Friday, January 29, 2016

Grand Prize Winner of the 2016 CRAFTSMAN Barrett-Jackson Auction Trips Sweepstakes!!!!!

Oma was announced as the Grand Prize Winner of the 2016 CRAFTSMAN Barrett-Jackson Auction Trips Sweepstakes!!!!!

NASCAR Race Mom started 2016 with a great phone call. The nice lady on the other end, Linda explained that I was the grand prize winner of the 2016 CRAFTSMAN Barrett-Jackson Auction Trips Sweepstakes!!!!!. I had won not one; not two; not three; but four wonderful trips to enjoy Barrett Jackson Auctions to be held in different states!!!

The contest ended on December 27th 2015 and I remember entering daily. In order to enter, you had to be a member of the Craftsman Club.

The first auction trip is to Scottsdale, Arizona (between January 29 and 31, 2016); the second auction trip is in Palm Beach, Florida (between April 8 and 10, 2016); the third auction trip is in Las Vegas, Nevada (between September 24 and 26, 2016) and there will be one more city and date, which is to be determined. Hubby and I are hoping that the fourth trip will be the Connecticut event in June!!!

I love entering contest and has won a few wonderful prizes. However, this sweepstakes for four trips is one of the best wins.

Oma was announced as the Grand Prize Winner of the 2016 CRAFTSMAN Barrett-Jackson Auction Trips Sweepstakes!!!!!
Barrett-Jackson is known as “The World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions.” They specializing in providing products and services to collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts worldwide. In fact, in 2010 Barrett-Jackson was named one of the top 100 “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by Ethisphere Magazine.

We have never attended a Barrett-Jackson auction but have heard that they are very exciting and filled with automotive activates. We cannot wait to attend the 45th Annual Scottsdale Auction at Westworld of Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona at the end of the month. You can bet that I will be blogging about our wonderful adventure(s). 


Oma was announced as the Grand Prize Winner of the 2016 CRAFTSMAN Barrett-Jackson Auction Trips Sweepstakes!!!!!


Wednesday, January 27, 2016

RIP Barney Hall

Legendary #NASCAR Broadcaster Passes Away At Age 83


(L-R) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, Carl Edwards, poses with legendary broadcaster,
Barney Hall, and the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence at the NASCAR
Hall of Fame on February 8, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Streeter Lecka/NASCAR)


Barney Hall, who communicated the thrill of NASCAR stock car racing to millions of radio listeners during a more than 50-year broadcast career has died at the age of 83. 

A native of Elkin, North Carolina, Hall was one of the original members of the Motor Racing Network staff and was known as the “Voice of MRN.” He was inducted into the National Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007 and in 2012 joined former MRN colleague Ken Squier as the initial recipients and namesakes of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.

“The entire NASCAR family extends its condolences to the family, friends and fans of Barney Hall, a NASCAR broadcasting giant for more than 50 years,” said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO. “Barney’s impeccable delivery and incredible storytelling skills left an indelible mark on the sport that he so clearly loved. His legacy remains through an honor that rightly carries his name – the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. It will remain a constant reminder of the skill and passion that Barney brought to his work.”

Hall began his broadcast career in the 1950s working at local radio stations in North Carolina. He served as Bristol Motor Speedway’s first public address announcer and called his first Daytona 500 in 1960.

Hall joined the Motor Racing Network first as a turn announcer and then moved to the booth in the late 1970s, where he had been a fixture until 2014. 


1992: Drivers Rusty Wallace (L) and Dale Earnhardt are joined by Motor Racing Network
broadcaster Barney Hall at the Unocal Darlington Records Club dinner at Darlington
Raceway (ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images/2010 RacingOne)

Hall called a number of the sport’s milestone moments including the landmark 1979 Daytona 500 that featured a post-race scuffle among Bobby and Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough; Richard Petty’s 200th career victory in 1984; and Dale Earnhardt’s 1998 win in the Daytona 500.

Hall’s NASCAR broadcast career began almost by accident. The recipient of free tickets as a local radio personality, he started attending races in the late 1950s. He was offered $75 for a weekend of public address duties at the then-new Bristol Motor Speedway in 1960 and a career was born.

That led to a job with what was known as the Daytona 500 Network, operating out of WNDB in Daytona Beach, Fla. – a forerunner of the Motor Racing Network.

Announcers for the Motor Racing Network get together for a group photograph.
Sitting are (L-R) Mike Joy and Barney Hall. Standing (L-R) are Dr. Jerry Punch,
Dave Sutherland, Mark Garrow and Eli Gold.
(SC Images & Archives via Getty Images/2010 RacingOn)


(L-R)Former NASCAR driver, Terry Labonte, shakes hands with
2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, Kyle Busch
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Terrance Lee "Terry" Labonte is a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (then known as the Winston Cup Series) champion and 1989 IROC champion.  He is the older brother of 2000 Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte, and the father of former Nationwide Series driver Justin Labonte.

Now Terry can add "NASCAR Hall of Famer" to his resume.

Man, it's just an honor to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. When you look at all the guys that have been in there and the accomplishments that they've had and the things that they've done, it's really quite a class to be with when you think about guys like Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough and Bruton Smith. Not all of them are drivers, but it's really pretty special being in the Hall of Fame.


You know, I don't think -- it doesn't matter what career you're in or what sport you're in or whatever, your goal is to never be in the Hall of Fame. You don't start out saying I want to be in the Hall of Fame someday. It's something that, you know, when you look back and you kind of race from week to week and season to season and you win some races and win some championships and when it's all over and said and done with and you're selected to be in the Hall of Fame, then that's quite an accomplishment. But it's something that you never -- it's never a goal of yours, but it's something to be awful proud of. - Terry Labonte


#Win an Ultimate West Fan #NASCAR Sweepstakes Prize Package

Spend Your March 2016 at Three #NASCAR Race Tracks

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nascar-goes-west-sweepstakes.html

Enter to win tickets for you and a guest to attend the NASCAR®-sanctioned racing events at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, NV during the weekend of March 4-6, 2016; at the Phoenix International Raceway in Phoenix, AZ during the weekend of March 11-13, 2016; and at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA during the weekend of March 18-20, 2016.

It is easy to enter, just click here and complete the brief entry form*.  It costs nothing to participate.  

NASCAR Goes West Fan Sweepstakes Prize Package Includes:

Phoenix International Raceway

  • 2 Nights Hotel Accommodations in Phoenix, AZ March 11 – 13
  • Two (2) Premium Upper Bryan Grandstand Tickets for Good Sam 500, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race on March 13
  • Two (2) Bryan Grandstand Tickets for Axalta Faster Tougher Brighter 200, NASCAR Xfinity Series Race on March 12
  • Two (2) Pre-Race Pit Passes and preferred parking passes, good for March 12 and 13

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

  • 3 Nights Hotel accommodations at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall March 4 – 6
  • Two tickets to Stratosphere Pole Day on March 4 in Section 1 or 3 White, Rows 11-27
  • Two tickets to the Boyd Gaming 300 Xfinity Series race on March 5 in Section 1 or 3 White, Rows 11-27
  • Two tickets to Kobalt 400 Sprint Cup Series race on March 6 in Section 1 or 3 White, Rows 11-27
  • Two weekend Neon Garage passes good for March 4-6
  • Two Driver Introduction passes good for March 6

Auto Club Speedway

  • 2 Nights Hotel accommodations at the DoubleTree by Hilton Ontario, March 18-20
  • Two Grandstand tickets for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race on March 19
  • Two Premium Upper Grandstand tickets for the Auto Club 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on March 20
  • Two Pre-Race Pit Passes which include access to Driver Introductions and Parking passes for the entire weekend

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

(L-R) Jerry Cook is inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame by Robin Pemberton.
Photo by Streeter Lecka/NASCAR via Getty Images


Jerry Cook was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction on January 23, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Cook made his name in modifieds, winning six NASCAR Modified championships, including four consecutively from 1974-77.

All the while, he was vying with another driver from his hometown of Rome, New York, nine-time champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans, for supremacy in NASCAR’s open-wheel realm. The rivalry was homegrown -- and intense!

Well, that's very true between me and Richie, we put Rome on the map. Richie lived there, was born there, raised there. I moved there when I met my wife Sue over at the Utica-Rome Speedway, and then we lived there, too, bought a home and had two kids, raised our kids there for 25 years, and of course I was racing and running NASCAR, which Utica-Rome was, and Richie saw that, too, and he thought he wanted a piece of that. So it's when it started between the two of us living in the same town, and of course every race counted for points. Like I said, all the stories you've heard are true, even as crazy as they are, where we tried to outfox each other at different races and what have you.

But he was a tough competitor. He was a winning race car driver, too, you know. We lived two totally different lifestyles, but we were both after the same thing, and when I retired, we were tied at six championships each, and then when he got killed at Martinsville in '85, that was -- I was already working for NASCAR then, and that was the first year, so he won the championship that year because Martinsville was the end of the year.

But we had quite a time, and it was a rivalry second to none for racing, and I don't think it'll ever happen again because of the way things are today, you couldn't do that. But it was a lot of fun when I sit there and think about it, and I even said it today, I don't know how in the world we ever did that much racing. And on top of that, we just kept going. We never got tired, and we didn't know the word quit.

When he was asked about his retirement, Jerry Cook explained:

Retired from driving was what -- well, I had already won the six, and I'd done it a long time, and was starting to look for something else to do. Talked about running a speed shop or building cars, and I really didn't want to do that, and when I got the offer from the France family, I said, now there's something I can do and I know what I'm doing, and that's -- one thing led to another, and I felt like if I could get through a year of that, I'd be okay, and I did get through that year. That's one thing that led to another.

There's never been anything in my whole life that had a structured plan to it. Things just happened and sort of happened for the best for me, and I'm tickled to death about that, especially winding up here like this.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Son Talks About Bruton Smith's #NASCAR Contributions

(L-R) Marcus Smith and his father, Bruton Smith, watch as NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series driver, Brad Keselowski, speaks during the NASCAR Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony on January 23, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
 9Photo by Streeter Lecka/NASCAR via Getty Images 0

Bruton Smith has meant so much to the sport known as NASCAR.  He has  helped the sport grow more anyone else.  Bruton was represented at NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on January 23, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina by his son Marcus Smith

The younger Smith is president and CEO of Speedway Motorsports and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway.

You know, at dinner the other night, we had dinner in the Hall of Honor on Wednesday night I think it was, Thursday night, and it was really special. We had at the table Darrell Waltrip was there, Mike Helton was there, Winston joined us, as well, and it was a lot of fun just to tell stories.

A few of the stories I had -- I knew about, and a few of the stories I didn't know about, and I was telling Karen and others earlier today that my dad has so many stories, there are lots that I have not heard. When we go to dinner or we go to lunch, and if y'all were there with us, he'd have something that would spur on his memory of another story that I hadn't heard, and I just love it. Every once in a while I'll say, hey, you haven't told me that one.

So the other night he told a story of driving cars. Darrell asked him, Bruton, you drove races but did you ever win one? And he said, oh, yeah, I won a race, won a few of them, but my favorite one was such-and-such, and he told a story about driving hard and running a fellow race car driver kind of up in the marbles and winning the race. He told another story promoting a race and it only got to halfway and got halfway and normally halfway you call the race, but he decided it was only half of a race, so he got half of the trophy and took it to the shop and cut it in half and paid the driver half the purse and gave him half the trophy. Later came back and ran that race, and it worked out. Actually the same driver won the other half.

So we're just really proud of my dad. He loves his family and his friends and his work and the people that he works with are his friends. All of our general managers of each speedway were here today. People from Sonic Automotive, our sister company, friends from all around came in to be part of the weekend, and had a great time with it.-Marcus Smith

Cut to The Chase
#NASCAR Expands Chase Format

Cut to The Chase #NASCAR Expands Chase Format

NASCAR is expanding its Chase format to include its feeder series, meaning the champions from the Xfinity and Truck Series will now be crowned in a four-driver shootout at the season finale.

The format announced last week by NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France mostly mirrors the playoff-style setup used to determine the Sprint Cup champion the last two years. That system has 16 drivers race through three rounds of eliminations to establish a field of four in which the highest finisher in the finale wins the championship.

The Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series will use a seven-race Chase to decide their champions. The Cup series uses a 10-race format.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

2016 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Honors Five Of Sport’s Greatest

Five of NASCAR’s iconic figures – four drivers and one motorsports entrepreneur – were enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina this afternoon during the Induction Ceremony held in the Crown Ball Room at the Charlotte Convention Center. 

Those who added their names to the list of now 35 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees, included: Jerry Cook, Bobby Isaac, Terry Labonte, O. Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner. The group makes up the Hall’s seventh class in its history.



Jerry Cook made his name in the modified division, winning six NASCAR Modified championships, including four consecutively from 1974-77. He joins his rival from his hometown of Rome, New York, Richie Evans, as only the second Hall of Fame driver whose career wasn’t connected to NASCAR’s premier series. Cook won 342 NASCAR Modified races in 1,474 starts. Upon his retirement, Cook stayed with the sport and helped shape the series known today as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. He served as the series’ director and also served as NASCAR’s competition administrator.

“For me, it’s always been NASCAR,” Cook said. “I’ve spent my entire life in the greatest sport in the world and to be honored in this way – tonight – to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with the greatest names in the sport – is the pinnacle of my career.” 

One of NASCAR’s original speedsters, Bobby Isaac captured 19 poles in 1969 – a mark that still stands as the record for poles in a single season. His 49 career poles are the 10th-most all time. More than just a strong qualifier, Isaac won the 1970 premier series championship by posting 11 victories, 32 top fives and 38 top 10s in 47 starts. His 37 career wins rank 19th on NASCAR’s all-time list.

“He died at the age of 45 doing what he loved to do,” said Isaac’s former spouse, Patsy Isaac. “But he died way too soon. Bobby would’ve loved this honor.”

Terry Labonte raced his way to two NASCAR premier series championships, the first in 1984, and the second in 1996. The Texan’s 12-year gap between titles is the longest in NASCAR history. A consummate professional, Labonte earned the moniker “Iron Man” thanks to his 655 consecutive starts in NASCAR’s premier series, a record which stood until 2002. Labonte won 22 races, bookended by Southern 500 victories in 1980 and 2003. His 361 top-10 finishes ranks 10th all time.

“Before, I’d be introduced as a two-time champion,” Labonte said. “Now I’ll be introduced as a NASCAR Hall of Famer. And I think that’s a whole lot cooler.”

O. Bruton Smith finished building Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1960, the facility that became the foundation of his Speedway Motorsports Inc. empire, which currently owns eight NASCAR tracks hosting 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and additional high-profile motorsports activities. He made SMI the first motorsports company to be traded at the New York Stock Exchange when he took it public in 1995. Smith is the founder of Sonic Automotive group and is active in child-related causes with his philanthropic foundation, Speedway Children’s Charities.

“I appreciate you all coming. I hope you have a great season, a great racing season,” Smith said. “I’m delighted and I’m glad to be a part of the (Hall of Fame) here, this is great.”

Nicknamed the “Babe Ruth of stock car racing” for his big-time personality and talent, NASCAR pioneer Curtis Turner remains the only premier series driver to win two consecutive races from the pole leading every lap. Turner notched 17 wins, 54 top fives and 73 top 10s in 184 starts. He is the only driver to win a NASCAR premier series race in a Nash and tallied 38 victories in 79 NASCAR Convertible Division events. In 1972, NASCAR Founder Bill France said, “Curtis Turner was the greatest race car driver I have ever seen.”

“At day’s end and chats catching up, Daddy would always say, anything is possible,” said Turner’s daughter, Margaret Sue Turner Wright, who accepted on behalf of her father. “And it was, and for us, so it is.”

Each of the five inductees had an inductor who officially welcomed them into the hall. The inductors for the five inductees: Robin Pemberton for Jerry Cook; Randy Isaac (son) for Bobby Isaac; Kristy Labonte Garrett (daughter) for Terry Labonte; Darrell Waltrip for Bruton Smith; and Leonard Wood for Curtis Turner.

Active drivers introduced each inductee during tonight’s program: Tony Stewart for Jerry Cook; Ryan Newman for Bobby Isaac; Kyle Busch for Terry Labonte; Brad Keselowski for Bruton Smith; and Kevin Harvick for Curtis Turner.

In addition to the five inductees enshrined on Saturday afternoon, Harold Brasington was honored as the second recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

Brasington, who believed in the potential of Bill France’s fledgling NASCAR business, architected Darlington Raceway in his hometown of Darlington, South Carolina. After completing the project, he expected 10,000 fans to show up at the track, but instead 25,000 spectators showed up for the inaugural Southern 500 – NASCAR’s first 500-mile race. The race turned out to be a mega-event that is still run to this day. After building Darlington, Brasington helped create Charlotte Motor Speedway and North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham.

Prior to today’s Induction Ceremony, long-time NASCAR broadcaster Steve Byrnes was bestowed the fifth Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.

Byrnes’s motorsports broadcasting career spanned more than three decades. He most recently served as the play-by-play announcer for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on FS1 and was the network’s co-host of NASCAR Race Hub. Last April, Byrnes passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Throughout his career, Byrnes provided mentorship for countless young broadcasters and provided race fans with quality insight and entertainment as a pit reporter for CBS, TNN, TBS and FOX. 

NASCAR Press Release

Thursday, January 21, 2016

#NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day Returns to the NASCAR Hall Of Fame

Free Admission To NASCAR Hall of Fame For All Fans On Jan. 23


For the third consecutive year, the NASCAR Hall of Fame will open its doors for FREE for NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day. 




On Saturday, Jan. 23, fans will have free access to the Hall for a full day of activities, including autographs and Q&A sessions with current drivers and NASCAR Hall of Famers. Fans will be admitted into the Hall on a first-come, first-served basis in lieu of needing a ticket.

However, tickets to the below autograph sessions, highlighted by 13-time Sprint NMPA Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. must be secured in advance. Vouchers for these autograph sessions will be available for free on NASCARHall.com starting at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 16. Each fan can secure up to two autograph session vouchers.

  • Session One (9 a.m.) AJ Allmendinger, Brandon Jones, Ben Rhodes
  • Session Two (10 a.m.) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Erik Jones, Timothy Peters
  • Session Three (11 a.m.) Kasey Kahne, Daniel Suárez, Ben Kennedy
  • Session Four (12 p.m.) Brian Scott, Ryan Reed, Daniel Hemric
  • Session Five (1:30 p.m.) Aric Almirola, Ty Dillon, Tyler Reddick
  • Session Six (2:30 p.m.) Martin Truex Jr., Justin Allgaier, Christopher Bell
  • Session Seven (3:30 p.m.) Chase Elliott, TBD NASCAR XFINITY Series driver, Matt Crafton

In addition, up-and-coming stars of the NASCAR NEXT program and NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2016 inductees Jerry Cook, Terry Labonte and Bruton Smith will participate in Q&A’s and autograph signings throughout the day. Advance vouchers are not required for these sessions.

Fans in attendance will be among the first to see a series of new exhibits and facility upgrades. Artifacts from all five Class of 2016 inductees will be on display in the Hall of Honor, an exhibit that opens Friday, Jan. 22. Fans can also relive the 2015 NASCAR season with updated Memorable Moments and Champions displays.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Chase Format Extended
to NASCAR XFINITY Series and
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Seven-Race Chase Formats to be Implemented in 2016


#NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES CHASE

Using the overwhelming success of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format introduced in 2014 as a guidepost, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France announced today the implementation of a playoff system in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

On the heels of a 2015 Chase that saw the highest season-finale viewership in nearly a decade, record-breaking page views on NASCAR.com and unparalleled volume on social media, the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will each feature a seven-race Chase to decide its respective championships starting in 2016. The announcement was the first of a number of racing innovations presented by NASCAR on Tuesday.

“Fans, partners and the industry have embraced the new Chase format like nothing we’ve seen in the sport’s history,” said France. “Winning never has been this important, and the excitement generated the past two seasons in the Sprint Cup Series has led to this implementation of the Chase format in all three national series. Competition in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will undoubtedly elevate to new heights and shine a spotlight on the rising stars of our sport.”

The NASCAR XFINITY Series, where “Names Are Made,” and the rugged NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will implement seven-race, three-round Chase formats with unique characteristics but very much in the same spirit of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. All three series will conclude the Chase with a Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to crown a champion. However, all three will begin at different tracks: Chicago (Sprint Cup Series), Kentucky (XFINITY Series) and New Hampshire (Camping World Truck Series)

Drivers still must declare a series in which they will earn points, and will only be eligible to compete for a championship in that series. The 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who qualified for the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will be ineligible to compete in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship 4 races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. 


#NASCAR XFINITY SERIES CHASE

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES CHASE

The seven-race NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase will begin at Kentucky Speedway on Sept. 24, and feature 12 drivers and two elimination rounds, with four drivers competing in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

A win in the first 26 races all but guarantees a driver entry into the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase, provided the driver is in the top 30 in points and has attempted to qualify for each race. Drivers who win two Dash 4 Cash bonuses are also all but guaranteed a Chase berth.

The first round, called the Round of 12, consists of the races at Kentucky, Dover and Charlotte. All drivers will start with their points adjusted to 2,000, with three additional bonus points added to their total for each win in the first 26 races. If a driver wins a race in the Round of 12, the driver automatically advances to the next round. The remaining available positions (1-8) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points. Each driver who advances to the Round of 8 (Kansas, Texas, Phoenix) then will have their points reset to 3,000. Drivers who win a race in the Round of 8 automatically advance to the Championship 4. The remaining available positions (1-4) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points.

The four drivers who advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead will have their points reset to 4,000. The highest finishing Championship 4 driver will be crowned the NASCAR XFINITY Series champion. 


#NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES CHASE


CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES CHASE

The seven-race NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase will begin at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 24. It will feature eight drivers and two elimination rounds, with four drivers competing in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. A win in the first 16 races all but guarantees a driver entry into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase, provided that the driver is in the Top 30 in points and has attempted to qualify for each race.

The first round, called the Round of 8, consists of the races at New Hampshire, Las Vegas, and Talladega. All drivers will have their points adjusted to 2,000, with three additional bonus points added to their total for each win in the first 16 races. If a driver wins a race in the Round of 8, the driver automatically advances to the next round. The remaining available positions (1-6) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points.

Each driver who advances to the Round of 6 (Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix) then will have their points reset to 3,000. Drivers who win a race in the Round of 6 automatically advance to the Championship 4. The remaining available positions (1-4) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points.

The four drivers who advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead will have their points reset to 4,000. The highest finishing Championship 4 driver will win the championship.

All rules outlined above also apply to both series’ owner championship structure.

The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season will kick off with the 58th running of the Daytona 500® on Sunday, Feb. 21 at Daytona International Speedway®. The Great American Race® will be broadcast live on FOX, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Press Release

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

New #NASCAR XFINITY Dash For Cash Innovation

Two Heats and a Main

New #NASCAR XFINITY Dash For Cash Innovation


NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell announced several racing-related innovations to the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, beginning with the 2016 season, designed to ignite and energize the growth of each series.

In the NASCAR XFINITY Series, where “Names Are Made,” each event in the popular Dash 4 Cash program now will be comprised of Two Heats and a Main. Drivers who win two of the four Dash 4 Cash bonuses available also are all but guaranteed a spot in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase.

“These innovations contain the elements of racing that our fans want the most,” said O’Donnell. “The enhancements put a premium on in-race strategy, and will create an unprecedented level of excitement as teams make tactical decisions that could impact their spot in the Chase.”

Qualifying for each Dash 4 Cash event will set the 40-car field and the starting positions for the Two Heats with the fastest qualifier awarded the Coors Light Pole Award. Odd-numbered qualifiers (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.) will start in the first Heat in respective order, while even-numbered qualifiers (2nd, 4th, 6th, etc.) will start the second Heat in respective order.

The Two Heats will set the starting positions for the Main with the top two NASCAR XFINITY Series regulars in each Heat becoming eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus. The highest finishing driver among the four Dash 4 Cash eligible drivers will be awarded a $100,000 bonus. If any driver wins two of the four Dash 4 Cash bonuses available, he/she is all but guaranteed a spot in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase. In short, two Dash 4 Cash bonuses are equivalent to one race win in the new NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase format.

Drivers must have declared to earn NASCAR XFINITY Series points in order to be eligible for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash bonus.

The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season will kick off with the 58th running of the Daytona 500® on Sunday, Feb. 21 at Daytona International Speedway®. The Great American Race® will be broadcast live on FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

New #NASCAR Camping World Truck Series “Caution Clock”

Caution Flag Will Be Thrown When 20 Minute Clock Expires


NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell announced several racing-related innovations to the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, beginning with the 2016 season, designed to ignite and energize the growth of each series.

In the rugged NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races now will feature a Caution Clock, which will be triggered at the start of each green-flag run. When the green flag is displayed, 20 minutes will be placed on the clock. If/when the clock expires, a caution will be thrown.

“These innovations contain the elements of racing that our fans want the most,” said O’Donnell. “The enhancements put a premium on in-race strategy, and will create an unprecedented level of excitement as teams make tactical decisions that could impact their spot in the Chase.”

The Caution Clock will be utilized in each NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event (except for Eldora Speedway). The clock will be set to 20 minutes and triggered at the start of each green-flag run during race events. When the clock counts down to zero, a caution flag then will be displayed and no beneficiary will be awarded. A caution occurring before time expires resets the clock when the subsequent green flag is displayed and the first truck a lap down will be the beneficiary.



The caution clock will be turned off with 20 laps to go at all events in the series, with the exception of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Pocono Raceway, where the clock will be turned off with 10 laps remaining.

The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season will kick off with the 58th running of the Daytona 500® on Sunday, Feb. 21 at Daytona International Speedway®. The Great American Race® will be broadcast live on FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Rico Abreu Earns Back-To-Back Chili Bowl Nationals Wins

And the Crowd Goes Wild

 

Rico Abreu Earns Back-To-Back Chili Bowl Nationals Wins
Four foot four driver, Rico Abreu had plenty to smile about Saturday
night after earning his second straight Chili Bowl Nationals victory
in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo: Rainier Ehrhardt)

Taking the checkered flag, Abreu celebrated the victory win an impressive series of donuts on the dirt racing surface before climbing from the car.

Rico Abreu, a NASCAR Next member, won a hard-fought battle with midget car ace Bryan Clauson and Zach Daum for the win. When a caution flew with 12 laps remaining, Abreu got the opportunity he was looking for. Running around the high side of the track, Abreu took the lead with 10 laps to go and never looked back.

With a packed house of nearly 20,000 in attendance at the River Spirit Expo Center, the chant of “Rico, Rico” soon followed a series of wicked celebratory doughnuts.


RICO!!!!!!(via Dave J Biro III)
Posted by NASCAR on NBC on Sunday, 17 January 2016


“So I think this is one of the toughest tracks to be a leader at and set the pace," said Rico. "Just because with how much the track changes in a feature or in a race, you can run second or third, and have the advantage of moving around on the surface rather than being the leader and running the line that you started running where you got the lead at.”

Abreu will be racing a full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with ThorSport Racing in 2016. I guess NASCAR Race Mom will be watching more Truck Races!

The 2017 dates have already been announced with racing action at the 31st annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals taking place January 10-14, 2017. Tickets go on sale the first Wednesday of March, 2016.

Rico Abreu Earns Back-To-Back Chili Bowl Nationals Wins

Results:

Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire
Tulsa Expo Raceway - Tulsa, Okla.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Lucas Oil Championship Night


A Feature 1 (55 Laps):

  1. 97-Rico Abreu [4];
  2. 63-Bryan Clauson [1];
  3. 5D-Zach Daum [8];
  4. 5-Jerry Coons Jr [6];
  5. 71K-Kyle Larson [22];
  6. 47X-Tim McCreadie [5];
  7. 91T-Tyler Thomas [9];
  8. 2X-Thomas Meseraull [11];
  9. 67-Tanner Thorson [16];
  10. 17-Joey Saldana [7];
  11. 8K-Blake Hahn [19];
  12. 71-Christopher Bell [2];
  13. 67Z-Kasey Kahne [10];
  14. 17G-Shane Golobic [20];
  15. 77B-Alex Bright [3];
  16. 17R-Ricky Stenhouse Jr [14];
  17. 24-Tracy Hines [13];
  18. 1-Sammy Swindell [25];
  19. 71G-Damion Gardner [17];
  20. 99P-Dillon Welch [21];
  21. 3B-Joe B. Miller [24];
  22. (DNF) 71X-Shane Cottle [12];
  23. (DNF) 38-Justin Grant [23];
  24. (DNF) 21-Daryn Pittman [15];
  25. (DNF) 2A-C.J. Leary [18]

Friday, January 15, 2016

NASCAR Drive for Diversity Unveils 2016 Driver Roster

Six Drivers Will Compete for Rev Racing in Top Development Program

After a competitive Combine event last October, six drivers were selected to the 2016 NASCAR Drive for Diversity® (D4D) class and will join the industry’s premier development program for multicultural and female drivers, and pit crew members. 


Enrique Baca and Daniel Suarez of Mexico talk during the NASCAR Drive For Diversity
Combine at Langley Speedway on October 20, 2015 in Hampton, Virginia.


Talented drivers from across the Americas will compete for Rev Racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, and attempt to follow in the footsteps of D4D graduates and current NASCAR national series drivers Kyle Larson, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Daniel Suárez.

The 2016 class will be formally introduced to the industry as part of the Charlotte Motor Speedway NASCAR Media Tour on Jan. 19.

“NASCAR remains steadfast in its mission to develop multicultural and female athletes and we believe this class has the potential to compete at the highest levels of our sport,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “The talent pool from which these drivers were selected was unprecedented for NASCAR Drive for Diversity – a testament to the program’s growth and success.”

Rev Racing will field four teams in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and two in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. The 2016 class is led by returning driver Collin Cabre and newcomer Rubén Garcia Jr., fresh off his NASCAR Mexico Series championship last fall.

The 2016 D4D roster includes:


Collin Cabre


 After an impressive first year with D4D in which he won the season finale at Dover International Speedway and finished in the top 10, the 22-year-old from Tampa will again compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

Rubén Garcia Jr. 


At age 20, the Mexico City native won four races in the NASCAR Mexico Series en route to his first NASCAR championship. He brings his talents to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for his rookie season with Rev Racing.

Jairo Avila


The 20-year-old Colombian-American from Alhambra, California, made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West debut in 2014 and achieved four top-10 finishes in five starts with his family-run team. He will compete in the K&N Pro Series East.

Ali Kern


The 22-year-old from Fremont, Ohio, had her best NASCAR D4D Combine last year after turning in strong performances in previous combine events. A second-place finisher in the ARCA/CRA Super Series, Kern will compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

Enrique Baca


Following an impressive showing at the Combine, Baca, 24, will race in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Baca is from Monterrey, Mexico, and competed in his native country’s Super Copa Telcel series in 2015.

Juan Garcia


Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Garcia, 18, earned the 2015 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award for his competitiveness in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. He will return to the series with Rev Racing following a strong performance at the Combine last fall. 






Under Rev Racing owner and CEO Max Siegel’s leadership, NASCAR D4D aligns drivers with a team of executives, athletic directors, crew chiefs and mentors tasked with helping drivers achieve career successes; thus, improving their goal of reaching one of NASCAR's three national series.

“This year's NASCAR Drive for Diversity class is so talented. We are excited to get the season started, to develop and showcase the drivers’ abilities to our fans and partners,” Siegel said. “Our ultimate goal is to prepare these minority and female drivers for the national series. Every year presents new opportunities for growth and we look forward to carrying over last season’s momentum into 2016.”

Since it began fielding D4D cars in 2010, Rev Racing has been the most consistent team in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, registering 17 total wins with six different drivers and at least one victory in each season. The 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener will take place on Feb. 14 at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where Rev Racing scored a win with Suárez in 2014.

The 2015 NASCAR season featured a series of firsts and milestones for D4D alumni. Suárez and Wallace Jr. were in close contention to win Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, with Suárez becoming the first Mexican driver to earn top rookie honors.

In 2015, more than 25 graduates of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program, also run by Rev Racing, pitted for national series teams. Mike Russell, jackman for the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing team in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, became the first African-American D4D graduate to win a national series championship.

NASCAR Media Release 

Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images 


NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2016
Landmark Award Winner – Harold Brasington
Squier-Hall Award Winner - Steve Byrnes

Each year five legends are inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The Landmark Award and Squier-Hall Award are also presented.

Landmark Award Winner - Harold Brasington (b. 5/10/09 - d. 2/4/96)

  • Hometown: Darlington, S.C.
Laughs. Those were the only responses elicited by Harold Brasington when he showed members of his Darlington, S.C. community plans to build a superspeedway in the small southern farm town. But
Brasington had the last laugh. The South Carolina businessman, who believed in Bill France’s fledgling NASCAR business, created the sanctioning body’s first superspeedway - a one-of-a-kind egg-shaped oval, paved on an old cotton and peanut field.

Expecting 10,000 fans to show up at Darlington Raceway’s first competition on Labor Day of 1950, 25,000 spectators showed up for the inaugural Southern 500 – NASCAR’s first 500-mile race. A mega-event was born. Darlington's success inspired Brasington to extend his reach north -- to North Carolina.

He employed his track building and promoting expertise, helping in the creation of Charlotte Motor Speedway and building North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina.


Squier-Hall Award Winner- Steve Byrnes (b. 4/14/59 - d. 4/21/2015)

From 2001-14, Byrnes served as a pit reporter for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on FOX. He also served as a studio show host and appeared on various programs.

Prior to joining FOX, Byrnes hosted a variety of NASCAR programs including Inside Winston Cup Racing with Ned Jarrett and Darrell Waltrip’s Racers on TNN. He also worked as a pit reporter for CBS, TNN and TBS.

His courageous battle with cancer served as an inspiration to the NASCAR industry, fans and his peers. In April, shortly before his passing, Bristol Motor Speedway named its Sprint Cup race the Food City 500 In Support of Steve Byrnes and Stand up to Cancer.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2016
Curtis Turner (5 of 5)

Each year five legends are inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Curtis Turner - Driver (b. 4/12/24 - d. 10/4/70)

  • Hometown: Roanoke, VA
  • Premier Series Stats
    • Competed: 1949-1968
    • Starts: 184
    • Wins: 17
    • Poles: 16
Called by some the “Babe Ruth of stock car racing,” Curtis Turner was among the fastest and most colorful competitors in the early years of NASCAR premier series racing. Turner posted his first of 17 career victories in only his fourth start on Sept. 11, 1949, at Langhorne (Pa.) Speedway.

Although many of Turner’s victories came on short tracks and dirt ovals – much of his career pre-dated NASCAR’s superspeedway era – he won the 1956 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and the first American 500 at Rockingham Speedway in 1965. He also won 38 of 79 races in which he competed in the NASCAR Convertible Division.

Turner competed in NASCAR’s first “Strictly Stock” race in 1949 in Charlotte and was the only driver to win a NASCAR premier series race in a Nash. He remains the only series driver to win two consecutive races from the pole leading every lap. 

Turner drove for many legendary NASCAR owners including the Wood Brothers, Junior Johnson, Smokey Yunick and Holman-Moody. Turner was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2016
O. Bruton Smith (4 of 5)

Each year five legends are inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame

O. Bruton Smith - Executive/Promoter (b. 3/3/27)

  • Hometown: Oakboro, N.C.
  • Career Highlights
    • Helped build Charlotte Motor Speedway
    • Chairman and CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc. taking them public in 1995 becoming the first motorsports company traded in the New York Stock Exchange

O. Bruton Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports Inc., bought his first race car at the age of 17 and a year later promoted his first stock car race in Midland, N.C. Smith’s early endeavors included operating the National Stock Car Racing Association – seen as an early competitor to NASCAR – and building Charlotte Motor Speedway.

CMS became the foundation of Speedway Motorsports Inc., which currently owns eight NASCAR tracks hosting 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and additional high-profile motorsports activities. Smith took SMI public in 1995 to become the first motorsports company to be traded at the New York Stock Exchange.

Smith founded Sonic Automotive, a group of several hundred auto dealerships across the United States. Smith is active in child-related causes with his philanthropic foundation Speedway Children’s Charities. He was inducted into the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame and National Motorsports Press Association’s Hall of Fame, both in 2006; and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Four of Five (More Tomorrow)

New Fusion Ready to Contend for #NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship in 2016

Debuts at Daytona Speedweeks

New Fusion Ready to Contend for #NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship in 2016

  • The new NASCAR Fusion, which hits the track next month at Daytona Speedweeks, is capable of producing 750 horsepower at 9,000 rpm under the current rules package
  • Ford Fusion NASCAR drivers will digest more information with a new digital dashboard system that is mandatory this season – teams can switch between as many as 16 preset screens to display information with three different graphic looks

New Fusion Ready to Contend for #NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship in 2016
History is repeating itself when it comes to preparing the new NASCAR Fusion for its competition debut in February at Daytona Speedweeks.

Much like three years ago, when NASCAR allowed manufacturers to include more brand-specific characteristics, Ford once again used the talents of its designers to ensure the same eye-catching components on the 2017 Ford Fusion production car are included on the new racing version. This latest iteration marks the third major body change for Fusion, and represents another step toward keeping "stock" a relative part of stock car racing.

The result of the efforts of designers and engineers is an aggressive-looking new race car capable of producing 750 horsepower at 9,000 rpm under the current rules package.

"There’s no mistaking we’re here to win races and championships," said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. "And we believe the new NASCAR Fusion will be a powerful tool in the hands of our teams and drivers.

"Aerodynamics are more important than ever at the speeds these cars run," he added, "so we used some of the best wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics technology available to create this new Fusion. Fortunately, the Ford design team gave us a great car with which to start."

New Fusion Ready to Contend for #NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship in 2016
The new NASCAR Fusion follows in the tire tracks of its successful predecessor by not only mirroring the exterior of its production counterpart, but in bringing a better interior to the driver.

Ford NASCAR drivers will digest more information through a new digital dashboard system that’s mandatory this season. Teams can switch between as many as 16 preset screens to display information, which they can access either in bar graph or numbers format, or via the standard gauge and needle that has been used for years.

This latest technological advancement from NASCAR comes on the heels of several significant changes, including the Gen 6 model that brought brand identity back to the sport in 2013, the switch to electronic fuel injection in 2012 and the move to an ethanol fuel blend in 2011.

Ford has continued to refine its own technological program as well, opening up Ford Performance Technical Center in Concord, North Carolina, in 2014, which features a state-of-the-art full-motion simulator that assists both racing and production car development.

"The technical center and the full-motion simulator have been great tools for our teams and engineers," said Pericak. "As important as aerodynamics are in NASCAR, it’s also imperative the computer simulations that assist the teams in arriving at the track with a proper setup are best-in-class as well. We’ve worked very hard the past year to refine our simulation tools to create a real benefit to our race drivers, as well as the drivers of our new passenger vehicles."

Fusion makes track debut Tuesday in Las Vegas The new NASCAR Fusion makes its public debut Tuesday, when 2012 Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski participates in a two-day Goodyear test session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 

New Fusion Ready to Contend for #NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship in 2016


The Team Penske driver is coming off a season in which he qualified for The Chase after winning at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, then finishing seventh in the final standings. This is Keselowski’s fourth season driving with Ford, his seventh for car owner Roger Penske. He has 17 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins, with eight of those coming behind the wheel of Fusion.

Fusion is entering its 11th season of NASCAR competition. The car debuted as Ford's flagship model in NASCAR in 2006 and has won 71 Sprint Cup races since, including 21 the past two seasons.

Roush Fenway Racing’s Greg Biffle drove Fusion to a milestone victory in the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 16, 2013, representing Ford’s 1,000th win in NASCAR’s top three series combined.

Fusion has won the Daytona 500 four times in the last seven years, including 2015 when Team Penske’s Joey Logano won The Great American Race for the first time.

Daytona 500 marks first official points race for new Fusion


The new Fusion makes its competition debut Feb. 21 at Daytona Speedweeks in the 58th running of the Daytona 500, kicking off a 36-race schedule that culminates with the champion being crowned at Ford Championship Weekend in Homestead, Florida, Nov. 20.

About Ford Motor Company


Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 197,000 employees and 67 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Eligible #NASCAR Drivers and Format Announced for 2016 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

Event Marks First NASCAR Race in New Daytona International Speedway Stadium

Eligible #NASCAR Drivers and Format Announced for 2016 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

NASCAR announced today the 25 eligible drivers and the format for the season-opening 75-lap Sprint Unlimited at the new Daytona International Speedway motorsports stadium on Saturday, Feb. 13.

The event, which will be broadcast live on FOX, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, marks the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race following the completion of DAYTONA Rising, the $400 million frontstretch redevelopment project that has transformed Daytona International Speedway into the first motorsports stadium in the world.

"We’re ready to go," said NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell. "The anticipation for this season, this event and this venue is unprecedented. We are excited how the new stadium will provide a state-of-the-art showcase for the brightest stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series."

Once again, the non-points event will be split into two segments with a competition caution at lap 25 separating the segments. A popular element introduced before the 2015 event returns this year: select fans will be paired with each crew chief for a random drawing to determine starting and pit road positions. The drawings will take place on Friday, Feb. 12 at the Alert Today Florida Stage inside the Sprint FANZONE beginning at 3:30 p.m.

The 25 eligible NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers include the 2015 Coors Light Pole Award winners, former Sprint Unlimited race winners and former Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full time in 2015. All 16 drivers from the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are also eligible for the race, and any remaining open positions are filled based on 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship driver points.

Eligible drivers are:


2015 Coors Light Pole Awards winners


  • AJ Allmendinger
  • Kurt Busch
  • Kyle Busch
  • Carl Edwards
  • Denny Hamlin
  • Kevin Harvick
  • Jimmie Johnson
  • Kasey Kahne
  • Matt Kenseth
  • Brad Keselowski
  • Jeff Gordon
  • Joey Logano


Former Sprint Unlimited Race Winners


  • Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  • Tony Stewart

Former DAYTONA 500 Coors Light Pole Award winners


  • Greg Biffle
  • Austin Dillon
  • David Gilliland
  • Danica Patrick
  • Martin Truex Jr.

2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers:


  • Clint Bowyer
  • Jamie McMurray
  • Paul Menard
  • Ryan Newman

2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship driver points:


  • Aric Almirola
  • Kyle Larson

If an eligible driver does not enter the race, the open position will be filled based on 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship driver points. 

The first five provisional drivers are:

  1. Casey Mears
  2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  3. Sam Hornish Jr.
  4. David Ragan
  5. Trevor Bayne.

Tickets for the Sprint Unlimited are available online at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can follow @NASCAR and @MissSprintCup on Twitter to engage in the #SprintUnlimited conversation.

Event Marks First NASCAR Race in New Daytona International Speedway Stadium