STAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 30, 2020 – Coverage of the 2021 Dakar Rally — the world’s most challenging off-road endurance race — begins this Sunday, January 3, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, the start of nightly coverage of the 12-stage race in Saudi Arabia. (more…)
Parker Kligerman survived multiple late restarts and overtime to earn his second Monday Night Racing presented by Tufco Flooring victory of the season at Knoxville; Anthony Alfredo of Ridgefield, CT takes the runner-up spot. (more…)
| It’s Good To Be Genuine Toyota Survives Eventful Race with 18th-Place Run |
| Date: May 31, 2020 Event: Supermarket Heroes 500 Series: NASCAR Cup Series Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval) Format: 500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps) Start/Finish: 37th / 18th (Running, completed 500 of 500 laps) Point Standing: 31st with 91 points, 279 out of first
Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford) Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) Stage 2 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-125): ● Started 37th, finished 34th. ● Suárez got a good launch at the wave of the green flag, moved to 31st on the first lap and to 29th when the first caution appeared on lap seven for a single-car accident. He said the It’s Good To Be Genuine Toyota Camry was OK, that he was just getting used to the track. ● From the lap-12 restart to the first of two competition cautions on lap 20, Suárez dropped a position. After briefly debating whether to pit, crew chief Dave Winston opted to pit for just right-side tires and a slight air pressure adjustment. Suárez restarted 23rd when the race went back to green on lap 29. ● Midway to the lap-60 competition caution, Suárez reported his Toyota was getting loose on corner entry and exit and tight in the center. He fell back to 32nd by the time that caution appeared. He pitted for four tires, fuel, a return to the original right-side air pressures, and a track bar adjustment. A short time after getting back on track, Suárez was among seven drivers called for speeding on pit road and there was confusion coming to the restart about getting those seven cars to drop to the rear of the lead-lap competitors. ● Suárez restarted 32nd on lap 69 without the chance to drop to the rear, and was then instructed to serve a drive-through penalty. That dropped him off the lead lap and back to 35th place. ● The race remained green all the way to the lap-125 stage break and Suárez was not able to make any forward progress, saying his Toyota was still loose on entry and exit and tight in the center. He said the loose exit was manageable. He pitted on lap 136 for four tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment and rejoined in 34th place, two laps down.
Stage 2 Recap (Laps 126-250): ● Started 34th, finished 24th. ● From the start of the stage until its first caution on lap 198, Suárez held his ground in 34th but lost another lap to go three down. He said he still needed help with front grip through the center of the corner, and his drive off the corner. He stayed on track to take the wave-around to two laps down. ● Suárez restarted 31st, two laps down, on lap 207 and held position until the caution flag flew again for another single-car incident on lap 211. ● The green flag flew again on lap 216, moments before another yellow for a stalled car on the frontstretch. Suárez pitted, this time, for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. He remained 32nd, two laps down, when the race went back to green on lap 221. ● The caution flag flew yet again on lap 229, this time for a multicar accident on the frontstretch. Suárez had emerged into position as the beneficiary of the Lucky Dog free pass, which moved him up to just one lap down, and still in the Lucky Dog position. The race was red-flagged to clean up the multicar accident on lap 230. ● When the race went green on lap 235 after an 11-minute, 35-second stoppage, Suárez was 25th and just one lap down, and just three laps later, the caution flag flew for a single-car accident that enabled him to cash in another free pass, this time onto the lead lap. He pitted for four tires, fuel and track bar adjustments and restarted 24th on lap 244. He held that position to the caution that ended the stage.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 251-500): ● Started 11th, finished 18th. ● Having stayed on track during the stage break, Suárez took the green flag on lap 261 just outside the top-10. ● The caution flag flew on lap 268, by which time Suárez had slid back to 22nd place. He stayed on track and restarted 20th on lap 277 and held that relative position in the early stages of that run. ● It turned out to be 56 consecutive laps of green, during which time Suárez dropped two positions back to 22nd and fell off the lead lap. He said his racecar was still loose on the extremities – in and out of the corners. He pitted for tires, fuel, air pressure and track bar adjustments. He restarted 21st on lap 234, the first car one lap down. ● The next caution flag flew on lap 354 with Suárez 23rd and one lap down. He pitted during the caution for tires, fuel and right-side air pressure adjustments, going back on the pressure adjustments made the previous stop as Suárez said the car took longer to come to him. ● He restarted 25th on lap 361, one lap down, after dropping to the back of the cars on his lap on the restart for speeding on pit road. ● Suárez made good forward progress in the opening laps of the run, working his way to 22nd. He lost a lap to go down two before the next caution flag flew on lap 433. He stayed out to take the wave-around back to one lap down, restarting 22nd on lap 439. ● Suárez worked his way back into Lucky Dog position by the time the caution flag flew on lap 457, moving him up to the lead lap. He pitted for tires, fuel, right-side air pressure adjustments, and the removal of tape from the brake duct intakes as Suárez reported he was struggling under braking. He restarted 22nd on lap 463. ● A multicar accident brought out the caution flag just one lap into the next run, on lap 464, and Suárez said he had to slide his Toyota sideways to avoid contact. He stayed on track through the caution and restarted 18th on lap 473. ● The 17th and final caution flag of the day flew on lap 489 with Suárez running 19th. Five laps remained when the race went back to green on lap 495, and Suárez held onto 18th place across the finish line.
Daniel Suárez, driver of the No. 96 It’s Good To Be Genuine Toyota Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing: “It was an eventful race. We had a lot of stuff going on. There was some miscommunication in the beginning and we had to do a pass-through, and a pass-through at Bristol is tough to come back from. We went two laps down and it was a struggle from there. But the team never gave up. We worked very hard and we were able to recover and fight back to get our first top-20 (of the season) for the team. The car had decent speed but, obviously, it’s never enough. We have to work hard to keep getting better and hopefully we’ll be stronger next weekend in Atlanta.”
Race Notes: ● The result was the best for the No. 96 Toyota since Parker Kligerman’s 15th-place finish at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last October, and it was the best finish for the team in three outings at Bristol. ● Brad Keselowski won the Supermarket Heroes 500 to score his 32nd career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his third at Bristol. His margin of victory over second-place Clint Bowyer was .471 of a second. ● There were 17 caution periods for a total of 102 laps. ● Only 22 of the 40 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap. ● Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after Bristol with a 24-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.
Next Up: The next NASCAR Cup Series event for Suárez and the Gaunt Brothers Racing team is the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on Sunday, June 7 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. |
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Weekday Episodes and Post-Race Analysis on NBCSports.com and Motorsports on NBC YouTube Page
Matt Kenseth Joins The Dale Jr. Download Today at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN
“It’s going to be a steep learning curve. I’m already a little anxious about that first lap at Darlington.” – Kenseth on The Dale Jr. Download
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 13, 2020 – NBC Sports covers the return of NASCAR and provides post-race analysis of upcoming races at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway with new digital editions of NASCAR America At Home on NBCSports.com and the Motorsports on NBC YouTube page. (more…)
By Holly Cain
NASCAR Wire Service
William Byron became the first multi-time winner of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series – holding off Timmy Hill by a mere .256-seconds at the virtual Richmond Raceway Sunday afternoon. It was Byron’s second consecutive win in the series – answering a victory at iRacing’s virtual Bristol Motor Speedway two weeks ago just before the Easter off-week. (more…)
| Details: |
| • Race: Food City Showdown (Round 3) • Series: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series • Time/Date: 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 5 • Location: Bristol Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval) • Format: Two 50-lap heat races followed by a 150-lap main event • Note: Finish of each heat race determines starting order of main event.
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| Where to Watch: |
| • FOX network • Announcers: Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds, with in-race commentary from Clint Bowyer. • FS1 (DIRECTV Channel 219 and Dish Channel 150) • FOX Sports Racing for fans in Canada • Twitch.tv/StewartHaaseSports (Stream begins at 12:30 p.m. EDT)
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| DYK?: |
| • Last Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway was the most-watched esports event on TV in United States history. Simulcast on FOX and FS1, 1.34 million viewers tuned in, breaking the previous record set by the first eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race March 22 at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway by 47 percent. That broadcast earned 903,000 viewers on FS1 alone, which bested the previous record of 770,000 viewers when Mortal Kombat aired on The CW in 2016.
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| Overview: |
| • The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is an exhibition esports series featuring a collection of past and present racecar drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series.
• The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is a multi-week series emulating the original 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
• With the sports world on a necessary hiatus to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series exists in place of actual NASCAR events.
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| Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 Smithfield Ford Mustang: |
| “It’s as if iRacing had been started and built 15 years ago for this very moment, for this very situation. I’ve watched these races and, production-wise, I’ve known that it was good and it keeps getting better. The camera angles, everything, it’s pretty damn realistic and pretty damn good, and I think this weekend at Bristol will be even bigger.
“There are certain guys that when you get on the sim in any given week, whether it’s the day or the evening, that you look for because you know that they’ve got experience and track time and seat time in the sim and on iRacing. Parker Kligerman, Garrett Smithley, Timmy Hill, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. – these are all guys that have a ton of experience. When they get on the racetrack, trust me, you need to get out there with them and learn as much as you can, follow them and everything else. You’ll see my Smithfield Ford Mustang behind them so I can figure out how to eventually get in front of them.”
• Bowyer started 15th and finished 11th in last week’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Texas.
• Bowyer considers himself a hobby iRacer. Sunday’s race at Bristol will be just his third official iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.
• Bowyer’s eponymous iRacing team competes in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series with drivers Brandon Kettelle and Brian Schoenberg, and Bowyer’s dirt late model team has been sponsored by iRacing for several years.
• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Bristol, Bowyer has seven top-five and 15 top-10 finishes in 28 career starts.
• Bowyer’s best Bristol finish is second, earned in April 2017.
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| 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.
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| 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/ |
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin Headline Group of 18 Drivers Slated to Compete at Rockingham Speedway, Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Myrtle Beach Speedway and Martinsville Speedway
Daily Races Air Monday-Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN; Championship Thursday at 7 p.m. ET
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 2, 2020 – Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin headline a group of 18 drivers that will compete at virtual versions of iconic and short tracks across America next week on NBCSN, as NASCAR America presents the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge beginning Monday, April 6, at 7 p.m. ET.
From Monday-Wednesday, six different drivers will compete in two timed races in Cup Series cars at an iconic track at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The top two finishers from each night will advance to the championship race at the virtual Martinsville Speedway on Thursday night on NBCSN.
The following drivers will compete in the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge:
“We’re proud to continue our successful collaboration with iRacing and NASCAR, which began last year, to produce the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge,” said Jeff Behnke, vice president, production, NASCAR on NBC and NBCSN. “Thanks to all the drivers from the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series for joining in what should be four consecutive nights of entertainment and fun for all the great race fans and viewers.”
“Of all of the events we’ve been putting together for real-world pros, the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge should be one of the most fun,” said Steve Myers, iRacing executive producer. “So many of the top drivers in NASCAR have honed their skills on both local short tracks and iRacing, and combining the two for a virtual week-long showdown should deliver plenty of excitement. We can’t wait to see who takes the checkered flag and bragging rights!”
This marks the latest collaboration between NBC Sports and iRacing, which began in 2019 when NBC Sports telecast the first-ever eNASCAR live event on television. NBC Sports and iRacing teamed up to present the 2019 eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Championship in a two-hour event live on NBCSN last October. Earlier this year, it was announced that six races of the 2020 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Playoffs will air live on NBCSN later this fall.
NBC Sports NASCAR commentators Rick Allen and Steve Letarte will call the action, including interviews with drivers during the races. Jeff Burton and Marty Snider will host the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge via Zoom.
FOX NASCAR Broadcast Team of Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds on the Call for Star-Studded FOX NASCAR iRACING
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott Among NASCAR Stars Participating
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – FOX Sports, teaming with NASCAR and iRacing, delivers the first-ever eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event Sunday, March 22, at 1:30 PM ET on FS1 and the FOX Sports app. Titled FOX NASCAR iRACING, the 90-minute, simulation-style eSports program includes a cross-section of competitors from the NASCAR CUP SERIES, NASCAR XFINITY SERIES, NASCAR GANDER RV & OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES and a group of NASCAR dignitaries.
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Cherry Vanilla Coke may be the newest addition to the company’s product lineup, but research shows it’s a pair of flavors its fans have combined on their own using the already existing Cherry Coke and Vanilla Coke products – the equivalent of more than 105 million cans of “Cherry Vanilla Coke” since 2017. That’s nearly a can a minute over a three-year span, and the research shows the combination has proven to be most popular on Christmas Day and the month of April.
This weekend, they’ll take to the track where, in his three previous Cup Series appearances, Suárez has a best start of fourth in 2018 with Joe Gibbs Racing and a best finish of 10th from the fifth starting position last season with Stewart-Haas Racing. In two Xfinity Series outings at Atlanta, both with the Gibbs team, he has a best start of third and best finish of seventh, both en route to the series title in 2016. In a pair of NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races at Atlanta, he has a best start and finish of fourth in 2015 driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports.