NASCAR Pole Position 2015 Aug/Sep

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PG.10 Q&A: PAUL MENARD PG.16 NASCAR DEFINED

DRIVER PROFILES

ALL ABOUT FAMILY

WOMEN & RACING ON THE RISE

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CONTENTS

06 GREEN FLAG: NEWS & NOTES

08

News from around the world of NASCAR

10

11

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver

A look at NASCAR drivers presented by Bubba burger®

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW!

Dig deep into the archives of NASCAR locations and drivers

Q&A: PAUL MENARD

NASCAR DEFINED PAGE 16

TERMS OF RACING

Understanding the terminology of racing NASCAR POLE POSITION RACE FAN GUIDE AN OFFICIALLY LICENSED PUBLICATION OF NASCAR

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12 SPOTLIGHT: SYLVANIA

Still made in America

14 TAILGATING

Titans of the tailgate, presented

by Honda Generators

27 DRIVER PROFILES

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver profiles, presented by GEICO

52 GEAR

The latest products from our advertising partners

NASCAR POLE POSITION MAGAZINE PUBLISHER: CRAIG BARONCELLI VICE PRESIDENT, SALES: DAVID WATSON VICE PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE ACCOUNTS: DAYNE MAASDORP VICE PRESIDENT, MOTORSPORTS: CHRIS VITA

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54 WOMEN & RACING

56 NASCAR FUEL: CAREERS

57 NASCAR FUEL: LIFESTYLE

58 NASCAR SERIES ROSTERS

Sarah Cornett-Ching is on the rise, presented

by Samsung

Featuring jobs in communications

Tips from the pros to get you prepared

2015 NSCS, NXS and NCWTS rosters

60

61

62

64

NASCAR SERIES SCHEDULES

2015 NSCS, NXS and NCWTS schedules

NXS: BRENDAN GAUGHAN

One of the sport’s most entertaining drivers

NCWTS: TIMOTHY PETERS

Closing in on a championship

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SPOTLIGHT: COPD

The race to breathe easier POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

05

GREEN FLAG NEWS

Chevrolet Partners with Daytona Rising

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aytona Rising, which is transforming Daytona International Speedway’s 55-year-old frontstretch grandstand into the world’s first motorsports stadium, reached another milestone as Chevrolet recently came on board as a founding partner of the facility. The deal was announced outside the $400 million project by officials of General Motors and International Speedway Corp.

“Chevrolet has been an integral part of the ISC family for many years and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship,” said ISC CEO Lesa France Kennedy. “As part of their activation at Daytona Rising and other ISC facilities, Chevrolet will represent its iconic automotive brand through interactive experiences with fans.”

It’s a two-part agreement. Chevrolet will have rights to control one of five Daytona Rising fan injectors, plus share pace car rights with Toyota. The two car manufacturers will swap pace car duties every other year for high-profile events, such as the Daytona 500.

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our-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon recently unveiled a retro rainbow paint scheme on the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet he will drive in the Aug. 22 Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Gordon drove a rainbowcolored Chevrolet from his very first start in 1992 through the 2000 season.

By Dan Guttenplan

S

ave Mart Supermarkets recently signed a multi-year agreement to continue as co-title sponsor of the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway, extending the track’s most enduring commercial sponsorship. Save Mart Supermarkets’ status as either title or co-title sponsor of the annual Cup Series road course event in Sonoma, Calif., is one of the longest running sponsorships in NASCAR. The new agreement continues through 2020.

T

he Jimmie Johnson Foundation recently announced that its annual Jimmie Johnson Foundation Golf Tournament and Dinner raised an event record $900,000. Johnson hosted more than 125 golfers during the tournament at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif.

The night before the tournament, Johnson and his wife hosted approximately 200 guests at a special dinner and auction, which featured a performance by country music artist Darius Rucker.

The tournament, which in nine years has raised more than $5.6 million, benefits the Champions Grants program, a partnership between the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Lowe’s Toolbox for Education. The grants range from $25,000 to $100,000 and are distributed to K-12 public schools in Chandra and Jimmie Johnson’s hometowns in California and Oklahoma, and their current residence in North Carolina.

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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or the third consecutive year, the number of Fortune 500 companies utilizing NASCAR as part of their marketing mix has increased. In fact, nearly half of America’s Fortune 100 companies invest with NASCAR to help drive their business and more than one in four Fortune 500 companies are on board.

The new analysis, conducted and released by NASCAR, reported a seven-percent increase in Fortune 500 corporate involvement since the 2014 study.

S

mithfield recently partnered with Richard Petty Motorsports and the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program to donate 43,000 pounds of protein to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida as part of the company’s Helping Hungry Homes program.

Aric Almirola, one of the first participants in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program and driver for the No. 43 RPM Ford, has partnered with the Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes program to donate thousands of pounds of protein over recent years, and was present to discuss the importance of these donations from Smithfield and to raise awareness about the necessity of providing assistance to our neighbors in need.

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icrosoft recently ramped up its NASCAR involvement, signing multi-year agreements with both the sanctioning body and 11-time Sprint Cup Series champion Hendrick Motorsports. The collaborations designate Microsoft as an Official Technology Partner of NASCAR and a major technology partner of Hendrick Motorsports.

Hendrick Motorsports will adopt the Windows 10 platform and Microsoft Azure to deliver technology solutions to help

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improve performance on and off the track. In addition, Microsoft will support the upcoming launch of Windows 10 with primary sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevy. He will drive the No. 88 Microsoft Chevrolet next at Pocono Raceway on Aug. 2.

Windows 10 will be the Official Operating System of Hendrick Motorsports and Microsoft will also utilize Earnhardt Jr., a two-time Daytona 500 winner, as a spokesperson to promote the new operating system.

hase Elliott will drive the No. 25 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet in the Sept. 6 Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. The car’s special paint scheme will be a tribute to the car his father, Bill Elliott, drove while claiming the inaugural Winston Million in 1985.

GREEN FLAG BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW!

160,000 BRISTOL: SIZE DOES MATTER

M Watkins Glen: The Little Track That Could Watkins Glen International is one of the most scenic and competitive road courses in the world.

But few know that racing at “The Glen” actually started on the streets of tiny Watkins Glen, N.Y., in 1948 when Cameron Argetsinger convinced the town’s fathers to host this country’s first post-World War II road race. The race became so popular that by 1956 a permanent track was built just outside of town – but still retained the town’s name – and the rest is history. ■ While synonymous with hosting NASCAR events, stock car racing is just a part of the track’s history. The Glen is the only major road course in the U.S. to host not only NASCAR, but also Formula One, the Verizon IndyCar Series, Trans-Am, Can-Am, the World Sports Car Championship and IMSA. CHICAGO MOTOR SPEEDWAY: WE HARDLY KNEW YOU

S

ince opening in 2001, Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., has hosted NASCAR and until recent years, IndyCar Series races. But how many people remember Chicago Motor Speedway, built on the grounds of the old Sportsman’s Park horse track in nearby Cicero? Built at a cost of $70 million to retool the horse racing facility, Chicago Motor Speedway holds the distinction of being the largest major race track (61,000 seating capacity) to have the shortest lifespan in motorsports history. It opened in 1999 and closed four years later in 2002. The 1.029-mile track hosted only 11 races, including four CART/Champ Car events and two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races. After sitting dormant for six years, the track was demolished in early 2009. In its place sits a beverage distribution center and a Walmart Supercenter.

any folks who became NASCAR fans in the last 15-20 years would likely say track owner Bruton Smith built Bristol Motor Speedway from the ground up and into the monstrous behemoth it is today. But the Bristol track was actually built by partners Larry Carrier, Carl Moore and R.G. Pope, and held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. It had an original seating capacity of just 18,000. Seating slowly grew over the next three decades to 71,000 by 1996, when it was sold to Smith’s Speedway Motorsports Inc. Over the next eight years, capacity would more than double and by 2004 it had swelled to its present size of 160,000 (including suites). Even though the track is only a half-mile in length, BMS has the second-largest seating capacity among U.S. motorsports facilities, trailing only the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (estimated 250,000 seats).

PIT STOPS TO PIGSKIN

B

ristol Motor Speedway is arguably one of the most unique venues of its type. Sure, it’s known for hosting NASCAR races, and even trucked in dirt to host World of Outlaw Series sprint car events in 2000 and 2001. But one year from now, on Sept. 10, 2016, and with the help of an artificial turf playing field, BMS is expected to make history with the largest crowd ever to attend a college football game. The University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech will meet in the “Battle at Bristol,” roughly three weeks after the track’s traditional mid-August NASCAR weekend. This will be the second time a football game has been played at BMS: An NFL preseason game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins took place just over a month after the track opened in 1961.

DARLINGTON RACEWAY

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arlington Raceway will resume its annual Southern 500 Labor Day weekend tradition on Sept. 6 after a 12-year hiatus (it hosted the holiday weekend race for 53 years, from 1950 to 2003). The track has several unique nicknames: ■■ “The Lady in Black” came about in the early years of the track when workers would spread fresh asphalt sealant on the racing surface the night before big races.

■■ “The Track Too Tough to Tame”: Throughout

its history, drivers have found Darlington tougher and more unpredictable than their opponents.

Some drivers even swear the track walls would move right before their eyes during races.

■■ A “Darlington Stripe” became a badge of honor when drivers would scrub paint off the right side of their car after hitting the outside wall. Legend has it if a driver didn’t scrape the wall and earn his stripe in a race, he wasn’t trying hard enough.

by jerry bonkowski 08

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

GREEN FLAG DRIVER Q&A FAST FACTS WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN SOMEONE HITS YOU ON THE RACE TRACK? ■■ That you hit them back.

It’s like anything in life: You get hit; you want to hit back, initially.

Whether or not that’s the smartest thing is to be determined. Every situation’s unique, but that’s definitely the first thing that goes through your mind: If you get hit, you hit back.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH DISAPPOINTMENT? ■■ Just keep going forward.

I don’t dwell on the past.

You just keep digging.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES DRIVER PAUL MENARD Q&A WITH

I

n an exclusive interview with NASCAR Pole Position, Richard Childress Racing driver Paul Menard reveals what he’d change about the United States and himself, goes in-depth about his favorite childhood memory, and his feelings about others’ perceptions of him.

What would you like to change about yourself?

I’m a pretty reserved guy. I kind of do my own thing, so maybe I’d be a little more social on some level, but I’m pretty happy with the way I go about my business. I’m not on any kind of social media stuff. I keep my life outside of racing

pretty personal. People might think I’m too reserved, and maybe I am. So maybe it would be just to be a little more outgoing.

What would you like to change about this country?

When I was a kid we weren’t glued to these smartphones and we didn’t have computers.

We played outside, and I think there’s something to that. Growing up where I grew up in the woods of Wisconsin, we spent all day outside. You see kids now and they rarely go outside. They have iPads and iPhones and Kindles and stuff when they’re not even 10 years old. If we could kind of change that culture somehow … I

don’t know how to do it; I guess that’s kind of the way of the future, but I think you lose the bigger scope of things by being glued to your electronics.

Name a place on your bucket-list.

One thing I really want to do is ski the Alps in Europe. I love skiing. The Rocky Mountains in Colorado, Utah, are awesome. The Alps just look to be a little bit different, and I always like to try new things.

What’s a lasting childhood memory?

Just being outside with my family and friends. On a Saturday afternoon in the wintertime my brothers, my dad, my uncle, my cousin, we’d all be in the woods cutting

down dead trees, making firewood and roasting hot dogs for lunch. And then we’d go back in the house and my mom would be working on some awesome dinner, and we’d kind of sit around the table as a family. Those are the kind of values I want to instill in my kids, and it gets harder and harder to do that with all the distractions these days.

WOULD YOU RATHER BE SUCCESSFUL OR WELL-LIKED BY YOUR NASCAR PEERS? ■■ I think there’s a balance there, for sure. All of my competitors have been mad at me at one point; I’ve been mad at every one of them at some point, so to have everybody be all friendly, that’s just not going to happen in a competitive environment. That said, you can’t go out there and have everybody hate you all the time. But in order to be successful, you’re going to have to make some enemies.

by jared turner 10

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

TERMS OF RACING GREEN FLAG

Understanding the Terminology

N

ASCAR competitors and hard-core fans often use words or phrases that can be confusing to casual fans. Consider the following a study guide as these definitions will help you better understand racing “lingo.”

A-Frame: Either the upper or lower connecting suspension piece – in the shape of an A – locking the spindle to the frame.

Alternator: A belt-driven device mounted on the front of the engine that recharges the race car’s battery while the engine is running.

Ball Joint: A ball inside a socket that can turn in any direction.

It is used to allow the front suspension to

travel while the driver steers the race car.

Brake Caliper: The part of the braking system that, when applied by the driver, clamps the brake pads against the rotors to slow or stop the car.

Deck Lid: Slang term for the trunk lid of a NASCAR race car.

Dirty Air: Aerodynamic term that describes the turbulent air currents caused by fast-moving cars that can cause a particular

car to lose control.

Flat-Out: Slang term for racing a car as fast as possible under the given weather and track conditions.

Frame: The metal skeleton or structure of a race car on which the suspension parts and roll cage are mounted.

It is also referred to as a chassis.

Fuel: Also known as gasoline. NASCAR’s top three series use Sunoco Green E15, a highly oxygenated

unleaded racing fuel that contains 15 percent ethanol.

Piston: A circular element in an engine that moves up and down in the cylinder, compressing the air-fuel mixture in the top of the chamber, helping to produce horsepower.

Rear Clip: The section of a NASCAR race car that begins at the base of the rear window and extends to the rear bumper. It contains the car’s fuel cell and rear suspension components.

RPM: Short for revolutions per minutes; a measurement of the speed of the engine’s

crank shaft.

Round: Slang term for a way of making chassis adjustments utilizing the race car’s springs. A wrench is inserted into a jack bolt attached to a spring, and is used to tighten or loosen the amount of play in the spring.

This in turn can loosen or tighten the handling of a race car.

Slingshot: A maneuver in which a car following the leader in a draft suddenly steers around it, breaking the vacuum.

This provides an extra burst of speed that allows the second car to take the lead.

By Dan Guttenplan

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11

SPOTLIGHT SYLVANIA

HEADLIGHTS FOR HAULERS

N SYLVANIA and New Hampshire Motor Speedway: A Natural Marriage Every September since 2003, SYLVANIA has been the title sponsor of the annual fall NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

There’s not a more appropriate track/sponsor marriage anywhere in the sport. SYLVANIA Automotive Lighting’s main United States manufacturing facility is based in Hillsborough, N.H. – only about 40 minutes from the track.

Meanwhile, OSRAM SYLVANIA’s American headquarters are in nearby Danvers, Mass.

Proximity wasn’t the only factor that led to the decision to partner with New Hampshire Motor Speedway 12 years ago, however.

“Overall it made a lot of sense to us,” said Anne Guertin, OSRAM SYLVANIA’s head of media relations Americas. “It’s the biggest sporting event in New England. We have manufacturing facilities right down the street in Hillsboro, and then in Massachusetts we’re right over the border in Danvers.

Obviously, from an automotive perspective, those are our consumers from an aftermarket perspective, and the fan base is our customer.”

The level of exposure SYLVANIA receives from its sponsorship of what is now the second race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup has validated the company’s long-term investment.

PRESENTED BY

“When the next closest race is I don’t know how many hundreds of miles away, the fans are always looking forward to the event,” said Brian Noble, OSRAM SYLVANIA’s marketing manager based out of Hillsborough. “They drive for hours and hours to get up to Loudon. So we’re a New England company with a New England race and we try to support it as best we can.”

The event sponsorship has borne fruit for both parties, just as SYLVANIA expected.

“We have our retailers that have asked us about it and about being able to go to it and being involved in it,” Noble said of the race weekend. “So from our standpoint, when the retailers are asking about it, it’s met our expectations.”

“I would totally agree,” Guertin said. “It’s something that even our employees – particularly the ones in the Hillsboro plant – everyone wants to be a part of it and it’s a great team-building effort, and obviously if we didn’t see value in it, we wouldn’t have done it as long as we have.”

ew Hampshire Motor Speedway isn’t the only beneficiary of SYLVANIA’s title sponsorship of the track’s annual September NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

So are the hauler drivers from all the respective race teams. These battle-tested warriors of the road always leave Loudon with a fresh set of headlights that are free of charge and installed in their big rigs by SYLVANIA team members who are on site and eager to lend a helping hand.

This marks the sixth year of SYLVANIA’s appropriately named “Headlights for Haulers” campaign.

“We started upgrading all the headlights on the haulers with our SYLVANIA SilverStar headlights and that just became the tradition and now we do that every year,” SYLVANIA spokeswoman Anne Guertin said. “The (SYLVANIA) team goes up there for the summer race as well as the fall race and we kind of check back with the hauler drivers and get some testimonials on how the headlights are working out for them, and we’ve gotten just amazing feedback from it.

“The hauler drivers that are logging all those long hours at the crazy hours of night are the unsung heroes, if you will, of NASCAR, so to keep them safer on the road was the idea.”

by jared turner 12

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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GREEN FLAG TAILGATING PRESENTED BY

Titans of the Tailgate NASCAR’s most loyal race fans know how to have fun when they’re at the track.

Anderson, 27, grew up in a household full of NASCAR fans. The Valdese, N.C., native is actually named after a legendary driver – Davey Allison.

Davey Anderson was meant to be a race fan from the time he was born. Being named after his late father’s favorite driver is a fun fact, but Anderson’s racing fandom has only grown with time. He’s a devoted Tony Stewart fan who also likes Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Another thing Anderson likes is to have some of the best grilled food one can find at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He camps out just across from the track’s entrance and boasts the best crab boil in the area.

Barnes, 23, could’ve been a third-generation Bill Elliott fan, but the native of Chattanooga, Tenn., became a Jeff Gordon fan after he watched his first race.

Andrew Barnes is becoming more and more of a NASCAR fan with each passing year. And that’s saying a lot, because Barnes has watched racing for more than a decade already. He camped out at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for the first time last October, and left with as many stories from tailgating as he got from the race. Barnes has also been to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, but he believes little can compare to the fanfare surrounding Talladega. He’ll be back there soon, too.

Hawker is the kind of fan you need at every NASCAR Sprint Cup track. Hawker, a 21-yearold from Smithville, Tenn., is a race fan’s race fan.

Cole Hawker has a simple plan every time he makes the trek to Bristol (Tenn.)

Motor Speedway. There’s got to be a grill to fire up, some burgers and hot dogs to cook, cold beverages to drink and a tent in which to sleep at the campground. Hawker knows what works at tailgates, but this season has been kind to him in ways outside the campground in front of Bristol. His favorite driver, Martin Truex Jr., won his third career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in June. That’s worth a party in itself.

“Bubba” Johnson, who goes by “Wayne” or “Bubba,” is a 40-year-old native of Knoxville, Tenn., who’s been a die-hard NASCAR fan for more than three decades.

If there are celebrity race fans, “Bubba” Johnson fits the bill perfectly. He’s been featured in ESPN The Magazine and on the SPEED Channel, but Johnson feels most at home when he’s tailgating with his buddies at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Johnson’s a rare breed in that he’s a Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch fan. He’s been attending races at Charlotte since he was a kid, and has longevity over many race-goers. Johnson also has more tailgate knowledge than most fans, and he puts it to use every May.

Stone, a 24-year-old native of Charlotte, N.C., literally grew up around Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile oval. His family has a rich history at CMS as well.

The name “Stone” is a special one at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Michael Stone’s grandmother, Arlene, is the track’s longest-tenured employee and his late grandfather, Robert, pioneered CMS’ souvenir industry. The newest-generation Stone has worked for the track, but he’s also sat in the stands and enjoyed the races from all over.

He’s part race fan, part tailgater and part tour guide all rolled into one. When he’s taking in a race from the grandstands, Stone is an avid Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan who’s not afraid to sing his driver’s praises.

By Aaron Burns 14

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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From RVing, camping and tailgating to home backup and jobs around the house, a Honda Generator is your portable party machine.

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PRESENTED BY

NASCAR

DEFINED 2

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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3 4 1 TICKER TAPE HOORAY! Jimmie Johnson celebrates his 10th win at Dover. (CIA Stock Photo) 2 GOING TOE TO TOE. Jeff Gordon (24) and Danica Patrick square off at Dover.

Gordon finished 10th, Patrick 15th. (CIA Stock Photo) 3 MEMORY LANE. Jeff Gordon and his daughter, Ella, wave the checkered flag at Gordon’s childhood race track, the Capitol Quarter Midget Association Dirt Track in Rio Linda, Calif.

(NASCAR/Getty Images) 4 THE FLIP RETURNS. NASCAR fans witnessed Carl Edwards’ signature backflip after he scored his first win of the season at Charlotte.

(CIA Stock Photo) POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

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NASCAR DEFINED

PR ES EN TED BY

5

5 CAR TALK. Kevin Harvick plays with a toy car prior to the start of the June race at Pocono.

(CIA Stock Photo) 6 LITTLE FAN. Danica Patrick and a little fan get to know each other prior to the start of the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 at Pocono. (CIA Stock Photo) 7 FAN TIME. Jeff Gordon signs an autograph for a NASCAR fan.

(CIA Stock Photo)

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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“Victory Never Tasted So Good!”

Find Us In Your Local Grocer’s Freezer! www.bubbafoods.com

NASCAR DEFINED

PR ES EN TED BY

8 9

8 PICTURE PERFECT. A scenic view of race action from Dover.

(CIA Stock Photo) 20

9 TRIBUTE. Sonoma Raceway recognizes the achievements of Jeff Gordon, who was born in California.

(CIA Stock Photo)

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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10 DADDY TIME. Clint Bowyer and son Cash spend some time together.

(CIA Stock Photo)

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11 CELEBRATION. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Greg Ives celebrate their first win of 2015.

(CIA Stock Photo)

POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

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NASCAR DEFINED

12 THE FIELD. A picturesque view of Pocono Raceway. (CIA Stock Photo)

PR ES EN TED BY

13 SURPRISE SPLASH. Chad Knaus douses Jimmie Johnson with a victory beverage, or two.

(CIA Stock Photo)

14 SEALED WITH A KISS. Kurt Busch receives a congratulatory kiss from his girlfriend, Ashley Van Metre, after winning at Michigan.

(CIA Stock Photo)

15 ALL IN THE FAMILY. Sam Hornish Jr. and the family spend time together at Michigan.

(CIA Stock Photo)

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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16 INSTANT MEMORY. Kyle Busch and his wife, Samantha, celebrate Kyle’s win at Sonoma.

(CIA Stock Photo)

17 SWEET EMBRACE. Martin Truex Jr. hugs long-time girlfriend Sherry Pollex who has been battling ovarian cancer since 2014.

(CIA Stock Photo)

18 TRIBUTE CAR. The No. 98 Phil Parsons Racing Ford, driven by Josh Wise, displays a tribute to broadcaster Steve Byrnes during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway on April 24, 2015 in Richmond, Virginia. (NASCAR/Getty Images)

POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

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Driver Profiles

WHO MOLDED AND SHAPED TODAY’S SPRINT CUP SERIES STARS? If you really want to know a person, you must first get to know his or her family. We take a close-up look at the families of today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers in the latest installment of driver profiles. by jared turner POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

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DRIVER PROFILES

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88 NUMBER

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Third-generation driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. is well-known as the son of the late Dale Earnhardt, a motorsports icon and seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

But the family’s rich racing heritage actually begins with Dale Jr.’s late grandfather, Ralph, whose life’s work was building race cars for himself and others out of his home garage in Kannapolis, N.C. Ralph’s career spanned 23 years of competition in NASCAR’s Modified, Sportsman and Grand National series. Before his death from a heart attack on Sept. 26, 1973, at age 45, Ralph won more than 350 NASCAR races, multiple state and track championships and the 1956 NASCAR Sportsman title.

Of course, Junior isn’t the only thirdgeneration Earnhardt who followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

His half-brother, Kerry – oldest son of the late Dale Earnhardt – has competed in seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.

While Earnhardt Jr. has no children (he and longtime girlfriend Amy Reimann are engaged to be married), his nephew Jeffrey, Kerry’s son, has more than 75

combined starts between the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Dale Jr.’s sister, Kelley, was a successful Late Model racer before transitioning to the business side of the sport. She is now co-owner and vice president of JR Motorsports, the company that Earnhardt Jr. owns and that fields multiple teams in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

Earnhardt Jr. also has a half-sister, Taylor, who is the only child of his father and stepmother Teresa Earnhardt.

Earnhardt Jr. traces his family’s roots back to Germany, and even visited the country in June on a quest to learn more about his ancestors and genealogy. It was while on that trip that he proposed to Amy. “I’ve been searching my genealogy for about five years now, and I made a promise to myself then that I would go to Germany and understand more about my ancestors when I turn 40,” said Earnhardt Jr.

INFO OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTSG SPONSORS NATIONWIDE, DIET MOUNTAIN DEW/ AMP ENERGY, KELLEY BLUE BOOK MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF GREG IVES 28

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

DRIVER PROFILES

24 NUMBER

INFO OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS DRIVE TO END HUNGER, 3M, AXALTA, PEPSI, PANASONIC MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF ALAN GUSTAFSON

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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Jeff Gordon Jeff Gordon’s stepfather, John Bickford, is almost solely responsible for putting the now four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion on a path to becoming a NASCAR legend.

At about a year old, Gordon, his older sister, Kim, and his mother, Carol, went to a race with Bickford at California’s Vallejo Speedway, and by the time Jeff was 4, John and Carol were married. Jeff’s stepfather took him under his proverbial “racing wing” and bought him a BMX bicycle and then a Quarter Midget race car when he was 5.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

“I just remember my stepdad, John, coming home one night from work and he said to me and my sister, ‘Look out the window,’ and I looked out the window and there were two Quarter Midgets sitting on a flat-bed trailer out in front of the house, and that’s really what started it all,” Gordon said.

In 1986, Bickford moved the family from California to Indiana so his stepson would have more opportunities to race sprint cars – the next logical step in his progression.

“We carved out a life,” Bickford said. “We didn’t know anybody, but we kind of carved out a life and made great friends. Jeff grew up, went to school and made life friends there. We made life friends there.

“In 1984, when we made the decision to go to sprint cars, there was nothing between a Quarter Midget and a sprint car that you could do without being at least 16 years of age. So we said, ‘OK, let’s do a sprint car.’ So we built a sprint car, went to Florida in 1985 to race and Jeff didn’t actually embarrass himself, and I didn’t embarrass myself. Many people thought that he did a really good job.”

Gordon is married to Ingrid Vandebosch – a Belgian model and actress. The couple was engaged for roughly five months and married on Nov. 7, 2006.

Jeff and Ingrid’s first child, Ella, was born June 20, 2007. A son, Leo, followed on Aug. 9, 2010.

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48 NUMBER

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Jimmie Johnson The oldest of three children, Jimmie Johnson was born in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon, Calif., to a blue-collar family.

Johnson’s racing career began at age 5, and he won his first championship at age 8 in 60cc motorcycles. Following a distinguished off-road racing career, Johnson joined NASCAR’s top series with Hendrick Motorsports in 2002, and he’s never looked back. Now a six-time Sprint Cup Series champion and winner of a record five consecutive titles, Johnson has a family of his own with wife Chandra, a Muskogee, Okla., native and former model that he met in 2002. The two married in 2004 and now have two young daughters – Genevieve and Lydia.

Johnson admits it can be challenging at times juggling the family life with the demands of his busy racing career.

“I’ve always felt that I was a patient man, but being a parent has taken my skill set for patience to a whole new level,” he said. “I do find that I’ve got to put these little compartments together so there’s the work face, the race face. Then there’s the

at-home presence, and I’m working hard to keep those two worlds as separate as possible. It does happen where you bring work home, and everybody has those moments where you walk in the door a little upset about the way things went, and then that cliché that’s out there: When you see your kids, it just changes everything. That is very accurate and true ... but just being present and being present for both, because both are very demanding.”

Johnson believes he’s learning with time and experience how to be a better parent.

“You know, that first year trying to find your new normal is tough for all parents,” the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet said. “As wonderful as the experience is, trying to balance life and career is tough. So just to be patient with it and know that first year you are going to earn your stripes. ...

At least to the four-and-a-half years I have experienced, you get a better flow going as you get deeper into things.”

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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DRIVER PROFILES

4

NUMBER

INFO OWNER TONY STEWART, GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS BUDWEISER, JIMMY JOHN’S, OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE, DITECH MORTGAGE MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF RODNEY CHILDERS

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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Kevin Harvick Kevin Harvick married the former DeLana Linville in Las Vegas in February 2001.

In July 2012, DeLana gave birth to the couple’s first child, son Keelan, who has since become a familiar face in NASCAR.

DeLana’s father, the late John Paul Linville, was a racer, having made 136 starts over a 12-year period in what is now the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

Like many first-time parents, fatherhood has brought out the softer side of Kevin Harvick. Following last November’s dramatic title-clinching win in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Harvick enjoyed a few moments of quiet solitude with Keelan, then just 2 years old.

“He didn’t really care about anything that was going on, but it was just watching him run up and down the racetrack and sitting up against the wall with him and really throwing rocks down to the bottom, because that was really what he cared about at that particular point was throwing the rocks and rubber to the bottom of the racetrack,” Harvick said of his son three days after his championship-clinching performance.

“Just those little moments like that, and through the week he got his first fishing pole, so that was pretty cool to be able to share some of those moments.”

Harvick also praised his wife, who wept openly after watching him capture his first NASCAR premier series title.

“She grew up in a racing family and knows how hard this sport is and knows the sacrifices that we make personally and that her family had made growing up to get race cars to the racetrack,” Harvick said. “So she’s been an incredible part of this for me personally, just for the fact that she knows, and we’ve been around each other so much that she knows exactly what to say, when to say it, what to not bother me with, and the guys and gals back at the office know … that a lot of that stuff goes to her first, and she kind of filters it to me as she knows what I do and don’t want to deal with in those competitive situations.”

11

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Denny Hamlin Like many parents of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers, Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin made tremendous financial sacrifices for their son Denny to reach the top rung of the racing ladder.

INFO OWNER JOE GIBBS TEAM JOE GIBBS RACING SPONSORS FEDEX, SPORT CLIPS MANUFACTURER TOYOTA CREW CHIEF DAVE ROGERS

“We grew up with not much,” Hamlin, now an accomplished veteran of NASCAR’s top division, said. “We were racing on a very tight budget. I used to work at Subway and had a regular job just like everybody else did, and we just grinded our way all the way to the top.”

Now that he’s at the top of his profession – and has been there for the past decade – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran and native of Chesterfield, Va., has a family of his own. And like his parents invested in him, and instilled values of hard work and determination to reach his goals, Denny hopes to do the same in his daughter Taylor, who was born in January 2013 to him and his longtime girlfriend, Jordan Fish.

What traits does Hamlin hope to pass along to his only child so far?

“That she’s nice to people would be the biggest thing,” the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry said. “Have a big heart, be giving. I consider myself selfish at times, but it’s for the things that don’t matter. The things that do matter; be willing to give to people who don’t have what you have.”

As for Denny and Jordan, the two met in January 2007 at an NBA game in Charlotte, N.C., where the then-Bobcats were in action. Fish, then a member of the Lady Cats dance squad, caught the attention of Hamlin – who was sitting in his regular courtside seat.

The two ended up talking, then going out on a date before becoming romantically involved. Fish, who earned a degree in communications from East Carolina University in 2011, grew up in the Charlotte area and spent two years as a Bobcats dancer. These days, she’s more focused on being a good mom, girlfriend and blogger.

As for Denny, his favorite part of being a parent is “just watching the progression, the day-by-day progression of new things that she learns and words.”

POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

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DRIVER PROFILES

15

NUMBER

INFO OWNER MICHAEL WALTRIP, ROB KAUFFMAN TEAM MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING SPONSORS 5-HOUR ENERGY, PEAK, AAA MIDATLANTIC MANUFACTURER TOYOTA CREW CHIEF BILLY SCOTT

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

PR ES EN TED BY

Clint Bowyer Clint Bowyer married the former Lorra Podsiadlo, his longtime girlfriend and fiancée of a little more than four months, in the Bahamas in April 2014 during a rare off weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

A native of Penn Yan, N.Y., Podsiadlo attended Nazareth College in Rochester, where she graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in accounting. She also played lacrosse in college and became the eighth all-time leading scorer in school history.

Clint and Lorra welcomed their first child, son Cash, into the world on Oct. 1, 2014. As for their somewhat eccentric choice of a baby name, Clint offered a thorough explanation.

“Probably for all the cash that he’s going to cost me over the years when he gets to racing cars or something,” Bowyer joked.

“I’m going to try to put a guitar in his hand, because I always laugh at Blake [Shelton, country artist]. I’m like, ‘Just because you breathe a little bit better than I do and you can hold a guitar, you get paid to go all across the country, and you don’t really do much – you just breathe a little bit better.’

“Then these golfers, I don’t even think they carry their clubs.

They just walk around and swing a club every now and then and make a hell of a good living. I’m thinking we’re going to try one of them two [careers] first, and if that doesn’t work, then he’ll probably be over here battling it out with all my peers.”

Now that he’s been a dad for nearly a year, Bowyer has learned a thing or two about the whole parenting thing, which he still calls “a learning situation.”

“The hardest thing is it makes you feel bad because you don’t know how to help them, you don’t know what they want, you don’t know why they’re screaming,” the Emporia, Kansas, native said.

“The biggest thing is, and you hear people tell you this: A schedule and staying on it is gospel. Get a schedule for them and stick to it.

If you get off of that, you’re going to wish you didn’t.”

DRIVER PROFILES

19 NUMBER

INFO OWNER JOE GIBBS TEAM JOE GIBBS RACING SPONSORS ARRIS, STANLEY, SUBWAY, SPORT CLIPS MANUFACTURER TOYOTA CREW CHIEF DARIAN GRUBB

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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Carl Edwards Edwards is one of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ most deliberately private drivers, but he does offer an interesting story.

The native of Columbia, Mo., grew up watching his father, Carl Edwards Sr., race and, like many sons who idolize their dads, wanted to do the same. Carl Sr. won some 200 races over more than four decades of competition in modified stock cars and USAC midgets and sprint cars.

The elder Edwards built his son a go-kart at age 4, and the younger Edwards has been racing something ever since.

Carl is also now married and a father of two children all while keeping an extremely low profile in terms of his non-racing interests.

Edwards and the former Kate Downey began dating in 2006 and were married on Jan. 3, 2009.

Kate is a medical doctor who earned a medical degree from the University of Missouri – Kansas City in 2004.

In 2007, she completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation from the University of Missouri – Columbia. She works primarily with patients with traumatic and severe brain injuries.

The Edwards’ first child, daughter Anne, was born in 2010.

“I had a lot of different emotions I didn’t plan on,” Edwards said about his daughter’s birth. “I was watching them cut the cord on the baby, then I thought, ‘Wait, Kate’s over here. Is she OK?’ It was just a rush of things all at once that I wasn’t prepared for. It’s just such a miracle.”

Carl admitted not long after the birth of their daughter – whom they call “Annie” – that he didn’t have much say in the naming process.

“That’s what Kate wanted to call her, and that was it,” he said.

“I started to protest a little, but she made it clear that’s what she really wanted.”

The couple’s other child, son Michael, was born 14 months later in 2011.

Edwards won’t ever forget the first time he left home to attend a race after becoming a dad.

“I kind of looked back,” he said. “I thought, ‘Wow, I have a family.’ It’s pretty amazing. It was definitely a different emotion than I’ve ever had before.”

47 NUMBER

A.J. Allmendinger Before embarking on a professional open-wheel career and ultimately taking a ride in NASCAR’s top series, A.J. Allmendinger traveled a path that is familiar to racing fathers and sons.

INFO OWNER BRAD DAUGHERTY, TAD GESCHICKTER TEAM JTG DAUGHERTY RACING SPONSORS BUSH’S BAKED BEANS, CLOROX, KINGSFORD CHARCOAL MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF BRIAN BURNS

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“Almost from birth, I’ve been at the track every weekend,” Allmendinger said.

“I loved racing, and I grew to be part of it.

It’s a passion.”

Greg Allmendinger would go on to mortgage the family home three times to keep wheels under his only son, who endured a roller-coaster career on many levels before scoring his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory last year on the road course at Watkins Glen International.

The win propelled Allmendinger into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for the first time, and the Los Gatos, Calif., native finished a career-best 13th in the

standings in his first full season with JTG Daugherty Racing.

In May, it was announced that Allmendinger had inked a five-year extension to remain with JTG Daugherty through the 2020 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

“It’s huge,” Allmendinger said of his long-term deal. “This sport’s not easy, especially in this day and age. It’s so competitive and it’s so brutal when it comes to trying to find sponsors and keep sponsors and having a job. So this is my home and I know it’s the right place for me.

“To have a long-term deal is great, but I kind of look at it like I’m going to be here

hopefully until my career is over, whenever that is,” Allmendinger said. “It’s the right place for me on and off the racetrack.

It’s a big deal ... I feel like this is the right place, the right role for me. So this is big for a lot of reasons.”

Given his newfound success and stability, it’s no wonder that as recently as Father’s Day of this year, Allmendinger posted to his Twitter account acknowledging his father for all of his support through the years.

“So lucky for everything my dad has done for me,” the tweet read, in part.

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DRIVER PROFILES

10 NUMBER

INFO OWNER TONY STEWART, GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS GODADDY.COM, ASPEN DENTAL, TAXACT MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF DANIEL KNOST

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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Danica Patrick Danica Patrick might not be married, but she’s all for being with family as much as her busy schedule will allow.

“I like spending time with my family,” said the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ only female driver. “My sister has a daughter now … and I was lucky enough to be at her first birthday party. So I like spending time with my family, too. They’re fun, they’re funny and we have a good time, and they’re family at the end of the day.

They’re nothing you can trade out for others, and you can’t get back the time that has passed.”

Given her affinity for all things family, it’s not surprising that when Patrick’s then 8-year-old niece, Kendall, asked her a few years back about sponsoring her softball team, her well-compensated aunt happily obliged. The request included new uniforms for the team on which Kendall was a pitcher.

“They needed uniforms and I’m happy to do it,” Patrick said at the time. “They went online and found some beautiful bright green shirts to replicate the GoDaddy look of my car and then they found these great checkered-flag socks.”

As for the price tag on the uniforms, Aunt Danica didn’t care.

“I just wanted those little girls happy,” she said. “I feel like a parent.”

Patrick has also been known to go the extra mile for another niece, Reese, who was born in January 2014 to Patrick’s younger sister, Brooke.

“I also try and take care of my sister and my parents and everybody else, too, but it’s impossible when you have a little niece, to be able to walk by a little girls’ clothing [store], and not go, ‘Oh, my God. Look at that; I have to buy it.’ So I do,” Patrick said.

Of course, being an aunt to a toddler is about more than just making sure her wardrobe is full.

There’s also the occasional diaper change.

“Do I change diapers? Heck yeah,” Patrick said. “Yeah, I do. I don’t mind. I was [recently] changing a diaper, and I had a new one ready to go, and all of a sudden I looked down, and I’m like, ‘Gosh, girl, you were sweating, weren’t you?’ And I’m like, ‘No, you peed again.’ So then I went for another diaper.”

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DRIVER PROFILES

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NUMBER

INFO OWNER BOB GERMAIN TEAM GERMAIN RACING SPONSOR GEICO MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF ROBERT “BOOTIE” BARKER

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

PR ES EN TED BY

Casey Mears Casey Mears’ family has a deep history in racing and has made a tremendous impact on the motorsports world.

It all started with his grandfather, Bill, who from 1948 to 1956 raced modifieds and jalopies and won many races and championships throughout Kansas and Oklahoma. As Bill’s career began winding down, he began building race cars for sons Roger (Casey’s dad) and Rick (Casey’s uncle), who would go on to achieve even greater success than their father behind the wheel.

Roger Mears competed in NASCAR in the late ’60s and early ’70s but is best known for his success in off-road racing, where he won 20 world championship events at Riverside International Raceway and four Baja 1000s, among other accolades.

Casey’s uncle, Rick, is the most accomplished member of the racing Mears family, long ago dubbed as “The Mears Gang.” Rick Mears is a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, three-time CART/ PPG Indy Car World Series champion and winner of the most poles at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Rick was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1997, five years after his retirement from racing. Given his pedigree, it’s probably safe to say Casey Mears was born to race.

“Racing is all I’ve ever known, but there were times growing up when my parents would encourage me to try other things,” said Casey, whose brother, Roger Jr., and cousin, Clint, have also gone on to enjoy careers in the sport. “The racing lifestyle may seem abnormal to some people, but it’s normal to me. When I was younger and in school, my teachers always wondered why I missed school on Fridays and Mondays. Little did they know I was off visiting a different part of the country every weekend and racing or watching my dad race.”

Casey is glad he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and uncle, even if there are rough days at work.

“I was well aware of the risks I was taking to pursue a career in racing,” he said. “I saw my dad struggle through good years and bad years. Racing is one of those careers which requires commitment and 110 percent effort all of the time.”

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DRIVER PROFILES

PR ES EN TED BY

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NUMBER

INFO OWNER ROGER PENSKE

Brad Keselowski

TEAM TEAM PENSKE

Brad Keselowski is the son of Bob Keselowski, who made 86 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from 1995-1999, scoring a lone win at Richmond in 1997. Bob Keselowski also made 169 ARCA starts between 1985 and 1995, winning 24 times.

Brad’s uncle, Ron, competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, making 68 starts between 1970 and 1974. Brad has an older brother, Brian, who has three career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, including the 2011 Daytona 500.

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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PROUD TRANSPORTATION PROVIDER FOR BUBBA Burgers

DRIVER PROFILES

PR ES EN TED BY

20 NUMBER

INFO OWNER JOE GIBBS TEAM JOE GIBBS RACING SPONSORS DOLLAR GENERAL/ DEWALT MANUFACTURER TOYOTA CREW CHIEF JASON RATCLIFF

Matt Kenseth Matt Kenseth married wife Katie in 2000. Both Matt and Katie are from Cambridge, Wis. “Everything was always racing, so he was different,” Katie said. “He was the different kid, and it’s fun and kind of rewarding for him now today to be successful. A lot of times the kids that picked on him want to come to a race or get excited to see him now.” The Kenseths have three daughters – Kaylin, Grace and Clara – all under age 7. Matt Kenseth has a 22-year-old son, Ross, who made his NASCAR XFINITY Series debut at Chicagoland Speedway in June and finished sixth.

22 NUMBER

INFO OWNER ROGER PENSKE TEAM PENSKE RACING SPONSORS SHELL/PENNZOIL, AAA, AUTOTRADER.COM MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF TODD GORDON

46

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

Joey Logano Joey Logano married the former Brittany Baca in December at the Biltmore estate in Asheville, N.C., a little more than two months before his electrifying win in the 2015 Daytona 500. Joey’s father, Tom, is an accomplished businessman who experienced success in the waste management industry. The elder Logano moved his family to Charlotte, N.C., bought a $900,000 race shop and filled it with equipment when it appeared his then14-year-old son might have a serious future in the sport. Joey is the second of Deborah and Tom Logano’s two children.

78 NUMBER

INFO OWNER BARNEY VISSER TEAM FURNITURE ROW RACING SPONSOR FURNITURE ROW MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF COLE PEARN

Martin Truex Jr. Martin Truex Jr.’s father, Martin Truex, made 15 NASCAR XFINITY Series starts between 1989 and 1998. The elder Truex competed in 135 races in what is now the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East between 1992 and 2000. Truex Jr. worked for his dad’s company, SeaWatch, an entire summer to pay for his first go-kart. “I was like a kid in a candy store and couldn’t wait to take it to the racetrack,” Truex said in a blog on FOXSports.com.

“Once I started racing, my father realized that I had found my passion and supported me from that day on.”

5

NUMBER

INFO OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS FARMERS INSURANCE, GREAT CLIPS, TIME WARNER CABLE, PEPSI, LIFTMASTER MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF KEITH RODDEN

Kasey Kahne One of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ most recognizable bachelors, Kasey Kahne has yet to tie the knot, much to the delight of many female fans. He has two siblings – a brother, Kale, and a sister, Shanon. His father, Kelly, owned several sprint cars when he was a teenager growing up in Enumclaw, Wash., which ignited Kasey’s passion for racing. Kahne was racing in Micro Midget events at 14. Kahne has a large tattoo on the inside of his left arm that carries the initials of his deceased grandfathers, Richard Peterson and Kenny Kahne.

POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

47

DRIVER PROFILES

PR ES EN TED BY

42 NUMBER

INFO OWNER CHIP GANASSI, FELIX SABATES TEAM CHIP GANASSI RACING SPONSOR TARGET MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF CHRIS HEROY

Kyle Larson A graduate of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity, Kyle Larson was born to a Japanese-American mom, Janet.

Both his mother and his father, Mike, were instrumental in helping him stay grounded when his talent began to blossom. “My parents have always told me to try and stay as humble as you can, and I think that’s been a big help to my career,” Kyle said in an interview with USA Today Sports.

“I haven’t gotten overly confident or cocky.” Kyle and girlfriend Katelyn Sweet became first-time parents in December when Katelyn gave birth to son Owen. Kyle has an older sister, Andrea.

31

NUMBER

INFO OWNER RICHARD CHILDRESS TEAM RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING SPONSORS CATERPILLAR, QUICKEN LOANS, WIX FILTERS MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF LUKE LAMBERT

48

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

Ryan Newman Ryan Newman met future wife Krissie on a blind date in 2001, and the two were married in 2004. Today, they are parents of two young daughters – Brooklyn and Ashlyn. The couple started the Ryan Newman Foundation in 2005 to educate and encourage people to spay or neuter their pets and to adopt dogs and cats from animal shelters. The Newmans later launched Rescue Ranch to promote respect for all animals as well as agricultural, environmental and wildlife conservation.

14 NUMBER

INFO OWNER TONY STEWART, GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS BASS PRO SHOPS, MOBIL 1, RUSH TRUCK CENTERS, CODE 3 ASSOCIATES MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF CHAD JOHNSTON

Tony Stewart Tony Stewart’s mother, Pam Boas, works for her son’s Indianapolis, Ind.-based Tony Stewart Foundation as an administrator and treasurer of the foundation’s board of directors. Tony Stewart’s father, Nelson, was Tony’s first car owner and crew chief when his racing career began behind the wheel of a go-kart at age 7. “He never let me settle for second,” said Stewart of his dad, who still frequents races whenever his schedule permits. “He didn’t like it when we ran second, and he knew that I didn’t like it when we ran second.”

41 NUMBER

INFO OWNER TONY STEWART, GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS HAAS AUTOMATION MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF TONY GIBSON

Kurt Busch Growing up in Las Vegas, Kurt Busch often tagged along with his father to racetracks in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. His father, Tom, is largely responsible for getting his career off the ground. At age 7, Busch was behind the wheel of a go-kart and by 15 he was competing alongside his father in Dwarf Car competition. At age 17, Busch won 10 consecutive races at 10 different tracks to secure the Nevada State Dwarf Car title, leading his father to move him up in 1996. Five years later, he was in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full time.

POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

49

DRIVER PROFILES

NUMBER

9

PR ES EN TED BY

INFO OWNER RICHARD PETTY, ANDY MURSTEIN TEAM RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS SPONSOR TWISTED TEA MANUFACTURER FORD

sam hornish jr.

SAM HORNISH JR. GIVES much credit to his dad for helping him achieve his dreams in racing. “He used to do everything,” Hornish once said of his father. “Ever since I started racing, running in gokarts, dad was my mechanic and we went all over the place to race.”

CREW CHIEF KEVIN MANION

aric almirola

43

ARIC ALMIROLA HAILS FROM Tampa, Fla., born of Cuban descent. He married the former Janice Goss on Dec. 11, 2010. The two met in the summer of 2005 when Janice’s father, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series crew chief Randy Goss, was helping Almirola test in preparation for his first truck start. Janice tagged along for the test, helping take lap times, and it was there that she and Aric became acquainted. The couple is now parents to son Alex, born on Sept. 4, 2012, and daughter Abby, born on Nov. 28, 2013.

NUMBER

1

CREW CHIEF TRENT OWENS

INFO OWNER CHIP GANASSI, FELIX SABATES TEAM CHIP GANASSI RACING

CREW CHIEF MATT MCCALL

50

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

TEAM RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS

MANUFACTURER FORD

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

PAUL MENARD IS THE SON of retail billionaire John Menard, who founded the popular Menards hardware chain in Eau Claire, Wis., in 1964. Paul married his wife, Jennifer, in 2012 and the couple has a daughter, Remi, born in March 2014. John Menard owned an IndyCar racing team for 25 years, beginning before Paul was born. Paul practically grew up on a racetrack, cutting his teeth in go-karts and ice racing.

OWNER RICHARD PETTY, ANDY MURSTEIN

SPONSORS SMITHFIELD FOODS, FRESH FROM FLORIDA, STP

SPONSORS MCDONALD’S, CESSNA

paul menard

INFO

NUMBER

NUMBER

27

jamie mcmurray JAMIE MCMURRAY AND WIFE Christy were married in 2009 and have two children. Son Carter was born on Thanksgiving in 2010. Daughter Hazel was born in February 2013, right before the start of Daytona Speedweeks. “A little girl is much different,” McMurray said after his daughter’s birth.

“I’ve compared notes with the other dads who have had a boy and then had a girl. It’s a different experience.” Jamie is close with his father, Jim.

INFO OWNER RICHARD CHILDRESS TEAM RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING SPONSOR MENARDS MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF JUSTIN ALEXANDER

NUMBER

55

INFO OWNER MICHAEL WALTRIP, ROB KAUFFMAN TEAM MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING SPONSOR AARON’S MANUFACTURER TOYOTA

david ragan DAVID RAGAN IS THE son of Ken Ragan, an independent racer and Unadilla, Ga., native who made 50 top series NASCAR starts between 1983 and 1990. David and his wife, Jacquelyn, have a daughter, Julia, who was born in June 2014.

CREW CHIEF BRAIN PATTIE

ricky stenhouse jr.

17

BORN INTO A FAMILY OF RACers, Olive Branch, Miss., native Ricky Stenhouse Jr. grew up going to the racetrack with both of his parents. His dad – Ricky Stenhouse Sr. – built race car engines for a living and was himself a racer. Ricky’s uncle raced sprint cars and built the chassis for them. A two-time XFINITY Series champion and third-year Sprint Cup Series driver, Ricky is not married but has been in a serious relationship with Danica Patrick.

NUMBER

16

TEAM ROUSH FENWAY RACING

MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF NICK SANDLER

INFO OWNER JACK ROUSH, FENWAY SPORTS GROUP TEAM ROUSH FENWAY RACING

MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF MATT PUCCIA

BORN THE OLDEST GRANDSON of champion team owner Richard Childress, Austin Dillon was bound to race.

He grew up watching Dale Earnhardt wheel the black No. 3 car owned by his grandfather, and spent much of his childhood in the garage and halls of Richard Childress Racing. That didn’t hurt Austin’s chances of driving race cars.

OWNER JACK ROUSH, FENWAY SPORTS GROUP

SPONSORS FASTENAL, ZEST, ECOPOWER

SPONSORS ORTHO, CHEEZ-IT

austin dillon

INFO

NUMBER

NUMBER

3

greg biffle GREG BIFFLE AND WIFE NICOLE MARried on Oct. 19, 2007, at Palmetto Bluff Resort in South Carolina. The couple met in the spring of 1998 and began dating later that summer. Nicole gave birth to the couple’s first child, daughter Emma, on July 6, 2011.

“I think the most fun age is when they get to be 2 or 2½,” Biffle said about being a parent. “They’re not jerking stuff off the tables anymore and they’re really playing and they can get around good by themselves. That’s when it gets to be a lot of fun.”

INFO OWNER RICHARD CHILDRESS TEAM RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING SPONSORS DOW CHEMICAL, CHEERIOS, BASS PRO SHOPS, AMERICAN ETHANOL MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF RICHARD “SLUGGER” LABBE POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

51

GEAR

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2 TUB O’ TOWELS

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52

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

3 SPRAYWAY

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You can take them right from your freezer to your grill or skillet and BUBBA burgers® come in many varieties to fi t any taste. Race to your favorite local grocer’s freezer today and grab a box of BUBBA burgers® so that you are sure to have a winning race weekend! bubbafoods.com

6 TIGER BALM

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7 FOLEX®

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POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

53

WOMEN & RACING

On the Rise

PRESENTED BY

Canadian sensation Cornett-Ching has been tabbed as having NASCAR Sprint Cup Series level talent.

S

arah Cornett-Ching has reached the same level in racing that quite a few females have achieved in recent years.

The 24-year-old native of Penticton, British Columbia, is a full-time competitor this season in the ARCA Racing Series, a series in which several “ladies in waiting” have raced in hopes of earning a NASCAR ride.

Cornett-Ching is different, though. Observers say she’s got the talent to become the next female in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Her foray into ARCA has gone well: The Canadian sensation scored three top-10 finishes in her first nine starts, driving Tony Blanchard’s No. 2 Chevrolet. Cornett-Ching is a tough driver who also knows the mechanical ins and outs of a stock car, a trait many up-and-comers have yet to learn.

Cornett-Ching made her NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut April 18 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and finished 20th in her first attempt at the legendary, high-banked bullring. She kept her No. 18 Toyota clean throughout the 125-lap event, which is not exactly the easiest task at a tough track like Bristol.

The young racer has shown flashes of potential in limited opportunities. The challenges she faces, however, are real: Securing enough sponsorship to land even a one- or two-race ride with a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or NASCAR XFINITY Series team is a battle numerous female drivers have fought without success.

Cornett-Ching hopes to rise above the adversity.

With a few more solid runs – or maybe even a victory – in ARCA competition, she could be the next female in a NASCAR national series.

By Aaron Burns 54

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

NASCAR FUEL CAREERS

Van Colley

BUSINESS MANAGER FOR DARRELL WALTRIP As the business manager the past 19 years for now NASCAR Hall of Famer and FOX Sports NASCAR analyst Darrell Waltrip, Van Colley has rarely, if ever, had a dull day on the job.

From negotiating personal services agreements and contracts to arranging all of Waltrip’s appearances and interviews, to making sure the threetime NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion’s motorcoach gets parked at the track each weekend, Colley is in every way the man behind D.W. – one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers and one of the sport’s most engaging personalities for nearly four decades.

Waltrip and Colley are polar opposites in some ways, but in the end it all comes together in

semi-perfect harmony.

“I’m a detail fanatic,” said Colley, a 54-yearold native of Caldwell, Ohio, who earned a degree in Radio and Television from Ohio’s Marietta College. “D.W. always has a lot of ideas – some great, some… ehhhh, not so much – but he doesn’t give a flip about the details. That’s where I come in, because I sweat the details. I’m OCD like that, which is good because where D.W. is concerned there are lots of details that need to be handled.

The challenges are varied.

“I’m just arrogant enough to say after all these years that there are very few people who could keep up with him. As I tell folks, I liken it to herding cats. There are those days that if I can just get him pointed in the right direction, well, I consider it a victory.”

Ironically, Colley was a fan of Waltrip during the 1980s, the driving heyday of his future boss.

“If it’s your passion and dream – stick with it,” said Colley, who used a role with Waltrip’s former sponsor, Western Auto, as a springboard to being offered the position of business manager for the man himself. “Get your foot in the door and then work your butt off. It’s not easy.

Nothing will be given to you. You have to earn it.

Use all the connections you have, because you will be surprised how many times someone will say, ‘Hey, I know a guy …’ You’ll get down and you’ll get discouraged, but the key is to keep moving forward.

At times it’s darn-right hard as hell. There

are days when I want to strangle D.W. just as much as he wants to strangle me, but at the end of the day we respect and love each other.”

And Colley offers a couple other pertinent nuggets of advice.

“Our NASCAR ‘world’ is really a small place,” he said. “You might be so mad at someone from another organization that you catch yourself saying, ‘I’ll never ever work for that S.O.B.’ Well, guess what? Never say never.

You’d be surprised how two years later you might need a job and that so-called S.O.B. has an opening. I’ve seen it happen more than once.

“Lastly, and I know it sounds trite – be nice to people. Whether you are dealing with officials from NASCAR, another team or a sponsor or whether it’s a race fan – be nice. Treat everyone with respect. You’ll be surprised how many ‘long memories’ there are in our sport when you treat someone badly or disrespect them.”

C.J. WOLIVER SOCIAL MEDIA PRODUCER, FOX SPORTS

I

n a span of just three years, C.J. Woliver has been a track announcer for a traveling short-track racing series, a public relations director for a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team and a social media producer for FOX Sports.

It’s not surprising, then, that in his current gig – the one with FOX – Woliver is a jack-of-all-trades.

From pushing FOXSports. com articles and videos on Facebook and Twitter, to “live tweeting” races, to promoting FOX, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 on multiple social media accounts, Woliver is unaccustomed to downtime.

The 28-year-old Virginian wouldn’t have it any other way, however.

“I believe the biggest key at being good at my job is remaining genuinely excited about the sport,” he said.

“That is an easy thing to manage, but it’s crucial in this industry. Honestly, there are much easier ways to make money. None of us would do this if we didn’t love and live the sport. NASCAR is a part of who I am.”

Woliver has a tip for those looking to fi nd a home in the industry.

“Prepare to work for free in the beginning,” he said.

“Volunteer at your local race track. Almost everyone has a NASCAR Home Track somewhere close by. Look on Facebook and fi nd someone in your area who owns a race car, and volunteer to be a member of his team. Learn the sport. Be a part of the action and capitalize on every opportunity.”

By Jared Turner 56

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

LIFESTYLE NASCAR FUEL

DOWNTIME WITH SAM HORNISH JR. A father of three children under age 8, Sam Hornish Jr. spends most of his time away from the track with his family.

“When I’m away from the track, I really enjoying building things; it doesn’t matter if it’s with steel or wood or whether I’m building a tree house or a pedal car for my kids,” he said. “I like to imagine things to build. Because of my career and family, the projects that I’ve taken on recently are chosen by the time commitment.

“When I was a kid, I was constantly breaking my toys and trying to put them back together. Then, later in life, I worked as a fabricator at my parents’ company. That really got me interested in coming up with ways to make things better and creating new ideas. I enjoy the challenge of developing new projects that I’ve never seen before, or building something better or faster than someone else.

“Having kids gives me justification to take on projects that I’ve always wanted to do. There are a lot of cool things I’ve built for my kids, but the best part is they get to help me with them. It provides a better opportunity for me to bond besides just asking them how their day went.”

MENTAL PREP WITH JEFF GORDON Do you have a ritual that helps you prepare for races?

I like to get dressed at a certain time. I like to have our team meeting at a certain time and get to the car at a certain time and all those things. But, that’s just routine. I don’t feel like it’s any superstitious thing. It’s just preparation.

FUELING UP WITH LANDON CASSILL

Breakfast

“All my diet is pretty much plants and vegetables, and fruits and vegetables. So for breakfast a lot of times, we’ll make like overnight oats or something like that and put some fruit in it, with almond milk or some sort of oatmeal or something like that.”

lunch

“I’ll make a big salad with avocado, and I like hummus, as well. I drink water. Usually put electrolyte tablets in because I train a lot and work out during the day a lot, so I try to keep up with my electrolytes.”

dinner

TRAINING WITH TREVOR BAYNE

D

espite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2013, Trevor Bayne remains on the front lines among NASCAR drivers focused on fi tness.

Case in point: When most of his fellow drivers were relaxing on the traditional Easter off weekend in 2014, Bayne participated in a triathlon. The 2011 Daytona 500 winner fi nished fi rst in his age group, posting a personal best time of 1:10:21. The sprint triathlon consisted of a 750-meter swim, a 20K bike ride and a 5K run.

“I won my age group – which was cool – and defi nitely improved my sprint-tri time,” Bayne said. “I improved my time by 12 minutes from my fi rst event in Key West [Fla.], and ended up 30th overall, which is pretty good out of over 200 people.”

Bayne believes his consistent training regimen has also paid dividends on race days.

“I think the more physically and mentally sharp you can be in the race car, the better off you are,” he said. “I think the training has gotten me much more physically fi t for the race.

“If you can run or ride your bike or run outside for a couple of hours, it really helps you stay sharp focused, as well. You are mentally stronger at the end of the race and you are able to make good decisions throughout the race.”

“My wife makes these really good burritos that are like sweet potato and black bean and brown rice burritos, so it’s kind of like cute little sweet potato cubes and some beans and brown rice mixed together with cashew sour cream.”

snack

“Just walking around the garage or on a weekend or whatever, I usually pack a couple apples in my bag with little packets of peanut butter. It’s like an organic peanut butter, and I’ll just kind of squeeze the peanut butter over the apple and take a bite.”

By Jared Turner POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

57

NASCAR SERIES ROSTERS 2015 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES ROSTER No.

Driver

Team

Sponsor/Make

Crew Chief

Driver’s Hometown

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 26 27 30 31 32 34 35 38 40 41 42 43 46 47 48 51 55 62 78 88 98

Jamie McMurray Brad Keselowski Austin Dillon Kevin Harvick Kasey Kahne Trevor Bayne Alex Bowman Sam Hornish Jr. Danica Patrick Denny Hamlin Casey Mears Tony Stewart Clint Bowyer Greg Biffl e Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Kyle Busch Carl Edwards Matt Kenseth Joey Logano J.J. Yeley Jeff Gordon Jeb Burton Paul Menard Ron Hornaday Jr. Ryan Newman Bobby Labonte Brett Moffi tt Cole Whitt David Gilliland Landon Cassill Kurt Busch Kyle Larson Aric Almirola Michael Annett A.J. Allmendinger Jimmie Johnson Justin Allgaier David Ragan Brendan Gaughan Martin Truex Jr. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Josh Wise

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Team Penske Richard Childress Racing Stewart-Haas Racing Hendrick Motorsports Roush Fenway Racing 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 Joe Gibbs Racing Team Penske BK Racing Hendrick Motorsports BK Racing Richard Childress Racing The Motorsports Group Richard Childress Racing Frank Stoddard Front Row Motorsports Front Row Motorsports Front Row Motorsports Circle Sport Racing Stewart-Haas Racing Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Richard Petty Motorsports HScott Motorsports JTG Daugherty Racing Hendrick Motorsports HScott Motorsports Michael Waltrip Racing Premium Motorsports Furniture Row Racing Hendrick Motorsports Phil Parsons Racing

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2015 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES ROSTER No. Driver

Hometown

Team

Make

Crew Chief

0 01 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 28 33 39 42 43 44 51 52 54 55 60 62 88 90

High Point, N.C. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Emporia, Va. Boise, Idaho Welcome, N.C. Alva, Fla. Mobile, Ala. Cato, N.Y. West Palm Beach, Fla. Dawsonville, Ga. Vienna, W. Va. Bakersfield, Calif.

Bixby, Okla.

Monterrey, Mexico Milwaukie, Ore. Byron, Mich.

Rochester Hills, Mich.

Chilhowie, Va. Watkinsville, Ga. Phoenix, Ariz.

Atlanta, Ga. Tucker, Ga. Elk Grove, Calif.

New Castle, Ind. Houston, Texas Spartanburg, S.C. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Las Vegas, Nev. Mooresville, N.C. Prosper, Texas Las Vegas, Nev. Louisville, Ky. Napierville, Quebec

JD Motorsports JD Motorsports Roush Fenway Racing Richard Childress Racing Richard Childress Racing JD Motorsports Roush Fenway Racing JR Motorsports TriStar Motorsports JR Motorsports TriStar Motorsports Roush Fenway Racing Vision Racing Joe Gibbs Racing TriStar Motorsports Joe Gibbs Racing Penske Racing JGL Racing Athenian Motorsports JGL Racing Richard Childress Racing RSS Racing HScott Motorsports Richard Petty Motorsports TriStar Motorsports Jeremy Clements Racing Jimmy Means Racing Joe Gibbs Racing VIVA Auto Group Roush Fenway Racing Richard Childress Racing JR Motorsports King Autosport

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

Wayne Setterington Dave Fuge Phil Gould Mike Hillman Jr. Nick Harrison Gary Cogswell Chad Norris Jason Burdett Bruce Cook Ernie Cope Eddie Pardue Seth Barbour Adrian Berryhill Eric Phillips Paul Clapprood Mike Wheeler Greg Erwin Wes Ward Mike Ford Steven Lane Danny Stockman Jr. Kevin Starland Mike Shiplett Frank Kerr Greg Conner Tony Clements Tim Brown Chris Gayle Mark Seltzer Scott Graves Shane Wilson Dave Elenz Marc Gosselin

Harrison Rhodes Landon Cassill Elliott Sadler Brian Scott Ty Dillon Ross Chastain Darrell Wallace Jr. Regan Smith Blake Koch Chase Elliott Cale Conley Ryan Reed Tanner Berryhill Daniel Suarez Mike Bliss Erik Jones Brad Keselowski Eric McClure John Wes Townley J.J. Yeley Brandon Jones Ryan Sieg Kyle Larson Dakoda Armstrong David Starr Jeremy Clements Joey Gase Kyle Busch Jeffrey Earnhardt Chris Buescher Brendan Gaughan Ben Rhodes Martin Roy

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2015 NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES ROSTER No. Driver

Hometown

Team

Make

02 05 07 1 4 6 8 10 11 13 14 15 17 19 23 29 31 33 50 51 54 88 94 98 99

Midland, Texas Watkinsville, Ga. Palm Coast, Fla. Brandywine, Md. Byron, Mich.

Level Green, Pa. Mooresville, N.C. Kansas City, Kan. Daytona Beach, Fla. Daytona Beach, Fla. Kannapolis, N.C. Brentwood, Tenn.

Providence, N.C. Corning, Calif.

Las Vegas, Nev. Rochester Hills, Mich.

Melbourne, Fla. Atlanta, Ga. Greensboro, N.C. Monterrey, Mexico Baltimore, Md. Tulare, Calif.

Janesville, Wis. Necedah, Wis. Stuart, Fla.

Young’s Motorsports Athenian Motorsports SS Green Light Racing MAKE Motorsports Kyle Busch Motorsports Norm Benning Racing NEMCO Motorsports Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing Red Horse Racing ThorSport Racing NTS Motorsports Billy Boat Motorsports Red Horse Racing Brad Keselowski Racing GMS Racing Brad Keselowski Racing NTS Motorsports GMS Racing MAKE Motorsports Kyle Busch Motorsports Kyle Busch Motorsports ThorSport Racing Premium Motorsports ThorSport Racing T3R2

Chevrolet Bryan Berry Chevrolet Michael Shelton Chevrolet Jason Miller Chevrolet Barry Owen Toyota Rudy Fugle Chevrolet Brian Poff Chevrolet Gere Kennon Chevrolet/RAM/Ford Steve Kuykendall Toyota Scott Zipadelli Toyota Jeff Hensley Chevrolet Ryan McKinney Chevrolet Brandon McSwain Toyota Marcus Richmond Ford Doug Randolph Chevrolet Jeff Stankiewicz Ford Chad Kendrick Chevrolet Chris Rice Chevrolet Shane Huffman Chevrolet Randy Dean II Toyota Jerry Baxter Toyota Shannon Rursch Toyota Carl Joiner Chevrolet John Monsam Toyota Doug George Chevrolet Cal Boprey

Tyler Young John Wes Townley Ray Black Jr. Donnie Neuenberger Erik Jones Norm Benning John Hunter Nemechek Jennifer Jo Cobb Ben Kennedy Cameron Hayley Daniel Hemrick Mason Mingus Timothy Peters Tyler Reddick Spencer Gallagher Brad Keselowski James Buescher Brandon Jones Cody Ware Daniel Suarez Justin Boston Matt Crafton Travis Kvapil Johnny Sauter Bryan Silas

Crew Chief

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60

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

2015 NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES Feb. 20 Feb. 28 March 28 May 8 May 15 May 29 June 5 June 13 June 19 July 9 July 22 Aug. 1 Aug. 15 Aug. 19 Aug. 30 Sept. 18 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 24 Oct. 31 Nov. 6 Nov. 13 Nov. 20

Daytona International Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway Martinsville Speedway Kansas Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Dover International Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Gateway Motorsports Park Iowa Speedway Kentucky 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

2015 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES Feb. 21 Feb. 28 March 7 March 14 March 21 April 10 April 18 April 24 May 2 May 17 May 23 May 30 June 13 June 20 July 4 July 10 July 18 July 25 Aug. 1 Aug. 8 Aug. 15 Aug. 21 Aug. 29 Sept. 5 Sept. 11 Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 9 Oct. 17 Nov. 7 Nov. 14 Nov. 21

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

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Gaughan in 60 Seconds Brendan Gaughan doesn’t have the personality befitting one of the NASCAR XFINITY Series’ elder statesmen. He’s a veteran, sure, but Gaughan’s still got plenty of racing left – and he’s one of the sport’s best personalities.

Gaughan, 39, was born in Los Angeles but has spent most of his life in Las Vegas – and he’s seen a lot since he grew up as the son of hotel and casino magnate Michael Gaughan.

He played with Allen Iverson on Georgetown University’s basketball team in the 1990s, he’s won two NASCAR XFINITY races and he’s also an accomplished Scuba diver.

What Gaughan hasn’t seen, though, is a NASCAR XFINITY Series championship trophy with his name on it. He’s hoping this will be his year, and three top-10 finishes in his first five starts gave Gaughan plenty of hope.

However, success is a fickle mistress in NASCAR, and Gaughan received another tough reminder of it soon after. A 33rd-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway – coupled with a crash and a 39th-place finish at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway – dropped Gaughan to 10th in points.

If anyone can handle a deep dive, though, he’s the man.

The driver of the No. 62 South Point Hotel and Casino Chevrolet always sets the bar high, something about which Shane Wilson, his crew chief, often teases Gaughan.

It doesn’t change his approach.

“I don’t believe in ‘reasonable,’” Gaughan said.

Wilson had a more concrete expectation when the season began.

“A top-five finish in driver points, and if we’re in the top five with about four or five races to go, we should have a shot at the championship,” Wilson said. “Winning races would be a bonus and hopefully, we will.

We want to be more consistent.”

Gaughan scored the first win of his NASCAR XFINITY Series career last year at Wisconsin’s Road America, and then backed it up with a victory at Kentucky Speedway late in the season.

His eighth-place ranking in 2014 points owed largely to 17 finishes outside the top 15. While this year started off strongly for

Gaughan – including a runner-up at Auto Club Speedway in March – he was frequently the victim of bad luck.

On May 30, Gaughan ended a four-race stretch where he didn’t finish better than 10th. His seventh-place result at Dover (Del.) International Speedway moved Gaughan to 53 points out of his crew chief’s top-five objective.

If the XFINITY Series had a Chase for the Championship similar to its Sprint Cup counterpart, Gaughan would be one of the beneficiaries. He doesn’t mind clawing his way back into the hunt, though.

“It has been a very nice deal in XFINITY that it does come down to championship battles,” Gaughan said. “That being said, what the Chase for the Sprint Cup did last year was pretty spectacular, so I would not mind if they came up with some format for us to have a Chase.”

By Aaron Burns POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

61

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

Recipe for Success In a series known for frequent turnover, Timothy Peters and Red Horse Racing have chased NASCAR Camping World Truck Series glory together since 2009. Now, all the combination needs to do is win a championship.

Peters is one of the most successful drivers among NASCAR’s tailgate brigade. Take a stroll through Red Horse Racing’s shop in Mooresville, N.C., and Peters’ success is on full display.

His No. 17 Toyota Tundra has become synonymous with running up front.

The Danville, Va., native turns 35 on Aug. 29, but there’s reason to believe his best days are still ahead of him.

Not that Peters’ previous accomplishments are minute.

Through May, Peters had six poles and eight victories in a NCWTS career that began in 2005, when a 24-yearold Peters agreed to drive for the late Bobby Hamilton.

He’d carved out a reputation as a tremendous late model short-track racer before he moved up to the truck series. Peters showed flashes with BHR’s team, but he never reached greater heights until he joined RHR in 2009.

His first win came at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Peters’

home track. He’s since developed into one of the series’ top restrictor-plate racers.

Last season, Peters led the season opener at Daytona International Speedway until Kyle Busch cleared him just before the finish line.

In the series’ return to high-speed ovals in October at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Peters started 26th and had to force his way to the front.

No problem. He led 31 laps and captured the victory. Still, a lone win and a fifth-place finish in points wasn’t what Peters envisioned at the beginning of the 2014 season.

The 2015 campaign didn’t start out so hot: In the first seven races, Peters crashed twice and blew an engine.

When he made it to the checkered flag, though, the No. 17 Toyota was in familiar territory toward the front.

A fourth-place finish at Kansas Speedway and a seventh-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway gave Peters hope that a turnaround was imminent. Peters, however, will have to

fight off several of his fellow Toyota drivers to better his top season to date, a two-win 2012 campaign that saw him wind up second in points.

The pieces are in place to finish that high again. Peters’ close friend and longtime crew chief, Marcus Richmond, returned to the team this season While Erik Jones and Matt Crafton stole many of the early season headlines, Peters isn’t one to give up. He’s a determined driver whose focus is on the future.

A slow start didn’t dispel his optimism.

“There’s a good energy here,” Peters said. “These guys are positive. We’re a close-knit family full of people who just want to win races.

“You put all that together, and you’ve got a recipe for success.”

By Aaron Burns 62

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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SPOTLIGHT COPD

COPD Crowdshaped

FUNDRAISING EVENT EFFECTIVE IN SPREADING MESSAGE The COPD Foundation’s mission to raise awareness about the disease was recognized in early June during the inaugural COPD Crowdshaped event in San Francisco.

FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR PATIENTS

T

he idea for COPD Crowdshaped came about when Beyza Oezel, global patient relations manager for Novartis Pharmaceuticals, reached out to various people in other industries for help.

Oezel found the event to be a huge success, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals plans to have similar events for other diseases.

For her part, Karen Erickson hopes to be at the forefront of any additional opportunities to share her experiences dealing with COPD with people who are unfamiliar with the disease.

“As long as I’m healthy enough – and even when I’m not – I’m going to hit the ground and make sure all of these ideas come to fruition,” Erickson said. “I’m going to strive to make sure patients are treated both therapeutically and for their quality of life.”

Deb McGowan said the COPD Foundation has already begun the process of putting the suggestions gathered at the Crowdshaped conference into practice.

“The COPD Foundation is working to prioritize two of the eight questions raised,” McGowan said. “Within a week of the conference, we already had a team in place and a suggestion box for other ideas.”

PRESENTED BY

The COPD Foundation joined with event partner Novartis Pharmaceuticals to share experiences of COPD patients with leaders across various industries in hopes of developing new and innovative solutions that go beyond medicine to enhance the lives of people affected by COPD. COPD is a life-threatening lung disease, the fourth-leading cause of death globally, that affects more than 300 million individuals worldwide. Within the United States, COPD ranks as the third-leading cause of death, with more than 24 million Americans affected and approximately half that number

remaining undiagnosed.

However, a simple, painless breathing test, called spirometry, can determine whether or not a person has COPD. The two-day COPD Crowdshaped event started with a question-and-answer session with COPD patients, giving industry leaders an opportunity to learn about the daily challenges encountered by those diagnosed with the disease. Karen Erickson, who has the rare, genetic form of COPD and has undergone a lung transplant, spoke at COPD Crowdshaped.

“It was absolutely chock-full of innovators, engineers, developers, experts in robotics – but no

one in the audience knew about COPD,” Erickson said. “They did not know the extent to which COPD affects our lives. As a patient, I’ve been a speaker in many forums, most of which included people that were familiar with COPD. We’ve never moved the needle as speakers the way we did here.”

After hearing the stories from COPD patients like Erickson, the audience spent Day 2 of COPD Crowdshaped brainstorming ways in which they could help improve the day-to-day lives of those affected by the disease.

Deb McGowan, who took the lead for the COPD Foundation during the event, credits

Erickson and other speakers for providing full disclosure – including the good, the bad and the ugly – of their experiences with COPD to help engage the audience.

“People could understand their perspective and all of the barriers and challenges of what it’s like living with the disease,” McGowan said. “A lot of it has to do with understanding what the disease is and raising the level of awareness. We felt what it was like to walk in their shoes. Their stories touched us all.”

Through the COPD Crowdshaped process, the panel came up with eight initiatives to put into practice. Thanks to the COPD 360 Social campaign, others affected by the disease could visit the website, view videos in which people from the event describe the initiatives, and share their own experiences with the disease.

“The people in the audience asked the right questions,” Erickson said. “Every one of the eight ideas is patient-centered.

All of the solutions are intended to improve the quality of the lives of COPD patients. The caliber and speed with which everyone worked and the heartfelt support we received was second to none. I’ve never witnessed action like that coming out of a meeting.”

By dan guttenplan 64

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015