ROAR! - Weekly Racing Magazine - November 11, 2020

PRESENTED BY ENTER HERE TO WIN A PACKED STEAK BOX

SPECIAL EDITION

2020 REARVIEW WINNERS AND LOSERS AT PHOENIX

POWER RANKINGS

EVERYTHING WE LEARNED & EVERYTHING TO COME

LESSONS FROM COVID

EVERYTHING 2021

There’s Only One Jockey

BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE THE NEW ALBUM BY LUKE BRYAN

AVAILABLE NOW

JOCKEY.COM/LUKEBRYAN

!

R A O RL RETURN

L I W EC. 10, 2020 D

COMMUNITY CREATOR: ERIC ESTEPP

YOUTUBE

/outofthegroove

TWITTER

@ericestepp17

INSTAGRAM

@eric_estepp

PATREON

/outofthegroove

THE BIG WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM PHOENIX 2020 was one of the wildest, unprecedented, and unpredictable seasons in the entire history of the sport. From Ryan Newman to Kyle Larson to Bubba Wallace to Kevin Harvick, it’s easy to forget that the entire season still came down to one single race, a showdown between the Championship 4 drivers at Phoenix. In this episode of Out of the Groove, Eric Estepp takes us through that race to find out everything we can about how the 2020 season came to a close.

Obviously a huge amount of attention is on Chase Elliott. Could his storyline be any better 0 0 4

for the modern NASCAR era? He’s a young driver, a fan favorite, and related to NASCAR royalty Bill Elliott. As the sport says goodbye to Jimmie Johnson, Eric takes us through the passing of the bar with this new young champion.

But of course, that’s not all in this episode.

Eric also takes us through the top finishers, along with the context on how their season ended the way it did. Plus, he puts the whole thing on the Groovy Gauge. Find out where it ranked in this episode of Out of the Groove!

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Jordan Anderson Riding With His First Mate, Brecks

FIRSTMATE.COM

10 LESSONS LEARNED

10

LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH COVID

0 0 6

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

10 A

NASCAR WILL CONTINUE ATTRACK SCREENING AND TESTING FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE

BY JA RED TURNER

s much as everyone will embrace a return to the preCOVID way of life at the racetrack, it’s simply not going to happen for a while, according to NASCAR’s top executives.

For the foreseeable future — and at least until there’s a vaccine that is widely distributed and readily available to most of the general public — temperature checks and mask-wearing will remain mandatory at all tracks. Likewise, most if not all tracks will continue to operate at reduced fan capacity and limit the number of personnel who are allowed in the infield. Hopefully, by the time the 2021 season commences, the pandemic will be at a place where all tracks (and their respective state and local governments) permit at least limited fan attendance. Having zero fans in the stands is not only bad for the economic vitality of the

tracks, but it’s also deflating for the drivers, who don’t seem to particularly enjoy celebrating a win in front of stands that are eerily silent.

A good example of this came earlier this year when Kurt Busch finally captured a long awaited win at his home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, only to be unable to enjoy the moment with any fans or supporters.

0 0 7

10 LESSONS LEARNED

9

DRIVERS AND TEAMS EXERCISE CAUTION

BY A A RON BURNS

I

n many cases, telling a driver to “exercise caution” means they should refrain from going four-wide at Daytona or Talladega.

This year, however, the directive more often meant for drivers to avoid major contact with others. Team members were also expected to practice social distancing, fostering a safer environment for the NASCAR industry as stakeholders from all sides worked together to complete a season like no other.

The teams and drivers rose to the challenge for the most part, enabling all three of NASCAR’s national series to not only deliver full seasons, but also put on a slew of entertaining races which took fans’ minds away from uncertainty and stress and shifted their focus to on-track drama and championship battles.

No driver enjoys feeling like they’re not in control. However,

0 0 8

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

with few exceptions, it’s safe to say that those in NASCAR did what they needed to do to keep the traveling circus hosting acts at venues across the country once the sport reconvened in May. If anything, the directives seemed to centralize drivers’ and teams’ efforts and keep the focus on two things: being the fastest on the track and the smartest off the track.

10 LESSONS LEARNED

8

DEVELOPING ATTENDANCE POLICY IN THE PANDEMIC

BY ROB TIONGSON

T

ruthfully, NASCAR was in an unenviable position with deciding early on about the right decision for attendance during the pandemic. NASCAR had to iron out this issue with the state government and no matter what decision was made, it wasn’t going to please anyone. Ultimately, while it was good to have some fans back in the stands, in some ways, we got lucky to not have a COVID-19 cluster after various races. While I lean towards the extremely conservative side with attendance in terms of safety and common sense, I think NASCAR found a decent compromise in limiting capacity during the bulk of Playoff races. Ultimately, depending on the situation for 2021, the now familiar sight of no to few fans allowed

0 1 0

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

from this year might linger until an effective vaccine is available for everyone. Socially distancing fans and ensuring touchless payments seemed to do the trick in ensuring states felt OK with having a partial attendance at tracks. So for this topic, I’d say reduced capacity and adapting to the new norm was a good learning experience from 2020.

WE DIG YOU! A BIG THANK YOU FOR USING 811 TO GET UNDERGROUND UTILITIES MARKED BEFORE ALL DIGGING PROJECTS...

BIG

OR SMALL

Every call counts. Every dig matters.

ARIZONA 811 should be your starting line before every excavation. www.Arizona811.com

10 LESSONS LEARNED

7

QUALIFYING ISN’T SO NECESSARY, AFTER ALL

W

BY JA RED TURNER

hile NASCAR purists cringe at the thought of a future with no qualifying, it’s hard to see where the absence of qualifying at most races in 2020 did any tangible harm. In fact, not having qualifying seemed to work so well that some people have seriously started pondering the idea that qualifying isn’t really necessary for the long-term health and well-being of the sport. I do think it’s important for NASCAR to make qualifying a part of the sport’s biggest races, going forward. These would include, at a minimum, the Daytona 500, the CocaCola 600 at Charlotte, the Southern 500 at Darlington and the seasonending Championship 4 race at Phoenix. All the other races, I think a large chunk of fans could take qualifying or leave it. Interestingly, few drivers seemed to complain about the lack of qualifying in 2020, either. If NASCAR continues to limit qualifying to select events, one thing that should be smoothed out is the alternative procedure for setting the starting grid.

Rather than the highly convoluted system that NASCAR used for most of the races toward the end of 2020, it would be better to keep it simple by having drivers draw a random number to determine their starting spot.

0 1 2

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

6 T

PRACTICE POLICY CREATES WINNERS AND LOSERS

BY A A RON BURNS

he 2020 season wasn’t kind to NASCAR drivers making their debut at most any race track. Eliminating practice sessions took away a chance for rookies to get valuable seat time. It also put drivers and crew chiefs under a significant microscope, with notes and projections replacing experience as the primary jumping-off point for car setups at races.

The idea came with built-in benefits: less time on track decreases the chances of a crash, which would cost team owners more money. It also enabled teams to be better prepared for the quick turnaround needed for mid-week races. Cost-cutting measures are never unwelcome to owners, but they weren’t the only ones singing the praises of a practice-less weekend.

“From a driver’s standpoint, I personally like it like a lot of

(drivers) because I feel it puts a little more in the driver’s hands, because everybody starts off on an even playing field,” Xfinity Series driver Chase Briscoe said. “Nobody’s car is going to drive perfectly.

You have to figure it out and adapt.”

It’s fair to say no one adapted better than Kevin Harvick, who won nine times this year.

0 1 3

10 LESSONS LEARNED

5

ONE-DAY SHOWS

BY ROB TIONGSON

P

ersonally, I am against one-day shows. As a journalist, I enjoy covering the preliminaries heading into the big show. Sure, drivers and teams may enjoy the race day only schedule and it made sense economically and practically for this year. However, there’s no reason to think, so long as people remain careful and mindful of their physical distance, that a two day show is out of question. I look at F1 and how they still got their full weekend schedules possible. Granted, they have COVID testing on a regular basis while NASCAR does a temperature check and questionnaire before each race. From a competition standpoint, I’d say it resulted in the 4-11 show we saw for a bulk of the season. The same drivers and teams dominated while others either took a

0 1 4

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

while to catch up to the “show up and race” weekends or they struggled mightily. I look at it like this for most venues.

Let’s consider having one practice session and qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday. Time will tell if a semblance to a somewhat normal schedule succeeds at the new to NASCAR venues for 2021.

10 LESSONS LEARNED

ONE HITCH FOR ALL YOUR TOWING NEEDS ALUMINUM ADJUSTABLE INTERCHANGEABLE HITCH MOUNTS UT623410

6” Drop 2” Receiver

6-3/4” Rise

PLASTIC CASE MODEL

UT623900

UT623411

8” Drop 2” Receiver

8 3/4” Rise

PLASTIC CASE MODEL

UT623911

UT625810

8” Drop 2 1/2” Receiver

8” Rise

PLASTIC CASE MODEL

UT653910

Black Oxide Finish with Stainless Steel Hitch Balls & Locks UT623800

6” Drop 2” Receiver

6-3/4” Rise

Plastic Case Included

Scan to view our products on youtube

PATENTED PRODUCT ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH URIAH PRODUCTS® Contact us for more information Uriah Products® www.alumatow.com | 800.545.9633

0 1 6

4

DOUBLEHEADERS ARE GOOD IN SMALL DOSES

W

BY JA RED TURNER

hen the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season began, plans called for a lone doubleheader race weekend, which was scheduled to occur at Pocono Raceway in June. Little did anyone know at the time, of course, that — thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic that put the season on hold for more than two months — multiple doubleheaders would actually be needed to complete the 2020 season on schedule. So instead of just Pocono hosting Saturday/Sunday NASCAR Cup Series races, Michigan International Speedway and Dover International Speedway did the same.

While having two more doubleheader weekends than originally planned helped NASCAR achieve its goal of completing the Cup Series season on time, these weekends presented their fair share of logistical challenges for teams and pushed drivers’ stamina and endurance to the brink. Next season, NASCAR will revert back to the original plan for 2020 of having Pocono host the only doubleheader weekend. While these events are good in theory and proved to be necessary in 2020, they seemingly failed to gain much popularity with drivers or fans. Depending on how things go at Pocono next year, when more fans will theoretically be permitted to attend (Pocono actually had no fans in 2020), doubleheaders could become a thing of the future. But no one is quite there yet, it seems.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

3 T

BY ROB TIONGSON

MID-WEEK RACES

BY A A RON BURNS

he first question many pundits asked when mid-week NASCAR Cup Series races were initially proposed was, “Will anyone pay attention?”

Not only did fans pay attention, the act of switching up the weekly schedules offered a welcome sense of unpredictability for fans who’d begun to expect every Sunday to be dominated by a driver named Kevin or Denny. Mid-week races also served to break up the monotony which is commonplace on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the sporting world.

With limited or no fans allowed to attend multiple races throughout the season, the time-sensitive nature of races became less of an issue.

Drivers didn’t mind the change. Eventual Championship 4 contender Brad Keselowski said NASCAR “hit gold” with the mid-week race format, giving the concept two thumbs up.

“It’s compelling and it’s at a time where, quite frankly, the sports world ... is hungry for content,” Keselowski said in May. “COVID or not, I hope we keep this for years to come.”

Wednesday Night NASCAR doesn’t quite have the cache of Monday Night Football, but it wasn’t a bad call to give mid-week races a try. They came with the added benefit of completing the 36-race schedule quicker, too.

0 1 7

10 LESSONS LEARNED

2

NEW SCHEDULE OPPORTUNITIES

BY ROB TIONGSON

O

verall, kudos to NASCAR, the TV partners, and tracks for making this season possible during the pandemic. Everyone collaborated to their best abilities so that each race weekend still happened when the sport returned in May at Darlington.

Flexibility was a must as was a bit of creativity when we’d get the revised schedule in batches like votes in Nevada. Honestly, I loved seeing how teams and drivers rolled with the punches and were open to new ideas with the schedule changes with the Daytona Road Course race, the midweek races at Darlington, Charlotte, Martinsville, and Kansas. It was worth trying new ideas with the schedule changes to gauge if it was worthwhile for the future. Also, the broadcast crews did a commendable job in July when NBC got its marquee race with the Brickyard 400 while FOX NASCAR

0 1 8

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

wrapped its Cup season with the last Kentucky race for now.

Ultimately, midweek racing might’ve been a dud as too much of a good thing plus a relatively short turnaround timeframe between the weekend race and midweek race didn’t leave enough time to reflect and analyze the ontrack action. As they say, there’s no way of knowing unless you try!

10 LESSONS LEARNED

1

COMPARED TO OTHER SPORTS, NASCAR SUCCEEDED IN RESUMING COMPETITION

BY JA RED TURNER

W

hen the COVID-19 pandemic began sweeping the nation in mid-March, virtually all winter and spring sports leagues quickly made the decision to suspend or delay their seasons in an effort to thwart the spread of the novel virus. NASCAR was no exception to this but managed to resume competition at an accelerated pace compared to, for example, the NBA, which remained idle up until the end of July. NASCAR led the way and showed other sports leagues how to safely restart, when the engines fired again after more than two months of dead silence. Although it took a while to get any fans back at the tracks, even in a reduced capacity, NASCAR figured out a way to at least put on a show that could be viewed on television. One of the keys to the racing resuming so soon was NASCAR’s bold move to shake

0 2 0

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

up the schedule, which included returning to action with backto-back events at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway — two tracks within driving distance of all the teams’ race shops. As challenging and uncertain as it might have been, NASCAR somehow made it all work while other sports struggled to figure out an appropriate plan of action to return so quickly.

R EC L A I M W H AT ’ S YO U R S

@PlayAtGila | PlayAtGila.com | 800-WIN-GILA | Owned and operated by the Gila River Indian Community

POWER RANKINGS

2020

POWER RANKINGS 0 2 2

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

1 CHASE ELLIOTT

U

p until the next-to-last race of 2020, Chase Elliott looked to be on pace for a season quite similar to 2018 and 2019 — years when he won three races but was unable to break into the Championship 4. Everything changed in the Round of 8. Finding himself in a must-win situation to avoid elimination, Elliott scored the biggest win of his career at Martinsville Speedway on a day when his chief championship foe, Kevin Harvick, stumbled badly and was eliminated as a title contender. Later up against three drivers who had proven themselves equally worthy of competing for NASCAR’s biggest prize in the season finale at Phoenix, Elliott wasted little time recovering from an issue in pre-race inspection that forced him to start shotgun on the field. Wheeling a race-winning car for the second week in a row, Elliott captured the win and the championship in convincing fashion as he joined his legendary father, 1988 champion Bill SEASON FINISH: 1ST Elliott, in ascending NASCAR’s highest mountain. Chase finished 2020 with a career-high five wins and a special place in 2021 PROSPECTS: the NASCAR history TRENDING UP books.

2 KEVIN HARVICK

F

olks will argue that Kevin Harvick was robbed of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship. After all, Harvick compiled nine wins, 20 top-fives, and 27 top-10 finishes to compile an average finish of 7.3, numbers that would merit a championship in most years. However, he and crew chief Rodney Childers will have to ponder about the missed opportunities in the Round of 8.

Despite a solid runner-up at Kansas, the wheels fell off at Texas with a 16th, a finish that was a bit of bad luck but with puzzling execution. Then, at Martinsville, the 2011 spring race winner was just off. Yes, Harvick missed the Championship 4 battle at Phoenix but there’s a lot to build off an SEASON FINISH: 5TH otherwise solid 2020 campaign by focusing on their 750/short spoiler program in 2021, the last season of 2021 PROSPECTS: the Gen-6 car.

TRENDING UP

0 2 3

POWER RANKINGS

3 DENNY HAMLIN

T

his was supposed to be the year for Denny Hamlin. He kicked off the 2020 season with his third Daytona 500 triumph — his second in a row — and appeared poised to finally win his first championship. Hamlin scored seven victories, his most since 2010, but he couldn’t quite finish the job in the Playoffs.

Hamlin also won only once in the season’s final 12 races. Unlike Harvick, he made it to the Championship 4 at Phoenix, where Hamlin has twice emerged victorious. Of the four contenders in the Season Finale 500, however, Hamlin was the only one who didn’t lead a single lap.

Hamlin will enter 2021 with 44 wins to his credit and a convincing argument as NASCAR’s best driver without a championship. He should once again be in the hunt. But with Elliott just entering his prime and an expected SEASON FINISH: 4TH resurgence from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch, it’s more than fair to question if Hamlin will 2021 PROSPECTS: ever get over the NEUTRAL hump.

0 2 4

4 JOEY LOGANO

L

ogano started off 2020 with a bang, posting wins at Las Vegas and Phoenix in the first four races before the season came to an abrupt halt pandemic. Once things resumed, Logano continued to perform at a high level but didn’t win again until the opening race in the Round of 8 when he went to Victory Lane at Kansas. That win punched Logano’s ticket to the Championship 4, giving his team a couple of weeks to prepare for Phoenix. Logano had a good day at Phoenix, but he failed to complete the season sweep in the Valley of the Sun, finishing third as fellow title contenders Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski claimed the top two positions, respectively. Logano’s third-place points finish was a two-position improvement from 2019 but a two-position dropoff from 2018, when he captured his first NASCAR Cup Series SEASON FINISH: 3RD championship. All in all, Logano has established himself as one of the drivers to beat for the championship year 2021 PROSPECTS: in and year out.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

TRENDING UP

5 BRAD KESELOWSKI

F

olks who doubted Brad Keselowski and crew Jeremy Bullins in their “reunited and it feels so good” 2020 tour are as accurate as a New England meteorologist during winter. Team owner Roger Penske doesn’t mess around with trying to achieve excellence and he was brilliant in shaking up the Penske campus with the crew chief shuffle for the Nos. 2, 12, and 22 teams.

Ultimately, Bullins made Keselowski into a strong, consistent racer, particularly on the low downforce, high horsepower package. Wins at Bristol, Loudon, and Richmond showcased that classic Brad K prowess on the short tracks while his Coca-Cola 600 victory was a gamble gone right. Despite placing second in this year’s championship SEASON FINISH: 2ND run, I think the lot of us underestimated the Michigander in 2020 and we probably shouldn’t do the 2021 PROSPECTS: same thing for TRENDING UP 2021.

6 MARTIN TRUEX JR.

W

as 2016-19 an aberration for Truex, or was 2020 the outlier in a resurgent career? Twenty-three of Truex’s 27 wins came between 2016 and 2019. He only won once in 2020, with the rest of his statistics — 14 top-fives, 23 top-10s, 950 laps led — slightly down from the previous four years.

Truex was expected to be, at worst, Joe Gibbs Racing’s second-most successful driver this year. In many ways, he was. He beat defending champion Kyle Busch for seventh in points on a tiebreaker, but Truex often out-ran Busch on race days.

At 40, Truex is now one of the NASCAR Cup Series’ elder statesmen. The magic wasn’t quite there with James Small as his crew chief this year and NASCAR’s new breed of stars SEASON FINISH: 7TH are on the rise.

The No. 19 Toyota should contend for wins and revisit the winner’s circle next year. How many 2021 PROSPECTS: times is anyone’s TRENDING DOWN guess.

0 2 5

POWER RANKINGS

7 ALEX BOWMAN

8 KYLE BUSCH

E

ntering 2020 facing much uncertainty about his future at Hendrick Motorsports with it being a contract year, Bowman did well enough to not only secure a one-year contract extension but also be awarded the opportunity to move over to the Hendrick organization’s iconic No. 48 car for the 2021 season. Bowman, who will take over the car formerly driven by now-retired seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, did a lot in 2020 to prove his talent and overall worth as a driver.

Along with earning a lone victory for the second year in a row, Bowman made it all the way to the Round of 8 and finished sixth in the standings — six spots better than in 2019 and 10 positions better than in 2018, his first full season with the Hendrick organization. Bowman will look to continue to build on his 2020 success SEASON FINISH: 6TH next season, which will be another contract year and go a long way toward shoring up his future in the 2021 PROSPECTS: sport.

TRENDING UP

0 2 6

C

all it a championship hangover, bad luck, or simply 2020 as the two-time NA-SCAR Cup Series champion summarized. All in all, Kyle Busch had a year to forget but a win at the “96 Hours of Texas” in the fall somewhat soothed the pains for the No. 18 team led by crew chief Adam Stevens. Busch didn’t forget how to drive a racecar.

However, it’s safe to surmise that the “show up and race” weekend format was not their ally, particularly when the season resumed in Darlington after a two-month pause. Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing team will do a lot of soul searching heading into 2021. One must wonder if Gibbs keeps the Busch and Stevens combination next year or if we see a crew chief-driver shakeup for 2021 like Team Penske for this SEASON FINISH: 8TH season. It can only get better, but it depends on Busch and his team learning to love this format until 2021 PROSPECTS: COVID-19 is under TRENDING UP control.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

WIN $10,000 CASH Enter eligible Fast Play™ tickets for your chance to win $10,000 in our grand prize drawing! Plus, get 5x the entries when you play the new NASCAR Championship Weekend™ Progressive ticket.

Enter at AZPlayersClub.com

Must be 21 or older to purchase or redeem tickets. Overall odds vary by game. All sales are final. In accordance with ADA, these materials may be made available in an alternative format. Gambling problem? Call 1.800.NEXT.STEP (1.800.639.8783) Please Play Responsibly™.

Scratchers® is a registered service mark of the California Lottery.

NASCAR® and NASCAR Championship Weekend™ are trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC.

POWER RANKINGS

10 RYAN BLANEY

9 KURT BUSCH

T

hey’re far from similar in personality, driving style and success record, but latecareer Kurt Busch seems comparable to Ricky Rudd in the 1990s. The 42-year-old Busch has won exactly one race every year for the last five years and he’s won at least once in 17 of the past 19 seasons, both Rudd-like statistics.

Busch’s skills haven’t seemed to erode with age and he clearly out-paced fellow 40-something Matt Kenseth after Kenseth became his teammate at Chip Ganassi Racing. Busch kept his win streak alive with a popular triumph at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his home track, in September. His seven top-five finishes and 19 top-10s were also on par with recent years.

Many drivers seem to experience a SEASON FINISH: 10TH noticeable decline in their early 40s, but Busch has outraced Father Time to this point. He should manage it 2021 PROSPECTS: again next year.

NEUTRAL

0 2 8

O

ne of the first drivers in a contract year to announce his plans for 2021, Blaney will remain at Team Penske, which is certainly good news for the second-generation driver whose father, Dave, competed in NASCAR’s premier division for many years. While the 2020 season didn’t provide the kind of quantum leap in performance that Blaney wanted and that many around the sport anticipated, he secured a lone victory for the fourth consecutive season and staked his claim as one of the sport’s best superspeedway drivers by going to Victory Lane for the second year in a row at Talladega. Blaney faltered badly in the opening round of the playoffs, however, failing to advance to the Round of 12 after posting three finishes outside of the top 10. Despite being out of title contention after the opening SEASON FINISH: 9TH playoff round, Blaney did manage to finish the year strong by recording six top-10s in his last 2021 PROSPECTS: seven starts.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

TRENDING UP

11 WILLIAM BYRON

12 AUSTIN DILLON

S

ome would say that it was a surprise to see William Byron win his first NASCAR Cup Series race when he emerged victorious in the 400-miler at Daytona in August. However, it was a matter of time before the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year found Victory Lane. Paired with future NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Chad Knaus for the second (and final time for this legendary headwrench), it was a tough start for the No. 24 team.

Once the team dusted themselves off the curveballs from the “show up and race” weekend format, they did just enough to make it into the NASCAR Playoffs. It was a down year for Byron compared to his respectable 2019 efforts. Still, if you were buying or selling on Byron for next year, it’s worth buying the stocks with the Charlotte, N.C. native SEASON FINISH: 14TH as he’s paired up with Rudy Fugle next year and that could be trouble for his competitors battling for “best 2021 PROSPECTS: of the rest.”

TRENDING UP

I

f someone asked a NASCAR fan in February, “Which Richard Childress Racing driver will claim the team’s only win in 2020?”

Many would’ve picked highly regarded rookie Tyler Reddick. Dillon, however, delivered an inspired drive at Texas Motor Speedway in July, coming from 21st on the grid to register the third victory of his Cup Series career.

Dillon’s 11th-place points finish tied his career-best result in 2017, Four top-fives, nine top-10s and a career-high 135 laps led marked a significant improvement from 2019’s winless, 21st-place campaign. At his best, Dillon was a sneaky competitor in the back half of the top-10. The No. 3 Chevrolet was hot and cold, though. It seemed like missed setups, mistakes and bad luck were about as prevalent as ever.

Dillon’s prospects would be higher if SEASON FINISH: 11TH it were a sure thing we’d see major improvement at RCR next year. As it stands, however, he’s still a solid 2021 PROSPECTS: Playoff bet.

NEUTRAL

0 2 9

POWER RANKINGS

13 MATT DIBENEDETTO

D

iBenedetto had a career-best season in virtually every statistical category. What DiBenedetto did not manage to do, however, was score an elusive first career win in Cup. Competing in his first season with Wood Brothers Racing, DiBenedetto did match his career-best second-place finish with a runner-up effort in both races at Las Vegas. DiBenedetto also crossed the finish line second in the fall event at Talladega but was stripped of that result when NASCAR deemed that he had illegally gone below the double yellow line in an attempt to make a pass for the win. DiBenedetto was rewarded in 2020 by landing a one-year contract extension with the Wood Brothers. His contract has a definite end date, however, as it was also announced that 2020 Xfinity champion Austin Cindric will SEASON FINISH: 13TH take over that ride beginning in 2022.

DiBenedetto will need to do well enough to make his case for another 2021 PROSPECTS: good opportunity in TRENDING UP 2022 and beyond.

0 3 0

14 CLINT BOWYER

A

s the driving career for Clint Bowyer concludes as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series competitor, the Emporia, Kan. native can take heart that he went out on a respectable note with a decent 12thplace points finish in the driver’s standings.

No, Bowyer didn’t exactly have a distinct highlight moment that stands out this year.

However, fans got a taste of Bowyer’s 2021 prospects as the next FOX NASCAR color commentator when he teamed up with Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon during the eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series races during the pandemic pause. In many SEASON FINISH: 12TH ways, Bowyer was like the 21st century version of Buddy Baker, a driver who was vibrant, brash, 2021 PROSPECTS: outspoken, but NEUTRAL beloved by fans.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

WHEN YOUR ENGINE DEMANDS GREATNESS.

LISTEN TO IT.

The perfect balance of engine protection and premium performance.

See why FRAM Oil Filters leave the competition in the dust at fram.com.

fram.com

© 2020 Fram Group Operations LLC, 3255 West Hamlin Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48309 Printed in USA

POWER RANKINGS

15 ARIC ALMIROLA

A

lmirola was respectable if unspectacular in 2020. While StewartHaas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick hogged the winner’s circle, Almirola grinded out a 10th-place finish in the regular season on the strength of 13 top-10 finishes.

He ended the year with six top-fives, 18 top10s and 305 laps led, which are solid numbers.

In terms of performance, Almirola was SHR’s second-best driver ahead of Clint Bowyer and Cole Custer. A lack of Playoff points — only two — proved to be Almirola’s undoing during a five-race Playoff stretch in which he finished outside the top 15 four times.

The 36-year-old won’t wow the easily amazed, let alone the average fan. Almirola will, however, provide a steady SEASON FINISH: 15TH hand and avoid major mistakes.

It was his calling card this year and should be again when the 2021 PROSPECTS: 2021 season gets NEUTRAL underway.

0 3 2

16 JIMMIE JOHNSON

J

ohnson wasn’t able to enjoy the kind of storybook ending to his legendary career that he deserved. Despite a number of strong showings in his iconic No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports car, Johnson fell far short of his ultimate goal of recording a record-breaking eighth NASCAR Cup Series championship that would have eclipsed his seven-championship tie with fellow legends Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt.

He finished his career with 83 premier series victories — tied with Cale Yarborough for sixth and just one victory shy of the 84-win mark shared by Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison.

Johnson barely missed out on the playoffs in his final season, doing so primarily as a result of having to miss the Brickyard 400 after testing positive for COVID-19. He SEASON FINISH: 18TH returned to action in the next race but the points he lost by not racing at Indianapolis proved too many 2021 PROSPECTS: to overcome in the NEUTRAL end.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

17 TYLER REDDICK

P

rior to the start of the season, there was the thought that Tyler Reddick would struggle with his promotion to the NASCAR Cup Series. After all, Richard Childress Racing wasn’t exactly competitive as a unit in 2019. However, Reddick and crew chief Randall Burnett were not too shabby with three top-fives, nine top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 17.5.

Although the spring Phoenix finish didn’t quite reflect in the record books, Reddick was fearless, stout, and driving like a wise, seasoned veteran in the top-five for a bulk of the race. Reddick’s scrappiness SEASON FINISH: 19TH and Burnett’s ability to extract the most out of the No. 8 car each weekend gives plenty of 2021 PROSPECTS: optimism heading TRENDING UP into 2021 as a true Playoff contender.

18 ERIK JONES

E

rik Jones is an enigma. He posted two wins in four years with powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing. He never finished higher than 15th in points. Was Jones unlucky, cast aside and given fourth-best resources at JGR, or was he a chronic underachiever alongside teammates who have won two of the last four championships? The jury is still out.

Winning races next year won’t be easy, with Jones headed from JGR to beloved underdog Richard Petty Motorsports. Expect Jones’ results to be similar to Bubba Wallace, the man he’s replacing in Petty’s No. 43: a few significantly impressive runs and a slew of 19th-to-28th-place finishes.

We’ll get some idea as to if Jones’ relative struggles at JGR were due to SEASON FINISH: 17TH the team or the driver, but Jones will be limited by Petty’s challenge of needing more sponsorship 2021 PROSPECTS: money to improve TRENDING DOWN performance.

0 3 3

POWER RANKINGS

19 COLE CUSTER

20 CRISTOPHER BELL

P

art of a stellar four-member rookie class that is likely to impact the sport for many years to come, Custer was the only member of the class to earn a victory in his first NASCAR Cup Series season, doing so in spectacular fashion at Kentucky Speedway in July. The win earned Custer an automatic berth in the playoffs, but Custer didn’t do too much once the playoffs came around.

Failing to advance beyond the opening Round of 16, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver finished last in points among the 16 original playoff participants. Custer did well enough in 2020, however, to show everyone why he was promoted to Stewart-Haas SEASON FINISH: 16TH Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series program for 2020 and why he could have a bright future in the 2021 PROSPECTS: sport.

TRENDING UP

0 3 4

I

f there was a rookie who had a truly unusual year, it’d be Christopher Bell.

Seemingly smitten by bad luck early in the season, Bell answered the call with an 11th at Darlington’s rain shorted midweek race, a pair of ninth-place results in the CocaCola 600 and Bristol spring race, an eighth at Homestead, and a fourth in the Saturday Pocono race.

Crew chief Jason Ratcliff seemed to find his stride with Bell as the duo gave it their all for departing car owner Bob Leavine. Now, this pairing can look forward to next year with the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team but this also means expectations will SEASON FINISH: 20TH be quite high. At least heading into the Daytona 500, one has to believe they’re on the rise as a competitive 2021 PROSPECTS: team for the TRENDING UP future.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

THE ONLY CHARGER FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERIES

Manufactured and Serviced in the USA

INTELI-POWER® PD9100L Series Designed to meet the stringent voltages required for properly charging & maintaining lithium ion batteries 0 3 5 NOW OFFERING: PDI PLUS Extended Lifetime Warranty

Learn More: www.progressivedyn.com | (269) 781-4241

POWER RANKINGS

22 CHRIS BUESCHER

21 BUBBA WALLACE

A

Bubba Wallace’s 2020 season can only be considered a success. He posted a career-high five top-10s, improved his points finish from 28th to 22nd and earned a good bit of sponsorship for his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports entry. Wallace is expected to take a chunk of said sponsorship with him, however, when he begins 2021 as the driver of the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota.

How Wallace will fare with his new team, co-owned by fellow driver Denny Hamlin and basketball legend Michael Jordan, is up for debate. Paired with a respected crew chief in Mike Wheeler, Wallace is likely to move even higher up the SEASON FINISH: 22ND standings. Don’t rule out a win at a superspeedway, where Wallace is frequently a contender in the 2021 PROSPECTS: closing laps.

TRENDING UP

0 3 6

I

t was overall a fairly quiet and uneventful season for Buescher, who joined Roush after four full seasons with lower-level organizations. Unfortunately, RFR is hardly the powerhouse that it used to be, which was evident in Buescher’s performance. Despite being in modestly better equipment than in his previous years, Buescher actually fell a spot to 21st in the standings from his 2019 season with JTG Daugherty Racing. Buescher did, however, match his career high for top-five finishes in a year, by twice coming home fifth or better. He surpassed his career-high for top-10s, placing inside the top 10 on eight occasions — double his previous high for top-10s in a season. Both of Buescher’s top-fives came at Daytona, albeit on different configurations, with the first coming on the 2.5mile tri-oval in the SEASON FINISH: 21ST Daytona 500, and the second coming over the summer on the Daytona International Speedway road 2021 PROSPECTS: course.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

NEUTRAL

23 MICHAEL MCDOWELL

S

teady but respectable, seasoned but talented, Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports brigade compiled their best effort yet since pairing up in 2018. Despite a goose egg in the topfive department, an eighth at Pocono, seventh at Indianapolis, and a pair of 10thplace finishes at the Daytona Road Course and Bristol Night Race were solid highlights for the 35-year-old Arizona native.

It just seems like crew chief Drew Blickensderfer knows how to work in harmony with McDowell and it showed with their reliable results. Years ago, Front Row Motorsports was a small fish in a big pond.

SEASON FINISH: 23RD After a good 2020 campaign, they’re more like a small shark who could flourish into a respectable force 2021 PROSPECTS: in 2021 as a topTRENDING UP 20 team.

24 RYAN NEWMAN

I

t’s tempting to consider Newman’s 2020 season as a good one, simply because he survived a harrowing crash on the final lap of the Daytona 500. The NASCAR industry exhaled when Newman climbed back in the cockpit, but the ensuing results just weren’t on par with what “Rocket Man” is capable of delivering.

He scored only one top-10 finish upon returning to Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 6 Ford for the season’s remaining 32 races.

Newman seemed stuck between 15th and 25th most weeks, which was as much of an indictment of Roush’s underperforming teams as it was an indictment of Newman’s skills.

It’s hard to believe Newman can SEASON FINISH: 25TH trend upward next year, but it’s not impossible.

Like most drivers, Newman can go only as fast as his 2021 PROSPECTS: car will allow.

NEUTRAL

0 3 7

POWER RANKINGS

25 MATT KENSETH

I

nactive the entire 2019 season, Kenseth came abruptly out of retirement four races into the 2020 campaign when Chip Ganassi Racing unexpectedly needed a driver to replace Kyle Larson, whom the organization fired for his use of a racial slur while participating in an iRacing event. While most people expected it would take Kenseth a little while to get back into the proverbial groove, the reality is that he never really did. Despite being paired with a team capable of competing at a fairly high level, Kenseth posted just one top-five finish and two top-10s in his 32 starts as driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet. The team announced before the season ended that Ross Chastain would drive the car in 2021, leaving many to wonder where, if anywhere, Kenseth might SEASON FINISH: 28TH land. As of now, the 2003 NASCAR Cup Series champion is expected to head back into retirement — 2021 PROSPECTS: maybe for good TRENDING DOWN this time.

0 3 8

26

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

I

f there’s a driver who deserves a ton of praise and acknowledgement as an overlooked rookie heading into 2020, it’s John Hunter Nemechek. A pair of eighth-place finishes at Talladega and a ninth at Darlington were flashes of brilliance for the scrappy, aggressive racer who graduated from the NASCAR XFINITY Series from GMS Racing in ‘19. Seth Barbour, at the helm of the No. 38 team, guided his rookie racer and they endured some tough stretches during the summer between races at Pocono to Las Vegas.

Rookies are expected to struggle in Cup, so it’s quite understandable that Nemechek had some growing pains in the bigs. However, he’s a quick learner, knows how to win, and he extracts the most out of his car, even if it’s for a SEASON FINISH: 27TH battle for 25th. This is a driver who’s on the up for 2021, especially if he can lean on teammate Michael McDowell...

2021 PROSPECTS: just not literally on TRENDING UP the track.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

POWER RANKINGS

27 RICKY STENHOUSE JR.

S

tenhouse’s move to JTG Daugherty Racing started off with a bang when he won the pole for the Daytona 500. Too many of Stenhouse’s races, however, also ended with a bang. He crashed out six times and didn’t score a single top-10 finish in the final third of the season.

Ryan Preece, Stenhouse’s JTG Daugherty teammate, didn’t record a top-10 until the final third of the season. Stenhouse can say he solidly out-performed Preece for most of the year, but four top-10s and a 24th-place finish in points were not what he anticipated when he signed with the team.

Call it optimism or call it blind faith, but because Chevrolet’s cars seemed to get better as the year progressed, there’s SEASON FINISH: 24TH a solid chance Stenhouse’s results will also improve in Year 2 aboard the No. 47 entry. He’ll be 2021 PROSPECTS: in trouble if they TRENDING UP don’t.

0 4 0

28 TY DILLON

D

illon learned many weeks before the conclusion of the 2020 season that it would be his last as part of Germain Racing, which is suspending operations and won’t compete in 2021 due in large part to the loss of longtime primary sponsor GEICO. With no definite plans for next season in place as of this moment, Dillon is on the hunt for a new opportunity and would probably even be willing to move down to the NASCAR Xfinity Series if it meant having a steady job. While Dillon’s 2020 season largely mirrored his first three full seasons in NASCAR’s top series in terms of overall performance, the youngest grandson of legendary team owner Richard Childress did manage to record his second career top five-finish — a third-place result in the fall Talladega race.

Dillon has expressed a desire to continue racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, but with few rides still available for 2021, that prospect SEASON FINISH: 26TH is looking more doubtful by the day.

To compete at the sport’s highest level next season, Dillon will likely need to 2021 PROSPECTS: bring sponsorship to TRENDING DOWN a team.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

29 RYAN PREECE

W

hen it went wrong, it went wrong plentiful times for Ryan Preece and his No. 37 JTG-Daugherty Racing team in 2020. The Connecticut native is a good wheelman and he can mix it up at a variety of tracks. However, whether it was overaggressive racing or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Preece did not score his first top-10 finish until the Bristol Night Race, or Round 29 of the year.

Crew chief Trent Owens and Preece weathered through more storms than Texas in the summer in terms of cold front opportunities. With an uncertain future, at least for 2021, Preece has to be sweating it out as he wonders if he SEASON FINISH: 29TH returns to the No. 37 team, gets a quality NASCAR XFINITY Series opportunity, or if it’s a return 2021 PROSPECTS: to the modified NEUTRAL cars.

30 COREY LAJOIE

G

o FAS Racing went very fast at Daytona International Speedway in February.

LaJoie was a surprise player in the closing laps of the Daytona 500, but his crash with Ryan Newman coming to the flag left him eighth at the finish. It ended up being the only top-10 result all year for the plucky underdog team, which is expected to become a parttime participant in 2021’s proceedings.

For his part, LaJoie posted four finishes of 16th or better aboard the No. 32 Ford, but two of them came in the season’s first two events.

Until he’s got a signed contract SEASON FINISH: 30TH with a Cup Series team for next year, it’s tough to predict LaJoie’s 2021 results will be better. He’s got 2021 PROSPECTS: to have a ride first.

TRENDING DOWN

0 4 1

POWER RANKINGS

31 DANIEL SUAREZ

A

fter spending his first three seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series with elite teams — first Joe Gibbs Racing, then Stewart-Haas Racing — Suarez got a major demotion for 2020 when he was released by SHR and joined lowly Gaunt Brothers Racing.

In what turned out to be his only season with the small organization, Saurez failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 and recorded just three finishes inside the top 20 while failing to finish inside the top 15. Suarez and the team announced prior to the season ending that they had mutually agreed to part ways for 2021. Suarez later announced that he SEASON FINISH: 31ST will compete for another upstart organization, the newly formed Trackhouse Racing founded by former 2021 PROSPECTS: NASCAR driver NEUTRAL Justin Marks.

0 4 2

32 BRENNAN POOLE

H

onestly, Brennan Poole had a respectable campaign and it might seem strange to say this for someone who finished 32nd in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. However, with his No. 15 team transitioning from Premium Motorsports to Rick Ware Racing after Phoenix, Poole was like Nicholas Latifi in a Williams F1 car.

Poole wasn’t expected to nab top-25 finishes. Yet, he did so at Daytona (16th and 15th) and Talladega (ninth). Otherwise, he and crew chief Pat Tryson endured and genuinely outperformed their equipment on a consistent basis. Now, it remains to be seen if Poole returns to the 15 team in 2021.

If Rick Ware decides to bring the Texan back, he retains a driver who won’t make SEASON FINISH: 32ND reckless decisions and can provide valuable feedback on improving a program that’s needing to grow 2021 PROSPECTS: by leaps and NEUTRAL bounds.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

T R A I L NDERSON HE VI L L E, N C

Order Your Passport Today!

800.828.4244 Che e r s T r ai l.or g

POWER RANKINGS

33 QUIN HOUFF

34 KYLE LARSON

E T

he statistics don’t paint a pretty picture for Houff’s 2020 campaign. He finished last in points among eligible drivers who ran the full season. StarCom Racing, though, doesn’t have the budget of a Front Row Motorsports, let alone the budget of a contending outfit.

There were positives along the way: Houff avoided trouble at Talladega Superspeedway in the fall, collecting a respectable 13thplace finish in the process. His best finish at a non-superspeedway track was 23rd at Indianapolis. Houff is under contract SEASON FINISH: 33RD for another year at StarCom Racing, but he and the team will need to catch a break to improve their 2021 PROSPECTS: numbers from this NEUTRAL year.

0 4 4

asily one of the most talked about drivers of 2020, Larson put his career and future in jeopardy with his use a racial slur that quickly led to his dismissal from Chip Ganassi Racing and NASCAR just four races into the season. Larson underwent extensive racial sensitivity training over the months that followed while keeping an extremely low profile. In October, he formally petitioned NASCAR to be reinstated and it was only a few days later that Hendrick Motorsports announced the organization had signed Larson for the 2021 season. Larson’s fall from grace was swift but ultimately proved to be redeemable, as he appears to have learned from his mistake and seems eager to restore his SEASON FINISH: 34TH reputation in both the NASCAR world and beyond. How Larson does both on and off the track next season 2021 PROSPECTS: will be closely TRENDING UP monitored.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

35 BRENDAN GAUGHAN

T

ypically, Brendan Gaughan and his small but hardy No. 62 Beard Motorsports team get together for the superspeedway races at Daytona and Talladega with incredible top-10 finishes. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic offering another Daytona challenge in August, albeit with the road course, the beloved racer and his crew made the trek to the famed venue with a somewhat heartbreaking 39th.

Then again, Gaughan and crew chief Darren Shaw shined at the Daytona superspeedway races with a seventh in the Daytona 500 and an eighth in the survival of the fittest 400-miler in late August. Indeed, this was the swan song for a man whose career seemed to intertwine with good friend Jimmie Johnson. Sure, he won’t be driving in 2021, but he will provide SEASON FINISH: 35TH us with plentiful smiles and laughs while remaining in our minds as the man who’d kiss Jimmy Smith’s 2021 PROSPECTS: rear spoiler in NEUTRAL 2003.

36 REED SORENSON

S

orenson drove four different cars this year, all of whom contained the number seven. None were a lucky seven, though.

The journeyman driver spent most of his season aboard Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet, with additional service in Jay Robinson’s No. 27, Tommy Baldwin’s No. 7 and Spire’s No. 74.

The former Chip Ganassi Racing driver broke the top 30 on two occasions, finishing 28th at Texas Motor Speedway with Baldwin and 29th at Darlington Raceway with Spire.

Sorenson wasn’t hired to win races. The teams who employed him aren’t capable of doing so without help from Mother Nature or an act of Congress.

Sorenson simply SEASON FINISH: 35TH keeps the car on the track and takes care of the equipment he’s given. It’s tough to ask for more under 2021 PROSPECTS: the circumstances.

NEUTRAL

0 4 5

POWER RANKINGS

37 JAMES DAVISON

D

avison made just 15 starts, with four of them resulting in DNFs. The native of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia finished better than 30th only once, coming home 29th on the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October. Davison made his NASCAR Cup Series debut during the doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway, driving for Spire Motorsports.

The remainder of his starts came with Rick Ware Racing where he competed mostly under the guidance of veteran crew chief Todd Parrott, who won the SEASON FINISH: 37TH 1999 NASCAR Cup Series championship as the crew chief for now NASCAR Hall of Famer/NASCAR 2021 PROSPECTS: on NBC analyst NEUTRAL Dale Jarrett.

0 4 6

38 STANTON BARRETT

I

n his lone start of 2020, Stanton Barrett competed in the Daytona Road Course race for Spire Motorsports. Starting 34th before finishing 38th, the veteran stuntman and racer doesn’t make many NASCAR starts given his work on the silver screen. However, the second-generation stock car racer can be an under the radar, competitive road course racer when the right opportunity is there. Also, he’s not too shabby on the superspeedways.

Still, as he doesn’t make many starts in NASCAR, it remains to be seen if we’ll see the Californian return in 2021. That said, when he makes an appearance, he’s no backmarker who’ll be a roadblock on the SEASON FINISH: 38TH track. Instead, he’s a respectable racer who shows no fear on the track as he does with the stunts 2021 PROSPECTS: you’ve likely seen NEUTRAL in an action film.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

NASCAR STANDINGS

NASCAR CUP SERIES

STANDINGS NO. DRIVER

Dual-Action Topical Analgesic Cream Provides penetrating, fast pain relief from:

Arthritis Sore Muscles Back Pain

Low Price Available at:

Wal-Mart, HEB, Local drugstores & buy “online”

www.Thera-gesic.com Copyright © 2020 MainPointe Pharmaceuticals, LLC. All rights reserved.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

CHASE ELLIOTT BRAD KESELOWSKI JOEY LOGANO DENNY HAMLIN KEVIN HARVICK ALEX BOWMAN MARTIN TRUEX JR. KYLE BUSCH RYAN BLANEY KURT BUSCH AUSTIN DILLON CLINT BOWYER MATT DIBENEDETTO WILLIAM BYRON ARIC ALMIROLA COLE CUSTER ERIK JONES JIMMIE JOHNSON TYLER REDDICK CHRISTOPHER BELL CHRIS BUESCHER BUBBA WALLACE MICHAEL MCDOWELL RICKY STENHOUSE JR. RYAN NEWMAN TY DILLON JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK MATT KENSETH RYAN PREECE COREY LAJOIE DANIEL SUAREZ BRENNAN POOLE QUIN HOUFF KYLE LARSON BRENDAN GAUGHAN REED SORENSON

PTS.

5040 5035 5034 5033 2410 2371 2341 2341 2336 2287 2277 2254 2249 2247 2235 2202 873 836 780 678 645 597 588 584 566 556 534 521 477 408 365 269 214 121 78 68

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

0 4 8

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

WINS

POLES

TOP 5

TOP 10

5 1 15 22 4 1 13 24 3 0 12 21 7 0 18 21 9 0 20 27 1 0 6 15 1 1 14 23 1 1 14 20 1 0 11 17 1 1 7 19 1 0 4 9 0 1 2 12 0 0 3 11 1 0 4 14 0 0 6 18 1 0 2 7 0 0 9 13 0 0 5 10 0 0 3 9 0 0 2 7 0 0 2 8 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 4 0 1 3 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0

BLUE AREA SERIES CHAMPION

W

NASCAR STANDINGS

XFINITY SERIES

STANDINGS Engage Your Freedom!

• All Pistols, Pistol Frames, & Accessories are designed and manufactured in U.S.A. • Next Generation Ergonomics & Features • Stainless Steel Slides & Barrels • Perfect for Every Day Carry!

Visit Us

www.Polymer80.com Save 20% by using Coupon Code:

0 5 0

NO. DRIVER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

AUSTIN CINDRIC JUSTIN ALLGAIER JUSTIN HALEY CHASE BRISCOE NOAH GRAGSON BRANDON JONES ROSS CHASTAIN HARRISON BURTON MICHAEL ANNETT RYAN SIEG BRANDON BROWN RILEY HERBST JEREMY CLEMENTS ALEX LABBE JOSH WILLIAMS MYATT SNIDER DANIEL HEMRIC ANTHONY ALFREDO JESSE LITTLE TOMMY JOE MARTINS B.J. MCLEOD JOE GRAF JR. JEFFREY EARNHARDT AJ ALLMENDINGER MATT MILLS CHAD FINCHUM VINNIE MILLER JEB BURTON COLBY HOWARD KODY VANDERWAL KYLE WEATHERMAN DAVID STARR KAZ GRALA JOSH BILICKI STEPHEN LEICHT STEFAN PARSONS

PTS.

4040 4032 4029 4028 2306 2273 2270 2248 2202 2187 2170 2152 666 609 609 561 555 543 527 481 433 422 417 366 346 322 298 275 267 263 236 162 147 140 138 119

NASCAR

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

WINS

POLES

TOP 5

TOP 10

6 0 19 26 3 1 11 19 3 0 10 21 9 0 16 22 2 0 17 25 3 1 10 19 0 0 15 27 4 0 15 22 0 1 4 22 0 0 7 11 0 0 1 6 0 0 4 17 0 0 1 5 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 6 0 2 2 6 0 0 7 12 0 0 2 9 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 6 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

BLUE AREA SERIES CHAMPION

NASCAR STANDINGS

GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES

STANDINGS NO. DRIVER

THE

JAMPUI

Say goodbye to sweaty and smelly feet with the Jampui boot featuring ultra breathable eVent membrane. Light as a trail runner, supportive as a boot—Jampui is perfect for work as well as ultra light backpacking and through hiking.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

SHELDON CREED ZANE SMITH BRETT MOFFITT GRANT ENFINGER MATT CRAFTON AUSTIN HILL BEN RHODES CHRISTIAN ECKES TYLER ANKRUM TODD GILLILAND DEREK KRAUS RAPHAEL LESSARD JOHNNY SAUTER TANNER GRAY STEWART FRIESEN AUSTIN SELF TATE FOGLEMAN JORDAN ANDERSON CHANDLER SMITH SPENCER BOYD TY MAJESKI CLAY GREENFIELD CODIE ROHRBAUGH SPENCER DAVIS TYLER HILL TIMMY HILL SAM MAYER PARKER KLIGERMAN CORY ROPER JENNIFER COBB RYAN TRUEX DAWSON CRAM NATALIE DECKER DANNY BOHN TREVOR BAYNE NORM BENNING

PTS.

4040 4035 4027 4024 2274 2242 2240 2238 2198 2141 645 563 523 511 504 386 334 323 312 306 299 233 225 225 199 189 179 175 161 158 157 154 153 150 138 128

WINS

POLES

TOP 5

TOP 10

5 2 9 13 2 0 7 13 1 0 10 16 4 0 8 13 1 0 9 15 2 0 11 17 1 0 9 14 0 0 7 11 0 0 3 10 0 0 4 10 0 0 3 13 1 0 4 7 0 2 3 8 0 0 4 8 0 0 3 12 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 2 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0

MISHMITAKIN.COM BLUE AREA SERIES CHAMPION

0 5 2

hni Takin-3rdpage.indd 1

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020 5/15/2020 8:30:21 AM

THINGS YOU MOST LOOK FORWARD TO

THINGS YOU

MOST LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR JA RED TURNER

0 5 4

ROB TIONGSON

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

A A RON BURNS

▶ WHAT (IF ANY) EXPERIMENTS FROM 2020 DO YOU WANT TO

SEE CARRIED OVER TO 2021, AND WHAT NEW EXPERIMENTS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THEM TRY? AARON:

HOPEFULLY, WE’LL SEE CAR NUMBERS IN THEIR TRADITIONAL LOCATIONS AND NO underglow when the season kicks off next year. I’m good on those and I’ve got mixed feelings about midweek events. The run-what-you-brung, no-practice format for most of the schedule is intriguing. It saves the teams money, but it adds more unpredictability to the season and I’m a fan of it. As far as new experiments, I feel like those are best left to the people in charge. Credit NASCAR for wanting to take a shot at something new. Most sports leagues are hesitant to change anything, but NASCAR wants to perfect its formula and the only way to do that is to add new ingredients. Let’s see what’s next on the menu.

ROB:

FROM A JOURNALISM STANDPOINT, I LIKED THAT NASCAR EXPANDED COVERAGE FOR those of us covering the sport from home without feeling too detached from the action at the track. Zoom teleconferences, while not perfect, allowed me to stay connected and still carry out my content for ROAR, NASCAR Pole Position, and my independent outlet, The Podium Finish. Seeing how NASCAR was able to embrace virtual technology has made it a game changer for folks who can’t always make it to every race in normal times to get the job done. As a racing observer, I liked the Coca-Cola 600 experiment in which qualifying was held on the day of the race. In my opinion, NASCAR would benefit from two days of practices followed by qualifying and the race on the same day. In terms of new experiments that I’d like to see the sport try, I would love to see NASCAR and Goodyear collaborate on making different tire compounds like Formula 1 and Pirelli utilizing the soft, medium, and hard tire compounds to mix up pit strategies.

JARED:

I LOVE THAT FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR, THE NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE will be held at a venue other than longtime traditional host Charlotte Motor Speedway. It’s not that I personally have anything against Charlotte; in fact, I hope Charlotte actually has an opportunity to host the All-Star Race again in the years to come. But this race, which is supposed to be one of the most exciting events of the year, had grown stale in recent seasons, and I attribute this in large part to it always being held at the same track. NASCAR did the right thing in moving the All-Star Race to Bristol in 2020, and NASCAR is doing the right thing again in moving the All-Star Race to Texas Motor Speedway in 2021. I personally wouldn’t mind seeing this event rotate back and forth among tracks that have lights and that have proven themselves worthy and capable of playing host to such a popular, marquee event.

0 5 5

THINGS YOU MOST LOOK FORWARD TO ▶ WHICH NEW TRACK DO YOU THINK WILL PROVIDE THE BEST

RACING, AND WHAT IMPACT WILL IT HAVE ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP? JARED:

AS MUCH AS I LOVE HAVING NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY, CIRCUIT OF THE Americas and Road America on the schedule, I have to think the addition of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course will offer the best racing and have the most impact on the championship.

I say this because last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race here was nothing less than terrific, and because this race happens to fall deep into the regular season, with just two more events to follow before the 16-driver playoff field is locked in. Although it’s almost hard to imagine NASCAR’s premier series no longer racing on the fabled 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval anymore for the foreseeable future, it just felt like the time was right to make a change. In keeping the race at Indianapolis but moving it from the oval to the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course, NASCAR made a nice compromise for fans who love tradition but are also willing to embrace positive change.

AARON:

IT’S A REGULAR-SEASON RACE AND IT’S NOT A ROAD COURSE, WHICH SEEMS TO constantly gain popularity, but I’m going against the grain and picking Nashville Superspeedway. I love Nashville for its country music scene, nightlife and hot chicken, so maybe it’s clouded my judgment.

While it’s no Fairgrounds Speedway, the “other” Nashville track has hosted some great IndyCar, NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series races since opening in 2001. Next year, Nashville Superspeedway will play a thrilling tune for fans witnessing the area’s first Cup Series race since 1984.

ROB:

WITHOUT BEING BIASED, I REALLY LIKE THE REALITY of NASCAR going to the Circuit of the Americas in May 2021. Road course racing and NASCAR seem to provide the best of both worlds in terms of good, competitive racing along with the street savvy and techniques that fans enjoy seeing like “heel and toe,” “road course ringing,” and if it does hold true next year, seeing drivers mastering the art of racing in the rain. While I’m excited with NASCAR going to Austin, a great city in terms of the arts, food, and cultural mix, it’s a great long run location for the series.

Once we get the Next Gen car, a vehicle that seems so much like a street car, I can only imagine how excited and pumped my hometown will be about this race next year and in the future.

0 5 6

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

PREMIUM QUALITY

AUTOMOTIVE LUBRICANTS WITH...

THE

POWER

TO PROTECT No. 105 Motor Assembly Grease

• The “Original” Prelube for Installed Engine Parts.

• Prevents “Dry Start” During Initial Start Up. • Trusted By Top Engine Builders For Decades.

Chain & Cable Fluid - Penetrating Oil

• A Superior, Non-Gumming Penetrating Oil. • For Chains, Cables, Tools and General Lubrication.

• Loosens Rusty Nuts & Bolts. Also For Metalworking.

Spray Lube `A´ White Lithium Grease

• Sprays Like a Fluid, Congeals To A Grease.

• For Locks, Latches, Hinges, Battery Terminals and More.

• Creamy White Color - Correct For Classic Show Cars.

Gear Shield Extra Heavy

• Heavy-Duty, Extreme Pressure Spray Lubricant.

• For Gears, Pins, Bushings and Jack Screws.

• Excellent Fifth Wheel Lubricant for Trucks.

Biodegradable Penetrating Oil

• ECO-Friendly, Bio-Based, Multi-Purpose Lubricating Oil. • For Tools, Locks, Latches and General Lubrication.

• Displaces Moisture and Will Deliver a “Wet Start.”

SYNXTREME HD-2 Grease

• 100% Synthetic, Calcium Sulfonate Complex Formula.

• NLGI GC-LB Certified Wheel Bearing & Chassis Lube.

Visit Our Online Webstore At: www.lubriplate.com Also Available At:

Newark, NJ 07105 / Toledo, OH 43605 / 800-733-4755 LubeXpert@lubriplate.com / www.lubriplate.com

for store locations CARQUEST.com

THINGS YOU MOST LOOK FORWARD TO ▶ WHO WILL BE THE MOST IMPORTANT DRIVER OR TEAM TO

WATCH NEXT YEAR? ROB:

IT’S PROBABLY THE EASIEST ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION BUT BUBBA WALLACE AND the 23XI Racing combination will be the most important one to watch in 2021. It’s almost a dream that we have one of the biggest sports icons in Michael Jordan getting involved in NASCAR. They’re important in that it’s the first genuinely operated team with the funding, equipment, and talents around with people of color. They won’t have the struggles of Michael Waltrip Racing in 2007 and they’ll make each race. However, it’d be momentous if this team can finish solidly in the top-20 of the points standings.

Wallace is a capable driver who needs to harness his aggression a tad so that he can turn those promising runs into solid finishes. If he can turn to a Kurt Busch level of confidence and calm while still wearing his heart on his sleeves, that passion and raw intensity will coincide with the competitiveness of his cars and the people around him. I’m very curious to see how this team fares especially in the final season of the Gen-6 car and in 2022 when we finally usher in the Next Gen car, an equalizer for about every team on the Cup Series grid.

JARED:

KYLE BUSCH AND THE NO. 18 JOE GIBBS Racing team. Coming off one of the most frustrating years of his career just one season after winning his second NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2019, Busch could go in one of two directions in 2021: He could have a championship-caliber season like we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from him over the past several years, or he could once again struggle to win and face another season of mediocrity by his lofty standards. I tend to think that 2020 is more of an anomaly for Busch and his Adam Stevens-led team and that they will come back with vengeance in 2021. If they don’t, and 2021 bears shades of 2020, I would expect team owner Joe Gibbs to strongly consider the possibility of pairing Busch with a different crew chief for 2022 and moving Stevens to a different role within the organization. As Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus demonstrated, even the best and most successful driver/crew chief relationships have a tendency to grow stale with time, and in 2020 we might have witnessed the first indication of that happening with Busch and Stevens.

0 5 8

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

AARON:

BUBBA WALLACE IS A FANTASTIC CHOICE AND I BELIEVE HE’S GOING TO DO A good job for MJ and Denny. I think he’s got a shot at one or two victories next year, in all honesty.

I’m also very interested to see how Kevin Harvick’s No.ADVERTISEMENT 4 team performs. Is Harvick going to win seven-plus like this season, or is it going to be a year of decline like we saw from Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson As featured in as they got into their 40s? Harvick will be 45 years Cape Cod, MA VERTISEMENT 2020 old when the 2021 season begins. There was a noticeable decline for Stewart, Gordon, Earnhardt and Johnson when they were around that age or a few years younger. And, aside from the usual suspects in Hamlin, Keselowski, Busch and Truex, Kevin’s got to beat Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney and Willam Byron — who are 30 or younger. It’s a tall order for any driver to keep out-racing Father Time. Can Harvick do it?

Never Clean Your Gutters Again!

Clogged gutters can cause a host of harmful issues, from soffit and fascia rot, to mold growth and costly water damage. Climbing ladders to clean debris from clogged gutters can be harmful to homeowners, too.

Never Clean Your Gutters Again!

ADVERTISEMENT

ArmourGuard® Gutter Guards keep out all debris and pests while maximizing water flow, protecting your home from damage—and you from ladder falls.

As featured in All About ArmourGuard:

Cape Cod, MA

2020

→ Advanced micro-mesh screen technology. Surgical grade 316L stainless steel, effectively keeps debris out while allowing water to flow through freely

Never Clean Your Gutters Again!

→ Installs at the same pitch as your roof to shed debris naturally and easily

→ Anodized, extruded aluminum frame won’t warp or bend like plastic or thin sheet-metal gutter guards

→ Premium Silicone Weatherproofing Sealant bonds mesh®to frame and stays he Only Four Season Roofpermanently & Gutter Protection flexible regardless of ambient temperature

Clogged gutters can cause a host of Only Four Season Roof & Gutter Protection® The harmful issues, from soffit and fascia rot, toUSA mold growth and costly water → Hand-assembled in the within a controlled environment to ensure the highest-quality product damage.

Climbing ladders to clean 0 5 9 debris from clogged gutters can be → For new or existing rain gutters harmful to homeowners, too. → Discreet, visually appealing, low-profile design

→ 40-Year Transferable Warranty Learn more at allweatherarmour.com

ArmourGuard® Gutter Guards keep out all debris

Professionally installedand ArmourGuard Gutter Guards pests while maximizing water flow, protecting

THINGS YOU MOST LOOK FORWARD TO ▶ WHICH NASCAR SERIES WILL HAVE THE MOST ON- AND OFF-

TRACK DRAMA (WHICH SERIES WILL BE MUST WATCH TV)?

JARED:

AS MUCH AS I LOVE AND APPRECIATE ALL THREE OF NASCAR’S NATIONAL divisions and what they have to offer, I’m going to have to go with the easy answer and stick with the NASCAR Cup Series for this question. While the racing itself can sometimes be better in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and what is now known as the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, the reality is that the competition level in these two series will never measure up to the competition level in the sport’s premier division. So, I say the NASCAR Cup Series will offer the most on-track and off-track drama. If it turns out that I’m wrong, I’ll buy a big, juicy steak for my bosses here at ROAR! How does that sound?

AARON:

TUNE INTO A NASCAR GANDER RV & OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES RACE ON ANY given weekend and you’re likely to find battles among rising stars looking to prove themselves against wily veterans of the pickup. On-track drama has almost become a calling card for the Truck Series and the bumper-banging, temper-flaring races usually reserved for short tracks have expanded to intermediate tracks in the Truck Series. Don’t believe me? Ask Ben Rhodes or Christian Eckes.

ROB:

WHILE JARED AND AARON POINT OUT TWO great series, you have to give this one to the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Who can’t forget the scuffle between Harrison Burton and Noah Gragson at Kentucky? Or how about the awesome back and forth, blow by blow, heavyweight winning streak spars between Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric? With Briscoe graduating to Cup next year and Cindric on his way in 2022, I look for the NASCAR XFINITY Series to continue to provide the most on and off track drama because of the influx of young racers, the scrappy teams that find ways to succeed with modest budgets, and the veterans like Justin Allgaier and AJ Allmendinger who can mix it up with the very best.

0 6 0

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

▶ WHAT WILL HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON THE SPORT AS A

WHOLE IN 2021?

AARON:

FANS ARE SURELY EXCITED TO SEE THE NEW TRACKS IN THE NASCAR CUP Series, but all eyes will be on Bubba Wallace and the new 23XI Racing team. I’d suggest a modicum of realism when setting expectations for the No. 23 Toyota. No, they’re not going to run 35th every week. The driver, team and engine package are much too good. Are they likely to come out of the gate running top-three at every track? Probably not, but there’s reason to be optimistic that this new team is composed of the right ownership (Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin), driver (Wallace), crew chief (Mike Wheeler) and manufacturer (Toyota). It’s by no means a failure if they don’t win a race in Year 1, but look for some top-five finishes and strong performances along with intelligent, nuanced exchanges among the team’s most ardent supporters and detractors.

ROB:

HOW ABOUT SEEING CLINT BOWYER GOING TO THE FOX NASCAR BOOTH IN 2021? IF what he provided us during the COVID-19 pause was any indication, he’s going to be a treat to watch with Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon. Their interesting commentary and chemistry will definitely be fun to watch and I suspect that it may help draw in new viewers to the sport much like the 2001 “reimagination” of NASCAR when FOX started their coverage with Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, and Larry McReynolds. Mike’s made it work with a pair of classic, good ole boys from the Southeast before. Now, he’ll excel with these two vastly different but still great friends who’ll surely provide a “friends talking at the bar with you” vibe that we all sorely need for the TV coverage starting next year and in the future.

JARED:

I WOULD SAY THE RARE INFUSION OF NEW TRACKS, BUT NONE OF THEM ARE IN the playoffs. So, instead I’ll go with the absence of Jimmie Johnson. While Johnson hasn’t been all that competitive for a couple of years now, just his presence on the track and in the garage has made NASCAR better for the past two decades. He’s going to be missed greatly and for quite a few reasons, not the least of which are the numerous charitable contributions he’s made over the years to his hometown of El Cajon, California and far beyond. With the seven-time champion no longer racing full time, and perhaps not at all, in NASCAR next year, someone is going to have to step up and help fill the void. The driver most likely to do that is veteran Kevin Harvick, who not only is similar to Johnson in age and experience but will become arguably NASCAR’s most accomplished active driver when Johnson is no longer around.

0 6 1

WHAT WILL WE REMEMBER THE MOST

WHAT WILL WE

REMEMBER THE MOST ABOUT 2020 JA RED TURNER

0 6 2

ROB TIONGSON

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

A A RON BURNS

▶ WHAT STORY FROM 2020 SURPRISED YOU THE MOST?

JARED:

THE FALL AND RISE OF KYLE LARSON. IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS TIME SIX months ago, many people in the industry rightfully wondered if Larson would ever race in NASCAR again — much less compete for one of the sport’s premier organizations, Hendrick Motorsports, which it was recently announced he will be officially joining in 2021. The mistake Larson made back in April by uttering a racial slur widely considered the most taboo word in the English language had the potential to be a career-killer. And when Larson lost all of his primary sponsors and his ride at Chip Ganassi Racing, on top of being suspended from all NASCAR-related activities, it appeared that Larson had dug a hole so deep that he may never make a comeback. Larson immediately owned his mistake, however, and has taken steps in the months that have followed to show genuine remorse.

By all appearances, Larson is now a changed man, which is clearly what legendary team owner Rick Hendrick thinks in being willing to give Larson a second chance. The question going forward is whether Larson will 1) be a good ambassador for his team, sponsors and the sport and 2) live up to the talent and potential that many observers have long believed he possesses, despite his inability to be a consistent frontrunner. Only time will tell if Larson is able to accomplish one or both of these objectives, which are both paramount to his future.

AARON:

IT’S GOT TO BE KYLE BUSCH’S YEAR-LONG STRUGGLE TO WIN RACES, DOESN’T it? The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion entered this year with plenty of optimism: His team was intact and Busch, only entering his mid-30s, appeared in his prime. He started off reasonably well, too, with six top-fives in the season’s first 10 races. I think all of us expected him to prevail at Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond or a 1.5-miler like Charlotte or Texas. And, to Kyle’s credit, he got that long-awaited victory at Texas — but he had to wait until the season’s 34th race to claim it. When taking into consideration the regular-season performances of Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin, they didn’t make it easy on the No. 18 team, but who figured the defending champion would come so close to going winless?

ROB:

I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE RISE OF CHASE BRISCOE HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST NON-COVID story of 2020 in NASCAR. While it’s no secret that he’s a talented and sensationally brilliant young driver, I think we have to realize that he’s got the most incredible ingredient that defines a true superstar athlete - he’s got heart. His positivity, authentic connections with fans and press, and the fact that he doesn’t put up a wall with his emotions, as evident at Darlington in May and after his wins this year, makes him such a surprisingly great story that I don’t think I imagined heading into the 2020 season.

0 6 3

WHAT WILL WE REMEMBER THE MOST ▶ WHICH DRIVER CHANGED YOUR MIND OR OPINION ABOUT THEM THIS YEAR?

AARON:

DENNY HAMLIN HAS BEEN A CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER ON MULTIPLE occasions in his career, but this felt like the first time since 2010 when he could really lay claim to being a title favorite. I felt like, going into this season, everything pertaining to Hamlin was thirdbest at Joe Gibbs Racing.

“The Coach” had the 2017 and 2019 champions in his stable and it seemed reasonable to figure they’d factor into the championship equation more than Hamlin, but that was far from the case.

Denny’s season-opening Daytona 500 victory was a defining moment for his legacy, which admittedly is hard to describe at this point. He’s got three Daytona 500 wins under his belt and he also won at Talladega in the fall, so he’s clearly a phenomenal superspeedway racer. The most impressive thing about Hamlin, to me, is how he’s responded to adversity this season. He won at different types of tracks like Homestead, Darlington, Dover and Pocono, but the days in which the No. 11 Toyota weren’t the best seemed to motivate Denny and he’d often end up in the top five when the checkered flag flew. He’s still growing as a driver, which is impressive.

ROB:

CHASE ELLIOTT HAS PROVEN THAT HE IS A RACER WHO ISN’T JUST HERE TO COLLECT Most Popular Driver of the Year awards or lead the sales in Lionel Racing’s end of the season announcements. I’d have to say that I’ve found myself wondering if Elliott and crew chief Alan Gustafson had what it takes to be more than a Round of 8 perennial contender. Well, we’ve just seen that they’ve dug through when it counts and those wins at Charlotte, Daytona’s road course, the Charlotte ROVAL, and Martinsville showcased why Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon were sold on this young man in 2015.

JARED:

ALEX BOWMAN. PRIOR TO THIS SEASON, I REALLY WONDERED IF BOWMAN HAD what it took to run up front on a somewhat consistent basis and content for wins and championships.

But Bowman put my doubts to rest by scoring an impressive early-season win at Auto Club Speedway (just the second Cup victory of his career), leading more than twice as many laps as he did in 2019, and advancing all the way to the Round of 8 in the playoffs. Bowman was deservingly rewarded for his efforts by not only securing a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports but also being reassigned to the organization’s iconic No. 48 Chevrolet next season. The No. 48, of course, is the number that Jimmie Johnson — who just completed his last full season in the sport — drove to his 83 career wins and record-tying seven championships at NASCAR’s highest level. That fact that both Johnson and NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Rick Hendrick believed Bowman was worthy to carry on the legacy of the No. 48 speaks volumes of their faith in what Bowman can accomplish.

0 6 4

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

WHAT WILL WE REMEMBER THE MOST ▶ WHICH 2020 RACE WILL WE BE TALKING ABOUT IN 2030?

ROB:

NOT JUST BECAUSE IT’S FRESH ON OUR MINDS BUT THE XFINITY 500 AT Martinsville has to take the cake for this question. It had all of the drama, controversy, and thrills that NASCAR likely wanted and fans are going to clamor about this event in 2030 as they did this year. To think that the most dominant driver, Kevin Harvick, missed the cut to Phoenix despite scoring 67 playoff points just boggled a lot of fans’ minds. It even got them buzzing on social media about how NASCAR needs to make changes to the Playoffs and some folks felt he was jipped from a spot that was inherently his no matter how the Round of 8 turned out for the No. 4 team. Also, it was a race in which we saw Chase Elliott and his No. 9 team finally exorcise those Round of 8 demons and the haunting memories of the 2017 edition of this very race.

JARED:

THE DAYTONA 500. AND NOT BECAUSE IT MARKED DENNY HAMLIN’S THIRD 500 victory in five seasons, regardless of how significant that accomplishment might be. No, this year’s 500 will forever be remembered for Ryan Newman escaping major injury in a harrowing last-lap crash that left everyone who witnessed it at home or in person fearing the absolute worst.

Thankfully, the NASCAR world learned later that same night that Newman had suffered only non-life threatening injuries, and three days later Newman walked out of a Daytona Beach hospital with his two daughters by his side. Although Newman — who suffered what he called a “brain bruise” in the crash — wasn’t medically cleared to race until mid-May, the COVID-19 pandemic that forced NASCAR to go idle for more than two months meant that Newman missed a total of only three races while recovering. The fact that Newman is even alive and in his right mind, much less able to race again, is nothing short of a miracle and certainly a testament to the incredible safety enhancements NASCAR has continued to make since the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001.

AARON:

I AGREE WITH JARED, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT, I’LL GO IN A DIFFERENT direction: The regular season finale at Daytona had everything a fan could want: drama, excitement and unpredictability. William Byron scored the first win for Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 Chevrolet in nearly five years, Jimmie Johnson appeared poised to race his way into the Playoffs with an inspired drive and, seemingly out of nowhere, Bubba Wallace emerged as a late-race contender. It was one of those captivating Daytona races that made you stand up the whole time, whether you were in the grandstands or your living room. The fact we got a first-time winner out of it was icing on the cake.

0 6 6

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

TASTY WAYS TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF GINGER. P O P G I N G E R C H E W S A R E A S W E E T,

S P I C Y A N D H E A LT H Y G I N G E R T R E AT !

F I N D A F L AV O R N E A R Y O U @

PRINCEOFPEACEGINGER.COM

P O P G I N G E R AVA I L A B L E AT:

les.

ntest ru

While enter o at GalleryofGu ur GRE ns.com A A Winn T GUN GIVEA , See ww W AY. er Ever w.galle y Week ryofgun s.com ! for com

WHAT WILL WE REMEMBER THE MOST

plete co

ON THE SPORT AS A WHOLE THIS YEAR?

0 6 8

JARED:

See www.galleryofguns.com for complete program terms and conditions.

REPLACEMENT

LIFETIME

OF ©2020 Davidson’s, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

▶ WHICH DRIVER HAD THE MOST IMPACT

DENNY HAMLIN. AND NOT BECAUSE OF HIS tremendous on-track performance, which ended up being second to only that of Kevin Harvick for most of the season.

No, Hamlin’s lasting contribution from 2020 will forever be the formation of a brand new team, 23XI Racing, in partnership with NBA legend Michael Jordan. The team will make its official debut at the 2021 Daytona 500 and be closely aligned with Joe Gibbs Racing in fielding a No. 23 Toyota full time for driver Bubba Wallace, who is moving over after three seasons at Richard Petty Motorsports. Why is this significant? Well, the answer couldn’t be any more obvious: The presence of Jordan — a winner of six NBA championships and arguably the most recognizable athlete of all time — has the potential to bring NASCAR the kind of notoriety it hasn’t enjoyed since the boom of the late ‘90s and early 2000s when Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rusty Wallace, among others, all played critical roles in helping take the sport to unprecedented levels. It certainly doesn’t hurt anything that both Jordan and Wallace are African Americans, who together can help NASCAR make even greater inroads with a minority audience that began paying NASCAR some extra attention last season when Wallace became an outspoken advocate for racial justice and equality following the tragic death of Minnesota resident George Floyd.

AARON:

NO MATTER WHO WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP, it’s hard not to say this year will at least in part be defined by Kevin Harvick’s dominance. Nine wins in the first 29 races of the season gave the impression that Harvick was well on his way to a second NASCAR Cup Series title. It got to the point

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

that I was surprised when he didn’t win and honestly, it’s a shock he didn’t claim at least 11 or 12 wins this year.

Entering this year, Jimmie Johnson in 2007 was the last driver to win double-digit races in a season. I didn’t expect Harvick, one of the series’ oldest and longest-tenured competitors, to approach such a milestone, but the No. 4 guys seemed unbeatable at times. When we look back on the 2020 season, I think we’re going to remember how incredible Harvick performed and how you can’t consider a season like that to be a failure if it doesn’t lead to a championship. Rusty Wallace won 10 races in 1993 and Dale Earnhardt won the title, but it doesn’t take the luster out of what Wallace accomplished. The same applies to Harvick.

START RUN STORE Start up with ease every time Store with confidence between use Run faster, cleaner, smoother

ROB:

I’D CERTAINLY AGREE WITH JARED FOR THE most part but let’s also not dismiss Jimmie Johnson.

Yes, he’s struggled towards the finish of this year once he and his No. 48 team were eliminated from postseason contention following a heartbreaking 400-miler at Daytona in August. However, in terms of this year and the past 19 years, Johnson has done so much for NASCAR with his on-track contributions with the excitement and thrills that we saw him put on display despite the points finish not reflecting his efforts. He’s connected with fans even during COVID-19 by driving Noah Sweet’s design at Texas in November, driving a car that adorned many fans and colleagues’ signatures at Martinsville, and most of all, speaking up for the likes of Bubba Wallace and others who may be people of color in NASCAR or pursuing a career in NASCAR. Having the sport’s biggest icon speak up for the Black Lives Matter movement and share how he wants his daughters to be good citizens of the world, that just tells me so much about the man in terms of being the most impactful for NASCAR this year.

WWW.STARTRON.COM PROTECTION

NPP 2020 Ad COL.indd 1

+ PERFORMANCE 0 6 9

1/9/20 5:

WHAT WILL WE REMEMBER THE MOST ▶ WHAT WAS THE MOST UNDER-REPORTED OR UNDER-DISCUSSED

NASCAR STORY IN 2020?

AARON:

CHASE ELLIOTT’S MATURATION AS A DRIVER REALLY DESERVED MORE DISCUSSION this year. Sure, Chase got a ton of credit whenever the tour raced on road courses, because he’s the series’ best road racer. He really emerged as a favorite to win at any track and that’s kind of fallen under the radar.

Since 2019, he’s won at Talladega, Martinsville, Charlotte’s oval and ROVAL™ and the All-Star Race at Bristol.

For a guy who caught so much flack in his first few years over coming so close to winning, it’s no longer a surprise when Chase takes the checkered flag. We’re witnessing what’s only his fifth full season of NASCAR Cup Series racing, but I think the roaring ‘20s could belong to William Clyde Elliott II.

ROB:

DRIVERS WHO WEREN’T IN THE PLAYOFFS. I DON’T FAULT THE NETWORKS FOR focusing on those who made the postseason in any of NASCAR’s top three divisions. However, it’s kind of a drag that once the Playoffs kicked off, the midfield battle and clash for best in class were put to the wayside. Folks like Jimmie Johnson, Tyler Reddick, Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek, Erik Jones, Ryan Newman, and Bubba Wallace seemed to only garner the attention of the networks if they happened to be running near the Playoff drivers. While it’s vital for the press to focus and promote the postseason contenders, it’s just as important to remember that there’s other pressing and great stories on the track.

JARED:

THE ROOKIES. WHILE MOST EVERYONE WOULD PROBABLY AGREE THAT THIS year’s four-member rookie class consisting of Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, Cole Custer and John Hunter Nemechek was the best rookie class in at least a decade, if not all time, the amazing talent and ability of these four drivers was somehow overshadowed by a combination of COVID-19, the dominance of Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, an usually wacky Silly Season and the struggles of 2019 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch. While it’s true that Reddick, Bell, Custer and Nemechek all still have a lot of growing to do, what shouldn’t be forgotten or overlooked is the fact that all four displayed glimpses of their tremendous potential at various points throughout the season. Bell, despite going winless, performed well enough to convince Joe Gibbs Racing to put him in Erik Jones’ seat beginning in 2021. Reddick, meanwhile, did enough to earn a one-year contract extension with Richard Childress Racing for the 2021 campaign, which is really significant when considering that team owner Childress would undoubtedly have loved to fill Reddick’s seat with his youngest grandson, Ty Dillon, who doesn’t have a ride for next season.

0 7 0

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

SERIES RECAP SERIES CHAMPION

CHASE ELLIOTT

CUP SERIES RECAP

BY JA RED TURNER

I

n a season largely dominated by Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin, it was Chase Elliott who came on the strongest when it mattered most and claimed the sport’s biggest prize, a championship. Indeed, more so than any other season in recent memory, the final outcome was influenced by who was hottest at the right time. While Harvick and Hamlin faltered down the stretch, with Harvick missing the Championship 4 and Hamlin only barely making it in, Elliott took it to another level in the second half of the playoffs by winning three of the last five races, including the final two. In the end, the 2020 championship battle will likely be remembered as much for what Harvick and Hamlin failed to accomplish as what Elliott did.

0 7 2

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

BEST DRIVER: Kevin Harvick.

That’s when looking at the season as a whole, of course.

Although Harvick mysteriously faded in the final weeks, the success the 2014 series champ enjoyed for the vast majority of the campaign simply cannot be ignored. Highlights included a series-high nine wins, the regular season championship and the accumulation of enough playoff points to make him the No. 1 seed headed into each playoff round of which he was a part.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Jimmie Johnson’s failure to win a race in his farewell season.

Although the seven-time champ entered 2020 mired in a drought going all the way back to June 2017, it’s fair to say that most observers believed Johnson would score a minimum of one win in his last season. After all, nothing would have been more fitting.

But alas, it just wasn’t meant to be.

BEST RACE: Kentucky. After lining up in the third row for the final restart with two laps remaining, rookie Cole Custer took the lead in dramatic fashion with a four-wide pass just past the white flag and then held on to capture his first career Cup Series victory and in the process punch an unlikely ticket to the playoffs.

BEST RIVALRY: Though not a “rivalry” in the purest sense of the word perhaps, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin spent most of 2020 seemingly trying to up one another. That is, it seemed like every time Harvick would position himself as the undisputed driver to beat, Hamlin would come back the next week or a couple of weeks later and make his case to be considered the top dog.

BEST MOMENT: With his back against the wall, Chase Elliott arrived at Martinsville needing nothing less than a victory in the penultimate race of the 2020 season to punch a ticket to Phoenix as part of the Championship 4. Turns out Elliott didn’t just win at Martinsville, he did so convincingly, on a day when Kevin Harvick — the driver almost unanimously considered the oddson championship favorite — faltered badly and was shockingly eliminated from title contention. Without a truly clutch performance at Martinsville, Elliott doesn’t show up at Phoenix with an opportunity to compete for the championship that he ultimately claimed.

end of the race. This rule should be so crystal clear that my 86-year grandmother can understand it.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Without a doubt, Kyle Busch. As the reigning series champion and arguably NASCAR’s most talented driver, Busch was expected to make a serious run at a third series title. Instead, he was shockingly shut out of Victory Lane in the season’s first 33 races before finally picking up what would be his lone triumph of the year at Texas. It was too little too late, however, as Busch had already failed to advance beyond the Round of 12.

MOMENT TO FORGET: The controversial finish to the fall race at Talladega where apparent second-place finisher Matt DiBenedetto was severely penalized for going below the double yellow line on the final lap but race winner Denny Hamlin was not. Before the engines fire at Daytona in February, NASCAR needs to either abolish the yellow line rule completely or clean it up so there’s no confusion as to what constitutes a penalty.

There’s simply no excuse for NASCAR needing more than a couple of minutes, as officials did at Talladega, to figure out who exactly violated the yellow line rule and who didn’t at the 0 7 3

XFINITY SERIES RECAP

SERIES CHAMPION

AUSTIN CINDRIC

XFINITY SERIES RECAP

BY A A RON BURNS

C

hase Briscoe won a series-high nine races, but Austin Cindric’s mix of dominance (six wins) and consistency (16 top-fives, 26 top-10s) meant Cindric earned the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship with or without a Playoff format.

Cindric’s scintillating summer run of five wins in six races — with a runner-up finish in the middle — underscored just how strong his No. 22 Team Penske Ford team performed when at its best. Cindric put it all together when it mattered most, prevailing after a green-white-checkered restart to clinch the championship in the season finale on Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway.

0 7 4

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

BEST DRIVER: Austin Cindric.

I’m tempted to hand this to Chase Briscoe, but Cindric won the championship and led the series in top-fives as well. If there were any questions as to his deserving the nod, he put them to rest at Phoenix.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Justin Haley. Before 2020, Haley was best known for his rainshortened NASCAR Cup Series upset at Daytona. Haley built on his superspeedway success by sweeping Talladega and scoring another Daytona victory. He posted seven top-10s in the final 10 races, made the Championship 4 and finished third in points.

L A E S K H T I W

T S A F T I FIX

NSOR OF O P S D U PRO

JORDANRSON ANDE NG RACI

? k a e L t n a l CoSohake, Pour & eGaoks in the: L x i F y l t n ze Plug e e n e r a F m 9 Per ad ock / He Ju s t

9 9 9

r Radiato asing C p m u P Water ore Heater C

9 Bl Gasket d a e H 9

s d a e H d ke c a r C s l ks a c e o l S B o s s l A rou old Engine* o P d e k or C & Crac o a Hot

dded t A Silicate e B m n u i a d C o 9 ass / S l g d i ow Tank u fl r q i e l v T O O 9N d to the e d d A e NO 9 Can B NG

ON WORKS EADS

AND MOST FINE RETAILERS

MADE IN THE

G DRAININ

FLUSHI

rks on D3147 wos.

M T S A t ine mee tested to water cooled eng ly t n e d n ll e ep ha s been ind for use wit K-Seal ha plastic and safe hard

UM H ALUMIN

AVAILABLE AT:

NO

USA

kseal.com | info@kseal.com | 888.254.0150

* WARNING/Caution: Take care before opening the cooling system when engine hot as it may be under pressure and could cause injury. Always consult a qualified mechanic before proceeding. If in doubt wait until engine cools or add via overflow tank.

XFINITY SERIES RECAP BEST RACE: The championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Cindric appeared poised to cruise to victory before a Briscoe spin bunched up the field in the closing laps. Cindric pitted for fresh tires before a green-white-checkered restart, zoomed past Noah Gragson on the last lap and scored the crown in a spectacular finish.

BEST RIVALRY: Noah Gragson vs. Harrison Burton. The two rising stars had a heated postrace tussle at Kentucky in July. After a couple of Burton shoves, Gragson threw a punch at Burton and the two had to be separated. When all was said and done, Gragson won on points both in the standings and in the fight, but Burton won more races.

BEST MOMENT: A.J. Allmendinger’s win on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL™. Any Allmendinger victory is a popular one with the fans, but his triumph in a rain-soaked Playoff race on a road course carried even more weight. “The Dinger” has always been highly regarded as a road racer. He again proved his worth in October.

MOMENT TO FORGET: Kyle Busch’s disqualification after winning at Texas Motor Speedway in July. Busch led the final 10 laps but lost the win when the left rear of his car was ruled too low in post-race inspection. To be fair, it wasn’t a moment to forget for Austin Cindric.

He inherited the win.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Ross Chastain.

Chastain posted a series-high 27 top-10 finishes and he ended up seventh in points, so it wasn’t like he had a bad season. But considering Kaulig Racing teammates A.J. Allmendinger and Justin Haley won a combined five races, it’s a surprise that Chastain went winless.

0 7 6

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

RACE THROUGH * HEARTBURN Starts neutralizing acid in seconds

Available at Use as directed. *with headache or body aches and pains

©2020 Bayer

TRUCK SERIES RECAP

SERIES CHAMPION

SHELDON CREED

TRUCK SERIES RECAP

BY JA RED TURNER

W

ith just one full season of NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series competition under his belt, Sheldon Creed faced a tall order in 2020 when it came to pursuing a championship. Along with lacking the experience of many of the series’ top drivers, he also didn’t have all that impressive of a resume from his first full season in the series. Fortunately for Creed, however, all of that mattered not. After going winless as a rookie in 2019, Creed showcased his true talents and abilities in 2020 by netting a series-high five wins that culminated in an unlikely championship ultimately made possible by an impressive, come-from-behind drive in the season-ending event at Phoenix Raceway where Creed and three others arrived with an equal shot of leaving town with the crown. Competing for Maury Gallagher-owned GMS Racing, Creed took advantage of fresh tires and used a huge restart with two laps to go to grab the lead and speed away to a championship-clinching victory in a season that began with few people, if anyone, harboring such high expectations for the second-year driver.

0 7 8

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

BEST DRIVER: Austin Hill. No, Hill didn’t win the championship or even make the Championship 4, but he won twice and led the series in top fives (11) and top 10s (17).

Perhaps most notably, Hill’s average finishing position of 9.0 was also a series-best. Set for a third season with Hattori Racing Enterprises in 2021, Hill will be on the shortlist of championship favorites.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: The sudden rise of Sheldon Creed.

As a rookie in 2019, Creed finished a respectable 10th in the standings but netted just four top fives and never made it to Victory Lane. This year, Creed posted a series-high five wins and looked every bit the title contender from the early weeks of the season.

TRUCK SERIES RECAP BEST RACE: The season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

Without a late-race caution flag that waved with three laps to go, race leader Brett Moffitt was poised to sail to his second series championship.

That honor instead went to teammate Sheldon Creed, whose team made a gutsy call under the final yellow to take on four fresh tires.

Lining up ninth for a greenwhite-checkered finish, Creed needed less than a lap to rocket to the front, while Moffitt — on older tires — faded to 10th, losing the championship in the process.

BEST RIVALRY: Sheldon Creed vs. Todd Gilliland. While this might not fall into the category of a full-fledged rivalry, the two youngsters collided memorably while racing for the lead at World Wide Technology Raceway in August. While Creed was apologetic about the contact, which happened when his truck washed up the track into Gilliland’s, Gilliland was far from forgiving — especially after having the dominant truck but finishing 24th in a race that Creed held on to win.

0 8 0

BEST MOMENT: The thrilling nailbiter of a finish in the season opener at Daytona, where the trucks of Grant Enfinger and Jordan Anderson bounced off each multiple times in the trioval on the final lap as they sprinted toward the checkered flag.

Crossing the finish line door-to-door with Anderson, Enfinger edged the the No. 3 K-Seal-sponsored Chevrolet by a nose that equated to exactly one one-hundredth of a second.

MOMENT TO FORGET: Well, this isn’t a “moment,” per se, but it has to be the more than three-month-long break between the season’s second and third race. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trucks saw no on-track action between February 21 and May 26. That’s an eternity by NASCAR standards and almost exactly equivalent to the entire length of the off-season between 2020 and 2021. Let’s hope the Truck Series never has to go through anything like this again.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Johnny Sauter. A 12-year veteran of the series and the 2016 series champion, Sauter had never ranked worse than ninth in the standings until this season. Far removed from his typical championship-contending form, Sauter finished 13th in points and went winless over an entire season for just the second time as a full-time Truck Series driver.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

SUMMER GRILLING SPECIAL

FREE ORDER NOW AND RECEIVE A

10OZ NY STRIP STEAK

CLICK ON THE LINKGRILLING BELOW TO REDEEMSPECIA THIS OFFER SUMMER

mr.steak THE MAN - THE LEGEND - THE STEAKS

STEAKHOUSE QUALITY MEATS Mr. Steak’s ranch to table steaks and burgers are hand-selected, hand-cut, and delivered directly to your door from local midwestern ranchers. Mr. Steak’s goal is to bring steakhouse quality meats to your home by offering the same USDA Prime and Choice steaks sold at many of the no additives, humanely raised, and with a focus on sustainability. For every box sold, Mr. Steak donates a meal to hungry families in our community.

ORDER NOW AND RECEIVE A MrSteakv3.indd 1

FREE 10OZ NY STRIP STEAK • WWW.MRSTEAK.COM/RA

WWW.MRSTEAK.COM/RACING

5/15/2020

ARCA SERIES RECAP SERIES CHAMPION

BRET HOLMES BEST DRIVER: Wins don’t always tell the true tell tale sign of the best in auto racing.

In this case, I’d have to give the nod to Bret Holmes of Munford, Ala. as the 23-yearold raced wisely, patiently, and like a champion.

ARCA SERIES RECAP

BY ROB TIONGSON

C

learly, the ARCA Menards Series embraced being a series for the next wave of NASCAR superstars in 2020. While veteran Michael Self and his No. 25 Venturini Motorsports Toyota team were steady and won a pair of races at Daytona, Bret Holmes and his family-owned team subscribed to Terry Labonte’s school of consistency. Although Ty Gibbs showcased his potential superstar shine with six wins in a limited schedule, the season really became a heavyweight battle between Self and Holmes.

Ultimately, Holmes, who won the spring Kansas race, excelled down the stretch against Self by 12 points to win the title.

0 8 2

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Despite starting in only 13 races, Sam Mayer, a JR Motorsports prospect driver, showcased his superstar of the future prowess with wins at Toledo’s doubleheader weekend, Lebanon, Toledo, and Bristol.

BEST RACE: Who doesn’t love racing in the rain? Michael Self and Ty Gibbs showcased grit and class with a bit of paint trading during the Daytona road course race in August.

Despite the less than ideal conditions, Self and Gibbs gave us the best race of the Daytona road course weekend.

ARCA SERIES RECAP BEST RIVALRY: Honestly, Ty Gibb and Michael Self made for a fun rivalry only because we saw one driver excelling with the Ilmor engine package while the other relied on wits and experience. They didn’t duke it out for a championship, but they sure didn’t mind rubbing fenders on the track.

BEST MOMENT: Max McLaughlin’s drive from 20th to third at Bristol not only made some of us feel old, but it showcased that this young man’s talents are reminiscent of his legendary father Mike best known as “Magic Shoes.”

MOMENT TO FORGET: It’s probably a landslide to say the finish at Talladega.

While one could defend Ryan Repko for his lack of experience, you’ve always got to go for the win. Drew Dollar easily won this race as Repko and Holmes didn’t execute on setting up for the pass on the final lap.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: With various agendas in ARCA compared to the top-three NASCAR series, it’s hard to gauge who was disappointing. But if anyone didn’t capitalize on challenging Bret Holmes and Michael Self with good equipment, Hailie Deegan, while she placed third in points, didn’t quite execute at places like Toledo, Michigan, Gateway, and Memphis.

0 8 4

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Hand Cleaner Since 1948 Dirty Hands? No Water? No Problem!

For speedy clean up and excellent conditioning performance, try Joe’s Hand Cleaner

Building Relationships One Hand At A Time

www.joeshandcleaner.com Made in the USA

Available at:

COCA-COLA IRACING RECAP

SERIES CHAMPION

NICK OTTINGER BEST DRIVER: Nick Ottinger easily takes the cake for title of “Best Driver” in 2020. A coolheaded, smooth approach made him worthy of the eNASCAR driver’s title.

COCA-COLA IRACING RECAP

BY ROB TIONGSON

W

hile the start of the season seemingly belonged to Williams eSports’ Ryan Luza, Nick Ottinger of William Byron eSports showcased that consistency still wins championships. Ottinger scored two wins at Dover and Kansas along with nine top-fives and 13 top-10 finishes. Without a doubt, Ottinger’s reliable and steady driving rewarded him with a Championship 4 seed at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Although he wasn’t quite in the mix for the season finale race win, he took a solid fourth-place result to enjoy the $100,000.00 prize and the distinction as the newest eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series champion, a pivotal feat for the ninth-year racer.

0 8 6

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

BIGGEST SURPRISE: It was such a treat to see Brandon Hayse Kettelle take an exciting victory at Talladega. Of course, racing on the superspeedway can be unpredictable.

However, Clint Bowyer’s wheelman was a treat to watch.

BEST RACE: Not to sound like a broken record, but the race at Talladega was such a delight to watch and cover. Seeing these drivers just inches apart and holding it wide open was truly an exciting chess match with a rock and roll attitude.

COCA-COLA IRACING RECAP

BEST RIVALRY: Watching Ryan Luza and Ray Alfalla, two eNASCAR greats, mix it up during the deciding months of the season reminded me of great, on-track battles between Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick. It was clean but good, hard racing between these two young racers.

MOMENT TO FORGET: What seemed to be a great race from the get-go was kind of a dud when it unfolded. The eNASCAR All-Star Race at the virtual North Wilkesboro was a bit of a mess especially with some unnecessary shenanigans taking place on the final lap.

BEST MOMENT: Keegan Leahy taking the Brickyard win during the summer was quite special simply because you could tell he appreciated and soaked in his crown jewel achievement. Humble and smooth as can be, Leahy can take solace that he succeeded in high stakes pressure.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: It’s hard to label Zack Novak a disappointment as he is a great eNASCAR competitor and the 2019 champion. It just seemed like he and his Richmond Raceway eSports team encountered plentiful bad luck for a rather forgettable year.

0 8 8

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

NASCAR RELEASE

NASCAR PRESIDENT STEVE PHELPS SAYS SPORT STRONGER THAN EVER AMID HISTORIC YEAR

BY REID SPENCER

I

n the most challenging year in a history that has spanned more than seven decades, NASCAR racing has emerged stronger in the face of a coronavirus pandemic that interrupted the 2020 season, according to NASCAR president Steve Phelps.

“What I would say is that, on March 8th, we were a sport that was coming back, right?” Phelps said on Friday during a Zoom video conference with reporters. “Our ratings had stabilized last year. Our attendance was going in the correct direction.

“If you think about where we are as a sport today, I believe we’re stronger as a sport today than we were pre-COVID. I believe that. I think that the momentum that we’ve been able to gain has been nothing short of incredible.”

On March 13, as coronavirus outbreaks multiplied the spread of the virus, NASCAR joined other major sports in shutting down. Ten weeks later, with a gerrymandered scheduled and a cogent plan for competing safely, racing resumed at Darlington.

With imagination, creativity and careful execution, NASCAR managed to stage a full-36-race schedule in the Cup Series. The 2020 season was one of discovery, as NASCAR ran races without practice and qualifying, doubled up at certain tracks and

0 9 0

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

NPP 2020 Ad HALF 1

8/27/20 4:59 PM

NASCAR RELEASE held primetime events midweek. “(On Sunday), when we crown a champion in our Cup Series, we will have run all our races,” Phelps said. “We did it through ways that, frankly, probably we didn’t think we could do, right?

“A bunch of midweek races.

Three doubleheaders. No practice and qualifying. Things that were kind of significant in bedrock that we do, right?

You come to the racetrack, you’re here for three days, you practice, you qualify, you’re on your way, right?

“For us to be the first sport back without fans initially on May 17th in Darlington, to the first sport back with fans, I think it’s an extraordinary achievement.”

After champions in the top three national series are crowned this weekend at Phoenix Raceway, NASCAR faces considerable uncertainty as the 2021 season approaches, as do all sports. The Daytona 500 is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2021, but how the landscape will look at that point is still a major unknown.

“I think I would say, not just for the 500 but for our entire schedule, we have this incredible 0 9 2

schedule that has been put together leading off with the Daytona 500 on February 14th,” Phelps said. “Do I believe we’re going to have fans in the stands? I do. What percentage of fans in the stands? I’m not sure. Will we have folks in the garage, fans in the garage? I don’t know. What I would say is I can’t wait till we do have fans back in the garage.

“The hallmark of our sport is about accessibility to the garage, accessibility to the drivers, the crews. We don’t have that. We don’t have that because we need to keep people safe. That’s the only way we’re going to run a race is if we’re going to keep people safe.”

To achieve that objective with respect to the competitors, NASCAR adopted one-day shows for each series to minimize the possibility of exposure to the virus. Next year, 28 of the 36 NASCAR Cup points races will be one-day shows. That will change to some degree in 2022 when the new NextGen race car hits the track.

“I would say whatever mad scientist would come up with a one day show would have been shot down pretty quickly,” Phelps said. “Really, it was from the pandemic. Really, it was from the industry coming together and saying, ‘Can you do it at race tracks, from an officiating standpoint?’ The resounding answer was yes, obviously.

“The great news is that the racing, again, arguably is as good as it’s

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

At Tracks Benefits* Receive 20% OFF your next Racing Electronics Rental!

Garate Tours.

Up Close Access to Driver Introductions.

Pace Car Rides.

Attending the Driver’s Meeting.

Joining the Race Winner in Victory Lane. * at selected tracks

Exclusive Members Only Online Store Up to 70% OFF your Favorite Driver NASCAR Licensed Products.

Ultimate VIP Experience Special Member Opportunities throughout the Season.

Exclusive Offers from Our Proud Partners.

NASCAR RELEASE

ever been. We have 28 one day shows next year, eight that we do not, (where) we’re going to have practice and qualifying. What does that look like in ‘22 as we unveil a new car? Probably a lot more practice and qualifying. How much, and what does it look like? Really, it will be determined when we get a little closer to that particular season.”

Phelps said the urgency of dealing with schedule restructuring and devising protocols to keep competitors and other essential personnel safe within the garage forced the pausing of discussions with potential new manufacturers.

“We haven’t had a ton of conversations with other OEMs during the COVID situation,” Phelps acknowledged. “They’ve kind of had their own issues with supply chains, making sure they’re getting vehicles out.

“When the season ends, we’ll start to kind of restart those conversations. Only a certain number of hours in a day. Those have taken a little bit of a step back—at least a pause, not a step back—but a 0 9 4

pause. I think we’ll ramp those discussions back up.

“Again, I’ll go back to it. I think we are actually a more attractive sport today to a new OEM than we were back in March. I believe that to be true. It’s not that we were not an attractive sport for them to make investments in our sport, but I think now more than ever.”

The 2020 season also was one of heightened social consciousness within the sport. With the activism of Black driver Bubba Wallace as a catalyst, NASCAR banned the Confederate flag on race track premises and reaffirmed its commitment to make the sport as inclusive as possible.

“What we do from a social justice standpoint moving forward really to me is about human decency,” Phelps said. “We want to make sure that people want to come to our facilities. We want to make sure they want to participate in this sport on television, radio, digitally and socially.

“We want them to feel part of this community.

It’s a fantastic community—it really is.”

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

THAD MOFFITT DRIVER OF THE CLEANPACS No. 46 FORD FUSION

CREDITS

ROAR! WEEKLY RACE MAGAZINE 11880 28TH ST. N, SUITE 101 ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33716 PHONE: (727) 209-0792 FAX: (727) 209-1776 ROAR! SITE: POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM CORPORATE: AE-ENGINE.COM EMAIL: ROAR@AE-ENGINE.COM

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT

PUBLISHER: CRAIG BARONCELLI EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, SALES: DAVID WATSON VICE PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE ACCOUNTS: DAYNE MAASDORP VICE PRESIDENT, MOTORSPORTS: CHRIS VITA SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: JUSTIN HAND, MARK MORALES, JOHN ENGLE OFFICE MANAGER: DENNIS FASONE

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

ART DIRECTOR: JOE RABUCK DIRECTOR, DIGITAL: NICOLE COOPER DIRECTOR, DIGITAL CONTENT: JOSH MULL MANAGING EDITOR: DAN GUTTENPLAN CONTRIBUTORS: JARED TURNER, BEN WHITE, JOSEPH WOLKIN , KEITH WALTZ, ROB TIONGSON A.E. ENGINE SPECIFIES THAT POSTPUBLISHING CHANGES MAY OCCUR TO ANY INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PUBLICATION AND TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOODS OR SERVICES ADVERTISED.

AVAILABLE NOW: PHOENIX MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM UPDATES & POSTERS TWITTER @NPPMAG FACEBOOK NASCAR POLE POSITION

0 9 8

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: NOVEMBER 11, 2020

SUBSCRIPTIONS: YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS CAN BE ORDERED ONLINE AT POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM. SALES INQUIRIES: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN ROAR! WEEKLY RACE MAGAZINE, OR WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A FIELD REPRESENTATIVE, PLEASE CONTACT DAVID WATSON AT (727) 209-0789, OR DKW@AE-ENGINE.COM.