NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News & Notes this Week

Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2015 Photo - Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2015 Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams return to action next weekend for the Bojangles’ Southern 500, Sunday, September 6th with the NBC broadcast at 7 pm ET. They’ll race 501.3 miles for 367 laps as several drivers compete to put their team in the best possible position in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title.

In the meantime, here are some Sprint Cup Series news and notes for this week.

Logano Wins Bristol Night Race for Second Straight Year

The No. 22 Team Penske driver successfully defended his August 2014 Bristol Motor Speedway win, leading 176 laps on his way to Victory Lane in Saturday’s IRWIN Tools Night Race at ‘The Last Great Colosseum.’ Continue reading

Fan4Racing with Catchfence NASCAR Weekend Preview – Thursday, August 27, 2015

Catchfence Race Weekend Preview

Hey race fans, catch our NASCAR Weekend Preview with host Sharon Burton from Fan4Racing, co-host Chris Knight from Catchfence, along with our Fan4Racing writer, Steve Dando.

We’re chatting about all the hottest topics and what fans can expect at the track over the upcoming weekend of racing at Road America with NASCAR XFINITY Series, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with Camping World Truck Series, as well as the K&N Pro Series East at VIRginia International Raceway. The Sprint Cup Series returns to action next weekend at Darlington Raceway and the ARCA Racing Series returns to action September 7th at DuQuoin.

When possible, we’ll bring  guests from around the NASCAR world to give their perspective too.

This is an interactive show, so give us a call at 714-202-9918 to join the conversation or tweet us your questions/comments during the LIVE broadcast @Fan4RacingSite Knighter01 or @SteveOnTheGrid.

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Our show begins at 8:30 pm ET on Thursday, August 27, 2015.

As always….Thanks for Listening!

NASCAR XFINITY Series Food City 300 at Bristol Preview

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NASCAR XFINITY Series

Next Race: Food City 300

The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway

The Date: Friday, Aug. 21

The Time: 7:30 p.m. (ET)

TV: NBCSN, 7 p.m. (ET)

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

Distance: 159.9 miles (300 laps)

 

Dash 4 Cash Round 3: Smith’s Million Dollar Chance

The third round of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash program rolls into Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 300 on August 21. Regan Smith, Daniel Suarez, Elliott Sadler and Ryan Blaney will compete for a $100,000 cash bonus this weekend. Smith, the winner of the first two rounds of the 2015 Dash 4 Cash program, can still win an extra $600,000 bonus at the end of the season. Smith will need to win this third round at Bristol for $100,000 and then win the Darlington race outright to claim another $100,000, which will then award him an extra $600,000 – bringing his total cash bonus winnings to $1 million dollars. Continue reading

International Speedway Corporation Partners with DraftKings to Fuel Exclusive High-Speed Experiences

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DraftKings_Logo

International Speedway Corporation Partners with DraftKings

to Fuel Exclusive High-Speed Experiences

International Speedway Corporation today announced a new partnership with DraftKings, a leading daily fantasy sports destination. DraftKings will serve as the ‘Official Daily Fantasy Sports Provider’ of ISC motorsports entertainment facilities.

At ISC facilities across the U.S., tracks will feature DraftKings branding and give on-site opportunities for fan engagement. ISC will communicate DraftKings NASCAR daily fantasy sports games through event-day announcements, broadcast, digital and social channels and through a significant presence on MRN, the nation’s largest independent sports network. Continue reading

NASCAR Legend Buddy Baker Passes Away at 74

Photo - Getty Images

Photo – Getty Images

Baker’s NASCAR Career as Driver and Broadcaster Spanned Parts of Seven Decades

Elzie Wylie “Buddy” Baker Jr., the 1980 Daytona 500 champion and famed NASCAR commentator, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 74 (b. 1-25-41).

At 6 feet 6 inches tall, Buddy Baker was often called the ‘Gentle Giant,’ though the nickname ‘Leadfoot’ was more àpropos due to the blistering speeds he often achieved during his 33-year career.

In 1970, Baker became the first driver to eclipse the 200-mph mark on a closed course while testing at Talladega Superspeedway. Although he didn’t win at the 2.66-mile superspeedway that year, Baker visited Talladega Victory Lane four times throughout his stellar career.

A race commentator and radio host during a lengthy and prolific post-racing career, the Charlotte, North Carolina native’s biggest win came in the 1980 Daytona 500. He finished with an average race speed of 177.602 mph – a track record that still stands.

“Many of today’s fans may know Buddy Baker as one of the greatest storytellers in the sport’s history, a unique skill that endeared him to millions,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “But those who witnessed his racing talent recognized Buddy as a fast and fierce competitor, setting speed records and winning on NASCAR’s biggest stages. It is that dual role that made Buddy an absolute treasure who will be missed dearly.”

Baker, son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker, accumulated 19 wins in the premier series, including a victory in the 1970 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway where he lapped the rest of the field. In 1972-73, Baker became the first driver to win consecutive World 600s. He also won the inaugural preseason event now known as the Sprint Unlimited in 1979. He was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998, and in 2014 was first nominated for inclusion into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

After retiring in 1992, Baker made a successful transition to the television booth as a commentator for The Nashville Network and CBS. He most recently served as a radio co-host on ‘Late Shift’ and ‘Tradin’ Paint’ for SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.