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After the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, fans are ready for drivers to return to the track and this weekend in the Sprint Unlimited on Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway. Those Sprint Cup drivers eligible to race this weekend will gain some valuable seat time before their first points race, the Daytona 500 in a couple of weeks.
Who’s eligible? Continue reading
New Collaborative Business Model for Owners and Tracks Now in Place for 2016
During a historic event held today in Charlotte, N.C., NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France joined with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owners to announce a landmark long-term agreement that provides teams with increased business certainty and the ability to work more closely with NASCAR to produce best-in-class racing.
In effect as the 2016 NASCAR season prepares to kick off this weekend, the new Charter system addresses three key areas – participation, governance and economics – to promote a more predictable, sustainable and valuable team business model. The agreement grants NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Charters to 36 teams, establishes a Team Owner Council that will have formal input into decisions, and provides Charter teams with new revenue opportunities including a greater interest in digital operations. Continue reading
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With the Sprint Unlimited – a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series non-points paying event – just days away at Daytona International Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing could be picking up where they left off when Kyle Busch won his first Sprint Cup title last season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
When Kyle Busch returned to racing after missing 11 races, because of injuries he sustained at Daytona in the XFINITY Series, JGR had won two Sprint Cup races at Martinsville Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. But upon’s Busch’s return at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Carl Edwards started a string of 11 more JGR victory celebrations. By the end of the season, JGR had 13 wins for the season, including the first two Chase races and the finale at Homestead. Continue reading
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The farewell tour for three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart is not going the way anyone in the sport could have imagined.
Stewart, who suffered a burst fracture in his back while driving a dune buggy Sunday, January 31, will miss the beginning of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
The entry list shows Ricky Stenhouse Jr will race in lieu of the no. 14 for Stewart in the pre-season, non-points paying event, the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona on February 13th. Also racing in lieu of the no. 24 for the Jeff Gordon, who is now retired, is Casey Mears. Both drivers will continue racing with their existing teams for their season opener, the Daytona 500 on February 21st and beyond.
So now, the biggest question that remains is, who will fill in for Stewart beyond the Sprint Unlimited? There are many drivers without a full-time ride in Sprint Cup or without a ride in any NASCAR division and several candidates from the XFINITY or Camping World Truck Series. Here is a list of five candidates I feel have the best shot to get the ride for at least some of the races, that Stewart will miss. Continue reading
NASCAR Reaches Five-Year Sanction Agreements with National Series Tracks
NASCAR also announced its 2016 schedule for both of these national series. The schedule and actual placement of the dates within each given season’s schedule beyond 2016 will be part of the on-going discussions between NASCAR and the tracks. Details are being finalized for the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule to be announced at a later time. Continue reading