Optimism Abounds at NASCAR’s West Coast Media Day in Las Vegas

Reporter Kelli Stavast (L-R) hosts a panel discussion with drivers Daniel Suarez, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney during NASCAR West Coast Media Day at Hyde Bellagio at Bellagio on January 7, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Photo – Isaac Brekken/Getty Images

Optimism and excitement were the common themes that flowed through NASCAR’s West Coast Media Day at The Bellagio’s Hyde night club in Las Vegas on Thursday.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez and Ryan Blaney joined Las Vegas Motor Speedway President Chris Powell, Auto Club Speedway President Dave Allen and Phoenix Raceway President Bryan Sperber to speak to the media at the exclusive club. NBC’s Kelli Stavast hosted the event, which featured a Q&A session and one-on-one time with the assembled media. Continue reading

Daniel Suarez Should Provide Inspiration for New NASCAR Drive for Diversity Class

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suarez poses for a photo during the NASCAR 2017 Media Tour at the Charlotte Convention Center on January 25, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Photo – Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

If the members of the 2017 NASCAR Drive for Diversity class need a beacon to guide them or a story to inspire them, they need look no further than Daniel Suarez.

Unexpectedly, and at least a year ahead of schedule, Suarez earned a battlefield promotion into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series when Carl Edwards shocked the racing world with the January announcement that he was stepping away from racing. Continue reading

Daniel Suárez: Promoted Earlier than Expected – But Not Too Soon

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Don’t worry about Daniel Suárez.

And don’t buy into the assumption that, in promoting Suárez to fill the seat of departing Carl Edwards, Joe Gibbs Racing is making the same mistake it made in 2009 when the organization threw then-18-year-old Joey Logano into the deep end of the pool.

Laboring under the weight of replacing Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Toyota, Logano never blossomed at JGR. It took four years of seasoning and a move to Team Penske for Logano to realize his enormous potential in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car.

Suárez, on the other hand, is already 25, and possesses a ferocious work ethic matched only by his desire to learn – and learn quickly. Continue reading

Jimmie Johnson Wins at Homestead to Claim Record-Tying Seventh Title

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Call him Seven-Time.

Jimmie Johnson joined NASCAR’s most exclusive club on Sunday, winning the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to claim his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, putting the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on par with icons Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

“You’re a good man, you’re a great champion, and now you’re a seven-time champion,” crew chief Chad Knaus radioed to Johnson, who grabbed the lead from Kyle Larson through turns one and two during the first and only attempt at a two-lap overtime.

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Chip Ganassi Racing Announces Tyler Reddick to Compete in Multiple NASCAR XFINITY Series Races in 2017

Photo - Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

Photo – Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

Northern California Native to Share the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro with Kyle Larson

Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today that Tyler Reddick, a current driver and a three-time winner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), will pilot the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro in multiple NASCAR XFINITY Series races in 2017. Reddick, 20, will share the No. 42 Chevrolet with 2014 NASCAR Sprint Series Rookie of the Year and 2016 member of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Kyle Larson. Veteran XFINITY Series crew chief Mike Shiplett will continue to lead the No. 42 team. Continue reading