is bearing the brunt of the manufacturer change. 

    “You see the (physical) vehicle change, and with the Next Gen platform, that’s pretty easy to accomplish. Our chassis are still the same. Most of the components in the car are the same. It’s really just the body, driveline, and engine package changing. We have really great partners in Toyota going over to this TRD engine platform. Those guys are doing a great job of handling that aspect of it. We hang all of our own bodies ourselves, so we have the capability to take that on ourselves. But it’s really a massive effort by the engineering group on the other side of things. Everything they have from tools to preparation, to how they do their job changes completely. Different simulation tools, different simulator, different programs for the engineering department to set up vehicles, work on pre-event stuff with vehicle optimizations and setups. All our information is based off Chevrolet, so it’s really just transferring that information to a Toyota environment. That’s going to the Toyota wind tunnel in Salisbury (North Carolina). So I’d say the busiest group this offseason has been our engineers, who have been trying to correlate where we’ve been with the Next Gen car the last 2 years, and translating that into the Toyota Platform. 

    Whether it be on track performance or garnering more sponsorship for the team, Cohen agreed wholeheartedly when I told him it seemed to be an exciting time in the race shop. 

    “You can tell there’s energy in the shop right now. Most of the group has been here since Day 1, and to see where it was two years ago, you almost have to pinch yourself, right? It’s one thing to be in the presence of Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson. But it’s a fast-paced environment and a lot of good things are happening, things you can get excited about. Today, we announced a partnership with Family Dollar and Dollar Tree on a 38-race schedule. It just seems like every time we turn around, there’s been an announcement. There’s some energy coming out of Legacy Motor Club. That’s really fun to be a part of. There’s no replacement for continuing to grow and continuing to move forward. Along the way, there’s been success and there’s been growing pains, but overall, when you look at the span of 2 years and now going into the third one, I think it’s really exciting when you look at what’s on our plate this season, and a lot to be excited about when you think about Toyota support coming in in our third year as an organization. I think if you look around at our peers, they kind of hit their stride going into their third year.  And that’s just a product of getting your feet under you, getting your systems in place and getting your staff and team built out. That’s a process. It takes time. A lot of these things are coming together at the right time with Toyota coming on board and our team coming into its own going into year three. So we have a certain level of energy in the shop right now going into 2024.” 

    “Expectations are really high. That’s a really good place to be in for a young team like ours.”

    As I asked Cohen about the team’s driver lineup in 2024, his face lit up, especially when I mentioned 7-time champion Jimmie Johnson. 

    “We’re really excited about our driver lineup for 2024. To be where we are as an organization and have two established veterans of the sport, even though they’re both floating around 26, 27 years old, I’m like you, I feel like Erik Jones has been in the Cup Series for 10 years now. We’re really excited for Erik and John Hunter to have the resources behind them. A driver needs a good team and good OEM support behind them. I feel like we have 2 of the best drivers in the garage from an organizational standpoint. It’s exciting when you can give those guys what they need in the garage, the tools they need to grow quickly. And then, having Jimmie back this season for a good handful of races, including some racetracks he had a lot of success at, is huge. The Daytona 500 is always going to be fun, but we’re really excited for some of the other races on his schedule this year. He’s going to Charlotte, Kansas, Dover, places where he’s been historically dominant. It’s going to be a really fun season overall with our three drivers.

    “We feel like we’re in a really good spot for the future.”

    Legacy Motor Club will start their season off with the rest of the field in Los Angeles on February 4th with Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek, and Jimmie Johnson will join them in the Daytona 500 on February 18th. Both races will air on FOX.

  • Kaulig Racing reveals 2024 Cup Series crew chief lineup

    Kaulig Racing reveals 2024 Cup Series crew chief lineup

    Kaulig Racing took to social media to reveal its crew chief lineup for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season which features a new addition alongside a returning notable.

    The person who is new to the team for this upcoming season is Travis Mack, who will assume two roles, the first as crew chief for Kaulig’s No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry in the Cup Series and the other as technical director for Kaulig’s Cup program.

    Mack, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, joins Kaulig Racing after spending the previous three seasons at Trackhouse Racing, where he worked as Daniel Suarez’s Cup crew chief. He achieved his first career victory at Sonoma Raceway in June 2022, the same day where Suarez notched his first Cup career victory that enabled them to make the 2022 Cup Playoffs. Mack was also a crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in two Cup events in 2017 and for Kasey Kahne in 15 events in 2018.

    Through 124 appearances as a Cup Series crew chief, Mack achieved one victory, one pole, 10 top-five and 27 top-10 results while working with three competitors. He also worked as a crew chief for 79 Xfinity Series events, where he achieved his lone victory at Daytona International Speedway in February 2019 with Michael Annett while working for JR Motorsports.

    Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry is set to be piloted by multiple competitors for the 2024 Cup Series season, starting with AJ Allmendinger competing in this year’s 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February. The remainder of the entry’s driver lineup and schedule for the 2024 season remains to be determined.

    Returning to Kaulig Racing is Trent Owens, who will continue to work atop the pit box of the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 as a crew chief and for Daniel Hemric, the 2021 Xfinity Series champion who returns to the Cup Series after spending the previous three seasons in the Xfinity Series, including the last two with Kaulig Racing as he made the Xfinity Playoffs and settled in the top 10 in the final driver’s standings during both seasons.

    Owens, a native of Davidson, North Carolina, is coming off his second full-time season as a Cup Series crew chief for Kaulig’s No. 31 entry that was piloted by Justin Haley. During the two-year stint, the duo achieved four top-five results and nine top-10 results, with their best points result being a 22nd-place result during the 2022 season. Owens’ first and only Cup victory to date as a crew chief spans back to July 2014 at Daytona International Speedway, where he led Aric Almirola and the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford team to a rain-shortened victory that enabled them to make the 2014 Cup Series Playoffs.

    Through 348 previous appearances as a Cup Series crew chief, Owens has achieved one victory, 12 top-five and 40 top-10 results while working with 10 competitors. He has also accumulated five Xfinity Series victories and one Craftsman Truck Series victory as a crew chief.

    Kaulig Racing’s 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season commences with the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 4 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. This event will then be followed by the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway which will occur on February 18 and air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Matt Swiderski named crew chief for Daniel Suarez for the 2024 Cup Series season

    Matt Swiderski named crew chief for Daniel Suarez for the 2024 Cup Series season

    Matt Swiderski will be replacing Travis Mack as the crew chief for Daniel Suarez and the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    The news comes as the Chicago native is coming off his third season as a Cup Series crew chief for Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry. During the three-year stint, Swiderski achieved victories with veteran AJ Allmendinger at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in August 2021 and at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course last October. During the previous season, he also led Allmendinger and the No. 16 team to a total of four top-five results and seven top-10 results before settling in 21st place in the final driver’s standings.

    “Everyone sees what Trackhouse Racing is building and I am thankful for the opportunity to come to a winning organization and lead the No. 99 team,” Swiderski said. “I am looking forward to working with Daniel. We are both striving to achieve the same thing, winning. Every day we are going to work on perfecting the next steps that it takes to get more wins and compete for a championship.”

    Swiderski, who received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University before attaining a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, spent the bulk of his early racing career at Richard Childress Racing, where he first worked as a data acquisition engineer before ascending towards becoming a race engineer both on the Xfinity and Cup Series divisions. After briefly departing NASCAR to join Space Exploration Technologies as a loads engineer in 2012, he returned to both NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing eight months later by assuming the title of chief race engineer, where he would eventually be named head of vehicle performance in 2014.

    In 2017, Swiderski made his inaugural presence as a crew chief in the Xfinity Series, where he worked atop the pit box of RCR’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro entry that was piloted between Ty Dillon, Scott Lagasse Jr. and Brian Scott. Throughout the season, the No. 3 entry obtained four top-five results and 18 top-10 results before ending up in 11th place in the final owner’s standings. The following season, Swiderski joined Team Penske and worked as a crew chief for the team’s No. 12 Ford Mustang entry that was competing on a limited basis with rookie Austin Cindric and Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, with the trio achieving a single top-five result and a combined five top-10 results in eight starts. Swiderski would lead the No. 12 team to a combined five top-five results and three poles in eight races, with the entry split between Ryan Blaney, Keselowski, Joey Logano and Paul Menard, before serving as Keselowski’s Xfinity crew chief for a single event in 2020 and two for Ty Dillon in 2021.

    During the 2021 season, Swiderski joined Kaulig Racing as a crew chief for the team’s No. 16 entry in the Cup Series that was split between AJ Allmendinger, Kaz Grala and Justin Haley. He would remain as the crew chief for the No. 16 entry for the 2022 Cup season that was split between Allmendinger, Noah Gragson and Daniel Hemric before Allmendinger assumed the ride on a full-time basis in 2023.

    Through 78 appearances as a Cup Series crew chief, Swiderski has achieved two victories, nine top-five results and 20 top-10 results while working with five different competitors.

    The 2024 Cup Series season will mark Swiderski’s first at Trackhouse Racing and first being paired with Suarez. The 32-year-old Suarez from Monterrey, Mexico, is coming off his seventh full-time campaign in the Cup circuit and third with Trackhouse, where he recorded a pole position at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, three top-five results, 10 top-10 results, 48 laps led and an average-finishing result of 19.0 before settling in 19th place in the 2023 driver’s standings. His first and latest victory to date occurred at Sonoma Raceway in June 2022, a victory that enabled him to make the 2022 Playoffs before settling in 10th place in the final driver’s standings.

    “Matt is a proven winner with a dynamic engineering background, and we are confident he will pair well with Daniel,” Justin Marks, Trackhouse founder and owner, added.

    Matt Swiderski’s first Cup Series campaign as a crew chief for Daniel Suarez and Trackhouse Racing commences with the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 4, with the event’s coverage to occur at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, followed by the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway that will occur on February 18, with the event’s coverage to occur at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Rest in peace Cale Yarborough, the toughest racecar driver the world has ever seen

    Rest in peace Cale Yarborough, the toughest racecar driver the world has ever seen

    Cale Yarborough, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, passed away today at the age of 84. The Timmonsville, South Carolina native’s career spanned 31 years and 560 starts. Yarborough won 83 of those starts, an impressive 14.8% winning percentage. He also set a then-record with 3 consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championships, a record only matched and then broken by 7-time champion Jimmie Johnson. 

    It seems ironic that the most memorable moment of his career was a heartbreaking loss in what was one of the most iconic finishes in the 1979 Daytona 500, and the fight with the Allison brothers that ensued. 

    But Daytona also gave him great moments, such as the 1983 Daytona 500, where Yarborough infamously won while making engine noises while driving the No. 28 Hardees car, entertaining the millions of fans who heard him. 

    Yarborough was hailed as the toughest driver on the blacktop, fighting tooth and nail for every single spot. If a driver upset him, Yarborough let him know. If a competitor respected him, the respect was mutual. Yarborough never made himself out to be a flashy driver, which made sense, considering his humble beginnings. There’s a story that Yarborough and his wife were once on the way to a race in 1962 when a toll booth slowed their journey. Having no money after paying a $10 speeding ticket earlier in their journey and eating hastily made sandwiches along the way, the couple scrambled to find all the money they could in every possible crevice of the car. When they couldn’t come up with the required fare, Yarborough somehow convinced the toll agent to let him pay on the journey back with his race winnings. After an engine failure doomed Yarborough’s night at the track and his financial situation, he borrowed money from the track promoter, paid the toll agent and went on to become one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. 

    Yarborough won his first race at the Valdosta (GA) Speedway in 1965, and started a streak of 8-straight consecutive top-9 points finishes in 1973 and winning Winston Cup titles in 1976, 1977, and 1978. He retired from full-time competition after 1980 and proceeded to run at least 10 races a season until 1987, garnering 14 wins over 8 years to further cement himself as one of the greats.  

    Whether it be on or off the racetrack, his tough driving style, never-back-down attitude, and work ethic told you he was a racecar driver without him even having to tell you what he did for a living. 

    Few men have embodied the spirit of a sport brought up by hard-working men and women who were willing to do whatever it took to put food on the table, outrun the law, and most importantly, win. Cale Yarborough, however, was the epitome of the hard-working attitude embraced by so many across the American South who became stock car racing legends. 

    Cale has now joined the ranks of Dale Earnhardt, David Pearson, Lee Petty, and so many others before him up above, but his legacy here below will be remembered through the ages. 

    Rest in Peace, Ol’ Hickory. 

    Cale Yarborough, 1939-2023

  • Allmendinger tapped to drive Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 entry for 2024 Daytona 500

    Allmendinger tapped to drive Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 entry for 2024 Daytona 500

    Kaulig Racing took to social media to reveal that AJ Allmendinger will be driving the team’s No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry for the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February 2024.

    The news comes 13 days after the 42-year-old Allmendinger from Los Gatos, California, was announced to return to the Xfinity Series with the Kaulig organization for the 2024 season after spending this past season piloting Kaulig’s No. 16 entry in the Cup Series.

    Allmendinger’s bid for the 2024 Daytona 500 indicates that Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 entry will return as the team’s “All-Star” entry for the first time since 2022 and field multiple competitors throughout the 2024 season. Despite Allmendinger scaling back to being a part-time Cup competitor, Kaulig’s No. 16 entry is expected to be guaranteed a starting spot for the event as a locked chartered entry due to contesting in all 36 events throughout the 2023 Cup season, though this remains to be determined. For the 500, Allmendinger will be a teammate alongside Daniel Hemric, who will be piloting Kaulig’s No. 31 entry on a full-time basis as he makes his return to Cup Series competition.

    The 2024 Daytona 500 is set to mark Allmendinger’s 11th career apperance in the Great American Race and second in a row for Kaulig Racing. Through 11 previous starts, the Californian has achieved four top-10 results and two career-best third-place finishes in the 500 (2009 & 2017). He claimed a sixth-place finish during last year’s Daytona 500.

    This past season, Allmendinger scored a Cup Series victory at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in October, which marked his third win in NASCAR’s premier series. He also recorded four top-five results, seven top-10 results, 64 laps led and an average-finishing result of 19.6 throghout the 36-race schedule before settling in 21st place in the final driver’s standings. To go along with his Cup victory at the Charlotte Roval, Allmendinger won two Xfinity Series races (Circuit of the Americas in March and at Nashville Superspeedway in June).

    Additional driver plans regarding Kaulig’s No. 16 entry along with Allmendinger’s part-time schedule for the 2024 Cup Series season remains to be determined.

    Allmendinger’s 11th Daytona 500 career start and second with Kaulig Racing is scheduled to occur on February 18, 2024, with the event’s broadcast time set to air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Alfredo joins Beard Motorsports for Daytona 500 bid, part-time Cup Series campaign in 2024

    Alfredo joins Beard Motorsports for Daytona 500 bid, part-time Cup Series campaign in 2024

    Anthony Alfredo has been selected to pilot the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Beard Motorsports throughout Daytona Speedweeks in preparation for the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February 2024, where he will then attempt to compete at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

    The news comes as Beard Motorsports is set to return on a part-time NASCAR Cup Series campaign in 2024, beginning with an eighth consecutive entrance in Daytona Speedweeks and the team’s bid to make the Daytona 500 field, which would mark the team’s sixth qualification for the 500, after missing the event this past season. Due to being a non-chartered team, Beard Motorsports will have to make the 500 either through the Daytona 500 Qualifying session that will occur on February 14 or through one of two Bluegreen Vacations Duels that will occur the following day on February 15.

    For Alfredo, the 24-year-old native from Ridgefield, Connecticut, will attempt to become the sixth competitor to compete in a Cup Series event for Beard Motorsports. He previously competed in the entire 2021 Cup season with Front Row Motorsports, where he ended up in 30th place in the final standings on the strength of a single top-10 result and an average-finishing result of 27.5. He also made two Cup starts with Live Fast Motorsports this past season, which occurred at Richmond Raceway and at Martinsville Speedway in April.

    Aside from his part-time Cup campaign with Beard Motorsports, Alfredo is set to campaign on a full-time basis in the 2024 Xfinity Series season for Our Motorsports.

    “I’m so thankful for this opportunity,” Alfredo said in a released statement. “Every driver that runs stock cars wants to race in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Daytona 500. I’ve been blessed to race at this level against drivers that are childhood heroes of mine. This opportunity with the Beard family is very exciting. They have always fielded great cars in these superspeedway races, so I’m thrilled to get behind the wheel of their No. 62 Chevrolet.”

    Beard Motorsports, which is based in Mooresville, North Carolina, and has only a single full-time employee, that being crew chief Darren Shaw, made its Cup Series debut during the 2017 Daytona 500 with veteran Brendan Gaughan. Since then, the team has made 26 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series, primarily at Daytona and Talladega. Within the 26 starts, the team recorded five top-10 results and a career-best fifth-place run with Noah Gragson at Daytona in August 2022. The team’s best result in the Daytona 500 is a seventh-place finish produced by Brendan Gaughan in 2020.

    This past season, Austin Hill, an Xfinity Series competitor for Richard Childress Racing, made a total of five Cup starts for Beard Motorsports. Hill’s best result with the team was a 14th-place run at Daytona in August.

    “The 2024 season marks our eighth year competing in the NASCAR Cup Series,” Amie Beard, executive vice president of Beard Motorsports, added. “It’s surreal to even be referencing year number eight. This race team is a passion project for all of us. My dad loved the sport and it’s a passion that we now share as a family. It’s what drives this team.”

    Beard Motorsports also plans to compete at Daytona in August and at Talladega in October. The team’s driver plans for both events along with additional events to enter remain to be determined.

    Alfredo’s first Cup Series campaign with Beard Motorsports commences with the Daytona 500 Qualifying session on February 14 followed by the Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona International Speedway that will occur on February 15 as he attempts to qualify for the 66th running of the Daytona 500 that will follow suit on February 18 and air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Speedway Motorsports COO Mike Burch’s Passion For NASCAR Video Games and Short Track Racing An Uplifting Sign

    Speedway Motorsports COO Mike Burch’s Passion For NASCAR Video Games and Short Track Racing An Uplifting Sign

    Sitting in his office in Concord, North Carolina, Speedway Motorsports Chief Operating Officer Michael Burch smiled through much of our chat. Working at Speedway Motorsports for over 20 years, Burch brings a smile and a positive attitude into the workplace day in and day out. 

    “It’s really fun when you can come and spend a significant part of your day, eight hours of your day, with the people that you work with,” Burch said. “Without people, it’s a big asphalt circle or a big asphalt road course, and it’s a grandstand. And it’s really the experience that people make work. Their creativity, their energy, their hospitality, their friendliness, all those things I think is really what you remember when you go to the races.”

    Burch got into the sport differently than most people of his experience, and in a way that would make current Cup Series Driver William Byron proud: He fell in love with NASCAR video games. 

    “I grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, where Roger Penske has his trucking empire based. I was more of an IndyCar fan, watching the Indy 500 on Memorial Day,” Burch said. “I was aware of NASCAR, but it was actually the NASCAR video games that got me involved. I was a big gamer growing up and that’s what really taught me who drove what cars and the sponsors, and manufacturers and drivers, but also gave me an understanding of how the cars actually work. There was so much interesting feedback, that dynamic, you know, you could see that right front tire going from black, to green, to yellow, to red as it wore out, and you had to decide when to pit. You could feel the car start to move around and lose its optimal line.”

    Burch’s love for the gaming side of NASCAR extends to the future of the sport as well. 

    “It’s been a real passion of mine, and I really think it’s important in bringing new fans to the sport. You look at William Byron who literally went from iRacing to driving the No. 24 for Hendrick Motorsports. It’s one of the rare video game experiences where the inputs are exactly the same as what you’d do in the real world. You can get as good as you want pressing that X button and moving that controller in Madden, or NBA 2K, or ESPN FC, but that really isn’t going to help you on the soccer pitch, or the basketball court, or the football field.”

    “I’m really excited that iRacing has gotten that (NASCAR) license, they’ve done some great work, and I’m really looking forward to them bringing their expertise to consoles, and making sure we do have some good console games.”

    When I asked Burch about his favorite moment in his over 2 decade-long career at SMI, his face lit up. 

    “The experience at North Wilkesboro has been something that I think everyone involved will always remember. The smile on (the fans) faces, the energy, the excitement, they just couldn’t believe they were back at North Wilkesboro watching racing,” Burch says, recounting the return of the famed track in May of this year. 

    Burch ended by saying words that all race fans should do their best to live by. 

    “I just encourage everybody to get to a race in 2024. Make that a New Year’s Resolution,” he joked. “It doesn’t have to be a Speedway Motorsports facility. Make sure you’re supporting your local short track. If you can get to a Cup race, fantastic. If you get to one of our facilities, fantastic. Racing only survives if fans continue to support it, and there’s an awful lot of race tracks out there that are really being challenged.”

    In a sports world where loyalty and sincerity are becoming a lost art, Mike Burch’s passion and love for racing shines a light on all the good still left in those who choose to share it with the masses. 

  • Hunt Brothers Pizza joins Team Penske NASCAR Partner Lineup

    Hunt Brothers Pizza joins Team Penske NASCAR Partner Lineup

    Industry-Leading Convenience Store Pizza Brand to Serve as a Primary Sponsor on the No. 22 Ford Mustang in 2024

    MOORESVILLE, NC (December 9, 2023) – Team Penske and Hunt Brothers® Pizza today announced a new multi-year partnership that will feature the leading convenience store pizza brand on the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang driven by two-time NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Champion Joey Logano for select races beginning in 2024. Hunt Brothers Pizza will also be an associate sponsor on defending NASCAR Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang for the 2024 season.

    “With their long history of commitment towards winning in NASCAR, we welcome Hunt Brothers Pizza to our Team,” said Team Penske President Tim Cindric. “As they continue to utilize motorsports to promote their brand, we are really excited to have them on board as we work with them to carry that tradition forward.”

    Since its founding in 1991, the family owned and operated company has grown to over 9,000 locations across 32 states while staying committed to providing top quality ingredients and exceptional flavor. Hunt Brothers Pizza represents a legacy in the convenience store industry with its team of pizza professionals supporting store partners nationwide to provide the best pizza in towns across the United States. The new partnership with Team Penske will add to the history and heritage of Hunt Brothers Pizza in NASCAR racing. The 2024 season represents the 17th year that Hunt Brothers Pizza will serve as a committed and dedicated team partner in the NASCAR Cup Series.

    “We are thrilled to team up with Joey Logano and Team Penske, a winning team and driver who both share our company’s values and commitment to being the best in our respective industries,” said Scott Hunt, CEO of Hunt Brothers Pizza. “NASCAR continues to be a popular sport among convenience store customers, and we look forward to continuing to engage fans and provide additional marketing value for our convenience store partners in the years to come.”

    Hunt Brothers Pizza will partner with Logano as he begins his 16th season in the Cup Series with the veteran driver racing for his third career NCS title in 2024. Following his 2022 NCS championship season, Logano produced the 32nd win of his distinguished career in 2023 with his first-ever victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. The win extended Logano’s streak to 12 consecutive seasons with at least one Cup Series victory as he raced his way into the NCS Playoffs for the 10th time in 15 seasons.

    “We’re excited and honored to bring Hunt Brothers Pizza on board next season,” said Logano. “Their commitment to excellence both on the track and in the marketplace – in addition to their longstanding support of motorsports – makes Hunt Brothers Pizza a perfect fit at Team Penske. I look forward to racing the No. 22 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang in 2024 and we hope to see those popular red and green colors in Victory Lane next season.”

    The 2024 NCS season begins on Sunday, February 4 with the Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum as the West Coast exhibition race opens the series schedule for the third-consecutive year. The 66th running of the Daytona 500 will be held on Sunday, February 18.

    The specific races where Logano will drive the No. 22 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford in 2024 will be announced at a later date.

    About Hunt Brothers Pizza:

    With more than 9,000 locations across the country, Hunt Brothers Pizza is the nation’s largest brand of made-to-order pizza in the convenience store industry. Hunt Brothers Pizza offers original and thin crust pizzas available as a grab-and-go Hunk A Pizza®, perfect for today’s on-the-go lifestyle, or as a customizable whole pizza that is an exceptional value with All Toppings No Extra Charge®. Hunt Brothers Pizza is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and is family owned and operated. For additional information, visit www.HuntBrothersPizza.com or download the app.

    About Team Penske
    Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Cars owned and prepared by Team Penske have produced more than 620 major race wins, over 680 pole positions and 44 championships across open-wheel, stock car and sports car competition. Entering its 58th season in 2024, Team Penske has also earned 19 Indianapolis 500 victories, three Daytona 500 Championships, a Formula 1 win, victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, along with a win in Australia’s legendary Bathurst 1000 race. In 2024, Team Penske will compete in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. For more information about Team Penske, please visit www.teampenske.com.

  • The White Zone: The changing of eras

    The White Zone: The changing of eras

    Amidst the sea of crew members and race fans lay three scenes of interest. At one end of pit road, Kevin Harvick hugs his family and crew members. At another end, Ross Chastain smashes a watermelon to celebrate his race victory. Finally, at the center of attention is the runner-up finisher. Surrounded by photographers, fellow drivers and eventually race fans, Ryan Blaney exits his car to a storm of confetti as the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

    The 75th season of NASCAR concludes with the changing of eras.

    The curtain call on the Winston Cup era

    After a seventh-place finish at his playground of Phoenix Raceway, Harvick hangs up his helmet and transitions to calling NASCAR races for FOX Sports. His retirement severs the last connection to the Winston Cup Series era.

    Sure, there are several drivers from the mid to late 2000s still active, but Harvick was the last full-time driver from the season-long points era.

    In other words, the drivers of my childhood are gone.

    My childhood hero, Jeff Gordon, retired just before I joined the media corp. Tony Stewart, NASCAR’s ultimate smartass, retired in my first season on the NASCAR beat. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth*, rookies when I started following NASCAR, retired in 2017.

    *Yes, I know Kenseth raced in 2018 and 2020, but that was in substitution roles.

    Jimmie Johnson was the bane of my teenage years, but as I covered his seventh championship run and curtain call of his Cup Series career, I learned to appreciate what a great driver he really was.

    Finally, Harvick, an A-type personality who took over the ride of the late Dale Earnhardt, rides off into the sunset with a career that’s frankly on par with “The Intimidator.” Not necessarily numbers-wise, but like the man in black, he established himself as a member of his generation’s elite drivers.

    Harvick finishes 10th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list (60), the champion of the 2014 season and five Championship 4 appearances. He’s a first-ballot entry into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

    Somewhere in the racing afterlife, I imagine Earnhardt sporting his signature Chesire grin at his replacement.

    The young guns

    When I started covering NASCAR in 2016 and even into 2017, the scuttlebutt of who’s gonna fill the shoes of the stars permeated the airwaves of SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Cut to Sunday, and the roar of fans drowns out Blaney’s SportsCenter hit.

    The young guns who replaced the older stars fit their shoes. Chase Elliott, Gordon’s (initial) replacement is NASCAR’s most popular driver, until one of Earnhardt Jr.’s daughters joins the Cup Series. William Byron, Gordon’s next replacement, made the Championship 4. Christopher Bell, Kenseth’s replacement, did the same two years in a row. Larson is the only driver to win both the Knoxville Nationals and Cup Series championships in the same year.

    Now Blaney, one year removed from a winless season, hoists the Bill France Cup.

    Of this group, only Larson is over the age of 30.

    And there’s more youth coming up the NASCAR pipeline.

    As the late George Jones sang, “Who’s gonna fill their shoes?”

    Yeah, I think we can put those fears to rest now.

    The future

    Is the present perfect?

    No. Not by a long shot.

    But as I wrote, on Saturday, there’s reason for optimism about NASCAR’s future. Sunday at Phoenix Raceway encapsulated that the waning star power we feared in the late 2010s is a solved problem.

    For now, we take a much-needed vacation and do this all again in February.

    That’s my view, for what it’s worth.