Nashville Superspeedway Race Program

OFFICIAL PROGRAM $13

INAUGURAL CUP SERIES RACE PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

JUNE 18-20, 2021 NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

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Trademark(s) of North American Car and Truck of the Year Corporation used under license by Ford Motor Company.

A WINNING CO M B I N AT I O N .

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

CONTENTS THE SCOOP ON NASHVILLE Nashville Weekend Schedule.................. 6 Nashville Superspeedway’s Story..........18 Track Facts .........................................20 Meet the Track President......................22

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FEATURES

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The Return of NASCAR in Nashville.........16 A Track Employee’s Dedication To Duty ..............................24 A Salute To Sam Bass............................28 Milestone Moments in NASCAR .............82 How To Be A Better NASCAR Fan............90 9 Drivers Who May Take Over NASCAR.... 102

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STARS OF NASCAR Cup Series Stars Praise Nashville...........32 Cup Series Profiles...............................34 XFINITY Series Profiles.........................72 Truck Series Profiles............................78

AD INDEX

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Anheuser-Busch........................ 103 Air National Guard....................... 77 Allied Steel Buildings................... 33 Ally......................................... 9, BC Big Cypress Lodge...................... 101 Bowling Green CVB.................... 105 Champion Power Equipment...... 109 Country Music Hall of Fame.......... 99 Drury Hotels............................... 25

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

Ford...........................................IFC Geico............................................1 Holiday Inn Express and Suites, Lebanon..................................... 21 Holiday Inn Express, Smyrna........ 23 KDI Office Technology....................5 Lane Motor Museum.................. 109 Middle Tennessee State University..107 Rackley Roofing.......................... 13

Safety-Kleen .............................. 37 State Water Heaters..................... 69 Tennessee Lottery.................11, IBC Thompson CAT............................ 43 TriGreen Equipment.................... 27 Unilever........................................3 Willscot....................................... 17 Wilson County CVB...................... 45 Xfinity........................................ 15

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WELCOME Welcome to Nashville Superspeedway!

One year ago, NASCAR announced the return of America’s best drivers to Music City with a spectacular three-day racing weekend.

Since then we’ve assembled a strong team with the goal of making Nashville Superspeedway Middle Tennessee’s racing and entertainment jewel.

The centerpiece of that vision comes on Father’s Day with the inaugural “Ally 400” NASCAR Cup Series race, Nashville’s first Cup Series event in 37 years!

We thank you for showing your enthusiasm for NASCAR and this track with a full-capacity sell out for Sunday’s race – the first in the sport since the COVID-19 pandemic altered the sports landscape last spring.

ERIK MOSES

PRESIDENT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

To that end, COVID-19 protocols have somewhat limited what we can offer to fans both inside and outside the grandstands, but we are hopeful that we are nearing the finish line in our coronavirus fight.

Thank you also for picking up this collector’s item in your hand – Nashville Superspeedway’s 2021 Souvenir Program!

In these pages you will learn about our strong Superspeedway traditions and connection to the late, legendary NASCAR artist Sam Bass, discover the next generation of NASCAR stars and read about Don Huebner, who for almost a decade maintained the grounds and buildings on this property by himself when there was little hope of big-time racing returning to Wilson County.

It’s that Middle Tennessee spirit that we hope to capture with all of our events here at Nashville Superspeedway. We are so grateful that you, your family and friends have joined us for this exciting weekend and we can’t wait to share in all the excitement of this NASCAR weekend with you.

Please enjoy your time in Music City, have a safe and healthy summer and we look forward to seeing you again at Nashville Superspeedway for our future events!

Sincerely,

Erik Moses President, Nashville Superspeedway

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PHOTOGRAPHY: JON MORGAN PHOTOGRAPHY

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SCHEDULE FRIDAY, JUNE 18 10:05 a.m.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Practice 3:05 p.m.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Practice 4:05 p.m.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Qualifying 6:40 p.m.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Introductions 7 p.m.

“Rackley Roofing 200” NASCAR

Camping World Truck Series Race

SATURDAY, JUNE 19 11:35 a.m.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying 1:05 p.m.

NASCAR Cup Series Practice 2:10 p.m.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Introductions 2:30 p.m.

“Tennessee Lottery 250” NASCAR Xfinity Series Race

SUNDAY, JUNE 20 10:05 a.m.

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying 2:15 p.m.

NASCAR Cup Series Driver Introductions 2:30 p.m.

“Ally 400” NASCAR Cup Series Race

RESCHEDULE POLICY The sanctioning body (NASCAR) and Nashville Superspeedway determine racing schedules. In the event of a delay or postponement, all tickets will be honored on the rescheduled race day. All ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.

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PARTNERS NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

SALUTES ITS PARTNERS

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

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Hello Race Fans!

On behalf of Ally and our 9,700 teammates, welcome to the inaugural Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway! We are excited to bring NASCAR back to The Music City for the first Cup Series race since 1984.

Ally is a leading digital financial services company that offers banking, a full suite of auto finance services, home, and personal loans, as well as online investing and wealth management. At the core of our company is a deep commitment to our customers. We have consistently been rated by Money Magazine as the top digital bank in the U.S. We are publicly traded on the NYSE and have been one of the best performing financial stocks over the past year.

Ally loves racing and we are the proud sponsor of the #48 Alex Bowman Chevrolet Camaro of Hendrick Motorsports. Our alignment and shared passion to win with Rick Hendrick and his teams fuel us with excitement every race week.

Beyond the love for racing, Ally is really here, with NASCAR, teaming up to “Do It Right” by making a lasting impact through donations to organizations that provide support for first responders, thousands of people in underserved communities and help local youth create great futures.

We are donating $1,000 to a Best Friends Animal Society-affiliated shelter in each NASCAR Cup Series race city this season. Alex is matching that with an additional $1,000 and, if the #48 Team wins, $10,000 more will go to Metro Animal Care and Control here in Nashville. So, whether you are cheering on a Chevrolet, Ford, or Toyota, we hope you will celebrate the impact being made today and throughout the entire season.

In addition to making an impact in the city of Nashville, we’re looking forward to a variety of exciting events and experiences happening all around the track. There’s so much for you to celebrate and experience throughout the weekend.

Ally is proud to bring racing back to Nashville. It has been great to work with your speedway president, Erik Moses, in making this race a reality.

Thanks for joining us to cheer on the #48 team and the rest of the field! We hope to see you in Victory Lane!

Sincerely,

Jeffrey J. Brown (JB) Chief Executive Officer, Ally Financial

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Hello Race Fans – On behalf of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation, I am proud to welcome you to the Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway, Middle Tennessee’s racing jewel. And to all of you dads out there, what better way to celebrate Father’s Day weekend.

We are excited to be a part of the return of NASCAR to the superspeedway as title sponsor of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, and we hope you enjoy the energy and entertainment the race has in store. You know, race fans and lottery players have a lot in common: both are looking for fun and excitement. At the track, that means a close race at top speed. At the Tennessee Lottery, it’s the thrill of what might be.

And more player excitement means good things for Tennessee students.

Tennessee Lottery tickets went on sale January 20, 2004, and since that day, we have raised nearly $6 billion to fund education programs in the Volunteer State, including HOPE Scholarships and Drive to 55 initiatives such as Tennessee Promise. In fact, more than 1.6 million scholarships and grants have been awarded to Tennessee students. But students and their families aren’t the only ones who “win.”

Tennessee Lottery players win on average more than $3 million every day. Imagine that! Since we started back in 2004, we’ve sold more than 300 winning tickets worth $1 million or more. But remember: it just takes one ticket to win, so have fun and play responsibly.

From everyone here at the Tennessee Lottery, thank you for joining us at the track this weekend for some game-changing fun.

Rebecca Paul Hargrove President and CEO Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation

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Dover Motorsports, Inc. owns two of auto racing’s unique venues, Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn.

The tracks are the largest concrete-only venues in NASCAR and collectively have hosted exciting racing and entertainment events for national and international guests for more than 50 years.

The green flag dropped on Dover International Speedway events on July 6, 1969, when Richard Petty won that day’s “Mason-Dixon 300” by six laps. In 2021, the 1-mile oval nicknamed the “Monster Mile” is set to host another NASCAR tripleheader weekend in May, including the “Drydene 400” NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, May 16.

Nashville Superspeedway hosted its first NASCAR events in April 2001. Through 2011, the 1.33-mile D-shaped oval with 14 degrees of banking was home to 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, 13 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events and eight

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY MAILING ADDRESS: Dover International Speedway P.O. Box 843 Dover, DE 19903 SHIPPING ADDRESS: Dover International Speedway 1131 N. Dupont Highway Dover, DE 19901 Tickets: 800-441-RACE Phone: 302-883-6500 Fax: 302-672-0100 For ticket information, contact tickets@dovermotorsports.com

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Indy Racing League contests. In 2021, Nashville is scheduled to host its first NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, June 20, the “Ally 400,” a NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, June 19, the “Tennessee Lottery 250” and the “Rackley Roofing 200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, June 18.

Dover is also home to the Firefly Music Festival, which was first held in July 2012 and hosted 48 national music acts over three days. Firefly has grown to an event that has hosted upwards of 90,000 fans per day, with more than 100 acts playing across a dozen stages, earning a top-five U.S. music festival designation by Rolling Stone magazine. The Firefly Music Festival is set to return to the Woodlands at Dover International Speedway in September, 2021.

Notable acts that have appeared at Firefly include Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, Outkast, The Black Keys, The Killers, Jack White, Kings of Leon, Imagine Dragons, Mumford & Sons and Post Malone.

For comments, questions, suggestions or media-related inquiries, contact info@doverspeedway.com For sponsorship information, contact corpmktg@doverspeedway.com

DOVER MOTORSPORTS, INC. Dover Motorsports, Inc. P.O. Box 843 1131 N. Dupont Highway Dover, DE 19903

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY MAILING/SHIPPING ADDRESS: 4847-F McCrary Rd Lebanon, TN 37090 Ticket Reservations/Questions: 866-RACETIX For ticket information, sponsorship informationor media-related inquiries, contact: info@nashvillesuperspeedway.com

Phone: 302-883-6500 Fax: 302-672-0100 info@doverspeedway.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: PHOTOGRAPHY: NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY GETTY IMAGES

WILSON COUNTY’S

SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT JEWEL IS BACK

By Michael Lewis, Nashville Superspeedway

W

hen backhoes and shovels

first hit the dirt near Gladeville, Tennessee, to start construction on Nashville Superspeedway in the late 1990s, the ultimate goal was to bring a NASCAR Cup Series race back to Middle Tennessee for the first time since the mid-1980s.

Fast forward more than two decades and that goal is finally being realized.

Track owner Dover Motorsports Inc. announced last June that Nashville Superspeedway would be re-opened for the 2021 NASCAR season, receive $8 million to $10 million in immediate upgrades and bring more than two dozen full-time jobs to Wilson County.

The centerpiece of the announcement was that the track would host its first NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, June 20 – the “Ally 400” on Father’s Day. Later in the year, the full schedule was revealed, including the “Tennessee Lottery 250” NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, June 19 and the “Rackley Roofing 200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, June 18 for a full weekend of events and excitement.

Nashville Superspeedway hosted its first NASCAR races in April 2001. Through 2011, the 1.33-mile D-shaped oval with 14 degrees of banking was home to 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, 13 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events and eight Indy Racing League contests.

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“We are excited to bring NASCAR racing back to Nashville, a place where the passion for our sport runs deep,” said NASCAR President Steve Phelps.

“The Nashville market is a vital one for our sport, and bringing NASCAR Cup Series racing to Nashville Superspeedway will be an integral building block in helping us further deliver on our promise in creating a dynamic schedule for 2021.”

In August, Erik Moses, a veteran sports executive and seasoned venue management leader, was announced as the track’s president.

Moses was previously president of the XFL’s DC Defenders, and he made clear from the beginning of his tenure that NASCAR is just the beginning of the track’s future offerings.

“As we set the course for Nashville Superspeedway, it is our mission to establish a new standard not only for what a racetrack can be, but especially what it can mean to our community and NASCAR fans across the region,” Moses said.

“With our roots firmly planted in racing, we believe the fun and excitement can go well beyond the track. Our goal is to become a premier sports and entertainment destination.”

Just before the 2020 holiday season, Nashville Superspeedway hosted Jurassic Quest, a drive-thru dinosaur experience that reintroduced the Speedway property to thousands of local families as it once again becomes a staple on the regional sports, entertainment and festival scene.

“Hearing your hopes for what our facility can bring to residents and visitors alike in Nashville and Middle Tennessee adds fuel and enthusiasm to our commitment to make Nashville Superspeedway a great race track and so much more,” Moses said.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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Telling Nashville Superspeedway’s Story

By Michael Lewis, Nashville Superspeedway

Rodney Richardson has been telling stories for several decades – just not in the traditional way.

The founder of RARE Designs, a Mississippi-based brand-building firm, Richardson and his team have designed innovative logos since 1999 for clients ranging from professional and collegiate sports franchises to civic and government organizations to companies with worldwide reach.

“A logo is the face of a brand,” Richardson said. “And because we see branding as an opportunity for storytelling — and people always love a good story — a logo becomes one of the primary storytellers for that brand.

“It gives people something to sink their teeth into rather than just having a trendy logo for the sake of chasing trends. Trends are great, but logos have a purpose, and we find that when they fulfill that purpose, they resonate with fans and audiences.”

In RARE’s latest project, Richardson had the challenge of both rebuilding a brand for a hungry and passionate fanbase and reintroducing a sports and entertainment facility to a growing community.

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LOGOS CREATED BY RARE DESIGNS FOR NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

NASCAR from a recent rebranding campaign.

“We had already spent a lot of time researching Nashville and getting a feel for the city,” Richardson said. “We know the symbols and icons that resonate in Nashville and why, and we know what does and doesn’t work in the racing world.”

In branding, getting it right the first time is almost essential.

If it’s possible, Richardson feels that goal is even more critical for a sports franchise/venue.

“There’s no other realm we work within where the audiences we’re trying to connect with feel as passionate about these brands and logos than the sports world,” Richardson said. “Thousands upon thousands of people have a personal vested interest in these marks.”

Among RARE’s sports brand successes are the logos of the NFL’s Houston Texans and the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, both of which are nearing two decades of use, as well as the more recent brand launches for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings. Richardson recalls fans in Sacramento “were so excited about it that they were lined up around the block to get tattoos of the different logos.”

It’s easy to find that passion within NASCAR’s fans as well, whether it’s the rolling RV caravan that follows the circuit from coast to coast to the driver flags and other merchandise that diehards proudly display at the track, in their homes and on their vehicles.

“What’s special about a track is that you have the unique aspects and personality of the individual track, including the city of region where it is, to represent, but you also have the intensity and excitement of racing to consider and include,” Richardson said.

Nashville Superspeedway’s rebirth has already energized Middle Tennessee’s sports and live events landscape. For the first time in more than three decades, America’s best drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series are racing in Music City as part of a historic Father’s Day Weekend of racing on June 18-20.

Part of embarking on a new era at NASCAR’s largest concrete track is building the personnel, marketing and design infrastructure to usher Nashville Superspeedway’s campus toward its goal of hosting hundreds of live events and activities per year and link its image with quality entertainment, thrilling races and memorable happenings.

First among those goals was creating a new branding campaign that brought together an array of qualities which makes Nashville special.

“We wanted to combine the city’s history as a musical Mecca with the traditional feel of racetrack sights and sounds,” said Gary Camp, Nashville Superspeedway’s vice president for marketing and communications.

“NASCAR fans aren’t shy about displaying their home tracks on hats, shirts and other apparel. When our fans represent Nashville Superspeedway, we wanted our logo to be traditional, stylish and recognizable at the same time.”

Enter RARE Designs, which was familiar with both Nashville (through a project with the city’s Triple-A baseball team) and

With dozens of concepts designed and discussed, the ultimate selections feature the track’s 1.33-mile layout, a guitar headstock and tuning keys as an homage to Nashville’s musical heritage and the traditional Tennessee tri-star, recognizing the Superspeedway’s goal of being the home track for millions of Volunteer State residents.

“We are thrilled with the results that RARE Designs produced for our primary and secondary logos,” said Nashville Superspeedway President Erik Moses. “They blend all the aspects of racing, the track and the Middle Tennessee community we were seeking. I can’t wait to see all of our fans wearing Nashville Superspeedway hats, shirts and representing THEIR track during our Father’s Day Weekend of racing in June.”

Richardson says a “modern vintage” look featuring “Music City Muscle” is the universal aspect of the new Nashville logos.

“That mindset really drove all aspects of this project,” Richardson said. “Nashville is booming right now, but it still has a special Southern charm — a Southern rock charm, to be more precise.

“You can see the modern vintage influence throughout the system — in the rounded, soft edges of the guitar headstock, the spurs in the NSS font, and the badge-style lockup we used, which references the badges and patches that come natural to the racing world.

“All of this is designed with 21st century needs in mind. We really tried to capture the spirit of Nashville and the excitement of the events that will take place at Nashville Superspeedway in this project, and the style of the brand is a huge part of that.”

These logos are featured on a merchandise collection available for purchase outside the track during the June 18-20 weekend and on NashvilleSuperSpeedway.com. Select your favorite Nashville item today!

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Learn about Nashville Superspeedway’s speed records, track specifications, and champions below!

Which names will be added to these prestigious lists during the June 2021 race weekend?

QUALIFYING/RACE RECORDS ALL EVENTS Fastest Qualifying Lap: Scott Dixon,

G-Force Toyota (IndyCar Series), 206.211 mph (23.271 seconds), July 19, 2003

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES Fastest Qualifying Lap: David Stremme, Dodge, 166.561 mph (28.811 seconds), April 7, 2007 Fastest Race (300 Miles): Scott Wimmer, Chevrolet, 134.095 mph (2:14:12), March 22, 2008

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES Fastest Qualifying Lap: Erik Darnell,

Ford, 162.116 mph (29.601 seconds), Aug. 12, 2006 Fastest Race (200 Miles): Kyle Busch, Toyota, 136.459 mph (1:27:55), April 2, 2010

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY CHAMPIONS NASCAR XFINITY SERIES 2001: April 14-Greg Biffle 2002: April 13-Scott Riggs, June 8-Jack Sprague 2003: April 12-David Green, June 7-Scott Riggs (2) 2004: April 10-Michael Waltrip, June 12-Jason Leffler 2005: March 26-Reed Sorenson, June 12-Clint Bowyer 2006: April 15-Kevin Harvick, June 10-Carl Edwards 2007: April 7-Carl Edwards (2), June 9-Carl Edwards (3) 2008: March 22-Scott Wimmer, June 7-Brad Keselowski 2009: April 11-Joey Logano, June 6-Kyle Busch 2010: April 3-Kevin Harvick (2), June 5-Brad Keselowski (2) 2011: April 23-Carl Edwards (4), July 23-Carl Edwards (5)

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES 2001: Aug. 10-Scott Riggs 2002: Aug. 10-Mike Bliss 2003: Aug. 8-Carl Edwards 2004: Aug. 14-Bobby Hamilton Sr. 2005: Aug. 13-David Reutimann 2006: Aug. 12-Johnny Benson 2007: Aug. 11-Travis Kvapil 2008: Aug. 9-Johnny Benson (2) 2009: Aug. 1-Ron Hornaday 2010: April 2-Kyle Busch, Aug. 7-Todd Bodine 2011: April 22-Kyle Busch (2), July 22-Austin Dillon

TRACK SPECIFICATIONS

STAGES NASCAR CUP SERIES

Length: 1.33 miles

Stage 1: Ends at Lap 90

Track shape: D-shaped oval

Stage 2: Ends at Lap 185

Track surface: Concrete

Stage 3: Race ends at Lap 300

Turns: 4 Banking: 14 degrees in Turns, 9 degrees

in front straightaway, 6 degrees in back straightaway

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES Stage 1: Ends at Lap 45 Stage 2: Ends at Lap 95 Stage 3: Ends at Lap 188

•• Carl Edwards was a regular visitor to

Nashville Superspeedway, notching a series-best five wins in Xfinity competition and tacking on one Camping World Truck Series win.

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NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES Stage 1: Ends at Lap 45 Stage 2: Ends at Lap 95 Stage 3: Ends at Lap 150

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

THE HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS & SUITES WELCOMES YOU TO LEBANON, TENNESSEE Welcome to the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Lebanon, TN. We are just 15 miles from the Nashville Superspeedway.

What a fabulous way to spend the day, enjoying a NASCAR Cup Series race!

You will find a variety of dining options close to the hotel.

We are a few minutes from great antique shops, historic civil war monuments, the famous Wilson County Fair and major corporations such as Cracker Barrel and Mayekawa Global. Whether you’re coming to the Lebanon area for business or pleasure, the Holiday Inn Express and Suites has you covered. Wake up to a free hot breakfast full of delicious favorites like sausage, eggs, omelets and make your own pancakes. We have a business center and fitness center for your convenience. Take a dip in our heated saltwater pool. We also have an on-site guest laundry.

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Prior to the XFL and after several roles in private and corporate legal practice, Moses had an extensive career across a variety of sports leadership and city government positions around Washington D.C., including: Senior Vice President at Events DC for more than a decade, he served as Washington D.C.‘s “sports commissioner” and chief advocate for sports, entertainment and live event activity in the city while developing impactful and often pioneering partnerships with the local professional, college and high school teams, the NCAA, the NHL, MLB, AT&T, Lyft and Pepsi.

CEO, DC Sports & Entertainment Commission, where he supervised the completion and grand opening of Nationals Park and helped develop and host two annual college football games – the Military Bowl, the first NCAA-sanctioned bowl game in the nation‘s capital and the former AT&T Nation‘s Football Classic.

Director, D.C. Department of Small & Local Business Development, primary advocate for local businesses and responsible for advising Washington‘s mayor on policies affecting the business community.

Meet Erik Moses Nashville Superspeedway’s president

Erik Moses, a veteran sports executive and seasoned venue management leader, is the president of Nashville Superspeedway.

Moses, a longtime leader in mid-Atlantic sports and entertainment circles, most recently served as the founding president of the XFL’s DC Defenders (2019-20), where the team was in first place in the Eastern Division and ranked among the league’s best in ticket sales, game-day experience and social-media engagement.

“I am excited to join the team at Dover Motorsports to lead the reopening of the Nashville Superspeedway and bring the excitement of Cup Series racing to Middle Tennessee,” Moses said when his hiring was announced in August.

“I have long admired NASCAR for its commitment to the fan experience and am thrilled to have the opportunity to create the optimal race day experience that NASCAR fans deserve in a market that has such a rich history with the sport.

“Nashville is one of the hottest markets for sports, entertainment and live events in the entire country and I look forward to working with local stakeholders and partners to leverage that momentum to establish the Superspeedway as a premier live events venue serving the greater Nashville region.”

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Moses’ hire is a key element toward ensuring the overall success of Nashville Superspeedway. Dover Motorsports, Inc. announced in June 2020 the 1.33mile concrete track in Lebanon, Tennessee, will be reopening in June 2021 with a Father’s Day Weekend tripleheader. The weekend slate includes the “Ally 400” NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, June 20, the “Tennessee Lottery 250” NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, June 19 and the “Rackley Roofing 200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, June 18.

“We are very excited and fortunate to hire an outstanding leader and executive such as Erik, who has tremendous experience in all areas of sports, events and live entertainment,” said Mike Tatoian, executive vice president and COO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. “Erik’s addition to our company and the outstanding reputation he has in the industry punctuates our commitment to revitalizing Nashville Superspeedway and serving the Middle Tennessee community.”

Moses, a graduate of the University of North Carolina and Duke University School of Law, is a member of the Washington Business Journal Leadership Trust and was named to its 2019 Power 100 list and recognized by NBC Sports Washington as a DC Sports Power Player. He has served as an adjunct professor in Georgetown University‘s Sports Industry Management Program since 2010.

PHOTOGRAPHY:PHOTOGRAPHY: JON MORGAN PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

DEDICATION TO DUTY LONGTIME SUPERSPEEDWAY EMPLOYEE KEPT UP SOLITARY TASKS DURING RACING LULL

By Michael Lewis, Nashville Superspeedway

A

fter the final checkered flag flew

over Nashville Superspeedway in the spring of 2011, and the decision to pause track events was established, the Wilson County, Tennessee, facility became a very quiet place.

There were no more roars from high-powered engines, no more cheers from the grandstands, no more fireworks after another thrilling race.

However, if a visitor drove by at the right time of day, they may have seen a solitary pickup truck on the property or a lone figure working on a building or grounds. It was a true labor of love, especially for a facility that no one was visiting.

Fast forward to the summer of 2020 and the announcement of the return of NASCAR to Nashville Superspeedway, including the track’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race, the “Ally 400” on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 20.

Weeks later, Dover International Speedway president and CEO Mike Tatoian meets with media at the property.

“There just isn’t a significant amount of work that has to be done,” Tatoian said. “That really is a credit to the original architects, the construction company and our guys; when they put it together it literally is something that has stood the test of time. We’re really comfortable with where we are at this point and we feel like a year will be ample time to be ready to put on the big show.”

Much of the credit for that goes to Don Huebner, the only man with a key to the facility between 2012-19, who spent almost a decade maintaining Nashville Superspeedway’s buildings and grounds with no guarantee

24

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

of the return of big-time racing to Middle Tennessee.

“After staying here for nine years with seeing how much potential this track has I was overwhelmed with the future of what we all can be capable of,” said Huebner, Nashville Superspeedway’s longest-tenured employee.

“My dreams for us is to be a true destination and a place everyone can be proud of.”

Huebner, a Wisconsin native, has been a Nashville Superspeedway employee since February 2001. He has been on-site for all of the track’s major events, including 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 13 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events.

“I have had the privilege over the years to help in all aspects of the Superspeedway,” Huebner said. “My main job is to oversee and maintain the grounds, buildings and all equipment, as well as the setup, operations and tear down of all events.”

A longtime motorsports fan, Huebner’s favorite Nashville on-track memory was one of Carl Edwards’ elaborate race-winning celebrations, which included a backflip from his car and visit to the grandstands to mingle with the fans. “[Edwards] wanted me to open the crossover gate so he could run up through the stands,” Huebner said. “I always had a love for motorsports and grew up going to tractor pulls and ran in a lot of demolition derbies.”

Today, with the June 18-20 weekend bringing America’s best drivers back to Middle Tennessee for events including the “Ally 400” on Father’s Day, the “Tennessee Lottery 250” NASCAR Xfinity Series race and the “Rackley Roofing 200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, Huebner can see his personal finish line in all the hard work that included years of mowing, spraying and repair work around an empty, 1,000-acre facility.

“I believe you have to love this business to be able to put in all the long days and hard work that goes into an event like this,” Huebner said.

“For me to be able to smell the race fuel and hear those engines fire up [is so exciting] and, most of all, you are part of making memories for people.”

So as fans make their journey to Wilson County for all the roaring engines, grandstand cheers and exciting finishes, save one salute for the man who was at the track when all that surrounded the facility was silence, memories and lots of possibilities.

PHOTOGRAPHY: NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

Strengthening Middle Tennessee Through Giving

By Michael Lewis, Nashville Superspeedway

I

t was hoped that the 2020 holiday season could

give Nashville a needed respite from a trying year, which included devastating tornadoes in March and a yearlong effort to battle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

But the calm of a Middle Tennessee Christmas morning was shattered by a suicide bombing in a downtown district which displaced dozens of businesses and residents.

It is during times of recovery that organizations like the Urban League of Middle Tennessee step into the breach and aid those impacted by tragedies and circumstances out of their control.

“Helping our neighbors is essential to the Urban League of Middle Tennessee,” said Clifton Harris, the organization’s president and CEO. “We care about our neighbors – it’s the motivation behind empowering communities and changing lives.

“With your support, we are certified to provide workforce employment services over the days, weeks, and months ahead for our neighbors impacted by the Christmas morning bombing. We are stronger together.”

When Nashville Superspeedway revealed Ally as the title sponsor of its Father’s Day NASCAR Cup Series race in January, it was also announced that Ally would make two $25,000 donations to Nashville-area organizations as part of its introduction to the community.

“It wouldn’t be an Ally event if we didn’t ‘Do It Right’ by making a lasting impact through donations to support first responders — like those who saved so many lives in December’s bombing — and to an organization that has long provided necessary assistance to this community,” said Andrea Brimmer, Ally’s chief marketing and public relations officer.

The Urban League of Middle Tennessee, a civil rights and urban advocacy organization providing direct services that impact thousands of people in underserved communities across the state, and Box 55 Association, which provides support for first responders, are the two groups designated for the funds.

The two entities are the first of many soon to benefit from Nashville Superspeedway’s community engagement effort, which hopes to boost many Middle Tennessee organizations in the near future.

“As we continue the rebirth of Nashville Superspeedway, we are committed to becoming a valued piece of the fabric of Middle Tennessee,” said Erik Moses, Nashville Superspeedway’s president. “From our sports and entertainment offerings to our future charitable contributions,

26

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

we want to be a force for good in this community. Helping organizations such as the Urban League of Middle Tennessee and Box 55 Association that are committed to providing direct support to our neighbors and this community is the appropriate first step in that process.”

For the Urban League of Middle Tennessee, donations both big and small help it sustain its mission of enabling African Americans, other minorities, and disenfranchised groups to secure economic self-reliance, power, parity and civil rights.

“Both individual and corporate donations allow the Urban League to expand our reach and provide services free of charge to individuals in need,” Harris said. “Ongoing support from donors like Ally is critical to our long-term success.”

The Urban League of Middle Tennessee, founded in 1968, focuses on all aspects of community empowerment and development, including workforce development, education and youth projects, health and wellness, advocacy and civic engagement and minority contractor training.

“Partners of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee demonstrate a commitment to equality for all Middle Tennesseans,” Harris said. “As a partner, Nashville Superspeedway provides needed resources to help us make communities across Middle Tennessee stronger.”

“Every day, our partners help empower historically underserved communities, create and build wealth through workforce development, entrepreneurship, education, housing, and health services through signature programs and initiatives,” Harris said.

“Partnership with the Urban League of Middle Tennessee is much more than a financial investment. Partnering with the Nashville Superspeedway makes the Urban League of Middle Tennessee stronger.”

For more information on the Urban League of Middle Tennessee or to donate, visit

www.ulmt.org.

Donations can also be mailed to: Urban League of Middle Tennessee Att: Clifton Harris 58 Vantage Way, Suite 201 Nashville, Tenn. 37228

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SALUTE

TO A

LEGEND

By Michael Lewis, Nashville Superspeedway

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NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

T

o be a NASCAR legend, you typically need to be a top-

notch driver, a master in the pit box, or a visionary team leader.

Sam Bass charted his path to stardom in another way, using colors, creativity and a passion for racing to design unforgettable car paint schemes, souvenir program covers and race trophies across decades.

The legendary artist, who died in February 2019 at age 57 after a courageous fight against kidney failure, became a fixture at Nashville Superspeedway when NASCAR first brought top-level racing to the Middle Tennessee track in 2001.

Sam helped design the famous Gibson guitars that Nashville champions received in Victory Lane and also created scores of memorable souvenir program covers that collectors still covet today.

As NASCAR returns to Nashville Superspeedway in 2021, Sam’s legacy remains firmly entrenched at the track, with tributes in the Infield Media Center and a Gibson guitar still a part of the Victory Lane tradition for this weekend’s race winners.

“Sam would be honored, and our family is proud, to have his name still associated with Nashville Superspeedway,” said Denise Bass, Sam’s wife of more than 37 years. “Sam was a people person and a great storyteller. He loved sharing the memorable experience of presenting the Nashville guitar trophy to each winner - and the fans remember.”

Sam’s journey began in Hopewell, Virginia (about 20 miles south of Richmond) where he was born in November 1961.

It didn’t take long for the love of his life to enter his world, as he met Denise when they were both in the seventh grade. They married in November 1981 and built a family. Today their daughter is 20 and son is 17.

Other than his family, Sam had two overriding passions – art and music. Raised on country music, Sam was the lead guitarist for a band during his junior high and high school days. While art ultimately won out as a career choice, Sam continued to make music an important part of his life.

“He was always happy with his decision, but motivated to bring all of his interests together to reflect in his work - NASCAR, music, pop culture, nostalgia,” Denise remembers. “That is what made his compositions so unique.”

It didn’t take long for Sam’s artistic talents to catch the eyes of the racing world.

Soon Sam was designing programs and trophies for nearby tracks such as Richmond International Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway as well as paint schemes for champion drivers, including Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Harry Gant, Tony Stewart and Rusty Wallace.

Two of his all-time favorite schemes are certainly well-known to NASCAR fans: The famed Rainbow Warrior car for Jeff Gordon who visited Victory Lane countless times with the colorful No. 24 Chevrolet as he dominated racing in the 1990s.

A design nicknamed “Flashpoint” – a yellow and orange combination that Dale Earnhardt Jr. sported during one of his final full-time seasons.

“He wanted to influence the look of the sport as much as he wanted to capture its feel and history,” Denise said. “Paint schemes became a dominant part of his portfolio and produced the looks for generations of drivers as one crossed over to the next.”

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

29

By the time America’s best drivers reached Nashville Superspeedway in 2001, Bass was already the first “Officially Licensed Artist of NASCAR.” An earlier tour of the Gibson Guitars plant in Nashville led to several friendships the family maintains to this today.

His association with Gibson also led him to create limited edition guitars featuring Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Richard Petty and also made him a natural choice to help design the Superspeedway’s signature trophy and souvenir program covers.

“The Nashville guitar trophy became one of the most sought-after trophies on the Truck and Xfinity circuits,” Denise said.

“The limited-edition driver guitars and especially the Nashville guitars paved the way for NASCAR banquet trophies and Daytona pre-race presentations. Having designed hundreds of guitars during his career, Sam’s desire was to create one that provided a broader canvas.”

Through

these

successes,

Sam’s life was not without challenges.

At age 27, Sam was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes, which eventually led to his fatal illness.

Sam was on the donor list to receive a kidney transplant when he died and he spent much time and effort on raising awareness of kidney disease and diabetes.

When he passed, the tributes came pouring in from the racing community.

“There’s not many people that you meet in your life that are so happy to see you every time they see you, and he was that way,” recalled Dale Earnhardt Jr. “He set such a great example for all of us on how to treat people and how to maintain relationships. He just seemed so grateful for everything that ever happened to him. I hope that he’s celebrated because he meant a lot to this sport.”

NASCAR also released a heartfelt statement: “Though he may have never turned a lap or a wrench, few captured the essence of our sport through his work more than Sam Bass. He was a consistent presence in the NASCAR garage, and his ever-present smile and endearing personality welcomed all. Though we have lost a member of the NASCAR family, his legend will continue in his art – all of which illustrated the greatness of our sport and the talent of a true friend.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

•• Kyle Busch’s 2009 win ended with a bang when he smashed his Gibson Guitar trophy, creating one of Nashville Superspeedways iconic moments.

R

ecognizing and celebrating the past while

pointing toward the future has been a key emphasis of Nashville Superspeedway President Erik Moses since he took the reins of the venue last summer.

“One of our priorities since beginning the work of revitalizing the Nashville Superspeedway has been to determine how to appropriately honor Sam Bass’ memory and his influence on the sport,” Moses said. “As Denise and I continued to discuss Sam’s legacy and what our track meant to him, it became clear that the tribute had to be permanent and not simply a one-off recognition. We look forward to presenting that tribute to our fans at the Superspeedway for years to come.”

“Those who were there then have pressed for the tradition to continue in some way and they have shared the history of it, through social media, with a new generation of fans eagerly awaiting Nashville’s return to NASCAR racing through its inaugural Cup event,” Denise said.

“Working with Erik and the Superspeedway team these last several months and looking back on Sam’s career and accomplishments has brought a lot of wonderful memories to the forefront for our family. We are sincerely grateful to them for their thoughtfulness and appreciation of the impact and talents Sam had and gave completely to the sport he loved so much.

“I believe it’s natural for an artist to have so many creative ideas in his or her mind that it’s impossible to execute them all in one lifetime.

“I believe they all leave something on the drawing table at the end. I would like to think that Sam left a concept that would have highlighted this inaugural event while reflecting the rich history of the past.”

While Nashville Superspeedway’s Victory Lane gatherings will miss Sam’s joyous presence, his legacy will be ever present at the track starting appropriately with the tripleheader of races Father’s Day weekend.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

31

NASCAR CUP SERIES STARS

LOOK FORWARD TO NASHVILLE As America’s best drivers reach

“You look at the Nashville market and hitting on that.

I think that will be very interesting and fun for all of us in the industry to go towards that area. You look at what the banquet was like there and it was a lot of fun, and you look at the fans when we did the burnout competition there down on Broadway, that was cool. I like to think that area is going to be really cool.”

JOEY LOGANO NO. 22 FORD TEAM PENSKE

the midpoint of the 2021 season, one of the hot topics in media interviews has been the NASCAR Cup Series schedule changes, including the addition of Nashville Superspeedway’s June 18-20 tripleheader weekend.

The weekend includes the “Ally 400” NASCAR Cup Series race on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 20 — the Cup Series’ first visit to Middle Tennessee in almost 40 years.

See below on some top drivers’ thoughts on Nashville as they get ready to take the green flag at the Superspeedway.

“I’ve run a Truck race there and quite a few NASCAR Xfinity Series races there. My first NASCAR win ever was there in 2008. It was an incredibly special day and a season that I’ll never forget. Going back there, I’ll always remember that day.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI NO. 2 FORD TEAM PENSKE

“NASCAR is [in the middle of] our most exciting season ever.

We’ve got some really unique events on the schedule … going to Nashville Superspeedway …. that we’ve never been to in the Cup Series. It’s going be interesting and exciting.”

ARIC ALMIROLA

NO. 10 FORD STEWART-HAAS RACING

“It’s been a long time since I’ve run Nashville.

I ran in the Xfinity Series there early in my career.

It’s a difficult place. It’s got concrete which is even more difficult to come up with a tire and aerodynamic package that works really well. I’m really interested to see how the Cup Series runs there. Obviously, Nashville itself is a very exciting town.

Hopefully we get a lot of fan enthusiasm back there that we had about a decade ago.”

DENNY HAMLIN

NO. 11 TOYOTA JOE GIBBS RACING

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8

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55

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57

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59

34

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37

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61

38

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63

42

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64

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65

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48

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67

52

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68

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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State Water Heaters knows all about high performance that’s why we designed our Proline water heaters to tough commercial-grade standards. We are excited to partner with Jeb Burton and the Crossroads with the Burton’s outdoor TV show to help deliver that performance message to homeowners around the United States.

53

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MAD

70

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

99

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

71

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

DRIVER PROFILES

SATURDAY, JUNE 19TH

TENNESSEE LOTTERY 250 72

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

XFINITY SERIES

DRIVER PROFILES

JEFFREY

JOE

MICHAEL

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

EARNHARDT

GRAF JR.

MOORESVILLE, N.C.

MAHWAH, N.J.

DES MOINES, IOWA

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

JD MOTORSPORTS

SS GREEN LIGHT RACING

JR MOTORSPORTS

MYATT

LANDON

MATT

HOMETOWN

ANNETT

SNIDER

CASSILL

MILLS

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA

LYNCHBURG, VA.

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

JD MOTORSPORTS

BJ MCLEOD MOTORSPORTS

RYAN

JUSTIN

JOSH

VARGAS

ALLGAIER

BERRY

LA MIRADA, CALIF.

SPAULDING, ILL.

HENDERSONVILLE, TENN.

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

JD MOTORSPORTS

JR MOTORSPORTS

JR MOTORSPORTS

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

73

XFINITY SERIES

NOAH

JUSTIN

GRAGSON

BURTON

HALEY

LAS VEGAS, NEV.

HALIFAX, VA.

WINAMAC, IND.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

JR MOTORSPORTS

KAULIG RACING

KAULIG RACING

COLBY

AJ

JJ

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOWARD

ALLMENDINGER

YELEY

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C.

LOS GATOS, CALIF.

PHOENIX, ARIZ.

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

JD MOTORSPORTS

KAULIG RACING

SS GREEN LIGHT RACING

DANIEL

BRANDON

HARRISON

HEMRIC HOMETOWN

KANNAPOLIS, N.C.

74

JEB

JONES HOMETOWN

ATLANTA, GA.

BURTON HOMETOWN

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

JOE GIBBS RACING

JOE GIBBS RACING

JOE GIBBS RACING

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

DRIVER PROFILES

AUSTIN

ALEX

RYAN

CINDRIC

LABBE HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

COLUMBUS, OHIO

SAINT ALBERT, QUEBEC

TUCKER, GA.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM PENSKE

DGM RACING

RSS RACING

TOMMY JOE

KYLE

GRAY

HOMETOWN

SIEG

MARTINS

WEATHERMAN

GAULDING

COMO, MISS.

WENTZVILLE, MO.

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, VA.

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

MARTINS MOTORSPORTS

MIKE HARMON RACING

MEANS MOTORSPORTS

TY

TY

JEREMY

DILLON

GIBBS

CLEMENTS

LEWISVILLE, N.C.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

SPARTANBURG, S.C.

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

JOE GIBBS RACING

JOE GIBBS RACING

JEREMY CLEMENTS RACING

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

75

XFINITY SERIES

DRIVER PROFILES

DAVID

BRANDON

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

STARR

BAYLEY

BROWN

CURREY

HOUSTON, TEXAS

WOODBRIDGE, VA.

DRIFTWOOD, TEXAS

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

HATTORI RACING ENTERPRISES

BRANDONBILT MOTORSPORTS

BJ MCLEOD MOTORSPORTS

JESSE

JOSH

RILEY

HOMETOWN

LITTLE

WILLIAMS

HERBST

SHERRILLS FORD, N.C.

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA.

LAS VEGAS, NEV.

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

BJ MCLEOD MOTORSPORTS

DGM RACING

STEWART-HAAS RACING

STEFAN

PARSONS HOMETOWN

CORNELIUS, N.C. TEAM

BJ MCLEOD MOTORSPORTS

76

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

DRIVER PROFILES

FRIDAY, JUNE 18TH

RACKLEY ROOFING 200 78

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

TRUCK SERIES

DRIVER PROFILES

HAILLIE

SHELDON

JOHN HUNTER

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

DEEGAN

CREED

NEMECHEK

TEMECULA, CALIF.

ALPINE, CALIF.

MOORESVILLE, N.C.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

DAVID GILLILAND RACING

GMS RACING

KYLE BUSCH MOTORSPORTS

CODIE

TATE

JOHNNY

ROHRBAUGH

FOGLEMAN

SAUTER

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

PETERSBURG, W.V.

DURHAM, N.C.

NECEDAH, WISC.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

CR7 MOTORSPORTS

YOUNG’S MOTORSPORTS

THORSPORT RACING

TANNER

AUSTIN

CHANDLER

GRAY

HILL

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

ARTESIA, N.M.

WINSTON, GA.

SMITH HOMETOWN

TALKING ROCK, GA.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

DAVID GILLILAND RACING

HATTORI RACING ENTERPRISES

KYLE BUSCH MOTORSPORTS NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

79

TRUCK SERIES

DEREK

SPENCER

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

KRAUS

ZANE

BOYD

SMITH

STRATFORD, WISC.

CREVE COEUR, MO.

TEAM

TEAM

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF.

MCANALLY-HILGEMANN RACING

YOUNG’S MOTORSPORTS

AUSTIN WAYNE

CHASE

SELF

PURDY

TEAM

GMS RACING

RAPHAEL

LESSARD

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

AUSTIN, TEXAS

TUSCALOOSA, ALA.

SAINT-JOSEPH DE BEAUCE, CANADA

TEAM

TEAM

AM RACING

GMS RACING

JOSH

TYLER

BERRY

ANKRUM

HENDERSONVILLE, TENN.

SAN BERNARDINO, CALIF.

HOMETOWN

80

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

TEAM

GMS RACING

DANNY

BOHN

HOMETOWN

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, N.J.

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

RACKLEY W.A.R.

GMS RACING

ON POINT MOTORSPORTS

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

DRIVER PROFILES

TODD

RYAN

CARSON

GILLILAND

TRUEX

HOCEVAR

SHERRILLS FORD, N.C.

MAYETTA STAFFORD TOWNSHIP, N.J.

PORTAGE, MICH.

TEAM

NIECE MOTORSPORTS

HOMETOWN TEAM

FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

BRETT

HOMETOWN

NIECE MOTORSPORT

STEWART

HOMETOWN TEAM

MATT

MOFFITT

FRIESEN

CRAFTON

GRIMES, IOWA

NIAGARA ON THE LAKE, CANADA

TULARE, CALIF.

TEAM

THORSPORT RACING

HOMETOWN TEAM

NIECE MOTORSPORTS

CHRISTIAN

HOMETOWN

HALMAR FRIESEN RACING

GRANT

HOMETOWN TEAM

BEN

ECKES

ENFINGER

RHODES

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y.

FAIRHOPE, ALA.

LOUISVILLE, KY.

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN

TEAM

TEAM

TEAM

THORSPORT RACING

THORSPORT RACING

THORSPORT RACING NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

81

MILESTONE MOMENTS EVENTS THAT SHAPED NASCAR HISTORY

N

ASCAR is cur-

rently celebrating its 72nd year of competition after the sanctioning body was officially incorporated on Feb. 21, 1948, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Many significant milestones have been achieved over those seven decades that have positioned NASCAR racing among the premier major league sports around the world.

Seeking to prove which make of car was the fastest and most reliable among America’s auto manufacturers,

82

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

their “Win on Sunday/Sell on Monday” sale strategies were successful as auto executives hired the absolute best drivers to wheel their latest creations on a variety of race tracks around the country.

Those who piloted the earliest creations were farmers, millworkers, mechanics and moonshiners.

They were unafraid to push Chevrolets, Dodges, Fords, Hudsons and Mercurys to their absolute limits, while seeking to become woven as champions into NASCAR’s

incredible history.

The sport’s legendary superstars are household names – Allison Baker, Earnhardt, Panch, Pearson, Petty, Roberts, Turner, Weatherly and Yarborough, to name only a very few. Many were fathers who raced to glory on NASCAR’s short tracks and superspeedways before passing their professions down to their sons.

Here is a look back at several milestone events that helped shape American stock car racing into the sport we celebrate and enjoy today.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

THE FIRST CUP SERIES RACE

W

June 19, 1949 hen World War

II officially ended on Aug. 9, 1945, American servicemen returned home to rebuild their lives and they searched for work to support their families.

Some had raced cars in vacant pastures before the war, which began with the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The rush of wartime remained, prompting a large number of men to either try their hand at stock car racing or return to the new and vastly popular pastime that was quickly being organized.

When William Getty “Bill” France formed NASCAR on Feb. 21, 1948, there were five other groups attempting to organize sanctioning bodies to present stock car racing.

Driver Robert Nolin “Red” Byron won 11 of 52 races during the 1948 season and was crowned NASCAR’s first Modified champion.

The success of the Modified stockers made France thirst for more. He then promoted NASCAR’s first Strictly Stock race on the newly built Charlotte Speedway, a dirt track located near the North Carolina city’s Wilkinson Boulevard.

From the very start, the Strictly Stocks were billed as NASCAR’s premier division, which today is known as the NASCAR Cup Series.

A NEW ERA DAWNS September 4, 1950

O

n Dec. 13, 1949, land devel-

oper Harold Brasington became somewhat of a laughingstock around Darlington County, South Carolina, after he began clearing 70 acres of brush from a former cotton field adjacent to Hartsville Highway.

After attending the Indianapolis 500 in May 1949, it became Brasington’s dream to build a race track that resembled the famed 2.5-mile Indy layout.

Everyone thought he had lost his mind but still, many around the small hamlet of Darlington, South Carolina, bought stock in his risky venture.

The second biggest shareholder, Sherman Ramsey, gave Brasington the acreage needed to make the venture come to fruition. On a handshake, Ramsey agreed to Brasington’s terms as long as the minnow pond located outside the second turn remained untouched.

The two business entrepreneurs created an egg-shaped oval that became one of the toughest tracks in motorsports.

Brasington is known to have said to Sherman, “You go fishing and I’ll go to work.”

Only nine months later, Brasington cut the thick red ribbon on his 1.25-mile superspeedway, the first paved oval of its kind in the South and a sight to behold by the townsfolk who had never seen such a spectacle.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

For weeks leading up to the June 19, 1949, race, talk of the upcoming event spread rapidly. Predictions of a large crowd were correct as 13,000 filled the makeshift wooden bleachers.

After 200 laps on the three-quarter-mile, dustgenerating dirt surface, Kansan Jim Roper was declared the winner in the Lincoln he drove from his home state.

Roper inherited the victory when the rear leaf springs on the 1947 Ford driven by apparent winner Glenn Dunaway were deemed illegal.

Roper had seen a comic strip in the newspaper announcing the race and drove without stopping over several days to get to the track.

“That strip always advertised the air shows and it was pretty popular at the time. I always read it,” Roper said in the April 1992 edition of American Racing Classics. “That fellow (cartoonist Zack Moseley) had the race mentioned in it and we decided to give it a try.

“That ($2,000 to win) was pretty big money back then (nearly $21,600 in today’s money).”

There were 12 Fords, four Hudsons, six Oldsmobiles, three Lincolns, two Buicks, two Chryslers, two Kaisers, one Cadillac and one Mercury in the 33-car field. Roper drove his winning No. 34 Lincoln, with his trophy in the passenger seat, back to Kansas after the race.

NASCAR scheduled the track’s first race – the Southern 500 – for Sept. 4, 1950. Brasington worried he wouldn’t fill all 9,000 seats he had constructed by way of concrete bleachers. Instead, 25,000 spectators showed up and camped all around the speedway with nowhere to house them.

Many camped around the town square and on the courthouse steps in Darlington hoping to score a race day ticket.

A field of 75 cars took the green flag for the 400-lap event led by pole winner Curtis Turner from Virginia. The 500-mile race spanned 6 hours and 38 minutes with drivers suffering so many blown tires that some were secretly taken off passenger cars in the field to finish the race.

California native Johnny Mantz wheeled an underpowered six-cylinder Plymouth to victory using a set of hard Indianapolis-style tires for the entire race, averaging 75.250 mph. Team owner Red Vogt protested the win but nothing illegal was found. Mantz’s strategy of pacing himself while others raced hard was his advantage for winning.

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THE INAUGURAL DAYTONA 500

THE TRAGEDIES OF 1964

February 22, 1959

Jan 19, 1964 - Nov 8, 1964

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hen Daytona International

Speedway opened on Feb. 6, 1959, it was truly the largest race track NASCAR racers had ever seen at 2.5 miles in length.

Drivers had experienced the treacherous Darlington Raceway at 1.25 miles in length for eight previous seasons, but the newly constructed superspeedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, was expected to generate the fastest speeds ever experienced to that point in stock car racing.

Bill France, the founder of NASCAR and builder of the speedway, recognized the value of newspaper headlines and stretched practice and qualifying sessions over a 10-day period. He also conceived the idea of holding single-car qualifying sessions as well as two traditional 125-mile qualifying events to set the starting field.

When race day arrived, 59 cars lined up for the 200-lap race with Shorty Rollins and Bob Welborn leading the field. Seven drivers did not make the starting field and were forced to load their cars and return home.

There were 33 lead changes in the race with driver Johnny Beauchamp flagged the winner over Lee Petty in a three-car photo-finish that included Joe Weatherly crossing the line one lap down. Petty felt he was the winner and posted a protest to have the finish checked.

At the time, the only way to resolve the issue was through the use of a photo-finish camera posted at the start-finish line. The film had to be developed and enlarged enough to see which car was ahead at the finish.

Both drivers commented they felt they had won, according to Greg Fielden’s “40 Years of Stock Car Racing” book series.

“I had Beauchamp by a good two feet. In my own mind, I know I won,” Petty said during post-race interviews.

Beauchamp replied, “I had him by two feet. I glanced over to Lee Petty’s car as I crossed the finish line and I could see his headlight slightly back of my car. It was so close I didn’t know how they would call it, but I thought I won.”

Fireball Roberts, an early leader in the race, was standing near the finish line and said: “There’s no doubt about it, Petty won.”

Photos and newsreel footage were studied over a three-day period before France declared Petty the winner the following Wednesday.

Petty was given his trophy and check in his home. It was Lee Petty’s only Daytona 500 victory.

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he 1964 NAS-

CAR Cup Series season began on Jan. 19 at California’s Riverside International Raceway. That day, driver Joe Weatherly had returned to the nine-turn road course after a transmission change when his Bud Moore Engineering Mercury slammed driver side first into the turn six wall, taking his life instantly.

Only five months later, multiple tragedies occurred at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600 and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Indianapolis 500.

At Charlotte, NASCAR legend Glenn “Fireball” Roberts suffered severe burns in a three-car crash involving Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson during the seventh lap of the 400-lap race.

The Tavares, Florida, native succumbed to his injuries 39 days later on July 2, 1964, after remaining in critical condition.

The same day as of the 600, Eddie Sachs and Dave McDonald lost their lives in a horrendous multi-car crash and fire on the second lap of the Indianapolis 500.

Another driver to lose his life during the 1964 season was Jimmy Pardue, who was killed during a tire test at Charlotte on Sept. 22.

As a direct result of those crashes, fire-resistant uniforms were developed to keep flames away from drivers amid terrible crashes. Also developed that year were tire inner liners that kept tires from blowing out completely at high speeds. The inner shell of the tire remained intact to give drivers stability while bringing their cars under control. Also, roll cage construction was improved to protect the drivers.

Possibly the most important innovation came with the introduction of the fuel cell, a rubber bladder designed to prevent fuel-tank explosions, as was the case in Roberts’ crash at Charlotte.

Also, fire extinguisher systems were eventually developed and added to the front, rear and cockpit areas on the race car that can be activated by the push of a button.

As the decades passed, car construction, five-point seat belt harnesses, full-face helmets and HANS devices have brought injury and death in NASCAR competition to an absolute minimum.

“The 1964 NASCAR season as well as the tragedy of the deaths at Indianapolis that year paved the way for many safety innovations that were so desperately needed,” said H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, formerly with Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. and also Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Because of those tragic deaths, other drivers were able to remain safe in the years to come. So many innovations have been improved upon that are still being used to some degree today.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

PETTY’S PHENOMENAL 1967 Jan 22, 1967 - Nov 5, 1967

T

here are times

in professional sports when one season stands out above all the rest. Everything comes together perfectly, and no one can truly explain why or how it all came together.

That happened in 1967 when seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty drove a single 1966 Plymouth to more wins in a single season than anyone in NASCAR history.

After 48 starts during that year’s NASCAR Cup Series season, Petty had won 27 races, including a NASCAR-record 10 consecutively. In all, the dominant signature Petty blue Mopar machine tallied 36 victories from 1966 to 1967.

At that time, having a car that finished 27 races was quite a feat, let alone win them.

Many times, cars were crashed so badly they had to be scrapped and replaced with new ones. Miraculously, this particular car never suffered major damage of any kind, other than the occasional sheet metal rubs and bumps while battling for position. No matter where the car was raced, it was considered the class of the field and the car every driver wanted to defeat.

WINSTON MONEY TRANSFORMS NASCAR January 10, 1971

F

rom its inception in

June 1949 through November 1970, NASCAR’s premier series grew in popularity, most notably as a regional southern sport.

Then, circumstances far removed from stock car racing prompted a well-known corporation based in Winston Salem, North Carolina, to look for a new stage from which to promote its products.

On April 1, 1970, President Richard Nixon signed legislation banning tobacco advertising from being broadcast on television and radio. For years prior to the decision, public health advocates had touted the risks of using tobacco.

The timing was perfect as Detroit’s Big Three automakers – Ford, General Motors and Chrysler – had all but eliminated their factory support of race teams after years of entering and leaving the sport over rules disputes.

When Junior Johnson, a former NASCAR driver turned team owner, approached R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. officials about sponsoring his Chevrolet for the 1971 season, he quickly realized their desire to be a part of the sport was far bigger

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

The famed Plymouth was the first to be loaned to the NASCAR Hall of Fame for its grand opening in Charlotte in 2010.

“The Plymouth Belvedere was a special car,” Petty said the day it was presented. “Back then we usually found a car that was good on short tracks or speedways or dirt tracks, but not many that were good everywhere. That Plymouth was fast no matter where we ran it.”

Dale Inman, crew chief for 193 of Petty’s 200 career victories, remembers the car as one of the absolute best that ever came out of the team’s Level Cross, North Carolina, shop.

“Back then, it was such a feat to not fall out of 10 races in a row, let alone win them,” Inman said. “There were a lot of 100-mile races, but still, to win that many was remarkable with the way the motors, wheel bearings and rear-ends were in that era. All that stuff is so much better now. “ Since opening 72 years ago, Petty Enterprises fielded Oldsmobiles, Plymouths, Fords, Dodges, Chevrolets and Pontiacs. Through 2007 when the organization ceased its NASCAR Cup Series efforts, the team had collected 268 wins, 10 Cup Series championships and nine Daytona 500 victories with Lee and Richard Petty as well as Pete Hamilton. The Pettys’ phenomenal 1967 season helped bring NASCAR to the forefront in newspapers alongside professional stick-and-ball sports.

than sponsoring a single car. Johnson introduced RJR executives to NASCAR founder Bill France with the idea of becoming the first series sponsor in the sanctioning body’s then 23-year history.

The tobacco giant’s entrance into auto racing was a life preserver for NASCAR that resulted in several other Fortune 500 corporations being introduced to auto racing in the decades to come. RJR reduced the Winston Cup Series schedule from 48 races to 33, eliminating many dirt and asphalt short tracks from the circuit. A revamped points system was also put in place to accommodate the shorter, streamlined schedule.

In 1971, RJR spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on track improvements, repairing and painting buildings with the company’s signature red-and-white Winston colors and adding signage, structures and seating where needed. RJR also began sponsoring the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

From 1971 through 2003, the Winston Cup Series was recognized as one of the best auto racing sponsorship programs around the world. RJR also delved into NHRA Drag racing, the IMSA Camel GT Series for sports cars and backed the Lotus Formula One team from 1987 until 1990.

RJR’s most popular sponsorship package in NASCAR was the Winston Million, which was won by Bill Elliott in 1985 at Darlington Raceway as well as Jeff Gordon at the same track in 1997.

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RICHARD PETTY VERSUS DAVID PEARSON

‘AND THERE’S A FIGHT!’ February 18, 1979

February 15, 1976

T

hroughout

their careers, NASCAR Cup Series champions Richard Petty and David Pearson finished first and second to one another a total of 63 times with Pearson coming out first 33 times to Petty’s 30.

In February 1976, the ending to the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway came down to one of the most exciting finishes in the then 17-year history of The Great American Race.

The two legendary drivers dogged each other throughout the 200-lap event with Pearson playing a waiting game in second as the laps clicked down to the finish. With one lap remaining, Pearson, driving the famed Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Mercury, dropped low going into turn three to make his move around Petty’s No. 43 STP Dodge. Pearson had Petty cleared but saw Petty drop low to come back as they two leaders worked through the fourth turn with the checkered flag in sight.

In the chute between Turn Four and the start-finish line, it appeared Petty had Pearson beat, but when he pulled in front to complete the pass, the cars bumped. Petty worked to clear Pearson’s Mercury but came up short by a mere foot, sending both drivers hard into the outside retaining wall and spinning wildly into the tri-oval grass.

Petty spun down the track while Pearson spun toward pit road and clipped a lapped car. Petty was a mere 25 yards from the startfinish line frantically trying to get his Dodge refired. Pearson had the presence of mind to push in the clutch to keep his engine running and drove under the checkered flag at only 20 mph. Petty’s power came from a few crew members who ran to push him across the line.

“My engine never died,” Pearson said in Victory Lane. “Before I hit the wall I popped the clutch, put it in neutral and revved the engine as high as I could to keep it from stalling.”

The significance is that national news outlets, such as ABC’s “Good Morning America,” interviewed both drivers the day after the race in New York City, further bringing NASCAR into the national spotlight. It was the first time NASCAR had been featured on a major news show the morning after a race.

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T

he 1979 Daytona 500 marked the first time the crown jewel event of the NASCAR Cup Series was televised live, flag to flag to a national

audience.

After days of hard rain in Daytona Beach, Florida, the 200-lap event at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway started under threatening skies. The Feb. 18 race was viewed by a national television audience on CBS as well as 120,000 fans in attendance.

Millions on the eastern seaboard were trapped in their homes by a massive snowstorm that stretched from north Florida to the state of Maine. There were only three national television networks at that time as broadcasting choices that day were NBA basketball, a western movie and the Daytona 500.

Seventy-eight drivers attempted to qualify for 41 available positions in the 500 field, led by pole position winner Buddy Baker. By race’s end, there were a total of 36 lead changes in the 3-hour, 30-minute race.

Drivers Donnie Allison, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison crashed together to bring out the second caution flag on lap 31. All three drivers would be the center of attention at race’s end when Donnie Allison and Yarborough crashed on the final lap while battling for the victory, with their damaged cars coming to rest at the bottom of Turn Three and handing the victory to Richard Petty.

When Bobby Allison stopped to give his brother a ride to the garage area, a fight broke out among the trio of drivers.

The brief skirmish on national television caught the attention of those watching who had never seen a NASCAR race, prompting conversations among casual fans as well as those who had followed the sport for many years. Among those who were introduced to the sport that day were a number of people from corporate America, looking to possibly join the sport in a sponsorship capacity.

While Yarborough and the Allison brothers were later fined for their actions, Petty enjoyed his sixth of seven Daytona 500 victories as the surprise winner. The native of Level Cross, North Carolina, had undergone major stomach surgery just a week before the race and was told by his doctors that he should not race due to the severity of the procedure.

The Daytona 500 victory also helped the Petty team renew its sponsorship with STP. Petty went on to race an additional 13 years before hanging up his helmet in 1992.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

ELLIOTT BANKS THE WINSTON MILLION September 1, 1985

A

t the NASCAR Cup

Series Awards Banquet in New York City during the winter of 1984, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. offered $1 million to any driver who could win three of NASCAR’s four biggest races.

Ironically, the series sponsor felt the odds were a bit great to fulfill, as they did not initially set aside the funding to pay the Winston Million.

Bill Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Melling Racing Ford Thunderbird fielded by his family team, was able to accomplish the impossible by winning the 1985 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, giving NASCAR one of the greatest Cinderella stories in all of professional sports.

Having suffered brake issues during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Elliott family, of Dawsonville, Georgia, made the quest for stardom even more special because they were considered everyday folks, just like their fans. They pulled off the

impossible simply by giving their absolute best effort in the garage and behind the wheel.

Each time the Elliott brothers – Bill, Dan and Ernie – would enter a track during the 1985 season, Bill Elliott set up the Ford’s chassis in addition to driving. Ernie Elliott would build and tune the car’s engines while Dan Elliott would manage the car’s springs and shocks. It was a magical union among brothers, often taking them away from the media to concentrate on making their Fords go so fast.

“There was a good deal of pressure on the team all week, and there was pressure to keep the car together during the race,” Elliott told the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

“Anything could have happened. I could have run the car into the wall. But everything worked out.”

All told, the Elliotts collected 11 victories in 1985 but fell just short of winning the NASCAR Cup Series championship to driver Darrell Waltrip and team owner Junior Johnson. Still, having won the Winston Million made it a season to remember throughout NASCAR’s incredible storied history.

Elliott’s total Darlington earnings were $1,053,725, more than five times his take for winning the Daytona 500 earlier that year.

All told, Bill Elliott recorded 44 victories during his career and earned the 1988 Cup Series championship. He made his final series start at Daytona in July 2012.

EARNHARDT FINALLY WINS THE DAYTONA 500 February 15, 1998

D

ale Earnhardt’s love for Daytona Inter-

national Speedway began as a young child when his father, Ralph Earnhardt, brought him oranges from Florida when he ran Sportsman Division races there during the early 1960s.

On Feb. 18, 1979, Dale Earnhardt, of Kannapolis, North Carolina, fired the engine in his Rod Osterlund-owned Chevrolet and began a 20-year quest to win the Daytona 500. But seemingly every year, there would be some type of mechanical issue, a crash not of his making or worst yet, he’d come up agonizingly short of victory.

From 1979 through 1997, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion logged 34 wins at the Florida track in events such as 125-qualifying races, Busch Clashes and IROC (International Race of Champions) races. The one race that eluded him year after year for two decades was the Daytona 500.

The close ones came in 1986 when he ran out of gas and lost it to Geoff Bodine.

Then, in 1990, he blew a tire on the final lap and lost to Derrike Cope. In 1991, he was forced to watch Dale Jarrett beat him to the checkered flag. Then there was another second-place finish to Jarrett in 1996.

On Feb. 15, 1998, the Daytona 500 victory finally came. While driving his black No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Earnhardt averaged 172.712 mph over the 500-mile distance and took home a then-record $1 million prize.

Following his victory, crews from competing teams lined pit road to congratulate PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

the 46-year-old racer before he drove his car onto the grass and did several celebratory doughnuts prior to visiting Victory Lane.

Earnhardt’s 1998 win is arguably the most sentimental of all Daytona 500 triumphs considering no other driver had come so close so many times before rolling into Victory Lane.

Those around him that memorable February afternoon had never see him more relaxed and upbeat than when he finally achieved his greatest personal accomplishment.

“Twenty years! Can you believe it? We won it! The Daytona 500 is ours! Every which way I could lose it, I’ve lost it. Now I’ve won it and I don’t car how I’ve won it. We won it,” Earnhardt said in a post-race interview that day.

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HISTORICAL NASCAR FAST FACTS

BY BEN WHITE

NASCAR FOUNDER BILL FRANCE AND THE NAME GRAND NATIONAL

After seeing the movie “National Velvet” starring Elizabeth Taylor in 1944, NASCAR founder Bill France adopted the Grand National label for his premier stock car series. The movie featured horse racing with Taylor competing for a victory in the Grand Nationals. The division is known today as the NASCAR Cup Series.

PETTY DID NOT WIN ALL 200 WITH NO. 43

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty is known for driving the iconic No. 43 throughout his 32-year career. However, eight of Petty’s 200 victories came using different car numbers. The King won twice with No. 42 (1962 and 1966) and six times with No. 41, five in 1963 and once in 1964.

ROOKIE WINNERS IN THE CUP SERIES

Since

1972,

rookie winners in the NASCAR Cup Series are: Earl Ross, Dale Earnhardt, Ron Bouchard, Morgan Shepherd, Davey Allison, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Trevor Bayne and Chris Buescher.

INDY CAR DREAMS

Drivers

Tony Stewart,

Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Ricky Rudd set out to build Indy Car careers before

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they came to NASCAR. Among them, only Stewart and Johnson have fulfilled that mission. Stewart was crowned the 1996 Indy car champion while Johnson is currently pursuing an Indy car career.

RICHARD PETTY TOLD NOT TO RACE

A

week

before winning the 1979 Daytona 500, Richard Petty had major stomach surgery and was told by his doctors that he should not race. The Randleman, North Carolina, native won his sixth of seven Daytona 500s when Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison crashed on the final lap.

WING TIPS WERE BEST

Throughout a 35-year career, driver Dave Marcis chose to wear a Sunday wingtip shoe when he drove race cars in NASCAR competition. The Wausau, Wisconsin, native selected the shoe over others because of its hard sole that protected his feet from blistering due to hot floorboards in Cup Series race cars.

CALE YARBOROUGH LED ALL 500 LAPS

On March 25,1973, Cale Yarborough drove his Junior Johnsonprepared No. 11 Chevrolet to victory at Bristol Motor Speedway, leading the entire 500-lap race distance. The driver from Timmonsville, South Carolina, lapped the field by the 100th lap and was never contested for the win on the famed .533-mile Tennessee track.

DAYTONA’S FIRST BLACK FLAG

During the first practice session prior to the inaugural Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959, driver Herman Beam received the track’s first black flag for going out to practice without his helmet. The Johnson City, Tennessee, native entered 194 NASCAR events from 1957 through 1963, scoring 57 top-10 finishes.

A PHENOMENAL SEASON

In 1973, three-time NASCAR champion David Pearson won 10 superspeedway races and one short-track event in only 18 Cup Series starts for Wood Brothers Racing that season. The Spartanburg, South Carolina, driver collected 43 of his 105-career victories, including the 1976 Daytona 500, with the Virginia-based team before his retirement in 1986.

JARRETT WINS BY A WIDE MARGIN

Two-time NASCAR champion Ned Jarrett, driver of the No. 11 Bowani Racing Ford, won the 1965 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway by 14 laps, or 19.25 miles. The Conover, North Carolina, native saved his engine by turning it off in the turns and refiring it on the front and back straightaways.

MAY DROVE FIVE CARS IN ONE RACE

NASCAR Cup Series driver Dick May drove five different race cars for five different owners, including himself, during the 1975 Mason-Dixon 500 at Dover International Speedway. With heat reaching nearly 100 degrees, May drove portions of the race in relief of four drivers as the race spanned nearly five hours.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

TIM FLOCK AND HIS PASSENGER April 5, 1953

T

wo-time NASCAR champion

Tim Flock came from a family of showmen who loved to perform in front of crowds at every possible chance. By the fifth race of the 1953 season, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion had a gimmick to help garner headlines everywhere he raced during the 37-race season.

Team owner Ted Chester was visiting a pet store in Atlanta when he came across a rhesus monkey, one of the smallest and most personable of all simians. A sign on the cage indicated his name was Jocko. Chester knew it was the thing to do when he mouthed the name “Jocko Flocko,” and figured it would be a great addition to have the monkey ride along with Flock in NASCAR races, complete with a custom-made helmet and uniform.

Chester owned the car and knew he would have little trouble convincing Flock to be part of the stunt. After all, his champion driver loved publicity.

Flock honestly thought his team owner had been hitting the liquor bottle once too often, especially since it had never been done. The driver did not ask NASCAR and instead, had a special seat made for his passenger. Jocko broke into NASCAR racing at the Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway on April 5, 1953, riding co-pilot in

icondirect.com

the No. 91 Hudson. They started from the pole position and led seven times for 87 laps but fell off the pace on lap 125 with engine problems.

The two traveled to Richmond, Virginia, on April 19 but did not start, followed by Macon, Georgia, on May 3 where they finished fifth. They continued to Columbia, South Carolina, and finished second; followed by Hickory, North Carolina, on May 16 where they celebrated the victory. Then it was on to Martinsville, Virginia, where they finished 32nd, Columbus, Ohio, and finished 22nd and Raleigh, North Carolina, on May 30 and finished third.

That is where Jocko’s racing career came to an end.

“He thought it was time to check the right front tire so he unfastened his seat belt and went down to the trap door to take a look,” Flock said in his book, “Tim Flock – Race Driver,” published in May 1991. “Jocko pulled the chain, peered in the hole and got zinged by a small piece of debris right between the eyes.”

Jocko went wild, forcing Flock to visit pit road and drop him off for the very last time.

1-888-362-4266

R U O Y S S E R P X E O T W O H

R A C S A N

M O D N A F Want to prove you’re a

serious and passionate NASCAR fan? It’s not all that difficult, really. But it is probably going to require more than just watching a race on TV once a month or attending one race a decade.

Yes, to show the world you’re truly sold out to the sport you love, it’s a good idea to go the extra mile – even if it costs you a little money, time and effort along the way.

The truth is, if you’re really devoted to NASCAR and making sure your fandom is

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on full display, you won’t mind being a little inconvenienced because, well, that’s all part of the fun.

Following are several sure ways to wear your fandom on your sleeve and let everyone in your world know just how devoted you are to the guys and gals who drive fast stock cars and turn left – and sometimes right – for your entertainment.

BY JARED TURNER & AARON BURNS

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Collect NASCAR Diecasts

O

ne of the most reveal-

ing signs of a diehard NASCAR fan is often found in the display cases in his or her home. That’s where diecast collectibles – usually dozens and sometimes hundreds, if not thousands, of them – tend to be.

In short, there’s no better or more tangible way to show your allegiance to your favorite driver or the sport in general than by buying 1:64 and 1:24 scale diecasts.

“We’ve always believed the diecast car in our sport is sort of the jersey of the sport,” said Howard Hitchcock, the CEO of Lionel Racing, the Official Diecast of NASCAR. “In traditional stick-and-ball sports, folks collect jerseys or wear jerseys to sort of symbolize their fandom for a particular team or player.

In our case, there’s certainly driver uniform-type stuff, but the reality is the car oftentimes is as big of a star as the driver is in terms of the way people sort of connect to the sport. … So, us having authentic replications of the car is a very, very important piece of it.”

The most devoted fans tend to purchase diecast collectibles not only of their favorite driver’s primary paint scheme but of other paint schemes their driver might campaign during a season. With Lionel Racing, fans can even purchase diecasts designed to mirror the exact way their favorite driver’s car looked just moments after winning a race.

Although the larger 1:24 scale cars are more expensive than the smaller 1:64, it’s worth it to purchase the biggest and most realistic version of the car you can possibly find.

PHOTOGRAPHY: LIONEL

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Visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame

P

aying a visit to

the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, is typically a bucket-list item for even the most casual NASCAR fan – much less those who are truly sold out to the sport.

Located in the heart of Charlotte’s “Uptown” area, this head-turning 93,000-square-foot museum serves as the ultimate shrine to the history, heritage and future of NASCAR. With more than 50 interactive fan experiences, which include no fewer than 15 iRacing simulators along with opportunities to

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simulate pit stops and more, visitors can engage in a true race-day experience from the unique perspective of the drivers and crew members they cheer for on Sunday afternoons.

Of course, the Hall isn’t just a place to play games; it’s a place to carefully study and soak up the history of the sport. One of the best ways to do this is stopping by the Hall of Honor where personally selected artifacts are on display paying tribute to the 55 legends currently enshrined in the Hall.

Another can’t-miss stop here is the

High Octane Theater, a 278-seat, stateof-the-art auditorium featuring a roughly 15-minute film designed to serve as an introduction to the history of NASCAR. Perhaps the Hall’s most popular and well-known attraction is Glory Road, a signature exhibit on the first floor featuring a banked ramp leading to the second floor. The display showcases 18 historic cars and 43 current and historic tracks with two ways for fans to walk up and experience race track banking of 14 and 33 degrees, respectively.

PHOTOGRAPHY: NASCAR HALL OF FAME

Support NASCAR Partners & Sponsors

“

Win on Sunday, sell on

Monday.” That’s an old adage in NASCAR, which refers to the idea that an automaker – Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota – sells more vehicles soon after one of its cars wins a race.

Of course, strategically buying the same kind of vehicle that your favorite driver races on Sunday afternoon or, in rare instances, Saturday night is just one of many examples of ways fans can express their fandom by the things they purchase.

After all, every NASCAR Cup Series driver has a primary sponsor, and these days, most drivers and teams have several primary sponsors since it has become increasingly difficult in recent times for a single sponsor to bear the financial load that comes with being a primary backer for

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

a full 36-race season.

Now to the crux of the matter: If you’re a true Chase Elliott fan, why would you consider going anywhere but NAPA – Elliott’s main primary sponsor – for your auto parts? If you’re a Kyle Busch fan, it would serve you well – and solidify your fanhood – to go and buy a pack of M&M’s every day or at least a couple of times a week. You can make Busch proud and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time.

In addition to purchasing the product associated with your driver’s primary sponsors, you can also show love for NASCAR itself by buying from or shopping at businesses tied to NASCAR’s official corporate partners, which include but are not limited to Coca-Cola, GEICO, Monster Energy, Visa, Goodyear and Advance Auto Parts.

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Wear NASCAR Stuff

O

ne

of

the

easiest

ways to prove you’re a NASCAR fan is to wear merchandise supporting your favorite driver or team. While it’s not as permanent as getting a tattoo, it’s probably a more affordable method for new fans looking to showcase their support.

Fanatics.com and NASCAR.com offer fans a plethora of merchandise options, from the traditional shirts and hats to loungewear, hoodies and jackets, visors and bandanas. Polo shirts and button-downs are also easily available if you’re more interested in what pairs well with a work outfit.

In addition to traditional retailers, race tracks and race team shops also offer lots of swag for fans to wear at the track, in the living room or in the office.

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If you’re a Chase Elliott fan, you’ve got lots of options for new apparel featuring the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion – but you’d be well-served to move quickly.

Some of Elliott’s hats sold out on his website’s store soon after they went on sale late last season, prompting a slew of fans to request a warpspeed restocking. He’s the most in-demand of all active NASCAR drivers, but if you fancy one of the sport’s underdogs, don’t worry. There are shirts and hats for pretty much every driver in the field if you’re into the newest gear.

If you’re more like Ryan Blaney – or, you just like Ryan Blaney – go with the old-school option and check out throwback merchandise on eBay. After all, a Tim Richmond hat looks good on any fan.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Support a Driver’s Charity Long thought of as a way for NASCAR drivers to give back to important causes, driver charities are another avenue for fans to show how much they’re invested in the sport. It’s also an impactful way to influence society.

Some high-profile examples of charities include: The Kyle Busch Foundation’s “Bundle of Joy” fund advocates infertility education, awareness and grants to give opportunities to couples needing financial assistance to have their own bundle of joy.

The group began its journey with the REACH (Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte) infertility clinic.

The Dale Jr. Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged individuals, with a focus on youth, by providing the resources to improve their confidence and education and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals.

TDJF frequently partners with organizations including Blessings in a Backpack, Make-A-Wish and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

In some cases, driver charities were borne of drivers’ families experiencing the difficulties their charities work to overcome.

“We knew this was our calling and we knew that there weren’t many groups out there supporting IVF financially for couples,” said Samantha Busch, Kyle Busch’s wife and the co-founder of the Bundle of Joy fund. “We really felt like we always prayed about it and God was like, ‘You’re going through this journey for a reason.’

“Seeing the couple (who received a grant) – it was like a visible weight was lifted off their shoulders when we told them that we would be paying for their treatment. We started working really hard for that.”

Join the Official NASCAR Members Club

Passionate

NASCAR

fans can express their fandom by joining the Official NASCAR Members Club. Members receive a slew of benefits, including: DISCOUNTS AT THE MEMBERS ONLY STORE Save up to 70% on NASCAR and driver products on the ONMC online store, which is exclusive to members. Get exclusive first looks at deals. The Official NASCAR Members Club can offer the best prices on memorabilia due to its partnerships with manufacturers and suppliers of products and services.

VIP EXPERIENCES While this comes with a big asterisk for 2021 (*depending on track safety protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the VIP experiences are the perks that most ONMC members rave about. These experiences include NASCAR Cup Series garage tours, entry to driver meetings, the opportunity to high-five drivers at introductions, and entry to the Winner’s Circle post-race. Future plans include providing ONMC members the opportunity to wave the green flag during practice and joining the parade laps during driver introductions.

A SOCIAL OUTLET Many ONMC members become lifelong friends after meeting at tracks and sharing their love for NASCAR. From a social media perspective, members can stay up to date on NASCAR news as it happens and gain access to content from NASCAR’s most respected writers and insiders.

CONSTANT SUPPORT If a member has a question before heading to the track, he or she is encouraged to reach out to ONMC Member Services for guidance and peace of mind.

ONMC staff will respond to emails or calls between Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST).

Web: www.onmc.com Phone: 877-696-2722 Email: memberservice@onmc.com NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

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Get a NASCAR Driver Tattoo

B

uying

a

driver’s

shirt or hat shows off your fandom whenever you wear it, but a tattoo lasts forever (unless the driver’s number changes – then you’ve got a conundrum on your hands).

Fans have gotten driver, car and number tattoos for decades, but as the tattoo industry continues to expand, the number of fans who’ve inked up their arms and legs with NASCAR tattoos has likewise grown.

Scott McNew, a NASCAR fan from Monroe, Michigan, has followed the sport since the mid-1990s.

McNew has an Earnhardt sleeve, with ornate tattoos of Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 car and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 machine along with each driver’s signature, likeness and even logos of the Brickyard 400 and the Pepsi 400 covering an entire arm.

“I’ve always been an Earnhardt fan, so I thought getting the No. 3 on my upper arm looked really cool,” McNew said. “I decided to add his signature on there and then I figured, why not just turn it into a whole sleeve with Dale Sr. on the upper arm and Dale Jr. on the lower arm?”

Talk about being expressive!

“Getting a driver tattoo shows how passionate you are about your favorite drivers and it shows that you’ll stick with them through thick and thin,” McNew added. “If there are fans out there thinking about getting a driver tattoo, I say ‘Go for it.’

“It may not be cheap and it will take time to get done, but in the end, it is most definitely worth it.”

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Plan to Visit Every Cup Series Track going

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some time, travel, money and, yes, patience, but if you really want to show how sold out you are to the sport of NASCAR, it would be well worth attempting to visit every NASCAR Cup Series track at some point in your lifetime.

Forty years ago, this would have been much easier, of course. That’s because back then, most all tracks were located in the Southeast corner of the United States and therefore a drivable distance from each other. Not so anymore. These days, you’ll find NASCAR Cup Series tracks all the way from California to North Carolina and from New Hampshire to South Florida.

If you’re not into air travel, visiting every race track is going to be tough, but let’s assume you’re good with flying. Since there are

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just over 20 tracks, maybe plan on visiting one a year if you’re under the age of 45. If you’re over 45, it might not be a bad idea to hit at least a couple of tracks every year, just in case you’re not as excited about traveling in your later years.

However, regardless of how and when you do it, it’s worth every NASCAR fan’s time to visit every track at some point. Not only will you get to experience different parts of the country and see what makes each track unique, but you will make sweet memories with family and perhaps friends while doing it – especially if you go in your RV or motorhome so you can arrive a couple of days early and enjoy the full fan experience.

Be a Force on Social Media

There are numerous ways NASCAR fans can showcase their passion for America’s fastest sport. Perhaps the easiest is to be actively involved and engaged on social media, where NASCAR’s foremost drivers, team owners and personalities frequently interact.

Twitter has become the de facto location for NASCAR’s elite competitors to speak to and hear from their ardent supporters, and it’s been a beehive of activity since the 2012 Daytona 500 – when Brad Keselowski snapped a cellphone photo from his cockpit during a red flag.

Keselowski’s impromptu photo provided that year’s eventual champion with two things: a

threefold increase in Twitter followers, and a $25,000 fine from NASCAR for tweeting during a race.

Despite the lightened wallet, Keselowski’s “transgression” gave other drivers the green light to become more involved on Twitter. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano are but a handful of drivers who frequently post on Twitter after – but not during – their races.

Jumping in the conversation can give any fan the platform needed to jumpstart a new conversation, or in some cases, a new opportunity. It’s where many social media influencers, including “Out of the Groove” host Eric Estepp, build a base of followers who flock to Estepp’s Twitter and YouTube pages for the latest news and informed takes on what’s happening in NASCAR. Fans seeking to show off their photos, opinions, memorabilia collections and marriage proposals can enjoy the same benefits of increased enjoyment and social media engagement without worrying about a $25,000 fine. Sounds like a good deal!

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Name Someone After Your Favorite Driver Naming someone after a driver leaves a lasting legacy – and can be a very flattering honor for the subject.

Aaron White, the quality engineer for ECR Engines, collaborated with his wife, Leslie, on a special name for their son: Rex, after Rex White, the 1960 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

“Little Rex” was born on Dec. 15 of last year.

“I’m a huge supporter of not forgetting our history in NASCAR and having the last name ‘White’ presented an opportunity that just couldn’t be missed,” Aaron White said. “We were looking for a simple, easy-to-say but also not an overly common name. (My wife) liked it because it checked the boxes. I liked it

MY D

by Je s

R IVE

se C .

, Sal t

because I knew the significance and my dad knows Rex personally.

“I think it’s great that we can tie in our son’s name to not only NASCAR history, but history in general. Roots are important to me and it’s great to remember the people who came before us. I’m looking forward to putting a No. 4 on the side of little Rex’s first Power Wheels car.”

For his part, the original Rex White – now 90 years old – loved it.

“In all my years, I’ve never had anyone named after me,” White, a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, said. “I have to say it is such an honor to have my name passed down to someone else. My hope for little Rex is to always be happy, healthy, find his direction in life and make a lot of money.”

•• Little Rex White

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Lake

City,

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Follow a Driver in Each NASCAR Series Want to really boost

CUP: TRUC William B K: Zan yron e Smit , XFINI h, ARC TY: Au A: Gra stin Cin cie Tr otterdric,

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•• NASCAR’s Rex White

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your bona fides as a NASCAR fan? Support at least one driver in all three major series – the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – as well as the NASCARsanctioned ARCA Menards Series.

Now, doing this is going to take some real time, research and commitment since it can be hard to block out just the 3-4 hours a week required to watch a Cup Series race, much less a race in one of the other series. But if you want to be the quintessential NASCAR fan, you will educate yourself on all four series enough to know who’s who in terms of personalities, driving style and background in the sport.

Of course, picking a favorite driver in four series isn’t as hard as it might seem.

Consider, for example, that Joe Gibbs Racing has a heavy presence in both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. On top of that, one of JGR’s Cup Series drivers – Kyle Busch – is a preeminent team owner in the Camping World Truck Series. Meanwhile, team owner Joe Gibbs has a grandson, Ty Gibbs, who has competed in the ARCA Menards Series the past two years.

So, if you’re a fan of one of JGR’s Cup drivers, it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and support a JGR Xfinity Series driver, one of Busch’s Camping World Truck Series drivers, and Ty Gibbs in ARCA. And, if there’s no natural connection among your favorite drivers from one series to the next, that’s OK, too; if anything, it may mean you’re just an even more dedicated NASCAR fan.

B E I N S P I R E D . B E M OV E D .

SING ME BACK HOME: FOLK ROOTS TO THE PRESENT EXHIBIT NOW OPEN

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CountryMusicHallofFame.org

DOWNTOWN

Play Fantasy NASCAR Fantasy football has become a staple of late-summer football season preparation, much like how fantasy baseball has been a popular springtime go-to for decades.

Why not try the four-wheeled version?

Fantasy NASCAR has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 10 years, with NASCAR.com, FanDuel and DraftKings serving as de facto stops for fans to assemble a lineup of drivers for every race weekend. The format is similar to other fantasy sports: Pick a team of drivers and “start” the ones most likely to compete for the checkered flag every week.

NASCAR Fantasy Live, a free service on NASCAR.com, enables fans to play the role of team owner by selecting five drivers per race for their lineup.

Each driver is given points based on

their finishing position, place differential, pass differential, laps led and fastest laps.

If you had Kevin Harvick last year, you probably had a pretty fun season – even more so if Harvick and Chase Elliott were in your lineup.

Fantasy NASCAR is a phenomenal way for fans to not only show off their strategic skill and NASCAR knowledge, but to also make friends (and enemies) by joining leagues, winning races and trash-talking like they’re in Victory Lane with their driver.

Most leagues offer prizes for winners, so there’s often more at stake than simply your reputation as a team-builder.

Being an expert fantasy owner can also lead to raking in some cash, as places like DraftKings pay big money to the most skilled and active players.

Support a Local Track Many of the biggest names in NASCAR cut their teeth at short tracks across the country. In addition to catching all of the NASCAR Cup Series races on television – or, at the track – fans can do their part to support the sport’s future by attending races at local short tracks.

Fans who attend local Saturday-night short-track races will also get to see some of NASCAR’s up-and-comers before they reach the big time.

And, who knows? Depending on which tracks are closest to you, you may find an unexpected name in the Late Model lineup. Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott are two of NASCAR’s biggest stars who not only support their roots in racing, but they go one further by going to short tracks to compete against the quickest

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hot-shoes in town.

While he’s a proud Georgian who’s raced on bullrings like Watermelon Capital Speedway in his home state, Elliott is also a devout Late-Model fanatic who’s spent plenty of time on short tracks throughout the Southeast.

Last December, Elliott nearly became a three-time winner of the prestigious Snowball Derby at Florida’s Five Flags Speedway, a track that has also seen Busch, Darrell Waltrip and Donnie Allison enjoy the thrill of victory.

“It’s important to support short-track racing in places like Pensacola (home of the Snowball Derby),” Elliott said.

“Getting to know the crowd growing up there and the crowd getting to know me, it makes it special to not only win but to return as often as I can.”

•• Bowman Gray Stadium (Winston-Salem, N.C.)

•• Madison International Speedway (Oregon, Wis.)

NAMED A “TOP HOTEL IN THE U.S.”

by U.S. News & World Report

THE FUTURES 9 DRIVERS WHO FANS WILL HEAR FROM ON A REGULAR BASIS

T

hey’re the talk of the town if you reside in NASCAR Coun-

try. As America’s most-watched form of motorsports ushers in a new era of young stars, a collection of hot-shoes with unlimited potential are rising up NASCAR’s ladder.

These are The Futures: Ten drivers who fans will hear from on a regular basis throughout this season. Some, like Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Cole Custer, are second-year NASCAR Cup Series drivers with plenty of promise. Others are recent ARCA Menards Series or Camping World Truck Series call-ups who haven’t yet reached the sport’s summit.

With apologies to William Byron, The Futures list captures drivers with one or fewer years of accrued Cup Series experience, so some of the sport’s popular 20-somethings didn’t make the cut.

From “Dirt Princess” to the son of “The Mayor,” however, there are plenty of personalities in this assortment of pedal-mashing prodigies.

-BY AARON BURNS

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

CHRISTOPHER

BELL OWNER

JOE GIBBS

TEAM

JOE GIBBS RACING

MANUFACTURER TOYOTA

CREW CHIEF

ADAM STEVENS

C

20

hristopher Bell is the

real deal.

From sprint cars and midgets to asphalt late models, trucks and stock cars, there’s nothing the 26-year-old wheelman can’t drive.

Bell debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series last season with Leavine Family Racing, piloting the team’s No. 95 Toyota Camry to a 20th-place finish in points on the strength of seven top-10 finishes. It marked the 10-year-old team’s best result in the standings, but the results didn’t match Bell’s aspirations.

“For the most part, we weren’t as competitive as we wanted to be,” Bell said. “We had some days, like at Texas (in October, where Bell finished third), where we were really competitive and we had a shot at winning the race, but those days were few and far between.”

He won’t have to worry about infrequent successes anymore.

Bell excels when he’s given competitive equipment—and this year, he’s driving Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 car, a machine previously piloted by Cup Series champions Tony Stewart and Joey Logano.

Bell earned the job on merit and quickly proved to be worthy of the appointment by going to Victory Lane in the season’s second race, held on the Daytona International Speedway road course.

Driving his Rheem-sponsored Toyota, Bell sped past Logano for the lead with two laps remaining and pulled away to a 2.12-second win on the challenging 3.61-mile course.

A longtime member of Toyota Racing’s driver development program, Bell’s sterling résumé includes a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship in 2017 and 16 NASCAR Xfinity Series

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PLEASE PASS THE CHILI IN 2019, Christopher Bell secured his third victory in the prestigious Chili Bowl Nationals, a prominent indoor midget car race in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Bell did it in style, too – winning the race in three consecutive years. Only Kevin Swindell – who won four straight from 2010-’13 – topped Bell’s magical run from 2017-’19.

It’s a big deal in the racing world.

“For me, the Chili Bowl is bigger than the Daytona 500,” Kyle Larson said in 2018.

wins in only 74 starts.

There are plenty of reasons to believe Bell will add to the No. 20 car’s legacy in short order. For one, the Norman, Oklahoma, native will spend his second season at NASCAR’s highest level with a two-time Cup Series champion calling the shots from pit road.

Adam Stevens claimed Cup Series titles with Kyle Busch in 2015 and ’19 before Gibbs shuffled Stevens and most of the No. 18 car’s engineers to Bell’s No. 20 operation.

“Ever since (Joe Gibbs Racing) said I was essentially getting the No. 18 guys for 2021, I’ve been very thankful to get such a proven group,” Bell said. “It’s in my hands now. The whole team has proven themselves to be a championship-caliber team.

“I’ve been focusing hard in just being around the new No. 20 group and I’ve spent a lot of time with Adam, just trying to build that relationship with him. It’s been good so far. I feel like we have a ways to go, but once you’re in the thick of racing, it becomes much easier. The offseason has just been us hanging out and being around each other. Hopefully, we can start off on the same page when we get to racing. I was sad to leave Jason (Ratcliff, Bell’s former crew chief), but I’m thrilled for the opportunity to get put in a winning situation and get to prove myself.”

A jump from a mid-pack team to one of NASCAR’s elite operations won’t be much of an adjustment for Bell. He raced for JGR on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series from 2018-’19, so he’s not going to get lost on the way to work.

Stevens, however, might be in for a culture change.

“Adam’s entire Cup Series career has been with Kyle (Busch) and just from the outside looking in, Adam seems like a fiery person – which you have to be to work with Kyle Busch,” Bell said. “I told Adam, ‘I can promise you; I’m going to be a change of pace from Kyle. You’re not going to hear me voicing my opinion in the car the way Kyle does.’

“Kyle’s more of a leader at this point than I am. I’m not going to be as outspoken as he is in the car. I’m more of a soft-spoken guy in general.”

Bell lets his driving do the talking. This year, it will speak volumes about his skill.

“It’s a high-pressure environment,” Bell said of his new workplace. “If you look at 2020 as a whole, it was definitely a down year for JGR compared to 2019, which was a really good year. I don’t expect 2021 to be like 2020. I think Joe Gibbs Racing is a powerhouse team and they’re focused on getting back to where they were in 2019.

“Ultimately, if we just keep putting ourselves in position, we’re fast enough, we have a good enough pit crew and we don’t make mistakes, that’s all you can ask for, whether we win one time or we win eight times.”

Given Bell’s present situation, it’s only a matter of time before he’s regularly atop the scoring pylon.

“Expectations are high,” Bell said. “We need to win.”

Look for it to happen early and often.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

COLE CUSTER

GIVE NO QUARTER COLE CUSTER’S NO

41

stranger to the “young gun” label.

The 23-year-old cut his teeth racing quarter midgets, where he enjoyed considerable success after starting out when he was just 4 years old. In 2011, Custer won the USAC National Focus Young

OWNERS

TONY STEWART & GENE HAAS

TEAM

STEWART-HAAS RACING

CREW CHIEF

MIKE SHIPLETT

MANUFACTURER FORD

HAILIE DEEGAN

Guns Championship.

A year later, he moved to late model racing and by the end of 2014 – as a 16-year-old – he’d already won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.

Talk about a fast

SUMMER RUBBIN’ NICKNAMED “DIRT reason to believe Hailie Deegan had the goods to succeed on dirt for as long as she wanted. Once Deegan tried Legend Car racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Summer Shootout in June of 2016, however, asphalt became the new target.

OWNER

“I learned a lot racing in the

DAVID GILLILAND

Summer Shootout,

TEAM

control and how to

DAVID GILLILAND RACING

CREW CHIEF

MIKE HILLMAN JR.

MANUFACTURER FORD

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Series’ reigning rookie of the year. He’s already got one Cup Series victory under his belt, he’s driving for one of NASCAR’s most accomplished teams and he’s got as bright a future as anyone in the sport.

Think of 2021 as Custer’s first stand – expectations will be higher with Custer having a year of Cup Series experience, but there’s plenty of reason to believe the results will top last year’s effort of one win and seven top-10 finishes.

“Not having practice, not having testing and not having qualifying definitely meant it wasn’t easier to be a rookie (last season),” Custer said. “From our standpoint, to have a race win and to make the playoffs, I think we can call that a success. Did we want to run better a lot of the time? Yeah, for sure, but we made huge strides in making more consistent runs. I think it’s just a matter of taking it to the next level and consistently making it to the next group of cars.”

Armed with tremendous equipment and more confidence than ever, Custer has the potential to deliver multiple wins this season. It doesn’t hurt that the second-year Custer and rookie teammate Chase Briscoe have Kevin Harvick – who won nine races last year – in the same shop.

“For me to get to learn more, I think it’s going to be huge,” Custer said. “Having more time and another year to run through all the races will definitely help out.”

learner.

Princess,” there was

1

C

ole Custer is the NASCAR Cup

just as far as car race beside people,” Deegan said. “It’s definitely different than racing on dirt.”

T

he daughter of freestyle mo-

tocross legend Brian Deegan, Hailie Deegan began her racing career on dirt – but it’s her skill on pavement that makes the 19-year-old one of NASCAR’s can’t-miss prospects.

The Temecula, California, native spent last year competing full time in the ARCA Menards Series, where she posted four top-five finishes and 17 top-10 results en route to a third-place finish in points. Deegan also debuted in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last October at Kansas Speedway, finishing 16th in a No. 17 Ford owned by David Gilliland.

Deegan reprises her role in Gilliland’s truck on a full-time basis this season.

Her skill behind the wheel – developed after years of Trophy Truck races on dirt – gives Deegan a great chance to add to DGR’s victory tally before the year is over.

The team enters this season with one win, a 2019 triumph at Kentucky Speedway with Tyler Ankrum at the controls.

With another young star in his stable, Gilliland is sure to help amplify Deegan’s potential.

“I’ve enjoyed watching Hailie progress in the ARCA Menards Series and prepare for the next step in her racing career, moving up to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” Gilliland said last fall.

“I’m happy DGR can be part of her learning process as she transitions to the next level of competition.”

Deegan’s dynamic personality won her a legion of fans before she’d even left high school.

If she can compete for wins at NASCAR’s third-highest level, it’ll boost her popularity to new heights.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

One of the Best in the U.S.— Again –The Princeton Review 2020 and 2021

MTSU Scholarships Still Available! • mtsu.edu/apply Used with permission. ©2020 TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

0521-9761 / Middle Tennessee State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. See our full policy at www.mtsu.edu/iec.

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CHASE BRISCOE

CHASING HISTORY WHILE NO DRIVER IN NASCAR’s modern era won in their

14

debut Cup Series race, Jamie McMurray in 2002 and Trevor Bayne in 2011 triumphed in their second starts.

Chase Briscoe’s first Cup Series start was the Daytona 500.

Stewart-Haas Racing won 10

OWNERS

races last year, so Briscoe has a

TONY STEWART & GENE HAAS

great car at his

TEAM

acclimate to the

STEWART-HAAS RACING

CREW CHIEF

JOHNNY KLAUSMEIER

MANUFACTURER

disposal to help him Cup Series.

Whether it’s at Daytona or another track, he’ll take full advantage of it.

C

hase Briscoe’s nine NASCAR

Xfinity Series victories last year weren’t enough to claim the series title, but the Indiana native’s consolation prize was stellar nonetheless.

Briscoe fills the void left by Clint Bowyer in Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 14 Ford entry in the NASCAR Cup Series. It’s the realization of a dream for Briscoe, who, like Stewart, comes from a sprint car racing background.

At 13, Briscoe became the youngest driver to ever win a 410 sprint car race, topping NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon by a year.

While Briscoe is by no means the youngest Cup Series newcomer, he’s still only 26 years old and preparing to reach the zenith of NASCAR competition with a championship-winning team.

It’s a far cry from where Briscoe was in 2014, when he moved to North Carolina in hopes of securing any opportunity in the sport.

“When I moved to North Carolina, the first shop I volunteered at was Brian and Bob Keselowski’s,” Briscoe said late last year.

“I still talk to Brad (Keselowski, Briscoe’s 2017 team owner in the Truck Series), especially if I’m going to a race track where I might feel like I’d struggle. I don’t talk to him as much as (Kevin) Harvick or someone in my organization, but I’ll reach out to him.

He told me last year that the Xfinity Series was wide open and for me to go and take it.”

Briscoe no longer needs to be told to take a series by storm.

Now, he’s got experience in it.

FORD

SHELDON CREED

YOUNG SHELDON FOR A COLLEGEaged driver, Sheldon Creed has already

2

competed in and won races across many divisions on dirt and asphalt.

Upon claiming his first Camping World Truck Series crown, he likened his experiences to being a student.

“It’s like we’re in

OWNER

MAURY GALLAGHER

TEAM

college right now and you’re in class every day (at the track),” Creed said.

“I’m racing against

GMS RACING

my teammates for

CREW CHIEF

incredibly talented.

JEFF STANKIEWICZ

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

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rides and they’re all You’re racing everybody for that next chance in Cup.”

O

ne of Chevrolet’s top devel-

opment drivers, Sheldon Creed offers GMS Racing a phenomenal mixture of natural skill and versatility.

The man known as “The Showstopper” put on a dazzling display of dominance in last year’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs, winning two of the season’s final three races and roaring to his first series championship in his second year of fulltime competition.

Championships are not a new concept to Creed. The Californian claimed the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series’ Pro Lite Unlimited crown in 2014 and the Stadium Super Trucks titles in 2015 and ’16.

A move to stock cars brought – what else? – the ARCA Menards Series championship in 2018. Oh, and he’s a two-time X Games gold medalist.

Suffice it to say, Creed has more than justified Chevrolet’s investment in a driver who won’t even turn 24 until Sept. 30. He’s back in the Camping World Truck Series this year, seeking to become the first driver since Matt Crafton in 2014 to claim backto-back series titles.

Creed’s growth as a driver has coincided with improvement from those who work with him.

“GMS Racing has so many tools and resources and I feel like Chevy’s (Truck Series program) is always getting better,” Creed said. “I can only go as fast as I can with the truck that I have, and our trucks have been incredibly fast.

“What you’re driving matters a lot in how you run.”

Talent doesn’t hurt, though – and Creed has plenty to offer.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

championpowerequipment.com PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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TYLER REDDICK

BEAU MY! TYLER REDDICK WON more than the NASCAR Xfinity

8

Series championship when he crossed the finish line at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 16, 2019.

The spoils of victory included naming the son Reddick and his girlfriend, Alexa De Leon, were having.

OWNER

RICHARD CHILDRESS

TEAM

De Leon wanted his name to be “Ryker,” but Reddick was set on “Beau.”

The two agreed that

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

if Reddick won the

CREW CHIEF

title, “Beau” was the

RANDALL BURNETT

MANUFACTURER

name – so, naturally, Reddick yelled out “Baby Beau!” once

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the championship

HARRISON BURTON

ARCA BREAKS

was his.

HARRISON BURTON

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was only 11 years old when he captured his first pole in a late model car at North Carolina’s Ace Speedway. A year later, he had two late model wins under his belt and, by 15, Burton broke into the ARCA Menards Series East.

OWNER

Proving the spotlight was never

JOE GIBBS

too bright, Burton

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championship in

JOE GIBBS RACING

CREW CHIEF

JASON RATCLIFF

MANUFACTURER TOYOTA

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won the series 2017 – besting Todd Gilliland by a scant eight points thanks to a win in the season finale.

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native of Corning, California,

Tyler Reddick’s path to the NASCAR Cup Series was forged on dirt – the same surface which brought champions like Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart to the sport’s highest level.

Reddick moved to pavement after becoming the youngest pole winner for Eldora Speedway’s World 100 dirt late model race, the youngest winning driver in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and the youngest driver to qualify for a World of Outlaws Late Model Series feature.

The second-year Cup Series pilot has more than enough talent to enjoy a long career on asphalt, as his back-to-back NASCAR Xfinity Series championships attest. The 2018 and ’19 champion jumped to the Cup Series last year with Richard Childress Racing, the same team that turned Xfinity Series champion Kevin Harvick into a week-in, week-out Cup Series contender in the early 2000s.

Reddick didn’t quite post Harvick-like numbers, but a nearwin at Texas Motor Speedway coupled with a stage win and three top-five finishes showed his potential. Another season with Childress should go a long way in determining how stage 1 of Reddick’s Cup Series career will unfold.

“I’m proud of the effort everyone on the No. 8 team put in for my rookie season,” Reddick said. “We had highs and lows, like any race team, but ultimately put together a strong year and laid some good groundwork to build on.”

Reddick’s challenge this year is to improve his best finish by one spot – and watch his stock rise even higher.

H

arrison Burton has all the

tools to be a NASCAR Cup Series superstar in the near future.

He’s got the right pedigree – father, Jeff, and uncle, Ward, won 26 Cup Series races – and he’s with the right team: Joe Gibbs Racing, winners of five Cup Series championships.

Burton’s no slouch behind the wheel, either. The secondgeneration driver bagged four wins over the course of last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series season, rising to the occasion with two victories in the playoffs on his way to rookie-of-the-year honors.

While an eighth-place finish in points didn’t accurately portray the gains that Burton made as a driver, it’s overwhelmingly likely that the 20-year-old from Huntersville, North Carolina, will finish much better this season.

Gibbs’ Xfinity Series cars are arguably the most desired in the series, because they come equipped with the necessary resources to regularly visit Victory Lane.

With a year under his belt, there’s some pressure on Burton to maximize his potential this year.

If his recent exploits are any indication, Burton will be a Championship 4 contender and a solid pick to claim the series title – something his father and uncle never accomplished in their impressive careers.

Burton also gets to enjoy the benefits of staying with the same team.

“Harrison’s never really had two or three years to sit back and spend two or three years doing something,” Jeff Burton said last season. “I think it’s made him appreciate opportunities and it’s put him in situations where he’s had to learn.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

AUSTIN CINDRIC

SEAT TIME AUSTIN CINDRIC isn’t joking when he

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says he’s driven a lot of race cars.

Legend Cars, U.S. F2000 openwheel cars, Global Rallycross Championship cars and IMSA sports cars are a sampling of the machinery Cindric has mastered since his racing career began.

OWNER

Cindric can already boast of having

ROGER PENSKE

raced in the Rolex

TEAM

the Bathurst 12-Hour

TEAM PENSKE

CREW CHIEF

BRIAN WILSON

MANUFACTURER FORD

SAM MAYER

24 At Daytona and endurance race in Australia.

So, forgive him if the Daytona 500 makes him feel like he’s taking a half-

PREPPED AND READY SAM MAYER WAS Before a 2019 ARCA Menards Series East race at Bristol Motor

OWNERS

DALE EARNHARDT JR., KELLEY EARNHARDT MILLER AND RICK HENDRICK

TEAM

JR MOTORSPORTS

CREW CHIEF

TAYLOR MOYER

MANUFACTURER

an eventful 2021 season.

Winning races and championships tend to shorten a driver’s off days, but the 22-year-old Columbus, Ohio, native doesn’t mind one bit.

Cindric romped to the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship last season aboard Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford, which pulled into Victory Lane on six occasions, including five in a six-race span.

Cindric’s reward is another season in NASCAR’s second-highest series and a limited slate of races with Penske’s NASCAR Cup Series team.

Poised to join Wood Brothers Racing’s Cup Series team in 2022, Cindric’s year in waiting should include plenty of Xfinity Series trophies and a crash course – hopefully, not literally – in Cup Series competition.

For his part, Cindric can’t seem to believe his good fortune.

The accomplished road racer has burst on NASCAR’s scene in recent years, ascending to the Xfinity Series title and showcasing an innate ability to match aggression with patience.

“I’ve driven a lot of cars at a lot of different race tracks. I’ve been exposed to a lot and it’s taught me a lot,” Cindric said. “I feel like that perspective has helped me look at things clearly and I usually don’t make the same mistakes twice because of that.

“With this not being a data-driven sport, I think that puts a lot of (pressure) on me and what I can do to help the team develop our cars. I feel like I’ve learned the right things to have a good foundation for that.”

day at work.

made for the moment.

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ustin Cindric figures to have

Speedway, Mayer walked through the infield with a handful of hero cards and Sharpies as fans approached him for autographs.

“You’ve got to be prepared,” Mayer told an acquaintance as he switched from black to silver Sharpie.

Mayer had everything under control.

He signed every autograph, won the pole, led all 150 laps and won the race.

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t’s not easy to drive a race car at

speed against competitors who will stop at nothing to win. Sam Mayer simply makes it look easy.

The son of road racing expert Scott Mayer, Sam Mayer – at the ripe, old age of 17 – has a résumé few can match and many can envy.

Mayer won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race last year in only his seventh start. He claimed the 2019 and ’20 ARCA Menards Series East championships. At 14, Mayer won the Young Lions division of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Summer Shootout in 2017, his first year in a Legend Car – oh, and a month later, Mayer won a Midwest Truck Series race at Wisconsin’s Dells Raceway Park in his series debut.

Get used to hearing “Sam Mayer wins,” because it’s going to become a regular occurrence very soon in NASCAR’s top two series.

He’s won in everything he’s tried and it’s unwise to assume the streak won’t continue now that Mayer is driving the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Josh Berry, who’ll drive the No. 8 for the first half of the year before Mayer takes the reins in the second half, has also coached Mayer as a driver and watched him grow.

The teacher and the pupil get to work alongside one another this year.

“He’s young, but he’s already accomplished a lot,” Berry said.

“I know he’s itching to get in the Xfinity Series and show off his talent.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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SPEEDWAY SUDOKU Each row, column and group of nine must contain each number (1-9). Find the solution at polepositionmag.com/2021-sudoku-answers/

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PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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