Innholdsfortegnelse for 2019 Racing i Athlon Sports Football Bundle

Earl Barban’s butt sat in the water, his feet rested in the skis and his hands gripped the handle at the end of the rope that was tethered to his boat. He readied himself for a water skiing trip around the lake. His wife, far ahead in the boat’s pilot seat, hit the throttle. The boat moved; the line pulled tight. Barban, the longtime spotter for Jimmie Johnson, started to lift up, and YEOW — a tendon in his left arm ruptured. “It went zing — I felt like I got electrocuted,” Barban said several weeks later inside Johnson’s hauler at Kansas Speedway before the October race as he underwent a follow-up exam with Bill Heisel, a physician’s assistant in Ortho-Carolina’s Motorsports Program. Heisel has treated hundreds of members of…

At Bristol in August, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch were racing for second place (Photo 1) when Busch made contact with Truex and sent him spinning into the wall. Truex crashed hard, and his chance to win was over. At the Roval in September, Truex — who will move to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2019 because his former team, Furniture Row Racing, was shuttered — was in the lead and in sight of the finish line when Jimmie Johnson dive-bombed into the next-to-last turn. Johnson lost control and ran into Truex (Photo 2), which caused him to spin. By the time Truex got going again, Ryan Blaney had cruised by for the win. And four weeks later at Martinsville, Truex and Joey Logano battled side by side in the…

Before seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson climbed into Fernando Alonso’s F1 car and Alonso climbed into Johnson’s Cup car at Bahrain in November, Johnson set modest goals for the two of them: “I think a victory would be bringing cars home in one piece,” he said. The cars did indeed stay in one piece — but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Each driver set down what could be called a pacing lap in his own car to give his counterpart something to strive for. Johnson ran 28 laps in Alonso’s car, and the first handful were very much on edge. “The braking is just insane. You hit the brakes and you literally lose your vision at max G-force, it’s so high. And at the end of the braking zone…

Before Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was a two-time Xfinity Series champion, before he was one of the most aggressive drivers in the top stock car racing circuit in the country, before he turned that aggression into two wins at the NASCAR Cup Series level, he was a little boy tearing around tracks in Mississippi — not in four-wheeled vehicles but atop the two-wheeled variety. He started racing BMX when he was 3 and switched over to dirt bikes when he was 4. He loved then, and still loves now, riding dirt bikes for the “jumping and just the overall power,” he says. “It’s something different than being on four wheels.” Stenhouse switched to racing go-karts when he was 6 but never lost his love for riding dirt bikes. Now that he’s…

ABOUT AUTO CLUB FONTANA, CALIFORNIA 2-mile D-shaped oval • Banking/Turns: 14° • Banking/Tri-oval: 11° • Banking/Back Straightaway: 3° MARCH 17, 2019 2019 Race Length: 400 miles/200 laps Track Qualifying Record: 188.511 mph (Denny Hamlin, 2016) Race Record: 160.166 mph (Tony Stewart, 2012) 2018 RESULTS MARCH 1. Martin Truex Jr. 2. Kyle Larson 3. Kyle Busch 4. Brad Keselowski 5. Joey Logano 6. Denny Hamlin 7. Erik Jones 8. Ryan Blaney 9. Jimmie Johnson 10. Austin Dillon CLASSIC MOMENTS Paybacks in NASCAR are generally reserved for short tracks, where lower speeds equate to a lower risk of injury. That was not the case for Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in March 2013. Fresh off a shoving match and post-race confrontation at Bristol the week before, Hamlin and Logano were fighting for…

ABOUT ROVAL CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA 2.28-mile Roval 17 turns, 35' change in elevation throughout course SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 2019 Race Length: 248.5 miles/109 laps Track Qualifying Record: 106.868 mph (Kurt Busch, 2018) Race Record: 82.125 mph (Ryan Blaney, 2018) 2018 RESULTS SEPTEMBER 1. Ryan Blaney 2. Jamie McMurray 3. Clint Bowyer 4. Alex Bowman 5. Kurt Busch 6. Chase Elliott 7. AJ Allmendinger 8. Jimmie Johnson 9. Kevin Harvick 10. Joey Logano CLASSIC MOMENTS The 2018 Bank of America Roval 400 was a breath of fresh air for a sport that needed it, and it provided a suitably breathtaking finish for the inaugural event at Charlotte’s Roval. Jimmie Johnson entered the final lap battling for the win and, perhaps more important, a shot at his record-setting eighth Cup championship when…

ABOUT DAYTONA DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA 2.5-mile tri-oval • Banking/Turns: 31° Banking/Tri-oval: 18° Banking/Backstretch: 2° FEBRUARY 17, 2019 JULY 6, 2019 2019 Race Length: 500 miles/200 laps; 400 miles/160 laps Track Qualifying Record: 210.364 mph (Bill Elliott, 1987) Race Record: 177.602 mph (Buddy Baker, 1980) 2018 RESULTS FEBRUARY 1. Austin Dillon 2. Bubba Wallace 3. Denny Hamlin 4. Joey Logano 5. Chris Buescher JULY 1. Erik Jones 2. Martin Truex Jr. 3. AJ Allmendinger 4. Kasey Kahne 5. Chris Buescher CLASSIC MOMENTS In 2014, with the sport facing a number of drastic changes, NASCAR needed a dose of familiarity. In its marquee event, the Daytona 500, it got just that from racing’s favorite son. Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke a 55-race winless skid with a thrilling victory in the Great American Race,…

ABOUT INDY SPEEDWAY, INDIANA 2.5-mile oval • Banking/Turns: 9° SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 2019 Race Length: 400 miles/160 laps Track Qualifying Record: 188.470 mph (Kevin Harvick, 2014) Race Record: 155.912 mph (Bobby Labonte, 2000) 2018 RESULTS SEPTEMBER 1. Brad Keselowski 2. Erik Jones 3. Denny Hamlin 4. Kevin Harvick 5. Clint Bowyer 6. Kurt Busch 7. Jamie McMurray 8. Kyle Busch 9. Paul Menard 10. Ryan Newman CLASSIC MOMENTS In a move that highlighted the Cup circuit’s rise to prominence in the 1990s, NASCAR made its historic debut at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994 in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 250,000 spectators. Eighty-six cars—a number unheard of even at NASCAR’s peak of popularity—attempted to qualify for the 1994 Brickyard 400. Rick Mast sat on the pole,…

ABOUT KENTUCKY SPARTA, KENTUCKY 1.5-mile tri-oval • Banking/Turns 1, 2: 17° Banking/Turns 3, 4: 14° • Banking/Tri-oval: 8° • Banking/Backstretch: 4° JULY 13, 2019 2019 Race Length: 400.5 miles/267 laps Track Qualifying Record: 190.282 mph (Kyle Busch, 2017) Race Record: 150.454 mph (Martin Truex Jr., 2018) 2018 RESULTS JULY 1. Martin Truex Jr. 2. Ryan Blaney 3. Brad Keselowski 4. Kyle Busch 5. Kevin Harvick 6. Kurt Busch 7. Erik Jones 8. Aric Almirola 9. Kyle Larson 10. Joey Logano CLASSIC MOMENTS Brad Keselowski’s championship defense was already in doubt in 2013 when the Cup Series headed to Kentucky, where the Blue Deuce had won the prior year. As the defending champ, Keselowski hoped that a visit to the Bluegrass would turn around a frustrating season. That hope went out…

ABOUT MICHIGAN BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN 2-mile D-shaped oval • Banking/Turns: 18° • Banking/Frontstretch: 12° Banking/Backstretch: 5° JUNE 9, 2019 AUGUST 11, 2019 2019 Race Length: 400 miles/200 laps Track Qualifying Record: 206.558 mph (Jeff Gordon, 2014) Race Record: 173.997 mph (Dale Jarrett, 1999) 2018 RESULTS JUNE 1. Clint Bowyer 2. Kevin Harvick 3. Kurt Busch 4. Kyle Busch 5. Paul Menard AUGUST 1. Kevin Harvick 2. Brad Keselowski 3. Kyle Busch 4. Austin Dillon 5. Ryan Blaney CLASSIC MOMENTS A renewed emphasis on “manufacturer” over “car number” or “driver”—largely at the behest of Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota, the Cup Series’ three automakers—had placed a premium on home-field bragging rights near America’s automotive capital by the time of the 2013 Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway. And Greg Biffle planted Ford’s…

ABOUT RICHMOND RICHMOND, VIRGINIA .75 mile D-shaped oval • Banking/Turns: 14° • Banking/Frontstretch: 8° • Banking/Backstretch: 2° APRIL 13, 2019 SEPTEMBER 21, 2019 2019 Race Length: 300 miles/400 laps Track Qualifying Record: 130.599 mph (Jeff Gordon, 2013) Race Record: 109.047 mph (Dale Jarrett, 1997) 2018 RESULTS APRI L 1. Kyle Busch 2. Chase Elliott 3. Denny Hamlin 4. Joey Logano 5. Kevin Harvick SEPTEMBER 1. Kyle Busch 2. Kevin Harvick 3. Martin Truex Jr. 4. Chase Elliott 5. Aric Almirola CLASSIC MOMENTS Surprise winners are always fun, especially when they’re surprised they won. That was the case with Kyle Petty’s first career win, at Richmond in 1986. Petty, who had won his first-ever race of any kind in the ARCA series in 1979, had been close but had yet to…

ABOUT TEXAS FORT WORTH, TEXAS 1.5-mile quad-oval • Banking/Turns 1, 2: 20° • Banking/Turns 3, 4: 24° • Banking/Straightaways: 5° MARCH 31, 2019 NOVEMBER 3, 2019 2019 Race Length: 500.5 miles/334 laps Track Qualifying Record: 200.110 mph (Tony Stewart, 2014) Race Record: 160.577 mph (Greg Biffle, 2012) 2018 RESULTS APRIL 1. Kyle Busch 2. Kevin Harvick 3. Jamie McMurray 4. Erik Jones 5. Ryan Blaney NOVEMBER 1. Kevin Harvick 2. Ryan Blaney 3. Joey Logano 4. Erik Jones 5. Kyle Larson CLASSIC MOMENTS In 1997, the inaugural race at Bruton Smith’s palatial new track suffered numerous challenges. Between weather issues that turned parking lots into quagmires and a testy, challenging racing surface, it meant a difficult weekend for fans and drivers alike. The on-track challenges included almost imperceptible weepers that…

Danica Patrick, 36, ended her racing career in style last year, saying goodbye to her massive fanbase in both NASCAR and IndyCar by running the “Danica Double” at the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. But just because she isn’t racing, it doesn’t mean she’s slowed down. We caught up with Danica—who is anything but retired—to talk about her new projects and a race-day recipe perfect for a watch party. Talk a little bit about your fitness and cookbook, Pretty Intense… It’s a three-part book (PrettyIntense.com). It starts off with sort of mind/body things. A mental aspect of growing confidence and learning about yourself. The second part is about workouts and why they’re structured like they are. It includes the 12-week program. The third part is food. It has 50 recipes…

The NASCAR Xfinity Series is where names are made, but in 2019, it’s going to be the series where changes are made. Not only will the defending series champion make a team swap, but one of the series’ longest-tenured teams will also not participate. In 2018, Tyler Reddick stamped his name on the champion’s trophy. Despite an impressive season that included wins in the season opener at Daytona and the season finale at Homestead, Reddick is on the move. He departs his championship-winning team at JR Motorsports to join Richard Childress Racing’s Xfinity program. The move is a little surprising. While RCR has had success in the series over the years, the rate at which the team produces victories has slowed over the past two seasons. The team, which won…

February 15, 2018 Another season revved into action as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams raced through the turns during the Can-Am Duels at Daytona International Speedway. February 15, 2018 Chase Elliott won the second of the two Can-Am Duels at Daytona, earning a starting spot on the second row for the 60th running of the Daytona 500. February 18, 2018 Danica Patrick staged an abbreviated farewell tour with the “Danica Double,” running the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. A seven-car crash on lap 102 left her 35th in her final Daytona 500. February 18, 2018 Austin Dillon took the No. 3 to Victory Lane at the Daytona 500 two decades after Dale Earnhardt finally broke through at the Great American Race. And like Dale Sr. before him, Dillon…

Times have changed dramatically in NASCAR over the last decade, and the sport for too long seemed to ignore signs of trouble on the horizon. That can no longer be the case. Not if NASCAR wants to thrive in the future. While its many defenders continue to insist that the overall health of stock car racing is not as bad as some portray it to be — and there are legitimate points to be made on that side as well — the time is gone for pretending everything is just fine and dandy. Because it’s not. First, a little history lesson about how NASCAR got here. Then, five surefire ways to get the sport back on track over the short term so it can possibly return to its former glory…

If Kelley Blue Book put a value on every NASCAR Cup driver, Brad Keselowski’s price would be going through the roof right now. Following a wave of recent retirements and fresh faces arriving on the scene, a proven talent and personality like Keselowski, 35, is increasingly rare. Athlon Sports tracked down the 2012 Cup champion — one of seven former champs currently racing — to find out more about the multi-faceted racecar driver, father, failed fisherman and aspiring actor. You’re one of the elder statesmen of NASCAR. How does that feel? I don’t know. Everybody wants to put everybody in a box. I guess that’s natural in life. It helps us make more sense of things in our minds. But most of us don’t fit in a box. There are…

The Glass Case of Emotion podcast crew — driver Ryan Blaney and co-hosts Kim Coon and Chuck Bush — called Kyle Larson one day a few years ago while they were recording an episode. They pretended to be a radio show and tried to convince Larson that he was scheduled to come on for an interview about having won a race the weekend before. Larson protested that he knew nothing of the interview. He said he was too busy to accommodate the request, and they repeatedly asked him what he was doing that would prevent him from doing the live interview. “Does it matter what I’m doing?” a clearly frustrated Larson asked before Blaney revealed his identity and that they were just pranking him. Later on the same show, Blaney,…

The best sponsor-driver relationships are the ones in which the driver and the company have a legitimate connection. For Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing, that comes with Bass Pro Shops, which sponsors his Xfinity car. He’s a passionate hunter, and he talked with Athlon Sports about shooting big game all over the world. What is your earliest hunting memory? With my grandfather [team owner Richard Childress]. I was 7-years-old. I shot my first deer in Iowa. Does your 7-year-old brain say, “I’m not shooting Bambi,” or does it say, “Venison is delicious”? I think my 7-year-old brain was just pumped for my grandfather out there, to impress him, get down there behind that big buck, taking a picture with him. It’s an experience…

26. Matt DiBenedetto One of NASCAR’s social media darlings moves into the bestfunded ride of his career. Leavine Family Racing’s No. 95 team switches to Toyota and receives a boost of manufacturer funding. Can this 27-year-old, with just four top 10s in 140 career starts, take the next step? Crew chief Mike Wheeler, snatched up after getting fired from Denny Hamlin’s team, could make a big impact here. 27. Ty Dillon The younger Dillon brother looks overmatched in the Cup series with Germain Racing; he’s got just one top-10 finish in 90 career Cup starts. The addition of crew chief Matt Borland was supposed to help but did little to move the needle. Borland once won eight times in one season with Ryan Newman, but that came 15 long years…

ABOUT BRISTOL BRISTOL, TENNESSEE .533-mile oval • Banking/Turns: Variable (24-28°) • Banking/Straightaways: 4-9° APRIL 7, 2019 AUGUST 17, 2019 2019 Race Length: 266.5 miles/500 laps Track Qualifying Record: 131.668 mph (Denny Hamlin, 2016) Race Record: 101.074 mph (Charlie Glotzbach, 1971) 2018 RESULTS APRI L 1. Kyle Busch 2. Kyle Larson 3. Jimmie Johnson 4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 5. Alex Bowman AUGUST 1. Kurt Busch 2. Kyle Larson 3. Chase Elliott 4. Joey Logano 5. Erik Jones CLASSIC MOMENTS No one could have known the significance of the Bristol night race on Aug. 26, 2000, when the field took the green flag. Rusty Wallace and Tony Stewart clearly had the cars to beat, and the duo finished first (Wallace) and second (Stewart). For Wallace, it was his ninth and final victory…

ABOUT CHICAGOLAND JOLIET, ILLINOIS 1.5-mile tri-oval • Banking/Turns: 18° Banking/Tri-oval: 11° Banking/Backstretch: 5° JUNE 30, 2019 2019 Race Length: 400.5 miles/267 laps Track Qualifying Record: 189.414 mph (Joey Logano, 2013) Race Record: 145.161 mph (Martin Truex Jr., 2016) 2018 RESULTS JULY 1. Kyle Busch 2. Kyle Larson 3. Kevin Harvick 4. Martin Truex Jr. 5. Clint Bowyer 6. Erik Jones 7. Denny Hamlin 8. Joey Logano 9. Brad Keselowski 10. Alex Bowman CLASSIC MOMENTS Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson were far and away the class of the field at the 2007 USG Sheetrock 400. And when Johnson’s right rear tire disintegrated with 45 laps remaining, the race was Stewart’s to lose. He did not. Smoke earned his first win of 2007—his second would come the next week at Indianapolis—after leading…

ABOUT DOVER DOVER, DELAWARE 1-mile oval • Banking/Turns: 24° Banking/Straightaways: 9° MAY 5, 2019 OCTOBER 6, 2019 2019 Race Length: 400 miles/400 laps Track Qualifying Record: 164.444 mph (Brad Keselowski, 2014) Race Record: 132.719 mph (Mark Martin, 1997) 2018 RESULTS MAY 1. Kevin Harvick 2. Clint Bowyer 3. Daniel Suárez 4. Martin Truex Jr. 5. Kurt Busch OCTOBER 1. Chase Elliott 2. Denny Hamlin 3. Joey Logano 4. Erik Jones 5. Kurt Busch CLASSIC MOMENTS Junie Donlavey fielded entries for more than 50 years in NASCAR’s top division—from Joe Weatherly and LeeRoy Yarbrough to Ricky Rudd and Ken Schrader and a host of drivers in between—but his Dover mount in May 1981 might have been his most memorable. Jody Ridley drove Donlavey’s No. 90 Ford to victory in the Mason-Dixon…

ABOUT ISM AVONDALE, ARIZONA 1-mile D-shaped oval Banking/Turns: Variable (8-11°) Banking/Frontstretch: 9° Banking/Backstretch: 3° MARCH 10, 2019 NOVEMBER 10, 2019 2019 Race Length: 312 miles/312 laps Track Qualifying Record: 143.158 mph (Jimmie Johnson, 2015) Race Record: 118.132 mph (Tony Stewart, 1999) 2018 RESULTS MARCH 1. Kevin Harvick 2. Kyle Busch 3. Chase Elliott 4. Denny Hamlin 5. Martin Truex Jr. NOVEMBER 1. Kyle Busch 2. Brad Keselowski 3. Kyle Larson 4. Aric Almirola 5. Kevin Harvick CLASSIC MOMENTS For the first time in 12 years, The King returned to Victory Lane, and it was a satisfying day for NASCAR Nation even though he wasn’t behind the wheel. Bobby Hamilton, driving Richard Petty’s No. 43 STP Pontiac, led 40 laps in the 1996 Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix International Raceway to…

ABOUT LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 1.5-mile tri-oval • Banking/Turns: 20° Banking/Tri-oval: 9° Banking/Backstretch: 9-12° MARCH 3, 2019 SEPTEMBER 15, 2019 2019 Race Length: 400.5 miles/267 laps Track Qualifying Record: 196.328 mph (Kurt Busch, 2016) Race Record: 154.633 mph (Brad Keselowski, 2014) 2018 RESULTS MARCH 1. Kevin Harvick 2. Kyle Busch 3. Kyle Larson 4. Martin Truex Jr. 5. Ryan Blaney SEPTEMBER 1. Brad Keselowski 2. Kyle Larson 3. Martin Truex Jr. 4. Joey Logano 5. Ryan Blaney CLASSIC MOMENTS NASCAR’s annual trip to Sin City took a serious turn at the 2008 UAW-Dodge 400. Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth dominated the second half of the event, and it appeared that the two Roush drivers would settle the race between them. However, Kurt Busch’s hard crash—Tony Stewart had suffered a…

ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE 1.058-mile oval • Banking/Turns: Variable (6°) • Banking/Straightaways: 1° JULY 21, 2019 2019 Race Length: 318.5 miles/301 laps Track Qualifying Record: 140.598 mph (Brad Keselowski, 2014) Race Record: 117.134 mph (Jeff Burton, 1997) 2018 RESULTS JULY 1. Kevin Harvick 2. Kyle Busch 3. Aric Almirola 4. Martin Truex Jr. 5. Chase Elliott 6. Ryan Newman 7. Ryan Blaney 8. Kurt Busch 9. Joey Logano 10. Jimmie Johnson CLASSIC MOMENTS The inaugural race, in July 1993, at what was then known as New Hampshire International Speedway was memorable for many reasons. Jeff Burton made his first career Cup start, and after two accidents within the first 100 laps, retired the car. However, Junior Johnson called on Burton as a relief driver when Hut Stricklin was…

ABOUT SONOMA SONOMA, CALIFORNIA 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course 160' change in elevation JUNE 23, 2019 2019 Race Length: 214.2 miles/85 laps Track Qualifying Record: 99.309 mph (Rusty Wallace, 2000) Race Record: 83.624 mph (Clint Bowyer, 2012) 2018 RESULTS JUNE 1. Martin Truex Jr. 2. Kevin Harvick 3. Clint Bowyer 4. Chase Elliott 5. Kyle Busch 6. Kurt Busch 7. Erik Jones 8. Aric Almirola 9. Alex Bowman 10. Denny Hamlin CLASSIC MOMENTS Kyle Busch walked into Victory Lane at Sonoma Raceway in 2015, but not to prove a point. A flat tire—caused by a celebratory burnout—kept his No. 18 from making the sharp turn. So Busch climbed out, left his car just outside the plaza, and dove into the celebration with his team. The race marked Busch’s first Cup win…

ABOUT WATKINS GLEN WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK 7-turn, 2.45-mile road course 124' change in elevation AUGUST 4, 2019 2019 Race Length: 220.5 miles/90 laps Track Qualifying Record: 129.491 mph (Marcos Ambrose, 2014) Race Record: 104.132 mph (Martin Truex Jr., 2017) 2018 RESULTS AUGUST 1. Chase Elliott 2. Martin Truex Jr. 3. Kyle Busch 4. Daniel Suárez 5. Erik Jones 6. Kyle Larson 7. Jamie McMurray 8. William Byron 9. Kurt Busch 10. Kevin Harvick CLASSIC MOMENTS The history books show Geoffrey Bodine as the winner of the 1996 Bud at the Glen, but most longtime fans remember the weekend for the toughness shown by Dale Earnhardt. The Intimidator had suffered a broken collarbone and sternum and a bruised pelvis in a savage wreck at Talladega two weeks prior. Putting the…

Driving the No. 43 Chevy for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2018, Bubba Wallace became the first African-American since Wendell Scott in the early 1970s to drive full time at the Cup level. Wallace finished the season 28th in points, with one top 5 and three top 10s. He spoke with Athlon Sports about a time he thought he was going to die on the track, his love of drums and if anybody calls him by his real name, among other subjects. I don’t know if you know this or not, but you finished second in the Daytona 500. I did not know that. Wow. Are you a guy who goes back and watches the last five laps and says, dang, if I would have done this with three laps left…

NASCAR drivers’ backyards are not like a normal person’s backyard. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a graveyard of crashed racecars. Carl Edwards has a farm on his property in Missouri. And Kevin Harvick has perhaps the most unique plot of ground to mow: a golf hole. “We have about a 50-yard hole in the backyard that was kind of designed around 12 at Augusta, not an exact replica, but it looks like it enough,” says Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing. No. 12 at Augusta is a 155-yard par 3 nicknamed “Golden Bell,” one of the most famous holes in the country. “I like the game because it’s challenging. One day you can shoot 80, and the next day you could show up and shoot 100. It’s…

Denny Hamlin will never jump on a bicycle and ride for 50 miles like Jimmie Johnson, or lace up running shoes and run a marathon like Jamie McMurray. He doesn’t have the patience or the interest required for either one. But give Hamlin a basketball and a hoop, and he will play for hours. After Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, moved to Charlotte to become a full-time driver in the mid-2000s, he played in a local league in a Charlotte neighborhood called Birkdale, home to many in the NASCAR community. “I had an outdoor court, and that was fun for like two months of the year when the weather was good — it was either too hot or too cold, usually,” Hamlin told NASCAR.com.…

When Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 88 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports, isn’t racing cars, he loves to work on them. He spoke with Athlon Sports about his fixation with taking perfectly good cars and making them even better. What is it that you do with your cars? I just like to tinker. I can’t leave anything alone. I’ve always been that way. I wouldn’t say rebuilding as much as modifying stuff, whether it’s making more power, doing different suspension stuff, doing different cosmetic stuff. I’ve got a couple cars like that that I tinker with. How did you get started working on cars? I assume with your dad. Yeah. My dad was a big car guy. He has a small auto body repair shop in Tucson. I grew up…

ABOUT ATLANTA HAMPTON, GEORGIA 1.54-mile quad-oval • Banking/Turns: 24° Banking/Straightaways: 5° FEBRUARY 24, 2019 2019 Race Length: 500.5 miles/325 laps Track Qualifying Record: 197.478 mph (Geoffrey Bodine, 1997) Race Record: 163.633 mph (Dale Earnhardt, 1995) 2018 RESULTS FEBRUARY 1. Kevin Harvick 2. Brad Keselowski 3. Clint Bowyer 4. Denny Hamlin 5. Martin Truex Jr. 6. Joey Logano 7. Kyle Busch 8. Kurt Busch 9. Kyle Larson 10. Chase Elliott CLASSIC MOMENTS The final NASCAR event on Atlanta’s original 1.522-mile layout in March 1997 isn’t remembered as much for being one of Dale Jarrett’s 32 Cup series victories as it is for a vicious crash that left Steve Grissom on his roof in a ball of flames on lap 281. Jarrett, who would go on to win the 1999 Cup championship,…

ABOUT CHARLOTTE CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA 1.5-mile quad-oval Banking/Turns: 24° Banking/Straightaways: 5° MAY 26, 2019 2019 Race Length: 600 miles/400 laps Track Qualifying Record: 198.771 mph (Kurt Busch, 2014) Race Record: 160.655 mph (Martin Truex Jr., 2016) 2018 RESULTS MAY 1. Kyle Busch 2. Martin Truex Jr. 3. Denny Hamlin 4. Brad Keselowski 5. Jimmie Johnson 6. Jamie McMurray 7. Kyle Larson 8. Kurt Busch 9. Alex Bowman 10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. CLASSIC MOMENTS The iconic No. 3 finally returned to Victory Lane at the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Austin Dillon, 27, rolled to his first victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series thanks to a fuel tank that refused to run empty as he stretched it over the closing laps, giving the sport’s most famous number its first…

ABOUT DARLINGTON DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA 1.366-mile oval • Banking/Turns: 25° and 23° • Banking/Frontstretch: 3° Banking/Backstretch: 2° SEPTEMBER 1, 2019 2019 Race Length: 501.3 miles/367 laps Track Qualifying Record: 184.145 mph (Aric Almirola, 2014) Race Record: 141.383 mph (Matt Kenseth, 2013) 2018 RESULTS SEPTEMBER 1. Brad Keselowski 2. Joey Logano 3. Kyle Larson 4. Kevin Harvick 5. Chase Elliott 6. Kurt Busch 7. Kyle Busch 8. Erik Jones 9. Jamie McMurray 10. Denny Hamlin CLASSIC MOMENTS The 2015 Bojangles Southern 500 was a throwback event, with vintage uniforms for track staff, several cars painted to honor old drivers and retro concession items. More than two-thirds of the field rolled out cars bearing special—and often vintage—paint schemes, and even the television production brought out old-school broadcast graphics and famous former NASCAR…

ABOUT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA 1.5-mile oval • Banking/Turns: variable (18-20°) • Banking/Straightaways: 3° NOVEMBER 17, 2019 2019 Race Length: 400.5 miles/267 laps Track Qualifying Record: 181.238 mph (Brad Keselowski, 2014) Race Record: 142.245 mph (Jeff Gordon, 2012) 2018 RESULTS NOVEMBER 1. Joey Logano 2. Martin Truex Jr. 3. Kevin Harvick 4. Kyle Busch 5. Brad Keselowski 6. Matt Kenseth 7. Chase Elliott 8. Clint Bowyer 9. Aric Almirola 10. Kurt Busch CLASSIC MOMENTS Kyle Busch started 2015 with a broken leg and a broken foot. He finished it by breaking hearts and raising his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship trophy. Busch drove to his first Cup championship by winning the 2015 Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, holding off Kevin Harvick’s late-charging attempt to defend his 2014 title and…

ABOUT KANSAS KANSAS CITY, KANSAS 1.5-mile tri-oval • Banking/Turns: Progressive (17-20°) • Banking/Tri-oval: 9-11° • Banking/Backstretch: 5° MAY 11, 2019 OCTOBER 20, 2019 2019 Race Length: 400.5 miles/267 laps Track Qualifying Record: 197.773 mph (Kevin Harvick, 2014) Race Record: 144.122 mph (Denny Hamlin, 2012) 2018 RESULTS MAY 1. Kevin Harvick 2. Martin Truex Jr. 3. Joey Logano 4. Kyle Larson 5. Denny Hamlin OCTOBER 1. Chase Elliott 2. Kyle Busch 3. Kyle Larson 4. Erik Jones 5. Martin Truex Jr. CLASSIC MOMENTS Kansas Speedway has been the site of many oddball finishes, often with championship ramifications. The 2006 Banquet 400 qualified on both counts. Jimmie Johnson had led 105 laps on the day and led late when fuel mileage became the story. Johnson surrendered the lead to Tony Stewart with…

ABOUT MARTINSVILLE MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA .526-mile oval • Banking/Turns: 11° MARCH 24, 2019 OCTOBER 27, 2019 2019 Race Length: 263 miles/500 laps Track Qualifying Record: 100.201 mph (Joey Logano, 2014) Race Record: 82.223 mph (Jeff Gordon, 1996) 2018 RESULTS MARCH 1. Clint Bowyer 2. Kyle Busch 3. Ryan Blaney 4. Martin Truex Jr. 5. Kevin Harvick OCTOBER 1. Joey Logano 2. Denny Hamlin 3. Martin Truex Jr. 4. Kyle Busch 5. Brad Keselowski CLASSIC MOMENTS Richard Petty had won 10 of the previous 15 Martinsville races when the Winston Cup Series made its second stop of the season at the half-mile short track in 1974 for the Old Dominion 500. Having won the pole, Petty looked to be the favorite again, but the engine in his No. 43 Dodge blew just…

ABOUT POCONO LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA 2.5-mile tri-oval • Banking/Turn 1: 14° Banking/Turn 2: 8° • Banking/Turn 3: 6° JUNE 2, 2019 JULY 28, 2019 2019 Race Length: 400 miles/160 laps Track Qualifying Record: 183.438 (Kyle Larson, 2014) Race Record: 145.384 mph (Jeff Gordon, 2011) 2018 RESULTS JUNE 1. Martin Truex Jr. 2. Kyle Larson 3. Kyle Busch 4. Kevin Harvick 5. Brad Keselowski JULY 1. Kyle Busch 2. Daniel Suárez 3. Alex Bowman 4. Kevin Harvick 5. Erik Jones CLASSIC MOMENTS How’s this for a classic 1980s top 5: Tim Richmond, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett and Harry Gant. The greats combined to lead 185 of 200 laps in the Like Cola 500 on July 24, 1983, at Pocono Raceway. Richmond, driving the Raymond Beadle-owned Old Milwaukee Pontiac, started…

ABOUT TALLADEGA TALLADEGA, ALABAMA 2.66-mile tri-oval • Banking/Turns 1, 2: 33° Banking/Turn 3: 32.4° • Banking/Turn 4: 32.5° • Banking/Tri-oval: 16° • Banking/Backstretch: 3° APRIL 28, 2019 OCTOBER 13, 2019 2019 Race Length: 500.1 miles/188 laps Track Qualifying Record: 212.809 mph (Bill Elliott, 1987) Race Record: 188.354 mph (Mark Martin, 1997) 2018 RESULTS APRI L 1. Joey Logano 2. Kurt Busch 3. Chase Elliott 4. Kevin Harvick 5. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. OCTOBER 1. Aric Almirola 2. Clint Bowyer 3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 4. Denny Hamlin 5. Joey Logano CLASSIC MOMENTS Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored his 24th career win in the 2015 GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, leading the last 27 laps by racing in the high groove and making it all but impossible for those drafting close behind in a…

In 2018, for the fifth consecutive season, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series had a new champion. In 2019, the series will have a new name, as it transitions to the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. Despite the new name, the series will look very much the same, with 23 races scheduled at 20 different racetracks, the same as 2018. Those 23 races will see some familiar faces at the front of the field. GMS Racing is planning on fielding multiple entries in the Truck series in 2019, with Johnny Sauter again leading the team’s efforts. Sauter, the 2016 series champ, had perhaps the best year of his career in 2018, with six wins and a career-best 14 top-5 finishes. He also led a career-best 585 laps, 130 more than…