2020 Racing News and Rules for Nascar...

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RULES PACKAGE for Las Vegas...

Cup Series cars will feature the same 1.5-mile racing package used in 2019, with aero ducts and a tapered-spacer engine generating a targeted 550 horsepower.

Each team will be allowed three sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for practice, one set for qualifying and nine sets for the race (eight new race sets, plus one transferred from practice or qualifying).

Las Vegas’ smooth asphalt track does not naturally wear tires. However, with tire wear being such an important factor for cooling and optimum performance, Goodyear has modified the tire to have increased wear on the racing surface.

“The track surface at Las Vegas is one that generates minimal tire wear so we have to design our tread compounds to account for that,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Excessive heat is the enemy of a race tire and tire performance. On track surfaces that don’t naturally promote wear, it’s important to design a tire that can wear quicker and dissipate that heat. This tire setup, specifically this right-side tire, utilizes a tread compound formulation which does that.”

 

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NASCAR fined three teams for lug-nut violations after the race weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, one in each of NASCAR’s national series.

In the NASCAR Cup Series, the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet driven by Kyle Larson was found to have one lug nut not safe and secure during post-race inspection. As a result, NASCAR fined crew chief Chad Johnston $10,000.

Also in other Competition :
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR fined Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Ben Beshore $5,000 after one lug nut was found not safe and secure on the No. 20 Toyota driven by Harrison Burton.

And in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, NASCAR fined crew chief Matt Noyce $2,500 when one lug nut was found not safe and secure on the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford driven by Ben Rhodes.

 

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RULES PACKAGE

The baseline rules package for longer speedway tracks will be in play with a target horsepower goal of 550 and aero ducts to foster tighter racing.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Cup teams will be allowed three sets for practice, one set for qualifying and 12 sets for the race (11 race sets plus one transferred from qualifying or practice).

Tire management and conservation should be vital in deciding this week’s race winner. Racing on a more abrasive track, a total team effort will be needed to strategize and execute efficient and effective pit stops throughout the afternoon.

“Racing at Fontana presents multiple challenges for NASCAR teams,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “The track surface is very abrasive, and teams will take four tires all day long. With the Cup teams having 12 sets of tires for a 200-lap race, they will make full use of their complement and stay busy on pit road throughout.”

STATS TO KNOW

– Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to win at Auto Club Speedway in his 20s, 30s and 40s.

– Kevin Harvick holds the longest active streak of top-10 finishes on the West Coast with eight.

– The last five races at ACS have been won by five different drivers: Kyle Busch (2019), Martin Truex Jr. (2018), Kyle Larson (2017), Jimmie Johnson (2016), Brad Keselowski (2015)

– So far in 2020, the defending race winner has won both Cup Series races (Hamlin – Daytona; Logano – Las Vegas).

 

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By
Staff Report NASCAR.com March 3, 2020 at 4:00 PM

NASCAR fined the crew chiefs for two Cup Series teams and one Xfinity Series team for lug-nut violations that were discovered after the races last weekend at Auto Club Speedway.

Randall Burnett and Mike Shiplett each received a $10,000 fine when one lug nut was found to be not safe and secure on the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, respectively. Tyler Reddick drove the No. 8 to an 11th-place finish in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 while Cole Custer finished 18th in the No. 41.

RELATED: Full results from Auto Club Speedway

In Xfinity, Dave Rogers received a $5,000 fine for one lug nut found to be not safe and secure on the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Riley Herbst drove the No. 18 to a second-place finish in Saturday’s Production Alliance Group 300.

 

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New News :

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron has completed two days of testing the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen car at Auto Club Speedway, becoming the fourth Cup Series driver to take the 2021 car out on the track.

The Next Gen car was on track for its fourth formal test in advance of its planned competitive debut next season — previously, Austin Dillon (Richmond), Joey Logano (Phoenix) and Erik Jones (Miami) took their turns piloting the car and providing crucial feedback to NASCAR officials.

But this time around, it was a new car altogether on the 2-mile oval. Dubbed “P3” internally — the third prototype in the development process — NASCAR officials have described this version as nearly 100 percent complete for debut in the 2021 Daytona 500.

“I’ve been happy with it, especially as we’ve been adjusting it more and tailoring it to this track – this is the biggest track it’s been on so far,” Byron said. “As soon as it started to go for us, I thought the steering felt better and the car felt more stable. It’s been fun the more laps I’ve been able to run.”

 

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NASCAR moving to single lug-nut design for Next Gen car for 2021 :

By
Zack Albert NASCAR.com March 2, 2020 at 3:15 PM

NASCAR officials announced Monday that the Next Gen car for the 2021 Cup Series will have a single, center-locking lug nut for its wheels.

The setup made its debut in the Next Gen prototype’s fourth on-track test, scheduled Monday and Tuesday at Auto Club Speedway. The three previous tests featured a larger aluminum wheel, but with the five-lug pattern that’s been used in NASCAR for decades.

John Probst, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development, said the move away from a 15-inch steel wheel was part of an overall goal to provide more relevance and a stronger correlation to today’s production cars with an 18-inch wheel, but that a strong enough fastener that could hold up under high-speed conditions was a necessity.

“For us we felt like from a standpoint of the wheel is that we wanted to get to an 18-inch wheel, an aluminum wheel,” Probst said. “Once you get to an 18-inch aluminum wheel, the next step for us is to make sure that from a durability standpoint under racing conditions is that it will accept the durability that we need to finish races and then also finish multiple races. To do that, the single nut was our only option.”

https://www.nascar.com/gallery/joey-logano-next-gen-car-testing-ism-raceway-phoenix/#photo-1

https://www.nascar.com/gallery/exclusive-access-next-gen-2021-cup-series-test-at-fontana/#photo-1

 

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RULES PACKAGE

The enhanced 2020 short oval and road course package will be in effect for the first time this year, featuring a significantly shorter rear spoiler and front splitter.

Maintaining tapered-spacer engines with a targeted 750 horsepower, new aerodynamic changes factor in for less downforce to further emphasize handling and driver performance.

Bristol, Dover, Martinsville, New Hampshire and Richmond — as well as the three road courses — will operate under this rules package.

GOODYEAR TIRES

As Cup Series action switches to a short track for the first time this season, it marks the season debut of the Goodyear Eagle Intermediate Radials.

Teams will be allowed three sets of Goodyear tires for practice, one set for qualifying and nine sets for the race (eight new sets plus one transferred from practice or qualifying).

Brand new tire developments to accompany the lower downforce run at Phoenix include increased wear and more stagger to help offer better balance and handling in the turns.

“We were involved in the decision on the 2020 short track package,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “At that meeting with all the industry leaders, integrating tire performance into a reduced downforce package was a key part of the conversations. Our experience with the 2018 rules package, along with recent compound testing on the Next Gen vehicle at Phoenix, gave us a good baseline on increasing mechanical grip through the tires to compliment the reduced aero loading. This decision process was truly a joint effort — stakeholders from all areas coming together to make the sport better.”

 

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Fun Facts for Phoenix :

STATS TO KNOW

— Phoenix Raceway is now the site of the championship race. The track that has hosted the season finale has hosted an earlier race 22 times throughout Cup Series history’s modern era: Atlanta (14), Riverside (6), Rockingham (1), New Hampshire (1).

— The driver who went on to win the first race at the finale track has only went on to win the championship three times: Terry Labonte (1984), Dale Earnhardt (1990), and Jeff Gordon (1995).

— With a recent Phoenix trend of late-race cautions and restarts, five of the last nine races have had a final green-flag stretch of three laps or less.

— Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have won four of the last five Phoenix races and led the most laps in each of the last six races.

 

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More Loose Lugs, Lugs was Loose in Stroker Ace also...

By
Staff Report NASCAR.com March 10, 2020 at 1:58 PM

NASCAR officials issued penalties Tuesday to the Team Penske No. 22 Ford team for a lug-nut infraction after Sunday’s Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

The No. 22 entry was found with one lug nut not safely secured after Joey Logano drove to victory in the FanShield 500, the series’ fourth race of the year. Crew chief Paul Wolfe was fined $10,000 for the violation, which falls under Section 10.9.10.4 of the 2020 NASCAR Rule Book (“Tires and Wheels”).

Logano’s No. 22 car was otherwise compliant with the rule book, making his second Cup Series win this season official.

 

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RULES PACKAGE for Darlington :

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to set a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic devices to increase downforce.


GOODYEAR TIRES

As the Cup Series braces for two Darlington events without practice or qualifying, the first race back will start without any rubber worked into the track’s abrasive surface. That should mean abnormally high wear for the Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials, especially in the first few pit-stop cycles before the asphalt begins to take rubber.

Cup Series teams will be allotted 12 sets of tires for the longer Sunday race and nine sets for the Wednesday event.

The tire features the same compound and construction that was scheduled to be used March 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway before that event was postponed. Tires that were earmarked for that race weekend will be used at Darlington.

“Getting back to racing and doing so at Darlington is a great feeling,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “We’ll come out of the gate by testing teams with one of the most grueling challenges in NASCAR, with the abrasive track surface and tight configuration of ‘The Track Too Tough to Tame.’ Our whole sport has had to become very nimble in coming up with a plan to safely get back to the track. Schedules will change, as will the way we all do business at the race track in the near future, but NASCAR as a sport has always been known for being innovative and able to adapt to ever-changing conditions. We will get back to the track this week and will put on great races for our fans. We’re glad to play a part in leading the way back for professional sports in the country and doing so in a safe, competitive and entertaining manner.”

STATS TO KNOW

— The track has held a traditional Labor Day spot on the schedule since 2015, but two new Cup Series events for May were created at Darlington, a venue within driving distance to the Charlotte-area hub for the NASCAR industry. Coronavirus restrictions have begun to loosen, but race officials have opted for one-day events that minimize travel and at-track exposure for essential personnel. The last time the raceway held a springtime event was April 2014, when Kevin Harvick dominated by leading 238 of 374 laps in his lone Darlington win.

 

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RULES PACKAGE for Charlotte...

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to set a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic devices to increase downforce.

 

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GOODYEAR TIRES

Each team will get one set of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for Coca-Cola 600 qualifying and 12 sets for the race. The qualifying set can also be transferred over to the race for a 13th set. For Wednesday’s Alsco Uniforms 500, each team will get seven sets.

“While Charlotte is not necessarily considered a high tire wear track, it is one of the most temperature sensitive tracks we race on,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “The Coca-Cola 600 starts during the day and ends at night under the lights, combined with the fact that teams have a large number of sets of tires to go the 400 laps, making this event one that truly highlights the team aspect of our sport.”

Since 2010, for one weekend per NASCAR season, Goodyear has changed the branding on the sidewall of its racing tires in a show of support for the United States military and fallen heroes. This being the 11th year of that program, the official tire supplier to NASCAR’s top three series will work with the “Honor and Remember” organization for the second straight year. The standard “Eagle” on the tires’ sidewall will be replaced by the Honor and Remember logo on all Cup and Xfinity tires at Charlotte Motor Speedway this May.

STATS TO KNOW

— Kevin Harvick, a two-time Coca-Cola 600 winner, emerged from the Darlington Raceway twin bill with his first victory of the season and a third-place finish. He enters Charlotte Motor Speedway’s pair of events as the only driver to net six top-10 results in all six Cup Series races this year, a consistency that has earned him the circuit’s points lead.

— Toyota drivers have won four of the last five 600-milers at Charlotte. Martin Truex Jr. has a pair of those victories (2016, 2019) and Carl Edwards (2015) and Kyle Busch (2018) have the others.

— The last Coca-Cola 600 triumph for Ford came in 2002, when Mark Martin scored his only victory in NASCAR’s longest race. That win was the last in a four-year streak for Roush Fenway Racing,

— NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip heads the Coca-Cola 600’s all-time win list with a record five victories (1978-79, 1985, 1988-89). Among active drivers, seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson leads with four 600 wins (2003-05, 2014).

— Speaking of Johnson, he’s on a better pace through six races with one top five, three top 10s, 22 laps led and a best finish of fifth — compared to last year, when he had zero top fives, two top 10s, four laps led and a best finish of eighth in the same span.

— Joe Gibbs Racing has the most wins since the start of the 2019 season with 21. Denny Hamlin leads JGR over that span with eight victories, including Wednesday’s win at Darlington.

Start Time is Looming : http://iptvtalk.net/showthread.php?42866-NASCAR-2020-Race-7-Charlotte-Coca-Cola-600

 

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NASCAR announces starting lineup, pit stall selection procedures through Talladega

By
Staff Report NASCAR.com May 27, 2020 at 12:56 PM

NASCAR officials released information Wednesday about starting lineup and pit-selection procedures for the next slate of races in all three NASCAR national series, while also announcing a NASCAR Cup Series Saturday practice in advance of the series’ race at Talladega Superspeedway on June 21.

There are 11 total races scheduled at Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway from May 30-June 21 as NASCAR continues its return from the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the league, and all of sports, to pause its on-track action.

RELATED: 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule

Here is a quick breakdown of the announced policies:
Starting lineup determination

NASCAR Cup Series

There will be a random draw for the next five NASCAR Cup Series races. For races at Bristol (May 31), Atlanta (June 7), Martinsville (June 10), Miami (June 14) and Talladega (June 21), the lineup will be determined in the following way:

• Positions 1-12: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points

• Positions 13-24: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points

• Positions 25-36: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points

• Positions 37-40: Open teams in order of owners points

For all three series, pit stall selections will be ordered based on finishing positions from the series’ previous race, followed by new entries in order of points.

For example, whichever team wins the May 31 NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol would have the first pit stall selection for the June 7 race at Atlanta, the next event on the schedule. The team that finishes second at Bristol would have the second pit stall selection for the next race at Atlanta, etc.
Practice

As noted previously, there will be one NASCAR Cup Series practice session for Talladega Superspeedway, held on Saturday, June 20, from 11:35 a.m.-12:25 p.m. The race is the next day. It is the first scheduled practice for any NASCAR Cup Series event since the sport’s return to action earlier this month.

More Infro for Xfinity and Gander Trucks found here :

[B]https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2020/05/27/nascar-announces-starting-lineup-pit-stall-selection-procedures-through-talladega/[/B]

 

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From Nascar :

Pit stall selection

For all three series, pit stall selections will be ordered based on finishing positions from the series’ previous race, followed by new entries in order of points.

For example, whichever team wins the May 31 NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol would have the first pit stall selection for the June 7 race at Atlanta, the next event on the schedule. The team that finishes second at Bristol would have the second pit stall selection for the next race at Atlanta, etc.
Practice

As noted previously, there will be one NASCAR Cup Series practice session for Talladega Superspeedway, held on Saturday, June 20, from 11:35 a.m.-12:25 p.m. The race is the next day. It is the first scheduled practice for any NASCAR Cup Series event since the sport’s return to action earlier this month.

 

[dara]

From Autoweek, pending official release from NASCAR

Here is NASCAR’s planned schedule through mid-August.

Saturday, June 27 | Pocono Raceway | Trucks
Saturday, June 27 | Pocono Raceway | Cup
Sunday, June 28 | Pocono Raceway | Xfinity
Sunday, June 28 | Pocono Raceway | Cup
Saturday, July 4 | Indianapolis Road Course | Xfinity
Sunday, July 5 | Indianapolis Oval | Cup
Sunday, July 12 | Kentucky | Cup
Wednesday, July 15 | Charlotte All-Star | Cup
Sunday, July 19 | Texas Motor Speedway | Cup
Thursday, July 23 | Kansas Speedway | Cup
Sunday, August 2 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Cup
Saturday, August 8 | Michigan International Speedway | Cup
Sunday, August 9 | Michigan International Speedway | Cup

For the 'contest' the All-Star race is not normally a points race, however they might make it so.

 

[dara]

see this for the schedule news:

 https://www.autoweek.com/racing/nascar/a32717862/nascar-delivers-to-cup-teams-schedule-through-august/

The three races not yet tentatively scheduled are Watkins Glen, Dover and the regular season ender at Daytona. Assuming the 10 playoff races are not rescheduled, that makes 35 of the total of 36 accounted for, so there might be another doubleheader at WG, Dover or Daytona.

 

[dara]

Additional races announced:

 

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Rules and Other News for Folds Race :

RULES PACKAGE

The NASCAR Cup Series will use its 2020 intermediate track package. Cars will feature a 550-horsepower tapered-spacer engine with aero ducts (an adjustment made after the 2019 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway), an eight- by 61-inch rear spoiler and a front splitter with a two-inch overhang.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Tires are critical: The track surface at Atlanta Motor Speedway may be the most worn and hardest on tires for the NASCAR Cup Series. This leads to teams pitting short of their fuel window to take fresh tires or working tire management to their benefit. Some drivers race hard early, while other conserve their tires to make a later run. Teams will be allowed 13 sets of Goodyear Eagles. Atlanta is also where Goodyear runs its multi-zoned tread right-side tire, which debuted in NASCAR in 2013.

“Tires are always something teams and fans think about when NASCAR makes its annual stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “With the abrasive track surface, tires are an important part of the race. Tire management often comes into play as those drivers that are easier on their tires early in a run will profit from that later on. Teams will opt for four tires on every stop, even after just a handful of laps if the opportunity presents itself. That also draws in the team aspect of our sport as the pit crews will be very busy with 13 sets of tires for the race.”

New setup for all NASCAR teams: All three NASCAR national series will run the same tire setup, and it’ll be the first time teams have run either of the two Goodyear tire codes. For the Xfinity Series and Cup Series, compared to what was run last year at Atlanta Motor Speedway, both of the left-side and right-side tires feature construction updates to align with other speedways run. For the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, the tire setup features the same construction updates but also a compound change on the left-side tire — more grip — compared to last year at Atlanta. The right-side tire is a multi-zone tread tire, with a two-inch inboard compound designed for heat resistance (Endurance Zone) and a 10-inch outboard compound to give more grip (Traction Zone). Like all other NASCAR ovals greater than a mile in length, teams will be required to run liners in all four tire positions. Air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

STATS TO KNOW

— Toyota has not won at Atlanta Motor Speedway since 2013. The manufacturer has made it to Victory Lane at every other active track besides Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval since then. Ford has won the last three Atlanta races.

— Kevin Harvick led the most laps in five consecutive races at Atlanta Motor Speedway from 2014-19, trying him with David Pearson for the longest streak at the Georgia track. The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford won just one of those instances (2018). Harvick also has the most stage wins at Atlanta, with four tallies to his name.

— Bill Elliott is the only Georgia-born driver to win a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and he did so five times.

— Chase Elliott has the best average finish among active driver at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is averaging a 10.5 finish in four starts. Erik Jones has the next-best result, with a 10.67 average finish through three starts in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Everyone else is averaging a finish outside the top 10.

— Hendrick Motorsports has been dominant at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Chevrolet-backed organization has the most wins (14), runner-ups (16), top-five finishes (59) and top-10 runs (90). Its 3,031 laps led is second most of all teams.

— Three drivers won the last five races at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Brad Keselowski (two), Jimmie Johnson (two) and Kevin Harvick (one). There have been nine different winners in the last nine races held at a 1.5-mile track.

 

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[B]https://www.news-daily.com/sports/the-history-of-gerald-duke-competitor-in-the-first-atlanta-motor-speedway-race/article_028c53b8-aa4a-530a-8e29-ab0fdc85dc39.html[/B]

Passed away on Fri June 05, 2020

HAMPTON — The first racecar driver from Georgia to ever qualify for a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway was a local racing legend from College Park, Gerald Duke.

By today’s terminology, Duke was a man’s man. He served his country during World War II as a paratrooper where he completed 19 jumps behind enemy lines. It was a different era for the driver, Duke didn’t have sponsors to entertain or commercials to make, he raced on the weekends and worked during the week.

 

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"Ryan Blaney, Ty Dillon, Bubba Wallace, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch from a NASCAR video release pre-race before Atlanta.

‘I will listen and learn’: Drivers unite for message of social change
By
Staff Report NASCAR.com June 7, 2020 at 2:47 PM

NASCAR drivers showed their support Sunday for the movement of social justice after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others, releasing a video from their social media channels advocating for change and promising, “I will listen and learn.”

The message — organized, led and planned by the drivers themselves — came before the green flag of Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Further commemorations were held during pre-race ceremonies, including a moment of silence."

More thru this link :

[B]https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2020/06/07/drivers-advocate-for-social-change-atlanta-motor-speedway-pre-race/[/B]

IMHO it won't last, as the Ones to first Cry, "Racist" are the Ones that Benefit from it the most... and the Sheeple Still Will Follow...!

Good Luck...!!!