NASCAR O'Reilly Series

During Monday's announcement by NASCAR regarding the format changes for 2017, everyone from fan to competitor to media member was ready to fly into an outrage. Solid evolutionary changes have not been the sport's bread-and-butter in recent years, although some changes have since been accepted, like the Chase playoff format and the "Lucky Dog" rule.

Virginia roots run deep in NASCAR, and Gray Gaulding and BK Racing continue that tradition. At a press conference today at Richmond International Raceway (RIR), BK Racing announced Colonial Heights, V.A., native Gaulding as the driver of the No. 23 Toyota Camry in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for the 2017 season. The announcement was made at Gaulding and BK Racing’s home track in Richmond.

Monday’s NASCAR announcement about the new format for NASCAR Camping World Truck, XFINITY and Monster Energy Cup Series season was not only unusual, but might just be the most extraordinary thing that’s happened to the sport since the announcement that the championship would be based on the last 10 races of the season—the Chase.

Tuesday afternoon’s portion of the 35th Annual NASCAR Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway kicked off with JR Motorsports driver and NASCAR XFINITY Series rookie William Byron. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native won seven Camping World Truck Series last year and led the field for 22 percent of all the laps he ran in 2016, justifying his progression to the XFINITY Series.

Alright NASCAR, you've peaked the interest of this skeptic and I'm curious to see where these new "enhancements" lead us this season and beyond.

On Monday evening, NASCAR held a press conference that announced dramatic changes to its race and points format.

NASCAR, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, announced today an enhanced competition format that will be implemented in all three of its national series – the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

JR Motorsports announced today that Liberty University, the largest private, nonprofit university in the nation, will sponsor William Byron in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2017. Byron, who unveiled the No. 9 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro during a Facebook Live stream today, will drive the entry in 17 of 33 events this season, beginning with the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 25).

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Veteran public relations representative Dave Ferroni has been named the 2016 recipient of the Ken Patterson Helping Others Award.

DARLINGTON, S.C. (Jan. 21, 2017) – Veteran motorsports journalist Al Pearce has been named the 2016 recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association’s Pocono Spirit Award.