Winning is Better Than Losing

Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. enjoy a fourth visit to Victory Lane this season
(Photo: Getty Images)

Steve Letarte summarized it up nicely on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive” this week: Winning is Better Than Losing!

"It’s simple, and this is going to sound funny, but this is the quote we all talked about in Martinsville and this is our new mantra and it’s winning is better than losing. If you’re gonna go and you’re gonna spend the time and money and effort….do it right or don’t do it at all. Winning is better than losing, that’s what we figured it out and there’s three more to go and our goal is to win all three.”

Letarte, who will be leaving Hendrick Motorsports after the 2014 season to become an analyst for NBC Sports added,

 “It was a great day, a hard-fought day. Beating and banging all throughout the field. I think we saw more catastrophic style crashes. You see a lot of sliding around here, but today we saw more serious crashes than we have ever seen. That is what the sport has created. It's stressful. It's high pressure. It's what we want. It was exciting to come out on top.”

Harvick to drive in his 500th #NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Competition

A video posted by Kevin Harvick (@kevinharvick) on Oct 10, 2014 at 4:13pm PDT

Kevin Harvick, who just sold his 110.5 acres adjacent to his North Carolina estate for $3.2 million, is set to make his 500th Cup start.  Harvick, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase driver,  is scheduled to make his historic career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start in Sunday's AAA Texas 500 race at Texas.

In the midst of his 14th season in the series, Harvick has earned 26 wins, 111 top fives, 226 top-10 finishes and 14 pole awards. This weekend the #4 Budweiser Chevy will feature a special 500th start logo on the hood, under the right taillight and on the base of the b-post in recognition of the milestone. In addition, the hashtag #TexasToast appears on the car's decklid (Budweiser Racing).

Ready to make it 500 this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. #HarvickNation #NASCAR #4thecup

A photo posted by Kevin Harvick (@kevinharvick) on Oct 10, 2014 at 10:27am PDT

Happy #NASCAR Birthday To Driver Chris Buescher

Chris Buescher
Age 22 (10/29/92)

The Cutest Pit Crew Member Ever!

The Cutest Pit Crew Member Ever!

Carter McMurray, son of NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray, steals the spotlight during an interview with the No. 1 driver at Martinsville

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Waltrip Dances Into Next Round

Waltrip Dances Into Next Round

Michael Waltrip and dancing partner Emma Slater earn a 36/40 after their rendition of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by Charlie Daniels on DWTS.

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Wallace a Winner!

Darrell Wallace, Jr., driver of the #34 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee
Wendell Scott Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning
the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200 *

Bubba Wallace (Darrell Wallace, Jr. born October 8, 1993 in Mobile, Alabama), is a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. He currently competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 54 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He is third in the point’s standings and well within striking distance, being only twenty-two points behind the series leader. With three races remaining in the season, Bubba leads the series in 2014 wins with three trips to victory lane.

The headlines shriek the news that Bubba won another clock trophy in Martinsville. Wallace led 97 of the 200 laps and started the race from pole.

Wendell Scott **

What makes this win just a tad more notable is the fact that the African-American driver won the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in a #34 tribute car to NASCAR Hall of Fame 2015 inductee, Wendell Scott.

Just in case you are not a NASCAR Nut and unaware, Wendell Scott, who died in 1990 was the first of his race to become a full-time competitor in what is now known as the Sprint Cup Series. From the age of thirty-nine to the age of fifty-one, Scott competed in four hundred and ninety-five races.

Wendell Scott’s historic win came on December 1, 1963 at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida. He won the hundred-mile feature race after starting fifteenth.

(L-R) Sybil Scott, Janis Davis, Wendell Scott, Cheryl Ashley and Frank Scott pose
with Darrell Wallace, Jr. (3rdL), driver of the #34 2015 NASCAR
Hall of Fame Inductee Wendell Scott Toyota ***

Of his win yesterday, Wallace exclaimed excitedly, “That was so fun. Martinsville is my favorite place to come to. Without the support of NASCAR and Toyota… the whole Wendell Scott family is here and this is a special moment, just a perfect weekend for us. It's a true honor to have Wendell Scott on our Toyota Tundra and to be able to put it in Victory Lane. I know he (Scott) just said up there, 'Hell yeah.' This is cool."

Darrell Wallace, Jr.’s family has always been there to support him also. His father, Darrell Sr., is Caucasian, and his mother, Desiree, is African American. They have both worked diligently to provide their son opportunities, both financially and emotionally, during his accelerated rise through the NASCAR racing ranks. During that journey, the Wallace family was no stranger to the bigoted views of the small-minded.

When his son was just fourteen years old and running late models in North Carolina, Darrell Sr. heard an official describe his son as "that n----- kid." Wallace Sr., calmly approached the official and asked, "Did you forget my son's name?"

Wallace, Jr. poses with the Keystone Light Pole award ****

While the younger Darrell Wallace doesn’t want to be known as an African-American driver, but he does like the ability to open minds and help NASCAR become more diverse.

When he hosted the NASCAR Instagram account at the 2014 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards, Wallace had to field some racist posts. He did so without anger.

“I moved on and enjoyed the show. … Kill them with kindness, that’s all you’ve got to do. There’s no point in calling anybody out; that would be a never-ending process.” Wallace responded.

In previous interviews, Bubba has made it clear that while he accepts the responsibility of being one of the first African-American NASCAR Drivers; he want his legacy to be measure by his driving talent. If you have any doubt about his sincerity and capability of that goal, please re-read the first two paragraphs.

* * * * * * * 

Desiree, Bubba and Darrell Sr.
*****

This writer anxiously awaits the epoch when athletes are no longer describe by their ancestry but by their dedication, heart, and talent.

When that happens, NASCAR Race Mom will still be reporting on Darrell “Bubba” Wallace, Jr.

Darrell Sr. and Desiree Wallace did an awesome job raising a winner.

*Photo Credit: Sarah Glenn/NASCAR via Getty Images

**Photo Credit: nascar.com

***Photo Credit: Brian Lawdermilk/NASCAR via Getty Images

****Photo Credit: Sarah Glenn/NASCAR via Getty Images

*****Photo Credit: Marty Tyler via http://www.catchfence.com

Ford Racing, Detroit Have Ties to Three Chase...

Ford Racing, Detroit Have Ties to Three Chase...

This video will get you pumped for the start of the Eliminator Round this Sunday at 1:30p.m. ET on ESPN!

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Happy #NASCAR Birthday To Driver Ryan Preece

Ryan Preece
Age 24 (10/25/90)

Happy #NASCAR Birthday To Driver Brian Vickers & Dave Blaney

Brian Vickers
Age 32 (10/24/82) 

 

  Dave Blaney
Age 52 (10/24/62)

Eight Nations Battle Four Will Advance

 This coming weekend will kick off the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. This new competition format has placed renewed prominence on the desirability of race wins. It has also increased the unpredictable nature of the championship outcome.

Who could have predicted, just a few weeks ago, that three of the four Hendricks Chase Drivers (Dale Jr., Johnson and Kahne) would eliminated in the Contender Round? More surprisingly, Kyle Busch, who started the Talladega relatively safe, needing just a twenty-fourth place finish to secure a berth in the next round, fell seven points short.

There are three races left until NASCAR’s version of the Super Bowl:

1. Martinsville Speedway on 10/26/14
2. Texas Motor Speedway on 11/02/14
3. Phoenix International Raceway on 11/9

'Cause we're still here. You got as good a shot as anyone. Denny Hamlin observed. I doubt anyone had these exact eight in this position right now. But we're going to three very different racetracks than what we race most of the year. We all have the same amount of points. Really there's 30 restarts, 30 pit stops that are going to happen between now and Homestead. One could define, to the good or the bad, of you racing for a championship at Homestead or not.

What is assured, is that there are so many variables in the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase, the fans will be on the edge of their seats wondering if their favorite driver can persevere to move on to the Championship Round in Miami.

I guess for us, we look at it as an opportunity, Carl Edwards philosophized. We’re tied for the points lead with a team that has not been really dominant this year. We look forward to these three races because they're not all mile-and-a-half's on which we've struggled. We feel like Martinsville and Phoenix are probably our best opportunities to get a win and advance to Homestead.

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Standings

Rank	Driver	Points	Wins
1	Brad Keselowski	4000	6
2	Jeff Gordon	4000	4
3	Ryan Newman	4000	0
4	Joey Logano	4000	4
5	Carl Edwards	4000	2
6	Matt Kenseth	4000	0
7	Kevin Harvick	4000	3
8	Denny Hamlin	4000	1

 

Chase 101

A Chase driver who wins one of the next three races will automatically clinch a spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 16. The rest of the four-driver field to compete for the title in the season finale will be determined by the points scored in the three Eliminator Round races.

The highest finisher among the four finalists at Homestead-Miami Speedway will win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

Points note: In the final race, the four remaining chase drivers will start the race tied and there will be no bonus points for laps led, etc.

The highest finisher among that group will become the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion.

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France Makes...

Great Job Brian France!

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France Makes...

France attended an event for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation where he made a personal donation of $50,000 and helped honor Jeff Gordon for his efforts to support cancer research

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Jill Wilderman's Exclusive Interview with Dylan...

Jill Wilderman's Exclusive Interview with Dylan...

Spotlight Country caught up with 19-year-old stock car driver, Dylan Kwasniewski.

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Tam Star's Exclusive Interview With Kyle Larson

Tam Star's Exclusive Interview With Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson Talks NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, Sunoco Rookie of the Year, Hula-Hooping, And More!

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Dale Jr. Shows Raw Emotion After Championship...

Both "Most Popular Driver" @DaleJr and Six-Time @JimmieJohnson out of the Chase! #nascar

Dale Jr. Shows Raw Emotion After Championship...

Despite failing to advance to the Eliminator Round of the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Junior is not throwing in the towel on the rest of the season

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ESPN’s NASCAR Immersion at Charlotte Motor...

ESPN’s NASCAR Immersion at Charlotte Motor...

Charlotte Motor Speedway played host to ESPN during their NASCAR immersion where SportsCenter anchors, producers and other members of ESPN’s staff were paired up with drivers and joined a team for the race weekend. In order to get fully immersed in the world of NASCAR, the ESPN team participated in pit stop challenges, took a lap around the track and most importantly, cheered on their drivers during Saturday night’s Bank of America 500. Freddie Coleman, an ESPN Radio Host, was excited to be teamed up with Danica Patrick and the No. 10 team. Coleman fit right in as he donned the bright green and black Go Daddy crew shirt on race day. ESPN anchors Lisa Kerney and Jaymee Sire didn’t hesitate to jump in a stock car and take a few fast...Read More

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Good Sportsmanship and Respect in Sports

Good Sportsmanship and Respect in Sports

Fan4Racing.com’s Sharon Burton discusses good sportsmanship and respect in sports, and adds her thoughts on the incidents that occurred after the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

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Like father Like Son Racing & Winning

Gaston and Conner Kearby had a very busy and productive October. Both, father and son drive for GK Motorsports, based in Corpus Christi, Texas.

GK Motorsports is an integrated, multi-platform racing enterprise founded in 2012 by Gaston Kearby. It currently competes in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and SCCA, NASA and SVRA series of road racing events. Its brief but rich history includes fielding NHRA Pro Stock drivers Erica Enders-Stevens and Dave Connolly, and AMA Pro XR1200 riders Kyle Wyman and 2012 Champion Michael Barnes. 

Gaston Kearby displays his Bell Helmet Trophy and Gold Medal

When the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association wrapped up its 2014 National Championships race weekend on October 12th, Gaston Kearby was honored to be the recipient of a Bell Helmet National Championship Trophy.

"I'm pumped – this is a really great award," Kearby said. "Tony Parella has done wonders with this series and this Bell Helmet Trophy is a brilliant idea."

Bell Helmet Trophy

At the Circuit of The Americas, Gaston piloted his 1997 Indy Lights Lola to victory in Group 9. That field that included Indy cars, Formula 2 and Formula 5000 machines.

The same week Conner Kearby, was occupied at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with the 2014 SCCA National Championship Runoffs. At seventeen years old, Conner had become the youngest winner of this year’s SCCA National Championship Runoffs® by claiming the Formula Atlantic win.

Conner Kearby through the Corkscrew at Mazda Raceway

Not to be out done by his father, Conner Kearby maneuvered his No. 56 GK Motorsports Swift 016a Mazda from sixth on the grid to third in the opening lap!

I really didn’t anticipate any of it, the younger Kerby reported. I went with the green and I saw Sedat take off and thought I could follow him. I went in with him on the inside because I was starting on the outside and this isn’t a good track to start on the outside. I followed Sedat in there, got a good move, didn’t hit anyone and it was a pretty clean start for all of us. I ran my race, set a pace and went with it.

Formula Atlantic Podium Selfie:
Conner Kearby, National Champion
with Second Place Sedat Yelkin
and Third Place Bruce Hamilton.

Kearby’s error-free race netted him his first Runoffs’ victory in only his second appearance. His triumph from sixth on the grid to victory also earned him the Sunoco Hard Charger Award and the GoPro Hero Move of the Race Award.

Most importantly, Conner is now also eligible for the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy Club Racer Shootout and a $75,000 ride in the 2015 SCCA Pro Racing Mazda MX-5 Cup!

 

NASCAR Race Mom wagers there was a huge
celebration back in Corpus Christi, Texas! 

You can follow GK Motorsports on Facebook.

Kwasniewski Returns To Lucas Oil Modified #nascar #knwest #kneast

Do you live near the quarter-mile oval of Havasu 95 Speedway, in Lake Havasu City, Arizona? If you do, do not miss the opportunity to watch NASCAR Nationwide Rookie Dylan Kwasniewski return to competition in the Lucas Oil Modified Series presented by LoanMart*.

The teenaged NASCAR ‘Rising Star’ is capitalizing a rare weekend off from the NASCAR Nationwide Series to race with the Lucas Oil Modified regulars in the Best in the West 75 presented by Hoosier Tire West tomorrow night.

Kwasniewski, the only driver in NASCAR history to win both the K&N Pro Series West and East championships (2012 ,2013), is eleventh in the point standings in his rookie season in the Nationwide Series for Turner Scott Motorsports.
 

Dylan is an incredibly talented young driver. He’s an asset to any series and we’re delighted to have him back with us this weekend,” Lucas Oil Modified Series promoter Greg Scheidecker said.

 

 

Kwasniewski will be driving the 9X car for Chris Bray’s Phil’s Phabrication team.

The spectator gates will open at 4 p.m. and racing gets under way at 6 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, handicapped and military and $6 for children and juniors 6 to 16.

 

 

*The Lucas Oil Modified Series presented by LoanMart is supported by a potent marketing concept known as “Team Lucas” whose members include General Tire, GEICO, E3 Spark Plugs, Optima Batteries, Ole Smoky Moonshine, iON Cameras, Speedco Truck Lube and Tire, BILSTEIN Shocks, LoanMart and SuperClean.Detailed information on the series is available at www.LucasOilModifieds.com.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hosts Surprise Q&A For Fans

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hosts Surprise Q&A For Fans

The Hendrick Motorsports driver answered nearly 30 questions on Twitter as he flew home from testing at Phoenix International Raceway

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UFC Star to Attend Martinsville Speedway

UFC Star to Attend Martinsville Speedway

"I have had the opportunity to do a lot of cool things in my life, but attending my first race and dropping the green flag might be one of the coolest things I have ever done.” – Miesha Tate, No. 2-ranked UFC women's bantamweight fighter

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Behind The Scenes With Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Crew...

Behind The Scenes With Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Crew...

Check out this behind-the-scenes footage of the No. 88 Crew Chief Steve Letarte preparing for Pocono

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CNBC’s “The Profit” / Camping World CEO Talks...

CNBC’s “The Profit” / Camping World CEO Talks...

“You could literally start a race on any given night and not have even four or five predictable winners. A 16-year-old kid could win, and it doesn't get any better than that for me." – Marcus Lemonis

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Eliminator Drivers Coming to the Hall

Drivers moving on to the Eliminator Round in the new Chase Grid format will make a special appearance at the NASCAR Hall of Fame for Eliminator Media Day on Tuesday, October 21, 2014.

The drivers will participate in media interviews and a fan Q&A. NASCAR Hall of Fame members will have the chance to be part of a Driver Nation and receive an exclusive group photo with a driver.

PaHud, 2014 PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge Winner - One and Done

Christian PaHud celebrates his first career NASCAR K&N Pro Series West victory
at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif.  (Noah Graham/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Christian PaHud Makes His First #KNWest
Start A #NASCAR Dream Come True

The PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge is a contest that consisted of several challenges such as exhibiting car control on a skidpad, displaying short track skills on the Charlotte Motor Speedway quarter-mile, learning to adapt by running a Dirt Late Model at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a test of endurance in a go-kart race, hot laps on the main Charlotte Motor Speedway race course, running laps on street cars at the Charlotte Motor Speedway infield road course, going through the pits for a live pit stop and demonstrating marketability.

After submitting a video entry, PaHud was selected from a pool of hundreds of aspiring racers to compete as one of eighteen finalists under the guidance of NASCAR Drivers Michael Waltrip, Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, Danica Patrick and Jeff Burton, for a chance to win a PEAK racing sponsorship.

Christian PaHud is a third generation driver who has committed his life both on and off the track to racing. Residing in North Carolina, he currently races stock cars in the Southeast Limited Late Model Series and is pursuing his Associates Degree in Applied Science.

He started his first go-kart race on his fourth birthday, and worked his way up through legends cars and late models. He has more than 250 career races under his belt. However, winning the PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge is the highlight of his career.

His prize included the opportunity to become the next PEAK Stock Car Dream Driver and compete as a competitively licensed driver in a PEAK-sponsored stock car in a sanctioned race. (ARV $12,000).

Unbelievably, PaHud, who is twenty-one years old, converted that opportunity into his first NASCAR victory by winning the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 at All American Speedway. To top it off, he started off the day by winning the Coors Light Pole Award!

PaHud led twice for a race-high fifty-nine laps. He took the lead for good from series regular Brandon McReynolds on a Lap 126 restart. Then in a race which featured six lead changes, the 2014 PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge Winner held off a late charge by ‘Sunoco Rookie of the Year’ James Bickford to claim the victory.

PaHud drove the No. 99 PEAK Toyota for Bill McAnally Racing to make his NASCAR dream come true. Michael Waltrip finished the race in tenth place.

Happy #NASCAR Birthday To Driver Kenzie Ruston

Kenzie Ruston
Age 23 (10/12/1991)

Happy #NASCAR Birthday To Driver Morgan Shepherd

Morgan Shepherd
Age 73 (10/12/41)

#KNWest Statistical Advance: Roseville (#nascar)

Michael Waltrip returns to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
in the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 at All American Speedway
(Getty Images for NASCAR)

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West visits All American Speedway in Roseville, California, on Saturday, October 11, 2014.

Roseville Race Setup

• Greg Pursley has a 15-point lead over Dylan Lupton in the championship standings with two events left in the 2014 season. Pursley finished fifth in this event last season while Lupton, in his track debut, crossed the line in 15th.
• Brandon McReynolds is tied for the series' lead in top-five finishes, 10, through the first 12 events of the season. McReynolds has two runner-up finishes in his last three series’ starts and four podium finishes in his last six starts.
• David Mayhew leads all current drivers with five top fives and seven top 10s in seven All American Speedway starts.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West At Roseville

• This race will be the 16th series visit to All American Speedway. The track hosted five series events between 1977 and 1982 when it was a quarter-mile oval and nine races since 2008, after it was renovated and became a third-mile track. The series visited Roseville twice each year between 2008-2011 and once each year since 2012.
• All American Speedway is located at the Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville, California. It began as a quarter-mile dirt oval in 1955 and was known as Placer County Speedway. It was paved in 1972. • The 15 series races at All American Speedway produced 11 different winners. Eric Holmes, with four wins, and his former teammate at Bill McAnally Racing – Paulie Harraka, with two wins – are the only multiple winners.
• Twelve different drivers have qualified on the pole in series competition at Roseville. Harraka has the most poles, with three.
• Holmes has the most top-five and top-10 finishes at Roseville, with seven and eight respectively.
• Holmes has the most series starts at All American Speedway, taking the green flag there 10 times.
• The race distance was extended for a green-white-checkered finish in four of the 10 most recent series events at Roseville.
• Toyota leads manufacturers with six victories at All American Speedway.
• Seven of the 15 series races at Roseville were won by the pole winner. Jason Fensler started the furthest back and won, coming from 15th on the grid in 2011. • 138 different drivers have raced in series competition at the fairgrounds track.

Danica Patrick is the Latest Contributor to...

Danica Patrick is the Latest Contributor to...

Patrick opens up about her relationship status with fellow NASCAR competitor Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

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#NASCAR K&N Pro Series West All American Speedway

www.allamericanspeedway.com

Race Day - Race 13 of 14 (2014 Season)

Track Facts

SHAPE: High-banked oval

SURFACE: Asphalt

LENGTH: .333 Mile 

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West - All American Speedway

TRACK ADDRESS

800 All America City Blvd.

Roseville, CA, 95678

(916) 786-2025

MAILING ADDRESS

800 All American City Blvd.

Roseville, CA, 95678

Happy #NASCAR Birthday To Driver David Starr

David Starr
Age 47 (10/11/1967)

NASCAR Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

NASCAR Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

NASCAR shines a spotlight on some of its talented Latino Crew Members and Officials

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NASCAR inGEAR

Happy #NASCAR Birthday To Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Age 40 (10/10/1974)

NASCAR Diversity Graduate Makes Monumental History

Happy 21st Birthday - @BubbaWallace

NASCAR Diversity Graduate Makes Monumental History

Darrell Wallace, Jr. not only won his first NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway last weekend, but became just the second African-American driver to win in one of NASCAR's top touring series.

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Happy #NASCAR Birthday To Driver Darrell Wallace Jr

Darrell Wallace Jr
Age 21 (10/8/1993)

Michael Waltrip talks about 2001

In tonight's Dancing with the Stars, the celebrities are dancing to songs commemorating their most memorable year. Michael Waltrip talks about 2001 when he won Daytona and when Dale Earnhardt died.

Jason Aldean Helps Ramp Up Excitement for...

Jason Aldean Helps Ramp Up Excitement for...

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NASCAR inGEAR

Ashanti to Perform National Anthem at Charlotte

Ashanti to Perform National Anthem at Charlotte

Ashanti will sing 'The Star Spangled Banner' before this weekend’s Bank of America 500 at 7:30p.m. ET, on ABC

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NASCAR inGEAR

2014 #NASCAR Chase Grid

Logano Wins Peace Of Mind 

Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford, celebrates in
Victory Lane the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400

 

*Challenger Round		*Contender Round		Eliminator Round		Championship Round
1. Brad Keselowski
2. Joey Logano
3. Kevin Harvick		1. Joey Logano
4. Jimmie Johnson		2. Kyle Busch
5. Kyle Busch		3. Carl Edwards		1. Joey Logano
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.		4. Ryan Newman		2.
7. Jeff Gordon		5. Denny Hamlin		3.		1.
8. Matt Kenseth		6. Kevin Harvick		4.		2.
9. Carl Edwards		7. Matt Kenseth		5.		3.
10. AJ Allmendinger		8. Jeff Gordon		6.		4.
11. Kasey Kahne		9. Kasey Kahne		7.
12. Ryan Newman		10. Brad Keselowski		8.
13. Denny Hamlin		11. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
14. Greg Biffle		12. Jimmie Johnson
15. Kurt Busch
16. Aric Almirola

This Round - CONTENDER ROUND
3 Races / 12 Drivers

• Kansas - 10/5  (Winner - Joey Logano)
• Charlotte - 10/11 
• Talladega - 10/19 

Fast Facts: The Top 12 drivers will vie for the 8 spots available in the Eliminator Round. Contender Round drivers who win a race in this round automatically advance to the next round.

The rest of the Top 8 will be set by points and all drivers who advance will have their points reset to 4,000.

The Bottom Three:

A trio of Chase favorites in six-time and defending champion Jimmie Johnson, 2012 champion Brad Keselowski and three-time 2014 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. all succumbed to issues relatively early in the race, ending any hope of a solid run at the 1.5-mile speedway.

Crew members work on the car of Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Diet
 Mountain Dew Chevrolet, after crashing due to a tire failure during the
NASCAR  Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson tangled with Greg Biffle and wrecked hard at Kansas.

A really big hit in the championship points, Johnson said after walking from the infield care center. So we'll try to get the car back on the track, run some laps and get a few points if we can. This just puts a premium on next week and going forward.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrecked while leading in Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400, scraping the Turn 4 wall hard in the 122nd lap as his right front tire unraveled.

I don't know; just the whole surface of the tire unwound like a string, Earnhardt said after emerging from the wreck. It just came off the tire and it popped off the corner. I felt it coming apart through the corner and the surface of the tire is gone. The whole cap came off. Must have been a recap.

Brad Keselowski blew a right front tire on lap 160, rocketed into the turn two wall and finished the race in thirty-sixth.

We blew a right front tire, said Keselowski,   I’m not sure why. We didn’t have an aggressive setup or anything. We just blew a tire. It was just Russian roulette, and it was our turn.

Logano Photo Credit:Brian Lawdermilk/NASCAR via Getty Images 

 Dale Jr. Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Get Your Shark Bristol Motor Speedway #nascar

Win this 2014 Bristol Motor Speedway Pace Car!

Just a $10 donation could win you the 2014 Bristol Motor Speedway Pace Car! The sharks will be dumped into the creek on BMS property on October 11th and will race for 500 yards!

You do not have to be present to win as winners
will be called shortly after the race concludes on Saturday.

Join NASCAR Race Mom and buy your shark now!

Click here to Purchase Online

The Sharky 500 is a premier fundraising event for Speedway Children’s Charities. You can purchase a shark for $10 and the ticket number will correspond with the number on the rubber shark. Sharks are dropped into Beaver Creek behind Bristol Motor Speedway to race 500 yards to the finish line where the winner will receive the 2014 Ford Mustang Pace Car. Prizes are also awarded for 2-10 places.

The Sharky 500 and Kids Expo will be taking place on October 11th from 11am- 2pm in hospitality village at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Kids Expo is free for all ages. There will be crafts, games, inflatables and much more for the kids to enjoy. The sharks will drop at 1:30pm. Tickets will go on sale on NHRA Ford Thunder Valley Nationals weekend at Bristol Dragway. Speedway Children’s Charities will be set up to sell sharks all weekend. You may purchase tickets online beginning June 16.

Location: Bristol Motor Speedway Hospitality Village

Schedule (Saturday, Oct. 11):

11am – Kids Expo begins

• Inflatables
• Crafts
• Games
• Food
• Music
• Live remote with Electric 94.9
• Finger printing with the Sherrif’s Department
• Parkour demonstration by Heart of Tennessee Gymnastics

1:15pm – Sharks will no longer be sold

1:30pm - Sharks will be released into Beaver Creek as the start of the Sharky 500!