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JR Motorsports and Unilever Embark on 13th Year of Partnership

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Official Release
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New Deal for 2021 Includes Seven Primary NXS Races, One with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 27, 2020) – JR Motorsports has added a key component to its future, announcing today an extension with Unilever, one of the world’s leading suppliers of food, refreshments, home and personal care products. The new deal includes primary paint schemes on JR Motorsports cars for seven NASCAR Xfinity Series events in 2021, one of which will be driven by team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. As well, the two-time NXS champion and 2021 NASCAR Hall-of-Famer will enter his 13th consecutive year as a Unilever spokesperson and brand ambassador.

“My partnership with Unilever has grown so much over the years, and I’m proud to say they’ve been a huge part of what we’ve built at JRM,” said Earnhardt Jr. “Unilever’s commitment to our team and the series has been unwavering, and we’re prepared to take that success even further.”

Unilever is JRM’s longest-tenured partner dating back to 2009, and Earnhardt Jr.’s company has carried Unilever brands on its cars for more than 100 races. Unilever also holds the distinction of being one of the longest-running active sponsors in the NXS.

As it has done since the beginning, Unilever will use its racing partnership to market multiple consumer brands across several JRM teams. Details on schedule, track locations and featured brands will be announced at a later date, including details on Earnhardt Jr.’s return to the driver’s seat for one race. Earnhardt Jr. has raced at least one NXS race with Unilever every year since 2009, most recently in the Hellmann’s No. 8 Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway this year. He has 24 career NXS victories, his last coming in 2016 at Richmond International Raceway in a Hellmann’s-branded car.

“We’re immensely appreciative of the relationship we’ve cultivated with Unilever,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, general manager of JR Motorsports. “Together, we’ve had the opportunity to do great things on and off the track, most recently focusing efforts toward Unilever’s United for America initiative.”

United for America is an expansive, Unilever-led movement that aims to unite with retail partners and nonprofits to help communities recover, rebuild, and reimagine their futures, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. Unilever has collaborated with frontline relief organizations like Feeding America and Direct Relief to provide critical support to Americans where it’s needed most, at a time when it’s needed most. The program provides essential products and supplies for millions of Americans, and Unilever is a purpose-driven company engaged in promoting cleanliness and sustainable living to help Americans thrive now and in the future.
“Unilever is so proud to work with Dale and all the folks at JR Motorsports; a relationship founded on bringing together some of America’s most loved brands with one of America’s most popular sports and one of its most admired and respected personalities,” said Head of Channel & Customer Development for Unilever, George Hamilton. “But it is our collective charitable efforts that truly cements a relationship of shared values.”

Unilever offers products in multiple categories, including mayonnaise, dijonnaise, and white spoonable dressings products, ketchup, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and frozen confectionery dessert; personal care products, including men’s hair shampoo, men’s hair conditioner, men’s hair styling products, men’s body wash and men’s deodorant.

ABOUT UNILEVER UNITED STATES, INC.:
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States, the portfolio includes brand icons such as Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Caress, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Good Humor, Hellmann’s, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Love Beauty and Planet, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond’s, Popsicle, Pure Leaf, Q-tips, Schmidt’s Naturals, Seventh Generation, Simple, Sir Kensington’s, St. Ives, Suave, Sundial Brands, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TAZO, TIGI, TONI&GUY, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.

Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan underpins the company’s strategy and commits to:

  • Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
  • Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030.
  • Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.

For more information on Unilever U.S., its brands, and the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan visit: www.unileverusa.com

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s 15-time Most Popular Driver and winner of 50 NASCAR-sanctioned races. Now in its 19th year of overall competition, JR Motorsports races in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it won championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also competes in Late Model competition and owns four championships in regional late model divisions. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

NASCAR Racing Betting | Tips to Improve Your Odds of Winning

By
SM
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Some Great Betting Tips for Betting on NASCAR Racing  

You will not find many sports out there that provide such fantastic high-speed entertainment as NASCAR. This is a sport that has been keeping motor racing fans on the edge of their seats for many years. However, there is a way that you can make it even more exciting than it is, and that is by betting on it. If you just bet blind, you will end up losing more money than you win, which we do not want. Therefore, below we have provided you with some great NASCAR betting tips that will help improve your chances of being successful. 

Bet on Multiple Drivers at Once

When you are live betting on traditional sports such as football you never have the option of betting on a number of different teams as there are only two participating at once. If you put money on both teams, you will always end up losing money. However, this is not the case with NASCAR as there are usually more than 40 drivers participating. This fierce competition means that even the favorites are going to have high odds. For instance, it is not rare to see the favorite to win have odds of 8.00. This applies to all the different types of bets that you can place such as fastest lap, pole position, and win outright. Mobile casinos are also taking the world by storm, and places such as online casino Philippines can enjoy their favorite games in a virtual environment.

If you bet on multiple drivers, you improve your chances of winning and will walk away with a profit if one of your picks goes on to win the race. For example, if you bet $10 on four different drivers at odds of 7.00 and one of them goes on to win, you will make a profit of $40. With odds like these, you could place a bet on 6 drivers and still get a profit if one of your drivers wins. Now, we know that with this type of bet you will make less money than you would if you put one big bet on just one driver, but it is much harder to win such a bet. Furthermore, you do not need to place the same wager on every driver you choose – a good strategy is to bet on a couple of drivers that you feel confident in and a few drivers that you feel are a long shot to win. 

If you are from the United Kingdom and are already intrigued about betting on this sport, then we recommend that you pay a visit to https://www.mybettingsite.uk/. Their experts will provide you with the best betting sites for sports betting fans in the UK. If you register with one of the bookies that they recommend, we are sure that you will have a great sports betting experience.

Up and Coming British Racer

Scott Jeffs, a 22-year-old from Stratford-Upon-Avon, is considered by many to be one of the up-and-coming talents in the sport. He made his debut in the sport in 2019 as Alex Sedgwick’s teammate in the Elite 2 Class. Jeffs showed promise throughout the series, landing a 6th place finish in his first race in Valencia as well as a 5th place finishes at Brands Hatch in front of his home crowd. He was forced to miss a few rounds and when he returned for the Hockenheim race, he surprised everyone by making the decision to jump up to the Elite 1 class. He showed his potential once again by coming 13th and 9th in two races despite the fact that he had to start outside the top 20 drivers in both races. 

However, unluckily for Jeffs, he did not get to compete in his inaugural EuroNASCAR PRO series due to the fact that the team that he was going to be racing for (Braxx Racing) decided to withdraw from this year’s series due to the current pandemic situation. However, we are sure that Jeffs will get his chance to impress at some stage in 2021. 

Check Track History

If you want to be successful when betting on this sport, then you need to know the tracks that drivers prefer. More often than not the only thing that people pay any heed to is how well a particular driver is doing. However, the problem with this tactic is that each track is different and requires different skills to conquer. For instance, there are some drivers who are great at restrictor plate racing, but this does not necessarily mean that they are going to be any good at short-track racing. 

There is some good news though and that is that it is not hard to find out the type of tracks that each driver performs well on. All you need to do is go on the Internet, find the historical data of a track and you will be able to find out which drivers have performed well on it over the last couple of years. When you then mix this data in with how that particular driver is doing at the moment on the whole, then you are going to be able to get a pretty good idea as to how well a driver is going to do.

NASCAR Whelen Euro Series | Here’s All You Need to Know

By
SM
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Let Us Take a Much Closer Look at the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, formerly called the Racecar Euro Series, is a NASCAR stock-car race series situated in Europe. It is one of three international-sanctioned NASCAR series, alongside the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series and the NASCAR Pinty’s Series. It just so happens to be the most prestigious stock-car race series in the whole of Europe. 

History

In 2002, Jerome Galpin, a French rally driver, came up with the idea of a European stock-car race series after watching a NASCAR race. Team FJ, his family group, the decision to launch the Racecar Euro Series in June six years later and declared that the first season would take place the following year. The inaugural 2009 series took place on seven tracks across France, with 16 drivers participating. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile approved it as an international series after a race was held in Nürburgring, Germany, in 2010. The following year, they expanded and added more races in other parts of Europe. 

At the beginning of 2012, Team FJ came to an arrangement with NASCAR to allows the series to become part of the Circuit until the year 2020. As a part of the arrangement, the series had to change its name, so it became known as the Euro-racecar NASCAR Touring Series. This new agreement meant that the series was now an official series in Europe, meaning that NASCAR standards and rules were adopted. The series was split into two categories – Elite 1 and Elite 2. The better racers race in Elite 1, while the “lesser” racers compete in Elite 2. 

In 2013, the series changed its name to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series when Whelen Engineering announced that it had agreed to become the new sponsors until 2018. In 2017, this agreement was extended until 2024. At the end of 2019, it was announced that Elite 1 and Elite 2 would be renamed EuroNASCAR PRO (ENPRO) and EuroNASCAR 2 (EN2).

Betting on This Sport

Nowadays, bookies are happy to offer markets for the majority of sports, so you will definitely be able to find plenty of bookmakers that allow you to bet on the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series no matter where in the world you’re based, be it Indiana or India. Just be sure to find a good comparison site that will give you the information about all of the best online casinos and bookmakers that include NASCAR. Some of the things that you can bet on include the driver to win the race, whether a driver will earn pole position, the driver that will have the fastest lap time, and whether a certain driver will end up on the podium. 

The Cars

The cars that you will see racing in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series have been built with European tracks in mind. The cars have a V8 engine that provides 450 horsepower. They use a 4-speed gearbox, have rear-wheel drive, and weigh about 1225kg. During the 2016 series, a new style of car was introduced, and it was called the “Next Level”. These cars are a lot more aerodynamic and have an 8-inch spoiler on the rear instead of the traditional wing used on the cars that came before. The Chevrolet SS was the very first Next Level car that was introduced on the circuit. In 2018, the composite body of the Chevrolet was updated to the Camaro ZL-1, but the SS body style is still legal for use in competition.

Previous Winners

In the table below you can find the winners from the previous seasons.

SeasonEuroNASCAR PRO EuroNascar 2Team Champions
2009Lucas LasserreWilfried BoucennaN/A
2010Lucas LasserreEmmanuel BrigandN/A
2011Eric HelaryRomain FournilierHelary Racing Team
2012Ander VilarinoSimon EscallierExotics Racing – Still Racing
2013Ander VilarinoAnthony GandonTFT – Banco Santander
2014Anthony KumpenMaxime DumareyPK Carsport
2015Anthony VilarinoGianmarco ErcoliGDL Racing
2016Anthony KumpenStienes LonginPK Carsport
2017Alon DayThomas FerrandoKnauf Racing
2018Alon DayUlysse DelsauxRDV Competition 
2019Loris HezemansLasse SorensenHendriks Motorsports

The Schedule 

The 2020 series has not yet finished, and below you can find the remaining schedule for the EuroNascar Pro and the EuroNASCAR 2. Both the EuroNASCAR Pro and EuroNASCAR 2 race on the same day.

  • NASCAR GP Czech Republic – Race 1 – November 14th
  • NASCAR GP Czech Republic – Race 2 – November 15th 
  • NASCAR GP Comunitat Valenciana – Race 1 – December 3rd
  • NASCAR GP Comunitat Valenciana – Race 2 – December 4th
  • NASCAR GP Spain – Race 1 – December 5th
  • NASCAR GP Spain – Race 2 – December 6th 

What the Ultimate Pit Set Up Looks Like in 2020

By
SM
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There are so many aspects of a great pit set up that can make your team’s race day a huge success. If you are a first-time racer, it can be hard to see past the obvious necessities, like tires, air jacks, and wheel guns. 

Preparation is the key to making your transition from track to pit, and then back as smooth as possible. It goes without saying that the most important aspect of any pit stop is the efficiency and experience of your team, but the aesthetics can be just as significant. 

Below are the ultimate accessories for your 2020 pit set up.

All The Accessories

Every pit lane needs an extensive list of equipment and accessories to be successful–from stopwatches and air pressure gauges to drip trays and temperature measurement tools. You need to make sure you have every tool you could ever need and then bring some spares just in case. For instance, bring spare tires for all weather conditions and a tread depth gauge. 

Even something as simple as having a folder or wall mount where you can store all your guides, plans, and race day strategies so they are on hand and easily accessible to your crew can make all the difference! Depending on the race rules, bring an extra can and a fuel spout in case you need to refuel.

Matching Gear

Matching gear is a great way to unite your team and add a touch of professionalism to your pit lane, even if it is just a simple touch like matching t-shirts. Depending on the event, your team needs full personal protective equipment, which can be better if your team is color-coordinated. 

Consider making your crew’s clothing with high visibility materials. You also need to take into account the changing weather conditions. By doing so, your team has the appropriate clothing and footwear. Having coordinated attire is great for sponsorship as you can advertise sponsors on your crew’s gear the same way you would on your vehicles.

Personal Equipment

There are a number of items you need to make your pit day a success, such as a whistle. Having a whistle on hand is important to warn the person working in the pit lane that a vehicle is approaching; as a vehicle makes its way down the lane, it should be proceeded by the sound of whistles. 

Also, bring a hat or cap to protect yourself from the sun. In addition, have some sunscreen and sunglasses on hand. You’ll also need a pen and notepad in case you are asked to complete an incident report. Lastly, distribute leather gloves for all pit crew in the event they need to handle hot objects.

Personal Safety

By taking part in any race day, you need to take into account your own safety. Ensuring you have precautions in place is ultimately the most important aspect of any pit set up. You and your team need to have every eventuality mapped out, so in the event that accidents happen, they can be swiftly and safely dealt with. 

Fire extinguishers should be on hand as it can keep you and your team safe. As part of the pit team swiftly and safely you need to be well-rested, well-sustained, and hydrated for a day in the pit. It’s equally important to ensure there is plenty of water on hand should anyone need it. 

A hot day in a pit can be extreme, hence make sure your pit is well-equipped with medical and first aid equipment.

Inflatable Arch

Consider purchasing an arch or custom inflatable to attract attention. Adding an inflatable attraction to your pit will give you an edge when it comes to building brand awareness. Thus, your sponsors will surely appreciate it. 

To switch up sponsors for alternative races or marketing opportunities, you could have an arch dedicated to your brand with changeable banners. You could even have a huge inflatable tire in your garage to add a bit of fun to your pitstop. 

When it comes to providing a little light-heartedness while building your brand, you have a huge range of options by creating a custom inflatable for advertising. Check out a few ideas on this website since they can make anything you can imagine.

Buckets of Soaker, a Broom, and a Shovel

Buckets of soaker, brooms, and a shovel should all be placed along the pit lane, which can be used for spills, like oil spills. 

When clearing a spill, make sure you bring another team member with you to watch for incoming vehicles. Limit the amount of soaker used as you don’t want to create a slip. 

Take note that you cannot clear a refueling spill until a fire marshal has been at the scene and given approval that the area is safe to enter.

Consider a Pit Perch or a Marquee

A folding marquee or a pit perch can be a great addition for any pit crew since it can be a form of shelter for the pit crew from weather conditions, keeping the sun out of their eyes and keeping them dry in the rain. 

Depending on the track facilities for each race, they are handy to have. They are also a marketing opportunity in disguise as most can be customized to your colors and specs.

Paddock Trolley

A paddock trolley is perfect for gathering tires from the pit and transferring them in a vehicle. Most wheel trolleys are robust trolleys that are compact and can be folded, making it quick to transport and easy to store.

Make the Most of Every Opportunity

Even though the most noteworthy action happens out on the track, a good performance cannot happen without the appropriate preparation and guidance from the team back in the pit. Make sure your set up is the best it can be so your pit crew can focus on what needs to be done, allowing them to help their driver and vehicles greatly perform on the track. 

Always take every opportunity to build your brand awareness and boost your support by making the most of potential advertising space in the pits.

AUTOTRADER ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE 500 POSTPONED AGAIN DUE TO WEATHER

By
Official Release
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FORT WORTH, Texas (OCT. 26, 2020) – Due to continued moisture and low temperatures hampering drying efforts, and a similar forecast throughout the evening, the NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway will resume on Tuesday morning, Oct. 27, at 11 a.m. CT / Noon ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Gate 4 will open for spectators at 10:30 a.m. All tickets for today’s race will be honored on Tuesday. Access to parking will be by Petty Place on the west side of the facility.

A total of 52 of the scheduled 334 laps were completed Oct. 25 before competition was halted.

MORE INFO:
Keep track of all of Texas Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Keep up with all the latest news and information on the speedway website and TMS mobile app.

Rudy Fugle named crew chief for William Byron and No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team

By
Official Release
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CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 26, 2020) – Hendrick Motorsports has named Rudy Fugle as the crew chief for William Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. He will join the organization in mid-November.

The 36-year-old Fugle is one of the most successful crew chiefs at the NASCAR national series level. He has won two driver championships and five owner titles in the Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series. As a crew chief for Kyle Busch Motorsports since 2013, he has recorded 28 truck victories, which tie him for the second-most in series history.

Fugle will replace current No. 24 crew chief Chad Knaus, who was recently named Hendrick Motorsports’ vice president of competition effective at the completion of the 2020 racing season.

“We’re pleased to welcome Rudy,” said Jeff Andrews, general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “His teams have consistently performed at a championship level for many years. We believe he’s an excellent fit for our culture and will mesh extremely well with our other crew chiefs and competition personnel. In addition, Rudy and William have proven to be a successful combination with a high level of communication and trust in one another.”

A native of Livonia, New York, Fugle holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In 2006, he began his NASCAR career with Robert Yates Racing before joining Germain Racing in 2008. With KBM, he has won truck races with six different drivers: Byron, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, Erik Jones, Greg Biffle, and Noah Gragson.

“The opportunity to join Hendrick Motorsports is incredible for me and my family,” Fugle said. “The No. 24 has always been one of the premier teams in racing. We have the owner, the driver, the people and the resources to continue that tradition. William is a great talent, and we have a very strong working relationship. I’m confident in what this team can accomplish and look forward to the challenge of competing at the Cup level.”

In 2016, Fugle and then-rookie Byron won seven truck races in 23 starts. That season, the pair led 21% of all possible laps and earned the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series owner championship. Byron, 22, is closing out a 2020 season in which he won his first career NASCAR Cup Series race (Daytona) and made his second consecutive playoff appearance.

“I’m excited to work with Rudy again,” Byron said. “We have a great team in place, and I know he will be the right leader to keep moving us forward. I’ve seen first-hand what he’s capable of, his competitive nature and the high standards he has. With Rudy, I believe we’ll have a chance to win every single time we go to the racetrack, which is what both of us expect.”

ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 261 points-paying race victories and a record 12 car owner championships in the premier NASCAR Cup Series. The organization fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Cup circuit with drivers Chase Elliott, William Byron, Jimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman. Headquartered in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs more than 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

7 Greatest NASCAR Drivers in History

By
SM
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NASCAR has a long and great history that is worth knowing. Even those who are not fans of car racing still have heard a lot about NASCAR and its most iconic events. Well, all those iconic events have been done by people who have dedicated all their lives, time, and energy to the success of the races. With this article, we want to acknowledge those legendary drivers who have made NASCAR so exciting. This is a guide on the 7 greatest NASCAR drivers in history. See how many of them you know. 

Harry Gant

Every NASCAR fan will know about Harry Grant. His name in the world of NASCAR reached the peak of popularity around the 80s and early 90s. Although Gant was already in his 40s at that time. Despite his age, or maybe because of it, the majority of his victories happened in 1991. Though, even before his stellar year, he has been showing strong results ever since he had started. He used to finish in the top ten almost every time. Overall, he has arrived in the top-ten 208 times! A remarkable result achieved by a remarkable man.

Rusty Wallace

Rusty Wallace is among the top ten most frequent NASCAR winners. In total, he has won 55 races, which already makes him quite a racing legend. He had only won a series of victories at once, never wanting to break the victory path. Wallace has been known for its great performance on road courses, where he set many of his records, many of which have been broken only recently. You can just do my homework partly, and see some of his races for yourself. Trust me, it is worth your time. 

Bill Elliott

Bill Elliott’s name, also known as Million Dollar Bill, has been famous even among those who have never watched NASCAR. There is a good reason why it is so. He was Mr. Popular, a person who has become a living legend. He earned 44 wins in his career, setting records along the way. It seemed that nothing could stop him, not with such popularity, for sure. Honestly, if you decide to start watching one of his races, you’ll end up constantly searching for more. In such a case, you better pay for college essays ahead of time and watch the races with no homework stress. 

Mark Martin

A true champion of his time, Mark Martin, has won a Sprint Cup to show the level of his excellence. His total stake of victories is 40, with 51 pole positions. He was also one of the highest-paid drivers of his time. During his racing in NASCAR, he had come first 49 times during the Nationwide Series, which made him the second on the list of most winning races of all time. 

Fireball Roberts

Fireball Roberts had only 15 years run in NASCAR, but those years had made a huge difference for the race. He earned 33 wins and had 32 pole positions during his career. He has arrived in the top five 93 times. Back in the 1950s he truly became a legend in the world of racing. He has also gained great popularity among the fans and helped popularize the races across the nation. We urge you to order a paper at papercoach to learn more about his life if you wish. 

Terry Labonte

Terry Labonte has had a long career at NASCAR that resulted in 27 seasons. During this time, he has won 22 races. Interestingly enough, he had a long break in between his victories, 12 years, before he returned to his winning position again. Despite the dry season, his fan base remained very loyal to him throughout his career.

Kyle Busch

In recent history, no one has made such an appearance at NASCAR as Kyle Busch. During the top three NASCAR tours, Busch has earned 104 wins, a remarkable achievement for any racer, especially at his age of 26. Those tours had clearly shown that the best is yet to come. However, even now, he has already deserved to have his name mentioned in the top 7 greatest NASCAR drivers of all time. 

Eddie Krawiec, Aaron Stanfield, Tommy Johnson Jr. and Tony Schumacher victorious at Houston Nationals

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtesy of NHRA

The Houston Nationals at Houston Raceway Park marked the 33rd annual SpringNationals on Sunday afternoon, where the racetrack featured some thrilling and exciting action.

Eddie Krawiec, Aaron Stanfield, Tommy Johnson Jr. and Tony Schumacher were victorious in their respective classes following the completion of the second to last NHRA race of the season.

Top Fuel

In Top Fuel, No. 1 qualifier Steve Torrence looked to continue his dominant 2020 season success Sunday by being the No. 1 qualifier for the 27th time of his NHRA career. Torrence had a bye run in the first round, while he won against Shawn Langdon in Round 2 going 3.686 seconds and 328.46 mph, and then advanced to the semifinals with a victory over Don Schumacher Racing driver Antron Brown to get to the finals. Meanwhile, rival and competitor Tony Schumacher hadn’t been to victory lane in over two years with his last victory coming at Bristol in 2018.

Schumacher qualified second on Saturday afternoon after posting a time of 3.685 seconds and 330.07 mph, with a first-round opponent, the No. 15 qualifier Cameron Ferre. Schumacher would win over Ferre with a time of 3.712 seconds, and 319.37 mph, then won against Doug Foley in Round 2 and defeated Billy Torrence in the semis to help get Don Schumacher Racing in the finals against Steve Torrence.

It’s not too often you get a No. 1 qualifier and No. 2 qualifier to face each other in the final rounds, but that’s what occurred with Torrence and Schumacher. As fate would have it, Schumacher ousted Torrence in the final for his 85th career Top Fuel victory and his first win of the year. Schumacher went 3.669 seconds and 330.63 mph over Torrence’s 3.687 seconds and 330.07 mph.

“This is an incredible opportunity and I’m going to display this trophy proudly,” said Schumacher, who won for the first time since the 2018 Bristol race. “I’m super happy for the guys. This is our home track. My fiancé [Summer] and her family are from here and they’re all here today. Half of my neighbors in Austin have come out today and have never been here before. They just saw two of the best semifinal and final rounds you’re ever going to see. I don’t know what that came down to, but I’m guessing inches and thousandths of a second. That’s what it’s about. It’s about the people who showed up here in the stands, the people who worked so hard on this car. We just love the opportunity. We’ve got one more in Vegas and I’m looking forward to that, it’s one of my favorite tracks coming up. I want to win Vegas because you get the whole off-season to think about it.”

Tony Schumacher Celebrates 85th Career National Victory, Photo Courtesy of NHRA.

By finishing second, Torrence ended up with the 21st runner-up of his NHRA career and the second of the season.

“That was a helluva drag race,” admitted a disappointed Torrence. “To be honest, we did exactly what we wanted. In hindsight, I don’t think we’d change anything. They took a shot and made it work. That’s why they won all those championships. The bottom line is we know we’re taking a great car to Vegas. I can’t wait to get started. I wish we were racing tomorrow.”

Top Fuel Results

  1. Tony Schumacher
  2. Steve Torrence
  3. Billy Torrence
  4. Antron Brown
  5. Leah Pruett
  6. Doug Kalitta
  7. Doug Foley
  8. Shawn Langdon
  9. Clay Millican
  10. Joe Morrison
  11. Scott Palmer
  12. Justin Ashley
  13. Lee Callaway
  14. Kebin Kinsley
  15. Cameron Ferre

Funny Car

Following their 12th consecutive victory at the Texas Motorplex last Sunday, Don Schumacher Racing continues to carry momentum late in the season from when Tommy Johnson Jr. gave Schumacher their 13th consecutive win. Johnson Jr. ended up facing his teammate Ron Capps in the finals and won with an E.T. of 3.929 seconds and 321.04 mph to pick up his 22nd career Funny Car victory. The victory was Johnson’s third of the year.

“It was a must-win,” said Johnson, who is aiming to close out his seven-year Chandler family ‘giving car’ run by delivering his first Funny Car world title for Doug Chandler. “We get close and then we stumble, and we think we’re out of it, and here we come again. We just keep coming back. It’s like a heavyweight battle and when we get knocked down, we get back up and keep swinging. I’m just really proud of these guys. They never quit. I’m just super happy with the fight in these guys and this has got drama written all over it when we go to Vegas. You’ve got to keep digging and you knew the final round was going to be a great race. It’s definitely been different this year, but once you fire the engine it’s no different. (Crew chiefs) John Collins, Rip Reynolds, and the whole MD Anderson team has done a really good job under some tough circumstances.”

Tommy Johnson Jr Celebrates Winning the Houston Nationals, Photo Courtesy of NHRA.

Johnson Jr. claimed victories over Jim Campbell in Round 1, JR Todd in Round 2 and teammate Matt Hagan in the semis which ultimately set up the final round victory over Capps.

Capps on the other hand, will have to settle for his 59th career runner-up finish after falling a little bit short to Johnson Jr. The runner-up finish was his first of the year, despite being an upset to his teammate and No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman in the first round.

“We were trying to implement some new parts and do some testing, and that’s hard to do with only two qualifying runs and you definitely don’t want to do that on Sunday,” Capps said. “That put us behind. But I say it time and time again, coming in Sunday morning, I’ve never thought we didn’t have a chance at winning the race no matter what position we start from. We sure had the FOX TV people scrambling to see when the last time someone won from the 16th spot.

“You hate to knock out a teammate in the championship, but it’s mano-a-mano up there, and Sunday morning you have one of the leading cars in the points race, and we knew we were capable. It’s just one of those ‘grind ‘em out’ days. These are the weekends where you look back at the end of the season and you sort of circle them and you remember that this is where most teams would have gone out early and we gutted out a lot of big round wins and 20 points here and there. When you’re running great and things don’t go wrong, it seems a little easier.

“Today was one of those knock-down, drag-out fights. In the semifinals, I stayed in the throttle and I didn’t see Alexis (DeJoria). In a nitro Funny Car, when you stay in the throttle bad things can happen and unfortunately, we hurt the beautiful Pennzoil body. But fortunately, we have great sponsors with Pennzoil and NAPA AUTO PARTS and we have plenty of parts at DSR and we have four days to get to (Las) Vegas and do it again.”

Capps got to the final with victories over Beckman in Round 1, Cruz Pedregon in the second round and Alexis Dejoria in the semis before losing to Johnson Jr. in the finals.

Funny Car Results

  1. Tommy Johnson JR
  2. Ron Capps
  3. Matt Hagan
  4. Alexis Dejoria
  5. Cruz Pedregon
  6. Bob Tasca III
  7. J.R. Todd
  8. Blake Alexander
  9. Bobby Bode
  10. Dave Richards
  11. Jack Beckman
  12. Chad Green
  13. Tim Wilkerson
  14. Paul Lee
  15. Jim Campbell
  16. Terry Haddock

Pro Stock

In the Pro Stock category, it was an emotional day for Aaron Stanfield and company, who picked up his first ever career NHRA Pro Stock victory. Stanfield came close to victory earlier this season at Gainesville when he was a runner-up to Alex Laughlin.

Stanfield qualified fourth after the two rounds of qualifying on Saturday to give him a first round matchup against No. 13 qualifier Kenny Delco. Stanfield won over Delco in the first round, Troy Coughlin Jr. in round two, and Kyle Korestky that helped him get to the final round facing Jeg Coughlin Jr.

Stanfield went 6.535 seconds and 211.03 mph over Coughlin Jr’s 6.611 seconds and 207.53 mph en route to an emotional victory on Sunday.

“I definitely can’t put this into words,” Stanfield said. “I remember listening to my dad race and I’ve dreamed of the day that I could hold up a Pro Stock Wally ever since I was a little guy watching my dad race. It’s always been at the top of my goals. I tried to stay as calm as I could, but I knew my guys had my best interests in mind. I stayed focused, we did our job and we got it done. To be honest, this whole day has been crazy, just accomplishing huge, huge dreams. I haven’t had time to soak it all in, but what my dad has taught me is to clear your head and focus on what you need to do. That’s what I was able to do today.”

Aaron Stanfield Claims 48th Career Win, Photo Courtesy of NHRA.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. would have to settle for the second runner-up of his NHRA career.

Pro Stock Results

  1. Aaron Stanfield
  2. Jeg Coughlin
  3. Kyle Koretsky
  4. Greg Anderson
  5. Alex Laughlin
  6. Erica Enders
  7. Chris McGaha
  8. Troy Coughlin Jr
  9. Jason Line
  10. Matt Hartford
  11. Deric Kramer
  12. Mason McGaha
  13. Kenny Delco
  14. Bo Butner
  15. Fernando Caudra
  16. Bruno Massel

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Eddie Krawiec was successful after beating Ryan Oehler in the final round. Krawiec had an E.T. of 6.801 seconds and 198.61 mph over Oehler’s 6.905 seconds and 181.37 mph to secure his first victory of the season and the 48th of his NHRA career.

Krawiec won over Michael Phillips in Round 1, Jerry Savoie in the second and a semi-final victory over Hector Arana Jr. that preceded the final round match up with Oehler. The Houston National win marked Krawiec’s first victory since Atlanta of 2018.

“I can tell you one thing; don’t take a Wally for granted because sometimes they don’t come,” said Krawiec, who had lost nine-straight final rounds following his Brainerd win, including five-straight against his teammate, Andrew Hines. “Sometimes it’s not what you because sometimes luck just rolls your way. With two plus years being out of it, it just feels good. I feel like I’ve accomplished everything I need to and don’t have to prove anyting. but  it’s nice just to get it done. There is a lot of great racers in the class and you can’t take anyting for granted. Take every win for what it is and enjoy it. We now have four or five bikes fighting for the championship so it’s great racing and it’s the way it should be.”

Eddie Kraweic Rockets to Houston Victory, Photo Courtesy of NHRA.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Results

  1. Eddie Krawiec
  2. Ryan Oehler
  3. Hector Arana Jr
  4. Matt Smith
  5. Andrew Hines
  6. Scotty Pollacheck
  7. David Barron
  8. Jerry Savoie
  9. John Hall
  10. Kelly Clontz
  11. Michael Phillips
  12. Chris Bostick
  13. Angelle Sampey
  14. Angie Smith
  15. Steve Johnson
  16. Marc Ingwersen

Updated Top Fuel Points Standings

  1. Steve Torrence. 868 points
  2. Doug Kalitta, -101
  3. Billy Torrence, -193
  4. Leah Pruett, -198
  5. Shawn Langdon, -324
  6. Antron Brown, -334
  7. Justin Ashley, -383
  8. Terry McMillen, -453
  9. Clay Millican, -454

Updated Funny Car Standings

  1. Matt Hagan, 842 points
  2. Tommy Johnson Jr, -42
  3. Jack Beckman, -43
  4. Ron Capps, -163
  5. Bob Tasca III, -247
  6. J.R. Todd, -258
  7. Tim Wilkerson, -272
  8. Alexis Dejoria, -353
  9. Cruz Pedregon, -454
  10. Paul Lee, -460

Updated Pro Stock Standings

  1. Erica Enders, 753 points
  2. Jeg Coughlin, -55
  3. Jason Line, -55
  4. Greg Anderson, -183
  5. Matt Hartford, -206
  6. Alex Laughlin, -222
  7. Aaron Stanfield, -270
  8. Chris McGaha, -319
  9. Deric Kramer, -348
  10. Bo Butner, -355

Updated Pro Stock Motorcycle Standings

  1. Matt Smith, 542 points
  2. Scotty Pollacheck, -58
  3. Andrew Hines, -66
  4. Angelle Sampey, -95
  5. Eddie Krawiec, -118
  6. Ryan Oehler, -203
  7. Angie Smith, -204
  8. Steve Johnson, -239
  9. Jerry Savoie, -239
  10. Hector Arana Jr, -258

Up Next: The NHRA Camping World Series will look to finish out the 2020 season schedule at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Dodge World Finals, with qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 31 and the championship eliminations held on Sunday, Nov. 1.

Cup Series playoff race at Texas postponed to Monday due to wet weather

By
Official Release
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During the NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on October 25, 2020 in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.

By Staff Report / NASCAR.com

NASCAR officials postponed Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark 500 Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 race at Texas Motor Speedway after wet weather halted the race 52 laps into the 334-lap event.

The race will resume at 10 a.m. ET on Monday on NBCSN.

Clint Bowyer, in search of his first 2020 win and set to retire to the FOX Sports broadcast booth following the conclusion of the season, led the field at the time of the red flag. The race is almost exactly halfway through the 105-lap Stage 1.

Bowyer’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick has won the last three fall playoff races at Texas and appeared set to cruise to the Championship 4 based on his points lead, but a Stage 1 brush with the wall while leading has him slotted in 36th place and one lap down with the race on hold.

Denny Hamlin slipped up the track on a Lap 28 restart and fell back to 28th in the running order, but the driver of the No. 11 Toyota avoided contact with the wall and worked his way back to 15th at the time of the delay.

There have been four lead changes, with Alex Bowman, Martin Truex Jr., Brennan Poole and Bowyer all spending at least a lap out front. The yellow flag for rain was the third caution of the afternoon after spins for Chris Buescher and JJ Yeley.

Contributing: NASCAR Wire Service

Newgarden Wins at St. Pete, Falls 16 Points Short of Champion Dixon in Dramatic Race

By
Official Release
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Oct. 25, 2020) – Josef Newgarden went down swinging.

Newgarden won a wild, unpredictable NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, in the No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet amid a head-to-head showdown with Scott Dixon for the series championship.

Still, the winning performance wasn’t enough for Newgarden. Dixon finished third to seal his sixth INDYCAR championship by just 16 points over defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Newgarden after leading the season wire-to-wire in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Dixon’s stellar 2020 season also helped Honda win the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers’ Championship.

“It’s never just one thing or one person,” Dixon said. “For me, it’s about the team effort. We had a lot of changes in the offseason. Credit to Josef (Newgarden) and Team Penske. They drove the last part of the season flawlessly and a lot points, so that was pretty awesome to race them again. And we know next year is going to be the same, but huge thanks again to everyone on the team.”

Dixon, who won four times this season, including the first three races of the season, now sits just one title behind the all-time INDYCAR record of seven championships, set by the legendary A.J. Foyt. The championship is the 13th for Chip Ganassi Racing and its second in the last three years. Dixon, 40, who last won the title in 2018, became the first INDYCAR champion age 40 or older since Nigel Mansell in 1993.

“Well, six is good. Seven is better,” Dixon said. “That’s going to be the goal. But it’s tough. As you can see from the competition, even if you mess up just a little bit in qualifying, we had some problems this weekend and just couldn’t piece it together. Credit again to the team and just being able to pull ourselves out of that hole and stay consistent and just have a smooth race, and that’s what we did.”

Newgarden made an impressive charge from eighth on the starting grid to the lead for the first time on a Lap 80 restart in the 100-lap race as he did all he could to win back-to-back titles. Colton Herta led the field to green in the No. 88 Capstone Turbine #ShiftToGreen Honda on the restart, but he came under pressure from Alex Palou in St. Pete’s tricky Turn 1.

Palou briefly took the lead from Herta in the No. 55 Guaranteed Rate Honda before Newgarden made a daring move for the lead heading toward Turn 2, knowing that he had to do everything in his power to try to take the title from Dixon.

Newgarden withstood one more restart and immense pressure from Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet over the final 20 laps on his way to securing his fourth win of the season. O’Ward ended up second, 4.1409 seconds behind Newgarden.

With the win, Newgarden continued a trend of back-to-back winners on the streets of St. Petersburg. Since 2015, the race has been won back-to-back by three drivers. Juan Pablo Montoya won the race in 2015-16, Sebastien Bourdais won in 2017-18 and Newgarden won the race in 2019-20.

“No doubt, we didn’t need a full green race, so that played into our favor today,” Newgarden said of the hectic race that included six cautions. “We had the flow of the race we needed, but it wasn’t anything they gave us. We had a solid day. We needed to be fairly quick. I think we had a fairly quick car, and we just had to make some moves. That’s all we could do to try and get to the front. We outlasted everybody and did what we needed to do. We knew coming into this that fate wasn’t in our own hands. We weren’t going to be able to decide things. So, we just did what we could and hoped for the best.

“It’s definitely bittersweet. First off, congratulations to Scott and all his guys, his crew. It’s big time to win six championships. I’m sure they’re thrilled. They’re a great competitor. On one hand, I don’t really know what I could do different this year. I don’t know what I could ask my guys to do different. They were flawless. Fastest in the pits all year long. I’m extremely proud to drive for my team.”

O’Ward’s second-place finish punctuated a strong first full season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Mexican driver O’Ward ended up fourth in the championship standings behind Dixon, Newgarden and Herta.

Bourdais crossed the line fourth in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet in just his third race with the team before making a full-season effort in the No. 14 in 2021, and Ryan Hunter-Reay rounded out the top five in the No. 28 DHL Honda.

The dramatic conclusion to the season marked the 15th consecutive season that the INDYCAR championship battle came down to the final race.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Rinus VeeKay easily won the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year award. VeeKay, driver of the No. 21 SONAX Chevrolet, clinched the title simply by starting the race.

Dutch driver VeeKay didn’t have a day indicative of his season. On Lap 47, he collided with rookie Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 Shell V-Power Nitro+ Chevrolet in Turn 1. McLaughlin made contact with Marco Andretti in the No. 98 Curb / AutoNation Honda and spun around, and VeeKay had nowhere to go, hitting the front of McLaughlin’s car.

McLaughlin, who was unveiled Friday as a full-time INDYCAR driver in 2021 with Team Penske, was forced to retire from the race and finished 22nd. VeeKay lost two laps and finished 15th. VeeKay announced Sunday morning he will return to Ed Carpenter Racing in 2021.

The only street course on the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, was a dramatic race from start to finish that was not generous to the strongest cars in the field.

Pole sitter Will Power led the first five laps in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, but a downshifting issue allowed Alexander Rossi to take the lead in the No. 27 AutoNation / NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda as 2014 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Power slowed on Lap 6.

On Lap 36, two-time St. Petersburg winner Power got loose exiting Turn 3 while running fourth and hit the wall. Power pulled off the course in Turn 4, ending his day and finishing 24th.

From there, 2016 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Rossi dominated the race, leading all but five laps by the time disaster struck on Lap 70.

After pitting from the lead on Lap 66, Rossi was pushing his Andretti Autosport Honda as he waited for green flag pit stops to cycle through. Then, exiting Turn 4, Rossi lost control and hit the inside wall with the front and rear of the car. Rossi finished 21st.

“I just lost it in Turn 3, man,” said Rossi, who was looking to end the season with four consecutive podium finishes. “It’s been tough all weekend. Just human error. Hugely unfortunate. I think the No. 27 AutoNation Andretti Honda guys were phenomenal. Andretti Autosport was phenomenal all weekend. It’s the first time it’s happened to me, to crash from the lead. I don’t know what to say other than sorry to the boys, and we’ll come back next year.”

Trouble also struck Rossi’s Andretti Autosport teammates late in the race. Herta, who ran second most of the race and led as late as Lap 79, overshot corners twice in the race, including once in the final run to the finish. Herta finished 11th but ended the season third in the championship standings.

Meanwhile, James Hinchcliffe, who drove the final three races in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda, ran in the top five all race long until losing control of his car in Turn 14 under caution with just under 25 laps to go. Hinchcliffe damaged his front wing after contact with Jack Harvey in the No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda and finished a disappointing 14th.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will enter a brief offseason before the green flag waves on the 2021 season at the same place this year ended: the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, March 7, 2021.

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