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Tag: NASCAR Cup Series

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 159 laps, including the final 78, to win the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington. He leads the points standings by a point over Joey Logano.

    “I’m holding my index finger high,” Harvick said, “because that indicates how many people will be at my victory celebration.

    “But all I can really say is ‘Woo hoo!,’ which I’m told is where this Coronavirus thing started. And one thing is certain, if you’re going to say ‘Buschhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh’ out loud, you better be wearing a mask.”

    2. Joey Logano: Logano finished 18th in the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington. He is second in the points standings, one behind Kevin Harvick.

    “The race in Darlington will be defined by the mask,” Logano said. “It’s NASCAR’s newest ‘SAFER’ barrier. If Kyle Larson shows up, he absolutely has to wear a mask, because he’s not allowed to show his face.”

    3. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished second at Darlington

    “I just signed a one-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports,” Bowman said. “It’s not really a long-term contract extension, but I’ll celebrate anyway, with these ‘(I Guess I’m) Wanted’ posters.”

    4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin posted the top Toyota finish with a fifth at Darlington.

    “Hopefully,” Hamlin said, “we can get back to racing with fans soon. I feel like my chances of winning improve greatly with thousands of people in attendance, as opposed to just my seven-year-old daughter in attendance.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started on the pole at Darlington and finished 13th.

    “I got the pole by virtue of a random draw,” Keselowski said. “My name was drawn, and someone said, ‘You’re P1 in Cup.’ Sometimes, a name is randomly drawn and someone says, ‘Your pee in this cup.’”

    6. Chase Elliott: Elliott came home fourth at Darlington and is now fourth in the points standings, 40 behind Kevin Harvick.

    “Congratulations to Kevin Harvick,” Elliott said. “He ran a heck of a race. I don’t mind complimenting Harvick. He’s a gracious winner, so I know he won’t rub it in our faces. Anyway, the current rules strictly prohibit that.”

    7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 16th at Darlington and is now eighth in the points standings.

    “It’s great to get back to racing,” Blaney said. “It’s very weird racing in front of empty stands. But on the bright side, it gives fans the experience of actually being like a driver, because they were told to stay home just like Kyle Larson.”

    8. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished 12th in the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington.

    “I think wearing masks is important” Almirola said. “Without a mask, you can never really know what might go into your mouth. Or, in the case of Kyle Larson, come out of it.”

    9. Matt DiBenedetto: DiBenedetto came home 14th at Darlington, and is now ninth in the points standings.

    “This whole Coronavirus situation is unprecedented,” DiBenedetto said. “But for someone like Kyle Busch, however, nothing’s really changed. Even before Coronavirus, no one wanted to even be near him.”

    10. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson crashed while leading with a lap to go in Stage 1 at Darlington and eventually finished 38th.

    “I’ve now gone 100 races since my last Cup win,” Johnson said. “It seems like my current situation is defined more by ‘ago’ than ‘go.’”

  • Rookies Reddick, Nemechek notch career-best results at Darlington

    Rookies Reddick, Nemechek notch career-best results at Darlington

    When the green flag waved and 40 of NASCAR’s elite made their first Cup Series start since the first week of March, seven made their first premier series start at Darlington Raceway, (six were rookies). When the checkered flag waved, two were able to not only survive the tricky, distinct-shaped corners of the 1.366-mile surface. They earned strong top-10 results in their season-long quest for the Rookie-of-the-Year title: Tyler Reddick and John Hunter Nemechek.

    For Reddick, the speed was displayed on track for the California native and his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team through the first four races of his rookie Cup campaign. It was only a matter of sealing a satisfactory performance with a satisfactory result. Starting 29th on a random draw for Sunday’s race at Darlington, the former Xfinity Series champion wasted no time working his way methodically toward the front against NASCAR’s elite. He finished eighth in the first stage to earn additional bonus points toward the playoffs and ran inside the top 10 for the majority of the race.

    Then, a near disaster moment occurred on Lap 153, when a piece of ad debris from a banner wall in Turn 3 caught the right-front end of Reddick’s Chevrolet after being previously struck by eventual winner Kevin Harvick. It also remained stuck on Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer’s cars for a handful of laps. The debris remained on Reddick’s car for another lap before the event’s sixth caution flag was displayed. Under the pit stop, Reddick’s crew was able to remove the debris, but he restarted at the rear of the field due to a pit road penalty for an uncontrolled tire violation.

    Despite the miscue, the driver of RCR’s No. 8 Chevrolet was able to utilize the horsepower to work his way back inside the top 10, where he remained for the rest of the race despite enduring two restarts in the final stage. When the checkered flag flew, Reddick notched a career-best seventh-place in his seventh Cup start.

    The performance was the best for a rookie candidate at Darlington since Erik Jones finished fifth in 2017 and Kyle Larson finished eighth in 2014. It also marked Reddick’s second top-10 career result, his first since finishing ninth at Kansas in May 2019, and it gave him a resourceful insight in improving for the next Darlington event while maintaining his consistency for the remainder of his rookie season.

    While Reddick was beaming about his performance, so, too, was John Hunter Nemechek on a day where he turned his uneventful day of lemons into lemonade. Nemechek started his day in 34th and the majority of his race was mired with handling issues. After posting finishes in the high-20s from the first two stages, Nemechek’s race started to improve in the final stage, where he utilized consistency to work his way inside the top 15. Over the course of the final two restarts, Nemechek moved into the top 10 and was able to outrun Matt Kenseth to finish ninth for his first top-10 result in his eighth Cup start.

    The last time a Front Row Motorsports operation finished in the top 10 was when Michael McDowell finished fifth at Talladega in October 2019. This, however, marked the team’s first top-10 result on a non-superspeedway result since Chris Buescher finished fifth at Bristol in August 2016 and their 20th career top-10 result. The result gave the third-generation driver from Mooresville, N.C., something to smile about and scan ahead for improvement toward the upcoming races in his rookie season.

    The remaining rookies that include Cole Custer, Christopher Bell, Brennan Poole and Quin Houff finished 22nd, 24th, 27th and 36th, respectively. Josh Bilicki, who made his first Cup start at Darlington, finished 34th.

    The NASCAR Cup Series rookie class along with the veterans will return for a second race at Darlington Raceway on May 20 followed by Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24.

  • Kenseth, Newman accomplish respectable finishes at Darlington

    Kenseth, Newman accomplish respectable finishes at Darlington

    While Kevin Harvick notched a milestone victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career in Sunday’s Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway, veterans Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth achieved a task of their own that felt like a win. By finishing in the top 15 and completing all 400 miles, (293 laps), both Cup veterans took their first of three steps needed to be post-season eligible. They also took the first step in rejuvenating their successful careers after missing the opening races to a bizarre season.

    When NASCAR returned to Darlington on Sunday, it had been 71 days since the last checkered flag flew at Phoenix Raceway. The last time Matt Kenseth raced in a Cup car was 547 days ago at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November 2018. In that race, he completed his part-time stint with Roush Fenway Racing with a top-10 result. Since then, he had no racing plans on his agenda. An unexpected opportunity, however, presented itself in April to drive Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for the remainder of the 2020 season when Kyle Larson was suspended for using a racial slur during an iRacing event. 

    In Kenseth’s first race since 2018, he started 12th based on a random draw and spent the bulk of the day inside the top 15 to top 20, watching from a distance as his teammate Kurt Busch, fellow competitors and a pair of youngsters duked it out for the win. When the checkered flag flew, Kenseth made a late charge to maintain the 10th position on track for his 330th top-10 career result, his 12th at Darlington and to place CGR’s No. 42 Chevrolet team in the top 10 in six of the last seven Darlington events.

    While Kenseth’s return was not explosive nor dominant compared to winner Kevin Harvick, it was a result that left the former Cup Series champion satisfied with his result in assessing the competitiveness and grip levels of the current Cup cars with his new team while planning for the next scheduled event at Darlington on Wednesday, May 20. It also left him satisfied in returning behind the wheel of a stock car and giving him a sense of rejuvenating his past magic and contending for his second Cup title despite missing the first five races of the 2020 season.

    Like Kenseth, Newman finished in the top 10 in his previous Cup start that goes back to the Daytona 500. His result, however, was long overshadowed by his horrific last-lap accident that sent him to the hospital and forced him to miss the next four races while recovering from his injuries. When Sunday’s race at Darlington arrived and Newman was cleared to return, it had been 91 days since he last climbed into his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang.

    Starting 21st, Newman’s return was quiet as he spent the majority of the event racing inside the top 20. He earned a top-10 result, ninth, in the first stage and collected valuable bonus points needed in his quest to make this year’s playoffs. Under the stage break, however, Newman was caught speeding on pit road that sent him to the rear of the field. While Newman was able to rally from his early miscue, another curveball was tossed at him. With 41 laps remaining, Newman spun below the apron in Turn 1 caused by a flat right-rear tire initiated two corners earlier to draw a late caution. With the veteran able to continue with no significant damage, Newman was able to remain inside the top 20 in the closing laps. He made a late pass on Clint Bowyer to move into 15th place, which he was able to maintain after taking the checkered flag.

    The result left the former Daytona 500 champion satisfied in completing his first race since surviving one of NASCAR’s most horrific wrecks in history and in the sanctioning body’s efforts in resuming the season amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. It also gave him a confidence booster in igniting a comeback story of his career and positioning himself to be eligible for his first Cup crown.

    Kenseth and Newman will join their fellow NASCAR Cup Series competitors in returning for a second race at Darlington Raceway on May 20 followed by Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24.

  • Kevin Harvick tames the Lady in Black on NASCAR’s return to racing

    Kevin Harvick tames the Lady in Black on NASCAR’s return to racing

    Kevin Harvick found victory in the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway earning his 50th win in the series.

    Brad Keselowski would start on the pole based upon a random draw. Kyle Busch would have to drop to the back due to failing inspection twice.

    As the field took the green flag, trouble would strike early as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. crashed off Turn 2, knocking the No. 47 out of the race early on.

    Keselowski would remain unchallenged before a competition caution on Lap 30 would bunch the field back up. Alex Bowman would surge to the front, passing the No. 2. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and William Byron followed right behind the No. 88.

    As tire wear kicked in, some drivers would march their way forward. Denny Hamlin would catch Byron, while Johnson would inherit the race lead over Bowman. Johnson’s lead would be short-lived.

    On the final lap of the first stage, Johnson would try to lap Chris Buescher but the two collided off Turn 2, putting Johnson into the inside wall. After Johnson’s wreck, Byron would win Stage One. Hamlin, Bowman and Harvick would round out the rest of the top five while Keselowski, Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Newman, and Chase Elliott would round the rest of the top 10.

    Harvick would beat the leaders off pit lane, launching the No. 4 to the front. Elliott and Ryan Newman were penalized for speeding on pit road.

    On the restart to begin Stage Two Harvick would hold off Bowman to keep the race lead. Byron would smack the Turn 3 wall, and with an injured car would later spin into Turn 1 to bring out the yellow.

    Harvick would once again lead the field to the green with Kurt Busch and Bowman rounding out the Top 3. Daniel Suarez spun out on Lap 124 due to a right rear tire going down, creating the fifth caution of the day.

    Kyle Busch hit the wall, giving the No. 18 substantial damage to the right side.

    Parts of the Turn 3 banner would fly onto Hamlin’s car but he shortly got it off the front of his grille by drafting Bowyer. However, Reddick would have the remnants of the banner fly onto his Chevy. A yellow would fly due to the loose Blue-Emu wrapping on the Turn 3 wall.

    Harvick led on the restart with a push from Martin Truex Jr.

    On Lap 172 Christopher Bell would spin off Turn 4 to bring out another yellow. Keselowski inherited the race lead after pit stops while Harvick would lose seven positions on pit lane.

    Keselowski would win Stage Two with Bowman, Truex, Harvick, and Bowyer rounding the top five. Kurt Busch, Ryan Preece, Joey Logano, Hamlin, and Erik Jones would round out the top 10.

    The No. 2 would bring the field together to begin the final stage with Bowman and Truex in hot pursuit. Matt Kenseth’s car would come to life as the No. 42 would move upward into the top 10. Buescher would spin out on the front stretch to bring out the caution.

    Harvick would win the race off pit road with Keselowski and Truex behind him.

    During the green flag stint, Kyle Busch had issues with his M&M’s Toyota, bringing the car down pit lane, knocking him out of a top 10 spot.

    With 41 laps to go Newman would spin out in Turn 1 to bring out another yellow.

    The No. 4 would continue to hold his ground on the rest of the field and there would be no challenges from the opposition as Harvick would cruise on to win at Darlington.

    Results:

    1. Kevin Harvick
    2. Alex Bowman
    3. Kurt Busch
    4. Chase Elliott
    5. Denny Hamlin
    6. Martin Truex Jr.
    7. Tyler Reddick
    8. Erik Jones
    9. John Hunter Nemechek
    10. Matt Kenseth
    11. Austin Dillon
    12. Aric Almirola
    13. Brad Keselowski
    14. Matt DiBenedetto
    15. Ryan Newman
    16. Ryan Blaney
    17. Clint Bowyer
    18. Joey Logano
    19. Ty Dillon
    20. Ryan Preece
    21. Bubba Wallace
    22. Cole Custer
    23. Michael McDowell
    24. Christopher Bell
    25. Daniel Suarez – one lap down
    26. Kyle Busch – one lap down
    27. Brennan Poole – one lap down
    28. JJ Yeley – two laps down
    29. Reed Sorenson – two laps down
    30. Joey Gase – four laps down
    31. Corey LaJoie – four laps down
    32. Chris Buescher – six laps down
    33. Timmy Hill – seven laps down
    34. Josh Bilicki – seven laps down
    35. William Byron – 14 laps down
    36. Quin Houff – OUT
    37. Garrett Smithley – OUT
    38. Jimmie Johnson – OUT
    39. BJ McLeod – OUT
    40. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – OUT

  • The Final Word on the Return of NASCAR for 2020…take 2

    The Final Word on the Return of NASCAR for 2020…take 2

    Finally. The world is slowly inching back to normal.

    I am not happy that those who were to protect and detect failed miserably. I am not comforted that no projection model has even yet proved to be reliable. Fifty years ago, they dealt with something very similar by having 400,000 attend a rock concert near Woodstock and launching five Apollo missions during that time, including the day man first walked upon the moon. Today, we viewed empty grandstands from our television screens beamed to us from South Carolina. Those hippies and astronauts both apparently were made of the right stuff.

    It was a different time, a different country. It had a population of just 65% of the size it has today. Immediately prior to the outbreak of the Hong Kong flu, the United States was rocked by two political assassinations of historic proportions. 500 American servicemen were dying monthly in Vietnam. In February 1969, we lost Don MacTavish in what is now the Xfinity Series at Daytona. Maybe we were just more familiar with death on those days. Too familiar.

    Yet, the impact of those memories, if some can remember at all, is fleeting. A three month hibernation is not what most of us experienced. People died and not just directly from the virus, but they were lost just the same due to actions and non-actions taken in response to the pandemic. Lives were affected, some ruined, in so many ways. Those who had the responsibility to look after us and guide us in times of peril let us down. Those who we thought were in the know were not, and still do not. Sadly, in many areas that continues to this day. Lest we forget…but we will. Just ask any war veteran. How long it will take for such memories to fade is another question.

    Today, we do remember. Today we celebrate the return, in some sense at least, normalcy. Once again, though the grandstands remain silent, the sounds of the engines rumbling like thunder upon the asphalt surface have returned to us through the speakers of our televisions. Yes, absence does make the heart grow fonder. Hell, we even got to see Ryan Newman return behind the wheel. We got to have an escape from scare tactics and fear mongering. We got to sense what hope is. What dreams consist of. What a day under the sun feels like again, even if we must keep socially distanced from our fellow enthusiasts.

    Feeling normal. Normal feels real good about now. It damn near makes me happy.

    Happy. It reminds me that some boy from California won at Darlington on Sunday. Now we have to wait three whole days before we get to see if he can do it again…at Darlington.

    I guess that is what they mean when they talk about a “new normal.”

  • Harvick wins Darlington in NASCAR’s comeback

    Harvick wins Darlington in NASCAR’s comeback

    RAINELLE, WV – Sitting at home to cover a race on television is not the ideal place to be on race day, but one could not fail to realize how important this had become.

    NASCAR was the first major sport to go back live with an event since most everyone was staying home to avoid the Coronavirus. The stands were empty, drivers and crews wore masks, and so did reporters, as few as there was.

    A big audience of viewers saw a good race. It worked! The image of winner Kevin Harvick saying to his crew, “I don’t know what to do,” after winning the Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway and an even starker scene as we saw Harvick alone in victory lane, all alone as the trophy sat on a stand.

    Racing was back! Everyone wore facemasks, but you could tell who was behind the masks. The racing was good between drivers who had not been on a track since early March. It was a joy, and surely the grades will be good on how the sanctioning body handled the event. One had to wonder, though, when on the first lap, Ricky Stenhouse crashed, but all went well.

    As usual, there were mishaps, unusual events that happen at most races but magnified on the first time back after a pandemic. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson crashed while leading on the final lap of the first stage, a better result than Stenhouse, but not much. A fire broke out on the property that gave us a smoke show, which was surprising because there was no crowd. This is could only happen to NASCAR, but the smoke went harmlessly away.

    To make this safe, there were lots of rules. Teams were required to submit rosters in advance with only 16 members allotted per car. Names were on a list at a checkpoint at the end of a gravel road near the speedway and everyone who passed through had their temperature checked and logged before they could enter. Everyone passed inspection and prepared to race with no practice and no qualifying. The field was determined by a draw. Unusual times for sure.

    Ryan Newman was back for the first time since he suffered a head injury exactly three months ago in a wreck on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Newman missed only three races because of NASCAR’s shutdown and finished 15th in his return. Matt Kenseth was back after replacing Kyle Larson in Chip Ganassi’s No. 42 Chevrolet. He finished in 10th place.

    It all came down to Harvick and Alex Bowman. They battled closely for the first few laps, but The Closer, as Harvick is called, always ran out to multi-second leads. Harvick led 159 laps and Bowman led 41. Brad Keselowski led 80 laps, but he faltered late and finished 13th. Bowman, who signed a one-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports on Saturday, was second. Kurt Busch, winner of the closest finish in Darlington history, was third for Ganassi.

    It was the 50th career victory for Harvick, in a Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing. A previous winner at Darlington, Harvick joins Joey Logano, Bowman, and Denny Hamlin as 2020 winners. Harvick tied Hall of Famers Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett for 12th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.

    NASCAR’s elite Cup Series next races Wednesday night at Darlington Raceway which is hosting three events in four days before the sport shifts to Charlotte Motor Speedway.

  • A new wave of firsts in NASCAR’s revised schedule

    A new wave of firsts in NASCAR’s revised schedule

    With NASCAR set to embark on its first wave of the revised 2020 racing schedule this weekend, a second wave has been revealed that will follow suit at the conclusion of May. Compared to the original wave, the new one is bigger and features additional twists from the sanctioning body’s original approach to this year’s schedule.

    In a continuous effort to make up the two-month hiatus of racing amid the Coronavirus pandemic, NASCAR revealed the next five Cup races that will occur following the May 27 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Also revealed were the upcoming five Xfinity Series races, two Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races and one ARCA Menards Series race. Tracks that includes Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway have racing dates established after originally being postponed. From the upcoming tracks that are featured in the revised schedule, beginning on May 30, Martinsville and Homestead will provide a first of its own in NASCAR history.

    When the original 2020 schedule was revealed in March 2019, Martinsville Speedway, one of NASCAR’s ancient tracks raced on since 1949, was set in making its highly anticipated debut as a night race for the Cup Series. While the first night race at the half-mile Paper Clip track will proceed as planned, it will occur on a Wednesday night, June 10, from its original date, May 9, during Mother’s Day weekend. The last time Martinsville raced on a weekday was in 2018, when rain and snow pushed all on-track activities scheduled for Saturday and Sunday to Monday. This, however, will be Martinsville’s first time hosting a midweek race for NASCAR’s premier series. Martinsville becomes the third Cup event to race on Wednesday night this season, joining Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. This will also be the only NASCAR activity at Martinsville scheduled in June as the Whelen Modified Tour’s return to the track, scheduled on May 8, has been cancelled.

    For Homestead-Miami Speedway, as originally announced, this season will mark the first time since 2001 where NASCAR’s weekend finale will not occur at the 1.5-mile track. Prior to the pandemic, however, Homestead was set to host a triple-header on March 20-22. In NASCAR’s revised schedule, Homestead will host a quadruple-header for NASCAR’s three major touring series, a first in the sport, with two races a piece. In this occasion, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will have back-to-back races at the track on the same weekend, a first in the series’ history. The Xfinity Series will run its first race at Homestead on Saturday, June 13, at the conclusion of the Truck Series race the same day before returning on Sunday, June 14, prior to the Cup Series. Saturday’s Xfinity race at Homestead will also serve as a makeup race for Iowa Speedway, originally scheduled for June 13, as NASCAR canceled its events at Iowa this season.

    The three additional venues announced in NASCAR’s second scheduling phase, (Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway), will provide a first in the sport. Bristol, which is scheduled to host a doubleheader between the Xfinity and Cup Series on May 30-31, will feature a NASCAR event in May for the first time since 1983. Atlanta, which will hold a triple-header between NASCAR’s major touring series for a sixth consecutive season on June 6-7, will host NASCAR in June for the first time since 1965. Talladega, which will feature the ARCA Menards Series return to racing along with the Xfinity and Cup Series on June 20-21, will feature racing in June for the first time in the track’s history.

    Overall, the second phase of the 2020 NASCAR schedule features 13 races spanning 22 days.

    The announcement of the sanctioning body’s second phase of a revised schedule comes as NASCAR prepares to return to on-track racing on May 17 in its first of an 11-day span across the Carolinas, from Darlington Raceway to Charlotte Motor Speedway. All scheduled races through mid-June will air on FOX or FOX Sports 1 and occur without fans in attendance as a safety precaution amid the Coronavirus pandemic as NASCAR continues to work with public health officials in monitoring and providing a safe, healthy environment for the drivers and teams for the upcoming races.

    Further announcements for the remainder of this year’s NASCAR schedule will be announced at a later date.

  • Back to almost normal

    Back to almost normal

    With a deep breath, we will see live racing on Sunday. No, you will not hear the roar of the crowd, and you won’t see much of a victory lane celebration, but in these days of pandemic, it’s still much better than virtual racing, that depended on how well the driver had experienced the computer program. I had grown tired of the “computer racing.” I’m glad to get back to man and machine. I’m looking forward to real racing.

    It’s going to be different, though. Most events this month will probably be one-day events and qualifying based on a draw. Media availability will be shortened to only a few outlets, and driver reactions after the race will be done remotely. Yes, it won’t be the same. Races at Chicagoland, Richmond, and Sonoma will be replaced with the Darlington-Charlotte marathon this month. My sources tell me that Fox will have all races as it stands.

    NASCAR is the first major sport trying to do this, so they will be under the microscope, thus the harsh requirements. All must wear masks. Teams are allowed fewer people. Big fines or punishments will follow. Yes, the days of old are gone. Cleanliness is important. Following the rules will depend on whether we see a season or not. MLB, the NBA, and all major sports are watching us. Our success means their success. We must make this work.

    So, we head to Darlington, as far as I can tell, the series’ second-oldest track, and have a race. I love Darlington. I’ve covered races there, even when the little red press box used to feel the vibrations when drivers hit the wall in front of it and you had to run to the back of the press box to post stories. It’s altogether good and proper we start this new experiment there. The good news is the statement that we will have a fall race – a throwback race at the track in September if all goes well. It must, not only for NASCAR but all big-time professional sports. Cross your fingers and pray, if you pray, for success this weekend for these races.

  • Darlington Cup races to feature new and familiar names

    Darlington Cup races to feature new and familiar names

    It is almost time. The time for NASCAR’s long-awaited resumption of on-track racing is days away as the drivers and teams are set to embark on an 11-day racing span across the Carolinas, beginning at Darlington Raceway on May 17. Already, the spotlight focuses on Sunday’s 400-mile race serving as the initiating phase for NASCAR to complete this season amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. While veterans Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth highlight the names of Cup Series drivers set to return to racing on an extended, weekly basis, there are other notables that will compete on Darlington’s racing surface.

    The first is Tommy Baldwin Racing, owned by Tommy Baldwin Jr., winner of the 2002 Daytona 500 as crew chief. TBR will field the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro sponsored by Gravely Mowers and CNC Swiss Machining with Josh Bilicki set to pilot the car in Sunday’s 400-mile event. This weekend’s event at Darlington will be TBR’s first Cup race since November 2017 at Phoenix Raceway and the first at Darlington since September 2016. The team attempted to qualify for the 2019 Daytona 500 with Ryan Truex but they failed to do so and did not attempt additional races throughout last season. 

    For Bilicki, who has competed in 13 previous Cup races and has finished as high as 29th, Sunday’s event will be his first with TBR. This season he has competed in two of four Xfinity races and one Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series event, all in February, prior to racing’s hiatus. Thus far, his lone NASCAR start at Darlington came in September 2018 in the Xfinity Series where he drove for JP Motorsports and finished 28th.

    Next is B.J. McLeod Motorsports, owned by B.J. and Jessica McLeod, which will make its NASCAR Cup Series debut on Sunday. BJMM will be fielding the No. 78 Chevrolet Camaro with B.J. McLeod as the driver. McLeod has been racing in NASCAR since 2010 and has operated BJMM in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the last five seasons. The team currently fields three full-time operations. 

    While the team is new to the Cup Series, the driver/owner is not. McLeod has made 42 starts in NASCAR’s premier series, including the last two Daytona 500s. His best result is 25th, coming at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last September. McLeod is also currently in his third season driving for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in the Xfinity Series, with a best result of 13th at Daytona in February. He has competed at Darlington in the last five Xfinity seasons and two Cup seasons.

    Finally, Gray Gaulding will return to NASCAR following a six-month absence. Gaulding will be piloting the No. 27 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing sponsored by Panini America at Darlington, but not until Wednesday, May 19, as J.J. Yeley will drive the No. 27 car on Sunday. Following Wednesday, Gaulding will make a second Cup appearance in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24.

    Gaulding has not competed in NASCAR since last season, where he drove for SS-Green Light Racing in the Xfinity Series. He had a productive season with four top-10s, including a career-best runner-up finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April and a final standings result of 13th. He has made 50 Cup starts with a best result of ninth at Talladega in October 2017, but none since 2019, where he drove for Rick Ware Racing and finished 36th at Bristol Motor Speedway in April. His lone Cup start at Darlington came in 2017, where he finished 36th driving for BK Racing, and his lone Xfinity start at Darlington came last September, where he finished 15th.

    All drivers and teams scheduled to compete on Sunday will round out the 40-car field as NASCAR prepares to drop the green flag and resume a bizarre season in the making. How the new driver-team pairings, the weekly balance of competitiveness and safety between the competitors and crew members and the state of NASCAR for the remainder of 2020 fares will be assessed next week.

  • NASCAR realigns 2020 schedule, shifts events from Chicagoland, Richmond, Sonoma

    NASCAR realigns 2020 schedule, shifts events from Chicagoland, Richmond, Sonoma

    Staff Report | NASCAR.com

    NASCAR officials announced Friday three tracks will have races reassigned to Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway later this month as the sport attempts to hold its first events since the COVID-19 outbreak.

    The realignment shifts events away from Chicagoland Speedway, Richmond Raceway (spring) and Sonoma Raceway on the 2020 calendar. According to officials from the sanctioning body, future adjustments to this season’s schedule “will be released in the near future.”

    NASCAR initially announced portions of a revised May schedule on April 30, adding national series events at Darlington and Charlotte. Those tracks were chosen for NASCAR’s return to competition in part because of their proximity to the industry’s Charlotte-area hub, as officials try to minimize travel demands and limit the amount of at-track personnel with one-day events.

    “Due to the current pandemic, NASCAR has faced several difficult decisions, including realigning race dates from several race tracks,” the NASCAR statement read. “These decisions were made following thorough collaboration with local and state government officials from across the country, including the areas of the affected race tracks. We thank all our fans for their support, and we look forward to our return to racing.”

    Further details about the changes to the 2020 racing schedule:

    • Chicagoland’s NASCAR Cup Series race — originally set for June 21 — has been reassigned to Darlington on May 17. The 1.5-mile Illinois track’s Xfinity Series race that was scheduled June 20 will be held May 19 at Darlington. Chicagoland was also set to host the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (June 19) and ARCA Menards Series (June 18); officials indicated those races will be reassigned at a later date.

    • Richmond Raceway’s springtime Cup Series event on the initial schedule for April 19 has been moved to Darlington on May 20. A Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race that was to be run April 18 remains postponed, with officials saying details would come later for rescheduling. The .75-mile Virginia track’s Sept. 11-12 race weekend remains on the schedule.

    • Sonoma Raceway’s Cup Series date for June 14 has been moved to Charlotte on May 27. Officials for the road course said in a release they had worked with NASCAR to find an alternate date on the schedule, but a suitable replacement could not be reached, “given the ongoing uncertainty around large events in California.”

    Each of the three tracks released statements, saying ticketholders for the canceled races would receive a full refund or a 120-percent credit toward a future event.

    • Chicagoland Speedway president Scott Paddock: “The difficult decision to realign our race events was a combination of where we fell on the schedule, proximity to NASCAR’s teams and the safety and well-being of our community and larger NASCAR industry. We will miss the roar of the engines at Chicagoland Speedway this season, but we will be rooting for and supporting our NASCAR colleagues at Darlington Raceway as competition returns on Sunday, May 17.”

    • Richmond Raceway president Dennis Bickmeier: “As a sport, we continue to be united in the best interests of the safety and well-being of our fans, competitors, stakeholders, and track personnel. There will be brighter and healthier days ahead in the greater Richmond region when NASCAR returns to Richmond Raceway for the NASCAR Playoff Race Weekend on Sept. 11-12. We look forward to NASCAR’s best getting back on the track at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17 as we launch a new countdown to the return of racing in RVA this fall.”

    • Sonoma Raceway president and general manager Steve Page: “We work all year for this event, so this is a huge disappointment for us, for our fans and our sponsors, but we realize it’s part of a larger challenge facing our nation and everyone in the live events business. We are excited that NASCAR is coming back to broadcast television and are ready to support the upcoming events at our Speedway Motorsports tracks. We look forward to NASCAR’s return to Sonoma in 2021.”