SM Archive

NASCAR fans and racing fans in general are in for a special treat during The Profit on CNBC 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. In addition to current stars of the sport, a number of legendary race car drivers will make appearances at PIR in celebration of the track’s 50th anniversary.

Auto Club Speedway is offering a special two-day ticket package for the upcoming Auto Club 400 Weekend at Auto Club Speedway that includes tickets for the NNS 300 race on Saturday, March 22 and the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, March 23 and a scheduled question and answer session with NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet.

Daytona 500 Recap: The 2014 Daytona 500 provided lots of drama for fans that were brave enough to weather the 10 hours it took to complete the “Great American Race”, including a more than six-hour rain delay. Jamie McMurray piloted the McDonald’s Chevy to a 14th place finish after being involved in a last-lap crash less than one-half mile from the finish line.

Friday marks the introduction of a radical new qualifying format in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series that’s sure to garner headlines throughout the week and peak fan and television viewer interest.

Brad Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Champion, started his 2014 campaign by posting some impressive numbers in the season-opening Daytona 500. His average running position in last Sunday’s race was third, he enters Phoenix with the second-highest driver rating (117.1) and he led all drivers in green flag speed and quality passes at Daytona.

"Phoenix is an awesome racetrack. I've won there in other divisions and really enjoy going out west and seeing friends and family. We'd struggled there in past years, but last year we ran really well there in both races. So that gives us confidence going back.

"I'm really excited to get into the Cup car. I'm looking at this as a great opportunity and an audition, too, to go to Phoenix and, first off, make the race and then, second, finish the best we can and learn as much as we can.

"The Phoenix weekend is kind of your first test. What's the new rules package going to bring? What's the new qualifying format going to bring? Phoenix has the ingredients to be wild for qualifying because it's a fairly new racetrack and sometimes cycles on your tires do make you go faster.

“I am looking forward to a fresh start in Phoenix and am ready to get the season started. The only work that I have done in Phoenix was holding a pit sign for Ryan Reed, so there will be a big learning curve here. We should have plenty of time on the track to learn about it and get going.”

If it seems that Martin Truex Jr. has continually been in the media spotlight since the beginning of year, it’s because the Furniture Row Racing driver has indeed run the gamut of intriguing news -- from positive to amusing to not so amusing.