Fan4Racing News Now: For the Week of January 4th, 2016

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Introducing a new feature for the 2016 season – Fan4Racing News Now – highlighting breaking news for each week leading up to NASCAR season openers at Daytona International Speedway in February.

Check back throughout the week for new updates.

South Boston Speedway Announces $1 Million Capital Improvement Plan

Three-Year Plan Includes Track Repaving, Upgrade To Lighting

South Boston Speedway officials announced a three-year, $1 million capital improvement plan Saturday night that will include repaving the 4/10ths mile oval and the renovation of grandstands. Continue reading

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix Preview

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Next Race: Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500

The Place: Phoenix International Raceway

The Date: Sunday, Nov. 15

The Time: 2:30 p.m. (ET)

TV: NBC, 2 p.m. (ET)

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

Distance: 312 miles (312 laps)

 

Party of Five: Harvick Goes for Fifth Straight Win at Phoenix

Pretty much automatic at Phoenix International Raceway, Kevin Harvick will go for his fifth straight win at the one-mile track in Sunday’s Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup cutoff race. With a visit to Victory Lane on Sunday, Harvick would join NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (Richmond, 7) and Darrell Waltrip (Bristol, 7; North Wilkesboro, 5) as the only drivers to win at least five consecutive races at a single track.

Currently third on the Chase Grid, ten points above the cutoff line, Harvick is trying to advance to the four-driver Championship Round race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to defend his 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title. Regardless of how the rest of the field performs at Phoenix, Harvick can clinch a Championship Round berth with a finish of second or better; third and at least one lap led; or fourth and the most laps led. Continue reading

NASCAR XFINITY Series, DAV 200 Honoring America’s Veterans at Phoenix Preview

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NASCAR XFINITY Series

Next Race: DAV 200 Honoring America’s Veterans

The Place: Phoenix International Raceway

The Date: Saturday, Nov. 14

The Time: 4 p.m. (ET)

TV: NBCSN, 3:30 p.m. (ET)

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

Distance: 200 miles (200 laps)

 

Two to Go: Buescher Close to Title for Roush Fenway Racing

Count ‘em.

Just two races remain until crowning NASCAR XFINITY Series champion for the 2015 season.

Current standings leader, Chris Buescher can clinch the title this weekend if he leaves Phoenix 49 points ahead of second-place in the standings. Buescher is now 24 points up on second-place Chase Elliott. Continue reading

Logano Turns Kenseth, Wins Kansas Chase Race in Overtime

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Block me once, and I’ll cut you some slack.

Block me twice — and it’s ‘Gotcha.’

That, in essence, was the conversation on Joey Logano’s team radio after Logano spun race leader Matt Kenseth in turn one with less than five laps left in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Logano went on to win the race after a green-white-checkered-flag restart that sent the race two laps past its scheduled distance of 267 laps. The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford has monopolized the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, having won back-to-back races at Charlotte and Kansas. Continue reading

Austin Dillon Completes XFINITY Series Sweep at Charlotte

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When NASCAR comes to Charlotte Motor Speedway, Austin Dillon doesn’t mind being a creäture of habit.

After experienced veterans Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne knocked themselves out of contention 151 laps into Friday night’s Drive for the Cure 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at the 1.5-mile track, Dillon streaked away from Erik Jones to win by 2.809 seconds over the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

With the victory, Dillon completed a season sweep at Charlotte, both wins coming from the pole position. The triumph was Dillon’s third of the season in the XFINITY Series and the sixth of his career.

Dillon’s closest call came not on the track, but during the pre-race ceremony. A fireball from one of the skyrockets used to liven up the proceedings dropped out of the evening sky and singed Dillon’s firesuit. Continue reading