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Carson Hocevar – Sunoco 159 Race Advance

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Official Release
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Sunoco 159 | Daytona International Speedway Race Advance
Team: No. 40 Scott’s/GM Parts Now Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Carson Hocevar
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @CarsonHocevar

Hocevar on Racing at the Daytona Road Course: “I’ve been looking forward to getting behind the wheel of one of these Niece Motorsports Chevrolets all year,” said Hocevar. “Obviously, this isn’t quite the way I pictured my first start with the team, but I’m excited to head to Daytona and run the road course. I am hopeful that we can run a clean race and be around at the end for a solid finish. I’m thankful to Scott’s and GM Parts Now for their support.”

Hocevar at Daytona: This is the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series’ first event at the Daytona Road Course. Sunday afternoon marks Hocevar’s third NGROTS start, and his first with Niece Motorsports.

On the Truck: The No. 40 Chevrolet will carry the Scott’s and GM Parts Now colors at Daytona International Speedway.

Scott’s Sport Cards, Coins & Jewelry carries the largest selection of high-quality estate jewelry, rare coins, and anything in between in Southwest Michigan. Since 1972, Scott Hocevar has been collecting, buying, and selling gold and silver jewelry, coins, and bullion. Having earned a reputation for offering fair prices, working with Scott’s allows customers to be confident that they are getting the best, most current prices available when buying gold and silver, estate jewelry, and sports memorabilia.

GM Parts Now is the go-to online auto parts store for OEM car parts. Whether customers are looking to repair or customize an old or new vehicle, GM Parts Now has what you need. GM Parts Now offers car parts and GM accessories for a variety of years, makes and models.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2020, Niece Motorsports enters its fifth season in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel / lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

1957 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Edmunds Dies at 89

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Official Release
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INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020 – 1957 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Don Edmunds, also renowned as a race car builder after his driving career, died Aug. 11. He was 89.

Edmunds was the second-oldest living “500” starter behind 94-year-old Paul Goldsmith. With Edmunds’ passing, Goldsmith and A.J. Foyt are the only living drivers who started in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in the 1950s, both making their debuts in 1958.

Southern California native Edmunds earned Rookie of the Year honors after placing 19th in the No. 92 McKay Special, spinning out due to an oil leak after completing 170 laps. He was the top-finishing rookie that year among five first-timers in the race.

Edmunds nearly didn’t qualify for the “500” in 1957. He came to the Speedway after a successful career in jalopy and midget-car racing in California, driving a car owned by Doug Caruthers. Edmunds couldn’t get that car up to speed but got a late call from car owner Roy McKay to jump into a car that already had made two of its three allotted qualifying attempts.

After being summoned by McKay, Edmunds rushed to grab his helmet from the trunk of his car in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway parking lot, hoping another driver didn’t take his place. The seat remained open, and Edmunds made a successful last-ditch attempt, qualifying 27th.

The Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Award in the 1950s consisted of a $500 prize and a year’s supply of meat from Indianapolis-based award sponsor Stark, Wetzel & Co. Always a personable gentleman with the ironic nickname of “Rotten Red,” California resident Edmunds gave his year’s supply of meat to fellow “500” driver and close friend Jimmy Reece because Reece lived in Indianapolis and could visit Stark & Wetzel to get a regular restock of meats.

Edmunds returned to IMS in 1958 in the McKay car but was injured in a crash during practice and spent a few days in the hospital, unable to attempt to qualify. Edmunds was back in 1959 in a car owned by Walter Braund. He couldn’t get up to speed and decided to quit as a driver, still dismayed by the death of Reece in September 1958 in a crash at Trenton, New Jersey, and also stung by the recent deaths of other drivers in accidents.

Still, Edmunds always maintained his passion for the Indianapolis 500 and IMS, insisting his one start in the “500” changed his life and opened many doors. He was a friendly and popular member of the large group of Indy 500 starters who returned to IMS in 2011 for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

After his driving career ended, the well-spoken Edmunds turned his focus to his race car construction business based in Southern California, Don Edmunds Autoresearch. He already was known as a skilled fabricator, having worked for Eddie Kuzma in the 1950s. Edmunds claimed his first job with Kuzma was to repair the dent in the tail of Jimmy Bryan’s car in 1955 after Bryan kicked it in frustration due to dropping out of the lead of the Indy 500 near the halfway point because of fuel pump failure.

Don Edmunds Autoresearch became one of the most prolific builders of midget race cars in the country in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s. His company also built supermodifieds, sprint cars and super vees.

Another notable Autoresearch creation was the X-1 Skycycle prototype for famous stuntman Evel Knievel’s jump over the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. The X-2 Skycycle in which Knievel made the failed attempt at the jump in 1974 was based on the X-1.

In his later years, Edmunds enjoyed restoring vintage race cars and building scale models of race cars with stunning detail.

Edmunds was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991 and the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1994.

NASCAR’s GRAND TOURING, GRAND AMERICAN SERIES HIT THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE IN LATE 1960S, EARLY 1970S WITH NOTABLE DRIVERS

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Official Release
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NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress began his NASCAR career driving a 1968 Camaro in the Citrus 250 NASCAR Grand Touring Division race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 21, 1969. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

Richard Childress Began his Career as a Driver at Daytona in 1969 with Success that Led to the NASCAR Hall of Fame

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 13, 2020) – From the time Daytona International Speedway opened for the DAYTONA 500 in 1959, the trioval/road course had been utilized primarily for sports cars for the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and motorcycles for the DAYTONA 200, with the exception of a two-race stint (1960-61) when Compact Cars tackled the storied layout. That changed from 1968-72.

Enter the NASCAR Grand Touring Series (1968-69) and the NASCAR Grand American Series (1970-72) that featured small stock cars but big names who drove them. At the time, a newcomer from North Carolina, NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress, drove in five of those events, beginning in February of 1969, before focusing on a career in the NASCAR Cup Series.

“I was at the young age of 23, and I qualified eighth right out of the box for that race in ’69,” said Childress, who after his driving days, became a success in NASCAR’s premier series as an owner, winning six championships with the legend, Dale Earnhardt. “I started right alongside Lloyd Ruby (2-time Rolex 24 At DAYTONA winner), and there were other great road racing drivers like Parnelli Jones. I finished 13th (more than 40 competed), and followed it up with some more good finishes.

“We had been running on dirt roads and dirt tracks here in North Carolina, and I was just a kid who didn’t know better. I guess not knowing better is how I ran well. I remember spinning out on the first lap, and the next morning in the newspaper, I was the headline photo. Still have that paper around here somewhere.”

Childress’ resume on what was then a 3.81-mile Speedway Road Course includes finishes of 13th, 10th, 22nd, 8th and 9th while piloting his Camaro among many other makes like Ford Mustangs, Plymouth Barracudas, AMC Javelins and Pontiac Firebirds. Not too bad, especially going against the likes of other iconic names like Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Buck Baker, Tiny Lund, Jim Paschal and Pete Hamilton. In 1976, Childress, along with two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner James Hylton, who also won one of the Grand American events at DIS in 1970, competed in his lone Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, finishing a respectable 19th and second overall in the Grand International class in a Chevrolet Laguna.

“We have a little history on the road course,” said Childress, who said the car they drove in the Rolex 24 event was a NASCAR Cup-style machine. “In the 24-hour race, we had to change the drum brakes in the rear of the car two or three times and that cost us the opportunity to win. I remember that was the toughest part of it, but a fun course to drive. We would run a fuel tank about every two hours, so James and I would switch off every four hours. It was a lot of run because we were younger back then.”

Sunday for the Go Bowling 235, the NASCAR Cup Series first, historical start on what is now a 14-turn, 3.61-mile course, Childress will be on the headset talking to his drivers’ Tyler Reddick and grandson Austin Dillon. Has he talked to the duo, along with his other grandson, Ty Dillon, who will also be competing, about the dos and don’ts of the unique Daytona Road Course?

“It’s hard for me to give them much advice as things have changed so much with the cars when I raced the road course,” said Childress, who will also have road racing ace and WeatherTech SportsCar champion Earl Bamber driving a Childress-owned Camaro in Saturday’s UNOH 188 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. “The brake systems are different, the power, the handling of the cars. Earl has driven in the Rolex 24 race and can give them much better advice than I can. It’s going to be some incredible, phenomenal racing.”


After the Grand Touring and Grand American events, there would be just three more “stock-car” style races – NASCAR Modifieds – on the DAYTONA Road Course (1974-76) before this week’s historic weekend (Aug. 14-16) in which NASCAR’s top three national series and the ARCA Menards Series will make their debut. A NASCAR legend would win two of those races, which will be the topic of our final installment of this series.

NASCAR Grand Touring Series At DAYTONA

July 4, 1968 (Paul Revere 250)
Winner: Lloyd Ruby, #16 (1967) Mercury Cougar

February 21, 1969 (Citrus 250)
Winner: Don Yenko, #11 (1969) Chevrolet Camaro

July 4, 1969 (Paul Revere 250)
Winner: Pete Hamilton, #25 (1969) Chevrolet Camaro

NASCAR Grand American Series At DAYTONA
February 20, 1970 (Citrus 250)
Winner: James Hylton, #48 (1969) Chevrolet Camaro

July 4, 1970 (Paul Revere 250)
Winner: Jim Paschal, #14 (1970) AMC Javelin

February 12, 1971 (Citrus 250)
Winner: Billy Ries, #67 (1969) Chevrolet Camaro

July 4, 1971 (Paul Revere 250)
Winner: Buck Baker, #87 (1971) Pontiac Firebird

February 18, 1972 (Citrus 250)
Winner: Bobby Allison, #49 Ford Mustang

July 4, 1972 (Paul Revere 250)
Winner: Vince Gimondo, #38 (1971) Chevrolet Camaro


Road course racing – NASCAR Cup style – is back in Daytona Beach, Fla. after running on the old beach-road course from 1949-58. A limited number of fans will get the opportunity to see the Go Bowling 235 At The DAYTONA Road Course, along with the Sunoco 159 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race, on Sunday, Aug. 16. Fans can get tickets, which start at $49 (both races included) for adults and $10 for kids 12 years old and younger, by visiting www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or calling 1-800-PIT-SHOP.

The weekend kicks off Friday with the General Tire 100 ARCA Menards Series on Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET (MAVTV) while the NASCAR Xfinity Series UNOH 188 is set for Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET (NBCSN).

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and by downloading Daytona International Speedway’s mobile app, for the latest Speedway news throughout the season.

About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of “The Great American Race” – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the “World Center of Racing,” boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.

Natalie Decker – Sunoco 159 Race Advance

By
Official Release
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Sunoco 159 | Daytona International Speedway Race Advance
Team: No. 44 N29 Capital Partners LLC Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Natalie Decker
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @NatalieRacing

Natalie Decker on Racing at the Daytona Road Course: “This weekend’s race is definitely going to be a unique challenge for everyone,” said Decker. “I’m thankful that I have a decent amount of road course experience in Trans Am that I think will be beneficial for this race. Thanks to all of our wonderful partners that give us the opportunity to go racing.”

Decker at Daytona: This is the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series’ first event at the Daytona Road Course.

On the Truck: Decker’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado will race with support from N29 Capital Partners.

N29 Capital Partners financially supports early-stage startup companies that have created products or services that are disruptive in their industry.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2020, Niece Motorsports enters its fifth season in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel / lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Codie Rohrbaugh, CR7 Motorsports embrace Daytona Road Course challenge

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Official Release
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.: Returning to Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway this weekend is certainly going to bring back flashbacks of Codie Rohrbaugh and his CR7 Motorsports team performance in the season-opening race at the “World Center of Racing.”

But this weekend, the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series won’t be putting on a hold your breath type superspeedway spectacle. Instead, Rohrbaugh and his Doug George-led team will make left and right turns and join the series’ in the inaugural running of the Sunoco 159 on the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course.

The 14-turn, 3.56-mile course is certainly bringing a lot of unknowns for the teams and drivers but Rohrbaugh and his Statesville, N.C.-based team are approaching the race much like they do with a superspeedway race – with an open mind and a positive attitude.

“I’ve never been on a road course, so I have no idea what to expect,” offered Rohrbaugh. “I mean this is going to be first laps of doing any type of road course racing or turning left and right. I’m not sure what to expect other than to expect the unexpected and try to have a positive attitude and approach.”

Thankfully for Rohrbaugh and his family-owned team, they’ll be in the same boat as almost all of their competitors who approach the Daytona International Speedway Road Course with a blank sheet of paper.

No practice or qualifying will send the drivers right into battle with 44 laps to master the course and step into the spotlight with the opportunity to steal one of the coveted Playoff positions as the end of the regular season nears.

“While I have zero laps on any type of road course, much of the drivers in the field won’t have any laps on the Daytona Road Course, so that puts us all on a relatively level playing field,” added Rohrbaugh.

“For me, the goal is to stay on the track during the first stage and then make gains during the second stage that puts us in a position for the third and final stage. You can bet on some action, some tempers and probably a late race caution or two.

“Who knows what is going to happen honestly. Maybe it will be the exact opposite and we’ll have a fuel-mileage type race. You just never know, and I think that’s part of the excitement going into the race this weekend is that no one knows what to expect.”

After a rough stretch of races which saw Rohrbaugh dip outside the top-20 for seven consecutive races, Rohrbaugh and his CR7 team rebounded in Michigan last weekend and left the Motor City with a solid top-20 finish and a much-needed boost heading into Daytona.

“We came out of Michigan with some much welcome positive energy,” added Rohrbaugh. “I felt real good about our performance and hopefully even though the racing is different this weekend, we need another good run to try and make this second half better than much of the first half.”

For the seventh consecutive race, CR7 Motorsports and their partner Grant County Mulch has again given up their space this weekend race for Joshua Shirk.

The No. 9 Chevrolet Silverado has been designed with a western-theme scheme, personally selected by Shirk.

The hood carries a special touch with Shirk displaying a message of his own that he wrote before the accident, “I am a child of God. He saves me. I talk to he.”

On May 17, 2020, eight-year-old Joshua Shirk was kayaking with family in rural West Virginia.

While on the water, the kayak capsized and Shirk became trapped under the water in debris.

When family was finally able to pull him to safety, the young boy had no pulse. Quick work by medical workers at a local hospital were able to revive him but he remained in critical condition.

Shirk was later transported to WVU hospital in Morganton, West Virginia where he has made vast improvements but still needs the love, prayer and support of many.

Over the last six weeks, Shirk has been able to come off a breathing machine and has started intense physical rehabilitations with a focus on working his muscles and standing up with assistance. His progress lately has been exceptional, as his muscles continue to strengthen.

With prayer, love and support working, Rohrbaugh hopes others will now pledge their support alongside his CR7 Motorsports team uniting strength in numbers and the power of prayer.

“Our mission continues to be really important to me,” said Rohrbaugh. “The prayers from everyone are working and I’m so happy that Joshua is making huge strides towards his recovery. I continue to plead when asking the NASCAR community to please support him by offering their thoughts and prayers to Josh and his family. It really means a lot to me.”
After 11 races, Rohrbaugh is 19th in the championship standings.

CR7 Motorsports has 22 NGOTS starts to their credit with a career-best finish of third at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (February 2020). Additionally, the team owns another top-10 finish at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October 2019. An 11th place qualifying effort at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 2019) is the team’s best time trials effort to date.

In 20 career ARCA starts, Rohrbaugh has a best finish of seventh twice at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (July 2018 and Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (February 2019). He has qualified a career-best fourth on four different occasions most recently at Kansas Speedway (Oct. 2018).

Marketing partnership(s) opportunities are available for the No. 97 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet and No. 9 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet for the 2020 ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series seasons and beyond. Interested inquiries are encouraged to contact at tonya@gcmulch.com or 304.257.8783.

The Sunoco 159 (44 laps| 158.85 miles) is the 12th of 23 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races on the 2020 schedule. The 39-truck field will take the green flag on Sun. Aug. 16, 2020 shortly after 12:00 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Eastern).

Ty Majeski – Sunoco 159 Race Advance

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Official Release
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Sunoco 159 | Daytona International Speedway Race Advance
Team: No. 45 Chevrolet Accessories Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ty Majeski
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @TyMajeski

Ty Majeski on Racing at the Daytona Road Course: “I’m hoping a different kind of race track will help change up our luck,” said Majeski. “We’ve had really fast trucks the last few weeks but got caught up in other people’s messes. I’m hoping we can keep our nose clean and have a strong race on Sunday afternoon.”

Majeski at Daytona: This is the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series’ first event at the Daytona Road Course.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2020, Niece Motorsports enters its fifth season in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel / lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Death Wish Coffee Teams up with Front Row Motorsports to “Thank A Trucker”

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Official Release
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FRM Partner to Join Campaign Recognizing Frontline Workers

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 13, 2020) – Death Wish Coffee Company, an independent coffee manufacturer and primary sponsor on John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 38 Ford Mustang, has joined Front Row Motorsports’ (FRM) “Thank A Trucker” campaign. The initiative, which kicked off at the beginning of the summer, aims to show appreciation for truck drivers on the front lines who are working hard to deliver goods during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fans and followers will now have the opportunity to visit TeamFRM.com/ThankATrucker and nominate a special truck driver in their lives for recognition at the end of the campaign. This driver’s name will be included in a special “Thank A Trucker” paint scheme to be driven by John Hunter Nemechek at Martinsville Speedway, scheduled for November 1. Participants will be able to earn extra entries after filling out the form by following or sharing on social media, filling out questionnaires and more. Each nomination will still be entered to win prizes like autographed merchandise from FRM drivers, as well as free coffee and other swag from Death Wish Coffee, who has committed to giving $10,000+ to truckers, which will be given out in daily $100 prizes.

“We know that it would be virtually impossible to keep our country going without frontline workers right now,” said Mike Brown, CEO of Death Wish Coffee. “The Front Row Motorsports ‘Thank A Trucker’ campaign aligns really well with our efforts as an organization, particularly our ‘Broke, Not Busted’ program to provide service-industry COVID-19 relief. We thought this would be a great way to stretch that message even further.”

The “Thank A Trucker” campaign decal on all FRM NASCR Cup Series cars and Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series trucks will be updated to include a new campaign logo, beginning this weekend. Social media messaging across Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek and Todd Gilliland’s channels will continue to focus on thanking truckers for their hard work.

About Death Wish Coffee Company
In 2012, Death Wish Coffee Co. was started in a small coffee shop in Saratoga Springs, NY. Founder Mike Brown saw a need for coffee that was both strong and delicious to serve his groggy, morning customers. After creating the perfect blend of beans and combining it with his unique roasting technique, the World’s Strongest Coffee was born. Today, millions of people trust Death Wish Coffee to wake them up and keep them going every day. Follow Death Wish Coffee Co. on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields two full-time entries – the No. 34 of Michael McDowell and the No. 38 of John Hunter Nemechek – from its Mooresville, N.C., headquarters just outside of Charlotte. In 2020, the team announced an expansion to include the No. 38 Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series, driven by Todd Gilliland. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Weekend schedule for Daytona Road Course

By
Angie Campbell
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During the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, 2020. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.

NASCAR heads to Daytona International Speedway this weekend where all three of the top national series will compete on the 3.56-mile road course for the first time in the sport’s history. The ARCA Menards Series will also compete and kicks off the events Friday evening with the General Tire 100.

The NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series race and ARCA Menards Series races were originally scheduled for Watkins Glen International on August 14-16. The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series was realigned from the Iowa Speedway race that was scheduled for June 12.

Kevin Harvick will start on the pole for Sunday’s GoBowling 235. The lineup was determined using a new formula that is based on finishing position from the previous race (50%), ranking in team owner points (35%) and the fastest lap from the previous race (15%).

All times are Eastern.

Friday, August 14

2 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series final practice – No TV

5 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series General Tire 100 (28 laps, 101.8 miles) MAVTV/MRN

Saturday, August 15

3 p.m.: Xfinity Series UNOH 188 (Stages 15/30/52 laps, 187.72 miles) NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Sunday, August 16

Noon: Truck Series Sunoco 159 (Stages 12/25/44 laps, 158.85 miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

3 p.m.: Cup Series GoBowling 235 (Stages 15/30/65 laps, 234.65 miles) NBC/MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio


Starting Lineup for GoBowling 235 

Starting spotDriverCar #Team
1Kevin Harvick4Stewart-Haas Racing
2Denny Hamlin11Joe Gibbs Racing
3Martin Truex Jr.19Joe Gibbs Racing
4Kyle Busch18Joe Gibbs Racing
5Joey Logano22Team Penske
6Aric Almirola10Stewart-Haas Racing
7Chase Elliott9Hendrick Motorsports
8Kurt Busch1Chip Ganassi Racing
9Matt DiBenedetto21Wood Brothers Racing
10Austin Dillon3Richard Childress Racing
11Jimmie Johnson48Hendrick Motorsports
12Clint Bowyer14Stewart-Haas Racing
13William Byron24Hendrick Motorsports
14Ryan Newman6Roush Fenway Racing
15Christopher Bell95Leavine Family Racing
16Matt Kenseth42Chip Ganassi Racing
17Brad Keselowski2Team Penske
18Tyler Reddick8Richard Childress Racing
19Bubba Wallace43Richard Petty Motorsports
20Erik Jones20Joe Gibbs Racing
21Chris Buescher17Roush Fenway Racing
22Ryan Preece37JTG Daugherty Racing
23Ty Dillon13Germain Racing
24Ryan Blaney12Team Penske
25Ricky Stenhouse Jr.47JTG Daugherty Racing
26Cole Custer41Stewart-Haas Racing
27Alex Bowman88Hendrick Motorsports
28John Hunter Nemechek38Front Row Motorsports
29Corey LaJoie32Go FAS Racing
30Michael McDowell34Front Row Motorsports
31Daniel Suarez96Gaunt Brothers Racing
32JJ Yeley27Rick Ware Racing
33Brennan Poole15Premium Motorsports
34Reed Sorenson77Spire Motorsports
35Quin Houff0StarCom Racing
36Timmy Hill66Motorsports Business Management
37Gray Gaulding53Rick Ware Racing
38Joey Gase51Petty Ware Racing
39Brendan Gaughan62Beard Motorsports

How to Mentally Prepare for Car Racing

By
SM
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Photo by Brad Keppel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Car racing is a high-octane sport, and it can be tough mentally. Drivers not mentally prepared on race day can easily end up losing the race. Even worse, one small mistake can have catastrophic consequences for them and for the other drivers. 

Here are some tips to help you get in the right mind space for racing. 

Use Visualization Techniques

The mind is a very powerful tool, so use it. You can use visualization techniques to manifest desirable outcomes. Instead of allowing your head to show you what might happen on race day if you screw up, picture the track and your performance in a more positive light. 

Find a quiet place where you can be free of distractions and interruptions. Sit down and make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes and run through everything that will happen on race day. Imagine you are actually there in the car. Feel your hands on the wheel and picture your actions. Visualize how you’ll handle different situations and how it will feel when you win the race. 

The idea is to practice what might happen in your head and use your mind to visualize a positive outcome. Professional sports players often find that visualizing a positive outcome can help them achieve the same outcome in real life. They have practiced in their head, so when things happen, they are more prepared.  

Have Faith in Your Training

You have put in hours upon hours of training at the track, so have faith in yourself. Think back over all your preparations, and you’ll realize you are more than ready for this race. If you don’t feel ready, spend some extra time practicing anything you’re not sure of.

Leave Your Negativity Behind

It is really easy to get sucked into a negative spiral of self-doubt. Negative thoughts often become a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the event you imagine comes to pass, as if by magic. For example, in your head, you think you’re not good enough to compete at this level, so on the day, your nerves get the better of you, and your confidence crashes. Sure enough, you lose control and spin off the track. This reinforces your belief that you are not good enough, and so the cycle continues. 

Don’t let negative thoughts drag you down. Have confidence in your abilities and your training. Tell yourself each morning: I can do this! 

The racetrack is not the place to open Pandora’s box of fear and doubt. Use the visualization techniques we discussed above to keep those doubts locked firmly away.

Don’t Be Too Confident

Having confidence in your abilities is a good thing, but it’s possible to be overconfident. Drivers who are overconfident often end up being careless on the track. They think they are invincible when in fact they are not. Be confident, but always be aware of what can go wrong. Be professional and adhere to safety regulations at all times.

Don’t Let Mistakes Drag You Down

We are all human, and mistakes happen. If you do make a mistake, treat it as a learning experience. Go over what went wrong and see what you can do differently next time. Don’t sit at home moping – that won’t help!

Look After Your Body

Don’t neglect your physical health. You’ll need plenty of good-quality sleep in the days before a race. If the weather is hot and sticky, Simply Rest suggests that a cooling mattress can make all the difference. Try it and see!

Finally, eat well before the race, as eating the right nutrients will have a positive effect on your mental health, and do some gentle exercise to relieve pre-race stress.

Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 to reach 1,000 starts at Daytona RC

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

A significant milestone is in the making for one of NASCAR’s and Richard Childress Racing’s iconic numbers this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. When the NASCAR Cup Series makes its inaugural start at Daytona’s road course layout on August 16, the No. 3 RCR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE driven by Austin Dillon will reach 1,000 starts under the Richard Childress Racing banner in NASCAR’s premier series.

Having made 112 previous starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, Richard Childress first sported the No. 3 aside his own-operated car for the 1976 season. Competing the entire 30-race schedule, Childress earned 11 top-10 results, including a best result of sixth place at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in March, before he concluded the season in 11th place int he final standings. From 1977 to 1980, the No. 3 car driven by Childress earned a total of 44 top-10 results with a best points result of ninth place in 1977.

For the first 20 races of the 1981 season, Childress notched only one top-five result, a fourth-place result in the season opener at California’s Riverside International Raceway, and was ranked in 13th place in the standings following a 26th-place finish at Talladega’s Alabama International Motor Speedway. For the remaining 11 Cup races of the season, Childress retired from racing and turned over the driving responsibility of his No. 3 car to Dale Earnhardt, the 1980 NASCAR Cup Series champion from Kannapolis, North Carolina, who had a fallout with the late entrepreneur Jim Stacy. Earnhardt’s best results during his 11-race stint with RCR were a pair of fourth-place finishes at North Wilkesboro Speedway in October and at Riverside in November.

From 1982 to 1983, the No. 3 car owned by Childress was driven by Norfolk County, Virginia’s Ricky Rudd while Earnhardt competed for Bud Moore Engineering. After going winless in 1982, Rudd won at Riverside in 1983 and recorded the first NASCAR Cup Series career victory for Richard Childress as an owner. Rudd went on to win once more at Martinsville Speedway in September before he concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings.

In 1984, Earnhardt and Rudd swapped rides, with Earnhardt back as the driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. At Talladega in July, Earnhardt captured his first victory with RCR and he won another race at Atlanta in November before he concluded the season in fourth place in the final standings. After winning four races, recording 16 top-10 results and finishing eighth in the 1985 standings, Earnhardt drove RCR’s No. 3 car to five victories, 23 top-10 results and the 1986 Cup championship, which marked the second title for Earnhardt and the first for Childress.

From there, the dynamic duo of Earnhardt and Childress’ No. 3 car ignited. The following season, 1987, Earnhardt won 11 races and claimed a second Cup title. Earnhardt and Childress went on to win four more championships (1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994). By then, Earnhardt and the No. 3 RCR Chevrolet won 54 races. In addition, Childress’ No. 3 car surpassed 500 Cup career starts.

From 1995 to 1997, Earnhardt piloted the No. 3 car to seven victories, 32 top-five results and 40 top-10 results with a best points result of second place in 1995 behind Jeff Gordon. In 1998, Earnhardt captured his first elusive Daytona 500 win in February and in his 20th effort. Earnhardt’s victory was one that was applauded and respected by many, with many crew members congratulating Earnhardt on pit road. He proceeded in performing two victorious spins in the infield grass before he proceeded to Victory Lane to celebrate his triumph with his crew, friends and family.

Following the 2000 season, Richard Childress’ No. 3 car had won 69 races and had surpassed 700 Cup career starts with Earnhardt tallying his win column to 76 and coming off a runner-up result in the 2000 standings behind Bobby Labonte. Then came the 2001 Daytona 500 in February, where Earnhardt was battling for third place when he was involved in a wreck in Turn 3 and made head-on contact into the outside wall alongside veteran Ken Schrader before both competitors came sliding down the banking and into the infield. While Michael Waltrip, Earnhardt’s driver from Dale Earnhardt Inc., celebrated with the win, Earnhardt was transported to the Halifax Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at age 49 due to sustaining a fatal basilar skull fracture. Following the 2001 Daytona 500, Childress retired the No. 3 in the Cup Series, which was renumbered to 29 with Bakersfield, California’s Kevin Harvick competing for RCR from 2001 to 2013.

Thirteen years later, the No. 3 car under the Richard Childress Racing banner returned to the Cup circuit for the 2014 season with Austin Dillon, Childress’ eldest grandson and the reigning Xfinity Series champion, assigned to drive the car in his rookie Cup season. In Dillon’s first laps piloting RCR’s No. 3 Chevrolet SS, he secured the pole position for the Daytona 500 with a pole-winning lap at 196.019 mph. Dillon went on to record one top-five result and four top-10 results before he concluded the season in 20th place in the final standings. During the process, he was beaten by Kyle Larson for the 2014 Rookie-of-the-Year title.

From 2015 to 2016, Dillon drove RCR’s No. 3 Chevrolet to five top-five results, 18 top-10 results and two poles with a best points result of 14th in 2016. In the midst of Dillon’s sophomore and junior years of racing in the Cup Series was also how he walked away without any life-sustaining injuries from a harrowing accident on the final lap at Daytona in July, where he went airborne and flew upside down over a handful of cars before he smashed into the catch fence and was hit by a spinning Brad Keselowski while on his roof, thus destroying the No. 3 car and ripping the engine out of the car.

In 2017, Dillon recorded only one top-five result during the first 11 races of the season. The following race at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, Dillon survived on fuel to claim a triumphant first Cup career victory at his home track and to record the first win for RCR’s No. 3 since October 2000 at Talladega made by the late Dale Earnhardt. The victory was also the second of the season for RCR following a three-year winless drought. Dillon went on to conclude the season in a career-best 11th place in the final standings. By then, RCR’s No. 3 car surpassed 900 Cup career starts.

In 2018, the No. 3 RCR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Austin Dillon won the 60th running of the Daytona 500 following contact on the final lap with Aric Almirola. The victory was Dillon’s second of his Cup career and it came on the 20th anniversary when Dale Earnhardt won his first and only Daytona 500 in the No. 3 car in 1998. It also came on the 11th anniversary where Childress celebrated his second Daytona 500 triumph with Kevin Harvick. Dillon went on to record one more top-five result and seven more top-10 results before he concluded the season in 13th place in the final standings.

After going winless and settling in 21st place in 2019, Dillon started off with four top-10 results in the first 17 races of the 2020 Cup season. The following race, Dillon utilized late pit strategy to win at Texas Motor Speedway for his third Cup triumph and to record the 100th NASCAR Cup victory for the No. 3 overall. Through the first 22 races of this season, Dillon and RCR’s No. 3 Chevrolet are ranked 17th in the regular-season standings with one victory and six top-10 results. They are guaranteed a spot in this year’s Playoffs by virtue of the win at Texas.

In 999 previous starts, the No. 3 car under Childress’ banner has achieved six championships, 72 victories, 30 poles, 256 top-five results and 477 top-10 results between four competitors.

Catch Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 car’s milestone start in the inaugural Go Bowling 235 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, which will air on August 16 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

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