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contents

the 10: basIcs of nascar sPrInt cUP serIes racIng

14

DRIVER PROFILES

25

leagUe of chamPIons

10 NASCAR tidbits that are not always known, but that are certainly worth knowing

New Chase format opens the door for numerous drivers to have a shot at the championship NASCAR POLE POSITION RACE FAN GUIDE AN OFFICIALLY LICENSED PUBLICATION OF NASCAR

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NASCAR POLE POSITION MAGAZINE

08

20

Q&a: joey logano

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver

green flag

06 07 10 12

news & notes tradin’ paint terms of racing tailgating

nascar fUel

50 51 52 56

careers lifestyle fun pages trivia

nascar bUcKet lIst

Places and events true fans can’t miss

48

PUBLISHER: CRAIG BARONCELLI VICE PRESIDENT, SALES: DAVID WATSON VICE PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE ACCOUNTS: DAYNE MAASDORP DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL ACCOUNTS: CHRIS VITA

64

hIstory of nascar

Moments that helped shape NASCAR

SALES

mr. fIesty: ty DIllon

NATIONAL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: ALEXANDER WONG, DAVID WALDMAN, JAY ROSENTHAL, KRISTY LIMOTTA, ARNOUT KOK

Younger Dillon building a tough reputation

rosters & scheDUles

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58 nscs roster 59 nns roster ncwts roster 60 nascar series schedules DrIver featUres

61 gray gaulding 62 darrell wallace jr.

gear

The latest products from our advertisers, who help provide this magazine for free!

PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR: JASON TEDESCHI • GRAPHIC DESIGNER: STACEY FOSTER • WEB DEVELOPER: NICOLE COOPER • COPY EDITOR: KEITH WALTZ • EDITOR: DAN GUTTENPLAN • WRITERS: JARED TURNER, KEITH WALTZ, BEN WHITE, DEREK SMITH • PHOTOGRAPHY: CIA STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY, NASCAR/GETTY IMAGES • SPECIAL THANKS TO: JOHN FARRELL, BRITTANY MEYER (NASCAR), MICHELLE FANIN (LIONEL RACING), RACHEL SMITH

22

PolePOSITIONmag.COM

05

green flag news & Notes

Drive for Diversity Lineup Set

N

ASCAR Drive for Diversity, the leading youth development program for multicultural and female drivers in motorsports, has one of the most well-rounded and accomplished rosters in program history this season.

The class is led by Daniel Suarez, who contended for two NASCAR touring series championships last year, and Ryan Gifford, who is coming off a successful 2013 season in which he earned his first NASCAR win and made his NASCAR national series debut.

They will compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series along with Sergio Peña, who returns to the program, and Jay Beasley, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model track champion at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Devon Amos and Paige Decker will race Late Models for the team in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

“N

ASCAR is committed to providing training, competition experience and mentoring to drivers who without a doubt demonstrate the potential to compete at the highest levels of our sport through the academy-style program,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR vice president of public affairs and multicultural development. “We look forward to another successful racing season.”

R

ichard Buck, a NASCAR executive with a wealth of diverse motorsports experience, has been named NASCAR Sprint Cup Series managing director. Buck will serve in the role held the past 12 years by John Darby, who will remain at NASCAR as managing director, competition.

“Richard Buck has demonstrated a deep and unique knowledge of motorsports, and his versatility and innovative approach to competition should serve the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage extremely well,” said Mike Helton, NASCAR president.

O

ne of the hottest names in country music, Jake Owen, will headline the All-Star Backyard Experience pre-race concert for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 17.

“Fast cars, tailgating and good times with friends is what the days of gold are all about,” said Owen. “I’m excited to be a part of the speedway action and get the crowd revved up!”

Call 1-866-GONASCAR for details or to purchase tickets.

N

ASCAR and Sprint are participating in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge – a collaborative effort to increase the number of U.S. employers offering workplace charging. The Challenge also supports the DOE’s broader efforts to make plug-in electric vehicles affordable and convenient for American families.

As part of its participation, NASCAR has installed five electric-vehicle charging stations at its Charlotte office, bringing the total number of EV charging stations to 20 across NASCAR facilities in Daytona Beach, Fla., Concord, N.C., Charlotte, N.C., and at Michigan International Speedway.

The charging stations power electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles of NASCAR employees and guests.

06

POLE POSITION 2014

A

s part of its wide-ranging initiatives to transform its competition model, NASCAR has enhanced its penalty structure and appeals process and appointed a Final Appeals Officer for the sport.

“NASCAR’s Deterrence System is designed to help maintain the integrity and competitive balance of our sport while sending a clear message that rules violations will not be tolerated,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president of racing operations.

Bryan Moss, former president at Gulfstream Aerospace, has been selected as the Final Appeals Officer.

Moss will hear matters on appeal from a lower three-member Appeals Panel, and serve as the last decision on penalty disputes.

S

O

ne of the fastestgrowing family and vacation destinations in the nation, Myrtle Beach, S.C., will be the title sponsor of the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Kentucky Speedway.

Affectionately known as “The Grand Strand,” Myrtle Beach welcomes an average of 15 million annual visitors.

MS Audio, an American manufacturer of headphones and audio products, has joined Swan Racing as an associate sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars driven by Parker Kligerman and Cole Whitt.

SMS Audio was founded by entertainer and entrepreneur Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

“Swan Racing is very proud to partner with a growing worldwide brand like SMS Audio and to include an entrepreneur like ‘50 Cent’ as part of our team,” said team owner Brandon Davis. “The SMS Audio brand will be part of both our cars and I think our fans are going to love the product.”

traDIn’ PaInt green flag

car Designs are works of art

n

ASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing is a very visual sport and, as a result, teams and sponsors spend countless hours producing paint scheme designs that will make their cars stand out on the race track. Not a single detail is overlooked and numerous versions are often produced before the final design is selected. A few of the paint schemes have been around for several years and are extremely familiar, while others feature sponsors that are new to the sport. Some drivers will carry the colors of a single sponsor for the entire schedule, while others will showcase multiple sponsors and paint schemes throughout the season.

Miller Lite has sponsored the No. 2 car, now driven

by Brad Keselowski, since 1991.

The trio of primary sponsors for Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 includes Outback Steakhouse.

Marcos Ambrose’s Ford continues to sport the familiar yellow and black Stanley colors.

Joey Logano is back behind the wheel of Team Penske’s No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford.

Kurt Busch is in his first season behind the wheel of the No. 41 Haas-CNC Chevrolet.

Smithfield Foods is the primary sponsor of the No. 43 Ford driven by Aric Almirola.

Lowe’s has been Jimmie Johnson’s primary sponsor since his series debut in 2001.

images courtesy of Lionel Racing

NTP and N

AS

are not CAR, Inc.

sponsors

otion.

of this prom

one of more than 700 incredible prizes with a Lionel Racing Golden Ticket hidden in 2014 NASCAR die-cast!

Find out more at www.lionelgoldenticket.com @Lionel_Racing #goldenticket PolePOSITIONmag.COM

07

green flag Q&a and that’s important; that’s what I need. It’s good to have a girl like that on your side. And, she also knows when I want to really talk about things and other times when I don’t and I just want to get my mind off and have some fun and enjoy life a little bit.

HOW IMPORTANT HAS GAINING CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITIES AS A DRIVER BEEN?

Q&a

wIth nascar sPrInt cUP serIes DrIver joey logano HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT TODAY THAN YOU WERE FIVE YEARS AGO?

Logano: In every way. Everyone changes as they grow up. Last year was really that year you kind of break out of your childhood, basically. I don’t want to say childhood but basically you become a man and you take control of your life, you take control of your racing situations. Being able to go to Team Penske allowed me to basically pick up my game in every way, and

I’ve enjoyed it; it’s been great. I don’t regret anything I’ve done in the past because everything I’ve done in the past has made me who I am now, but obviously there’s learning experiences that you get from that and just say, ‘Hey, maybe I would do that differently, but that’s an experience I have that I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t made that mistake, so I don’t regret any of it.’ It’s made me who I am now.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THAT MOST FANS PROBABLY DON’T KNOW ABOUT?

Logano: I’m fairly simple. I enjoy four-wheeling a lot. Actually, Brad [teammate Brad Keselowski] and I went four-wheeling

last weekend together and had a good time.

I obviously love taking cars to the edge. When I was 5 years old and Santa Claus brought me a go-kart, that’s what I loved doing. And, believe me, every time I get a free chance, I’m unloading my four-wheeler and going out in the backyard and I’m just going to make laps by myself because that’s what I enjoy.

hard days, she’s there for you. She’s there to talk things out. Believe it or not, I’m kind of a kept-in type person. I don’t talk about what I go through throughout my day and the bad things that happen. I would rather just deal with it on my own, but she forces it out of me to talk through things,

Logano: The No. 1 most important thing for a driver is to be confident, not cocky, a little full of yourself … but not too much.

That’s why Brittany’s there. She brings me back down to earth but that’s what I need.

There is a fine line of what you need as a driver, because you’ve got to be confident in yourself if you’re going to win. You can’t be down on yourself and expect to win a race.

Are you kidding me?

You don’t have a shot.

Why even be there?

WHAT HAS YOUR GIRLFRIEND, NOW FIANCÉE, BROUGHT TO YOUR LIFE?

Logano: She’s awesome. I’ve known Brittany for years. She was the first girl I ever went out with. She’s a great friend of mine and that’s what I think it takes for a great relationship. Those

by jared turner 08

Pole PosItIon 2014

©2014 Bush Brothers & Company. JTG Daugherty Racing,™ AJ Allmendinger name and/ or likeness and race team, race car and car number used by authority of JTG Racing, Inc. CHEVROLET AND ALL ASSOCIATED MARKS, EMBLEMS AND DESIGNS ARE THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OF CHEVROLET MOTOR CORPORATION AND USED WITH PERMISSION.

PrePare great taste at a record Pace.

For more than 100 years, Bush’s has been making it easy for families to enjoy delicious flavors at mealtime and snack time —and we don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.

Race to bushsrecipemath.com for more quick and easy recipes.

Root for AJ Allmendinger, driver of #47 BUSH’S® Beans-sponsored car.

green flag terms of racing

Understanding the Terminology of Racing While visiting a NASCAR-sanctioned race track, fans often find that veteran race chasers use words or phrases that can be confusing to new or casual fans of America’s most-popular form of auto racing. Consider the following a study guide as these definitions will help you better understand the racing “lingo.”

Apron: The paved portion of a race track that separates the racing surface from the infield.

Asphalt: A mixture of dark bituminous pitch combined with sand or gravel that is used to surface roads and race tracks. All but two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tracks have asphalt racing surfaces.

Banking: The sloping of a race

track, particularly at a curve or corner, from the apron to the outside wall. Degree of banking refers to the angle of a track’s slope at its outside edge.

Bear Grease: Slang term used to describe any patching material used to fill cracks 10

POLE POSITION 2014

and holes or smooth bumps on a track’s asphalt surface. It can also be used as an asphalt sealer.

Chute: A race track straightaway.

At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the straightaways between turns 1 and 2 and turns 3 and 4 are known as the short chutes.

Donuts: Slang term for black, circular, dent-line marks on the side

panels of stock cars, usually caused after rubbing against other cars at high speed.

Drafting: The practice of two or more cars, while racing, to run nose to tail, almost touching. The lead car, by displacing the air in front

of it, creates a vacuum between its rear bumper and the nose of the following car, pulling the second car along with it.

Esses: Slang term used for a series of acute left- and righthand turns on a road course, one turn immediately following another.

Groove: Slang term for the best route around the race track; the most efficient or quickest around the track for a particular driver.

The “high groove” takes a car closer to the outside wall for most of a lap, while the “low groove” takes a car closer to the apron.

Intermediate Track: Term describing a race track one mile or more, but less than two miles, in length.

Lapped Traffic: Describes cars that have completed at least one full lap less than the race leader.

Marbles:

Excess rubber build-up above the upper groove on the race track. It is also known as the loose stuff.

Media Center: Building located

and coordinate safety and cleanup activities.

Restart: The waving of the green flag following a caution period.

in the infield of the race track where members of the media work.

Only credentialed media on assignment to cover the NASCAR event are granted access to the media center.

Pit Road: Generally located along the front straightaway, it is the area where the pit crews service the cars during the race.

Race Control: Located high above the track, it is the area where NASCAR personnel manage the race

Road Course: A race track with multiple turns and straightaways.

Layout is quite different from the traditional oval configuration.

SAFER Barrier: First used in 2002, it consists of steel tubes welded together

and strapped in place to an existing concrete retaining wall or other support structure. Behind the steel tubes are bundles of closedcell polystyrene foam. The SAFER Barrier is intended to absorb and reduce kinetic energy during the impact of an accident.

Short Track: Race tracks that are less than a mile in length.

Superspeedway: Term describing a race track two miles or more in length.

Tri-Oval: A race track that has a “hump” or “fifth turn” in addition to the standard four corners. Not to be confused with a triangle-shaped track like Pocono Raceway.

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Fans travel from afar to enjoy the fun before and after races by derek smith Terri Norton, 49, of Atlanta, has been tailgating at Talladega Superspeedway every year since 2000 with dozens of fans who hail from states such as Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The group is so tight-knit members keep up with each other on a Facebook

page, “215 Talladega Boulevard,” which is named for the area inside the track where they gather each year for the spring and fall races. They coordinate meals native to where they live: catfish from Mississippi, scallops and clams from New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and crawfish from Louisiana.

Cary, North Carolina’s Blake Eaddy, 47, is a part of the “Bristol Gang” that tailgates each August at the Tennessee short track. The group of fraternity brothers from North Carolina State University began the tradition seven years ago, spending three days a year soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying some of the best racing on the circuit.

In the beginning, the tailgate revolved around just a tent and the basic rudiments of outdoor living, but over the years the Gang has graduated to an RV and a full-blown home-away-from-home.

Forty-five-year-old Bryan Tickle grew up in Mississippi before heading east to attend college in the heart of racing country. He counts Charlotte, Rockingham and Bristol as the tracks where he’s tailgated.

Tickle sets up each year beside a couple from Indianapolis. “Whether you are from the Midwest, Deep South or West Coast, we’re all race fans.”

To kick off the season, he and some pals travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for some indoor tailgating and to watch the Daytona 500.

Everything’s bigger in Texas, and so is the tailgating. Shane Swilley, 41, of Elysian Fields, Texas, has been attending the spring race at Texas Motor Speedway for 15 years. He drives

from his home near the Louisiana border to the Fort Worth track in his 41-foot RV and parks it in the infield near Turn 3.

Swilley flips open a compartment on the side of the RV to

If you wear a tire as a piece of clothing you might be a racing fan. Chris MacNicol, 40, of Chelsea, Ala., has been wearing a tire held up by suspenders to races for 10 years.

Known as the “Tire Man” to his friends at his home track of Talladega, the tradition was born at Daytona 12

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reveal a 45-inch, flat-screen TV, turns up the sound system and a karaoke party breaks out. As many as 150-200 fans gather to belt out their favorite country tunes.

International Speedway after he bought a used Joe Nemechek tire for $5 while tailgating in the infield.

His notoriety got him invited by the track president to Watkins Glen where he says tailgating isn’t much different.

“A race fan is a race fan,” MacNicol said.

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Basics of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Racing

Longstanding and dedicated fans that religiously follow NASCAR racing are pretty knowledgeable about even the most obscure and forgotten facts as they relate to the sport’s various personalities, and the deeds and records they represent. However, the more casual observer won’t begin to be able to scratch the surface of all there is to know about NASCAR, so here’s an information-packed tutorial highlighting 10 NASCAR tidbits that are not always known, but that are certainly worth knowing.

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NASCAR’s Speed Record Will Probably Never Be Broken: The oftdiscussed restrictor plates that keep cars in tight packs for three and four hours at Daytona International

Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway haven’t always been used. In fact, they’ve been around less than three decades.

It wasn’t until just prior to the July 1987 NASCAR Sprint

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Cup Series race at Daytona that NASCAR mandated that teams run the plates, which restrict air flow into the engines and in turn slow speeds dramatically while keeping drivers inches away from each other in huge packs commonly known as “drafts.”

The decision to slow the cars came after 1983 series champion Bobby Allison’s Buick went airborne in that May’s race at Talladega. Just a few days before that incident, Bill Elliott had qualified on the pole at Talladega with an all-time one-lap NASCAR speed

record of 212.809 mph. But when drivers and teams arrived at Daytona with restrictor plates in hand a couple months later, Elliott’s record lap couldn’t be touched. And it hasn’t been since.

Barring an entirely unforeseen return to the days of racing without restrictor plates, the record will stand forever.

All-Star Staying Power: The immensely popular exhibition race, known today as the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, hasn’t always been at Charlotte Motor

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Speedway. Following the inaugural running of the event at Charlotte in 1985, NASCAR officials decided to move it down the road about three hours to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the next year’s installment.

But after the race at Atlanta failed to generate the excitement that NASCAR and event organizers had hoped, it was back to Charlotte and the heart of NASCAR country for the 1987 edition of the fan-favorite affair.

It was that year, 1987, that Dale Earnhardt made what would forever be known as “The Pass in Grass” when he was hit from behind by Bill Elliott and slid through the infield grass at full speed right at the startfinish line. Earnhardt

maintained control of his blue-and-yellow Wrangler-sponsored No. 3 Chevrolet – never losing the lead.

Earnhardt held on for the win that day at his home track, and his remarkable piece of driving became the stuff of legend – to be replayed over and over again for years and even decades to come.

Needless to say, the race proved to be such a smashing success that it stayed at Charlotte the following season, and that’s where it has remained ever since.

The metro-Charlotte area, which is home to most of the NASCAR teams, seems like the most logical place to host the race.

No Need for a Rockin’ Chair: The oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner is Harry Gant,

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who went to Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 16, 1992, at 52 years, 7 months and 6 days.

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Gant, known in NASCAR circles as “Handsome Harry” for his rugged good looks, won eight races after celebrating his 50th birthday and the Taylorsville, N.C., native recorded his last career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole at age 54 at Bristol Motor Speedway in the fall of 1994.

Overall, 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories have been recorded by four drivers over age 50. Morgan Shepherd, who prevailed at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 20, 1993, is the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ second-oldest winner at 51 years, 5 months and 8 days. Shepherd is followed on the list of oldest winners by now 55-year-old Mark Martin, who as recently as last season drove

a partial schedule in NASCAR’s top series for Michael Waltrip Racing and served as a fill-in for Tony Stewart when Stewart was forced to sit out with a broken leg over the season’s final 15 weeks.

Martin’s most recent – and presumably final – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series triumph came at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept.

20, 2009, in a No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The Batesville, Ark., native took the checkered flag that day at 50 years, 8 months and 11 days.

Like Gant, Martin has won multiple races in NASCAR’s top series since reaching the half-century mark in birthdays. Martin owns five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories since turning the big 5-0.

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The Young Guns: Speaking of race winners’ ages, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ youngest winner is a familiar name – Team Penske driver and 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contender Joey Logano.

Now 23 years old and in his sixth full-time season in NASCAR’s top series, Logano broke into a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Victory Lane for the first time as a rookie at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 28, 2009.

Logano, who grew up in Middletown, Conn., and considers the one-mile Loudon, N.H., facility his home track, took the win for Joe Gibbs Racing there at 19 years, 1 month and 4 days, breaking the previous record held

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by then-teammate Kyle Busch. Busch became the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ youngest winner at 20 years, 4 months and 2 days when he scored for Hendrick Motorsports at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., on Sept. 4, 2005.

Now sandwiched between Logano and Busch on the list of youngest winners is 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne, who scored his stunning upset in The Great American Race for the Wood Brothers a day after his 20th birthday.

Before Busch took over the No. 1 spot on the list of youngest winners with his 2005 victory, the record for youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner had stood for more than five decades – held by the late Donald

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Thomas, of Olivia, N.C., who scored his first and only top series NASCAR victory from the pole at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 16, 1952. Thomas was 20 years, 4 months and 6 days old.

Like Father, Like Son: Throughout the 65-plus

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year history of NASCAR, only two father-son combinations have become NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions.

The late NASCAR pioneer Lee Petty, who made 427 top series NASCAR starts from 1949 to ’64, won championships in 1954, ’58 and ’59. Lee

Petty’s son, Richard, who would go on to be known as “The King” of NASCAR, rang up an all-time record seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships to go along with a record 200 wins in a driving career that spanned 35 years and ended with the final race of the 1992 season.

Richard Petty, whose 200 wins will almost certainly never be touched, shares the seven championships record with the late Dale Earnhardt. Both Lee and Richard Petty are enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., where Richard was inducted in 2010 as part of the inaugural five-member class.

Lee was inducted posthumously in 2011 as part of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s second five-member class.

Joining the Pettys as the only father-son combo in the NASCAR Hall of Fame – and the

only other father-son combination to win NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles – are Ned and Dale Jarrett.

Ned Jarrett, who logged 353 starts from 1953 to ’66, captured a pair of championships – first in 1961 and again in ’65. More than three decades passed before Ned Jarett, who went on to enjoy a distinguished career as a race broadcaster, watched son Dale claim his first and only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in 1999.

Like his father, Dale Jarrett has excelled in the broadcasting booth during his post-driving years and the younger Jarrett joined his father in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2014.

There’s an “Iron Man” Race Heating Up: NASCAR’s current “Iron Man,” the title traditionally assigned to the driver with the most consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, is Virginia native Ricky Rudd, who took a year off following the 2005 season and retired following a partial schedule in 2007.

Rudd made his record 788th consecutive start in the 2005 finale at HomesteadMiami Speedway, the last race in a streak that began in the 1981 season opener at the old Riverside International Raceway road course in Riverside, Calif. Rudd assumed the title of NASCAR’s

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“Iron Man” in the 2002 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he broke Terry Labonte’s record with his 656th consecutive start.

Before that race, Labonte presented Rudd with an Iron Man trophy and Havoline, sponsor of Rudd’s No. 28 Ford, gave him a trophy made out of a huge chunk of iron.

Rudd would go on to finish fourth, unfazed by all the attention.

“I’m kind of a low-key guy, I just come to race,” he said at the time. “To be honest, today feels like any other day. It’s just another day at the office, as far as I’m concerned.”

Rudd probably won’t mind that his reign as NASCAR’s “Iron Man” will end during the latter half of the 2015 season, provided four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon doesn’t miss a race between now and then. Entering the 2014 season, Gordon’s number of consecutive starts stood at 725 races – second all-time and within shouting distance of Rudd.

List of Daytona 500 Winners Bereft of Several Legends: In a sport where the biggest names often rise to the occasion on the biggest stages, one might assume that virtually all of the best drivers throughout NASCAR history scored at least one win in the sport’s

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most prestigious race, the Daytona 500.

A look through the annals of history reveals a much different picture, however.

While it is indeed true that many of the sport’s greatest all-time drivers did win The Great American Race at some point

in their careers, there remains a lengthy list of notables who either retired without a Daytona 500 checkered flag or, as of the beginning of the 2014 season, continued to search for one.

Among the most accomplished and well-known retirees

who never hoisted Daytona’s coveted Harley J. Earl trophy are 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace, 1984 and ’96 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Terry Labonte and NASCAR’s all-time consecutive starts leader Ricky Rudd.

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Active drivers and past series champions who have yet to break through in the Daytona 500 include three-time champ Tony Stewart, 2000 champ Bobby Labonte and 2004 champ Kurt Busch.

But as NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip proved, drivers who haven’t yet won the Daytona 500 shouldn’t lose heart. Earnhardt, one of only two seventime NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions, lost the Daytona 500 in every way imaginable before finally getting the Daytona 500 monkey off his back in 1998 – his 20th start in The Great American Race. Waltrip, meanwhile, needed 17 Daytona 500 starts and a little fuel-mileage luck to secure what 18

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would be his only Daytona 500 victory in the 1989 edition of the prestigious race.

NASCAR Goes Green: Many fans who hear about NASCAR going “green” may automatically assume this to be little more than a simple reference to the flag that is waved to begin each race. But there’s another race in which NASCAR has gone “green”; it’s the race to become a truly ecofriendly sport.

In NASCAR, green is more than the hue of a flag – it’s a way of life.

NASCAR Green began six years ago as a loose network of track recycling programs and has evolved into a sophisticated, well-oiled machine that makes NASCAR the world’s most

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environmentally conscious racing series.

“NASCAR Green has gone from a new startup strategic initiative within the sport to now being embedded in every aspect of the fabric,” Mike Lynch, NASCAR’s vice president of green innovation, said in early 2013.

With help from more than a dozen corporate partners, the mission of NASCAR Green – the name encompassing all of the sport’s recycling and environmental sustainability initiatives – is threefold: conservation of the environment, job creation in the United States and energy independence from other countries. Likewise, there are three areas of environmental impact – waste, emissions and power – that NASCAR

has targeted.

In addition to building the largest recycling program in sports with partners Coca-Cola Recycling, Sprint, Goodyear, Miller Coors, SafetyKleen and Creative Recycling, NASCAR also boasts the largest tree-planting program in sports. The NASCAR Green Clean-Air Program plants 10 trees for each green flag that drops during races, capturing 100 percent of the carbon produced by the racing on the track. That’s as green as it gets.

The Sport Gives Back: The NASCAR community – from drivers, to team owners to TV personalities to The NASCAR Foundation – prides itself on giving back.

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Three prime examples of the benevolence that runs through the NASCAR community are former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver turned NASCAR TV analyst Kyle Petty, six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion team owner Richard Childress and four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion driver Jeff Gordon.

Petty and his wife, Pattie, partnered with actor Paul Newman in October 2000 to launch Victory Junction, an organization whose mission is to enrich the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering.

The camp, located in Randleman, N.C., is built on 84 acres of land that was donated

by Kyle’s parents, Richard and Lynda Petty.

Childress, likewise a partner in benevolence, launched the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma in Winston-Salem, N.C., to invest resources in research, education and awareness to improve treatment for critically injured children.

Gordon, meanwhile, founded the Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital in Concord, N.C., for pediatric patients to be treated from birth to age 18 in a peaceful, serene environment with a nature theme.

The NASCAR Foundation seeks to raise funds and increase volunteerism to support nonprofit charities and charitable

causes with an emphasis placed on initiatives that affect the ability of children to live, learn and play. Since 2006, The NASCAR Foundation has committed $17 million to initiatives that support its cause.

NASCAR Is Fan Friendly: No sport in the world compares to NASCAR in the area of fan friendliness and fan accessibility.

What other sport allows spectators to come down on the field and rub elbows with key participants literally moments before the game begins? It happens in NASCAR at just about every race, where select fans can obtain pit passes and walk around the garage and pit road where they can mix and mingle with the stars.

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In terms of accessibility, what other sport allows viewers to listen in on the huddle as the coach instructs his players and the players interact with each other and the coach? This

happens every week in NASCAR through the power of the in-car radio, where drivers, crew chiefs, spotters and even car owners converse, and fans have a front-row seat to

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the conversation.

Fans can rent or buy a racing radio at the track for an affordable price and tune into their favorite driver’s radio frequency to hear what he or she has to say for as long as they wish.

Get bored listening to one driver? Just change the channel on your radio and go to another driver’s frequency. It’s really that simple.

Fans watching at home on TV are also exposed to extensive in-race sound bites from select drivers who are in direct communication with on-air announcers throughout the event. Then, as soon as the race is over, those watching on television or listening by radio will hear immediate reaction from multiple drivers on any given week – not just, let’s say, one coach and one player.

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NASCAR BUCKET LIST

PLACES AND EVENTS TRUE FANS CAN’T MISS To be considered a true NASCAR fan, there are certain places and events that are practically mandatory to experience. Here are a few that tie in with five venues on the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

A visit to the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium is a must-do while in town for the races at nearby Texas Motor Speedway. Like TMS, AT&T Stadium is a worldclass facility and gives credence to the popular claim that everything’s bigger in Texas.

at&t STADIUM While attending a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, a side trip to AT&T Stadium in Arlington – home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys – is time well-spent.

The stadium, which fills up 73 acres, or three million square feet, and can be spotted from tall buildings in Dallas, is one of the most impressive venues in all of sports. In fact, it is often called the “Death Star” because of its enormity – a tribute to the planet-destroying station in the movie Star Wars. The stadium is also well-known for boasting the world’s largest HD video screen, which cost $40 million to build and contains 30 million light bulbs and 25,000 square feet of video-display space.

The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum in South Carolina was originally named the Joe Weatherly Stock Car Museum in honor of a driver who left a legacy at Darlington that went far beyond his race victories in 1960 and 1963.

DARLINGTON MUSEUM A walk through the museum, located on the same grounds as the race track, is not only a trip through the history of the track “Too Tough to Tame,” but of the entire sport.

From the 1950 Plymouth Johnny Mantz drove to Victory Lane in the first Southern 500 to Darrell Waltrip’s 1991 Chevy Lumina that rolled eight times at Daytona, the museum is filled with classic cars.

In the rear of the building, visitors will find the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, filled with photos, memorabilia and interactive exhibits. One of the most unique exhibits in the museum features the late Dale Earnhardt’s handprints, preserved in concrete.

NASCAR fans visiting Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway are surrounded by the glitz and glamor of Hollywood with traditional reel and video slot machines, plus video poker. With traditional favorites and the latest games, there is truly something for gamblers of all tastes.

Hauler parades are held in conjunction with numerous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races throughout the year, but nowhere is the event more spectacular than on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s a great way to kick off the race weekend.

HAULER PARADE The NASCAR Hauler Parade, which showcases the 18-wheelers that tote NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars and equipment to and from tracks across the country, visits several NASCAR host towns during the racing season.

But nowhere is this colorful display of big rigs more popular or done in more grandiose fashion than under the neon lights of “Sin City.” As part of the buildup to Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend, the NASCAR Hauler Parade thunders up the world-famous Las Vegas Strip a few days before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers go for broke at the 1.5-mile track. More than 50 haulers are expected to participate in this year’s event.

The Hollywood Casino, which opened in Feb. 2012, overlooks Turn 2 of the race track at Kansas Speedway. At 100,000 square feet, the Hollywood Casino is equipped with 2,000 slot machines and 52 table games, including a live poker room equipped with 12 tables, and the facility is open seven days a week. But the best part is that admission to the casino is free. Dazzling performances and live entertainment from the best in local and regional music take center stage every Friday and Saturday night at the Turn 2 Sports Bar & Restaurant, one of five dining facilities inside the casino. Turn 2 Sports Bar & Restaurant also features a big screen for live game viewing.

THE HOLLYWOOD CASINO

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Richmond International Raceway hasn’t always boasted its present-day three-quarter-mile configuration. It was only after the spring 1988 NASCAR weekend – and before the track’s fall weekend that year – that RIR was transformed from a .542-mile layout to its current design. RIR has been on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule in some capacity since 1953.

THE SPRING RICHMOND RACE Other than the season-opening Daytona 500, no race on the first half of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule will be met with greater anticipation than the April race at Richmond International Raceway.

The first of two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events held under the lights each year at the three-quarter-mile D-Shaped venue, this race marks only the second nighttime event of the season – and the first night race on a short track.

Combine the night racing element with the fact that RIR is already one of the sport’s most popular tracks because of its tendency to breed lots of bumping, banging, close side-by-side action and, sometimes, even a little controversy, and this a mustattend affair for any NASCAR fan.

Known as America’s Premier Short Track, RIR hosts 400 laps of intense racing at the only three-quarter-mile facility on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series calendar. The track features 14 degrees of banking in its turns, eight degrees of banking at the start/finish line on the 1,290-foot frontstretch, and two degrees of banking on an 860-foot backstretch.

Nail-biting finishes are the norm here, rather than the exception, and in addition to the terrific racing, RIR offers more than 800 acres of free parking. No wonder this is one of the hottest tickets on the NASCAR tour every year.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame prominently features 40,000-square feet of exhibit space that showcases the rich history and heritage of the sport. The sprawling venue is owned by the City of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.

nascar hall of fame The NASCAR Hall of Fame, which opened in May 2010 in Charlotte, N.C., is the ultimate interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The high-tech facility, designed to educate and entertain race fans and nonfans alike, includes artifacts, interactive exhibits and a 278-person state-of-the-art theater featuring an informational film tracing NASCAR from its humble beginnings. Also on the property are a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and the NASCAR Hall of Fame Gear Shop.

One of the most popular exhibits is “Glory Road,” a banked ramp leading to the third floor of the facility that features 15-18 historic cars and highlights 40 current and historic tracks. The Hall also offers a number of sophisticated racing simulators that give visitors a true NASCAR driving experience.

The goal of the NASCAR Hall of Fame – which enshrined its fifth five-member class of inductees in January – is to honor NASCAR icons and create an enduring tribute to the drivers, crew members, team owners and others who have impacted the sport in the past, present and future.

Located a half hour from Charlotte Motor Speedway and within an hour of most NASCAR team shops, the NASCAR Hall of Fame couldn’t be in a more convenient location for fans wishing to visit during the Charlotte races.

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Designed for the ultimate in quality, portability and convenience, these models are ideal for tailgating, camping or any trip to the great outdoors. Honda is proud to support several teams such as Chip Ganassi Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Kyle Busch Motorsports and others with EU series generator products that provide smooth, reliable power for their racing needs.

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REESE Towpower ®, the market leader in towing, has brought innovation and strength to towing products once again by introducing the Carbon Forged family of ball mounts. The ball mounts offer users greater towing capacity through their unique forged one-piece design, providing unequaled quality and performance in a patented weld-free design with a rust-resistant finish.

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3 lionel plastic cars

Enjoy the NASCAR season with these brand-new 1:18-scale plastic cars from Lionel Racing. The perfect plaything for the young and young at heart, these toy cars are bold, fun and indestructible. Each 1:18 car features a full plastic body, rolling wheels and is the perfect size for little ones to play with. Get your favorite driver’s car now at lionelracing.com, the NASCAR.com Superstore, trackside souvenir rigs or your hometown die-cast dealer.

4 nascar nation

Go trackside with FOX Sports broadcaster Chris Myers in NASCAR Nation. The book illustrates how racing embodies the best of what makes America great: our competitive spirit; our will to win; our love of pageantry, heroes and tradition; our willingness to face risks and build for the future. It takes fans trackside, places them in the car and in the middle of the action, and shares the sport’s finer moments. Available at the NASCAR.com Superstore.

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Chain and Cable Fluid – Penetrating Oil. A superior, cleansing, non-gumming penetrating oil for wire rope, chains, cables and general lubrication. Prevents rust and corrosion, protects brightwork and loosens rusty nuts and bolts. Excellent for drilling, tapping and sawing. Available in a 12-ounce spray can, Part No. L0135-063. Buy it today at lubriplate.com or CARQUEST Auto Parts stores.

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DVX Sun & Safety sunglasses, sold exclusively at Walmart, are the favorite of champion Jeff Gordon.

Every pair of DVX sunglasses is ANSI rated, meaning they can be used on the job where occupational safety eyewear is required. Yet they feature great contemporary styling for use anywhere. Look for DVX on Jeff Gordon trackside haulers, and in any Walmart Vision Center. dvxeyewear.com

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Tough messes need the world’s toughest wipe: Tub O’ Towels. These solution-soaked wipes are bigger, stronger and tougher than ordinary wipes. Grease, grime, stains and spills are no problem with Tub O’ Towels. These tough wipes were designed to handle virtually any mess whether you’re tailgating, at home, on the job or on the go. Find a retailer or get more information at tubotowels.com today.

8 GRILL EMBLEMS

Cloud-Rider Designs is an aftermarket auto manufacturer. Its line of products features stainless steel grill inserts, mud flaps and other licensed products for NASCAR. Cloud-Rider’s NASCAR Universal Grill Emblem is made of stainless steel with a 3M decal.

It fits any grill and is easy to install. Two plates are provided that attach to the back of the emblem, one with hooks and zip ties, the other with screws that fit into any grill insert. Available for car Nos. 48, 88, 24, 20, 11 and 18. Available at cloud-rider.com and the NASCAR Superstore.

9 tIGER BALM

When you need industrial-strength pain relief, but don’t want to risk the side effects caused by pills, Tiger Balm is your best tool for the job. For more than 100 years, Tiger Balm’s proven blend of herbal ingredients has delivered safe, fast and effective pain relief without the pills. It’s no wonder millions of users around the world reach for Tiger Balm to soothe their aches and pains. Available at Walgreens, CVS, drugstores, mass merchants and super markets. tigerbalm.com/us

10 FOLEx®

FOLEX® is perfect for removing stains from upholstery, vinyl, clothing and practically any other material that is “colorfast” and “color-stable.” Even hard surfaces, painted surfaces, walls and woodwork that can be safely dampened with water will be quickly and easily cleaned with FOLEX®! Please visit folex.net for a list of retailers in your area and other useful information!

10

11 SPRAYWAY

Automotive professionals and car enthusiasts alike trust Sprayway Glass Cleaner to cut through smoke, bugs, grit and grime, and deliver a streakfree shine to their windows, windshields and mirrors every single time. With no Ammonia and no-drip foam, no wonder it’s the “World’s Best Glass Cleaner.” spraywayretail.com POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

23

We didn’t just throw down the gauntlet.

We kicked it.

Iconic tracks and iconic events together in one championship for the first time in a generation. Welcome to the next great chapter in North American sports car racing.

2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Schedule

1

January 24-26 Daytona International Speedway

8

July 12-13 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

2

March 14-15 Sebring International Raceway

9

July 25 Indianapolis Motor Speedway

3

April 12 Long Beach Street Circuit

10

August 9-10 Road America

4

May 3-4 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

11

August 23-24 Virginia International Raceway

5

May 31 The Raceway at Belle Isle Park

12

September 20 Circuit of the Americas

6

June 7 Kansas Speedway

13

October 3-4 Road Atlanta

7

June 28-29 Watkins Glen International

See it on

© 2013 International Motor Sports Association, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The TUDOR UNITED SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP™ logo and word mark are used under license by the International Motor Sports Association, LLC and Tudor Watch U.S.A., LLC. TUDOR® and TUDOR® are trademarks of Tudor Watch U.S.A., LLC. The IMSA® logo and word mark are trademarks of International Motor Sports Association, LLC.

IMSA.com

DRIVER PROFILES

League of Champions

new Chase format opens the door for numerous drivers to have a shot at the championship by jared turner POLEPOSITIONmaG.COM

25

DRIVER PROFILES

48 number

Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Johnson, who is on a quest to join Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ only seven-time champions, has an excellent shot at securing the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title.

Battle-Tested Team info Owner Rick Hendrick Team Hendrick Motorsports Sponsors Lowe’s/ Kobalt Tools Manufacturer Chevrolet Crew Chief Chad Knaus

26

POLE POSITION 2013

The Hendrick Motorsports driver, whose six series championships have all come in the past eight seasons, has won the title under a Chase format featuring 10, 12 and, in the case of last season, 13 drivers. Although this year’s new Chase field has been expanded to include 16 drivers, and features a different method whereby the champion is crowned, the changes should not stop Johnson and his veteran, battle-tested team from being a strong contender all the way to the end.

Johnson has won at all but two of the 10 Chase tracks – Chicagoland Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway – and boasts multiple victories at each of the eight tracks where he has won.

The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet has a history of particularly strong success at the three tracks that make up the new Eliminator Round of the Chase and set the stage for an all-new four-man NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship race at Homestead. Among the three tracks featured in the Eliminator Round – Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway – Johnson boasts a total of 15 victories.

The biggest obstacle between Johnson and his Chad Knausled team taking home a seventh title might be the last track – Homestead, where Johnson has yet to win in 13 tries. It should be noted, however, that Johnson has never needed to win the season’s final race at the South Florida track to win the championship. That could change this year, however, as the driver who finishes highest at Homestead among the four championshipeligible drivers entering the weekend will be the 2014 champion.

Photos courtesy Hendrick Motorsports

AVAILABLE AT

DRIVER PROFILES

14 numBER

tony Stewart With this year’s new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup qualification procedure virtually guaranteeing any driver who wins a regular-season race a place among the expanded 16-driver field, Tony Stewart should be in great shape.

nOt a PROBLEm

InFO Owner MaRGaRet Haas TeaM stewaRt-Haas RacinG SpOnSOrS bass pRo sHops/ MobiL 1/RusH tRuck centeRs ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief cHad JoHnston

28

POLE POSItIOn 2013

after all, winning has never been a problem for Stewart.

The three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has posted at least one victory each season since joining NASCAR’s top series in 1999, and even scored a victory last year before being forced to miss the final 15 races while recovering from a broken right leg suffered in a sprint car crash.

Before getting hurt, Stewart went to Victory Lane in the June race at Dover International Speedway – one of his best tracks – and appeared to be picking up steam for a run at his second title in three seasons for the five-yearold Stewart-Haas Racing organization. Such was not in the cards, however, as Stewart’s hopes of a Chase berth – and a title – went up in smoke with an injury that required several months of rehabilitation.

Now, Stewart is healthy again and hoping to bring home some new championship hardware to the organization he co-owns with Gene Haas. The revised Chase format should certainly play to Stewart’s advantage – but not only in the arena of playoff qualification. Stewart has wins at all 10 of the current Chase venues and owns multiple victories at seven. One of Stewart’s best tracks is the last one, Homestead-Miami Speedway, where four championship contenders will arrive in November with equal points and square off in a one-race shootout for all the marbles, with the highest finisher taking the title.

Stewart has three wins at the South Florida track, the latest coming in memorable fashion in 2011 to cap off his thrilling championship run over Carl Edwards, who lost the title to Stewart on a tiebreaker.

20 numBER

matt Kenseth Under a new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format that puts greater emphasis than ever on winning, Matt Kenseth seems poised to weigh heavily into the championship mix in 2014.

an EaRLY FaVORItE InFO Owner Joe Gibbs TeaM Joe Gibbs RacinG SpOnSOrS doLLaR GeneRaL/ tHe HoMe depot ManufacTurer toYota crew cHief Jason RatcLiFF

after all, the 2003 naScar Sprint cup Series champion was the series’ wins leader in 2013 with seven victories. Kenseth enjoyed his most success last season on the 1.5-mile intermediate tracks, which make up most of the schedule and half of the 10 Chase dates.

Particularly impressive about Kenseth’s 2013 campaign, which culminated in a second-place points finish behind champion Jimmie Johnson, was that Kenseth began the season in a new place. After spending his entire NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career with Roush Fenway Racing, Kenseth made the bold move of switching to Joe Gibbs Racing. Clearly, his decision was rewarded as Kenseth posted a career-high wins total and posed a serious threat to Johnson’s bid for a sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title.

Given Kenseth’s tendency to win early and often with JGR, the veteran driver should have no problem making the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Based on last year, Kenseth should also advance with relative ease out of the new Contender and Challenger Rounds of the Chase. The next round, known as the Eliminator Round, could prove the most challenging for Kenseth.

It was during this stretch of races – Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway – last season that he lost the points lead to Johnson and was unable to recover. Kenseth’s most troublesome spot by far was Phoenix, where he struggled with the handling of his No. 20 Toyota before ultimately coming home 23rd.

If Kenseth can avoid another letdown in the Arizona desert this fall, it’s highly plausible that he’ll be among the four drivers left standing entering the final race.

POLEPOSITIONmaG.COM

29

DRIVER PROFILES

88 numBER

Dale Earnhardt Jr. When NASCAR rolled out its retooled Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, one of the first questions on the minds of many fans was how the new format may impact the title aspirations of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

InFO Owner Rick HendRick TeaM HendRick MotoRspoRts SpOnSOrS nationaL GuaRd ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief steve LetaRte

30

POLE POSItIOn 2013

a tRuE COntEnDER while the answer remains to be seen, there’s at least one compelling tidbit already worth noting: If the 2014 playoff structure had been in place last season, Earnhardt Jr. – not teammate Jimmie Johnson – would have won the series title.

Now, granted such an assertion must be made with the important caveat that strategies may have differed under the new Chase format in such a way that Earnhardt may not have won the championship. But, based on pure math, Earnhardt would have been the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

Here’s how: Based on the 2014 points structure, Earnhardt would’ve been the fourth and final championship-eligible driver heading into the 2013 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Then, with the point totals of the four drivers having been reset and made equal before the final race, Earnhardt would have won the championship based on finishing better at Homestead – third – than the other three championship contenders.

One word of caution to Junior Nation, however: Homestead is traditionally one of Earnhardt’s worst tracks. In fact, prior to last season’s outing, Earnhardt had recorded only one top-10 finish in 13 starts at the South Florida facility. So, if Earnhardt is among the four drivers whose title hopes are alive entering the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship race, will he be considered a favorite or a longshot?

That probably depends on who his competitors are, but Earnhardt’s stellar record in last year’s Chase – highlighted by three runner-up finishes in the 10 events – makes him a real championship threat in his final season with crew chief Steve Letarte calling the shots.

driVer Photo courtesy the nAtionAL GuArd

DRIVER PROFILES

10 numBER

Danica Patrick Brace yourself. That which once seemed unthinkable isn’t so anymore. With a stroke of good fortune, Danica Patrick could be the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

a LEGItImatE SHOt

InFO Owner Gene Haas/ tonY stewaRt TeaM stewaRt-Haas RacinG SpOnSOrS GodaddY/ aspen dentaL ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief tonY Gibson

32

POLE POSItIOn 2013

Granted, patrick still faces a tall order in beating the likes of six-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, 2013 championship runner-up Matt Kenseth, four-time champion Jeff Gordon and even her teammate and car owner, three-time champion Tony Stewart, for the sport’s top prize in 2014.

But the revised Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format gives Patrick championship hope that in all likelihood probably didn’t exist prior to the rollout of the new, expanded 16-driver playoff field. With any driver who goes to Victory Lane in the season’s first 26 races now almost assured a berth in NASCAR’s playoff, it is plausible – heck, maybe even likely – that NASCAR’s most popular woman makes the Chase in only her second full season of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition.

As a rookie, Patrick proved to be super competitive at the two restrictor-plate tracks – Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway – that host three of the first 26 events.

Who, after all, can forget Patrick’s history-making pole for the 2013 Daytona 500, followed by her history-making eighth-place finish in the Great American Race.

With a little luck, Patrick could have won the Daytona 500, but such a remarkable achievement still wouldn’t have been enough to land her a berth in the Chase last year. Now, thanks to a new Chase format that puts a greater emphasis on winning, one victory – along with a top-30 points ranking after 26 races – should make Patrick a Chase qualifier.

As for her championship odds, well, they’re certainly longer.

However, two of the tracks in the Chase – Martinsville Speedway and Talladega – are places where Patrick impressed as a rookie.

So, anything is possible.

Look through the roll Where the mystery’s revealed.

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DRIVER PROFILES

24 numBER

Jeff Gordon Jeff Gordon is a fourtime NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

However, Gordon, whose last title was in 2001, has not won a championship since the Chase was introduced in 2004. tHE DRIVE FOR FIVE

By

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although the chase for the naScar Sprint Cup remains alive and well, the 2014 season marks the biggest change to how a champion is crowned since the initial Chase rollout a decade ago. Maybe, just maybe, however, this is exactly what Gordon needs to finally capture the elusive fifth title that most close observers of the sport believed would be his many years ago.

Under the new championship structure that virtually guarantees regular-season winners a spot in the Chase, Gordon shouldn’t have an issue – he has gone to Victory Lane at least once in 19 of his 21 full-time seasons in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The bigger challenge facing Gordon – and many of his peers – will be turning a probable Chase berth into a championship season.

Based on math alone – not taking into account how strategies may have differed under different rules – Gordon and his Alan Gustafson-led team would have finished fourth in points, two spots better than he actually did, if the 2014 Chase format had been in place last season. The Hendrick Motorsports driver also would have been one of four championshipeligible drivers and tied for the points lead heading into the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

What does this revisionist history mean for Gordon in 2014? In all likelihood, probably not much. But then again, it is probably safe to predict that the new championship format will not hurt the veteran’s title hopes. The bigger question is if, and how much, it might help them.

InFO Owner Rick HendRick TeaM HendRick MotoRspoRts SpOnSOrS dRive to end HunGeR/ aXaLta/pepsi ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief aLan GustaFson

DVX, DVX Logo, WX, WILEY X (and circle logo) are trademarks of Wiley X, Inc., registered (marca registrada) or pending registration in the U.S. and other countries/jurisdictions.

34 POLE POSItIOn 2013X, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2014 Jeff Gordon, Inc. Packaging and Logos TM © 2011 Wiley

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DRIVER PROFILES

2

numBER

Brad Keselowski Brad Keselowski proved in 2012 that the 10 tracks in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are places where he can excel – and even win a championship, with a little good fortune.

RELOaDED anD REaDY InFO Owner RoGeR penske TeaM teaM penske SpOnSOr MiLLeR Lite ManufacTurer FoRd crew cHief pauL woLFe

36

POLE POSItIOn 2013

The Team penske driver proved last season, however, that being the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion doesn’t even guarantee one a berth in the Chase, much less back-to-back series crowns. Indeed, Keselowski became only the second driver in the 10-year history of the Chase to miss NASCAR’s playoff the season after winning a title (Tony Stewart, in 2006, is the other).

With this year’s playoff field being expanded to 16 drivers, however, the odds strongly favor Keselowski being back in the Chase. Of course, the only almost sure-fire way of guaranteeing that under the new points system is to find Victory Lane at least once in the season’s first 26 races, which Keselowski was unable to do in 2013. Keselowski did ultimately score a win, however – at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October – and finished the season with five finishes of 11th or better in the final six races.

The 30-year-old Michigan native believes his Paul Wolfe-led team has made some changes that should translate into even more improvements this year.

“We think we’re where we need to be to go out and run for another championship,” said Keselowski, who over four full seasons of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition has recorded wins at five of the 10 Chase tracks. “I feel like we’re reloaded and one of the key areas was the pit crew. Going back from 2012 to 2014, we have two of six from that same cast on the pit crew, so a lot of changes over the last few years. We retired a few people and we’re finally getting into a situation where we’re reloaded.”

4

numBER

InFO Owner Gene Haas/ tonY stewaRt TeaM stewaRt-Haas RacinG SpOnSOrS budweiseR/JiMMY JoHn’s/outback steakHouse ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief RodneY cHiLdeRs

Kevin Harvick In his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing after 13 mostly successful years with Richard Childress Racing, Kevin Harvick hopes to finally seal the deal on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

‘tHE CLOSER’ Harvick, who is nicknamed “The closer” for his proclivity to come on strong at the end of races, will need to save his best for the final leg of the 2014 season if he hopes to snare his first title. Fortunately for Harvick, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Much like the Bakersfield, Calif., native is known for coming through in the clutch on race day, Harvick also tends to get stronger as the Chase goes on – as evidenced by third-place points finishes in three of the past four seasons. Harvick is also a threat to win on most of the Chase tracks, with Dover International Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway the only playoff venues he has yet to conquer.

Harvick is especially potent at Phoenix International Raceway, a one-mile facility where he has five victories, including triumphs in each of the past two Chase races. PIR hosts the final race of the new Chase Eliminator Round that sets up the decisive seasonending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway where four drivers will battle it out for the 2014 title.

Although Harvick has never triumphed at Homestead, his record is stout – 11 top-10 finishes, including five top fives, in 13 starts. This year’s race at Homestead seems to play to Harvick’s strengths more than ever. It is one race to decide the championship, and four drivers will show up with equal points and thus an equal shot to hoist the champion’s trophy. Sounds like just the scenario for a guy known as “The Closer” to live up to his nickname.

POLEPOSITIONmaG.COM

37

DRIVER PROFILES

18 numBER

InFO Owner Joe Gibbs TeaM Joe Gibbs RacinG SpOnSOrS M&M’s/inteRstate batteRies ManufacTurer toYota crew cHief dave RoGeRs

38

POLE POSItIOn 2013

Kyle Busch Kyle Busch had no trouble winning races in 2013. By the time the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup rolled around in September, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver had already been to Victory Lane an impressive four times.

CRanK It uP The biggest shortcoming of Busch’s season? He never won again. Despite enjoying a strong Chase that included seven top-10 finishes and culminated in a career-best fourth-place finish in the points, Busch and his Dave Rogers-led team were unable to break into the winner’s column during the 10-race playoff.

A repeat Chase performance in 2014 won’t go far toward helping Busch claim his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship under the retooled Chase format. With wins carrying more importance than ever, Busch will need to elevate his game considerably over the first nine playoff races to be among the four drivers still standing entering the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

And even if Busch goes to Homestead with a shot, he could be hard-pressed to come out on top since he has no wins and only one top-five finish in nine starts at the South Florida track.

One track of perhaps even bigger concern is Kansas Speedway, which hosts the fourth race of the 2014 Chase. The 1.5-mile venue has hands-down been Busch’s toughest track in recent years, with the Las Vegas native posting three consecutive finishes outside the top 30 from the fall 2012 race through the fall 2013 race. Busch’s best finish in 13 starts at Kansas is seventh – and that was all the way back in 2006 while driving for Hendrick Motorsports.

If Busch can salvage a solid day at Kansas, which hosts the first race of the new Chase Contender Round, the driver of the No. 18 Toyota should be in good shape to advance.

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DRIVER PROFILES numBER

99

Carl Edwards

InFO Owner Jack RousH TeaM RousH FenwaY RacinG SpOnSOrS aFLac/ FastenaL/ subwaY ManufacTurer FoRd crew cHief JiMMY FenniG

numBER

15

attaInaBLE GOaL reaching the chase for the naScar Sprint Cup is a highly attainable goal for Carl Edwards. If the Roush Fenway Racing driver simply repeats his performance from the first 26 races of last season – winning twice – he’s good to go for the Chase. But Edwards, twice a championship runner-up, finished last among the 13 participants in last year’s playoff.

He’ll need to finish better just about everywhere over the final 10 weeks to be one of the four drivers vying for the title at the season-ending NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a track where he has two wins.

Clint Bowyer

InFO OwnerS MicHaeL waLtRip/Rob kauFFMan TeaM MicHaeL waLtRip RacinG SpOnSOr 5-HouR eneRGY ManufacTurer toYota crew cHief bRian pattie

40

POLE POSItIOn 2013

WHICH WILL It BE? This year’s new chase for the naScar Sprint Cup could be a blessing or a curse for Clint Bowyer. Much depends on whether the Bowyer of 2012 or 2013 shows up. In the former year, Bowyer won twice during the regular season, picked up a third victory in the fall Chase race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and finished a career-best second in points. Last season, Bowyer made the Chase but was unable to get to Victory Lane. Bowyer has two wins at both New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway – tracks in the new Challenger and Contender Chase rounds, respectively.

Kasey Kahne

numBER

5 InFO

Owner Rick HendRick TeaM HendRick MotoRspoRts SpOnSOrS FaRMeRs insuRance/GReat cLips/tiMe waRneR cabLe ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief kennY FRancis

numBER

11

StROnG SuIt Kasey Kahne will be the first to admit that winning races – more than consistency – has been a strong suit throughout his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career. Last season was a good example as Kahne made the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup via a Wild Card slot for race victories – not based on his regular-season points total. This year’s new Chase format, which is designed to reward winning more than consistency, should therefore play right to Kahne’s strengths, which may be just what the Hendrick Motorsports driver needs to claim his first series title in his third year with the organization.

Denny Hamlin

InFO Owner Joe Gibbs TeaM Joe Gibbs RacinG SpOnSOrS FedeX/spoRt cLips ManufacTurer toYota crew cHief daRian GRubb

HunGRY FOR a tItLE Other than last season when a back injury derailed Denny Hamlin’s bid to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been a fixture of the 10-race playoff since joining the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2006. A championship has been harder to come by.

But Hamlin, who finished a career-best runner-up in 2010, is as hungry as ever for a title. If Hamlin is one of the four drivers still standing at HomesteadMiami Speedway – where he won last season and has two victories in the past five years – he’ll likely be the favorite.

POLEPOSITIONmaG.COM

41

DRIVER PROFILES numBER

41

Kurt Busch

InFO Owner tonY stewaRt/Gene Haas TeaM stewaRt-Haas RacinG SpOnSOr Haas autoMation ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief danieL knost

numBER

22

HIGH EXPECtatIOnS in 2013, Kurt Busch achieved the unprecedented feat of reaching the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with a single-car organization – Furniture Row Racing. This season, Busch hopes to become one of the few drivers in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history to win a championship with two different organizations. Busch, who captured his first title in 2004 with Roush Fenway Racing, has joined talent-rich Stewart-Haas Racing where, unlike last year, he will be expected to make the Chase. SHR should also help Busch get back to Victory Lane – a place he hasn’t been since 2011, his final season with Team Penske.

Joey Logano

InFO Owner RoGeR penske TeaM teaM penske SpOnSOrS sHeLL/ pennZoiL ManufacTurer FoRd crew cHief todd GoRdon

42

POLE POSItIOn 2013

FuLL OF COnFIDEnCE Joey Logano dug himself a deep hole in the first race of the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup when a blown engine ended his night early and left him with a 37thplace finish at Chicagoland Speedway. From a championship standpoint, the first-year Team Penske driver never recovered, finishing eighth out of 13 Chase drivers despite following his Chicagoland disaster with five top-10 finishes in the remaining nine Chase races. This season, when poor Chase finishes won’t hurt drivers nearly as much as a win helps them, Logano can win the title – even with a Chase hiccup or two.

Greg Biffle

numBER

16 InFO Owner Jack RousH TeaM RousH FenwaY RacinG SpOnSOr 3M ManufacTurer FoRd crew cHief Matt puccia

numBER

31

FaSt at HOmEStEaD To win the naScar Sprint cup Series championship, Greg Biffle and the entire Roush Fenway Racing organization must take it up a notch from the 2013 campaign in which Biffle – the highest-finishing RFR driver in points – ranked ninth at season’s end. If RFR can supply Biffle with a car consistently capable of winning, particularly at the 1.5-mile tracks that are his greatest strength, “The Biff” could win the title – especially if he’s one of the four championship-eligible drivers entering the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Biffle, with three victories, is tied with Tony Stewart as the track’s all-time wins leader.

Ryan newman

InFO Owner RicHaRd cHiLdRess TeaM RicHaRd cHiLdRess RacinG SpOnSOrS cateRpiLLaR/ Quicken Loans/wiX FiLteRs ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief Luke LaMbeRt

POISED unDER PRESSuRE Like Kasey Kahne, ryan newman isn’t known for stellar consistency but understands how to win. Like Kevin Harvick, Newman tends to be at his best in the clutch and on the grandest stages. Now in his first season with Richard Childress Racing after five solid years at Stewart-Haas Racing, Newman is one of the few drivers with triumphs in NASCAR’s two biggest races – the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400, which he captured with two different teams. The new elimination-style Chase format should be well-suited for Newman, who tends to elevate his game when the pressure is on.

POLEPOSITIONmaG.COM

43

DRIVER PROFILES

InFO

nO.

43

Owner RicHaRd pettY TeaM RicHaRd pettY MotoRspoRts SpOnSOrS sMitHFieLd Foods/ U.S. AIR FORCE ManufacTurer FoRd crew cHief tRent owens

Aric Almirola

tHE DOOR’S OPEn

aric aLMirOLa, wHO MaDe significant strides in 2013, has the potential to really benefit from NASCAR’s expansion of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup to 16 drivers. While finishing the first 26 races in the top 10 in points or earning one of only two available Wild Card positions would’ve likely been a tall order under the old points system, the new format opens things up for an improving driver like Almirola.

Marcos Ambrose

nO.

9

ROaD tO SuCCESS

auSTraLian MarcOS aMBrOSe MaY benefit greatly from NASCAR’s decision to make winning a more important element in qualifying for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Arguably the sport’s best pure road racer, Ambrose is now all but assured a berth in the Chase by winning on either of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ two road courses – Watkins Glen International and Sonoma Raceway. Unfortunately for Ambrose’s championship hopes, there are no road courses in the Chase.

InFO Owner RicHaRd cHiLdRess TeaM RicHaRd cHiLdRess RacinG

Austin Dillon

nOt a tYPICaL ROOKIE

nO rOOKie HaS eVer wOn THe naScar Sprint Cup Series championship. But Austin Dillon isn’t exactly the typical rookie. Dillon, the grandson of veteran team owner Richard Childress, made the move to NASCAR’s top division this season carrying the weight of the iconic No. 3 on his car and with NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles already in hand. If Dillon can reach the Chase, his championship prospects can’t be disregarded.

SpOnSOrS dow cHeMicaL/ cHeeRios ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief GiL MaRtin

LiKe feLLOw rOOKie auSTin Dillon, Kyle Larson is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series newcomer with a promising future. Few question whether Larson has the potential to be a champion in NASCAR’s top series. The question is how much time the 21-year-old needs to adjust, particularly after spending only one full season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Until it becomes clear how big of an adjustment Larson faces, his prospects are hard to pinpoint.

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POLE POSItIOn 2013

SpOnSOrS stanLeY/dewaLt

crew cHief dRew bLickensdeRFeR

3

tHE CaLIFORnIa KID

TeaM RicHaRd pettY MotoRspoRts

ManufacTurer FoRd

nO.

Kyle Larson

InFO Owner RicHaRd pettY

InFO Owner cHip Ganassi TeaM cHip Ganassi RacinG witH FeLiX sabates SpOnSOr taRGet ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief cHRis HeRoY

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P_Halfpg.pdf

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InFO Owner cHip Ganassi TeaM cHip Ganassi RacinG witH FeLiX sabates SpOnSOrS McdonaLd’s/ cessna ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief keitH Rodden

Casey Mears

SEIZE tHE mOmEnt

fOr MearS TO MaKe THe cHaSe fOr 1 NASCAR 1/24/14Sprint 2:01 the CupPMthis year, winning a race is certainly the way to do it. Barring a major improvement from the past few seasons, it will be hard for Mears to reach the playoffs on points. In order to make the Chase, Mears must seize upon opportunities at Talladega Superspeedway – where anyone can win – and Charlotte Motor Speedway – where he is a past winner.

nO.

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Jamie McMurray

Out OF nOWHERE

MucH LiKe KaSeY KaHne anD rYan Newman, Jamie McMurray has never found consistency to be a strongsuit. Winning has been easier, however. What does that mean for McMurray’s title aspirations this year?

McMurray possesses an uncanny knack for coming out of nowhere when it’s least expected. Similar to Newman, he’s won the sport’s two biggest races and seems to excel on the biggest stages – just not the Chase, until perhaps now.

InFO Owner bob GeRMain TeaM GeRMain RacinG SpOnSOr Geico ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief RobeRt “bootie” baRkeR

POLEPOSITIONmaG.COM

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DRIVER PROFILES

InFO Owner RicHaRd cHiLdRess TeaM RicHaRd cHiLdRess RacinG

Paul Menard

nO.

27

BuILDInG a FOunDatIOn

THe eXpanSiOn Of THe cHaSe fOr the NASCAR Sprint Cup to 16 drivers swings the door open for Paul Menard. Menard has finishes of 17th, 16th and 17th in points over his three seasons since joining Richard Childress Racing, but has never quite had things fall into place to be a Chase contender. Menard claimed a Brickyard 400 victory in 2011 – and doesn’t get easily excited.

SpOnSOr MenaRds ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief RicHaRd “sLuGGeR” Labbe

David Ragan

PLatE-tRaCK maEStRO

DaViD raGan, One Of THe naScar Sprint Cup Series’ most unheralded restrictor-plate race car drivers, has victories in recent years at both Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. With this year’s new requirements for Chase qualification, a win at either track should get Ragan into the Chase – provided he is in the top 30 in points after 26 races. Winning the title, however, will be much harder.

nO.

17

InFO

SpOnSOr taco beLL/csX tRanspoRtation ManufacTurer FoRd crew cHief JaY GuY

InFO Owner Jack RousH TeaM RousH FenwaY RacinG SpOnSOrS nationwide insuRance/Zest

crew cHief Mike keLLeY

REaDY tO ROCK

if MarTin TrueX Jr. can DO wiTH Furniture Row Racing what Kurt Busch did last season with the single-car organization, Truex will reach the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. But to make the Chase and win the championship this season under the new playoff format, Truex will likely need to win – something Busch was unable to do last season. Homestead-Miami Speedway, site of the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship race, is one of Truex’s best tracks.

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POLE POSItIOn 2013

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TeaM FRont Row MotoRspoRts

ManufacTurer FoRd

Martin Truex Jr.

nO.

Owner bob Jenkins

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

SOPHOmORE SEnSatIOn

in 1980, DaLe earnHarDT wOn THe NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title one season after being named Sunoco Rookie of the Year. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. dreams of the same in 2014.

Stenhouse, who edged out Danica Patrick for the rookie title, hopes to earn his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory in his sophomore campaign, and turn that into a Chase berth. Whether Stenhouse can contend for a title depends on the strength of Roush Fenway Racing.

InFO Owner baRneY visseR TeaM FuRnituRe Row RacinG SpOnSOr FuRnituRe Row ManufacTurer cHevRoLet crew cHief todd beRRieR

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history of nascar

Moments That Helped Shape NASCAR

A

s the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series approached in the early 1970s, fans enjoyed many incredible accomplishments by veteran drivers while embracing those who were beginning to make their marks at a variety of race tracks across the country. Fortune 500 companies discovered NASCAR as the perfect vehicle for advertising their widely recognized brands. Their presence on the quarter panels and hoods of many of the winning Chevrolets, Fords and Dodges served as a major step toward NASCAR becoming a respected, nationally known sport. During the course of the 2014 season, NASCAR Pole Position will take a look at historic moments that helped shape NASCAR.

A Coke and a Smile

Bobby Allison, of Hueytown, Ala., won 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 31 starts during 1972. Allison’s No. 12 Coca-Cola Chevrolet was owned by Richard Howard, built by Junior Johnson and maintained by veteran crew chief Herb Nab. Despite their very impressive performance, the combination lasted only one season.

The Legendary No. 21

A New Star Shines

Ultimate Rivalry

While in his second year with Wood Brothers Racing in 1973, David Pearson won 11 of 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in the potent No. 21 Mercury. The three-time series champion collected 43 victories and 51 pole positions while running only limited schedules for the Virginia-based team from 1972 to 1979.

In his fourth year of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing, Darrell Waltrip became a fan favorite after winning in his own car at his home track, Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tenn., on May 10, 1975. Later that year, Waltrip joined DiGard Racing and collected 26 victories with the team from 1975 through 1980.

David Pearson and Richard Petty finished first and second 63 times throughout their decades-long careers.

Pearson tops the win column with 33 to Petty’s 30. Their final one-two finish came on June 12, 1977, on the road course at California’s Riverside International Raceway with Petty going to Victory Lane.

by ben white 48

POLE POSITION 2014

photos courtesy Charlotte Motor Speedway

AROUND HERE, CHAOS IS ORDER, UP IS DOWN AND LEFT IS ALWAYS RIGHT. FOLLOW EVERY TURN AT NASCAR.com

©NASCAR 2014

nascar fuEL carEErs

ryan McgEE EsPn thE MagazinE sEnior WritEr

A

adam alexander

nascar on tnt PLay-By-PLay announcEr

a

dam Alexander, whose steady rise up the career ladder has landed him the coveted role of play-by-play announcer for NASCAR races on TNT, didn’t waste any time gaining valuable experience in his chosen field.

In fact, he didn’t even wait until his high school graduation. As a high school junior and senior living in Indianapolis, Alexander would spend half a day working with a radio and TV program run by the school, and called the school’s basketball games on the radio.

After graduation, it was off to junior college for two years during which time Alexander volunteered his services at a pair of Indiana television stations and continued to call high school sporting events on the radio every time he had a chance.

Alexander graduated from Vincennes University with a degree in broadcasting and

landed his first real job in 1993 with a FOX affiliate in Evansville, Ind. In addition to the network affiliate, Alexander worked for a low-power station doing play-by-play, hosting and reporting for high school and college sports before ultimately being named sports director and becoming anchor of the station’s nightly sportscast.

It’s certainly fair to say that Alexander, now one of the premier TV voices for America’s fastest sport, earned his way to the top.

“When I was coming up in this business, I spent as much time working on my craft as possible,” said Alexander, 40. “I would

watch events with the TV on mute and call the action to gain experience. I would study others on the air to help formulate ideas on ways to better myself. I would drive in the car and do play by play of events I was visualizing in my head, all in an effort to gain more experience.”

After being the play-by-play voice for the University of Evansville basketball team and serving as race announcer at an Indiana short track, Alexander embarked upon his first NASCAR job in 2000 with the Concord, N.C.-based Motor Racing Network.

In the fall of 2006, the already veteran

broadcast journalist joined SPEED as a NASCAR reporter and has been plugged into the FOX Family of Networks ever since.

Today, he is a cohost of “NASCAR Race Hub,” the daily NASCAR news and information program on FOX Sports 1, in addition to his aforementioned role with TNT, where he started in the summer of 2009 and moved to the race broadcast booth in 2010.

“The key to being good at TV hosting is preparation,” Alexander said. “The more prepared you are, the more confident you become on the air and that translates to a good product.”

senior writer who has covered NASCAR for ESPN The Magazine since 2007, Ryan McGee wears a variety of hats in his job – one that entails much more than penning an article or two each week.

McGee, simply put, isn’t just a magazine writer. The 43-year-old University of Tennessee alumnus is as adept at speaking in front of a TV camera as he is at churning out words on a keyboard.

McGee landed a job as a production assistant for ESPN right out of college and later joined the staff of the network’s nightly motorsports show, “RPM2Night.”

After working as the producer of “Totally NASCAR” on FOX Sports Net and then becoming editor-in-chief at NASCAR Media Group, it was back to ESPN. McGee certainly has a few tips for those seeking a similar career path.

“No. 1, listen,” he said.

“No. 2, try to look in a different direction than everyone else, even when you’re all reporting on the same story.

No. 3, don’t fall back on the same old sportswriter phrases and terms. Always try to write a sentence no one’s ever written before.

No. 4, read everything.

There’s a lot of great writing and reporting out there and, thanks to social media and search engines, it’s all easy to find.”

by jared turner 50

PoLE Position 2014

LifEstyLE nascar fuEL

doWntiME WITH KYLE LARSON

n

ASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie kyle larson has spent most of his 21 years racing something. Only now that Larson has reached the top level of NASCAR does he feel like he can actually relax and recharge.

“Up until this year, I haven’t really had a whole lot of time to go do things,” the Elk Grove, Calif., native said. “Most of my stuff was probably during the winter – I’d go snowboard or something with my friends in Tahoe once a year, two times a year, maybe.

“Now that I’m 21, I’ll go and have a drink or something with my friends – just try to do normal things, but my main love is racing. So that’s what I try to put 100 percent of my time into. Even at home I’ll race online on the computer, so racing kind of is my life.”

But it’s not his entire life; at least not anymore.

“I can spend a whole day on the couch watching TV,” Larson said.

Not that he’s exactly paying close attention to the tube.

“Usually, the TV’s just running in the background and I’m on the computer hitting refresh on Twitter or Facebook following stuff,” Larson concluded.

MEntaL PrEP WITH MICHAEL MCDOWELL Do you have a ritual that helps you prepare for races?

In our sport you have so many distractions up until the point of racing that you don’t really get in the zone until you get strapped in and get going; and pretty much that’s just like a switch.

Once you’re in, you just go.

training WITH JAMIE MCMURRAY

W

hen it comes to physical fitness, Jamie McMurray is committed – just not to a particular workout regimen.

“It’s just different all the time,” he said.

“For a while I had a trainer and then I joined a CrossFit program. I’ve taken up running lately. There’s really nothing you can do to simulate being in a race car, but I enjoy working out – even if I didn’t race cars.”

McMurray, who tries to hit the gym every day, isn’t sure to what extent intense exercise builds racing stamina.

“We have guys that run triathlons and we have guys that don’t, and both of them are successful and win,” he said.

So how important is fitness for NASCAR drivers?

“That’s hard to say because when you’ve raced your whole life, I feel like your body is built for racing,” McMurray said. “If you take someone who’s never been in a race car and put him in, they would probably have parts of their body sore that they’ve never felt before.

The same thing if you put a race car driver in a different sport. So I think that’s hard to say, because I think most of us are in really good racing shape.”

fuELing uP WITH DAVID GILLILAND

Breakfast: LUNCH: “Usually, I wake up and try to eat some fruit and some bread, toast in the morning.

Beverages, I’m on water. My son, I keep telling him how bad sodas are to drink, it seems like, with just so much sugar that they have, so I’ve been on water or milk.”

“I try to get either chicken, salad or some pasta with maybe a banana in there, or an apple or orange – something like that. That’s my healthy routine. Sometimes we get off of that a little bit, but that’s what I try and stay on throughout the year.”

DINNER:

“It’s pasta at night. My favorite kind of pasta is probably spaghetti with red sauce, meat sauce. Side dishes, steamed broccoli is probably my favorite. French fries are probably my absolute favorite, but I can’t eat those and fit in my seat at the same time.”

SNACK:

“For a snack, I like granola bars. And I like maybe an orange, a banana or something like that,” Gilliland said.

Never candy? “Well, Mars – M&M’s. I’ve got to keep M&M’s in my motor home, for sure, but I can’t get into them every day.”

PoLEPOSITIONMag.COM

51

PHOTOHUNT

Study the top photo, then see if you can find the eight changes that were made in the bottom photo.

52

POLE POSITION 2014

ANSWERS // (1) “Daytona 500” changed to “Daytona 800,” (2) Engraving on trophy removed, (3) Logo on Dale Jr.’s hat removed, (4) Dale Jr.’s beard grew longer, (5) All-Star shoulder logos removed, (6) Mountain Dew and Chevrolet chest logos switched positions, (7) Left forearm logo duplicated, (8) Daytona logo duplicated near right side of background.

nascar fuel fun pages

crazy maze

Test your driving skills and find the exit!

wordspell How many words can you spell using only the letters that appear in this driver’s name?

austin dillon tin, dill, on...

Match the state with the correct track.

who am i?

■■ ■■

2 1

3

6 5 4

■■

■■

_ Darlington Raceway _ Richmond Int’l Raceway _ Texas Motor Speedway

_ Talladega Superspeedway _ Kansas Speedway _ Charlotte Motor Speedway

■■

I was born in North Carolina I played in the Little League World Series I won a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship and a NASCAR Nationwide Series championship 2014 is my first time running a full NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season I won the pole position for the 2014 Daytona 500 ANSWER // Austin Dillon

track hunt

POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

53

ANSWERS // (1) Texas Motor Speedway, (2) Kansas Speedway, (3) Talladega Superspeedway, (4) Darlington Raceway, (5) Charlotte Motor Speedway, (6) Richmond Int’l Raceway

nascar fuEL fun PagEs

dEsign your oWn racE car

Match thE drivEr

JEFF GORDON

17

54

PoLE Position 2014

Match the NASCAR Sprint Cup driver to the number that appears on his car.

JAMIE MCMURRAY

13

Have fun creating a custom paint scheme!

JOEY LOGANO

24

CASEY MEARS

1

RICKY STENHOUSE JR.

22

can you draw nascar?

WinnEr’s circLE

1

2

GARAGE GRIME? YES, IT CLEANS THAT!

and thE WinnErs arE...

■ [1] Joshua Stiver, age 13, Texas ■ [2] Courtney Jones, age 10, Georgia

N

ow is your chance to be featured in the pages of NASCAR Pole Position! Send us your NASCAR-themed artwork. The lucky winners will receive a race jacket of their favorite driver!

On a piece of paper, send us your name, age, complete mailing address, email address or phone number and the driver jacket you would like to win.

No purchase necessary. All entries are eligible.

Visit PolePositionMag.com to learn more about the Winner’s Circle.

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Submissions cannot be returned. Questions? Email poleposition@ae-engine.com. Send your artwork, unfolded, in an oversized envelope to: NASCAR Pole Position Magazine c/o A.E. Engine, Attn: Stacey Foster 11880 28th St. North, Suite 101 St. Petersburg, FL 33716 PoLEPOSITIONMag.COM 55 greased-lightning.com

nascar fuel trivia

How Well Do You Know the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race?

0-20 Rookie 30-40 Spectator 50-60 Fan 70-80 Race Chaser 90-100 Super Fan

2

What year was the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race first run at night under the lights?

A. 1987 B. 2001 C. 1995 D. 1992

1

3

POLE POSITION 2014

Who won the inaugural running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in 1985?

A. Dale Earnhardt B. Darrell Waltrip C. Bill Elliott D. Harry Gant

Which two drivers were involved in the infamous “Pass in the Grass” during the 1987 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race?

A. Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott B. Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace C. Bill Elliott and Geoff Bodine D. Tim Richmond and Terry Labonte

4 56

Take the quiz and score 10 points for each correct answer.

Add up your points and see how you rank!

Charlotte Motor Speedway has hosted 28 of the 29 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races. Which track was the site of the 1986 event?

A. Darlington Raceway B. North Wilkesboro Speedway C. Atlanta Motor Speedway D. North Carolina Motor Speedway

56

Who was the first driver to record back-to-back victories in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race?

A. Jeff Gordon B. Jimmie Johnson C. Dale Earnhardt D. Davey Allison

What was the nickname of the controversial car Jeff Gordon drove to victory in the 1997 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race?

A. Rainbow Warrior B. T-Rex C. Mighty Monte D. Bertha II

7

Which driver has won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race four times?

A. Jimmie Johnson B. Jeff Gordon C. Dale Earnhardt D. Mark Martin

8 10

Who has won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race as both a crew chief and a car owner?

A. Junior Johnson B. Richard Childress C. Ray Evernham D. Rick Hendrick

In 2013, which driver topped the Sprint Fan Vote to earn a starting spot in the race?

A. Jeff Burton B. Martin Truex Jr. C. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. D. Danica Patrick

Since 2009, the final segment of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race has been how many laps?

A. 25 B. 10 C. 15 D. 20 ANSWERS // 1. B; 2. D; 3. A; 4. C; 5. D; 6. B; 7. A; 8. C; 9. B; 10. D

POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

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nascar sEriEs rostErs 2014 nascar sPrint cuP sEriEs rostEr No.

Driver

Team

Sponsor & Make

Crew Chief

Driver Hometown

1 2 3 4 5 7 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 30 31 34 36 38 41 42 43 47 48 51 55 66

Jamie McMurray Brad Keselowski Austin Dillon Kevin Harvick Kasey Kahne Michael Annett Marcos Ambrose Danica Patrick Denny Hamlin Casey Mears Tony Stewart Clint Bowyer Greg Biffle Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Kyle Busch Matt Kenseth Trevor Bayne Joey Logano Alex Bowman Jeff Gordon Cole Whitt Paul Menard Parker Kligerman Ryan Newman David Ragan Reed Sorenson David Gilliland Kurt Busch Kyle Larson Aric Almirola A.J. Allmendinger Jimmie Johnson Justin Allgaier Brian Vickers Joe Nemechek Jeff Burton Dave Blaney Martin Truex Jr. Ryan Truex Dale Earnhardt Jr. Michael McDowell Josh Wise Carl Edwards

Chip Ganassi Racing Team Penske Richard Childress Racing Stewart-Haas Racing Hendrick Motorsports Tommy Baldwin Racing Richard Petty Motorsports Stewart-Haas Racing Joe Gibbs Racing Germain Racing Stewart-Haas Racing Michael Waltrip Racing Roush Fenway Racing Roush Fenway Racing Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing Wood Brothers Racing Team Penske BK Racing Hendrick Motorsports Swan Racing Richard Childress Racing Swan Racing Richard Childress Racing Front Row Motorsports Tommy Baldwin Racing Front Row Motorsports Stewart-Haas Racing Chip Ganassi Racing Richard Petty Motorsports JTG Daugherty Racing Hendrick Motorsports HScott Motorsports Michael Waltrip Racing MWR/Jay Robinson Racing

McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet Miller Lite Ford Dow Chemical/Cheerios Chevrolet Budweiser/Jimmy John’s/Outback Chevrolet Farmers Insurance/Great Clips Chevrolet Pilot/Flying J Chevrolet Stanley/DeWALT Ford GoDaddy/Aspen Dental Chevrolet FedEx/Sport Clips Toyota GEICO Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 5-Hour ENERGY Toyota 3M Ford Nationwide Insurance/Zest Ford M&M’s/Interstate Batteries Toyota Dollar General/The Home Depot Toyota Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shell/Pennzoil Ford Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota Drive to End Hunger/Axalta/Pepsi Chevrolet Swan Energy Toyota Menards Chevrolet Swan Energy Toyota Caterpillar/Quicken Loans/WIX Filters Chevrolet CSX “Play It Safe” Ford Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet Love’s Travel Stops Ford Haas Automation Chevrolet Target Chevrolet Smithfield Foods/U.S. Air Force Ford Kingsford/Clorox/Scott/Bush’s Beans Chevrolet Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota MWR/Jay Robinson Racing Toyota

Keith Rodden Paul Wolfe Gil Martin Rodney Childers Kenny Francis Kevin Manion Drew Blickensderfer Tony Gibson Darian Grubb Robert “Bootie” Barker Chad Johnston Brian Pattie Matt Puccia Mike Kelley Dave Rogers Jason Ratcliff Donnie Wingo Todd Gordon Dave Winston Alan Gustafson Randy Cox Richard “Slugger” Labbe Steven Lane Luke Lambert Jay Guy Todd Parrott Frank Kerr Daniel Knost Chris Heroy Trent Owens Brian Burns Chad Knaus Steve Addington Billy Scott Scott Eggleston

Randy Humphrey Motorsports Furniture Row Racing BK Racing Hendrick Motorsports Leavine Family Racing Phil Parsons Racing Roush Fenway Racing

Randy Humphrey Motorsports Ford Furniture Row Chevrolet Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota National Guard Chevrolet Leavine Family Racing Ford Curb Records Chevrolet Fastenal/Aflac/UPS Ford

Peter Sospenzo Todd Berrier Dale Ferguson Steve Letarte Wally Rogers Gene Nead Jimmy Fennig

Joplin, Mo. Rochester Hills, Mich.

Welcome, N.C. Bakersfield, Calif.

Enumclaw, Wash.

Des Moines, Iowa Launceston, Australia Roscoe, Ill. Chesterfield, Va. Bakersfield, Calif.

Columbus, Ind. Emporia, Kan. Vancouver, Wash.

Olive Branch, Miss.

Las Vegas, Nev. Cambridge, Wis. Knoxville, Tenn.

Middletown, Conn.

Tucson, Ariz.

Vallejo, Calif.

Alpine, Calif.

Eau Claire, Wis. Westport, Conn.

South Bend, Ind. Unadilla, Ga. Peachtree City, Ga. Riverside, Calif.

Las Vegas, Nev. Elk Grove, Calif.

Tampa, Fla. Los Gatos, Calif.

El Cajon, Calif.

Riverton, Ill. Thomasville, N.C. Lakeland, Fla. South Boston, Va.

77 78 83 88 95 98 99

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PoLE Position 2014

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Mayetta, N.J. Mayetta, N.J. Kannapolis, N.C. Glendale, Ariz.

Riverside, Calif.

Columbia, Mo.

ARE YOU READY FOR 2014?

2014 NASCAR nationwide Series roster No. Driver

Hometown

Team

Make

Crew Chief

01 2 3 4 6 7 9 10 11 14 16 19 20

22

23 28 31 39 42 43 44 51 52 54

55 60 62 87 88

98 99

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Boise, Idaho Welcome, N.C. Mooresville, N.C. Knoxville, Tenn.

Cato, N.Y. Dawsonville, Ga. West Palm Beach, Fla. Emporia, Va. Chilhowie, Va. Bakersfield, Calif.

Milwaukie, Ore. Cambridge, Wis. Benson, N.C. Rochester Hills, Mich.

Middletown, Conn.

McKinney, Texas St. Louis, Mo. Las Vegas, Nev. Tucker, Ga. Elk Grove, Calif.

New Castle, Ind. Riverside, Calif.

Spartanburg, S.C. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Las Vegas, Nev. Defiance, Ohio El Paso, Texas Prosper, Texas Las Vegas, Nev. Lakeland, Fla. Bakersfield, Calif.

Enumclaw, Wash.

Germantown, Tenn.

Plano, Texas

JD Motorsports Richard Childress Racing Richard Childress Racing JD Motorsports Roush Fenway Racing JR Motorsports JR Motorsports TriStar Motorsports Joe Gibbs Racing TriStar Motorsports Roush Fenway Racing TriStar Motorsports Joe Gibbs Racing

Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet Ford Chevrolet Chevrolet Toyota Toyota Toyota Ford Toyota Toyota

Johnny Davis Phil Gould Danny Stockman Chris Womack Chad Norris Ryan Pemberton Greg Ives Todd Myers Chris Gayle Wes Ward Seth Barbour Paul Clapprood Kevin Kidd

Team Penske Racing

Ford

Jeremy Bullins

R3 Motorsports Mixon/Whitner Racing Turner Scott Motorsports RSS Racing Turner Scott Motorsports Richard Petty Motorsports TriStar Motorsports Jeremy Clements Racing Jimmy Means Racing Joe Gibbs Racing

Chevrolet Dodge Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet Ford Toyota Chevrolet Chevrolet Toyota

George Church David Goulet Pat Tryson Kevin Starland Scott Zipadelli Phillippe Lopez Greg Conner Ricky Pearson Tim Brown Adam Stevens

Viva Auto Group Racing Roush Fenway Racing Richard Childress Racing NEMCO Motorsports JR Motorsports

Chevrolet Ford Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet

Bill Henderson Scott Graves Shane Wilson Steven Gray Ernie Cope

Biagi-DenSeste Racing RAB Racing

Ford Toyota

Jon Hanson Chris Rice

Landon Cassill Brian Scott Ty Dillon Jeffrey Earnhardt Trevor Bayne Regan Smith Chase Elliott Blake Koch Elliott Sadler Eric McClure Ryan Reed Mike Bliss Matt Kenseth Drew Herring Brad Keselowski Joey Logano Robert Richardson Jr. Mike Wallace Dylan Kwasniewski Ryan Sieg Kyle Larson Dakoda Armstrong Josh Wise Jeremy Clements Joey Gase Kyle Busch Sam Hornish Jr. Jamie Dick Chris Buescher Brendan Gaughan Joe Nemechek Kevin Harvick Kasey Kane Kevin Swindell James Buescher

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2014 NASCAR camping world TRUCK Series roster

FA N

Joe Shear Jason Miller Mike Beam Chris Carrier Jerry Babb

Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing Red Horse Racing Brad Keselowski Racing

Chevrolet Toyota Ford

Steve Kuykendall Marcus Richmond Doug Randolph

NTS Motorsports Allegiant Travel Racing NTS Motorsports Hillman Racing Brad Keselowski Racing Turner Scott Motorsports Turner Scott Motorsports Win-Tron Racing RSS Racing DDK Motorsports Kyle Busch Motorsports

Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet Ford Chevrolet Chevrolet Toyota Chevrolet Toyota Toyota

Jeff Hensley Jeff Stankiewicz Gene Kennon Mark Hillman Chad Kendrick Shane Huffman Michael Shelton Mark Rette Kevin Starland Wade Day Eric Phillips

Kyle Busch Motorsports Norm Benning Racing Red Horse Racing Glenden Enterprises ThorSport Racing RBR Enterprises RSS Racing ThorSport Racing T3R Racing

Toyota Chevrolet Toyota Toyota Toyota Chevrolet Chevrolet Toyota Ford

Jerry Baxter Kevin Dargie Butch Hylton Kevin Ingram Carl Joiner Trip Bruce Tony Wilson Eugene Wachtel Gary Cogswell

DAY T O N A

Crew Chief

Chevrolet Chevrolet Ford Toyota Toyota

. : .

Make

Ken Schrader Racing SS Green Light Racing Wauters Motorsports Red Horse Racing SWM-NEMCO Motorsports

0 2 . 2 0 1 4

Team

Ladera Ranch, Calif.

Hubbard, Ohio Watkinsville, Ga. San Diego, Calif.

Mooresville,, N.C. Lakeland, Fla. Kansas City, Kan. Providence, N.C. Corning, Calif.

Rochester Hill, Mich.

Kingsport, Tenn.

Miami Springs, Fla. Bakersfield, Calif.

Copper Hill, Va. High Point, N.C. Palmdale, Calif.

Daytona Beach, Fla. Brentwood, Tenn.

Tucker, Ga. Blountville, Tenn.

Las Vegas, Nev. Byron, Mich.

Mobile, Ala. Level Green, Pa. Mexico City, Mexico Lakeland, Fla. Tulare, Calif.

Alva, Fla. Forest, Va. Necedah, Wis. Stuart, Fla.

Cole Custer Jimmy Weller III John Wes Townley Brian Ickler John Hunter Nemechek Joe Nemechek Jennifer Jo Cobb Timothy Peters Tyler Reddick Brad Keselowski John King Joey Coulter Brennan Newberry Jeff Agnew Ryan Blaney Ron Hornaday Jr. Ben Kennedy Mason Mingus Ryan Sieg Nate Montieth Kyle Busch Erik Jones Darrell Wallace Jr. Norm Benning German Quiroga Chris Fontaine Matt Crafton Ross Chastain Chris Jones Johnny Sauter Bryan Silas

. : .

Hometown

00 08 5 7 8

10 17 19

20 21 24 27 29 30 31 35 39 45 51

54 57 77 84 88 92 93 98 99

G U I D E

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THE WORLD’S

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60

POLE POSITION 2014

Feb. 21 March 29 May 9 May 16 May 30 June 6 June 14 June 26 July 12 July 23 Aug. 2 Aug. 16 Aug. 20 Aug. 31 Sept. 12 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 18 Oct. 25 Oct. 31 Nov. 7 Nov. 14

Daytona International Speedway Martinsville Speedway Kansas Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Dover International Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Gateway Motorsports Park Kentucky Speedway Iowa Speedway Eldora Speedway Pocono Raceway Michigan International Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Chicagoland Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Talladega Superspeedway Martinsville Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Homestead-Miami Speedway

2014 NASCAR nationwide Series Feb. 22 March 1 March 8 March 15 March 22 April 4 April 11 April 25 May 3 May 18 May 24 May 31 June 14 June 21 June 27 July 4 July 12 July 19 July 26 Aug. 2 Aug. 9 Aug. 16 Aug. 22 Aug. 30 Sept. 5 Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Oct. 10 Nov. 1 Nov. 8 Nov. 15

Daytona International Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Auto Club Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Darlington Raceway Richmond International Raceway Talladega Superspeedway Iowa Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Dover International Speedway Michigan International Speedway Road America Kentucky Speedway Daytona International Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway Chicagoland Speedway Indianapolis Motor Speedway Iowa Speedway Watkins Glen International Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Bristol Motor Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway Richmond International Raceway Chicagoland Speedway Kentucky Speedway Dover International Speedway Kansas Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Homestead-Miami Speedway

nascar home tracks

Gray Gaulding Impresses On and Off the Track

D

on’t ever accuse 16-year-old NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver Gray Gaulding of being shy. From courting sponsors to bending fenders to making his racing objectives heard loud and clear, this teenager doesn’t seem to have a bashful bone in his body. Need proof?

He’s not afraid to lay a bumper to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran Kevin Harvick – in a go-kart. Gaulding, a longtime friend of Kevin and wife DeLana Harvick, has logged many hours racing at the Harvicks’ home go-kart track, where the youngster’s aggression was noted by the 2007 Daytona 500 winner as early as age 12.

“He’ll get right in there and rough you up and do the

things he has to do,” Harvick told Sporting News in April 2012.

Clearly, little has changed since Harvick spoke of Gaulding’s no-holds-barred approach. In November of last year, Gaulding won a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Phoenix International Raceway by knocking a competitor out of the way. In that event, the then 15-year-old driver made contact with race leader Cole

make the most of the opportunity to run a full NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule for the second year in a row. He also plans to run eight races in the

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series where he is making his debut.

The Colonial Heights, Va., driver ranked seventh in points as a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East rookie, with three top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 14 starts.

“There were a couple we could’ve won and it’s easy to look back and see the things you could’ve done differently,” Gaulding said. “It was a pretty good year. We were in position to win races, won a pole and led laps. We’ll keep marching

forward.”

Gaulding sees a golden opportunity to impress this season, especially with 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion Dylan Kwasniewski having been promoted to the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Several other top contenders from last season have moved on, as well.

“I know there are a lot of great drivers coming back and a lot of great ones coming in, but [the championship] is there for the taking,” Gaulding said.

“That’s absolutely our goal.”

Custer on the final lap and went on to claim his first NASCAR series victory.

“Winning that final race last year was huge,” said Gaulding, the youngest member of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.

“I know it was a little controversial, but I’m supposed to win races. The opportunity was there to win and I took it.”

This season, Gaulding hopes to

by jared turner POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

61

nascar camping world truck series

CARBON

A Fresh Approach

Darrell Wallace Jr. Learns Not to Stress

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n practically every NASCAR driver’s life, there must come a moment of intense soulsearching when he or she decides how they want to approach the job at hand.

For young Darrell Wallace Jr., that moment came last year during the early part of his rookie season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Struggling to find the consistent finishes he wanted from his reliably fast Kyle Busch Motorsports trucks, the driver nicknamed “Bubba” sought counsel from the two folks any truly shrewd 19-year-old would – his parents.

“In the Camping World Truck Series, the schedule’s so spread out that I had a few days to slump and mope around, and then my parents finally got

tired of it and said, ‘You need to shape up and change your attitude,’” said Wallace, who with a victory last October at Martinsville Speedway became the first African-American to score a NASCAR national touring series win since Wendell Scott on Dec. 1, 1963.

Wallace didn’t just confide in his parents; he really took their advice to heart.

“We went and had this long discussion, just me and my mom and my dad talking about winning and not winning and what I need to do better,” he said. “I said, finally, ‘I get it. I’ve put fun at the bottom of the list. I’ve put too much pressure on myself. I’ve already got 10 more thousand eyes on me because I am of color, and they’re going to see what I can do in the

top three series, so that’s enough pressure in itself.

I don’t need to add extra pressure.’”

Wallace, now 20, is in his second full truck season with Kyle Busch Motorsports, where he’s impressed his well-known team owner.

“I think Darrell has a lot of potential,” Busch said. “I think he’s a great young driver. He’s driven very well and he’s a driven person and personality that wants to go out there and get it done and be successful. I’m excited to see him and what he’s got in store for us in the second year at Kyle Busch Motorsports.”

Wallace says his No. 1 focus this season is becoming a repeat truck winner and contending for a championship, but he’s

by jared turner

CarbonForgedTough.com 62 POLE POSITION 2014

also thinking about the future – and the possibility of moving to the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2015.

How urgent is it for Wallace that he make the jump?

“It depends on that green color,” he said, referring to sponsorship dollars. “That’s something I don’t have and it’s something I’m working to get from my sponsors and partners.

If I can go out there and just get another solid, good season under my belt, hopefully it’s good enough to attract somebody.”

According to Wallace, lack of funding is all that has really stopped CequentConsumer PP 2014 Horiz him from already joining

the NASCAR Nationwide Series, where he rang up three top-10 finishes in four starts for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2012.

“There’s a lot of guys out here [with sponsorship] that you’re thinking, ‘That could be me,’” Wallace said. “But I’ll take what I’ve got right now.”

And he’ll also try to have some fun along the way.

“I’ve learned what I need to do is let everything else go and focus on finishing the race and having fun – and that’s one thing I didn’t do at the beginning of last season, and that showed,” Wallace said. “It won’t Half.pdf 1 1/7/14 8:44 happen again.”

Hit the Slopes, Spare Me the Spiders

D AM

arrell Wallace Jr. is “terrified” of spiders and “hates” chocolate and water.

“I won’t drink water for nothing unless I’m really in dire need of it,” he said.

On the flipside, Wallace loves photography, sleeping late and skiing.

“I wake up around 11:30 each day,” said Wallace, whose team competes under the umbrella of the Joe Gibbs Racing driver development program. “Sleeping in is a big thing for me. If there’s nothing on the schedule, then I’m sleeping in, for sure. Don’t wake me up.”

Unless getting up early involves hitting the slopes.

“I didn’t do in the offseason what I promised, which is go skiing. But I am going skiing,” Wallace said. “We’ve got a big break during the season. I’m going to Colorado. I like to go skiing. I don’t get to do it as much as I’d like. It’s a lot of traveling. You get spoiled when you go out West and then you try to come over here to Sugar Mountain [ski resort] in North Carolina. It’s definitely different, but it’s still fun.”

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POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

63

nascar nationwide series

behind the scenes with ty dillon

Mr. Feisty: Ty Dillon

Younger Dillon Brother Building a Tough Reputation

A

s a second-year driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last season, Ty Dillon displayed a persistent unwillingness to be bullied or intimidated by fellow competitors of different ages and experience levels.

Dillon, who moved up to the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season to replace older brother and reigning series champion Austin in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, wants to make it known that he’s not changing his approach just because he’s now the new guy on the block in a more rigorous series.

“I’m the kind of person that I’ll treat you how you treat me and I’m not going to be pushed around, for sure,” said Dillon, who at age 22 is the youngest grandson of legendary team owner

Richard Childress.

“Hopefully, I did send a message to everyone out there that if you’re going to do me wrong, we’re going to have a problem, and I’m not afraid to face anybody about it. It’s just my way, it’s the way I believe and I’m not going to be pushed around by anybody. I am a rookie and I will try to earn respect from everybody, but they also have to show a little respect, too.”

Last season, Dillon had two controversial run-ins that most fans won’t soon forget.

The first came in the inaugural truck race at

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park where Dillon, leading on the final lap, was wrecked by 17-year-old newcomer Chase Elliott, the son of 1988 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Bill Elliott. Angry about the contact that cost him a likely win, Dillon promptly issued a stern warning of potential retaliation.

A few weeks later, Dillon found himself caught in the middle of another on-track dustup, but this time with a veteran – fellow Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick – who later suggested in a

televised interview that the Dillon brothers had not earned their place in the sport. Ty countered that Harvick acted “like a punk,” adding that he “used to look up to that guy.”

If placed in a similar situation again, don’t expect the younger of the Dillon boys to tuck tail and hide.

“I don’t go out and intentionally try to be feisty and aggressive against people, but if you do me wrong, for me it’s an eye for an eye, and I’m not going to be pushed around,” he said.

On being in Victory Lane with brother Austin after Dale Earnhardt’s 1998 Daytona 500 win: “We really didn’t know the magnitude of the situation, but it was my first big experience in Victory Lane. Getting that feel of happiness throughout all the guys that we knew as kids, it was such a huge deal. And that first taste of Victory Lane still kind of stays with me, and that’s what I race for every weekend is to get that feeling.”

On hunting: “It’s something we were able to do as kids when we weren’t even racing. We were able to do it with our dad and grandfather and they were able to get away from the race track. It’s just something that we’ve always had that’s kept a very close bond between us, so it’s more than just going out and hunting. It’s a good relationship time for our family.”

On the Dillon brothers’ affinity for cowboy hats: “We’re definitely country boys and we’re outdoorsmen, for sure, all the time. I’ve wore cowboy boots my entire life – I don’t know how many soles I’ve put on boots – but we just want to be different and give the fans something different to look at every week. Cowboy hats are a cool thing and I think it’s really grown for us and given us a little bit different of a brand identity.”

by jared turner 64

POLE POSITION 2014

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