Roush Fenway Racing Signs Bubba Wallace

Roush Fenway Racing has announced that Bubba Wallace will drive the No. 6 Ford Mustang for the team in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) next season. The signing pairs NASCAR’s winningest NXS team with a young driver widely regarded as one of the most talented up-and-coming competitors in NASCAR. The 21-year-old Wallace has posted five wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, including four trips to victory lane in 2014

“I’ve had a remarkable journey over the last few years thanks to people who have put me in a position to win the races that I have,” said Wallace. “When I first joined the sport, many said I would never compete with the real drivers. Now, as I join the winningest team in NASCAR history, I take that as a responsibility to add more wins to the team’s legacy and help tear down the barriers for the next generation of NASCAR drivers.”

“We are very excited to bring Bubba Wallace into the Roush Fenway fold,” said team president Steve Newmark. “He is viewed in industry circles as one of the brightest young drivers and I feel that we are very fortunate to be able to bring him on board. He has a charismatic personality and at the same time has exhibited the ability to win on the race track. We are looking forward to getting him in our race cars next season.”

In 2013 with his victory at Martinsville Speedway, Wallace became the first African American driver to win in one of NASCAR’s three national series since 1963. He has competed in six career NASCAR XFINITY Series races, earning four top-10 finishes and a pole at Dover International Speedway.

“We are certainly pleased to have Bubba Wallace come on board,” said team co-owner Jack Roush. “He is certainly a great young talent and I feel it will be mutually beneficial for us to be able to put him into a team environment with a veteran driver like Elliott (Sadler) and the young guys Chris Buescher and Ryan Reed. We have had a great deal of history in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and we are happy to have Bubba as the latest piece of that rich legacy.”

“We’re thrilled to have Bubba Wallace be part of our Ford Mustang racing efforts,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford Racing. “His winning performances since becoming part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program have certainly made him one of the drivers in the sport to watch in the future, and we think he can bring a lot to Roush Fenway and Ford, both on and off the track.”

Wallace’s racing career started in 2004 when he began competing in Jr. Sportsman Champ Karts. He finished his first season second overall in points at the Carolina Asphalt Racing Winter Series. He moved to Bandoleros in 2005 and won an amazing 35 of the 48 races and posted 40 top-five finishes. He became the first driver to win five races in a single week. In addition, he competed against much older competition in the Outlaw Division and won all but one race in 2005.

Wallace moved up to Legends in 2006 and completed a phenomenal rookie season with 11 wins, 27 top-five and 34 top-10 finishes in 38 total starts. He started racing Late Models in 2007, competing in the final five races of the UARA Touring series.

Born in Mobile, Ala., Wallace and his family moved to North Carolina for his father’s work when he was just two years old. He also played basketball, before fully concentrating his efforts on his racing career. Wallace also enjoys sharing his love for photography and life as a professional race car driver through his Twitter (@bubbawallace), Instagram (@bubbawallace) and Facebook (fb.com/bubbawallace) account

Sprint to Conclude NASCAR Partnership after 2016 Season

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (BUSINESS WIRE), December 16, 2014 - Citing a need to focus more directly on its core business priorities, Sprint announced it has informed NASCAR it will not extend the title sponsorship of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series after the current agreement expires at the end of the 2016 season.

“We are proud of our association with NASCAR’s top series but have made the decision not to extend our sponsorship beyond the next two years,” said Steve Gaffney, vice president-Marketing, Sprint. “As we look to the future, Sprint is focused on investing in maintaining a competitive edge and providing consumers with the best value in wireless.

“Sprint has long benefitted from the unprecedented level of brand integration available in NASCAR, and the passionate fan base that is the most loyal in sports. Without question, the NASCAR sponsorship property has been a valuable investment for us and will be for our successor.”

Since the partnership began in 2004, Sprint has worked closely with NASCAR to bring many fan-friendly innovations to life, including the introduction of the FanView next generation scanner (2005), the creation of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile wireless application (2008) and the debut of Miss Sprint Cup (2007), an ambassador program that now has more than 1.5 million social media followers. The constant evolution of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race pre-race show and the improvements to the Sprint Vision trackside programming also highlight Sprint’s portfolio of fan enhancements.

“We genuinely appreciate the fans, teams, drivers, tracks and media who have been so supportive and welcoming to us during these many race seasons,” said Gaffney. “We look forward to our remaining time as sponsor of the Sprint Cup Series and eventually assisting with the transition to NASCAR’s next title partner.”

The sponsorship extends back to 2004 when Nextel signed a 10-year partnership with NASCAR for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. The name changed to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2008 as a result of the Nextel/Sprint corporate merger. At the conclusion of the first 10 years, Sprint extended the partnership an additional three years, taking the contract through the end of the 2016 season.

Brian Vickers undergoes heart surgery - will miss start of 2015 season

 Michael Waltrip Racing driver Brian Vickers will not be available to race during the early part of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season due to health issues. In 58 races driving MWR's #55 Aaron's Toyota, Vickers scored eight top-five and 19 top-10 finishes. He won the July race at New Hampshire in 2013 and captured the pole at Talladega in October 2014. The 2003 Nationwide champion owns three victories and 12 poles in 316 career Sprint Cup starts. "Brian has been a part of the MWR family since 2012 and our thoughts today are with Brian, his wife Sarah and the Vickers family," said MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman. "As a race team, MWR has plenty to consider and we will confer with our partners, including Aaron's and Toyota. As this is fresh news, we will adjust our future plans as more information becomes available."

VICKERS STATEMENT: "First, I want to thank everyone for their sincere support. I have faced obstacles before and it has made victory that much sweeter and I know that will be the case again. My previous experiences have given me a very keen understanding of my body. Late last week I knew something wasn't right, so I went to the hospital to be checked out. Following several tests, it was discovered that my body was rejecting an artificial patch that was inserted in 2010 to fix a hole in my heart. Saturday, I had to have corrective surgery to repair the hole and now I am beginning the recovery process. I will need plenty of time, rest and rehab but this temporary setback will not stop me from pursuing my dream of becoming a NASCAR Sprint Cup champion."(MWR)

NASCAR will let teams regulate lug nuts during pit stops in 2015

2015 should be an interesting year for many reasons. One of the main reasons will be rule changes coming to pit road. The one rule that stands out as a game changer will be the fact that NASCAR is letting teams regulate lug nuts during their stops. Basically, NASCAR won’t penalize or monitor missed lug nuts or lug nuts that get knocked off during a stop.

The new rule…or lack of rule, could be a huge gain for teams that want to gamble. Everyone knows that it doesn’t take all 5 nuts tight to keep a tire on. The tricky part is how many nuts does it take? There are stories floating around pit road of teams that have come into victory lane with 1,2 and 3 nuts on a wheel, and everyone is amazed. I think every situation is different and every situation could have a different outcome, but hitting only 3 or 4 nuts per side could speed up a stop and if teams are willing to gamble on that then it could pay off. In the past, teams had to make sure all 5 nuts were on the studs and if an official were to see a nut get knocked off they would hold the car until the nut was put back on. Changers were very aware of the rules and hit nuts with a speed they could control. Jack men were also aware of the rule and MOST would wait on the left side for all 5 to get hit. Now, all that changes.

The risk: there is always risk with reward and there is plenty of risks associated with taking this rule out. The first and most obvious risk is a loose wheel. Most changers are very concerned with the repercussions of a loose wheel and won’t risk it for a standard stop. I think this rule comes into play when your at a place that eats tires up and you get a caution with 10 laps to go and the whole field comes down to pit. This is when teams will gamble and may only hit 3-4 nuts and let it ride. With only a few laps left in the race, why not! That’s when this rule will become interesting. It should be mentioned that NASCAR will still penalize a team if a tire comes off the car during a run due to a loose wheel. You don’t see that very often but it has and does happen.(PitTalks)

NASCAR adds 'Open Tests' to Testing Schedule

Proposed 2015 NASCAR testing dates for Sprint Cup Series
Jan. 19: Goodyear tire test, Las Vegas
Feb. 26: Open team test, Atlanta
March 2-3: Goodyear tire test, Atlanta
March 10: Goodyear tire test, Charlotte
March 11: Open team test, Charlotte
April 7: Goodyear tire test, Richmond
April 8: Open team test, Richmond
April 13-14: Goodyear tire test, Kentucky
April 15: Open team test, Kentucky
April 27-28: Goodyear tire test, Indianapolis
April 29: Open team test, Indianapolis
May 11-12: Goodyear tire test, Dover
May 13: Open team test, Dover
June 9-10: Goodyear tire test, Darlington
June 11: Open team test, Darlington
July 13-14: Goodyear tire test, Chicago
July 15: Open team test, Chicago
July 28-29: Goodyear tire test, Bristol
July 30: Open team test, Bristol
Aug. 24-25: Goodyear tire test, Homestead
Aug. 26: Open team test, Homestead
Sept. 14-15: Goodyear tire test, Kansas
Sept. 16: Open team test, Kansas
Oct. 12-13: Goodyear tire test, Phoenix
Oct. 14: Open team test, Phoenix
Oct. 27-28: Goodyear tire test, Auto Club Speedway
Oct. 29: Open team test, Auto Club Speedway
(Charlotte Observer)

Wallace Moves to RFR

Darrell Wallace Jr., who won four races this season in the NASCAR Truck Series and finished third in the series standings, has been released from his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing. The 21 year old will be moving over to Roush Fenway Racing to drive full time in the Xfinity Series in 2015.

Goodyear tire test set for Charlotte

The official start of the 2015 NASCAR season is more than two months away, but four Sprint Cup Series teams will be back on the track next week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Goodyear officials have scheduled a tire test for Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 9-10 at the 1.5-mile speedway, with representatives from each of the three auto manufacturers scheduled to participate. The test is not open to public. Slated to take part in the test are drivers #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #9-Sam Hornish Jr., and #19-Carl Edwards. One of three entries from Richard Childress Racing will participate as well although RCR officials declined to confirm which team would be involved. The organization fields Chevy teams for drivers Austin Dillon, Paul Menard and Ryan Newman. It will be the first official on-track effort for Edwards since the 35-year-old departed Roush Fenway Racing to join JGR as well as the first for Hornish with RPM.(NASCAR.com)

Update on Steve Byrnes

Fox Sports' Steve Byrnes, who has been on leave from the network while battling Stage 4 head-and-neck cancer, tweeted Wednesday evening, "My Oncologist just called and said my PET scan showed 'progress.' Thanks for your prayers, and Happy Thanksgiving. Grateful!"(SteveByrnes12)

Austin Dillon to run a majority of Xfinity season

Two-time NASCAR Champion Austin Dillon will return to the NASCAR XFINITY Series with Rheem Manufacturing Company as primary sponsor on Richard Childress Racing's #33 Chevy for a majority of the 2015 season. Dillon, the 2013 XFINITY Series Champion, will drive the #33 Rheem Chevy under the RCR banner during the 2015 season while maintaining a full schedule in RCR's #3 Chevy SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is a two-time XFINITY Series race winner, 10-time pole winner and holds the record for most consecutive poles in series history. Rheem Manufacturing Company has a long history of success with RCR having participated as a primary or associate sponsor since 2007 in various NASCAR series. Rheem has been the official heating, cooling and water heating provider to RCR for more than eight years and was the co-primary sponsor with Realtree of Ty Dillon's Sprint Cup Series debut this year at Atlanta Motor Speedway.(RCR)

Cheez-It returns as sponsor at Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen International and Kellogg Company announced Cheez-It renews its place as the title sponsor of The Glen's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. WGI's marquee event, Cheez-It 355 at The Glen returns August 6-9. This will be the company's third-consecutive year as the race's entitlement sponsor, while the iconic snack brand's parent company, the Kellogg Company, has been involved with NASCAR since 1991. "NASCAR provides a great way for Cheez-It crackers to reach our fans and Watkins Glen provides an amazing venue that is unlike any other," said Melissa Pawlowicz, senior director of integrated promotions for the Kellogg Company. "Cheez-It is proud to be associated with 'The Glen' and to play a role in bringing the excitement of the Cheez-It" 355 to life."(WGI)

Kahne signs 3 year extension with Hendrick

Hendrick Motorsports and Kasey Kahne have agreed to a three-year contract extension that will keep the driver with the #5 Chevy SS team through the end of the 2018 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

"It's extremely gratifying to work with a driver like Kasey," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "I think the world of him both as a driver with championship-level talent and an overall terrific young man. Our whole organization has a great deal of respect for how hard he works, the professionalism he displays with our partners and the way he carries himself every day. We're committed to winning races and competing for titles with him for many years to come."

Kahne, 34, originally signed with Hendrick Motorsports in April 2010 and officially joined the team's four-car stable for the 2012 season. Over the past three years (2012-14), he ranks among the top-10 drivers in Sprint Cup wins (5), pole positions (4), top-five finishes (26) and laps led (1,177). The Enumclaw, Washington, native has 17 career wins in NASCAR's top division.
"I've found a home at Hendrick Motorsports," said Kahne, who since 2012 has earned at least one victory each season while securing three consecutive Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berths. "We have incredible people and partners supporting us, and I couldn't be more excited about the direction we're headed as a team and a company. It's the right place for me, and I'm looking forward to being here for a long time." Kahne's contract with Hendrick Motorsports was set to expire following the 2015 NASCAR season.(Hendrick Motorsports)

Matt Borland Named Vice President of Technology for Haas F1 Team and Stewart-Haas Racing

Veteran motorsports engineer Matt Borland has been named vice president of technology for Haas F1 Team and Stewart-Haas Racing. In this role, Borland will serve as a liaison between the two organizations - Haas F1 Team in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Borland will oversee the transfer of Formula One technology to Stewart-Haas Racing while providing Haas F1 Team with deep engineering resources. Concurrently, the highly-respected Borland will serve as a gatekeeper, ensuring the privacy of proprietary information respective to each team. Borland joined Haas CNC Racing, the precursor to Stewart-Haas Racing, in May 2007. He has served in numerous capacities, including crew chief, competition director, technical director and, most recently, vice president of engineering, where he oversaw all of the team's technical initiatives and research and development projects. Borland came to Haas CNC Racing with significant NASCAR experience, first with Team Penske from the end of the 1999 season through 2006 and then with Michael Waltrip Racing in 2007. Prior to coming to NASCAR, Borland was the race engineer for driver Mark Blundell at PacWest Racing in Champ Car and before that, Borland was at Pi Research, a well-known engineering organization specializing in motorsports.(SHR)

Brian France: 'like a grand slam in the ninth inning'

NASCAR Chairman/CEO Brian France didn't think Kevin Harvick just hit a home run Sunday in winning the first Sprint Cup championship under the new elimination format. No, with the dramatic way Harvick took the lead on the closing laps and then held on for his first-ever Sprint Cup championship, it was much more in France's mind. "It might have been a grand slam in the ninth inning," France said Monday morning on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. "I really thought that in past times and late in the season - I go back to Tony Stewart when he not only had to beat Carl Edwards and win (2011 championship), and some other performances - I really thought whoever was going to come away with the championship was going to need a win."
"It was amazing," France said. "The amount of excitement and drama, watching that, even for long-time fans like myself, that has you on the edge of your seat, who's going to do this thing. That's the beauty of this format." It's unlikely there will be any further major revisions to the format, although some minor tweak(s) may still occur once NASCAR reviews all elements of how the Chase played out in the next month or so. Certainly, having sold-out venues at the final two tracks - Phoenix and Homestead-Miami - ended the Chase on an especially high note. And then with Harvick's dramatic push to the front, the race win and ultimately the championship, France and NASCAR look forward to more of the same kind of excitement and drama in subsequent editions of the Chase to come. "As we go down the road, that's going to be the Chase," France said. "If you go back through (this year's edition of) the Chase, there were plenty of big moments where teams stepped up to move on - (Brad) Keselowski when he had to do it at Talladega, for example. I think the teams like that environment. I know it's stressful for them, but at the end of the day, they get excited and elevated themselves."(NBC Sports)

Harvick wins at Homestead and is the 2014 CHAMPION

Kevin Harvick won the FORD EcoBoost 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway for his 5th win of the season. Harvick is the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, beating Ryan Newman by 1 points in the first ever Championship Race. #11-Hamlin finished 7th which placed him 3rd in the Chase and Joey Logano suffered a poor pitstop late in the race to finish 16th and 4th in the Chase. Newman finished 2nd followed by Keselowski, Menard, McMurray, Hamlin, Bowyer, Johnson and Gordon. Pole winner Jeff Gordon dominated most of the race, leading 161 of 267 laps until pitting late in the race and finishing 10th.

Busch Has Yet To Speak With Law Enforcement, Congresswoman Chastizes NASCAR For Handling

Driscoll said Busch grabbed her face and repeatedly smashed her head against the wall in his motorhome at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 26, leaving her with severe pain, difficulty breathing and bruising on her neck. Since those allegations were made public last Wednesday, Dover Police public information officer Cpl. Mark Hoffman said his department has interviewed a number of witnesses associated with to the case, but not Busch.

In his words, “We would like to speak with him, obviously. We're working with Mr. Busch and his legal team to schedule an appointment that we can sit down and talk with him. Whether that's in person or by videophone, we're not completely sure yet. It's just going to depend on their availability at this point.”

Hoffman said the department’s willingness to accommodate Busch’s schedule is not related to "who he is or what he does for a living," adding that the case is complicated by Driscoll’s decision to wait approximately six weeks to file a police report. Driscoll has said her delay stemmed from an ongoing dispute with her ex-husband over the custody of their son.

Busch’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, said last week that his client “will fully cooperate with (the) investigation and expects to be vindicated when the entire truth of the situation comes to light.’ He called Driscoll’s allegations “a complete fabrication by a woman who has refused to accept the end of a relationship.”

In a related story, a member of the United States House of Representatives has criticized both NASCAR and Stewart Haas Racing for failing to suspend Busch from competition until the case is resolved.

SI.com is reporting that Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), wrote to NASCAR president Mike Helton and Stewart Haas owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas this week, calling NASCAR and SHR’s response “totally inadequate.

“Despite the severity of the criminal allegations against Mr. Busch,” wrote Speier, “I am disappointed to see that NASCAR and Stewart-Haas Racing have not taken any action.” She said NASCAR’s refusal to suspend Busch and driver Travis Kvapil – who received two years’ probation and community service as part of a deferred domestic assault prosecution agreement in October of 2013 – “calls into question the enforcement policies exercised by NASCAR.

"NASCAR would rather let Mr. Busch drive for the remainder of the racing season than take a stance on violence against women," wrote Speier. "While he rounds the track, the legal processes for his domestic violence charges race forward as well. Until his legal proceedings end, NASCAR should put Mr. Busch's car in park. The charges are horrifying, and NASCAR's inaction sends a clear signal to drivers that owners do not take these violent actions seriously."

She called for NASCAR and SHR to “suspend Mr. Busch from his weekend’s Championship and adopt a policy going forward in all domestic violence cases to suspend drivers until criminal proceedings end, or there is a clear lack of evidence.”

She also requested that she be included in all of internal investigations conducted by the sanctioning body or race team, and requested “a history of sanctions levied by NASCAR and racing teams for domestic violence incidents brought to your attention over the last five years.” (Dave Moody Godfather Blog)

Haas F1 Team NBC Interview

2014 Ford EcoBoost Championship Weekend Schedule

Friday, November 14
12:30 - 2:00 pm Ford EcoBoost 400 Practice (FS1)
2:45 PM Ford EcoBoost 200 QUALIFYING (FS1)
6:15 pm Ford EcoBoost 400 Qualifying (ESPN2)
8:00 PM 2014 Ford EcoBoost 200 (FS1)

Saturday, November 15
12:00 - 12:50 pm Ford EcoBoost 400 Practice (FS1)
1:15 PM Ford EcoBoost 300 QUALIFYING (FS1)
3:00 - 3:50 pm Ford EcoBoost 400 Final Practice (FS2)
4:30 PM 2014 Ford EcoBoost 300 (ESPN2)

Sunday, November 16
3:00 pm 2014 Ford EcoBoost 400 (ESPN)

ALL POSTED TIMES LOCAL TO TRACK

Larson Comments on Newman's Move

Kyle Larson called Ryan Newman's last-lap actions Sunday "a little upsetting" but said he understood Newman's desperation and "can't fault him for being aggressive there.'' Needing to pass Larson to secure the final spot in the championship round, Newman dive-bombed the rookie on the last lap at Phoenix International Raceway. Newman's car slid up the track and hit Larson's car, sending it toward the wall. That allowed Newman by, giving him a shot at the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. By advancing, Newman eliminated #24-Jeff Gordon from title contention. "Coming to the finish, there were a lot of cars racing really hard,'' Larson said in a statement provided to Motor Racing Network by Chip Ganassi Racing. "I knew (Newman) was right around me and knew he needed to gain some spots to keep from getting eliminated from the Chase. It's a little upsetting he pushed me up to the wall, but I completely understand the situation he was in and can't fault him for being aggressive there. I think a lot of drivers out here would have done something similar if they were in that position."(Motor Racing Network)

Statement from Dover Police on Kurt Busch Investigation

"The Dover Police Department can confirm that an investigation is being conducted based on an allegation of domestic assault that is alleged to have occurred in the City of Dover involving Mr. Busch. These allegations were brought to the Dover Police Department on Wednesday, November 5th at 2:00PM. At this time, the department is still investigating the victim’s claims and will not have any further comment on this matter in order to preserve the integrity of the case. The Dover Police Department will release further information as it becomes available. We appreciate the public’s and media’s patience in this matter and are confident that the department is taking the proper investigative steps to ensure the case is resolved appropriately."(Dover Delaware Police Department)

NBC announces pit reporters for 2015 TV team

NBC Sports Group has reached agreements with motorsports reporters Dave Burns and Mike Massaro, who will join NBC's multiplatform NASCAR coverage in 2015. In addition to covering pit road during Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series action on NBC and NBCSN, Massaro and Burns will contribute to NASCAR AMERICA on NBCSN, as well as handle assignments throughout various NBC Sports properties. The appointments of Massaro and Burns follow previous NBC Sports NASCAR on-air announcements for analysts Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, race announcer Rick Allen, pre- and post-race host Krista Voda, and fellow reporters Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast.
Burns has more than 25 years of motorsports experience, having covered everything from NASCAR Sprint Cup to Sports Cars at LeMans, Daytona and Sebring, to SuperBikes, Formula cars and Legends. His on-air career began as a hobby, announcing American Speed Association stock car races. Radio and television roles with the ASA led to his first NASCAR coverage of their truck series on ESPN, where he developed the skills that led to his appointment as one of NBC Sports' NASCAR pit road reporters in 2001. His success in that role contributed to NBC Sports' Outstanding Live Sports Series Emmy Award for NASCAR coverage in 2006. In 2007, Burns re-joined ESPN, where he has handled NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage as both a reporter and announcer over the last eight years. Burns lives in Charlotte, N.C., with his wife and daughter.
Massaro also joins NBC Sports from ESPN, where he has been handling motorsports coverage and other assignments since 2001 as a reporter during live events and contributing to properties such as SportsCenter and Outside the Lines. Over the past eight years, Massaro has been working alongside Burns on pit road during ESPN's NASCAR Sprint Cup series coverage. Previously, Massaro served as a reporter for RPM2Night, and as host/reporter for ESPN2's NASCAR Now. In his first announcing duties, he handled the public address system at Stafford Motor Speedway in upstate Connecticut. From there, he joined MRN Radio, which led to increased exposure as a reporter for Inside NASCAR on TNN, and assignments on pit road for NBC and TBS. In 2000, he earned a National Motorsports Press Association and Russ Catlin Motorsports Journalism Award for a feature on the late Dale Earnhardt. To date, Massaro has won three Russ Catlin Motorsports Journalism awards, and four from the NMPA. Massaro lives outside of Hartford, Conn.(NBC)

Watkins Glen International Set to Repave in 2015

Watkins Glen International President Michael Printup announced Wednesday that the historic track will conduct a repaving project in the summer of 2015. It is the first time the track will be repaved since 1998.

The repave will begin with “The Boot” in July, followed by the short course immediately following the Cheez-It™ 355 at The Glen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend in August. The repave is slated for completion in advance of the 2016 race season.

“This is a significant project for Watkins Glen International, our competitors, fans and track rental customers,” Printup stated. “The repave is a tremendous undertaking and next summer is the right time to begin this historic project and prepare The Glen for the future.”

Asphalt specialists and engineers conducted a thorough evaluation of The Glen’s entire circuit and recommended the current timeline. Further details and project specifics will be released at a later date.

As a result of the repave, the Glenora Wine Cellars U.S. Vintage Grand Prix presented by Welliver will take place July 24-26. Information regarding renewals and ticket sales will be shared with customers in the coming weeks.

Fans will be able to witness the project from the Fans R1st Viewing Area in the Argetsinger Grandstand. That area will continue to be free and open to the public through the end of October. Fans will also be able to follow the progress of the project via Facebook, Twitter and www.TheGlen.com.

2014 Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500 at Phoenix Race Weekend Schedule

Thursday, November 6
5:30 pm Casino Arizona 100 K&N Pro Series West Race(Airs 11/12 on FS1)

Friday, November 7
11:30 am - 1:00 pm Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Practice (FS1)
2:45 PM (4:45 PM) Lucas Oil 150 QUALIFYING (FS1)
4:45 pm Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Qualifying (ESPN2)
6:30 PM (8:30 PM) 2014 Lucas Oil 150 (FS1)

Saturday, November 8
9:30 - 10:20 am Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Practice (FS2)
10:45 AM (12:45 PM/ET) DAV 200 Honoring America's Veterans QUALIFYING (TV Coverage TBA)
12:30 - 1:20 pm Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Final Practice (FS2)
2:00 PM (4:00 PM/ET) 2014 DAV 200 Honoring America's Veterans (ESPN)

Sunday, November 9
1:00 pm 2014 Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 (ESPN)

ALL POSTED TIMES LOCAL TO TRACK

NASCAR Penalizes Crew Members And Crew Chiefs From The No. 5 and No. 24

NASCAR has assessed penalties to crew members from the No. 5 and No. 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams for their involvement in post-race incidents on Nov. 2 at Texas Motor Speedway. In addition, the crew chiefs from those two teams also have been penalized.

Jeremy Fuller, a crew member with the No. 5 team, along with Dwayne Doucette and Jason Ingle, crew members with the No. 24 team, each have been fined $25,000 and suspended from NASCAR through the completion of the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points races. All three were found to be in violation of:
· Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
· Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty – involved in a post-race physical altercation with a driver on pit road

Dean Mozingo, a crew member with the No. 24 team, has been fined $10,000 and suspended from NASCAR through the completion of the next three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points races. He was found to be in violation of:
· Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
· Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty – involved in a post-race physical altercation with another crew member on pit road

Kenny Francis, crew chief of the No. 5 team, and Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 24 team, have each been fined $50,000 and placed on NASCAR probation through the completion of the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points races. They were found to be in violation of:
· Section 9-4A: Crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his team members
· Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
· Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty

"While the intensity and emotions are high as we continue through the final rounds of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the actions that we saw from several crew members Sunday following the race at Texas are unacceptable," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR senior vice president, competition and racing development. "We reviewed the content that was available to us of the post-race incident along pit road, and identified several crew members who crossed the line with their actions, specifically punching others."

"We therefore have penalized four crew members as well as their crew chiefs, as they ultimately are responsible for members of their team per the NASCAR rule book," Pemberton continued. "A NASCAR championship is at stake, but we can’t allow behavior that crosses the line to go unchecked, particularly when it puts others in harm’s way."(NASCAR)

'Game-Changing' K&N Pro Car Unveiled

LAS VEGAS -- The K&N Pro Series is set to show off the hottest new body on the Las Vegas Strip and NASCAR is convinced that it’s hit the jackpot thanks to the model’s curvaceous collaboration of substance and speed.

In fact, the sport is betting that drivers and crew chiefs alike will be unable to keep their hands off the sleek and sexy lines of their show-stopper that will be unveiled Tuesday by NASCAR President Mike Helton during the SEMA automotive specialty products trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“This car is not only a pretty good-looking piece, it’s a game changer,” said NASCAR Touring Series Managing Director Brad Moran of the new body, sporting panels made from a state-of-the-art composite laminate blend that are bolted together with a revolutionary 12-flange design.

Built with aerodynamics, safety and cost-effectiveness in mind, the body will replace existing steel-shelled K&N cars with a design that’s 35 pounds lighter and miles ahead of the competition when it comes to ease of repair.

Previously seen only by a handful of racing officials outside the Turner Motorsports shop in Mooresville, North Carolina, the Las Vegas car is painted to replicate 2014 K&N Pro Series East champion Ben Rhodes’ current Chevrolet Impala SS. Equipped with a Robert Yates spec engine, the Vegas model is white with blue, green and red stripes along the side. It carries the number 41 as well as the name of Rhodes’ sponsor, Alpha Energy Solutions, on the quarter panels and hood.

“I don’t get too excited to debut too many new cars, but this one, with a red chassis and the white body looks like a show car,” says Mike Greci, K&N East Series Director for Turner Motorsports, whose team was responsible for assembling and prepping the display vehicle. “Tony Glover (NASCAR Touring Series Technical Director) and Brad Moran suggested that we should just take it right to Barrett-Jackson and run it right across the auction block. It’s that pretty.”

But the true beauty of the new K&N racing machine extends beyond its flash to its behind-the-scenes sensibilities.

“In the long run, it’s going to save teams a bunch of money,” Greci says.

Those savings should come primarily in the man hours needed to prepare and repair damaged race cars. Greci estimates that prep and repair costs should easily be cut in half.

The secret is in performance and durability of the bolt-together flange design, which eliminates the need to cut and weld together body panels or entire body segments. When a panel is damaged, teams simply bolt on a new one. Those panels will come to teams pre-dyed on the inside with pre-molded mounting points, pre-cut glass and a built-in cowl for air induction.

“The way it bolts together, cars will be much friendlier to repair, either in tact or by reattaching panels,” Greci says. “The way the flanges work, they either butt up at a seam or overlap a seam. But there are no exposed bolts. Everything is inside. Our car for Las Vegas is painted, but if you wrapped it instead of painting it, you wouldn’t even see the seams.”

Although an entire body – be it designed for Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota – weighs only 120 pounds, Moran emphasizes that design emphasis came from a safety-first perspective.

“First of all, it’s made from flame-resistant material,” he says. “The greenhouse is very well constructed. There are tethers to keep the hood from flying off, insets for windshield center braces, really a lot of safety improvements.”

The Las Vegas car is actually the second prototype built for the K&N Series utilizing the composite laminate materials and 11-panel design. The first car was built in a cooperative effort between body component supplier Five-Star Racing and the NASCAR Research and Development team under the watchful eye of Glover, a three-time Daytona 500-winning crew chief.

That car went through wind tunnel testing, where the new model, designed to resemble current Sprint Cup cars, compared favorably to its Sprint Cup brethren.

Given the technical numbers, although the new body won’t actually see the race track until the first weekend of the 2015 season, Feb. 6-7 at New Smyrna, Fla., K&N Series officials are confident about performance and durability.

“Based on our tests, I don’t know if the new car will really go faster, but it does look more modern,” Moran says. “It’s a big leap forward for the series in terms of aesthetics.

“By elevating the quality of the car with a look that’s more up-to-date – more what you see on the street and with a look that’s almost identical to the Sprint Cup body that fans see racing on Sundays. – I think it elevates the entire series.”

The new K&N Pro Series body is one of three NASCAR vehicle attractions on display at the SEMA Show, which runs through Nov. 7. The 2015 No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry of Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch and the track-drying Air Titan 2.0 highlight the NASCAR area on the show floor.

The display also includes a Mazda Prototype race car from the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, which is sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), a company within the NASCAR Holdings Group.

Fans following the event from their computer, tablet or mobile device can watch driver interviews live on Fanschoice.tv.

Executives from NASCAR and IMSA are being featured as part of the SEMA Show’s Technology Briefing Seminars. Scott Atherton, president of IMSA, discussed the importance of technology and innovation in growing the series during the Racing and Performance Forum. Gene Stefanyshyn, senior vice president for Innovation and Racing Development, was a featured panelist on the Powertrain Forum and talked about NASCAR’s efforts to maximize fuel economy and Dr. Mike Lynch, NASCAR vice president of Green Innovation, discussed the sport’s focus on driving sustainability at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo on Nov. 3.(NASCAR)

Waltrip eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars"

Michael Waltrip's ballroom dancing career has come to a close on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" as he was eliminated from the show Monday night. Week eight's theme was "Dynamic Duos" and Waltrip and partner Emma Slater performed a foxtrot as Tarzan and Jane to "You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins. Waltrip and Slater received a score of 25 out of 40.(ABC)

NASCAR to review the Brawl

NASCAR will study film of the post-race fight [at Texas Motor Speedway at the end of the race] involving Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski and a host of crew members, but according to Robin Pemberton, the sanctioning body's senior vice president of competition and racing development, NASCAR has no issue with the incident that caused it. "I think it was hard racing, and this is a contact sport," Pemberton said of Keselowski's up-the-middle attempt pass on the next-to-last restart, a move that left Gordon with a cut tire and diminished championship chances. "You look at what drivers are trying to do. We had a couple shots at a green-white-checkered finish, and everybody was going for it. Nobody was leaving anything behind." The brawl itself is a different story. NASCAR will review the incident in its entirety and decide if penalties are warranted. Keselowski already is on probation from post-race actions three weeks ago at Charlotte. "We knew the (new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) format was going to put a lot of pressure on people to perform and make aggressive moves and decisions out there on the race track," Pemberton said. "You could see the result of that after the race. We're going to take our time. We've got a lot of film to review and things like that. The important thing is to make the right decision at the end of the day." Pemberton says NASCAR draws the line when drivers and crew members come to blows. "You shouldn't punch somebody," he said. "Everybody gets together, and when you're holding onto each other and grabbing and this, that and the other, that's one thing. When punches are landed, that's a different scenario...We have a lot of work to do this week."(NASCAR Wire Service)

NSCS Recap: Johnson Wins At Texas; Keselowski And Gordon Brawl On Pit Road

FORT WORTH, Texas—It happens every fall, at least in recent years.

Jimmie Johnson won the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway for the third straight year, holding off runner-up Kevin Harvick and third-place Brad Keselowski after Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 went to two overtimes.

The action in the second race of the Chase’s Eliminator Round was scintillating enough, but it couldn’t match the intensity of a post-race brawl on pit road that left Keselowski and Jeff Gordon bruised and bloodied.

Johnson, who was eliminated from the Chase two weeks ago at Talladega, led the field to the green flag on Lap 340, the second attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag finish, with Keselowski to his outside. As both drivers rolled through the first two corners wide open, Johnson inched ahead, ultimately clearing Keselowski’s Ford and pulling away.

Harvick passed Keselowski for second place but couldn’t catch Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet, which crossed the finish line .513 seconds ahead of Harvick’s No. 4 car.

But it was the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish that caused all the controversy and helped to scramble the Chase standings with only next Sunday’s event at Phoenix International Raceway (3 p.m. ET on ESPN) left to determine which four drivers race for the series championship Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Gordon was the race leader at the time and picked the outside lane for a restart on Lap 335 with Johnson to his inside. Keselowski restarted third and tried to split the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers—in what Harvick would later call "bulldoze mode"—and ran out of room.

Contact from Keselowski’s car cut Gordon’s left rear tire, causing Gordon to spin on the backstretch, which in turn brought out the record 13th caution of the race. Gordon finished 29th and dropped from first to fourth in the Chase standings, just one point clear of 25th-place finisher and Coors Light Polesitter Matt Kenseth in fifth.

"We drove down into Turn 1, and he just decided to body-slam us and cut our left-rear tire," an irate Gordon said after wading through a mass of crewmen to get to Keselowski. "It ruined our night. It ruined our chances, ruined our night, might have even ruined our Chase hopes.

"It’s just uncalled for. I had to show my displeasure. It got ugly down there, obviously, and you know that’s alright. A lot of things are going to happen in the next couple of weeks."

If Gordon had issues with the way Keselowski raced him, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford was unapologetic.

"I'm not trying to dish out something that I couldn't take myself," Keselowski said. "But these guys have their own code, and they race differently than that. That's their right. We'll go through these battles. I've gone through them before and come out stronger. I'll go through them again and come out stronger, a better race car driver.

"But what I'm not going to do is back down. I'm not going to get in the spot where I was in 2013 where, you know, I tried to be exactly what they all wanted me to be, because what they want me to be is a loser, and I'm not here to lose. I'm here to win. That means I'm going to have to drive my car, harder, stronger, faster than everybody out there. That's what I feel like I did today."

In Victory Lane, savoring his fourth win of the season, his record fourth victory at Texas and the 70th of his career, Johnson could only shake his head at the unplanned fireworks after the race.

"I saw a little bit on the big screen going down the back straightaway," said Johnson. "I would definitely have to go to the tape and watch and see what happened there. I know that second-to-last restart, I got hit from behind and I know Brad got to my outside, and I guess in the process of running into me and getting to the outside lane he ruffled some feathers.

"Just an exciting night for us. We had a very fast race car, led a lot of laps (191 of 341). Those cautions at the end, one restart would help me, the other would hurt me—and in the end we got it done."(NASCAR Media)

NASCAR Test Ban May Not Be Set In Stone

NASCAR's Senior Vice President for Innovation and Racing Development Gene Stefanyshyn commented today on a statement by Roush Fenway Racing co-owner Jack Roush that the sanctioning body's ban on independent testing in 2015 may not be cast in stone. "I think the final word on testing for next year has not been uttered yet by NASCAR," said Roush on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio's Dialed In yesterday (Wed, Oct 29th). "My understanding is there is substantial resistance from Goodyear on what's... on the table right now in terms of their being able to supply the tires for the number of teams that NASCAR anticipates going to the Goodyear tire tests. I will be less surprised if it changes than if it stays the way it is"
Stefanyshyn appeared to lend credence to those comments today (Thurs, Oct 30th), saying in a written release, "When we announced on Sept. 23 the rules package for the 2015 season, we stated that we were eliminating all team testing and would be working with Goodyear to build a unified testing plan in which the teams could participate. We currently are working through that process and have had on-going discussions with Goodyear to develop a proposal that we will share with the teams in the near future."(Dave Moody)

Pocono Raceway receives $1 million grant for improvements

Governor Tom Corbett has announced a $1 million Economic Growth Initiative (EGI) grant to assist in the Pocono Raceway's renovation and improvement plan. "This raceway is a major tourism catalyst for Pennsylvania bringing in tourism dollars from neighboring states and around the country," said Corbett. "This investment will help ensure the safety of event spectators as well maintain the viability of this worldwide destination." The project will include substantial improvements to the raceway's main facility entrance with the rebuilding of two, 50 year old tunnels. These tunnels provide the only entrance and exit from within the racetrack. The project will also include construction of a pedestrian walkway. "As a structure that has stood for as long as this, safety becomes paramount in what we look at in projects that we must undertake here at Pocono Raceway stated Brandon Igdalsky, Raceway President and CEO. This project not only will shore up the safety & longevity of this area of the property, but also increase that first impression of a facility that is instrumental to tourism in the Pocono Mountains. This project will help us highlight not just who we are, but allow us to help showcase the region and our geography. In addition, it will open up a new ability to allow pedestrians to be able to safely use our tunnels as well as vehicle traffic."(Times Herald)

Krista Voda to NBC in 2015

NBC Sports Group announced that Krista Voda has signed a multi-year agreement to serve as host of NBC Sports' upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series pre- and post-race coverage, beginning in 2015. Her on-air duties will also include regular appearances as host of NASCAR AMERICA on NBCSN, as well as a range of assignments across NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. The announcement was made by Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports and NBCSN. "Krista is a talented host that has established a strong connection with NASCAR viewers over the course of an already impressive career," said Flood. "Her passion for the sport and comprehensive grasp of its stars, personalities and history will provide for an engaging and informative race day experience for the fans."
Krista's résumé is among the strongest in NASCAR broadcasting. When she joins NBC Sports in 2015, it will mark her 14th continuous year covering the sport on network television. She is the current host of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pre-race show for Fox Sports, and was the first female to ever host NASCAR's Daytona Duels, as well as the NASCAR All-Star Race in Charlotte. She recently concluded her eighth season as a pit reporter for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series coverage on Fox and has hosted or co-hosted every NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, many NASCAR Awards Banquets, and several Fox Sports studio shows. Outside of motorsports, Krista has an impressive breadth of experience, including NFL sideline reporting, and on-air contributions to numerous major sporting events, including postseason MLB broadcasts, Bowl Championship Series coverage, the Kentucky Derby, multiple NCAA men's basketball tournaments and the PGA Championship.
"This role is a dream opportunity for me and I'm honored to be a part of NBC's return to NASCAR," said Voda. "We say it often, but it's true: NASCAR is more than a sport, it's a community. I've been blessed, for many years, to stand alongside colleagues who I also consider dear friends. I'm looking forward to this new chapter and the chance to share my knowledge and enthusiasm for storytelling."
On July 23, 2013, NASCAR and NBC Sports Group reached a comprehensive agreement that grants NBCUniversal exclusive rights to the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR XFINITY Series events, select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events and other live content, beginning in 2015.(NBC Sports)

2014 AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway Race Weekend Schedule

Friday, October 31
12:00 - 1:30 pm AAA Texas 500 Practice (FS1)
2:15 PM (3:15 PM) WinStar World Casino and Resort 350k QUALIFYING (FS1)
5:45 pm AAA Texas 500 Qualifying (ESPN2)
7:30 PM (8:30 PM) 2014 WinStar World Casino and Resort 350k (FS1)

Saturday, November 1
10:00 - 10:50 am AAA Texas 500 Practice (FS1)
11:15 AM (12:15 PM/ET) O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge QUALIFYING (FS2)
1:00 - 1:50 pm AAA Texas 500 Final Practice (FS2)
2:30 PM (3:30 PM/ET) 2014 O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge (ESPN)

Sunday, November 2
2:00 pm 2014 AAA Texas 500 (ESPN)

ALL POSTED TIMES LOCAL TO TRACK

NSCS Race Recap: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins At Martinsville As Calamity Strikes Chase Favorites

MARTINSVILLE, Va.— On a day that saw two of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup favorites suffer potentially catastrophic problems, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stole a victory from the title contenders on Sunday, passing Tony Stewart for the lead with less than four laps left in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway and pulling away for his fourth victory of the season.

Ten years and one day removed from the tragic Hendrick Motorsports plane crash that claimed the lives of 10 people, including owner Rick Hendrick’s son Ricky, Earnhardt took the checkered flag for the first time at the .526-mile short track, earning for the first time the grandfather clock trophy he has coveted throughout his career.

In fifth position for a restart on Lap 495, Earnhardt made short work of Clint Bowyer (restarting fourth on the outside) and three drivers who had stayed out on old tires, including Stewart, and arrived at the finish line .344 seconds ahead of teammate Jeff Gordon, who took second place and the lead in the Eliminator Round of the Chase.

"Oh, man, we’ve been trying to win here for so many years," said Earnhardt, who collected his 23rd victory in his 538th start. "And this place is so special to me. I’ve wanted to win here so bad. We brought the good cars. I’m out of breath from celebrating more than driving. It’s a real emotional win.

"This team on pit road was great, and (crew chief) Steve (Letarte) and the guys did a real good job all day. They gave me a great shot at it there with the call at the end to take tires (under the 15th caution on Lap 492 of 500). I can’t believe we won here. This means so much to all of us."

Adding to the intense emotion of the moment were thoughts of the tragedy of a decade earlier.

"I lost my daddy (seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt Sr.) a long time ago, and I know how hard that is," said Earnhardt, who was eliminated from the Chase a week earlier at Talladega. "I can’t imagine losing the magnitude of people that Rick lost. My heart goes out to him during this weekend.

"I love that his cars are good (enough) here to get the victory. So this honors them. I’m just real proud to be able to win at Martinsville in a Hendrick car. They always win here."

Behind Hendrick teammates Earnhardt and Gordon, Chase driver Ryan Newman came home third, posting his fifth straight top 10 in the Chase and climbing to second in the standings, three points behind Gordon.

Stewart held fourth place, and Joey Logano ran fifth, his sixth top-five result in seven Chase races this year.

Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski weren’t as fortunate. On Lap 228, Matt Kenseth wheel-hopped into Turn 1, spun and knocked Kevin Harvick’s Chevrolet hard into the outside wall near the apex of Turns 1 and 2.

After extensive time in the garage for repairs, Harvick finished 33rd, 43 laps off the pace, and fell to eighth in the Chase standings, 33 points behind Gordon, who led the most laps on Sunday (130). After the next two races, at Texas and Phoenix, the Chase field will be cut from eight drivers to four.(NASCAR Media)

Earnhardt, Jr. helping raise concussion awareness

Dale Earnhardt Jr. knew immediately something was wrong during a 2012 crash at Talladega, where his car was hit hard from behind. He was asked on his radio if he was OK, and it was clear Earnhardt was not. "I don't know. I mean, I don't know how many of them hits like that I can take," NASCAR's most popular driver told his crew. He recounts the crash in his personal story of his own battle with a concussion in a video made for the Sports Medicine Concussion Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. UPMC on Wednesday launched the website ReThinkConcussions.com to detail treatments. Featured on the site are Earnhardt and baseball catcher David Ross, who were both treated at UPMC by Dr. Micky Collins, the clinical and executive director of the Concussion Program. Collins is considered one of the leading experts in athlete concussions. A 30-second version of Earnhardt's video will air nationally during the upcoming NASCAR races at Martinsville and Homestead. It will also be shown regionally during the World Series and evening news broadcasts. Other pro athletes who will be featured in the ReThinkConcussions.com initiative include quarterback Brady Quinn, second baseman Brian Roberts and Tyler Hansbrough of the NBA.(Associated Press)

2014 Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway Weekend Schedule

Friday, October 24
12:00 - 1:20 PM Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 PRACTICE (FS1)
4:40 PM Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 QUALIFYING (FS1)

Saturday, October 25
9:00 - 9:50 AM Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 PRACTICE (FS1)
10:15 AM Kroger 200 QUALIFYING (FS1)
12:00 - 12:50 PM Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 FINAL PRACTICE (FS1)
1:30 PM 2014 Kroger 200 (FS1)

Sunday, October 26
1:30 PM 2014 Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 (ESPN)

ALL POSTED TIMES LOCAL TO TRACK

Rockingham to be Sold

The Rockingham Speedway, formerly the North Carolina Speedway, is going to be sold for the second time in less than a decade because its current owners have run into financial trouble. Back in 2012, Andy Hillenburg did what a lot of people thought was impossible and brought NASCAR racing back to a track that it left. The NASCAR truck series came back in 2013, but didn't get a race date this year. NASCAR also cancelled a minor league event there as well. Now we know the track has hit hard times. Court documents now show Hillenburg and his co-owners owe more than $4 million in loans and taxes, and the bank threatened to foreclose. To avoid that, Hillenburg agreed last week to sell or auction off the track. NBC Charlotte was unable to contact the owners on Monday, but court documents say there has to be a sale or auction in place by the first of the year, and a new owner in place by March 15, 2015. Hillenburg paid a little more than $4 million to buy the track at auction in 2007.(WCNC)

Keselowski keeps Sprint Cup title hopes alive with dramatic win at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala.—In a must-win situation at Talladega Superspeedway, Brad Keselowski did exactly that, preserving his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship hopes with a victory in Sunday’s GEICO 500.

With the right side of his car damaged in the wreck that brought out the first caution flag of the afternoon, Keselowski persevered, taking the lead during the first attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag finish and winning the race in the second overtime—after a wreck that ended the title run of Keselowski’s former boss, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"I can’t believe it," Keselowski said in Victory Lane. "Talladega is such a wild card, and to be able to win here you have to catch breaks and make your own breaks-a little of both.

"I can’t believe we won at Talladega. This race is the scariest of the three in the (Contender Round) bracket. To be able to win here is really a privilege. It really is."

Keselowski won his series-leading sixth race of the season, his third at Talladega and the 16th of his career. That alone propelled him into the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup on a day that saw three of the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers—Earnhardt, Kasey Kahne and six-time series champion Jimmie Johnson—fall by the wayside.

On the first lap of the first overtime, Keselowski’s Team Penske teammate gave the No. 2 Ford the push that enabled him to clear Ryan Newman and take the lead.

"We just persevered," Keselowski said. "We didn’t give up. I got a lot of help from my teammate Joey Logano and, wow, this is just special. Everything about today is special. I want to say ‘Thank you’ to everyone that supports our team."

A week after losing his cool on the race track and on pit road at Charlotte, Keselowski was the very model of professional poise at Talladega. Coincidentally, the driver with whom Keselowski had the most significant altercation at Charlotte—Matt Kenseth--was behind him on the final restart at Talladega, and at the finish line.

And, coincidentally, both Keselowski and Kenseth, the race runner-up, started the race at the rear of the field, Keselowski after breaking an alternator and Kenseth after changing an engine.

Kenseth, Newman (fifth Sunday), Denny Hamlin (18th), Jeff Gordon (26th) and Carl Edwards (21st) joined Contender Round winners Logano, Kevin Harvick and Keselowski in the Eliminator Round, which opens next Sunday at Martinsville, (Va.) Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) with points for all the Chase drivers reset to 4,000.

Kyle Busch, victim of an early wreck, joined Earnhardt, Johnson and Kahne as drivers knocked out of the Chase.

Johnson, who led a race-high 84 laps, was shuffled back after a restart on Lap 188, the first attempt at a green-white-checkered following a debris caution on Lap 184. In the second overtime, which took the race six circuits past its scheduled 188 laps, he fell back to 24th at the finish.

But Johnson’s finishing position was of little consequence, once victory was out of the question. Like Keselowski and Earnhardt, Johnson came to Talladega needing a win to move forward in the Chase.

After a wild shuffling of positions in the two overtimes, Clint Bowyer finished third, followed by Landon Cassill (first career top five in 147 starts) and Newman. Travis Kvapil, Kurt Busch, Marcos Ambrose and Kevin Harvick completed the top 10.

At Talladega, there are always victims, and Kyle Busch was the first. On the backstretch on Lap 103, Aric Almirola tapped the back bumper of J.J. Yeley’s Toyota and turned the car sideways into the outside wall, igniting a 10-car chain-reaction wreck.

Riding 28th near the rear of the field, Busch checked up and appeared poised to avoid the melee, only to be launched into the inside wall by Austin Dillon’s Chevrolet.

With the frame of the No. 18 Toyota bent like a pretzel and suspension parts askew on both ends, Busch brought the car to the garage and dropped to 43rd on the scoring monitor as his team frantically tried to restore the Camry to running condition.

"We were just all starting to shuffle around there and getting ready to pit, and I think it was the 83 (Yeley) in front of me, and I think he might have been trying to check up to get to the bottom," Almirola said of the incident that started the wreck.

"I just barely started to push him and it hooked his car—and we all wrecked."

Earnhardt’s run at a first championship came to a sudden end on the backstretch on Lap 188, when contact from Greg Biffle’s Ford spun the No. 88 Chevy, which had spent 31 laps in the lead, but restarted 16th on the first green-white-checkered attempt.

With the car damaged in the wreck, Earnhardt finished 31st, a far cry from the victory he needed to advance to the next round of the Chase.

Rockingham Speedway Avoids Financial Receivership, Possible New Deal Gives Hope for Track's Survival

Like a real-life Rocky Balboa, Andy Hillenburg refuses to stay down.

After spending the last seven years battling to revive the legendary Rockingham (NC) Speedway, the former ARCA racing champion has taken his share of lumps. Hillenburg and his partners returned NASCAR racing to The Rock in 2012, when the track hosted an event on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The Trucks raced there again in late 2013, but a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event scheduled for November of last year was cancelled, with the sanctioning body saying that the track “failed to meet its obligations.”

Since then, there has been little in the way of good news from the Richmond County oval. Until today.

Battered, bloodied, but unbowed, Hillenburg climbed off the canvas yet again this morning, confirming that after a hearing in Richmond County (NC) Superior Court, a new plan is in place to save the track from financial receivership.

Farmers and Merchants Bank of Salisbury, NC, had asked that the track be placed into receivership as a first-step toward seizing control of the facility and putting it up for auction. However, with the assistance of a group of advisors, Hillenburg has assembled a new business plan that he hopes will put the speedway back on solid financial ground.

“We went in front of a judge recently and presented our proposal,” said Hillenburg. “We explained that we need 90 days to perform the necessary due diligence, and he issued a Bridge Order to continue the case until today. Now, he has approved our request, and the speedway will remain in our hands.”

Hillenburg declined to identify his new advisors by name, saying only, “They are not racers. They are businesspeople who know my reputation and work ethic, and see an opportunity to create new partnerships that will prove beneficial to all parties, allow Rockingham Speedway to survive and prosper as a racing facility and produce critical economic development opportunities in Richmond County,”

Hillenburg revealed that those investors stepped forward only recently, saying, “When word (of the receivership hearing) got out a week or so ago, people began offering to help.”

Hillenburg and company – doing business as Rockingham Racing Park LLC – purchased the speedway in 2007 for $4 million. Court records say they owed $4,532,796.23 to F&M Bank as of August 8, 2014. The 244-acre site on which the speedway sits is valued at approximately $2.5 million. In recent years, Rockingham has served as a test venue for NASCAR’s three national racing series, hosted Hillenburg’s Fast Track High Performance Driving School and been featured in numerous scenes in the 2006 film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

Hillenburg stressed that the deal is not yet complete, saying, “Our request was for the procedings to be delayed, in order to allow us to assemble a new financial plan. We now have until Jan. 1, 2015 to finalize a workable financial plan with our new partners. Our goal is to return racing to The Rock, put the track on solid financial footing and continue to make a positive contribution to our community.”(Dave Moody)

ESPN employees visit Hendrick Motorsport

Five years ago, Rich Feinberg - ESPN vice president, motorsports, production - came up with an idea. "At ESPN, we cover all sports, but it's a very stick-and-ball culture," Feinberg explained. So he brought a concept to ESPN management and eventually NASCAR management. Why not gather a group of ESPN employees and bring them inside the world of NASCAR? "By immersing people in it, they learn about it, they have a new respect for it, and when it comes down to working on it, they do better," he said. ESPN and NASCAR loved the idea, and for five years, Feinberg has hand-picked a group to make the trek to Hendrick Motorsports headquarters in Concord, North Carolina. In the 2014 version of the immersion program, that certainly proved true. In addition to NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports employees, among the participants were SportsCenter anchors Jay Harris, Chris Hassel, Darren Haynes, Lisa Kerney and Jaymee Sire in addition to ESPN Radio host Freddie Coleman, executive producers Mike Shiffman and Andy Tennant, senior news editor Jodi Herbert and Director of Talent, Planning and Development Chris Duffy. Included in the immersion was an overview of the human performance element of the race teams, featuring a tour of the training field, gym and pit pad. At the pit pad, the group got a chance to take a shot at changing a tire, splitting into two teams racing against the clock for the win. After the competition, the group went on to tour the engine shop and the race shops for the #5, 24, 48 and 88 teams. Finally, the group got to take an exclusive tour of Hendrick Motorsports Owner Rick Hendrick's Heritage Center, featuring his extensive car collection. It was just part of their immersion, as the group later got the chance to take in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.(Hendrick Motorsports)

NASCAR Issues Penalties

NASCAR has assessed behavioral penalties to drivers Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart for their involvement in post-race incidents on Oct. 11 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Keselowski has been fined $50,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship events through Nov. 12 for violating:
" Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
" Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty -- involved in post-race incidents

Stewart has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship events through Nov. 12 for violating:
" Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
" Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty -- involved in a post-race incident

"These penalties are about maintaining a safe environment following the race," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR senior vice president, competition and racing development. "We knew that the new Chase format was likely going to raise the intensity level and we want our drivers to continue to be themselves. However, the safety of our drivers, crew members, officials, and workers is paramount and we will react when that safety could be compromised."(NASCAR)

Steve Byrnes' cancer has returned

"Our dear friend @SteveByrnes12 asks for prayers as he battles a cancer recurrence & takes a medical leave of absence from @NASCARONFOX".
-Fox Sports' Megan Englehart

Hornish Jr. to RPM's #9

NASCAR driver and former IndyCar Series star Sam Hornish Jr. will move fulltime to the Sprint Cup Series with Richard Petty Motorsports, the Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned. An official announcement of Hornish's hire to replace Marcos Ambrose beginning in the 2015 season could come as early as Wednesday, multiple sources confirmed. Ambrose is returning to his native Australia. This would Hornish's second fulltime stint in the Cup series. He struggled in his first go-around which was with Team Penske. In three-plus seasons, Hornish had eight top-10 finishes in 108 starts. In recent seasons he has found success running in the Nationwide Series, where he finished second in points last season and fourth in 2012. An RPM spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.(Charlotte Observer)

NSCS Recap: Logano Advances With Kansas Win

KANSAS CITY, Kan.—In a race that saw Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup favorites Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. fall by the wayside, Joey Logano earned a ticket to the Eliminator Round of the Chase with a hard-fought victory in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Logano beat rookie Kyle Larson to the finish line by .480 seconds to notch his fifth victory of the season, tied with Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski for most in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this year. The win was Logano’s first at Kansas and the eighth of his career.

Kyle Busch ran third, posting his first-ever top five at a track that has plagued him mercilessly in races past. Martin Truex Jr. came home fourth, posting his first top five of the season and his second consecutive top 10. Carl Edwards was fifth, with fellow Chase drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin right behind him in sixth and seventh, respectively.

Logano can now enjoy the next two races at Charlotte and Talladega worry-free, assured of earning one of the eight spots in the Eliminator Round.

"It makes Talladega a lot easier, that is for sure," Logano said. "To know we are onto the next round, we can focus on a few more races coming up, and we’ll keep trying to capitalize like we’re doing. ...

"It’s so much fun to race these cars lately. Everyone at Team Penske has given me great stuff to work with. It’s awesome to be back in Victory Lane again. I felt we had a good car all weekend, but I wasn’t 100-percent sure--but once that top (lane of the race track) opened up, it just took off."(Reid Spencer, NASCAR Media)

Nascar Sports Grille at Universal Orlando To Close 11/1

NASCAR Sports Grille, a mainstay at Universal CityWalk since the entertainment complex opened in 1999, will close Nov. 1..
The racing-themed restaurant, which serves American-style food such as burgers, ribs, sandwiches and pasta, will continue lunch and dinner service through that date.
Universal Orlando employees recently were told of the closing. No replacement has been identified.
The restaurant "has been a big part of helping CityWalk grow and establish itself as an entertainment destination," Universal Orlando spokesman Tom Schroder said Sunday. "This change is part of our ongoing commitment to bring new entertainment experiences to CityWalk."
The 530-seat restaurant, which originally went by the name NASCAR Cafe, is located on the north end of the complex. It's the last outlet that visitors using Universal's parking garage pass if they are heading to Universal Studios theme park, home of the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter -- Diagon Alley.
The concept was a joint project of NASCAR and the Cordish Co., based in Baltimore. The restaurant includes a retail outlet that specializes in NASCAR gear and souvenirs. An additional NASCAR Sports Grille operates in Hampton, Va.
Universal is in the midst of revamping its dining options at CityWalk. New operations include Red Oven Pizza Bakery; Vivo Italian Kitchen; Antojitos, a Mexican place that took over the Latin Quarter space; Hot Dog Hall of Fame; a larger Starbucks location; and the Bread Box. The Cowfish, a small burger-and-sushi chain based in North Carolina, is expected to open this year. Construction workers were at the Cowfish site on CityWalk's second level on Sunday.
Other CityWalk restaurants -- including Hard Rock Cafe, NBA City, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, Emeril's, Pat O'Brien's, Bob Marley: a Tribute to Freedom and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. -- continue to operate.
Universal CityWalk also features fast-service dining options, retail stores, a movie theater, miniature-golf courses, bars, nightclubs and the Blue Man Group.

2014 Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway Race Weekend Schedule

Friday, October 3
12:00 - 1:20 PM Hollywood Casino 400 PRACTICE (FS1)
4:45 PM Hollywood Casino 400 QUALIFYING (ESPN2)

Saturday, October 4
10:00 - 10:50 AM Hollywood Casino 400 PRACTICE (FS1)
11:15 AM (12:15 PM/ET) Kansas Lottery 300 QUALIFYING (FS2)
1:00 - 1:50 PM Hollywood Casino 400 FINAL PRACTICE (FS2)
2:30 PM 2014 Kansas Lottery 300 (ESPN)

Sunday, October 5
1:00 PM 2014 Hollywood Casino 400 (ESPN)

ALL POSTED TIMES LOCAL TO TRACK

Racing returning to Mansfield

It took Kevin Ruic five years, but the longtime motor sports showman will finally promote events at Mansfield Motorsports Park. Racing will return to the half-mile oval in 2015. The Avon Lake businessman said he reached a deal in principal with MMP owner Grant Milliron to bring up to six special events to track. Attempts to reach Milliron were unsuccessful. The nature of those events is still to be determined, but Ruic said a three-day tractor pull, a monster truck and thrill show, a supermodified and sprint car event, a July 4 fireworks show and a rodeo could be possible for 2015. Bringing in major events such as NASCAR or ARCA are not in the plans.(full story at theMansfield News Journal)

NSCS Recap: Gordon Makes A Statement In Final Challenger Round Race At Dover

Jeff Gordon took the checkered flag in Sunday's AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway, but four other drivers got the axe in the first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup elimination race in the history of the sport.

AJ Allmendinger, 2004 series champion Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Aric Almirola missed the cut for the next round of the Chase, as the field was pared from 16 drivers to 12 following the third and final Challenger Round race.

After the dominant car of Coors Light Polesitter Kevin Harvick had a major issue with the left front wheel on Lap 254 of 400, Gordon took control of the event on Lap 305, passing runner-up Brad Keselowski for the lead on Lap 305.

After a cycle of green-flag pit stops, Gordon led the last 71 laps, pulling away to win by a comfortable 4.352 seconds.

Jimmie Johnson ran third, followed by Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth, as all of the top-five drivers advanced to the Contender Round, a three-race elimination with visits to Kansas Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Harvick (13th Sunday), Kyle Busch (10th), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (17th), Ryan Newman (eighth), Carl Edwards (11th) and Denny Hamlin (12th) also advanced to the Contender Round.

The victory was Gordon’s fourth of the season, fifth at the Monster Mile and 92nd of his career, third most all-time behind Richard Petty (200) and David Pearson (105).

And victory No. 92 had special significance beyond an automatic ticket to the next round of the Chase—especially after a blown tire last week at New Hampshire produced a 26th-place finish and put the four-time champion one disaster away from elimination from NASCAR’s 10-race playoff.

"I think this is huge," Gordon said in Victory Lane. "We came in here with a little bit of extra pressure because we weren’t guaranteed to be in. If we hadn’t finished where we were running at New Hampshire last week (sixth when the tire blew), it would have been kind of an easy day for us.

"But all we did was focus on executing as a team and trying to win this race and nothing else. It wasn’t about the points; it wasn’t about just squeezing by to get to the next round. It was about making a statement. I don’t know how you make a bigger statement than what this team just did right there."(NASCAR Media)

Jamie Little to join NASCAR on Fox in 2015

FOX Sports announces the addition of veteran motorsports reporter Jamie Little to the NASCAR on FOX family beginning in January 2015.

Little will serve as a pit reporter for NASCAR on FOX's 15th season of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series coverage and its first year televising the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Her assignments also include select additional races and special events throughout the year.

"Bringing Jamie into the NASCAR on FOX fold is a huge addition for FOX Sports," said John Entz, EVP, Production & Executive Producer, FOX Sports. "While her versatility is remarkable, her ability to think on her feet and report not only the news but also the sport's human-interest stories, with a down-to-earth presentation, makes her a perfect fit for FOX."

The move to FOX after multiple years with ABC and ESPN represents a "homecoming" of sorts for Little. She covered a variety of motorsports events for FOX Sports' SPEED in 2002 and 2003, including the network's live coverage of Daytona Supercross.

"Of all the racing events I've covered in my career, one of the most special was my first-ever live national broadcast in 2002 when I covered Daytona Supercross for SPEED," Little recalled. "At that time, most of the shows I worked were pre-packaged and tape-delayed, so being live on a national broadcast was a reporter's dream."

More than 12 years later, Little remains equally grateful for the opportunity with the FOX Sports family.

"Jumping over to FOX will be a big change for me, but this is the perfect time in my life and I welcome the challenge," Little said. "For some broadcasters, NASCAR often is a steppingstone to where they want to be in another sport or realm of entertainment. But NASCAR is my NFL, and the Daytona 500 is my Super Bowl. All I've ever wanted to do is cover racing, so the fact FOX approached me with the opportunity to continue covering the sport I love so much is a true honor. I've covered 11 Indy 500s and eight Brickyard 400s, and now I'll have the chance to cover my first Daytona 500 in February. That will be a huge feather in my cap."

The versatile broadcaster has covered the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series for ESPN since 2007, and the IZOD IndyCar Series since 2004, in addition to extensive work with the Summer and Winter X Games. She was the first female pit reporter for the television broadcast of the prestigious Indianapolis 500, the first female to cover a televised Supercross and Motorcross event, and was one of the first female reporters in X Games history. Little, who has worked for ABC, ESPN, SPEED, NBC and TNN, has hosted non-racing sporting events ranging from Paintball Championships to the Great Outdoor Games.

Little embarked on her broadcasting career in 2002 as a motocross and motorcycle reporter, and credits her passion for the sport and affinity for dirt bikes as the springboard for her entry into television. The Las Vegas resident is well-rounded outside the four corners of a race track, as well. In 2013, she released her first book, entitled Essential Car Care for Women, and has worked the red carpet for the ESPYs, in addition to hosting numerous NASCAR events away from the track. Furthermore, the popular racing video game "MX World Tour Featuring Jamie Little" bears her name and likeness. She also held a cameo role in the 2005 feature film, Fantastic Four, which included an X Games-themed scene.

The San Diego State University graduate got her television start on ESPN2 reporting on various motorsports while interning at a local news station, in addition to live announce work for Supercross as a college student.

In 2013, FOX Sports extended its media rights agreement with NASCAR, ensuring the FOX family of networks' broadcast of the first 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races each season beginning in 2015, as well as the first 14 NASCAR Xfinity Series races of the season and all NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events, through 2024.

Note: FOX Sports will announce its full 2015 NASCAR on FOX on-air lineup in the near future.(FOX Sports)