Coca-Cola 600 | The MotorSportsNews.Net(work)

Newman Earns Hard-Fought Top-15 in Racing Return

by MikeMay 18, 2020

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 17, 2020) – In his return to the track – and NASCAR’s return to action – Ryan Newman turned in a gutty performance, recovering from a late spin to drive his No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford to a 15^th-place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at the famed Darlington Raceway.

“Really proud of everybody’s effort today to unload the Oscar Mayer Ford as good as we did,” Newman said following the race. “We started pretty strong and for the first 180 laps or so we were really good, then we got the car too free and we needed it to turn better, but we never got the front to work and made the back loose. Overall, great to be back in the racecar, proud of how everybody worked, not just our team, but everyone in NASCAR to break the ice on getting the world back in motion.”

Newman – making his return since the Daytona 500 – powered his way into the top-10 by the end of stage one, finishing ninth to earn valuable stage points. He maintained the top-15 position throughout much of stage two before the car’s handling went away late and a cut tire caused the car to spin out and ending the team’s bid for a top 10.

A random draw determined the starting lineup for #TheRealHeroes400, as drivers were grouped into their respective positions by points, with a draw for each spot from there. With the No. 6 20th in owners’ points, Newman rolled off 21st after the random draw.

Newman reported he was tight 30 laps in when the competition caution flew, in which teams were allowed two pit stops with no change in position. Crew chief Scott Graves and the team made a series of adjusting on the Oscar Mayer machine, setting him back up 15th for the restart.

From there, the South Bend, Indiana, native wasted no time charging his way forward, entering the top-10 less than 20 laps later before finishing the stage in ninth. He was caught speeding on pit road under the stage break, setting him back to the rear for the ensuing restart.

After restarting 27th, Newman again worked his way back up to 15th by lap 123, reporting the car felt good as stage two cycled through. A series of yellows flew from lap 124-172 in which he worked his way up to ninth, before crossing the line 15th for the second stage.

From there the handling went away, as he lacked grip with 90 to go. With 41 to go, Newman was running 17th when the right rear tire went down, sending his Oscar Mayer Ford for a spin to bring out the yellow. After a pit stop for fresh tires and cosmetic repairs, Newman restarted 25th with 34 laps left, but battled his way back to 15th by the checkered flag.

The No. 6 team returns to Darlington Raceway for the second race in four days Wednesday night for a primetime race under the lights (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90). The starting lineup for Wednesday’s 228-lap race will be set by a random draw for positions 1-20, meaning Newman will roll off sixth in his Oscar Mayer Ford.

NASCAR Announces Nominees For NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021, Landmark Award

by MikeApril 8, 2020April 8, 2020

Burton, Earnhardt Jr., Edwards, Elder, Matthews nominated for first time

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 7, 2020) — NASCAR today announced the 15 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021, introducing the Modern Era and Pioneer Ballots for the first time.

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Drivers Justin Bolton and Dylan Duval Ready for First Short Track of 2020 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Season

by MikeApril 1, 2020

Details:

• Event: eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series (Round 4 of 20)

• Time/Date: 9 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 31 (TONIGHT)

• Location: Virtual Bristol Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)

• Distance: 250 laps (133.25 miles)

Where to Watch:

• eNASCAR.com/live

• Facebook.com/NASCAR

• YouTube.com/NASCAR

• Twitch.tv/iRacing

Overview:

• This is the first time in 2020 that the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series will compete on a short track. All of the series’ previous races have come at tracks 1.5 miles in length or longer.

• This is the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series’ fourth visit to the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway, but only its second since 2011.

• Last year’s eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series race at Bristol was run under the lights. This year’s edition is a daytime affair.

• Stewart-Haas eSports drivers Justin Bolton and Dylan Duval come into Bristol after each earned their season-best result in the series’ last race at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. Duval finished 15th and Bolton was 17th.

• Duval finished 25th in last year’s race at Bristol, while Bolton makes his Bristol debut tonight.

Justin Bolton, driver of the No. 10 Get Busch Delivered! Ford Mustang:

“We’ve run well, but we don’t have the finishes to show for it. We were up toward the top-five at the end of the first run in our last two speedway races, but haven’t been able to get it done when it mattered. We’re going into Bristol optimistic that we can turn our season around. I’ll be driving the No. 10 Get Busch Delivered! Ford Mustang, and we’ve been spending a lot of time working on this setup. We feel confident that we’ll have something to compete with. And for those of you who are 21 or older, go to Busch.com/delivery and then enter your zip code to see what options are available in your area. From there, you can get Busch delivered right to your doorstep. While we’re racing, you can relax and unwind with an ice-cold Busch.”

Bolton is a 25-year-old engineer on Stewart-Haas Racing’s NASCAR Xfinity Series team who helped Cole Custer to a career-high seven victories in 2019. Bolton has raced in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series off and on since 2014, accumulating 49 starts with nine top-five finishes and a career-best points result of ninth in 2015. The Latrobe, Pennsylvania, native also has real-world racing experience, as Bolton has raced Legends cars and Late Model stock cars, winning the 2013 Fall Classic at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in the Limited Late Model division.

Dylan Duval, driver of the No. 41 PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang:

“Coming into the season, Bristol is the track I had circled as being the one I was most concerned about. Last season at Bristol, I really struggled and wasn’t happy with how we performed. The racing at Bristol is so close quarters – having an ill-handling car can lead to a very long night of racing. We’ve turned a lot of laps and have explored many setup options to get our PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang dialed in for tonight’s race. There are a lot of unknowns going into it. It’s our first race on the low-downforce package, and this race will be in the daytime as opposed to last year’s race, which was at night. We’ve done our homework, though, and I think we’re prepared. This season has started off pretty rough for us – having an issue on pit road at Daytona and struggling with dirty air and passing at California. Going into Homestead last week, we needed to start turning our season around and we did exactly that with running inside of the top-10 and, ultimately, finishing 15th. Coming into Bristol, I’m hoping to build off of what we did at Homestead and continue to make up some points.”

Duval is a 24-year-old from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The graphic designer debuted in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series in 2012 and is the first Canadian iRacing winner in series history, taking the checkered flag at the virtual Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2016. Duval has made 76 starts in his seven-year career, scoring eight top-fives and earning a best points finish of fifth in 2016.

About Stewart-Haas eSports:

NASCAR is the ultimate test of driver acumen and mechanical know-how, where teams scrutinize every detail in a never-ending quest for speed. Stewart-Haas Racing has thrived in this environment, winning races and championships to firmly establish its presence in NASCAR. Stewart-Haas eSports emulates these efforts in the virtual world, where sim technology provides a visceral experience that amplifies the grit and determination of NASCAR drivers in the real world. Stewart-Haas eSports is a natural extension of Stewart-Haas Racing, where competition and simulation are one. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com and follow on Twitter @SHR_eSports.

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and more than 70 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng and on Instagram @StewartHaasRacing.

Fabulous Fan Enhancements Coming in 2020

by MikeMarch 5, 2020

CONCORD, N.C. (March 5, 2020) – As Charlotte Motor Speedway gears up for an action-packed 60^th anniversary season, America’s Home for Racing is doubling down on its “Fans First” mantra with a bevy of new enhancements designed to deliver the ultimate race day experience for fans during the biggest back-to-back weekends in motorsports.

As fans look ahead to the NASCAR All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 weekends in May, here’s a look at five fabulous fan enhancements coming in 2020: (more…)

2020 NASCAR HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

by MikeJanuary 30, 2020

11th Annual Hall of Fame Ceremony Honors NASCAR Legends Tony Stewart, Joe Gibbs, Bobby Labonte, Buddy Baker, and Waddell Wilson

Dick Berggren to receive the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence

STAMFORD, Conn. – January 30, 2020 – NBC Sports will present live coverage of the 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony this Friday, January 31, at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The two-hour special will celebrate the 11th annual NASCAR Hall of Fame class, featuring five NASCAR legends who have shown immense commitment to the sport. (more…)

NASCAR Announces Nominees For NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2020, Landmark Award

by WebmasterMarch 14, 2019

Ard, Bonnett, Panch, Paschal, Stewart, Vogt nominated for first time

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 13, 2019) — NASCAR today announced the 20 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020, as well as the five nominees for the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

The list includes six first-time NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees whose careers spanned the entirety of NASCAR.

Among them are a NASCAR Xfinity Series pioneer and two-time champion (Sam Ard), an original member of the “Alabama Gang” (Neil Bonnett), a Daytona 500 winner (Marvin Panch), a short track ace (Jim Paschal), a three-time Cup Series champion (Tony Stewart) and the first master mechanic in NASCAR (Red Vogt).

Stewart was nominated in his first year of eligibility, and could join Jeff Gordon as a second consecutive first-ballot Hall of Famer.

The nominees were selected by a nominating committee consisting of representatives from NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, and media. The committee’s votes were tabulated by accounting firm EY.

From the list of 20 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees, five inductees will be elected by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, which includes a nationwide fan vote on NASCAR.com. Voting Day for the 2020 class will be Wednesday, May 22.

Added to this year’s list of Landmark Award nominees are Edsel Ford II, Mike Helton and Dr. Joseph Mattioli. Two nominees return for the Landmark Award: Alvin Hawkins and Ralph Seagraves (more on each below). Potential Landmark Award recipients include competitors or those working in the sport as a member of a racing organization, track facility, race team, sponsor, media partner or being a general ambassador for the sport through a professional or non-professional role. Award winners remain eligible for NHOF enshrinement.

Following are the 20 nominees for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, listed alphabetically:

Sam Ard, NASCAR Xfinity Series pioneer and two-time champion

Buddy Baker, won 19 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the Daytona 500 and Southern 500

Neil Bonnett, won 18 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including consecutive Coca-Cola 600 victories

Red Farmer, three-time Late Model Sportsman champion; 1956 Modified champion

Ray Fox, legendary engine builder, crew chief and car owner

Harry Gant, winner of 18 NASCAR Cup Series races, including two Southern 500 victories

Joe Gibbs, combined for nine car owner championships in Cup and XFINITY series

John Holman, won two NASCAR Cup Series championships as co-owner of Holman-Moody Racing

Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief

Bobby Labonte, won a championship in both the Cup Series and XFINITY Series

Hershel McGriff, 1986 NASCAR west series champion

Ralph Moody, won two NASCAR Cup Series championships as co-owner of Holman-Moody Racing

Marvin Panch, won 17 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1961 Daytona 500

Jim Paschal, 23 of his 25 NASCAR Cup Series wins came on short tracks

Larry Phillips, only five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion

Ricky Rudd, won 23 times in NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400

Mike Stefanik, winner of record-tying nine NASCAR championships

Tony Stewart, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, two-time Brickyard 400 winner

Red Vogt, the first master mechanic of NASCAR, and a founding member

Waddell Wilson, won three NASCAR Cup Series championships as an engine builder

The five nominees for the Landmark Award, listed alphabetically, are as follows…

Edsel Ford II, Member of the Board of Directors for Ford Motor Company, long-time NASCAR supporter

Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman; established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with Bill France Sr.

Mike Helton, named third president of NASCAR in 2000; career included track operator roles at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway

Dr. Joseph Mattioli, founder of Pocono Raceway

Ralph Seagraves, formed groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

NASCAR Hall of Fame Nomination Eligibility

– Drivers who have competed in NASCAR for at least 10 years and been retired for two years are eligible for nomination to the NHOF. If extenuating circumstances cause a driver’s eligibility to be in question, NASCAR will review and determine if any adjustments are needed prior to the Nomination Committee Meeting.

– In addition, drivers who have competed for a minimum of 10 years and reached their 55th birthday on or before Dec. 31 of the year prior to the nominating year are immediately eligible for the NHOF.

– Any driver who has competed for 30 or more years in NASCAR competition by Dec. 31 of the year prior to the nominating year is automatically eligible, regardless of age.

– Drivers may continue to compete after reaching any of the aforementioned milestones without compromising eligibility for nomination or induction.

– For non-drivers, individuals must have worked at least 10 years in the NASCAR industry.

– Individuals may also be considered who made significant achievements in the sport, but left the sport early due to a variety of circumstances.

The 24-person Nominating Committee follows…

NOMINATION COMMITTEE

NASCAR Hall of Fame: Executive Director Winston Kelley; Curatorial Affairs Manager Tom Jensen.

NASCAR Officials: Chairman / CEO Jim France; President Steve Phelps; Vice Chairman Mike Helton; Executive Vice President / Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell; Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Jill Gregory; Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer Eric Nyquist; Senior Vice President, Competition Scott Miller; Managing Director, Racing Operations Ben Kennedy.

Track Owners/Operators: International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa France Kennedy; Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Marcus Smith; International Speedway Corporation President John Saunders; Holland Motorsports Complex operator Ron Bennett; Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell; West Coast Short Track representative Ken Clapp; Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark; Rockford Speedway operator Jody Deery; former Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George; Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage; Dover Motorsports CEO Denis McGlynn; Pocono Raceway board of directors member Looie Mattioli; Bowman Gray Stadium operator Dale Pinilis.

Media: Mike Joy, FOX.

(NASCAR PR)