NASCAR Cup Series

Let me be clear. Any race format that artificially moves entries from behind to plop them up front is a dumb one. I do not care if it is NASCAR’s All-Star Race or one that allows me to charge ahead of the Kentucky Derby field while wearing sneakers and a propeller hat. Dumb is as dumb does.

NASCAR announced today the inductees who will comprise the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2017. The five-person group – the eighth since the inception of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010 – consists of Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin, Raymond Parks and Benny Parsons. In addition, NASCAR announced that Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles won the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will make his 125th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the same track where he got his first NSCS start in 2011 driving the legendary No. 21 machine earning a respectable 11th - place finish as a rookie.

"I'm really eager to get back on track this weekend at Charlotte. We are bringing back the same chassis we ran last weekend in the Showdown, and we were able to learn a lot during the race that will benefit myself and the team heading into this weekend.

To celebrate Memorial Day and NASCAR’s 600 Miles of Remembrance program, Thrivent Financial and Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing have partnered to honor PFC Andrew Krippner and give back to the non-profit Honor and Remember.

Roush Fenway Racing has secured a multi-year partnership extension with primary partner the Fastenal Company that will continue Fastenal’s position as the anchor partner of the No. 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team and driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. As part of the extension, Fastenal will also increase the number of its primary races in 2017 and beyond.

The Sprint All-Star race was pretty much an experiment. Depending on what you believe, Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski came up with the format, so that meant immediately you have to hate it, right? I loved it. I'm not ashamed to say that I saw better racing that I had seen in many moons.

IN REMEMBRANCE: Instead of Johnson’s name on the windshield for the 600-mile Memorial Day weekend event, his name has been replaced with Army Sergeant First Class Kyle B. Wehrly. Werhly served in the Illinois National Guard from 1995 until his untimely death in Ashraf, Iraq, on Nov. 3, 2005.

Jeff Gordon proudly remembers getting fellow racing legend Rick Mears’ autograph as a young race fan, so Gordon can relate to the lucky supporters who met him on Tuesday during the Mega Pass Memories with Jeff Gordon event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

This weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, NASCAR and Roush Fenway Racing will pay special tribute to the United States military as Memorial Day approaches.