Written by Tom Higgins Sun, 2016-09-18 13:14
It was a deeply touching triumph for Davey Allison 28 years ago at the “new” Richmond International Raceway.
The young driver won the Miller 400 after receiving a surprise, inspirational pep talk by telephone from his famous father, Bobby.
That call in 1988 came just prior to the Cup Series race on Sept. 11, a date destined to gain everlasting infamy 13 years later.
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Sat, 2016-09-17 13:57
In a race punctuated by a record 10 cautions, Kyle Busch streaked away from Chase hopeful Cameron Hayley in overtime and won Friday night’s American Ethanol e15 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.
With Busch’s victory over runner-up Daniel Hemric, who passed Hayley after the final restart on Lap 150, Hemric and Timothy Peters locked up the final two of eight spots in the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase, which starts Sept. 24 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Written by Monte Dutton Wed, 2016-09-14 09:44
Who’s going to win the Chase? Anyone who claims to know is lying. The process has too many variables. The Sprint Cup champion is going to have to perform, but he’s also going to have to be lucky. No one who predicts this turkey shoot is playing anything but a hunch.
Scribes, pundits, wags and show-offs will often throw out a long shot because they want to be able to claim swami status by picking a moderate underdog, thus enabling them to claim great powers of analysis they do not actually possess.
Or, if applicable, they make a pick based on a number gleaned from a Powerball ticket or a fortune cookie.
Written by Monte Dutton Thu, 2016-09-08 12:03
Richmond International Raceway has never gotten the credit it deserves. In an era in which architects took over the design of race tracks and paid attention to everything except the actual tracks, the late Paul Sawyer knew the way to true fan happiness was through the modern short track.
Time has affirmed Sawyer’s intuition. He knew that he needed a race-track architect, not an architect designing a race track. He needed someone he could tell what he wanted done, and then have him draw up the best way to do it.
by Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Mon, 2016-09-05 14:02
Martin Truex Jr.’s luck changed. Kevin Harvick’s didn’t.
And that was the difference in Truex’s unexpected victory in Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Truex led 28 laps, all after passing Ryan Newman for the top spot on Lap 339 of 367.
Written by Monte Dutton Sun, 2016-09-04 12:05
Different NASCAR tracks evoke different sounds in my mind.
Fontana. Kansas. Chicago, uh, land. Talladega! Daytona! Bristol! Martinsville!
DARRRRRLLLLINNNGGGTTTONNNN!
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Sun, 2016-09-04 12:00
Elliott Sadler had a passenger for Saturday’s VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway—in spirit at least.
After a breathtaking battle against Denny Hamlin over the closing laps, Sadler crossed the finish-line .454 seconds ahead of Hamlin to win for the first time at the Lady in Black—and immediately dedicated the victory to JR Motorsports team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., who announced on Friday he would sit out the remainder of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season because of a concussion.
Written by Tom Higgins Fri, 2016-09-02 11:52
It appeared that Bill Elliott’s bid for a $1 million bonus had gone up in smoke.
A thick, white plume enveloped his Ford in turn four and down the frontstretch at Darlington Raceway in the Southern 500 on Sept. 1, 1985.
The smoke was spewing from a Ford driven by leader Cale Yarborough. There seemed no way a blinded Elliott, following closely, could get through it from second place without losing control and crashing.
As Yarborough slowed, Elliott flashed from the fog, taking the lead on the 324th of 367 laps at the historic 1.366-mile track. He never gave up the front spot, although Yarborough rallied from a failed power steering line—not a blown engine as thought—to mount a strong challenge.
Written by Tom Higgins Wed, 2016-08-31 11:52
On Sept. 5, 1965, the eve of the Southern 500, NASCAR star Ned Jarrett spoke to a Methodist Youth Fellowship group at a church near Darlington.
As the articulate Jarrett prepared to depart, the impressed kids followed him to his car. “They said very sincerely that they were going to pray for me to be safe and do well in the race,” said Jarrett, the sanctioning body’s 1961 premier series champion.
Hickory native Jarrett started his Bondy Long-owned Ford 10th in a 44-car field led by pole winner Junior Johnson.
Tue, 2016-08-30 16:16
Betty Jane France, a philanthropist in support of children’s health causes, passed away Monday evening. France is the mother of NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa France Kennedy.
A native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the former Betty Jane Zachary was the widow of the late NASCAR Chairman and CEO William C. France, who passed away in 2007. Betty Jane France was executive vice president and assistant treasurer of NASCAR and the chairwoman emeritus of the NASCAR Foundation.
Pages
