Author: Mike Haag

Courtesy of Texas Motor Speedway Media Relations FORT WORTH, Texas – NASCAR and the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo may vary greatly in their definition of horsepower, but they are one in the same when it comes to the safety of their competitors. In the late 1990s, NASCAR worked with a team of engineers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on a revolutionary concept called the Steel And Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) Barrier that would absorb kinetic energy when a race car made contact with the wall and help prevent more serious injuries to the drivers. Commonly referred to as…

Courtesy of Texas Motor Speedway Media Relations FORT WORTH, Texas – The “World’s Largest” Daytona 500 Watching Party at Texas Motor Speedway is less than three weeks away, and early returns on RSVPs indicate that it’s going to be an even bigger and better bash than the record numbers the event produced last year. With more than 200 spots already secured, RV camping is up 20 percent from this time last year. Tailgating is also booming, up 68 percent from a year ago. All told, the guest list is currently 30 percent ahead ­- and growing. More than 300 RVs and in excess…

Courtesy of the NHRA POMONA, Calif. — For the second time in his career, that typical early-season excitement turned into something even more special for Matt Hagan in 2017. The Funny Car standout won the first two events of the year for the second time in his career, and the two-time world champion is looking for another hot start to open the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series campaign. It begins with its annual iconic opener, the 58th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com, Feb. 8-11 at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and Hagan who has…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ryan Blaney’s mantra is a simple one. “I would rather make other people happy than myself,” Blaney said on Tuesday at the Charlotte Convention Center during the NASCAR Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. The most striking thing about that comment? Blaney means it. If he’s asked to do something to raise the visibility of NASCAR racing, Blaney is there. That includes a recent guest appearance on NBC’s “Taken,” voicing the character Ryan “Inside” Laney in the movie “Cars 3” and a cameo role as a pizza delivery boy in the…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DARRELL “BUBBA” WALLACE IS READY TO ENJOY A STINT AT THE TOP OF THE NASCAR WORLD CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Darrell “Bubba” Wallace has arrived—and he’s feeling it. After years of starts and stops in a racing career that’s finally in gear, Wallace is set to compete in his first full-time season in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing. What’s more, he’ll be driving the vaunted No. 43 fielded by Richard Petty Motorsports in partnership with Richard Childress Racing. The significance is not lost on Wallace, who has finally taken the step that matters. “I’m beyond…

Courtesy of TMS Media Relations FORT WORTH, Texas – JAG Metals LLC, a local metal supply company based in Weatherford with multiple locations that specializes in quality metal buildings, components, steel fabrication and roofing materials, has signed a multi-year renewal as the entitlement sponsor of the annual fall NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway. JAG Metals entered into a one-year agreement this past September to become title sponsor of the Camping World Truck Series race that was held Nov. 3. The company was extremely satisfied with the partnership, so it signed a renewal for the…

Courtesy of the Verizon IndyCar Series INDIANAPOLIS – INDYCAR teams have received the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series Official Rule Book that includes rules updates and procedural modifications for the upcoming season. Among the changes are the amount of championship points earned for Indianapolis 500 qualifying. Qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil are set for May 19-20, a week ahead of the 102nd running of the race on May 27. This year, driver and entrant points will be awarded to the top nine qualifiers for the race. The pole winner earns nine points and the second-fastest qualifier…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service CHARLOTTE, N.C. – They call him “Grandpa” now. That’s how Alex Bowman and William Byron referred to seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson on Tuesday afternoon at the Charlotte Convention Center. Chase Elliott, the third of Johnson’s 20-something Hendrick Motorsports teammates, let him slide with “Uncle Jimmie.” “OK, that’s a little bit better,” Johnson laughed. “So I guess I’m going to have to put them in time-out or something, the way that’s going. We definitely have a lot of fun together. It’s so wild. I went from the young gun. … and…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service HARVICK SAYS DANICA STARTED STOCK CAR CAREER AT A DISADVANTAGE CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On February 18, in the 2018 Daytona 500, Danica Patrick will drive a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car for the 191st time. It will also be the last. Last November at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a tearful Patrick announced she would end her driving career with the “Danica Double”—final appearances in both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. Patrick confirmed on Monday she will drive the No. 7 GoDaddy Chevrolet fielded by Premium Motorsports in her stock car swan song. Both the car…

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Only four days after confirming that her longtime sponsor GoDaddy would sponsor her final Daytona 500 attempt next month, Danica Patrick announced Monday she will make that last NASCAR start driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro with Premium Motorsports. The team will be led by crew chief Tony Eury Jr. who served in the same role when Patrick first debuted in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series from 2010-12. The Premium Motorsports team recently purchased the assets from Tommy Baldwin Racing, who owned the car Patrick ran in her first Daytona 500 in 2012. “I keep saying I…