NASCAR has changed the way the starting lineup will be set. This makes for more confusion in my thinking.
Rather than having the final round speeds determine the first through tenth starting spots, the drivers from Group A during the final round will set the outside rows 2-5 and Group B will set the inside rows 2-5.
The top two fastest speeds still be the pole and outside pole.
This change sets the starting positions for the drivers in the final round in the same way as those that do not make the final round.
The new rule is as follows.
Qualifying Format for Oval Track
7.4.
O. If one or both groups are unable to complete the Final Qualifying round due to weather or other adverse circumstances, only speeds posted in the first Qualifying round will be used. The fastest vehicle in Group A and Group B will be assigned starting positions 1st and 2nd in descending order, fastest to slowest. All remaining Group B vehicles will be assigned odd numbered starting positions (3rd , 5th etc.) in descending order. All remaining Group A vehicles will be assigned even numbered starting positions (4th, 6th etc.) in descending order.
7.9.1.3 – ASSIGNMENT OF STARTING GRID POSITIONS 1ST-40TH WITH QUALIFYING GROUPS
A. Starting grid positions 1st-40th will be assigned to eligible Team Owners in the order of final Qualifying results.
B. The fastest single lap speed posted by each eligible vehicle in its assigned group will determine its starting grid position.
C. All vehicles that advance to the Final round of Qualifying will be assigned starting positions 1st-10th based on their speed posted in the Final round in descending order, fastest to slowest. The fastest vehicle from Group A and Group B will be assigned starting positions 1st and 2nd based on their fastest single lap speed in the Final round in descending order. The 2nd , 3rd,4th and 5th fastest vehicles in the Final round from Group A will be assigned starting positions 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th fastest vehicles in the Final round from Group B will be assigned starting positions 3rd, 5th , 7th, 9th.
D. Vehicles in Group B that do not advance to the final Qualifying round and are eligible for the Event, will be assigned the odd numbered starting positions (11th, 13th, 15th, etc.).
E. Vehicles in Group A that do not advance to the final Qualifying round will be assigned to the even numbered starting positions (12th, 14th, 16th, etc.).
F. When two or more eligible vehicles in the same Group have the same Qualifying speed, the starting grid positions for those vehicles in that Event shall be assigned based on the NASCAR Cup Series Team Owner Points standings in descending order, in accordance with Section 7.1 General Requirements.
G. If the NASCAR Cup Series Team Owner Points standings do not prevail in breaking the tie, then starting grid positions amongst those vehicles will be assigned by the order in which the duplicate speed was posted, with the driver setting the duplicate speed first receiving the higher starting grid position.
H. In the event the even and odd positions become imbalanced, vehicles may be assigned starting positions that are not based on their Group to ensure the odd numbered positions are filled first.
OK readers, you got all that?
The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau (PMVB) will serve as the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway for a third consecutive year when the series returns on Saturday, July 13.
The Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 will be part of the July 12-14 race weekend featuring all three of NASCAR’s national series. The Xfinity Series event will be the middle race with the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series CRC Brakleen 175 on Friday, July 12, and The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA Cup Series race on Sunday, July 14.
The 90-lap, 225-mile Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 , the 19th of 33 races on the Xfinity Series schedule, will be nationally televised on the USA Network beginning at 3 p.m. ET. The race also will be broadcast nationally through MRN and SiriusXM Radio.
“The Pocono Mountains is a world-class destination with one-third of the United States population living within driving distance,” Pocono Raceway President Ben May said. “Being able to use our global stage to attract people and showcase our region is something we are strategically aligned on.”
“The PMVB is the preeminent Destination Marketing Organization in the country and being able to collaborate and partner with it as we continue to grow as a region is something we are passionate about. (President/CEO) Chris Barrett and the PMVB team understand how special the Pocono Mountains is and we are grateful to have them on our team.”
The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau continues to use the national reach of NASCAR to share the area’s vast attractions, events, activities, lodging and restaurants that are available to visitors throughout the four seasons.
The Pocono Mountains footprint is spread across 2,400 square miles in northeast Pennsylvania’s Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties. The area is famous for its resorts, natural scenic beauty, 150-plus lakes including Lake Wallenpaupack, and quaint, historic towns with plenty to offer. It also has more than 350 hiking and bike trails, three dozen golf courses, boating, fishing, whitewater rafting, two national parks, nine state parks and several water park resorts.
“Our Pocono Mountains plays host to 30 million visitors throughout the four seasons and the action-packed NASCAR race weekend at Pocono Raceway is emblematic of a summer tradition for families and friends,” said Chris Barrett, PMVB President/CEO. “Exploring the Pocono Mountains begins and ends at The Tricky Triangle on this July weekend and we’re proud to support visitors in finding their Pocono Places while here!”
For those attending the NASCAR race weekend and interested in enjoying additional activities outside of Pocono Raceway, the PMVB will be on site at the Pocono Mountains Activities & Welcome Center. The center is located in the infield adjacent to the inclusive playground on the right after coming through the Turn 2 tunnel.
To learn more about the Poconos, visit PoconoMountains.com or tune in to the Pocono Television Network online.
For more ticket information and news on the upcoming NASCAR weekend at Pocono Raceway, please visit www.poconoraceway.com.
About Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau
Pocono Mountains visitor information is available online at PoconoMountains.com or by phone at (570) 421-5791. Established in 1934, the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau is a private, non-profit membership organization. The PMVB is the official destination marketing organization for the four counties of Wayne, Pike, Monroe, and Carbon in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The PMVB operates the 24/7 Pocono Television Network which can be found on streaming, broadcast and cable.
About Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway, also known as ‘The Tricky Triangle,’ is family-owned and situated in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. In business for over 50 years, the Raceway hosts multiple, national motorsports events including the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events each year. The facility’s calendar also consists of over 200 events including Elements Music & Arts Festival and a wide range of non-motorsports entertainment, car clubs and racing schools. Pocono Raceway is recognized as the world’s first, privately-owned solar-powered sports facility. Their 25-acre, three-megawatt solar farm provides the energy needs of the Raceway, as well as, adds electricity to the local power grid. Each member of our raceway staff is committed to creating exciting experiences and lifelong memories. For more information, please visit www.poconoraceway.com.
They are coming back. The 410 Sprints make a return visit to Grandview Speedway on Tuesday night, July 2 when HVAC Distributors present the Pennsylvania 410 Sprint Speed Week Series showcasing the $10,000 to win Hodnett Cup. Also on the program are the 358 NASCAR Modifieds with $3,000 going to the winner of their 30 lap main event. Gates open at 5 PM with race time set for 7:30 PM. This event is the third race of the 2024 NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series and presented by Pioneer Pole Buildings.
Some early pre-race entries for Tuesday, July 2 include the 2022 winner of this event, Rico Abreu joined by Danny Dietrich, TJ Stutts, Anthony Macri, Freddie Rahmer, Lucas Wolfe and Troy Wagaman.
The show will open with time trials for the sprints followed by heat race qualifying for both the 410 Sprints and 358 NASCAR Modifieds. Both divisions will have a last chance qualifying event leading up to the 35 lap $10,000 to win Hodnett Cup for the 410 Sprints.
On Friday, May 17, 2024, people from the community and beyond gathered at the Finish Line Pub at New Jersey Motorsports Park for a great cause, raising $10,000 to help grant two wishes to the children involved in the Make-A-Wish New Jersey program.
New Jersey Motorsports Park partnered with local celebrity, Lisa Orndorf, to raise funds for a worthy cause that is dear to the community and to Orndorf herself. Make-A-Wish New Jersey is a charitable organization that grants wishes for children diagnosed with critical illnesses with the help of donations made by everyday people. These wishes can range from parties to vacations to once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Through granting wishes, Make-A-Wish provides children and their families with hope and strength during the most challenging times in their lives.
“We are grateful for New Jersey Motorsports Park’s generosity and support of our chapter once again this year, helping us to continue to deliver hope, strength and joy when it is needed most,” said Rose Farr, Vice President of Development for Make-A-Wish New Jersey. “Thanks to their partnership and support, and the support of the Millville, New Jersey community, when we ask a child with a critical illness that magical question that brings our mission to life - if you could have one wish what would it be? - we have the confidence to tell them that their wish shall be granted.”
During the Make-A-Wish Celebrity Bartender Fundraiser at the Finish Line Pub, the celebrity bartender, Lisa Orndorf, interacted with guests and mixed specialty cocktails with 100% of the proceeds made from the night’s specialty cocktails and a portion of the proceeds from all other drink orders being donated to Make-A-Wish New Jersey.
In addition, guests were entertained with a live performance by Dale Bierman. Individual donators were also recognized throughout the night with special NJMP giveaways from event sponsors such as Chick-fil-A, WaWa, Deerfield Electric, and L.A. Nail Salon. The grand prize of a corporate go-karting party for ten people was rewarded to Deerfield Electric for their donation of $800 to Make-A-Wish New Jersey.
“New Jersey Motorsports is proud to partner with Make-A-Wish New Jersey to bring the community together and raise funds for a worthy cause in an entertaining atmosphere that is a good time for everyone.” said Brad Scott, President and Chief Operating Officer of NJMP.
Those looking to get involved in Make-A-Wish New Jersey should visit www.wish.org/nj for more information. NJMP also encourages the community to get involved in special community events like these happening at the New Jersey Motorsports Park this year. Those interested can visit www.njmp.com for a more information on events coming this season.
Appearing on a sky-high billboard erected outside the Charlotte Motor Speedway, superstar driver Daniel Suárez—who added a second NASCAR Cup Series win to his résumé with a stunning three-wide finish at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in February—waves the red flag on keeping dogs chained or penned outdoors in a new campaign for PETA.
“The way I treat my animals is like family. We wouldn’t chain our kids or siblings, mom and dad, or grandpa,” Suárez says in a heartfelt video. “Chaining is 100% wrong. And it doesn’t matter if it’s North Carolina or anywhere else in the country or in the world, you know? I will definitely never leave my dog outside.”
Every day, PETA’s field rescue team finds sick, injured, dying, and dead dogs chained outdoors without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, confined to the same few square feet of space day in and day out amid their own waste. Many spend their existence trapped at the end of a heavy chain, covered with fleas and other parasites, malnourished, and essentially forgotten. Chained dogs have frozen to death during cold snaps and died from heatstroke on sweltering summer days. PETA urges everyone to keep their dogs indoors with the rest of the family and push their local and state legislators to pass laws that ban unattended tethering of dogs and implement animal care standards that require adequate shelter, space, and more.
Suárez, who attributes his passion for helping animals to his father, who would rescue dogs from the streets of Monterrey, Mexico, previously starred in a PETA video warning people not to leave dogs in hot cars. He’s part of a long list of athletes—including Tyrann Mathieu, Ryan Tannehill, Chris Godwin, Enes Kanter Freedom, Lonnie Walker, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Ty Lawson, and Candace Parker—who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.
An impressive lineup of drivers and cars have been confirmed for the first IROC event in more than 20 years. Scheduled for July 19-20 at Lime Rock Park, the IROC event will enhance an already exciting SpeedTour All-Star Race weekend. Featuring both an on-track racing exhibition and static display, the event will reunite original IROC competitors with cars raced in the legendary series.
Mark Martin, a 96-time winner across NASCAR’s top-three series, 13-time IROC race winner and 5-time IROC series champion, will be one of the drivers piloting the historic IROC cars at Lime Rock Park.
“I have always said that the crown jewel of my racing career is what I was able to achieve in IROC,” said Martin. “The event at Lime Rock Park is going to be an exciting opportunity to reminisce about those great times and to reunite with some of the best people in motorsports.”
Joining Martin as other former IROC competitors driving in the event will be Greg Biffle, Geoff Brabham (two-time IROC race winner), Davy Jones, Bobby Labonte (three-time IROC race winner and 2001 IROC Series Champion), Max Papis, Ken Schrader and Danny Sullivan (one IROC win). In addition to this impressive list of former IROC drivers, the event will include four-time NASCAR Truck Series Champion Ron Hornaday, Grand-Am Sports Car Series and Trans Am Champion Boris Said and 1995 NASCAR Truck Series Champion Mike Skinner.
An equally exciting component of the event at Lime Rock Park will be approximately 20 authentic IROC race cars spanning over 30 years of racing history.
The oldest are a pair of 1974 Chevrolet Camaros—one driven to Victory Lane at Riverside International Raceway by Bobby Allison in 1975, and utilized again in 1976 by AJ Foyt to clinch his second IROC Championship; the other was raced by Foyt in 1975, as he finished second to Bobby Unser by just two feet, in what was the second-closest IROC finish in history.
The newest car is a 2005 Pontiac Firebird raced by four-time Indianapolis 500 Champion Helio Castroneves. In November 2005, Castroneves drove the car to a fourth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in his final IROC start.
The event will also reunite several of the original racers with their cars, as former IROC winners return. Fans will instantly recognize the lime green No. 14 Dodge Avenger, which won three times with three drivers from three different disciplines: F1’s Martin Brundle, NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Sr., and INDYCAR’s Al Unser Jr. However, it will be the car’s final driver who will get to reunite with it at Lime Rock Park—Mark Martin.
Fans will also recognize the red 1984 Chevrolet Camaro, which is believed to be the most period-correct 1984-era IROC Camaro in existence. Owned by Richard Childress, this car was raced by Dale Earnhardt twice in the 1980s.
Of course, there will be cars that were driven by not only the best names in motorsport, but also those of Hollywood fame. The School Bus Yellow No. 15 1978 Chevrolet Camaro was driven to victory lane by both Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip, as the two NASCAR Hall of Famers were among 31 drivers who turned laps in the car. However, that count doesn’t include actors Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, James Brolin and Gene Hackman, who enjoyed a private test day in the car at Sonoma Raceway in December 1977.
“We have received such an overwhelmingly positive response from fans since announcing our event at Lime Rock Park and I believe this impressive lineup of legendary drivers and historic IROC cars will just keep that momentum going,” said Ray Evernham, Co-Principal of IROC Holdings. “It will truly be a unique experience for fans to get up close and personal with cars that have been driven by racing royalty. From Fittipaldi to Earnhardt, Foyt to Martin. These cars are truly time capsules that represent racing on a worldly scale. Pair that with being able to shake the hands of some of the legends that drove them and you have a once-in-a-lifetime experience for race fans.”
“We’re thrilled to have IROC join us at the SpeedTour All-Star Race,” said Tony Parella, CEO of Parella Motorsports Holdings. “As a racing fan, there was nothing better than IROC—it brought together all the best drivers from all forms of motorsports. Personally, I’m really excited to witness this all coming together—with so many of the original cars and drivers—it’s going to be great.”
Whether you want to watch IROC, the SpeedTour All-Star Race, or any of the other groups racing at Lime Rock Park, July 19-20, a single ticket will let you see all the action. Single-day and weekend tickets are available at Limerock.com with advanced-purchase discounts for spectator tickets. Kids 12 and under are free with the purchase of an adult ticket, and all active-duty military and veterans with a valid military ID will be admitted free of charge. Fans are also invited to purchase their official IROC-branded merchandise ahead of the event at shop.iroc-racing.com.
Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) announced today team co-owner Kevin Harvick will return to the driver’s seat of the No. 62 Chevrolet at Five Flags Speedway on June 28, 2024, and North Wilkesboro Speedway on August 3, 2024.
To kick off his return to Late Model competition, Harvick will rejoin former partner Busch Light for the Super Late Model race at Five Flags Speedway. With a relationship spanning more than a decade, Busch Light, Anheuser-Busch and Harvick are no stranger to each other, amassing multiple wins and the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series championship.
“I’m excited to get back in the No. 62 for some short-track racing,” said Harvick. “We have great partners with Busch Light, carrying the iconic blue and white colors along with the mountain landscape across the car, as well as Hunt Brothers Pizza. Both have been a big part of my career and to continue those relationships beyond my NASCAR career is special.”
In addition to racing at Five Flags Speedway, Harvick has also added the August 3 CARS Tour race at North Wilkesboro Speedway to his schedule. Originally slated for May 15, the CARS Tour was forced to reschedule the May event after rain wreaked havoc on the North Wilkesboro Speedway race weekend. Hunt Brothers Pizza, another long-time partner of Harvick’s, will join the No. 62 team for the rescheduled event.
The ASA Deep South Cranes Blizzard Race No. 3 on June 28 can be watched live on RacingAmerica.tv and the rescheduled CARS Tour race on August 3 can be viewed on FloRacing.com.
Fans can purchase merchandise of Harvick’s return to competition at HappysEshop.com.
America’s biggest road rally is the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Coker Tire and it’s coming to the New England Racing Museum (922 NH Rt 106N, Loudon, NH) on June 28. You can see the antique cars and meet the drivers at the museum from 11:45am until the last competitors depart at about 3pm. Twenty-seven participants are driving out of New England of the 120 entered vehicles. Nine are from Maine, six from Massachusetts, five from New Hampshire and Connecticut. Two are from Vermont. Parking is free and access to Great Race cars is free. The museum will be open to the public from 10am to 4pm. General admission is $15 and kids under 12 free. An exclusive lunch for rally participants and sponsors will take place in the museum.
Begun 41 years ago, Great Race is the premier United States road rally with antique cars in which timed arrival at check points is every driver and navigator’s goal. Arriving early or late costs points. The route is prescribed to those who are following instructions interpreted by each navigator. Cars built in 1974 or earlier are eligible to enter and are modified for safety but not performance. They are old cars, some very old but they sparkle for the event. This year a 1912 Haynes is the oldest car. The competitors are serious, there’s a $7,000 entry fee and a $50,000 winning prize. This year’s rally sold out and next year’s rally is already sold out.
In nine days the participants will travel to 19 cities, stopping in six New England cities/towns. The New England Racing Museum is the only New Hampshire stop and it’s only the second time ever Great Race has stopped in the Granite State. A previewing ceremony before the arrival of the cars will begin at 11:30am. Guests who wish to see the cars will be directed to parking as they enter museum property on Rt 106 in Loudon, NH.
Visitors can get up close to the cars, the drivers and navigators. There is no admission charge to experience this rare opportunity. Great Race has only been in New England twice in the last 10 years! The cars range from oddballs to one-of-a-kind that are beyond imagination so come ready to take pictures. Some competitors allow kids and adults who like to behave as kids to sit behind the wheel of their car.
This year an exceptionally large contingent of New England participants will compete. Racing supporter and 10-time Great Race participant Peter Prescott will be among the nine teams from Maine. Vermont’s Bill Josler will drive his 1929 Model-A Boat Tail Speedster.
