NASCAR Pole Position | June-July 2024

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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?

I LIKE “CARS” A lot. When I was little, I probably watched it a couple hundred times, and I still like it. My mom would drive me around, and I’d have it on the CD player in the back seat. She knows every word, and I don’t think she’s ever seen the full movie.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF RACING MEMORABILIA?

THAT’S A REALLY tough one. I’ve actually still got my first race car, and I really like that, along with my first fire suit. It’s really cool to have that stuff, so that’s probably my favorite racing memorabilia. (My first race car) was a quarter midget. I started racing when I was 5 and the body on it was a chrome metallic color, so it was pretty cool looking.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?

IT HAS TO BE pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut. That’s a little bit different, and a lot of people are like, “Why do you like that?” But that is my favorite food. It’s been that way for almost all my life. That’s definitely what I like to eat as a cheat day or something like that. Before the race, I like those Uncrustable peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and maybe a ham and cheese sandwich.

WHAT

IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT OUTSIDE OF RACING?

IF I HAD TO PICK A favorite sport to watch, it would probably be college football. I enjoy rooting on the Georgia Bulldogs. I’m from about 20 minutes from the University of Georgia, so you’ve got to be a Bulldogs fan. I enjoy rooting them on, and they’re starting to be a contender for the national championship every year.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PRERACE WORKOUT?

I LIKE GOING TO the gym and lifting weights. Usually, if I’m doing cardio, I get on an exercise bike for 30 minutes to an hour, but I really like lifting weights.

WHO WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD RACING HERO?

I REALLY LIKED Jimmie Johnson when I was little, from the time I was born until I was 5 years old. He was a good role model because he carried himself well on and off the race track. As I got older, I had the opportunity to work with Matt Crafton’s father, Danny Crafton. He was really helpful, and Matt would come to some of the races. It’s cool to have known Matt for this long and to now be his teammate at ThorSport.

NASCARCOLLECTIBLES

Fan Spends 50 Years Building His ‘Sanctuary’

BY EVAN LIU AND PAIGE MARTIN

There are many NASCAR fans who consider themselves die-hards, but Mike Ward has taken his passion for the sport to a whole new level. Ward started his NASCAR collection 51 years ago by building a plastic 1972 Richard Petty model and it grew from there. When he and his wife were building a new home, Ward saw an opportunity to turn their basement into what he calls “his sanctuary.” Here’s a glimpse at what he’s got to offer!

A.) Three-wide racing on the high banks is a NASCAR fan’s favorite sight. Ward loved it so much he replicated the banking around the room and filled it with 1:24-scale die-cast cars from all generations. A spectacle that’s truly as remarkable as the real thing.

B.) Opposite his highbank replica, Ward has built a full bar and counter to entertain those he invites to his racewatching sanctuary. Above the bar hangs his impressive hat collection with enough choices that he can sport a different model for each race of the season.

C.) Ward built this 1972 plastic model of The King’s No. 43 car at just 14 years old. Despite it being his first piece of memorabilia, it has remained a highlight of his collection over the years and one of the rarest pieces. It currently sits in great company among other treasures from The King and Bill Elliott.

D.) Framed by more hats, the blueprints of Chicagoland Speedway are the most unique items on display. Ward added a special touch by pinning the photos he took throughout the construction process to their corresponding location on the blueprints. Truly something a lot of people can’t say they’ve ever seen.

E.) As a lifelong Tony Stewart fan, Ward’s favorite item in the room is his 1999 No. 20 Home Depot car signed by “Smoke” during his rookie year. He even so carefully chose to include the picture of his special day with Stewart behind the car in the display case. A B C D E

Die-cast

Q&A WITH NICK SANCHEZ

AN UP-AND-COMING NASCAR RACER

Nick Sanchez is one of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ hottest young prospects.

The 22-year-old racer from Miami, Florida, worked his way through the ranks via Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program. He looks to join the likes of Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez as elite alumni of the program.

Sanchez recently sat down with NASCAR Pole Position for a revealing Q&A about his racing career: WHAT INITIALLY SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN RACING?

I would say probably my love for cars and motorized vehicles. My dad was a gearhead growing up. He owned a construction business, and I was always infatuated by machinery first off, and then by speed and fast cars.

My dad never watched racing. He was never a race fan, so it was kind of weird. It was kind of my love for cars and in that span to speed and then after speed, racing. It was kind of like a natural thing. Nobody ever pushed me to like racing. It was just kind of something I came up with.

YOU’RE THE FIRST DRIVER WHO’S ADVANCED THROUGH THE RANKS AT REV RACING. HOW DID YOU DISCOVER THAT OPPORTUNITY?

It’s definitely cool being the first guy to branch into the national series for the team. Stumbling upon it was kind of my mom’s fault. It was at the point where I was kind of moving into race cars from go-karts. At the time we were looking at feeder series and ladder series and how do I start in race cars.

Being in karting, I knew more about the formula cars and sports cars but nothing really about NASCAR. We were trying to do a lot of research, and my mom stumbled upon Legend Cars and found Rev Racing. I applied for the Rev Racing Drive for Diversity program. Being Cuban-American, my dad is from Havana, Cuba, I fell into

that category. I applied to the program and got in for Legend Cars.

THEN, HOW DID YOU WORK YOUR WAY INTO ARCA AND THE TRUCK SERIES WITH REV RACING?

Rev Racing has a ladder system from Legends Cars to Late Models to ARCA East/ARCA. My goal every year was to get into that next series for Rev Racing. I started in Late Models, raced part time in ARCA East from 2019 to 2020. I was part time in ARCA and full time in ARCA East in 2021, and in 2022 I went to full-time ARCA. In 2023, I made my Truck Series debut. It wasn’t an easy journey. I did my time in ARCA and my time in Late Models, and it wasn’t instant success. We had to build the organization, I don’t want to say from the ground up, but you go from ARCA East on short tracks to ARCA at tracks like Daytona and Kansas. There were a lot of learning curves for me and the team, but it was pretty cool to go through that journey with Rev Racing and be here in the Truck Series. WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL FOR THE FUTURE; STAY IN TRUCKS, MOVE UP TO XFINITY OR WAIT FOR A CUP SERIES RIDE?

Selfishly, I want to move up the ladder as fast as possible, but I also want to do it right. I want to get opportunities to win at each level. I don’t race just to race. I love racing. I have a passion for it, but I also have a passion for winning.

I like to think my work ethic and my dedication are to win and only to win. The Truck Series has taught me a lot, but it’s not a straight shot from trucks to Xfinity to Cup. Everyone talks about the trucks being closer to the Cup cars, so you see a lot of guys go from trucks to Cup. That’s an option in the future, but at the same time I want winning opportunities.

I want to be the weak link in the car I’m driving. Whether it’s in the Cup Series or the Xfinity Series, I feel like it’s hard to drive a slow car fast. I’ve been in cars that aren’t the fastest, and it’s hard. You go to the Cup Series in a lesser car; it’s hard to make that up. My goal is to win in the Cup Series. I just have to keep performing in the Truck Series, and the rest will take care of itself.

New Names & New Faces

KEEP AN EYE ON THESE FIVE NEWCOMERS

BY JOSHUA LIPOWSKI

EVERY NEW NASCAR SEASON BRINGS A genesis, whether it be a new race track, a new event, a new race team or, most notably, a new driver. The NASCAR grid is restocked with fresh faces at every level each time the calendar turns. This year was no different, and these five fresh faces are now full-time NASCAR competitors:

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN

THE MOST NOTABLE NEW FACE ON THE NASCAR grid belongs to New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen.

Following an Australian Supercars career that included 80 victories and three series championships, SVG is running full time for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series this season through a development contract with Trackhouse Racing. SVG burst onto the scene last July when he won the Chicago Street Race in his first NASCAR start. Competing in select NASCAR Cup Series races and running the full Xfinity Series schedule this season, Van Gisbergen is attempting to drink water from a firehose, but he’s handling it like a champion. The question is, how much better will he get as the season progresses?

LAYNE RIGGS

LAYNE RIGGS, THE 22-YEAR OLD SON OF former NASCAR Cup Series driver Scott Riggs, is running the full NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule this season for Front Row Motorsports.

Riggs first attracted national attention in 2022 when the driver from Bahama, North Carolina, captured the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship and scored six zMAX CARS Tour victories.

From there, he patiently waited. Last year, Riggs took advantage of whatever opportunities fell his way A third-place finish at Indianapolis Raceway Park put the Truck Series on notice, and he backed that up with a top-10 Xfinity Series effort at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Those performances caught the eye of Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins. While Riggs has had his share of growing pains to start the year, he is a genuine short-track ace.

thanks to a development contract with Trackhouse Racing. While most NASCAR drivers spend their formative years racing Bandoleros, Legend Cars and Late Models on short tracks, Zilisch went the karting route, akin to many road racing stars.

Insiders were surprised by the move given Zilisch’s age, his development and Trackhouse Racing’s crowded field of development drivers, including Shane van Gisbergen and Zane Smith. Zilisch has quickly proven he is worth every penny Trackhouse invested.

It started in January during the Rolex 24 At Daytona, where Zilisch and his co-drivers claimed victory in the LMP2 class. He backed that up with another class win in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

His Craftsman Truck Series debut saw Zilisch notch a top-five finish after earning the pole, and he won the ARCA Menards Series race at Dover Motor Speedway in April.

CONNOR ZILISCH

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD CONNOR ZILISCH quietly slipped into the NASCAR world this offseason

CAM WATERS

THE EMERGENCE OF SVG HAS CAUGHT THE attention of other Supercars stars, including Australian Cam Waters. Driving for Tickford Racing, a Ford Performance team, Waters finished runner-up in the 2022 Australian Supercars Series championship.

This past offseason, Waters’ interest in NASCAR became known. Rumors swirled that RFK Racing was interested in putting him in a Cup Series car, but the Truck Series ultimately came calling, with ThorSport Racing signing Waters for Martinsville and Kansas.

Will we see Waters more this season? It largely depends on his Supercars schedule as he is still committed to that series. However, it’s always great to see international racing stars try their hand at NASCAR.

LELAND HONEYMAN

LELAND HONEYMAN JR., A 19-YEAR-OLD from Mooresville, North Carolina, is in his first full NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Honeyman grew up racing Bandoleros and, later on, Late Models in the zMAX CARS Tour.

Given his birthplace, it seems racing was Honeyman’s destiny.

In recent years, he’s slowly worked his way into full-time NASCAR competition. A full ARCA East season with five top-10 finishes preceded opportunities in the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series.

Now, one of the rookies in a stacked Xfinity Series class, it’s a perfect time for Honeyman to prove he belongs.

Marked by Improvement THESE 6 DRIVERS HAVE

MADE QUANTUM LEAPS

BY JARED TURNER

Over the last few seasons, several drivers have made notable strides in their overall career trajectory. In fact, it’s fair to say the folks we’ll look at next have made quantum leaps from where they were just a year or two ago. Here are the half-dozen drivers across NASCAR’s three national series who’ve made the biggest jumps in recent times and appear the most destined for great success in the years to come.

Ty Gibbs: The grandson of legendary team owner Joe Gibbs needed all of one full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series to be tabbed for a full-time Cup Series ride with the organization that bears his last name.

After winning an Xfinity Series championship in 2022 and collecting 11 victories over a season-and-a-half in NASCAR’s No. 2 division, Gibbs got the nod to move up to NASCAR’s premier division in 2023.

While his rookie season at the sport’s top echelon had its bumps, Gibbs fell just short of reaching the playoffs and ran competitively virtually every time out while managing to record 10 top-10 finishes in 36 starts.

He continues to show tremendous promise, too, having recorded six top-10 finishes

– including three top-five results – in the first 11 races, which positions him to reach the playoffs in his sophomore Cup Series campaign.

Noah Gragson: Ty Gibbs’ biggest rival on the way to his 2022 Xfinity Series title, Gragson went full-time Cup Series racing in 2023 with similarly high hopes.

But unlike Gibbs, whose rookie campaign was judged largely a success, Gragson’s was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, as he not only failed to post a single top-10 finish but was relieved of his duties in the middle of the season by Legacy Motor Club.

Gragson managed to land on his feet quite nicely, however, when Stewart-Haas Racing hired him to replace Aric Almirola

as the driver of SHR’s No. 10 Ford for 2024.

Over his first 11 starts in his new digs, Gragson posted four top-10 finishes – including a best finish of third at Talladega – and appeared to be well on his way to making his dreadful rookie season little more than a distant memory.

Gragson is showing flashes of the potential he so clearly displayed in capturing an Xfinity Series-high eight wins in 2022 on the way to a runner-up points finish.

John Hunter Nemechek: After going from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to the NASCAR Xfinity Series to the NASCAR Cup Series, Nemechek returned to the truck ranks for the 2021 and 2022 seasons before going back to the Xfinity Series full time in 2023.

Now, four years after his rookie Cup Series season, the second-generation driver has gone completely full circle and is once again a full-time competitor in NASCAR’s premier division, albeit with a different team – Legacy Motor Club.

In his first 11 outings with the organization, Nemechek posted a pair of top-10 finishes, one shy of the number of top-10 results he recorded throughout all of 2020

with Front Row Motorsports.

In winning seven Xfinity Series races last season and netting a combined seven truck triumphs over the two prior seasons, Nemechek proved he has the talent to compete at the Cup Series level; perhaps he just went Cup Series racing the first time before he was completely ready, or maybe he simply didn’t have the equipment to run competitively.

Jesse Love: It’s pretty rare for a driver to make the jump straight from the ARCA Menards Series to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but that’s what Love has done.

And, based on his early outcomes, the 19-year-old Richard Childress Racing driver seems to be up for the task.

Love – who won 10 of 20 ARCA races while storming his way to the 2023 ARCA title – qualified on the pole for his Xfinity Series debut at Daytona and the following weekend’s race at Atlanta and needed only nine starts to find his way to Victory Lane, which he did at Talladega in April.

After 10 Xfinity Series outings, Love –who made three Craftsman Truck Series appearances last year to augment his full ARCA slate – had recorded three poles

and six top-10 finishes, including three top-five results, and ranked fourth in the standings.

Love, of course, is no stranger to success. Even before his 2023 ARCA championship, he became the youngest champion in NASCAR history by claiming his first ARCA Menards Series West crown at the age of 16 in 2020. He went on to also take the title in 2021.

Rajah Caruth: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Caruth has made multiple leaps in the last couple of years.

First, there was the leap from full-time ARCA Menards Series competition in 2022 to a full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ride in 2023.

Then, ahead of the current season, Caruth moved from GMS Racing to Spire Motorsports, which over the offseason acquired the assets of Kyle Busch Motorsports – a perennial Truck Series frontrunner that ceased operations at the end of 2023.

Those assets included KBM’s 77,000-square-foot race shop and fleet of trucks, leaving Caruth better positioned for success than he was a year ago.

This season, Caruth has made a significant leap in performance by running consistently near the front and picking up Truck Series career victory No. 1 on March 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

With his triumph at Vegas, the 21-yearold became just the third African American driver to win a race in one of NASCAR’s national series, joining Bubba Wallace and the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Wendell Scott in that distinguished category.

Corey Heim: Since joining the Craftsman Truck Series full time in 2023 after a part-time truck slate in 2022, Heim has turned a lot of heads throughout the racing community.

He won three races and finished third in the standings in his first truck season and has been nothing less than terrific so far this year.

His Truck Series efforts, combined with some solid performances over several cameo Xfinity Series starts both this year and last, earned him the opportunity to make an unexpected NASCAR Cup Series debut in late April at Dover when Legacy Motor Club drafted him to fill the seat of injured Erik Jones.

The future couldn’t look much brighter for Heim, a 21-year-old driver who took home nine ARCA Menards Series trophies in 43 starts from 2019-2022.

Meet Patricia Borton: The Unlikely NASCAR Superfan

BY JOSHUA LIPOWSKI

What elevates a NASCAR fan to superfan status? First, they were introduced to and fell in love with the sport at a young age. Second, a superfan has been to a ridiculous number of races at all of the tracks on the schedule. Finally, they live in the heart of NASCAR country.

What if we told you this particular NASCAR superfan fits none of those descriptions?

Meet Patricia Borton, an 89-year-old NASCAR Pole Position subscriber from Ohio. She was introduced to NASCAR much later in life through an unorthodox manner. And while she’s visited several different tracks, she’s chosen to never see a NASCAR race live and in person.

Borton never sought out NASCAR specifically, NASCAR found her. Today, she’s a die-hard fan who watches races on TV every weekend. She is also a mother with an incredible support system.

How’d we find out about Patty? Through a note she sent following the release of our 75 Greatest Drivers Magazine.

Patty Borton’s NASCAR story starts in the 2000s. Her late husband was retired but not yet ready to stop working. He took a job with a landscaping equipment company that required a lot of traveling, which left Patty with a lot of free time.

Soon afterward, Patty rented a small space in a shopping mall. Through inspiration from her husband, Patty decided to turn that real estate into a small hobby shop to fill some of her free time.

While NASCAR racing was not prevalent in her life, cars were.

“My husband gave me the idea because he loved cars.” Patty recalled. “He was very mechanical, and every now and then he’d find an old car, I’d look in my driveway and say, ‘We’ve found another one.’”

Patty opened her hobby shop at a time when NASCAR was booming. One day, a salesman came into her shop and gave her another interesting idea, start selling NASCAR merchandise.

At the time, Patty knew absolutely nothing about racing. However, she bought

whatever she could from the salesman’s small inventory, and that inspired her to start watching the races on television.

“I started watching the races on Sundays, and I got to know the numbers.” Patty said, “I came to be a big fan of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson; the Earnhardts, Dale and Dale Jr.”

Patty and her husband later retired for good, turning the hobby shop over to her daughter. Still, Patty’s newfound love of NASCAR continued to flourish.

Patty’s husband’s love of cars meant the couple traveled to Mecum Auto Auctions in Florida every year. However, the pair always took the scenic route, stopping at whatever NASCAR tracks they could find along the way.

While Patty has never attended a NASCAR race, she’s been to plenty of race tracks, even spending a few minutes in the flag stand at Richmond and enjoying one particularly fun experience at Texas Motor Speedway.

“(A track employee) took us around the race track in a car and told us all about it,” Patty said, “Then, he took us into the stands and into a sort of VIP place.”

Patty still loves NASCAR, and she watches almost every race. It’s been more than just a Patty thing as well, as it has become a bonding experience with her daughter, Linda.

Linda comes by every weekend to help her mother with things like groceries, and she has become interested in NASCAR.

“I would always watch the race, and she would do other things.” Patty said, “All of a sudden in the last couple of years when she’s been staying on the weekends, she’s started getting into NASCAR and enjoys the races with me.”

For years, Patty would often find a NASCAR magazine to read before the season started, but that magazine became difficult to find. This inspired Linda to look for a new NASCAR magazine, to which she discovered NASCAR Pole Position and the 75 Greatest Drivers Magazine.

Patty soon sent the following note to NASCAR Pole Position: “Thank you for sending me the magazine and ‘Commemorative of 75 Years of Racing’ book. It came just in time for my 89th birthday. – Thank you, Patty”

• Patty sent this note to the NASCAR Pole Position team after receiving her copy of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.

NOTHING BEATS

Q&A WITH NASCAR GREAT NED JARRETT

Remembering Epic Call of 1993 Daytona 500

BY RICK HOUSTON, HOST OF THE SCENE VAULT PODCAST

In the world of sports broadcasting, there’s Al Michaels and, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” Baseball has Russ Hodges and, “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!” Football had Howard Cosell and Dandy Don Meredith.

As for the greatest broadcast calls in NASCAR history, the list has to start with Ned Jarrett and the last lap of the 1993 Daytona 500. The finish of any Daytona 500 is dramatic enough, but when you’re in the booth and it’s your son down on the track battling one of the sport’s most iconic drivers …

Oh, yeah, this one was special.

As Dale Jarrett and Dale Earnhardt went after each other, the excitement in Ned Jarrett’s voice was palpable. And, really, who could blame him? This was his son – racing The Intimidator – in the sport’s biggest race.

Rick Houston of The Scene Vault Podcast sat down with Jarrett to discuss the momentous occasion for Episode 13. Like the race itself, the conversation was hard to forget.

IN MY OPINION, THE CALL THAT YOU MADE AT THE END OF THE 1993 DAYTONA 500 WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF AL MICHAELS’ CALLS AT THE END OF THE MIRACLE ON ICE GAME IN THE 1980 OLYMPICS. NO. 1, IT WAS A COOL FINISH. NO. 2, THAT WAS YOUR SON DOWN ON THE RACE TRACK. TAKE ME THROUGH THOSE LAST COUPLE OF LAPS.

That was such a special moment. We didn’t really realize at the time how special it would become. As we’ve traveled around the country, that particular broadcast is

mentioned more than all other things put together. We appreciate that because it is so special to our family.

I’ll take you back to when we would go to Daytona each year when I worked for CBS, from when they started broadcasting in 1979 until they lost the broadcast rights in 2000. Each year, they would call me in and say, “Who can we look to, to be a threat here?”

I would just bring them up to date on what they needed to be looking out for.

This was the producer, Bob Stenner. I told him in that meeting, “Well, this might sound self- serving, but I said you can watch out for Dale Jarrett this year.”

He said, “Really?” I said, “Yes, he’s going to be tough in this race.” Of course as the week played out, he sat on the outside pole. Kyle Petty won the pole. Dale ran good all week.

When it came down near the end of that race, Ken Squier was the anchor. The late Neil Bonnett was the other analyst in the booth along with myself. The producer has the ability to push a button and speak to each individually, or he can push a button to speak to all of them at the same time. I say that to let folks understand how this played out.

So D.J. was riding along in third place after they made their last pit stop, Jeff Gordon was running second in his first Daytona 500 and Dale Earnhardt was leading the race. D.J. kept sizing Gordon up where he’s going to make his pass.

I’d made a few comments about where I thought he’d make the pass coming off Turn 4 because that appeared to be

Gordon’s weakness. And sure enough, with about three laps to go, that’s where he made his pass on Jeff Gordon, passed on the outside.

Jeff immediately fell in behind him because all he’s trying to do is get a top five out of his first Daytona 500. He figured if he follows Dale Earnhardt that he could do that, and he was doing a great job of that.

Then, Dale got up on Earnhardt and Earnhardt’s car was beginning to get loose. Dale knew how to make it get looser.

I don’t think Gordon knew at that time how to do it. I mean, he’s a master at it now, but I don’t think at that time that he knew how to get it there and make Earnhardt’s car looser, so I made a comment about that, that he needed to get up there and especially going into Turn 3 coming around to get the white flag.

D.J. got up beside Dale as they crossed the start-finish line getting the white flag and then made the pass going into Turn 1 for the lead. Bob Stenner came on my headset and said, “OK dad, call your son home and be a daddy.”

NED JARRETT

■ 1961 & 1965 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

■ NASCAR Hall of Famer (2011).

■ Named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers (2023).

■ Interviewed U.S. President Ronald Reagan live at the 1984 Firecracker 400.

See, I didn’t know that he had told the other announcers to lay off, we’re gonna let Ned call this last lap. So I just went from being a supposedly professional announcer to being a dad.

It was interesting that Dale, when you see that tape of the race, everything that I was saying to him, he was doing. I said, “Take her to the inside! Don’t let him get down on the inside!” And he’d just pull it right down to the inside. He instinctively knew how to do that.

I have people argue with me today, “Oh, you had a two-way radio!” No, I didn’t have a twoway radio. We both knew what needed to happen and he did it.

race track and have food and drink, and everything. Nope, she wanted me to park that van where she could see that race car – that No. 18 he was driving then – come by each lap around. She listened to it on MRN radio.

The cameraman, instead of getting in front of her to let her know what they were doing, he was at the sideview mirror. That’s where those shots that you see were coming from, and she didn’t even know they were there. REALLY?

They had that camera positioned on Martha. She was in a van behind pit road.

POOR MARTHA.

Yeah, I kept going back and forth there. I thought she was going to have a heart attack. She could have gone on up in the VIP suite where she could see that whole

Really. She had no idea that there was a camera there.

OH, I BET THERE WAS HECK TO PAY AFTER THAT.

They always had a party on Sunday night, and they showed that film and boy, she jumped straight up and she said, “They’re invading my privacy!” But after she saw how it really played out, she understood then. But that was a special, special moment.

I wanted to get to Dale Earnhardt. But, you know, through all the celebration and everything after that race, I wasn’t able to talk to him that day. I had to work the race until the broadcast went off there, and then I went down to Victory Lane.

So I didn’t see Earnhardt until the next week at Rockingham. And he was going to the drivers’ meeting on Sunday morning. He was on the outside of the fence walking down through there, and I was on the inside.

I ran over and I said, “Dale, I need to talk to you a second.” He said, “Congratulations, you guys, on winning that race last week.” I said, “That’s what I want to talk to you about. I did you wrong.”

He said, “What do you mean?”

I said, “Well, I was on national television pulling for my son. That’s not very professional. That’s not the way that it ought to be done.” He looked me straight in the eyes and punched his finger through the fence into my stomach. He said, “Don’t you ever forget I’m a daddy, too.”

BACKSTORY

NASCAR’S GREATEST COMEBACKS

Five Drivers Who Visited Victory Lane Despite Early Deficits

BY JOSHUA LIPOWSKI

Everyone loves a good comeback story, especially when it involves a NASCAR Cup Series driver coming out of nowhere to claim the trophy. In this issue, we’ll look at the best single-race comebacks in NASCAR history, races in which the eventual winner fell far behind but came roaring back to celebrate in Victory Lane.

2023 Chicago Street Race - A surprise winner from down under: All seemed lost for Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen last year during his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the inaugural Chicago Street Race.

Under caution at lap 47, NASCAR declared the race would end early due to darkness. While some were able to stay out and make it to the end on fuel, SVG was among those who pitted and restarted deep in the field.

In rapid-fire fashion, the New Zealander made his way forward on the narrow city streets, avoiding carnage as fellow frontrunners Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell flamed out. With only a handful of laps remaining, SVG passed Justin Haley for the lead and the upset victory.

Martinsville 2005 - Jeff Gordon gets up on the wheel: Gordon’s record at Martinsville Speedway is incredible with nine Cup Series victories. However, he seemed out of sorts early in the 2005 spring race after qualifying 16th.

Then, overheating issues forced Gordon to pit early, leaving him three laps behind the leader. From there, Gordon took advantage of some good fortune and good positioning to make up the lost laps.

But that was only the beginning, as he passed car after car after car once he was back on the lead lap. Gordon took command for the first time on lap 465 and led the rest of the way.

Charlotte ROVAL 2019 - Chase Elliott crashes, still wins: Elliott seemed poised to run away from the field during the 2019 playoff race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.

He had won Stage 2 and was in front of the field when the green flag waved to start Stage 3. However, Elliott overcooked the entry to turn 1, locked up the brakes and went straight into the tire barrier. His car was damaged, and it appeared as if Elliott’s day was finished.

But after falling to the back of the lead lap, Elliott methodically worked his way forward on a 23-lap green flag run, taking advantage of late caution flags to make up even more ground.

With six laps remaining, Elliott retook the lead and pulled away to claim the race’s unique trophy.

Talladega 2000 - Dale Earnhardt goes from 18th to first: With four laps remaining in the 2000 Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, all seemed lost for the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Mired back in 18th place among a swarming pack of cars, a win appeared out of the question. However, “The Intimidator” would not be denied.

He sliced through the field, filling every open gap and drafting his way to the front. Eventually, Earnhardt passed both his teammate, Mike Skinner, and his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., on the final lap around the 2.66-mile track.

Earnhardt claimed the 76th and final victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career.

Talladega 1985 - Bill Elliott comes from two laps down: Elliott was the driver to beat on superspeedways in 1985, and that fact was reinforced during the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Elliott fell two laps down early due to mechanical issues, and it seemed his race was over. Well, people forgot that Elliott had the fastest stock car on the planet that day.

He made up the lost ground, retook the lead and went on to win the race.

Oh, by the way, there were no caution flags to bunch up the field. He erased the more than five-mile deficit exclusively under green flag conditions, likely something that will never be repeated.

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4 DECADES OF SUCCESS

10 Best Moments in Hendrick Motorsports History

This year, Hendrick Motorsports – the winningest team in NASCAR history with 14 Cup Series championships and more than 300 race victories – is celebrating its 40th anniversary season as an organization.

In recognition of this milestone, let’s look at the 10 best moments in Hendrick Motorsports history, starting with the greatest moment of all for the company founded by Charlotte car dealer Rick Hendrick.

Jeff Gordon’s 1995 Cup Series championship.

Starting out in 1984 as a single-car team branded as All-Star Racing, Hendrick Motorsports didn’t become a NASCAR powerhouse overnight. Like most organizations, Hendrick Motorsports – which assumed its current name in 1985 – endured its share of growing pains.

But after failing to win a Cup Series championship in its first 11 seasons, the company ascended NASCAR’s highest mountain in 1995 by claiming the Cup Series crown with third-year driver Jeff Gordon.

Thanks in large part to a series-high seven wins, Gordon delivered Hendrick its first title in runaway fashion over second-place championship finisher Dale Earnhardt. The driver of the No. 3 car needed a miracle in the final race to catch Gordon, who entered the event with a virtually insurmountable points lead and beat Earnhardt by 34 points under the old points system.

Finishing 1-2-3 in the 1997 Daytona 500.

There’s never been a day in the illustrious history of Hendrick Motorsports as amazing as when the organization’s drivers came home a remarkable 1-2-3 in the 1997 Daytona 500.

Never in the previous 38 editions of The Great American Race had a single organization swept the top-three finishing positions until Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte and Ricky Craven did so, respectively, in 1997.

Gordon –who made a race-winning pass on Bill Elliott with six laps to go and outdueled the likes of Elliott, Dale Earnhardt and Dale Jarrett in the final laps – talked by phone in Victory Lane with team owner Hendrick, who was unable to attend due to an ongoing battle with leukemia.

Jimmie Johnson’s record-tying seventh Cup Series crown.

When Dale Earnhardt tied Richard Petty in 1994 to become just the second seven-time champion of NASCAR’s premier series, most pundits predicted no other driver would ever join the two legends in such rarefied air. Those pundits couldn’t have been more wrong.

On Nov. 20, 2016 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Jimmie Johnson became the sport’s third and most recent seven-time Cup Series champion when he took both the race win and the title in one fell swoop.

Johnson, who claimed all of his championships with crew chief Chad Knaus atop his pit box, also won all of his titles in a No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. With Johnson’s recordtying championship, the No. 48 Hendrick bunch became only the second individual team to record seven titles in NASCAR history, joining Petty Enterprises’ No. 43 team.

HENDRICKMOTORSPORTSAT40

4

Jeff Gordon’s record-tying 13-win season in 1998.

Since NASCAR’s modern era began in 1972, the record number of wins by a driver in a single Cup Series season is 13 – and it’s only happened twice. The first was in 1975 courtesy of Richard Petty – who retired in 1992 as the Cup Series’ all-time wins leader with 200 victories. The only other time it’s happened was 1998, when Jeff Gordon went to Victory Lane 13 times on the way to the third of his four series crowns.

That year turned out to be Gordon’s last full season with crew chief Ray Evernham, who guided him to championships in 1995 and 1997 before their magical 1998 run. How dominant was Gordon in 1998? Along with winning 13 times, he clinched the championship – which back then was based on points accumulated over the entire season – with two races still to go.

5 Finishing 1-2-3 at Martinsville

Speedway in Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary season.

Nearly 40 years after Hendrick Motorsports captured its first NASCAR premier series victory on April 29, 1984, at Martinsville Speedway as All-Star Racing and with Geoff Bodine as its driver, the organization made it a clean sweep of the top-three finishing positions at the .526-mile short track

On April 7, 2024, William Byron took the checkered flag over teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Alex Bowman, driving a fourth Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, finished eighth. Becoming the first organization to have its drivers finish 1-2-3 at Martinsville couldn’t have been more fitting for Hendrick Motorsports on a weekend when all four Hendrick cars sported paint schemes commemorating the organization’s 40th anniversary season.

6

Jeff Gordon’s win in the inaugural Brickyard 400.

Growing up in Pittsboro, Indiana, after being born in Vallejo, California, Jeff Gordon spent a large chunk of his childhood dreaming of racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – arguably the worlds most iconic racing venue in the entire world.

But when Gordon decided to go the NASCAR route instead of pursuing a career in IndyCar, his chances of competing on Indy’s hallowed bricks seemed to be over. That is, until NASCAR made its Indianapolis debut in 1994 with the inaugural Brickyard 400.

Fittingly, Gordon won that race and wrote his name in the history books as the first NASCAR driver to visit Victory Lane at the venerable 2.5mile track. Meanwhile, Hendrick Motorsports became the first NASCAR team to celebrate a win at the fabled venue.

7 The magical, record-setting 2007 season.

Hendrick Motorsports has enjoyed a lot of terrific seasons over its 40-year history, but 2007 was one for the ages. That year, Hendrick’s four drivers – Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears – combined to prevail in an incredible 18 of 36 races. Seventeen years later, this remains Hendrick’s highest win total in a single season. To cap it off, Johnson and Gordon finished 1-2 in the 2007 standings as Johnson celebrated the second of his record five consecutive premier series championships on the strength of 10 victories in his No. 48 Chevrolet. Busch accounted for only one of Hendrick’s trips to Victory Lane in 2007 but finished fifth in points, giving the Hendrick group three of the top-five drivers in the final standings.

8

Chase Elliott’s 2020 Cup Series championship.

When Chase Elliott arrived as a rookie with Hendrick Motorsports’ NASCAR Cup Series program in 2016, expectations were understandably high for the secondgeneration driver.

Not only is Elliott the son of racing royalty in the form 1988 Cup Series champion Bill Elliott, but he entered the Cup Series on the heels of a secondand first-place points finish, respectively, in his two seasons as a NASCAR Xfinity Series driver. Eliott made the playoffs in each of his first two Cup Series seasons, but he didn’t score his first win until Year Three — and his 99th career start. But, just two seasons later, he was hoisting NASCAR’s most coveted trophy after earning a career-high five wins, including one in the seasonending Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway.

9 Kyle Larson’s 2021 Cup Series championship.

When Rick Hendrick hired Kyle Larson to join Hendrick Motorsports for the 2021 season, it was by all appearances somewhat of a gamble.

Larson, despite showing flashes of tremendous talent in his former ride at Chip Ganassi Racing, was fired by CGR four races into the 2020 season for using a racial slur and spent the rest of the year on the sidelines. Furthermore, Hendrick was unable to sign a traditional primary sponsor for Larson, so the NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner was stuck with using one of his own companies – HendrickCars.com – as the primary sponsor on Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet.

In spite all of that, Larson rewarded his new team owner’s gamble by minding his manners off the track and ripping off a series-high 10 victories en route to his first Cup Series championship and a second consecutive title for the organization.

10

Terry Labonte’s 1996 Cup Series title.

One of NASCAR’s least flamboyant but most consistent drivers during his career in NASCAR’s top series, Terry Labonte joined Hendrick Motorsports without a lot of fanfare in 1994 but quickly showed why team owner Rick Hendrick chose him to drive the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

After going to Victory Lane three times in each of his first two seasons with the organization, Labonte triumphed just twice in 1996, but his overwhelming consistency – 24 top-10 finishes, including 21 top-five results in 31 starts – propelled him to his second Cup Series title 12 years after earning his first with Hagan Enterprises.

Labonte’s 1996 championship with Hendrick Motorsports came one year after Jeff Gordon delivered the organization’s first title in NASCAR’s premier series and was sandwiched between that championship and Gordon’s back-to-back titles for Hendrick in 1997 and 1998.

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Drivers Making an Impact Off and On the Track

BY MATT WEAVER

These drivers make as much of an impact off the track as they do on. What they do and how they go about doing it is highly appreciated and praised by their fans.

Of every driver across all three NASCAR national touring divisions, three of the five with the most overall endorsement deals are likely surprises.

According to a leading marketing and activations reporting firm, they are Anthony Alfredo, Ryan Vargas and Jeb Burton. Specifically, Alfredo and Vargas

headline a list that also includes Joey Logano and Kyle Busch, who of course can be more selective about their endorsements.

Overall, it’s a reflection of their hustle but also the dynamic followings that each of the three have cultivated over the years. Alfredo, Vargas and Burton are examples of racers who spend a lot of time connecting with the people at the track and then trying to connect those fans to product. It’s a cyclical experience.

FANFAVORITES

Hailie Deegan

There is no driver in NASCAR that encapsulates the cult following spirit quite like Hailie Deegan. Her fans will climb mountains for her.

Sure, a lot of it is owed to her famous action sports star father, Brian Deegan, but Hailie herself has inherited her parents’ charisma and works tremendously hard to cultivate her own unique following. It helps that she’s taken a completely different path from the Trophy Trucks her father now headlines or SuperMotocross, where her brother Haiden is starting to emerge as a major star.

For example, during her tenure in the Superstar Racing Experience, no one spent more time with fans over that summer than Deegan. While many of her champion and legendary peers spent a lot of time in the motorhomes, there was a crowd that constantly followed Deegan and she did little to discourage them.

Anthony Alfredo

Anthony Alfredo is one of the feel-good stories of the 2024 NASCAR season, contending for a playoff spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, scoring a Dash 4 Cash bonus in April at Dover Motor Speedway and also challenging for wins in the Beard Motorsports Cup car on superspeedways.

Again, it’s a dynamic made possible only because he works hard for his endorsements and can offer them an underground fan following. He’s also leveraged his longstanding “Fast Pasta” nickname into a Botticelli pasta sauce sponsorship.

“I feel like I learned a lot the past three years, especially when I went Cup racing,” Alfredo said of the 2021 season with Front Row Motorsports. “I learned a lot about the business side. I take a lot of pride in the partnerships I’ve cultivated and the people I get to work with.”

So, when he won the Dash 4 Cash at Dover, banking $100,000 in the process, it was like a full circle moment. It paid more than races pay to win. He was only in that position because his fan base is so passionate that they support his many activations and now he can reinvest that money into his Our Motorsports program to be more competitive and attract more fans and sponsors.

“That was our motivation,” Alfredo said. “People don’t understand how small our budget is in comparison to these bigger teams and people can sort of overlook it because we’ve raced inside the top-10 this year. The first question is, who is your team alliance, and when we don’t run well, it’s because we’re not supposed to.

“So, we have a lot of partners who are invested in us, and growing with us but we still have some open races too. Hopefully, we get some phone calls back now that we’re running like this.”

He’s running near the top-10 in the standings with a team that has 13 employees and is ranked closer to 20th in terms of resources. All of his mini-successes this season were made possible due to the bonds he’s formed with the community.

“I take a lot of pride in engaging with the community and my race fans through all of my social media platforms,” Alfredo said. “I even use platforms a lot of drivers aren’t on, like Twitch, YouTube, Reddit and my Discord server. I try to meet as many people as possible while at the track or in person too. I love meeting new people and putting names to faces.

“I grew up in a family of race fans, so to know there are people supporting me is sometimes hard to comprehend, but I know I wouldn’t be where I am without them. I will always be a race fan at heart, so I enjoy sharing the journey with them and showing what life is like on and off the track as a driver.”

Ty Majeski

Wisconsin race fans are a different breed.

The motorsports culture that produced Ty Majeski is dedicated and they passionately support their drivers across every discipline. You have to understand, they are more than just NASCAR fans. They are race fans, holistically, and their favorite sons must fit that mold. Majeski is the inheritor of a legacy that includes Dick Trickle, Rich Bickle, Alan Kulwicki and the Sauters – competitors who did more than hold a steering wheel.

These were racers who knew their cars inside and out and Majeski has followed that aspirational lead. Before earning a full-time opportunity in the Truck Series at ThorSport Racing, Majeski served as an engineer with the organization for Johnny Sauter and crew chief Joe Shear Jr., fellow Wisconsinites.

This came after a Super Late Model career where he worked hand-in-hand with car builder Toby Nuttleman while earning his mechanical engineering degree from UW-Madison. These are the things you have to do to earn the respect of Wisconsin fans.

FANFAVORITES

Jeb Burton

It’s fitting that Jeb Burton has this kind of underground dedicated following because it’s identical to his dad, 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton. He’s basically his dad made over in every sense of the word.

It comes down to authenticity and earnestness in that there are no pretenses with the Burtons. They are avid outdoorsmen and many of their partnerships are tied to their favored pastimes. It’s also the binding tie to their fans too.

“Without the fans we don’t get to race,” Jeb Burton said. “I’ve had that preached to me from Day One. My fans are very loyal to me and they support us if we’re winning or losing. It starts with the support system from my dad’s side as well.

“I feel like we saw that when we did the Late Model race at Orange County, with the number of people that came up to us both and said they were second generation Burton fans – that their dad supported my dad and now they support me.

“Without that, I don’t believe I’m where I’m at right now and it goes hand-in-hand with all the deals we put together to keep us on the race track each week.”

That race embodied everything about the Burtons’ enduring popularity – around 6,000 fans showing up just to see that fatherson duo compete against the modern-day best in Late Model Stock competition for the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation.

“What I was pleased and really ecstatic about, I don’t know how many races I’ve been to that the competitors were complimentary about the way they were treated at this event,” the elder Burton said that night. “The fans, I think, truly enjoyed the way they were treated, too. When you look at all of that and everything Rogers (Heating & Cooling) has done for us, as a fundraising event for WBWF, it was a success.”

It was a success because there were two generation of Burton drivers who put the fans first.

Ryan Vargas

Similar to Alfredo, Ryan Vargas has a quirky approach to social media, but an acute understanding of how to use it to connect with race fans, which has made him a popular partner for non-traditional sponsorship activations.

“Having a dedicated fan base like mine has opened so many doors in the industry,” Vargas said.

For example, his past partnerships have included social media platforms TikTok and Reddit and what a better spokesperson than those who frequently use them to mingle with their devoted supporters, right?

“Being able to share your story to a fan base that actually cares about what you do, who you partner with and where you go is very important because, as a racing driver, that’s going to uplift whatever program you are putting together; whether it be with a team or a sponsor,” Vargas said. “I’ve personally had fans reach out to me and say, ‘Man that car you drove with ‘x’ on the hood looked so good, always loved seeing them sponsor you,’ and that’s a big deal. I’ve had fans literally rally around my partners because they supported the guy that they want to succeed.”

Vargas won the Comcast Community Champion of the Year award in 2023, which recognizes his non-racing endeavors, for him the awareness of craniosynostosis and craniofacial differences. Vargas was born with the former, requiring just one surgery, but has spent his career working to show that it can be overcome.

“Without the following I’ve been fortunate to garner; I don’t know if I would have some of the opportunities I’ve had in motorsports.”

His tenacity has led him to racing full time on the NASCAR EURO Tour this season, going literally wherever it takes to showcase his sponsors and remain on the track. Those fans are getting up early to watch him too.

“It’s such a unique opportunity, right,” Vargas said. “Getting to go overseas and driving race cars. You always dream of racing race cars professionally, but getting to do it on a worldwide scale is really, really cool.”

An Unofficial All-Time Fan Favorite Drivers List

Arguably, there have been more popular drivers throughout the history of NASCAR, but these embody a cult classic spirit or the indie band front men of stock car racing lore.

BY MATT WEAVER

Ward Burton’s Daytona 500 victory felt like a triumph for the blue-collar race fans. It was the crowning achievement of a twodecade racing career.

Tim Richmond never got a chance to become a star, losing his life at the age of 34, but his legacy continues. He established a media blueprint that is still used today.

Paul Menard, a byproduct of the rich Wisconsin racing scene, had more than a fan base. He had a dedicated empire.

Everyone remembers the name Dick Trickle, but they forget a NASCAR veteran with over 1,000 short-track feature wins.

Jimmy Spencer, similar to the Wisconsin racing scene, was a byproduct of the New England Tour-Type Modified culture and is best compared in modern times to a Ryan Preece. He had a big personality and fan base that followed him into a television career over the decade that followed.

Ricky Craven always had an aura of respectability about him and it cultivated a larger fan base than you’d expect from a guy that had a no-nonsense demeanor. He understood racing on a really cerebral level and it showed in the decade plus after his driving career ended, as he starred in ESPN studio shows.

Joe Nemechek was the ultimate blue-collar, shorttrack success story, earning wins and championships in Late Models and reaching the highest levels of NASCAR purely on merit. That sort of tenacity and grit gave him a dedicated following that cheered him on throughout the sport’s biggest era.

Rick Mast spent two decades racing across the two highest levels in NASCAR but his legacy has extended into the two decades since with popular podcast appearances and a social media presence that shows how much he genuinely loves the sport.

Michael Waltrip is the NASCAR driver with the ultimate cult fan following. While most fans remember him for his two Daytona 500 wins, he was a commercial darling throughout the 1990s and 2000s and is still linked to NAPA Know How.

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Making a Positive Difference

BY JARED TURNER

They say there’s no such thing in life as a free lunch. There is, however, such a thing as a free service dog if you’re a military veteran, active-duty service member or first responder with a disability.

America’s VetDogs – a 501(c)3 charity based in Smithtown, New York (Long Island) – has spent more than 20 years equipping over a thousand deserving public servants with a methodically trained service dog designed to improve their quality of life and help them regain a sense of pride and self-reliance.

America’s VetDogs presently has more than 605 “active teams” – the terminology it uses to refer to an individual dog recipient and their canine companion – in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and beyond.

Although free to their recipients, who must first apply to be considered for pairing with a service animal, the dogs actually come with a hefty price tag due in no small part to all the work that goes into getting them ready to live with their future owner.

“It costs us more than $50,000 to breed, raise, train and place one assistance dog, but we don’t charge anything,” said Mike Rosen, chief marketing officer for America’s VetDogs.

This is made possible primarily by donations from individuals, corporations, service clubs and community organizations. The organization also receives some funding from the government through the Wounded Warrior Service Dog Program. It’s also a testament to the work of over 1,600 volunteers, including more than 400 volunteers who help America’s VetDogs raise puppies that go on to become service dogs.

Still, all of the dogs are born and bred at the organization’s national campus on Long Island, which is home to its breeding and development center. It’s also here that those who’ve been selected for pairing with a service dog are invited from across the nation to come and stay for two weeks in preparation for life with their future canine partner. Again, all free of charge including travel costs.

“By the time they come to us in New York, the dog has been custom trained for that person,” Rosen said. “One of the things that differentiates us is our meticulous matching

process to ensure that each individual is matched with a dog that best suits their mobility, personality lifestyle, physical and emotional needs: We like to say we’re better at matchmaking than e-Harmony.”

Another area that differentiates America’s VetDogs is that the organization welcomes legal caregivers to its campus for that two-week training. The caregiver can accompany the primary handler and learn how to maximize the impact of the service dog’s skills and support the new team.

America’s VetDogs offers essential services to our nation’s heroes, including dedicated service dogs for physical disabilities and mobility challenges, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) service dogs, guide dogs for the visually impaired, hearing dogs for those with hearing loss, seizure response dogs, and animal-assisted therapy through facility dogs at military, VA healthcare facilities and other locations, promoting healing and well-being for our nation’s veterans and first responders.

Does anything else distinguish America’s VetDogs from some of the other organizations that pair man’s best friend with those in need of extra support?

“We can cross-train our dogs to help mitigate multiple comorbidities – health issues – that the people we serve may be dealing with,” Rosen said. “Many of our PTSD service dogs, for example, are crosstrained to provide some mobility support.”

About 50 percent of those granted a service animal by America’s VetDogs battle PTSD, but many also deal with physical constraints or other health concerns, such as a traumatic brain injury or hearing loss.

Some of the service dogs that get paired up are mobility service dogs for people, such as amputees, who are dealing with significant physical limitations that are obvious to the naked eye. Other recipients of service animals have a less apparent disability.

“A lot of the people we serve have bad backs and ankles and knees and necks from carrying 100-pound packs of gear around their entire military career,” Rosen said. “So, you may not see it the way you might see somebody who is using a prosthesis, but the positive impact a service dog can have on their lives and of their family and loved ones is equally extraordinary.”

Learn how to apply, volunteer and donate at www.VetDogs.org/PolePosition.

Which is better, the Inverter or the Transformer machine?

In the competitive landscape of welding equipment, Forney stands out as a reputable brand offering a diverse range of high-quality products committed to innovation and customer satisfaction. Forney welders, including inverter machines and classic transformer welders, cater to various preferences and applications. Renowned for their durability, performance, and user-friendly design, Forney welding products exemplify excellent craftsmanship and reliability, making them a preferred choice among welding professionals and enthusiasts.

When diving into the world of welding technology, there’s a big debate: which is better, the inverter or the transformer machine? The answer isn’t simple—it depends on lots of things.

Let’s take a trip through welding history, starting with the old-school transformer machine. In the late 1800s, when electricity was booming, transformers became essential for welding. As we moved into the 2000s, inverter welding machines became popular for their versatility and control over the welding arc. Yet, people were concerned about things like how easy they were to use, how well they handled heat, and if they were prone to moisture damage.

INNER WORKING OF WELDING MACHINES

Transformer welding machines are the stalwarts of high performance, commonly utilized for industrial applications. The traditional transformer operates by controlling the required voltage through a large transformer, like the Forney 242 MIG machine. Transformer-based welders use a robust transformer to change common high voltage, low amperage household power (ex. A 120V, 30A wall receptacle) to low voltage, high amperage welding output (ex. 18.5V, 90A welding output).

However, transformers have their limits, due to how the input power is transformed it is common to have 8, or fewer, set output settings on a machine. Meaning you must choose from specific welding outputs. Additionally, the output voltage can be adjusted by tapping the secondary winding of the transformer. Transformertype appliances are known for their cost-effectiveness and reliability.

In contrast, the inverter welder, like the Forney Easy Weld100 ST, converts. alternating current (AC) to a lower usable output voltage, such as transforming 240V AC supply to 20V DC output. This conversion is achieved using electronic components, enabling control over the power supply frequency, typically ranging from 50Hz up to 20,000-100,000Hz.

INNOVATION, RELIABILITY, AND COST

When it comes to making good welds and being innovative, inverters have the upper hand. They let welders be very precise, even if they’re not super experienced.

Reliability is also a big deal. Transformers have been around for over a century and have been refined. Recently, inverter machines have caught up in terms of reliability, which is good news for anyone worried about their machines breaking down.

Cost is another factor. Inverter machines used to take a large investment but are now more affordable. You must think about more than just the initial price—things like how much power they use and how often they need maintenance.

In the end, whether you choose a transformer or inverter machine depends on your personal preference and Forney has the machine you need.

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INVERTER VS TRANSFORMER

If you want to start a Civil War in welding, you ask a group of welding experts which is better, an inverter or a transformer machine. We are asked that question frequently and the short answer is, ‘it depends’. The long answer is a lively debate surrounding the pros, cons and specific applications of the machine.

The good news is that Forney has both inverter AND transformer machines and is here for all your welding and metalworking needs. Consider the chart below and go to ForneyInd.com to find the right machine for you.

Scan to read the full article on AskForney.com

Inverter is likely better: Transformer is likely better:

I want to Stick, MIG, and TIG weld with one machine. I weld with one process every day, all day.

I carry my welding machine to wherever I need to weld. I bring my welding work to my welding machine.

I weld on multiple types of base metal. I do the same job day in and day out.

I weld indoors in a controlled environment. I weld in dirty dusty environments. I like touchscreens and many parameters to adjust. I like one or two simple knobs.

I like the welding machine to help me select the right settings.

I never know what power input I will have available when I’m on a job site.

I know where my machine needs to be set.

I have power to my welding area and I don’t move my machine.

I am a tech geek. I am old school.

I like tuning the ECU on my car. I appreciate old muscle cars.

WHO’S TODAY’S DALE EARNHARDT?

BY JOSHUA LIPOWSKI

Dale Earnhardt was much more than one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time, he was an entire corporate brand.

Earnhardt’s on-track persona as “The Intimidator” made him one of the sport’s biggest icons, while his blue-collar roots and work ethic contributed to a massive fan base.

While Earnhardt’s seven NASCAR Cup Series championships and 76 series victories may not be equaled by the drivers of today, his persona and aggressive-driving style have inspired many.

Here are four current NASCAR stars who have taken inspiration from the “Man in Black:”

ROSS CHASTAIN

Dale Earnhardt had a reputation for pushing his way to the front by any means necessary, and he combined that with working-man’s persona to which everyday people could relate.

Ross Chastain is probably the closest driver to Earnhardt nowadays, not only in terms of aggression but also to an extent his personality.

Chastain is a humble watermelon farmer, a role to which the average NASCAR fan can relate.

Chastain isn’t nearly as menacing as Earnhardt, however. Earnhardt was the “Man in Black” and he played the role beautifully. Chastain doesn’t like to be the center of attention, and he has cleaned up his aggressive act some in recent races.

However, there are elements of Chastain’s driving style and off-track persona that easily relate to Earnhardt. In the Netflix docuseries “NASCAR: Full Speed,” Ty Norris, a Trackhouse Racing executive and former Dale Earnhardt Inc. employee, said Chastain relates to the fans better than anyone since Earnhardt died in a crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

JOEY LOGANO

Joey Logano relates to Dale Earnhardt in one major aspect: aggression. Logano does not have friends on the race track and is there only to win races. If anyone gets in the way, then that is just too bad.

However, Logano doesn’t have the same blue-collar persona that Earnhardt did. In addition, he’s from Connecticut, so he doesn’t relate to the fans that were born and raised in NASCAR country.

That being said, Logano is focused on one thing and one thing only: winning races. When Earnhardt was on the track, that was all that mattered to him – regardless of his off-track persona.

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DENNY HAMLIN

Denny Hamlin is currently the undisputed villain of NASCAR, as his outspoken and arrogant nature alongside his aggressive driving style have divided NASCAR’s loyal supporters.

While many fans look back on Earnhardt fondly, there was a contingent who disliked him in his prime. One example was the chorus of boos that reigned down after he wrecked Terry Labonte at the 1999 Night Race at Bristol.

While Hamlin’s aggression and playing into the villain persona are similar to Earnhardt’s, Hamlin is more outspoken. That can be chalked up to Hamlin having more of a platform via the internet than Earnhardt did in the 1990s.

What if Earnhardt had the same platforms that NASCAR drivers utilize today? Would he be as outspoken as Hamlin? Earnhardt was not afraid to let his opinions fly if he felt his voice should add to the conversation, but we can only wonder.

KYLE BUSCH

Kyle Busch can be compared to Dale Earnhardt for similar rea sons as Hamlin. The younger of the Busch brothers has been very polarizing throughout his NASCAR career, and he’s always stood up for himself and his team. Race him hard and clean, and he’ll reciprocate. Mess with him, and he’ll get payback.

It’s an approach Earnhardt perfected, and Busch still uses.

Earnhardt looked like a villain during his prime in the late 1990s, with a black car and open-faced helmet. Quite the dichotomy from Busch, who drove a car adorned with colorful candy for many years. Looks aside, these two drivers were as aggressive as they came. Busch was easily the most hated driver in NASCAR for many years, as he was never able to duplicate the blue-collar personality that made Earnhardt so popular.

WILL THERE EVER BE ANOTHER DALE EARNHARDT?

PART OF DALE EARNHARDT’S legend was that he was unique, one of a kind. He was much more than a great race car driver, he was a showman who built a dynamic brand.

In an era when NASCAR was entering the mainstream, he embraced the idea of being a superstar while also maintaining an appreciation for his blue-collar roots.

Achieving that balance is what made Earnhardt stand out. Whereas many drivers tend to lean one way or the other, Earnhardt could somehow play both sides of the fence. No one on this list has quite grasped that concept the way Earnhardt did. Frankly, there will never be another Dale Earnhardt.

CAMPING TIPS STRAIGHT FROM THE TRACK

BY JOSHUA LIPOWSKI

There is no better way to

1

Be Prepared: The first thing Singmaster mentions about camping at a NASCAR race is making sure everything is purchased in advance.

“From tickets, to scanners, to infield or terrace admissions, purchase everything in advance,” she said. “That way, when you go through RV check-in, you don’t have to wait in line to purchase additional things. That way, you can get your weekend started.”

According to Singmaster, campers must also consider having their water tank filled and possibly renting a portable toilet. Kansas Speedway has a “Campers’ Corner” on its website, which has information on topics such as water, shower hours and general rules for the various campgrounds.

This site also has a weekend schedule for campers. It includes both the on-track activity schedule and the campground activities on tap during the weekend. Schedules are always subject to change, so it’s important to check the website frequently.

“Watch the website for any changes in the schedule,” said Singmaster, “and things that will be going on in the area. Whether it’s a concert in the infield, or maybe they’re rescheduling something.”

Singmaster notes that there is a Walmart near the track that fans can visit for groceries. She also says fans should pack for all types of weather during a race weekend.

2

How Do I Watch the Race?: Fans head to the track to watch and enjoy the sights and sounds of live NASCAR. The easiest way to watch the race is to buy tickets in the grandstands, but there are options for fans who wish to stay in their RVs. According to Singmaster, many fans who camp in the infield at Kansas Speedway have a unique way to watch the race.

“Most people come to Kansas to watch the race, and because of the way the track is designed, most people stand on the roof of their RV,” she said. “Some people don’t like that idea. We’ve always stood on ours without any issue. You do have to be careful up there.”

For a more immersive viewing experience, she recommends buying or renting a scanner. Which, again, should be done in advance. It’s also worth noting that not every track is small enough for fans to see all of it from the roof of their camper or RV.

Singmaster says some fans will bring a satellite dish or cable box to watch the race on TV. This may come in handy at campsites without a direct view of the race track. Tracks have also made tremendous strides in providing wireless internet services.

Have Fun, but be Mindful: Camping at a NASCAR race is a fun experience for everyone involved, and it’s often a place where fans can bond over their love of the sport. Singmaster says its common

to see fans playing lawn games with their camper neighbors.

“There’s a lot of people that play games,” she said. “Everybody brings cornhole, used to be ladder golf, but it’s cornhole now. Everybody walks around and makes friends with each other.”

However, it’s also important to be mindful of your neighbors. This includes being respectful of space, which, as Singmaster notes, can get tricky as modern RVs and campers are wider than older models.

One thing she emphasizes is keeping neighbors in mind when running a generator. Kansas Speedway allows fans to use a “quiet” generator, but not every track does. Not only is the noise a factor according to Singmaster, but so are the emissions.

“Try to keep (the generator) out from somebody else’s window because of not only (the noise), but the fumes can go up there,” said Singmaster.

She adds that it’s important for fans to make sure carbon monoxide alarms and smoke detectors are working in the camper, just in case.

4

Don’t be in a Rush to Leave: Getting out of a race track with an RV or a camper takes a while, so Singmaster recommends fans don’t rush to leave the track after the checked flag is waved.

“You’ve got to figure all of those haulers want to get out of the garage so they can get to the next race,” Singmaster said. “Yeah, you’re excited to go home, but give it a while. No. 1, a lot of people have been drinking alcohol all day long while watching the race, and we don’t want anyone getting hurt leaving.”

Singmaster adds that at Kansas Speedway they allow fans to stay an extra night and leave Monday morning if they have that flexibility.

No matter when they leave, Singmaster calls on fans to clean up their campsite. Don’t leave a bunch of trash or belongings, and don’t dump sewage at campsites.

“When packing up, make sure you’re respectful of the property,” she said.

According to Singmaster, Kansas Speedway has a company on stand-by to empty black and grey sewage tanks. While it costs extra, she recommends it for convenience.

Finally, it’s important to check each track’s website for its specific camping policies.

learn the ins and outs of camping at a NASCAR Cup Series race than going straight to the source. So, in order to assist our readers in maximizing their at-track camping experience, NASCAR Pole Position recently caught up with Kym Singmaster, a senior office manager at Kansas Speedway.

Spruce Up Your Campsite

BY JOSHUA LIPOWSKI

Camping at a NASCAR Cup Series race is unique, exciting and entertaining. Instead of simply visiting the venue for a few hours as is done with most other professional sports, NASCAR fans can stay at the race track for the entire weekend.

Whether practical accessories for the camper or simply items to showcase their favorite drivers, these items can help race fans maximize their attrack camping experience.

Mats: Mats are typically used just outside of the camper. Putting a quality-made mat under a table allows campers to go outside and relax without having to walk on the grass, dirt or gravel campsite.

on what you grew up calling it, is the most popular lawn game. Playing cornhole can also create camaraderie by bringing fans from different campsites together.

The important thing with cornhole is to stay within your campsite boundaries and don’t annoy the neighbors.

It also helps keep the camper and campsite clean. If the weather takes a turn for the worse, an awning on the camper might save the mat from getting too wet.

A mat also serves to mark a campsite. Some tracks have firstcome, first-served sites at certain campgrounds, so putting a mat down can reserve a particular site.

Cornhole Boards: Playing lawn games is an ideal way to pass the time while waiting for a race to start. Cornhole or bags, depending

Flags: One of the most iconic camera shots of any NASCAR race is the fluttering flags above the campers on race morning. Flags are also a great way for fans to support their favorite NASCAR drivers.

Obviously, it’s vital to have a big enough flagpole to carry multiple flags. It’s also important to take the flags down if it gets too windy.

Cardboard Standups: Another way to showcase NASCAR fandom is by displaying cardboard standups of drivers. While these are not as flashy as big flags, a cardboard standup lets nearby fans know who the favorite drivers are at a given campsite.

Cups/Koozies: While having plates and cups is important, why not take it up a notch or two? Bringing NASCAR-themed cups and koozies is a great way to make the entire camping party NASCAR-themed. Koozies also function to keep drinks cold on a hot day. Custom koozies are easy to find, and they give fans another outlet to showcase their favorite drivers.

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TylerReddick Finds Success at23XIRacing BYJAREDTURNER

Since making his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut as a 17-year-old in 2013, Tyler Reddick has become a household name, one of NASCAR’s brightest young stars.

His talent was evident, but after four seasons at Richard Childress Racing – one of which included a second consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series championship – the former dirt-track racer from northern California needed a new opportunity to better showcase his ability.

Change can be scary, but it can also be rewarding.

During 23XI Racing’s first season-and-a-half, Reddick saw what co-owners Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan were building. The team had already visited Victory Lane twice. First, with Bubba Wallace, who was out front when rain hit Talladega Superspeedway in the fall of 2021. Former Cup Series champion Kurt Busch then joined the team ahead of the 2022 season and won in only his 13th start.

When Hamlin surprisingly introduced Reddick as the future driver of 23XI Racing’s No. 45 Toyota, he indicated Reddick would join the team when Busch retired following the 2023 season. However, the process was accelerated after a head injury in July 2022 forced Busch out of the car. Reddick ended up getting a bonus season with his new team.

That additional season in 2023 was solid. In his sixth start at Circuit of The Americas, Reddick dominated the race and won for the third

time on a road course. The team let more than a couple of wins slip away, some due to driver error and others by not executing on pit road. However, Reddick won the second race of the playoffs at Kansas Speedway and advanced all the way to the Round of 8.

“We got started a year early with the team. Just that in itself was a win with what our visions and goals are for this organization and the 45 car,” Reddick recalled. “I wanted to go out there and win races and contend. We had to work out a few bugs along the way and had some things slip away from us, but we were still able to win races and get things put together at the right time in the playoffs. I think all that set up for a pretty good first year.”

It took time for Reddick to get settled. Switching jobs is a big life change, particularly when he’s expected to perform at the highest level. Reddick made some personal tweaks during the week in order to fully hone his race craft, while having additional time at home with his family.

At the same time, 23XI Racing built a new, state-of-the-art headquarters in Huntersville, North Carolina, naming it Airspeed.

“In just the way I put together my week and how I spend it has changed quite a bit,” Reddick noted. “My whole week has changed, so I’ve been trying to get used to it and we’ve been making changes as we go.

“I feel like I’ve done this before, like with Brad Keselowski Racing, where we start in a smaller, non-permanent home and we finally move into our brand-new sweet digs. That process takes some getting used to for everybody, but when we finally got into our new building at the beginning of the year, it’s been nice getting used to this place and being able to squeeze out the most of it with the number of resources they put into this building gave us more to work with.”

Having Michael Jordan, arguably the best professional basketball player – and one of the most popular individuals in the

CUPSERIESSPOTLIGHT

world – in your corner, doesn’t hurt either. Reddick has formed a special relationship with Jordan and has even taken vacations to Disney World to meet with his boss.

That relationship was on full display at Talladega Superspeedway in late April. Reddick was in contention to win his first points-paying superspeedway race, and when Michael McDowell and Brad Keselowski tangled on the final lap, the No. 45 car snuck through for the victory.

It was the first time Jordan was in attendance – despite going to a large chunk of races – when one of his Toyotas won.

“Michael has been wanting to get to Victory Lane very badly since this thing got started,” Reddick explained. “He’s smart, pays attention and knows what tracks we’re strong at. For us to take him to Victory Lane at a place that’s as chaotic as Talladega was special. It’s not where everything started for 23XI, but that’s where things got going with Bubba getting the team’s first win there. For the 45 to get its first win of (2024) and its first win with bossman in the building at the race was special.”

Since Jordan sold his share of the Charlotte Hornets last August, he’s become even more involved with the race team.

“The questions he has – I don’t necessarily hear about them all the time, personally, because I’m in the car – but when I’m out of the car and we talk, he’s always asking intriguing questions, checking in on myself and Bubba and talking to the guys throughout the race as the race was

unfolding,” Reddick said of Jordan. “The questions he asks paint the picture to me of how involved he really is and how well he understands the current nature of our sport. He’s locked in with what’s going on, cares about it.

“It’s cool to hear about. I see it from my perspective as a driver, but the rest of the team gets a different perspective on it during the race when he’s on the box.”

Not lost in the Talladega victory was Jordan taking Reddick’s son, Beau, and lifting him like a trophy in Victory Lane. It’s a moment Reddick will never forget, and a memory Beau can brag to his friends about.

“To (Beau’s) understanding, he knows who Michael is and what’s incredible is he isn’t incredibly starstruck by it,” Reddick noted. “I think as he gets older that moment will sink in a little bit more. Can you imagine being as young as him and being around Michael a number of times? Beau’s perspective of Michael is different than most anybody in the world.”

One of the positives of working for 23XI Racing is the influx in Jordan Brand shoes that employees receive. Reddick has approaching 70 pairs and seems to have new boxes arrive at his house multiple times per month. However, it pales in comparison to Hamlin, who has more than 500 pairs that he has collected since becoming a Jordan Brand athlete.

The Jumpman logo first appeared on Hamlin’s fire suit in 2011, after he met Jordan while being a loyal season ticket holder of the Charlotte Hornets.

“My goal is to surpass Denny’s collection because I think I’m more naturally a better hoarder than Denny,” Reddick said. “He keeps the ones he likes. I feel like I’m going to keep every single pair. Just in case I need that specific pair and color wave for that outfit on that day.”

Reddick’s favorite pair that he owns is the Jordan 5 University of North Carolina colors. Not only does he like Carolina blue, but that was where Jordan forged his path to superstardom.

“I love the style of the Jordan 5,” Reddick said. “I was born in 1996, but I love a lot of things about the ’90s and I feel like that shoe screams ’90s. You have to be a little careful in the rain, but that’s my favorite.”

It’s not out of the question that Reddick could get his own signature shoe should he keep performing on the race track. Hamlin is working to make 23XI merchandise available for race fans who visit Airspeed. The team is also working with Jordan Brand for special merchandise collaborations, with the first race likely coming at the Chicago Street Course.

“It’s something to stay motivated about and work on,” Reddick said. “I don’t want to make any promises right now or put myself in a box. I think anything is possible.”

Whatever happens, Reddick knows his leap of faith in 23XI Racing has paid off – and their tenure together is just getting started.

Reunited & It Feels So Good

SMITH BACK IN A TOYOTA & BACK IN THE HUNT

BY JARED TURNER

In two seasons as a full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver, Chandler Smith proved himself more than capable of getting up on the wheel and being a consistent frontrunner.

But, Smith – despite moving up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2023 – took a step back performance-wise as he claimed only one victory in NASCAR’s No. 2 division after going to Victory Lane a total of five times over his two full seasons in a Kyle Busch Motorsports truck.

This season, though, Smith has reunited with Toyota – the manufacturer he was aligned with for more than seven years prior to campaigning Chevrolets for Kaulig Racing in 2023 – and he’s returned to his frontrunning ways.

And, Smith isn’t just paired with Toyota; he’s paired with the premier Toyota team and one of NASCAR’s top organizations in Joe Gibbs Racing.

seven-plus years before, and now I’m back with them again – all of that’s just a recipe for what we’re showcasing right now this season.”

Ten races into the 2024 schedule and his first year with JGR, Smith was the Xfinity Series points leader on the strength of eight top-10 finishes that included six top-five results. The 21-year-old driver’s average finish over that stretch was a stellar 7.0, and his average starting position was a solid 9.8.

I’m surrounded by a great group of men and women at Joe Gibbs Racing, and I’ve got a really good team behind me...

To say Smith is getting to have his proverbial cake and eat it, too, would perhaps be an understatement. As driver of the No. 81 Toyota for JGR and paired alongside veteran crew chief Jeff Meendering, he’s in as enviable of a spot as anyone could ever want to be in at the Xfinity Series level.

“I’m surrounded by a great group of men and women at Joe Gibbs Racing, and I’ve got a really good team behind me – talking about the 81 group,” Smith said in an exclusive interview with NASCAR Pole Position in April. “Being able to be back, rejuvenated with Toyota Racing and being under their wing – I was with them for

He’d also led 271 laps and picked up a pair of wins – first at Phoenix Raceway on March 9 and later at Richmond Raceway on March 30. As of press time, Smith had led the series standings for five consecutive weeks and six out of the last seven.

In his first full Xfinity Series season and lone season with Kaulig Racing, by comparison, Smith recorded 13 top-10 finishes, including eight top-five results, and led a total of 318 laps. He went to Victory Lane just once and never led the standings on the way to a ninth-place finish.

Although those numbers aren’t terrible, especially for an Xfinity Series rookie, he’s on pace to blow them out of the water by the end of the year – a reality that he attributes to, more than anything, the depth of resources now at his fingertips thanks to Toyota and JGR.

Unlike JGR, which has been a part of NASCAR since 1993, Kaulig Racing has only been in the sport since 2016.

“You can’t really compare the two,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t say that to compare them is unfair, but it is unfair to an extent. It’s different

manufacturers, it’s different support from manufacturers. Joe Gibbs Racing’s been around for how long? Kaulig Racing, I don’t remember when they started their team, but JGR just has so much more experience and they’ve had so many great drivers, great engineers, great crew chiefs come through there, and they have a huge, huge, huge notebook.

“It’s unfair to compare the two, to be completely honest with you. Everything is different – from management all the way down to the hauler driver.”

So, while Smith is certainly pumped about his progression from Year One to Year Two in the Xfinity Series, he’s not surprised.

“It’s kind of expected,” said Smith, who’s a native of Talking Rock, Georgia, a small town located in the North Georgia Mountains. “I have everything at my disposal. We should be going out and winning. We should be going out and performing.

“I didn’t necessarily have that last year. I didn’t have the crazy manufacturer support that I have from Toyota, and I definitely didn’t have the race cars that I have this year. I can tell you there’s a significant difference in the race cars themselves. So I wouldn’t say I’m surprised by how we’ve ran this year, but I’m very grateful for it.”

In both of the races that Smith had won for JGR as of press time, he led more than 75 laps, and his triumph at Richmond was particularly impressive as he took the checkered flag nearly 4.5 seconds ahead of runner-up Aric Almirola – a Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.

The victory was Smith’s second in a row in Xfinity Series competition at the three-quarter-mile Virginia short track, where he finished P1 for his only win of 2023 but nevertheless clinched a berth in the Cup Series playoffs by virtue of that victory. Smith prevailed at Richmond during his time in the Craftsman Truck Series as well.

So what is it about the D-shaped eastern Virginia oval that clearly suits his fancy?

“I don’t know,” said Smith, who like many of his peers in NASCAR’s national series spent his earliest driving days in go-karts, quarter midgets and Bandoleros. “Short-track racing’s my background. That’s what I grew up doing, that’s my bread and butter, that’s what my craft is. It’s what I’ve – I would like to say – mastered, but you can always get better. Richmond is just another short track that definitely plays into my driving style. It’s also very similar to Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola (Florida) where I’ve had some success in the Snowball Derby Late Model race.

“All of those things definitely go together to help bring that success that I’ve had at Richmond. I love that race track. I’m 3-for-mylast-3 there right now, which is pretty cool.”

Although Smith’s affinity for short tracks, Richmond in particular, is completely justified, he’s also no slouch on some of NASCAR’s fastest tracks. As a full-time Craftsman Truck Series driver, two of his five wins came at tracks that are 1.5 miles or longer.

Smith began the season and his tenure with Joe Gibbs Racing by finishing fifth at Daytona International Speedway – one of the fastest tracks on the circuit and a place where speeds often approach and sometimes exceed 200 mph.

Does Smith ever pause to consider the gravity of the speeds at which he’s traveling on NASCAR’s fastest tracks? Despite the tremendous improvements NASCAR has made over the past two decades in the area of safety, racing remains an inherently dangerous sport. Smith makes every effort not to dwell on the risks associated with his chosen profession, though.

“I would say there are times when it’s like, ‘Dang, I am hauling butt,’” he said. “But 96 percent of the time, it’s second nature. It’s what I do. It’s just what I am adapted to, it’s what I’ve known, and it’s what I’ve done since I was 4 years old. Not go 200 but I’ve gone fast in anything I’ve gotten in and gone as fast as it would allow me to. That’s just always what I’ve done, right? So, it’s second nature for me.

“It’s like if you’re a basketball player and have been since you’re 4 years old. You sit there and you know how to keep popping off threes, popping threes off, popping threes off. Well, all I know is how to go fast all the time. Over time, you get numb to it.”

While Smith loves driving fast, he’s at least publicly in no hurry to make the jump to the NASCAR Cup Series, though it stands to reason that he could be a strong candidate to fill the seat of JGR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. or JGR’s Denny Hamlin when either of those veterans decides to call it quits from driving

Both Hamlin and Truex are well into their 40s and no doubt nearing the end of their time as drivers. Hamlin signed a multi-year contract extension with JGR in September 2023, but Truex has been non-committal about his plans beyond this season. That means the seat of Truex’s No. 19 Toyota could be opening up as early as 2025.

Smith, though, isn’t spending too much time contemplating the Cup Series possibilities – as exciting and promising as they may be. For now, he’d rather focus on his present situation at JGR, which is a pretty good one to be in all things considered.

“At the end of the day, if they want me to move up and they think it’s time for me to move up, great,” Smith said. “If they want me to keep running Xfinity, great. If they want me to go to trucks, great. I’ll do whatever they want me to do and the good Lord guides me to go do, and we’ll have fun with it.”

McAnally Keeps PromiseHis

CHRISTIAN ECKES

HELPS MAKE MHR A TITLE CONTENDER

BY JOSEPH WOLKIN

Time flies – just ask Christian Eckes, who at 23 years old has already spent parts of seven seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

The native of Middletown, New York, began his tenure in the Toyota pipeline, rising through the traditional ranks with Kyle Busch Motorsports. He impressed out of the gate by leading four laps during his series debut at Iowa Speedway. The 17-year-old backed up that performance by leading 34 laps from the outside pole at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

Eckes ran two partial seasons for KBM before getting the nod to take over the No. 18 truck in 2020, filling the seat vacated by Harrison Burton.

Despite making the postseason and earning seven top-five finishes that year, Eckes was replaced by Chandler Smith.

The announcement came late enough in the offseason that it left Eckes in a difficult situation. He could only garner enough funding to split the No. 98 ThorSport Racing truck with Grant Enfinger.

In another partial schedule, Eckes made the most of the situation, winning his first Truck

Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. That gave him the advantage over Enfinger to take sole possession of the No. 98 truck for the 2022 schedule.

“It’s kind of a roller coaster, as far as my Truck Series career,” Eckes said. “I was with KBM for three years and had that relationship split at the end of (2020). I didn’t have a ride. I had an opportunity at ThorSport, but didn’t know if it would pan out. I found out in December, it came together in January and we ran part time in 2021, full time in 2022.”

During the 2022 season, Eckes made the postseason but failed to win a race. He had a pair of runnerup finishes – to Stewart Friesen at Texas and Corey Heim at Gateway – during a mid-season run of four consecutive top-five efforts. He ended the campaign with his best season-long average finish to date at 10.9.

Still, Eckes’ racing future was in limbo, as David Gilliland Racing rebranded to Tricon Garage and made the switch from Ford to Toyota. Ford needed a place to put Hailie Deegan, who has been developing under the manufacturer’s banner since the beginning of the 2020 season. Her landing spot was ThorSport, bouncing Eckes out of a ride.

“It didn’t work out the way that I intended it to at ThorSport,” Eckes recalled. “Bill (McAnally) called me two days before I was going to ThorSport to see what the final decision was on what was going to happen with them moving to Ford, and if Hailie was going to go there. It was going to put me in a bad spot.”

Eckes asked McAnally to give him three days, so he could have a conversation with ThorSport officials. Once that option went bleak, he called McAnally to discuss a deal.

McAnally was working to return his team to powerhouse status, though on a national scale. For years, Bill McAnally Racing was a championship contender in what is now the ARCA Menards Series West and was known for discovering and developing young West Coast racers.

“I was a little unsure about going (to McAnally) at first because they didn’t have a lot of success at that time,” Eckes said. “Bill made a promise to me that he wanted to change it and wanted to be a race-winning organization. Everything that he said has been 100 percent true.

“The opportunity and capability” is what Eckes says stood out about McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. “Bill sold me on wanting to make it a race-winning organization. He wanted to do here what he did out west and he needed a few pieces to do that – and I believed him. When I went to the shop (in Statesville, North Carolina) for the first time, I said, ‘I don’t really know about this, but I’ll trust him.’

“It was interesting to put myself in that situation of not being at an established team, but one that was

on the upswing. I’m glad that I took that opportunity.”

Eckes replaced Derek Kraus, who in three seasons with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing had only four top-five finishes, and became teammates with 18-year-old Jake Garcia.

The Eckes-McAnally pairing came out swinging. During the 2023 opener at Daytona International Speedway, the No. 19 Chevrolet was among the fastest entries in the field and finished third. In race No. 3, Eckes redeemed himself at Atlanta Motor Speedway, another drafting-style track, by scoring the team’s first Truck Series victory.

He had five lackluster runs after his Atlanta victory but won for the second time at Darlington Raceway, holding off a host of drivers, including Cup Series regulars William Byron and Bubba Wallace.

The No. 19 team then hit its stride beginning at Indianapolis Raceway Park in the first race of the postseason, finishing runner-up to a dominant Ty Majeski. Eckes began the postseason with four consecutive podium finishes, including a victory at Kansas Speedway, where he nailed a green-whitecheckered restart and led for the first time with two laps remaining.

Crucial mistakes plagued Eckes in the Round of 8, including a pair of penalties during the penultimate race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, leaving him four points shy of making the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway.

That’s where Eckes held off all challengers on a rash of late restarts to finish the season tied for the series-high in race wins at four.

“It was a huge statement, not only for the team but myself to prove that I could compete at a high level,” Eckes said. “The team didn’t have a single top five in 2022 between both teams. We changed the mentality of the team from, ‘All right, a top 10 is pretty good’ to ‘A top 10 is if we’ve had a bad day.’ That’s been cool to be a part of because a top five is a bad day nowadays.”

Eckes believes the uptick in performance comes from McAnally’s leadership, and this is the first time in his truck tenure that he has spent two full years with the same organization. And it’s already paid off, as Eckes was the only series regular to have multiple race wins through the first two months of the schedule.

Despite his success, Eckes continues to put a load of pressure on himself, as he wants to eventually move up the NASCAR ladder and one day contend for wins in the Cup Series.

“If I put pressure on myself to win, it makes it impossible for me to get stuck,” Eckes explained. “That’s my No. 1 goal (for 2024): do the best I can and try to win as many races that I can to hopefully lead to some different opportunities in the future.”

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NASCARBUILDS

NEXT GEN RACING

POWERED BY NEXT GEN MANUFACTURING

Stock car racing is a fast-paced business that requires innovative solutions both on and off the track. Learn how one NASCAR race team optimized its machine shop to meet game-changing requirements for series competition.

CHANGING THE GAME IN RACING

2019 was a revolutionary year for NASCAR, as the sanctioning body decided to revolutionize the design requirements for race cars that compete in its NASCAR Cup Series. The new design requirements called for a common, universal, “Next Gen” car to be used by all race teams.

To help reinforce the design concept, NASCAR required that select car components for all race teams be sourced by NASCAR-approved suppliers. This requirement was intended to ensure fairness across all teams, as well as to help manage escalating costs, which have plagued other racing leagues and programs both domestically and internationally.

For many years, NASCAR teams designed and manufactured their own parts. Race team employees would come into the machine shop on Monday morning after a race weekend and find a list of needed parts before the coming weekend’s race (or races). They’d design, manufacture and test the parts the best they could in three or four days and then head to the race track. Personnel and material costs proved to be high throughout this process, but it was a common process across all teams.

With this new, Next Gen car design, some

car components could still be manufactured by teams in-house, but the chassis and suspension systems would all utilize the same design and components manufactured by a NASCAR-sanctioned supplier. The creativity and ingenuity of the crew chief, driver, race engineer and their ability to make those components and parts work better together would be the differentiators. The move changed everything: for the teams, the drivers and the parts suppliers responsible for filling orders with a quick turnaround.

NEXT GEN CAR PROTOTYPE

After the new requirements were established, NASCAR named the new design the Next Gen car design and sought a partner to develop a prototype of the car. Ultimately, Richard Childress Racing was chosen to manufacture the first prototype. The team had only eight weeks to build an entirely new car from the ground up — a car that was totally different from anything it was accustomed to. RCR also had to manufacture the fixtures to build the chassis and all of its many parts. COVID-19 delayed the launch of the Next Gen car by one year, buying everyone involved some more time.

FROM PROTOTYPE TO PRODUCTION

When the time for rollout of the finalized design arrived a year later, NASCAR reached out to manufacturers interested in submitting bids to build individual car components. The team at Richard Childress Racing in Welcome, North Carolina, bid on several different components. One of the most talked about and scrutinized parts was the single lug nut. The change from five lug nuts to a single point of attachment is a byproduct of NASCAR’s shift from a 15-inch steel wheel to an 18-inch aluminum wheel, a move that required a single lug nut that was durable enough to stand up to the demands that come with high-speed racing. RCR ultimately won one of the contracts to manufacture the single lug nut component for NASCAR.

Before the Next Gen car launched, a run of 30 parts was a big order for the RCR team to fulfill. Now, RCR would be responsible for manufacturing all of the single lug nuts for every team in the NASCAR cup series. What would that weekly consumption look like? How many teams would change all their lug nuts every three or four races?

NEXT GEN RACING REQUIRES NEXT GEN MANUFACTURING –ENTER AUTOMATION

With 16 championships and more than 200 victories across the sport’s three national series, RCR knows firsthand that teamwork, flexibility and best-in-industry offerings are among the keys to success. That’s why they looked to Okuma America Corporation, their sponsor and CNC machine tool provider of more than 20 years, to assist with the production of the Next Gen car’s lug nuts.

RCR knew that in order to meet this

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manufacturing production challenge, they would need to learn about and integrate CNC machine tool automation into their operations. To meet this challenge, they took a step into manufacturing automation by incorporating Okuma’s ARMROID in-machine robotic system, which was fully integrated into Okuma’s MULTUS B250II Multitasking Machine. With seamless integration between the machine and automation system, the RCR team was producing the new lug nuts utilizing completely automated processes, both day and night.

The team took advantage of the flexibility that automation technology provides by designing multiple different pathways for producing the single lug nut. Their variety of Okuma lathes and 5-axis machines further expanded these possibilities. For example, if all 40 NASCAR teams needed a set of lug nuts on a Monday, that’s 160 machined parts they would need to produce within just a few days. But that flexibility remained important, because if a team changed their mind and their order, RCR needed to be reactive to avoid material scrap.

The decision to integrate automation quickly proved to be valuable. Races and pit crew practices used the precious parts quickly, and it wasn’t long before NASCAR’s initial projections for the number of single lug nuts more than tripled. With the integration of Okuma automation technologies into the RCR machine shop processes, the RCR team has been able to deliver on its commitments with machining time to spare.

So, what happens if you want to get into CNC machine tool automation but don’t have any experience? As RCR shows, Okuma makes it easy and accessible through collaboration. Reach out to your Okuma distributor to learn more and to bring game-changing technology to your shop.

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The OOTG Power Hour is a new video podcast hosted every month by YouTuber Eric Estepp and Xfinity Series driver Brennan Poole. Each episode, the two will cover the current events of NASCAR, interview a fan favorite driver, and host a special interactive segment where fans can have their voices heard.

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OOEY GOOEY BUTTER CAKES ARE A MUST-TRY FOR ANYONE WITH A sweet tooth. Whether enjoyed as a pre-race treat or as a post-race reward, Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes are the perfect way to satisfy your cravings. Originating in St. Louis, the bottom layer is a delicious buttery yellow cake, while the top layer is a rich mixture of cream cheese, sugar, and egg. With eight different flavors available, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

So why not treat yourself to the deliciousness of an Ooey Gooey Butter Cake? Head to your local convenience store and grab a stack for race day – keep them for yourself or share with your racing friends.

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Across the Board NASCAR Car Racing Game

Petty 75 Thad Moffitt 1:24 and 1:64 Diecast from Lionel

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The Across the Board NASCAR Car Racing Game will have your adrenaline pumping as your race car makes its way around a beautifully handcrafted oval race track!

To play the NASCAR Car Racing Game, line up the race cars at the starting gate, deal the cards and begin rolling the dice to disqualify your cars and start building your “pot.” The remaining cars race to the finish line. Hold the winning car’s card and you win!

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To celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Petty Family, Thad Moffitt ran a special throwback paint scheme at Darlington Raceway on May 10, 2024. The throwback paint scheme paid tribute to the STP 25th anniversary paint scheme Bobby Hamilton drove in 1996 for Petty Enterprises. Fans can purchase this special scheme in both a 1:24 and 1:64 scale diecast.

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NASCAR’S GREATEST DRIVERS

NASCAR’SGREATESTDRIVERS

Dale jarrett

One of the most popular drivers of his era, Dale Jarrett was among NASCAR’s top stars from the early-to-mid ’90s through the early 2000s when he was often at his very best on some of the sport’s biggest stages.

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Born in Hickory, North Carolina, on Nov. 26, 1956, Jarrett was seemingly destined to race for a living. Not only did he grow up in the heart of NASCAR country, just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, but his father, Ned, is a driving legend who captured a remarkable 50 premier series wins over a career that stretched from 1953 to 1966.

In 1984, Dale Jarrett made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Martinsville Speedway where he finished 14th. Four years later, he went full time Cup Series racing, and three years after that, in 1991, he earned career victory No. 1 at Michigan International Speedway where he edged Davey Allison in a photo finish that has been replayed countless times since.

Jarrett, who was driving for the legendary Wood Brothers Racing at the time, would eventually land with the team Allison drove for that day – Robert Yates Racing – but not before a three-year stint at Joe Gibbs Racing, for which he won the 1993 Daytona 500 over Dale Earnhardt in a thrilling last-lap duel perhaps most remembered for Ned Jarrett calling his son to victory from the CBS Sports broadcast booth.

In 1995, the younger Jarrett left JGR for Robert Yates Racing in a move that proved to be the major turning point of his career. After going to Victory Lane just three times over seven full seasons with other teams, Jarrett was one of the sport’s most dominant drivers from 1995 through 2002, his final multi-win season.

Before leaving Yates at the end of 2006 and transitioning into a part-time driving role with Michael Waltrip Racing for his final two seasons, Jarrett went to Victory Lane an amazing 29 times – including a career-high seven times in 1997, when he finished a close runnerup to Jeff Gordon in the Cup Series standings. Two years later, Jarrett moved up a spot in the final points tally and joined his father as a Cup Series champion.

Jarrett was enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2014, joining his father to become the third father-son duo to earn this prestigious honor.

ONCE YOU TRY TO DO MORE THAN YOUR EQUIPMENT IS CAPABLE OF DOING, YOU GET YOURSELF IN TROUBLE AND YOU START WRECKING.

BEST SEASON

JARRETT ENJOYED A number of tremendous seasons, but his best overall effort came in 1999 when he scored four wins on the way to his first and only Cup Series title. Jarrett was also remarkably consistent that year, collecting a career-high 24 top-five finishes in 34 starts while leading 1,061 laps.

RECORD SETTER

IN 1996, JARRETT BECAME the first driver to win the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – all among NASCAR’s crown jewel events – in the same season. Jarrett also carries the rare distinction of winning the Daytona 500 with two different teams: Joe Gibbs Racing and Robert Yates Racing.

THE NO. 88 CAR

CLUTCH DOMINANT OUTGOING

KNOWN FOR MUCH LIKE HIS FATHER Ned, a two-time Cup Series champion, Jarrett has always been polished and well-spoken in front of a camera. This was true during his driving career, when his eloquence earned him great respect, and it continues today in his role as an analyst for NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage.

NASCAR’SGREATESTDRIVERS

Ricky Rudd

Ricky Rudd’s NASCAR Cup Series career lasted more than three decades and featured a lot of highs, lows and whatcould-have-beens. This much is certain, though: Rudd’s time in NASCAR’s top division was rarely, if ever, dull.

10

Born in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Sept. 12, 1956, Rudd made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in March 1975 at the tender at age 18 but didn’t go full-time racing in NASCAR’s premier division until the 1981 season.

Rudd picked up his first win in 1983 on the road course at Riverside Raceway in California and found his way to Victory Lane once or twice in each of the next 15 seasons. Ultimately, he won 23 times, going to Victory Lane with several teams, including Hendrick Motorsports, Yates Racing and a team that he personally owned.

Rudd’s most prestigious triumph came in the 1997 Brickyard 400 at famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but he never managed to capture the Daytona 500 or a championship. His nearest title miss was in 1991, when he finished second to Dale Earnhardt in the final standings.

That same season produced one of the most controversial moments of Rudd’s career when NASCAR black-flagged him in shocking fashion for wrecking Davey Allison on the final lap at the Sonoma Raceway road course.

While Rudd was certainly on the receiving end of some bad breaks, he also angered numerous drivers at various points in his career. Drivers with whom Rudd didn’t always get along so well included Kevin Harvick, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt.

After tangling with Earnhardt – a fan favorite – on the final lap of the fall 1989 race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Rudd recalls being fearful for his own safety.

“It was nearly a riot,” he said during an October 2019 episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast hosted by Earnhardt’s son, Dale Jr. “Half of the fans were yelling against me, and half of them were yelling for me. It was a mixed crowd.

“It was the closest thing to a riot. We were parked in the infield and when we went to leave, I laid in the bottom of (crew chief) Larry McReynolds’ van with a blanket over me. It got nasty.”

I was in trouble from about lap 5. My helmet (air) wasn’t working. It was really hot in the car, and I’ve got blisters on my back, on my butt and everywhere you can think of. I said, ‘If we can get this win, I’ll enjoy Monday in a hospital room somewhere recovering.’

BEST SEASON

WHILE RUDD COLLECTED his best career points finish of second in 1991, his best season by most statistical measures came fairly late in his career, in 2001, when he posted a career-high 22 top-10 finishes – including two wins. Driving for Yates Racing, Rudd finished fourth in the standings and enjoyed his strongest season overall.

RECORD-SETTER

RUDD’S 788 CONSECUTIVE Cup Series starts, stretching from the first race of the 1981 season through the final race of 2005, were unmatched until Jeff Gordon broke Rudd’s record in September 2015. In total, Rudd competed in 906 Cup Series races over 33 years prior to calling it quits at the end of 2007.

INDESTRUCTIBLE

UNSATISFIED CONSISTENT RUGGED RESILIENT

KNOWN FOR GOOD LUCK FINDING A NASCAR driver who is any tougher than Rudd. In addition to being NASCAR’s “Iron Man,” he once raced with his swollen eyes quite literally taped open so he could compete in the Daytona 500 after being injured in a vicious crash during an exhibition race at Daytona a week earlier.

THE NO. 10 CAR

red farmer

Red Farmer never won a NASCAR Cup Series championship or even a race during his few starts in NASCAR’s premier series. Make no mistake about it, though: Farmer knew how to get up on the wheel.

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And, at the well-traveled age of 91, he apparently still does. How do we know?

As recent as September 2022, and about a month shy of his 90th birthday, Farmer prevailed in a 10-lap heat race at Talladega Short Track, a one-third-mile dirt track located near Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

Speaking of Alabama, Farmer – who was born Oct. 15, 1932, in Hialeah, Florida –moved from the Sunshine State to Alabama to pursue his racing dreams and eventually became a member of NASCAR’s “Alabama Gang.” The select group also included Alabama natives Hut Stricklin, Jimmy Means and Neil Bonnett, and Bonnett’s son David; along with Florida transplants Bobby and Donnie Allison and Bobby’s sons Davey and Clifford.

Farmer’s racing career began in 1948, the same year NASCAR was founded and the year before the first NASCAR Cup Series season was run.

“He came to Alabama and dominated when he got there,” Bobby Allison said. “In fact, I had made friends with some of the other competitors and one of them said to me, ‘What’d you bring that guy for?’ I said, ‘That’s who I want to beat.’”

Beating Farmer was easier said than done, especially on local short tracks, where he rang up more than 700 wins over roughly seven decades. Although not all of these wins are recorded in official history books, what is recorded is that Farmer captured the NASCAR National Late Model Sportsman championship three years in a row, from 1969 to ’71.

He also claimed the NASCAR Modified title in 1956 and earned Most Popular Driver Awards in both the Late Model and Modified ranks. For all of his accomplishments and his longevity, it’s no surprise Farmer – who made two ARCA Menards Series appearances as recent as 2004 – earned enshrinement in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2021. Or that he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega Superspeedway 17 years earlier.

“Nobody compares to Red Farmer,” longtime motorsports announcer and magazine editor Dick Berggren said. “Nobody’s done what Red’s done, and nobody’s going to do that in the future, either.”

DRIVING ARCA RACES IN THE ’80S AND ’90S WAS LIKE SITTING IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR WITH A DRUNK GUY WHO WAS PLAYING WITH A SWITCH. YOU KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN; YOU JUST DIDN’T KNOW WHEN. SO, I GAVE UP ARCA AND WENT BACK TO MY SHORT-TRACK RACING.

BEST SEASON

FARMER MADE ONLY 36 NASCAR premier series starts from 1953 to ’75, never running anywhere close to a full season at the sport’s highest level, as he preferred competing at the local level instead. Farmer did enjoy some success in the premier division, though, finishing a career best fourth on two occasions.

RECORD-SETTER

A CLOSE FRIEND OF THE ALLISON family, Farmer teamed with brothers Bobby and Donnie Allison in 1962 to run a total of 106 local short-track races. Among the three of them, they won 96 times, Donnie recalls. “Red Farmer was 100 percent racer,” 2016 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Cook said.

KNOWN FOR

FARMER IS KNOWN ABOVE ALL for the passion he carries for the sport of auto racing. After all, it’s virtually impossible to find anyone else who’s competed as hard or as long as him. “Red Farmer today is still one of the greatest, I think, that’s ever been in NASCAR,” said team owner Richard Childress.

NASCAR’SGREATESTDRIVERS

ray hendrick

During a driving career that spanned more than three decades, Richmond, Virginia’s Ray Hendrick would race anywhere – in most any kind of vehicle.

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Hendrick was born on April 1, 1929 – April Fool’s Day – but he was nobody’s laughingstock, not when it came to the race track.

Legendary motorsports journalist Randy Hallman covered Hendrick’s racing exploits and saw up close and personal the driver’s talent and versatility.

“He could win anywhere,” Hallman said. “I like to point to two trophies I saw in the all-fourwalls trophy case in his pool room at his home. One was from Talladega for a 300 miler and another from the quarter-mile Moyock Dog Track Speedway in North Carolina.

“I also saw him flying on Daytona’s road course in a modified before the 500 one year. Ray didn’t win but when his engine blew, he was closing on Bobby Allison for the lead.”

If a track operator had a driver who was winning a little too often, a call would go out to Hendrick to come and help settle the score. When Hendrick came through the gate – it was on.

“Ray drove the best cars, either his regular ride or something lined up for him,” Hallman continued. “He wouldn’t get in something that couldn’t compete.”

Getting behind the wheel of the best equipment helped run up Hendrick’s win totals and so did racing so often. He might compete three to five times a week in NASCAR Modifieds and/or NASCAR Late Model competition. He could race an afternoon event at one track and under the lights somewhere else the same day.

And if his car happened to have a little extra “oomph” under the hood, so be it.

“You can bet that if Ray’s car included an ‘innovation’ (not to say anything illegal!) no promoter was going to have him disqualified or have his result stricken,” Hallman continued. “Promoters wanted fans to be able to say they saw the great driver race, and win. And they sure wanted to be able to get Ray to come back again.”

Hendrick, who died on Sept. 28, 1990, was remembered by fellow Virginian Denny Hamlin with a throwback Flying 11 paint scheme in the 2017 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

(RAY HENDRICK) RAN UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST, GOING WHERE THE CLIMATE WAS RIGHT AND THE MONEY WAS GOOD.

BEST SEASON

HENDRICK NEVER WON A national championship, but not because he didn’t race or win enough. He did that, big time. Simply put, chasing points was never a priority. He went where the money was – different tracks, different divisions – it didn’t matter.

RECORD SETTER UNFORTUNATELY, records on Hendrick’s career are incomplete at best. Stats compiled by Auto Racing Research Associates have documented a total of 415 victories for Hendrick in several different divisions between 1951 and 1980. There are those who estimate Hendrick’s actual victory total at more than 700.

THE NO. 11 CAR

HIRED-GUN WINNER VERSATILE

KNOWN FOR GIVE HENDRICK A steering wheel, decent engine, tires, helmet and uniform – and a paycheck, don’t forget the paycheck – and he would very gladly head to tracks far and wide to take on the local hot shots. More often than not, he left with the trophy.

JEFF BURTON

One of NASCAR’s most polished drivers both on and off the race track, Jeff Burton commanded respect from teammates and rivals alike while capturing 21 Cup Series victories over a career that spanned 22 years in NASCAR’s top division.

Born in South Boston, Virginia, on June 29, 1967, Burton worked his way through the ranks – which included four full seasons in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – before going NASCAR Cup Series racing in 1994. After struggling through two winless seasons with the Stavola Brothers racing team, Burton got the break that would ultimately catapult his career to the next level when he became the driver of the No. 99 Ford for Roush Racing in 1996.

After going winless in Year One with the organization led by already legendary and currentday NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Jack Roush, Burton earned his first Cup Series victory in the inaugural race at Texas Motor Speedway on April 6, 1997. After picking up wins later that year at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway on the way to what would become a career-best fourth-place finish in the Cup Series standings, Burton continued his frontrunning ways over the next four seasons with Roush as he added another 14 trophies to his collection and racked up four consecutive top-five points finishes despite never being able to claim a championship.

After falling on hard times, Burton severed ties with Roush midway through the 2004 season to join Richard Childress Racing – the organization that claimed six Cup Series championships with the late Dale Earnhardt between 1986 and 1994. Over nine-and-a-half seasons with RCR, Burton went to Victory Lane four times but finished no better than sixth in the standings. His final trip to the Winner’s Circle came on Oct. 11, 2008, at Charlotte Motor Speedway where he led 58 of 334 laps in his No. 31 RCR Chevrolet.

Burton, who made his final Cup Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 23, 2014, in a cameo outing for Stewart-Haas Racing, has remained close to the sport. Along with being the father of Harrison Burton, who in 2024 is competing for a third season as driver of the No. 21 Wood Brother Racing Ford, Jeff Burton has served as an on-air analyst for NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage since 2015.

A GREAT RACE CAR DRIVER IN A BAD CAR DOESN’T MAKE GREAT RESULTS. A GREAT CAR AND A BAD RACE CAR DRIVER DOESN’T MAKE GREAT RESULTS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE BOTH. IT’S THE COMBINATION OF DRIVER AND CAR.

BEST SEASON

IN 1999, BURTON went to Victory Lane a career-high six times on the way to a fifth-place points finish. Two of his wins that year came in two of the sport’s biggest-races – the CocaCola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

RECORD-SETTER

BURTON BECAME THE first driver to score four Cup Series wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, doing so in just 12 starts at the “Magic Mile.” The last of Burton’s triumphs at NHMS came in September 2000 when he pulled off an extremely rare feat by leading the entire race –all 300 laps.

THE NO. 99 CAR

KNOWN FOR NICKNAMED “THE Mayor,” Burton has never shied away from sharing his thoughts – ever so diplomatically – on NASCAR’s most pressing issues. His ability to speak authoritatively and provide well-thought-out insights on just about any topic involving the sport earned him a reputation among the media and his peers as a driver whose opinion mattered.