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)