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THE 20 WHAT 2 WATCH 4 IN 2016

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CONTENT

THE 20: WHAT 2 WATCH 4 IN 2016

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58. LEGEND PROFILE 59. HISTORY: REWIND

34.

5 REASONS TO LOVE TONY STEWART

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WHY WE LOVE NASCAR NASCAR POLE POSITION RACE FAN GUIDE AN OFFICIALLY LICENSED PUBLICATION OF NASCAR

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41 DRIVER PROFILES

NEW ENERGY FOR DANICA’S JOURNEY

6. GREEN FLAG NEWS 8. DAYTONA RISING 10. BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW! 11. TRADIN’ PAINT 14. MY FIRST RIDE 16. TAILGATING: HONDA 18. SPOTLIGHT: SYLVANIA 20. SPOTLIGHT: GEICO 22. SPOTLIGHT: BUBBA BURGER

12.

WIVES & GIRLFRIENDS

24. BIGGER STRONGER TOUGHER: ADAM STEVENS 26. ACE IN THE HOLE: CHAD KNAUS 28. GEAR 38. SPOTLIGHT: COPD 60. XFINITY PROFILE: TY DILLON 62. XFINITY PROFILE: DANIEL SAUREZ 63. 2016 SCHEDULES POLE POSITION MAG.COM

05

GREEN FLAG Chase Format Expands

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n “elimination-style” Chase format — similar to the one used in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series — will be introduced to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR XFINITY Series this season. Both the XFINITY Series and Truck Series will utilize the same format as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but with fewer drivers and races than the 16-driver, four-round “elimination-style” format that has been part of the Cup Series since 2014. The XFINITY Series and the Truck Series will each have a seven-race, three-round Chase format with the championship being decided by a Championship 4 race at Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway. Drivers must still declare a series in which they will earn points and be eligible to compete for a championship – one series per driver. The 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who qualified for the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup will be ineligible to compete in this year’s XFINITY Series and Truck Series Championship 4 races.

DAN GUTTENPLAN

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ichael Waltrip Racing closed for business the day after the final race of the 2015 NASCAR season in late November at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Now, the race shop and property belonging to the organization founded by its namesake in 2007 are for sale for $15 million.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR

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eavine Family Racing has merged with Circle Sport Racing and formed a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing. With the move, LFR is switching its cars from Fords to Chevrolets and will now utilize RCR chassis and ECR engines. Michael McDowell will continue to drive the No. 95 as the team plans to run the full NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

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andon Cassill, a six-year veteran of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has joined Front Row Motorsports to drive the No. 38 Ford. Cassill, 26, most recently competed for Hillman Racing. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has raced in all three of NASCAR’s major series, earning XFINITY Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2008. Cassill replaces David Gilliland in the No. 38 and joins rookie teammate Chris Buescher at FRM.

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egan Smith has replaced Alex Bowman as driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet fielded by Tommy Baldwin Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Smith, who has one victory in 176 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, has spent the past three seasons driving for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. He posted five wins and finished in the top four in points each year.

Bowman, who plans to run select NASCAR XFINITY Series races for JR Motorsports this season, finished 33rd in points a year ago during his second season in NASCAR’s premier series.

“I was as surprised as all you guys were,” Bowman said in an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I went to the gym, and I refreshed Twitter, and Twitter said I was fired.”

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POLE POSITION 2016

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endrick Motorsports announced a three-year extension of PepsiCo’s longstanding partnership with the organization. Mountain Dew will continue as a primary sponsor of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and will also be a primary sponsor for Hendrick teammates Kasey Kahne and rookie Chase Elliott. Mountain Dew will be the primary sponsor of Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet for three races each season through 2018, while Elliott’s No. 24 team will have Mountain Dew as its primary sponsor in two races annually.

Kahne’s No. 5 Chevy will campaign Mountain Dew as its primary sponsor in one race per year.

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eam Penske announced a multi-year contract extension that will see Autotrader continue as a primary sponsor for drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. The popular online car shopping website and app will be featured on both the No. 2 and No. 22 Fords of Keselowski and Logano, respectively, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

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ico Abreu’s dream of racing full time in one of NASCAR’s major series has come true. After one season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, the veteran sprint car and midget racer will advance to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with ThorSport Racing.

Abreu, who stands just 4-foot-4, will drive the No. 98 Toyota under the guidance of veteran crew chief Doug George.

ThorSport Racing is the longest continuously operating Truck Series team and a winner of back-to-back driver

titles in 2013 and 2014 – with veteran Matt Crafton, who will now be a teammate and mentor to 24-year-old Abreu.

“This is one of the best opportunities I have been given,” said Abreu in a ThorSport Racing press release. “I appreciate the support and the hard work that everyone at ThorSport Racing and Curb Records has put into all of this for me to live my dream.”

PRESENTED BY

NASCAR Expands Agreement with Lionel Racing NASCAR fans will be seeing a lot more of Lionel Racing’s die-cast cars in the coming months. The Official Die-Cast of NASCAR is now the sport’s official mass retail partner when it comes to die-cast cars.

NASCAR licensee Lionel Racing has assumed mass-distribution rights for NASCAR’s die-cast collection, expanding its prior role. Since 2010, Lionel Racing has produced NASCAR die-cast cars and other products exclusively for the collector market, which includes hobby shops, e-commerce sites and official trackside retailers.

Under the terms of the new agreement, the company’s distribution channel has been expanded to include big-box retailers like Walmart, Target, Toys “R” Us and Meijer stores.

“We view this as a real opportunity to not only grow our business, but to also convert younger and maybe more casual NASCAR fans into die-hard collectors,” said Howard Hitchcock, president of Lionel Racing. “Our team at Lionel loves this sport, and we are passionate about sharing that love through the die-casts we produce.”

Hitchcock expects the company will “easily” grow at a double-digit clip thanks to the new rights it has acquired. Hitchcock reported that while people are increasingly spending discretionary income on digital possessions, demand for die-cast cars remains strong and the business “has been very stable.” The company, which outside of NASCAR also has an exclusive deal with NHRA’s John Force Racing and does some work in the sprint car space, is eyeing digital tie-ins that can be a part of die-cast production in the future.

Lionel Racing’s mass retail line will be merchandised under the NASCAR Authentics brand, which has been the sport’s mass market brand since early 2012. The initial NASCAR Authentics line will include haulers and 1:64-scale die-cast cars with value-added items like trading cards. Additional products are planned to be released throughout the year.

Lionel Racing makes and sells replica die-cast NASCAR, NHRA and other cars through a variety of channels, including trackside, online, a network of specialty dealers and lionelracing.com. Every diecast produced by Lionel Racing is carefully crafted with intricate detail to replicate what fans see on track, making it an integral part of a race fan’s experience.

The 1:64-scale die-cast, similar to the size of Hot Wheels models, is thought to be a more collectible version.

The premium 1:24-scale die-cast brand for Lionel Racing, ELITE die-casts are painstakingly designed to replicate every inch of a real NASCAR stock car. Not only does each die-cast body reflect the contour of the cars fans see on track, the details under the hood are second to none.

DAN GUTTENPLAN

by

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07

G DAYTONA RISING 1 5

Renovations at Daytona 2

After undergoing a 2.5-year, $400 million reimagining, the new Daytona International Speedway debuts during Speedweeks 2016.

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Fan Injectors. Five expanded and redesigned entrances, or “injectors,” lead fans to a series of escalators and elevators, transporting them to three different concourse levels. Each level features spacious areas, or “neighborhoods,” along the nearly mile-long frontstretch. In addition, Daytona International Speedway now has more than 60 luxury suites with trackside views.

The New Standard. The new Daytona International Speedway takes the NASCAR fan experience to an entirely new level, offering amenities only previously seen in the nation’s premier sports arenas and stadiums. To further elevate the experience, the grandstand also includes hundreds of club and loge seats, along with a new hospitality level.

Massive Grandstand. Daytona International Speedway’s new grandstand is nearly one mile in length. Given its size, the design had to take into account the curvature of the Earth, which measures seven inches from the grandstand’s end to end. In addition, the amount of steel used in the project equals one percent of the U.S. annual steel output.

Economic Engine. The Daytona Rising project reportedly generated 6,300 new jobs, $300 million in labor income and more than $85 million in new tax revenue. Here, workers install seat backs and bottoms in the grandstand area that overlooks the speedway between the exit of Turn 4 and the entrance to pit road.

Interested Visitors. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Ryan Newman (left) and Martin Truex Jr. took a tour of the Daytona Rising construction project during one of their visits to Daytona International Speedway. The iconic 2.5-mile track was the vision of NASCAR founder Bill France and has hosted stock car racing since 1959.

Enormous Undertaking. Ground was broken on the Daytona Rising Project in July 2013 and construction was completed in the days leading up to the 2016 racing season. The legendary speedway now has approximately 101,500 permanent, wider and more comfortable seats, twice as many restrooms and three times as many concession stands.

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KEITH WALTZ 08

POLE POSITION 2016

PHOTOS COURTESY DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

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G BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW!

12

KYLE BUSCH HAD A PLAN

The Records Petty Doesn’t Own Richard Petty and Dave Marcis both hold Daytona 500 records that will likely never be broken.

Petty has the most career wins (7) in the 500.

Marcis holds the mark for most starts in the Great American Race (33), as well as most consecutive starts (32, from 1968 through 1999). The Wausau, Wisconsin, native’s best career finish in the Daytona 500 was sixth in 1975. Terry Labonte and Petty are tied for the second-most 500 starts (32 each). From 1968 through 2002, Marcis made 883 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, earning five wins, 94 top-five finishes, 222 top-10s and 14 poles. Per Racing-Reference.info, Marcis collected just over $7.5 million in Sprint Cup Series prize money during his career. Some of today’s drivers make more than that in a single season!

IT’S BRISTOL, BABY!

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ristol Motor Speedway, the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” race track, has seen its share of unique history. NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt’s first career Cup Series victory came there on, of all things, April Fool’s Day in the 1979 Southeastern 500. Defending Sprint Cup Series champ Kyle Busch became the first driver to capture wins in all three major NASCAR series (Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Trucks) during the same weekend in August 2010. But perhaps the most unique instance happened when Johnny Allen won Bristol’s inaugural race in 1961. Because Allen served as a relief driver for Jack Smith, the latter received credit for the victory. Allen would finally earn his one and only official NASCAR career win the following year at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem, N.C.

When Kyle Busch makes a plan, nothing is going to stand in his way. Sure, it may have taken him 12 seasons to accomplish it, but Busch ultimately earned his most coveted goal, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, last season. That’s in addition to winning the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship in 2009 when Sprint Cup Series drivers were still allowed to earn points and run for the title in NASCAR’s junior league.

Another example of Busch being a man with a plan dates back to his days at Durango High School in his hometown of Las Vegas. Wanting to get a jump on his racing career, the younger Busch brother graduated in just three years – and with honors!

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

A

uto Club Speedway is located about 60 miles east of Hollywood, but it has figured in the filming of several movies over the years.

The two-mile track, which is celebrating its 20th year of racing, was built on the site of a former steel mill, where the final scene of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” was filmed in 1991. Not only did Arnold Schwarzenegger star in that

film – as well as four of the five movies to date of the Terminator franchise – he returned to the track in 2008 as race grand marshal while governor of California.

Other movies that have been filmed at the track in Fontana, California, include “Charlie’s Angels” (2000), “Herbie: Fully Loaded” (2004) and “The Bucket List” in 2007.

MOST UNIQUE TRACK NASCAR is known for some great racing venues, but none is more unique than Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. It’s the only track built into the side of a hill (aptly named “The Hillside”), and is also the only track that abuts a Native American reservation: the Gila River Indian Community.

PIR opened in 1964 and, according to the track’s official history, community members “used to sell food and drink to race fans too tired to hike all the way down the hill for concessions.”

NASCAR began racing at PIR in 1975 with the old NASCAR Winston West Series. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debuted in 1988 with Alan Kulwicki celebrating his victory by performing a “Polish Victory Lap” – driving his car backward around the one-mile track.

JERRY BONKOWSKI 10

POLE POSITION 2016

GETTY IMAGES

TRADIN’ PAINT PRE S E N T E D B Y Iconic NASCAR Paint Schemes

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hroughout NASCAR history, a race car’s paint scheme has become just as beloved by fans as the actual driver in the car. For instance, in 1971 Richard Petty originally walked away from a deal with STP because he didn’t want to paint his No. 43 Plymouth red. He held his ground, thus creating the Petty blue and red iconic paint scheme that is still used to this day. In this space, we’ll share some of the most iconic paint schemes in NASCAR history.

The metallic solid blue Ford Galaxies and Fairlanes driven by two-time Cup champion Ned Jarrett were on track in the mid1960s and fielded by Maynard Bond Long III, a 25-year-old heir to a major Fortune 500 company.

The yellow 1966 Ford Galaxie owned and built by NASCAR legend Junior Johnson ranks as one of the most controversial in the sport’s 65-year history.

Fred Lorenzen debuted the car in Atlanta on Aug. 7, 1966.

Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, dubbed “T-Rex” and driven in The Winston special non-points Cup event on May 17, 1997, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, raced only once in its original form.

Dale Earnhardt drove this version of the yellow and blue Wrangler Jeans Chevrolet to nine of his 76-career wins and Cup championships in 1986 and ’87 for Richard Childress Racing.

BEN WHITE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY POLE POSITION MAG.COM

11

G WIVES & GIRLFRIENDS

PRE S E N T E D B Y

■■ Clockwise from top left: Jeff Gordon and wife Ingrid Vandebosch; Ryan and Krissie Newman; Dale Earnhardt Jr. and fiancée Amy Reimann; Jimmie and Chandra Johnson; Kevin and DeLana Harvick; Kyle and Samantha Busch.

2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards

GETTY IMAGES 12

POLE POSITION 2016

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G MY FIRST RIDE

Country Cruiser YARBOROUGH’S FIRST RIDE CAME FROM NECESSITY Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Cale Yarborough made his living winning races and going fast. So fast that he once topped 200 mph in qualifying for the 1983 Daytona 500, but then flipped the Harry Ranier-owned Chevrolet he was driving.

D ■ A 1929 Ford Model A

uring his 30year Cup Series career, Yarborough earned 69 pole positions and won 83 races, including three Daytona 500s and five Southern 500s at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Yarborough’s first ride was quite a bit slower than the ones he routinely drove to victory on Sunday afternoons.

It was a matter of convenience, but also a matter of necessity.

“The first car I ever had was a 1929 Model

BEN WHITE 14

POLE POSITION 2016

A Ford,” Yarborough said. “Back in 1955, I was working in a tobacco warehouse in Timmonsville, S.C. I really needed transportation to get to work and didn’t want to walk. So I started looking around for something to drive.

“I just happened to go by a dealership one day and there was that Model A sitting there. All they wanted for it was $50 dollars. That was it. I said to myself, ‘I can make that payment!’ I got them to hold it for me so I could go and get it.

The car was at a Chrysler dealership there in Timmonsville that’s not there anymore.”

Yarborough held onto the car for many years and even made some pretty heavy modifications to it as time went by. For decades, Yarborough has owned car dealerships of his own and has seen countless cars come and go. However, that original Model A will always be in his mind’s eye, especially since he still has a reminder of that first car close at hand.

“That ole’ car ran good and I got good service out of it for a long time,” Yarborough said. “I ended up making a hot rod out of it. It finally just wore completely out, but I got a lot of good out of that car. I wish I still had it.

I have another Model A just like it, though.”

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G TAILGATING Day and Night

PRESENTED BY

This year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule features Richmond International Raceway’s first race on a Sunday afternoon instead of its traditional Saturday night.

H

ow does the change affect fans? It depends on their favorite tailgate time. Some fans prefer to attend night races, like at Daytona International Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway or Bristol Motor Speedway, while others prefer afternoon races and being able to get home earlier. With Richmond now featuring one day race and one night race instead of two night races, fans who visit the Virginia short track have to decide: Is it worth getting up hours earlier to set up a tailgate?

Some, according to social media posts on Twitter and Facebook, are fine with moving the race to the afternoon. Not everyone, however, is convinced afternoon start times make tailgating easier – particularly those who travel long distances to tracks.

“Getting up at 8 a.m. for an afternoon race cuts some of the time away [from tailgating],” said James Tyler, a New York native who’s made the trek to Richmond for night races. “A lot of the fans’ stuff is going to be rushed, whereas before we could take our time. It’ll be an adjustment for some of us, but we’ll have to get used to it. You’ll just have less time

Q&A WITH A TAILGATE TITAN

BILL MOORE DARLINGTON, S.C.

to tailgate on race day.”

For fans wanting to tailgate at Richmond International Raceway, getting to the track earlier will be only one new facet of their experience this year. The track plans to remove its backstretch grandstand, reducing seating capacity to 60,000. That equates to earlier tailgates and fewer tickets. It’ll definitely be different when April rolls around.

AARON BURNS

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES ■ The NASCAR season kicks off in February at Daytona International Speedway, so fans will pack into Daytona Beach, Florida, all month. For something fun to do, check out the Daytona 500 Experience, located just outside the speedway. It features all-access tours, interactive videos, motion simulators and plenty of racing memorabilia. You can even participate in a live pit stop.

■ Nothing gets a fan’s adrenaline going better than stepping away from the fan side of NASCAR and into the driver’s seat. The Richard Petty Driving Experience lets fans strap into Sprint Cup Series race cars and wheel them at 18 different tracks across the country, including Daytona, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

■ It’s never too early to start planning for Christmas.

Charlotte Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway illuminate the night with holiday–themed lights. You can drive around Charlotte’s 1.5-mile oval while looking at massive Christmas lights while listening to Christmas music. That’s worth building a schedule around, isn’t it?

16

POLE POSITION 2016

MUST-HAVE PRODUCT Why settle for a regular spatula when perfectly good steaks and chicken breasts could have your favorite driver’s car number on them?

Sportula, an Indiana-based company, manufactures stainless steel spatulas with laser-cut logos.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88, Tony Stewart’s No. 14, Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 and the No. 24 – of Jeff Gordon or Chase Elliott, whichever you prefer – can be found on the Sportula site.

If you’re looking to spice up your tailgate and show off to friends, nothing beats a fresh, grilled chicken breast with a big car number in the middle.

It’s a hungry race fan’s dream.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A RACE FAN? I got into it when I moved to Darlington in 1999.

WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST RACE? The 1999 Southern 500. I was in the stands that year.

I’ve had a spot in the infield since 2000.

WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE DRIVER? It was Rusty Wallace and Jeff Burton. Now, I don’t really have one. I like a lot of them.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TAILGATE? Good food, good people and good facilities.

WHAT CAN FANS FIND AT YOUR TAILGATES? We’ll do hot dogs, barbeque chicken and wings. We mix it up. Sometimes we’ll boil peanuts. It depends on what mood we’re in the week before the races.

HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOW UP TO YOUR TAILGATES? A good deal. The last race [in September], I had to go buy 10 more tickets. We’ll get 10-20 people but some people come in and out.

It’s a base camp for a lot of people.

Porta-Party.

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G SPOTLIGHT CRUCIAL INFO FOR FANS

Q

PRESENTED BY

The Importance of Headlights AN ACTIVE, FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

S

YLVANIA, the world leader in automotive lighting, offers a variety of quality headlights that vary in performance, cost and lifespan.

But when it comes to safety – and “getting part of your life back,” as SYLVANIA marketing manager Brian Noble describes it, Noble recommends investing in the SYLVANIA SilverStar® ULTRA, which is the company’s brightest down-road headlight.

“If you can’t see something, it doesn’t matter how good your brakes or your tires are,” Noble said. “If you can’t see it, you’re not hitting the brakes and your tires aren’t grabbing. So it’s an active,

first line of defense. It’s allowing you to react correctly. Any bump to the front end of a car costs thousands, rather than the $50 for the pair of headlights. So you’re making a small investment to protect friends, family and the loved ones around you.”

SYLVANIA recently conducted six, 10-person focus groups designed to gauge consumers’ habits for driving at night and spur discussion about ways to improve visibility on the road once the sun goes down.

The study, which consisted of both men and women and was held in three U.S. cities, found reluctance toward nighttime driving to be common.

Participants said they simply don’t feel they can see well enough at night, so they opt to stay home – in essence losing part of their life.

To combat this troubling trend, Noble suggests a few lighting safety tips.

“Buy the best bulb that you can afford, so that you can see your best for friends and family,” he said. “If you don’t know the last time you replaced a headlight, now is a good time because bulbs dim over time. If you don’t know the last time you replaced them, now’s a great time to do it, and buy a brighter downroad one. Replacing your headlights with brighter ones will greatly improve

visibility. And the last tip is replace in pairs, because if you have a bright one on one side and a dim one on the other side, now you have an uneven field of vision, and it’s just a distraction. And when we’re driving we try to reduce as many distractions as we possibly can.”

JARED TURNER 18

POLE POSITION 2016

uality headlights are particularly crucial for NASCAR fans, many of whom drive at less-thanoptimal times to see their heroes compete.

“You’re potentially driving in the dark, early in the morning, if you’re tailgating it,” Brian Noble said.

“Likewise, so many fans are pulling in at six, or seven, or eight o’clock on a Friday after work. It is dark when they’re getting there.”

For the many fans that bring more than their vehicle to the track, top-notch headlights take on even more importance.

“It’s not just you and your family in a car. Now you’ve got 5, 6, 8,000 pounds behind you and it’s more important to see further downroad. To see better so you can stop all of that,” Noble said. “Somebody might argue, ‘But yeah, all of those have brakes on their own.

And it’s all OK.’ But it’s still 8,000 pounds more. So it’s really even more important for you to see better.

“A lot of people that are NASCAR fans are driving a truck, or someone in their family’s driving a truck.

They have a trailer and RV, ATV, UTV, a boat – you name it; so it’s that much more important to react better, especially with that much weight behind you.”

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G SPOTLIGHT EXPECT BETTER RACING

C PRESENTED BY

The Devil’s in the Details

C

asey Mears’ 23rd-place points finish last year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was his best in five full seasons with Germain Racing.

Mears, however, won’t be satisfied with similar results in 2016.

That’s at least partly because Mears believes his GEICOsponsored Chevrolet actually had the potential for better in 2015.

“There was a good handful of races – five or six races – where we had some really, really strong runs going and some of the best runs we’d had all year long, and just had some issues that we don’t typically have,” Mears said. “We

definitely could have been inside the top 20, which would have been huge progress for our program.

“Going into 2016, with the way I know we ran last year, if we did nothing other than just got the results we should have gotten last year, we’re going to be way better off. On top of that, I expect to improve.”

Mears, who is in the first year of a new three-year contract with sponsor GEICO and Germain Racing, believes Germain continues to benefit from its technical alliance with the three-car Richard Childress Racing stable.

“It just seems like every year we’ve had

this alliance with RCR that we learn more and more about what they do, how they do things, staying more closely aligned with their procedures, and all that kind of stuff has been very helpful,” Mears explained. “And to announce the three-year extension with GEICO and Germain is huge because that allows us to go back to RCR and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to be around for the next three years,’ and I think that makes them feel more comfortable sharing everything.”

As for ways his team can improve, Mears thinks it’s actually all pretty simple.

“There isn’t just one area that needs to be focused on,” he

said. “It’s getting the best brakes you have out there, getting the most out of your body, making sure that you have the least amount of drag in your drive train and making sure you have the most horsepower you can.

When you’re looking for a half of a tenth of a second or three quarters of a tenth, the devil’s in the details.”

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POLE POSITION 2016

ount Casey Mears among those who passionately endorse this year’s new lowdownforce rules package used last season only at Kentucky Speedway and Darlington Raceway.

Drivers widely praised the aero package, which NASCAR adopted for the 2016 Sprint Cup Series season after successful cameo appearances a year ago.

“I think it’s going to create some better racing and the reason for that is that the cars are going to be a little bit more of a handful to drive, which is a good thing,” Mears said. “I think when you’ve got a lot of downforce and the cars are pretty well stuck, you get a lot of follow-the-leader. I think we saw at Darlington and Kentucky where we ran the low-downforce package that the racing was great. The cars were a handful to drive, but everybody had the same handful, and I think that’s definitely going to create more passing opportunities just by the guy in front of you making a mistake.

“It’s all relative, because we all have the same package we’re racing with, but hopefully in theory we’ll be able to get a little softer tire that will get us a little more mechanical grip and create more falloff.”

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G SPOTLIGHT PRESENTED BY

A SYNERGISTIC RELATIONSHIP

L Good Times at Auto Club Speedway When NASCAR returns to Auto Club Speedway March 18-20 for the annual Sprint Cup Series weekend, the action will heat up long before the engines fire on Sunday’s Auto Club 400.

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n fact, business is going to intensify even before the first car gets on the track for Friday practice.

Give a lot of the credit to BUBBA burger, the nation’s No. 1 branded frozen burger that has been the official burger of the two-mile Southern California track since 2014.

Thanks to BUBBA burger, and the creative marketing of BUBBA’s vice president of marketing, Andy Stenson, the fun begins in earnest on Thursday night with a

St. Patrick’s Day party that will serve as the precursor to Saturday night’s even larger event – a bike ride expected to bring in thousands.

BUBBA burger is sponsoring the ride for the second consecutive year and will also have a large presence at the St. Pattie’s Day party.

“We’re going to have some LED lights on the bikes and we’re going to do a lot of different giveaways, and what’s unique out there is it’s just lots of families,” Stenson said. “You’ve

got young kids and old kids and grandmas and grandpas. Of course it’s California so they’ve got their beach cruisers cruising around, and it’s super-laid back and they’re skateboarding during the day. It’s definitely a really cool atmosphere. They sell out and they just rock and roll with everything. Everything’s just hyped up and everybody’s having a good time.”

Good times and BUBBA burger go handin-hand at Auto Club Speedway, after all.

“It’s fun,” Stenson said. “We sell BUBBA burgers at the track.

We have a big trailer and we’re going to sell them in the infield right behind pit road there in the suite area, and then we have all of our elements. We have a big billboard and I’ll have an aerial 3,000-square-foot banner that’s going to fly around the track up in the air – very ‘subtle.’

“I get out there and just have a lot of fun and get to meet a lot of people and grow the brand.”

JARED TURNER 22

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ast year’s bike parade at Auto Club Speedway was a major hit with more than 10,000 participants.

“It starts actually in the infield and does a little loop through the camping area and all that, and it ends up going down onto the track and you do about half a lap around the track,” Andy Stenson said. “It’s at night.

The lights are off in certain areas because everybody’s got lights. They’ve got really cool lights on their bikes, and it’s sort of a light parade and everybody’s proud of their bikes and the lights they have on it. And they do it all up.

“You start and you meander through and it really takes 45 minutes to an hour to get through everything, and then you finish back on the infield and then they have a concert afterward. Everybody is on their bikes and celebrating, and it’s a big night with the music.”

The larger the crowd, the more people get exposed to BUBBA burger – which is the goal, of course.

“We don’t want to be that company that just puts a name on a billboard and calls it a day,” Stenson said. “We want to have people enjoy the product, participate with the venue and make it a synergistic relationship.”

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G BIGGER STRONGER TOUGHER

Adam Stevens

THE CREW CHIEF BEHIND KYLE BUSCH’S TITLE RUN Much of the credit for Kyle Busch’s remarkable and unlikely run to the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship belongs to Adam Stevens, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s first-year crew chief.

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tevens – a NASCAR XFINITY Series crew chief for JGR from 2011-2014 when he and Busch won multiple races together – played a vital role in helping Busch overcome severe early-season leg and foot injuries and win five races along with his first title in NASCAR’s top division.

Stevens’ role went beyond traditional crew-chief duties, however.

While Busch was out for nearly three months recovering from his injuries suffered in February’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway, Stevens was tasked with keeping

the No. 18 team together and trying to keep its members’ spirits high despite the inevitable instability that comes when a driver is sidelined.

With three drivers – Matt Crafton, David Ragan and Erik Jones – all spending time in the No. 18 Toyota during Busch’s 11-race absence, Stevens was the steady hand responsible for making the team stronger in the face of major adversity and uncertainty about when Busch would return.

Even if the rookie crew chief tries to deflect a lot of the credit.

“We had such high hopes for the season and got off on a good start there early in Speedweeks, and then Kyle had his accident, and the wind was certainly taken out of our sails,” Stevens said. “I was just terrified that he was really, really in bad shape, but he saw his way back through that and got us on the right track, and thankfully we had a lot of help from Matt Crafton and David Ragan and Erik Jones and learned a lot in his absence, and were just ready for his return. He came back strong. So that’s a testament to his hard work and dedication.”

While Busch did come back strong, he initially didn’t find the going easy. His first four races back produced finishes of 11th, 36th, ninth and 43rd, respectively. It was during this difficult stretch that Stevens helped Busch and team reach down and find the toughness needed to bounce back. That happened in short order when Busch reeled off four wins in five races from late June through late July, putting himself in position to ultimately make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup despite missing 11 races.

But Stevens’ biggest feat of all came in the one-race, winner-take-all season finale at Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway, where the Portsmouth, Ohio, native gave Busch a flawlessly handling car and then made the right calls throughout the race for him to ultimately win both the race and championship over his three title pursuers.

“We worked on our car all weekend long just being able to work the bottom, the middle, the top and work all over this race track to make sure we had the drivability in it to be able to maneuver and be anywhere we needed to be and not just stuck to a particular groove,” Busch said. “That really worked for us. It was really smart execution all weekend long, and really good adjustments and calls by our team. Adam Stevens and our engineers and everybody did a really good job.”

JARED TURNER 24

POLE POSITION 2016

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G ACE IN THE HOLE

Chad Knaus

CREW CHIEF OF THE NO. 48 TEAM When playing poker, it’s always a big advantage to have an ace in the hole. In the world of competitive stock-car racing, it’s no different.

S

ince Jimmie Johnson burst onto the scene as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie in 2002, his ace in the hole has been crew chief Chad Knaus. Over 14 stellar seasons together, the duo has captured an amazing six championships – including five in a row from 2006-2010 – along with more than 70 race victories at NASCAR’s premier level. The two are now the longest-running drivercrew chief combination in NASCAR, and it’s not even close. So how has Knaus been Johnson’s ace in the hole for so long?

In addition to preparing consistently fast race cars for the now six-time champion, Knaus is arguably the savviest of all crew chiefs when it comes to in-race strategy and improving his driver’s cars over the course of the long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Time and time again, Johnson and Knaus have seemingly saved their best for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – the season’s final 10 races from which the champion is ultimately decided.

Knaus is also a master-motivator who boasts an uncanny ability to encourage his driver and members of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team to bring their “A” game each and every week.

Knaus also understands Johnson – and how Johnson thinks. Other than Johnson’s wife, Chandra, it’s safe to say there’s no one in the world who knows him better than the man atop the No. 48 pit box on Sunday afternoons. In fact, Johnson and Knaus have been together for so long that they’re practically like brothers.

Even when they bicker or disagree – which does occasionally happen over the No. 48 team’s in-car radio – they always manage to quickly put their differences behind them and move on to the next race.

Knaus is also an expert at successful improvisation, which has taken multiple forms over the years.

For example, one of the primary keys to Johnson’s recurring dominance has been Knaus’ penchant for making the No. 48 Chevrolet better throughout the race, especially at the end when it really counts.

Knaus has also been known to buck conventional wisdom for the betterment of Johnson and the team.

There’s been no better example of this than what happened at Texas Motor Speedway in the fall of 2010.

With Johnson’s No. 48 team in the hunt for a championship but struggling badly on pit road, Knaus made the controversial decision to move Johnson’s pit crew over to teammate Jeff Gordon’s car and have Gordon’s pit crew service Johnson’s machine.

Although the swap was questioned and even criticized by some observers, most notably a rival crew chief, the decision ultimately bore fruit as Johnson went on to win his fifth championship two weekends later at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The bottom line: Johnson wouldn’t be who he is today – a six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and one of the sport’s greatest drivers of all time – without the guidance and steady hand of Knaus.

Now in hot pursuit of a record-tying seventh championship in NASCAR’s top series, Johnson need not look far to find where his advantage lies.

It’s in Knaus – his undisputed, always reliable ace in the hole.

JARED TURNER 26

POLE POSITION 2016

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POLE POSITION 2016

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POLE POSITION MAG.COM

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the

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what to watch for in 2016 Just when it seemed NASCAR couldn’t top how the 2014 season played out, 2015 did just that. From Kyle Busch’s horrific season-opening wreck to his near-miraculous season-ending championship, and from Jeff Gordon’s retirement to Kevin Harvick’s uncanny consistency, it was a year of great memories. Get ready for even more in 2016.

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Can Kyle Busch Repeat? Despite missing the first 11 races due to a broken right leg and fractured left foot, the younger Busch brother rallied to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in 2015. With a full season ahead of him this year, can Busch be even more dominating and repeat his title? On paper, at least in the first part of the season, Busch is definitely the man to beat.

Saying Goodbye to “Smoke.” Last season, Jeff Gordon retired. Tony Stewart is next in line to hang up his helmet with 2016 being his final season as a driver in the Sprint Cup Series. Stewart hasn’t won a race since 2013 and has missed the Chase the last three seasons.

Still, his loyal fans would like nothing better than to see him go out on top with a fourth championship.

A Shiny New Package. NASCAR goes full-time with its celebrated low-

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downforce rules package this year. After two successful tests in races last season, drivers are eagerly anticipating how the LDP will put more race car control in their hands. Some may need a while to get used to it, but if it makes the racing better as promised, it’ll be as much a winner as the driver who earns the championship.

Is It Finally Junior’s Time? As he begins his 17th season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still in search of his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

Is this the year he breaks through and rewards his ever-so-patient fans? Look for the relationship with crew chief Greg Ives to get even stronger in their second year together. Junior is in the best place in his life both personally and professionally. All that’s missing is that elusive title.

It Won’t Be the Same. For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, Jeff Gordon will not be behind the wheel of the

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No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Now retired from driving, Gordon has traded in his steering wheel for a NASCAR On FOX microphone. It’ll likely take some getting used to the change, but let’s not forget all the great memories, wins and championships he left us with.

The Chase Elliott Era Begins. As Jeff Gordon departs, Chase Elliott enters and begins his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career. Driving Gordon’s iconic No. 24, Elliott is among four drivers in contention for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors this season. But don’t put undue pressure or overly high expectations on him just yet. It took his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, eight years before he won his first Sprint Cup Series race.

Will the Train Keep Rolling?

Martin Truex Jr. and Furniture Row Racing were NASCAR’s version of the Little Engine That Could in 2015. In reaching

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the championship round, Furniture Row Racing advanced the furthest of any single-car team in the 12-year history of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Switching from Chevrolet to Toyota and an alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing will be an extra bonus as Truex Jr. and his team attempt to win it all.

Will Danica Continue to Improve?

Danica Patrick enters her fourth full-time season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. She’s coming off her best finish yet, 24th in 2015. While longtime sponsor GoDaddy.com has departed, Patrick could very well have a breakout season. We predict she’ll potentially finish in the top 20, and with a bit of luck, might even earn her first NASCAR victory.

Bowyer’s Layover. Clint Bowyer will be like a traveler with an airport layover. He flew out of Michael Waltrip Racing at the end of 2015, will spend

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THE 20 2016 with HScott Motorsports, and then land to replace Tony Stewart at StewartHaas Racing in 2017. How will Bowyer fare in his one-off season at HScott Motorsports? With support from SHR and Hendrick Motorsports, he’s seeking his first win since 2012.

A Turnaround for RCR? Richard Childress Racing hasn’t won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship since Dale Earnhardt’s seventh and last title in 1994. That’s a 22-year championship drought. Look for Ryan Newman to finally win his first race since 2013; Paul Menard to make the Chase for a second straight year; Childress’ grandson Austin Dillon to have a breakout year; and grandson Ty Dillon to contend for the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship.

Will Roush Fenway’s Struggles Continue? It’s been a rough few

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years for Roush Fenway Racing, but none more difficult and trying than 2015. The team not only failed to win a Sprint Cup Series race, but none of its three drivers made the Chase. One consolation was Chris Buescher claimed the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship. Offseason changes in several departments offer promise of a better Cup Series season.

Will JGR Continue to Dominate?

With 14 wins and the Sprint Cup Series championship, Joe Gibbs Racing was the most dominant team in 2015.

That’s after just two total wins in 2014.

While team officials have shaken up the crew chief lineup, look for JGR to be just as strong as it was a year ago. Don’t be surprised if two, maybe even three JGR drivers reach the championship round.

Who Is the Next Driver to Retire? Jeff Gordon retired at the

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end of 2015. Tony Stewart will retire at the end of 2016. Who’s the next driver to hang up his helmet? Odds are it’ll be Greg Biffle (46 years old), most likely after his current contract expires at the end of 2017, followed potentially by Matt Kenseth (44).

We are definitely seeing a changing of the guard in NASCAR. It’s Kyle Larson’s Turn. His fans have patiently waited two seasons for Kyle Larson to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. With his immense talent, Larson is long overdue and we predict he finally breaks through with that first win this season. In fact, don’t be surprised if the driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet wins two, maybe even three races in 2016.

Kenseth vs. Logano, Round 2.

Race car drivers never forget if they feel an opponent has wronged them.

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The Matt Kenseth-Joey Logano rivalry was one of the sport’s biggest stories last year. Sure, Kenseth was suspended for two races for pile-driving Logano into the wall at Martinsville, and both drivers have been talked to by NASCAR officials. But boys will be boys: Look for this rivalry to flare up at least a few times this season.

Will Johnson Earn No. 7? Jimmie Johnson makes his third straight bid for a seventh championship in 2016. If he wins it, he’ll tie NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most Cup Series crowns by a driver. Johnson was uncharacteristically eliminated after the first round of the 2015 Chase. Look for him and crew chief Chad Knaus to figure out how to beat the new Chase format and reign supreme again in November.

Can Harvick Maintain His Consistency? Kevin Harvick was

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like a machine in 2015, with three wins and 23 top-five finishes, including an uncanny 13 runner-up showings and four third-place results. He did everything he could to repeat his 2014 Sprint Cup Series championship, but came up short in both the final race at Homestead and the overall title race to Kyle Busch. Look for the Harvick-Busch rivalry to be a big story throughout the year.

Can Logano Be better? Even though he fell short of making the final round of the Chase, Joey Logano unquestionably had a spectacular season in 2015. Starting with his win in the season-opening Daytona 500 and adding five more visits to Victory Lane, Logano had the breakout season many had long expected. But there’s bad news – for other drivers that is: Look for Logano to be even better this season, and maybe cap things off with the championship.

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Kurt Busch’s Comeback. It was a 180-degree year for Kurt Busch in 2015. He was suspended for the first three races for domestic violence accusations, only to see the 2004 Sprint Cup Series champ kick things into high gear and enjoy his best season since 2009. He finished eighth in the standings with two wins, 10 top-five finishes and 21 top-10 results. Look for Busch to be a big surprise in 2016.

Two-for-Two for Jones? Erik Jones won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship and Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 2015, earning him a promotion to the NASCAR XFINITY Series for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Jones could be one of the most talented young drivers NASCAR has seen since Jeff Gordon. Even though he’ll be in a new series, we won’t be surprised if he makes it two championships in a row.

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5 Reasons to Love Tony Stewart

As Tony Stewart embarks on his final season as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, we present five reasons he’s loved by so many.

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He’s a Clutch Performer.

Remember in 2011 when, following an unimpressive 26-race regular season that produced nary a victory, Stewart went on an epic tear that produced five wins in the 10 races of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup? Of course, Stewart’s most impressive performance over that amazing stretch was his final one – in the last race at Homestead-Miami Speedway where he held off Carl Edwards to win the race and the championship in a tiebreaker.

Since the first Chase in 2004, Stewart is the only driver to go winless in the regular season, only to catch fire when it really counted and win the championship.

And he didn’t just do it – he did it in downright convincing fashion.

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He’s a Risk-Taker. When Tony Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing to become co-owner of the newly formed Stewart-Haas Racing organization in 2009, many observers questioned and even criticized his decision. How could Stewart leave the organization where he had won two Sprint Cup Series championships and 33 races while establishing himself as one of the sport’s best drivers?

It seemed at best like a risky move and at worst like a downright foolish one, since he was leaving an elite team to join an unproven one. But Stewart – who clearly knew something that most people didn’t – proved his naysayers wrong by enjoying quick success at SHR and in 2011 becoming the first owner/driver champion since Alan Kulwicki in 1992.

3

He Helps the Less Fortunate.

If there’s a better and more active philanthropist in NASCAR than Tony Stewart, good luck finding him or her.

Thanks to the three-time Sprint Cup Series champion’s vision for helping others, the Tony Stewart Foundation has long served three specific groups – chronically ill and physically disabled children, animals that are endangered or at-risk, and drivers injured in the sport of motor racing.

As of last summer, the foundation had awarded more than $5 million to assist charitable initiatives for more than 150 organizations throughout the United States.

In 2013, Stewart was a deserving recipient of the prestigious National Motorsports Press Association’s Myers Brothers Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the sport of stock-car racing.

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He Always Speaks His Mind. On several occasions through the years, Tony Stewart has taken issue with fellow competitors and various rules. Remember that time in 2006 when he called a young David Ragan “a dart without feathers” after Ragan was involved in multiple dust-ups in a race at Martinsville Speedway?

Or, we must not forget that time in 2012 when Stewart went on an epic, tongue-in-cheek post-race rant in which he chided fellow drivers for not wrecking enough competitors to please fans at Talladega Superspeedway. “If we haven’t crashed at least 50 percent of the field by the end of the race, we need to extend the race until we at least crash 50 percent of the cars,” Stewart said sarcastically. Yep, that’s Tony.

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He Truly Loves Racing. In addition to his own driving endeavors, Tony Stewart is heavily entrenched in the sport of auto racing and has been for many years. Once Stewart hangs it up from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing at the end of the season, he plans to continue to play a big role in the day-to-day operations of Stewart-Haas Racing where he’s been a co-owner since 2009.

Stewart also owns multiple sprint car teams, along with Eldora Speedway, a wildly popular half-mile clay oval in Rossburg, Ohio, that hosts an annual NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and several of the nation’s premier late model and sprint car events.

Most recently, Stewart became the owner of the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions sprint car series – one of the oldest traveling sprint car organizations and a staple of grassroots, open-wheel racing.

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New Energy for Danica’s Journey

Already one of NASCAR’s most powerful and engaging personalities, Danica Patrick is bringing even more to the table this season.

Buoyed by a new multi-year partnership with Nature’s Bakery – a new sponsor to the world of NASCAR – Patrick is poised to broaden her enormous appeal even further.

“I feel like our brands align so perfectly, it’s kind of amazing,” Patrick said. “I think that journey is going to be really fun. I think there’s going to be lots of exciting things that we can do together.”

The Nature’s Bakery/Patrick marriage is a win-win for both parties, as well as Stewart-Haas Racing, the championship-winning organization for which Patrick has spent her entire NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career to date.

“Aside from Danica being one of NASCAR’s biggest stars, sponsoring Danica just felt like a natural fit for our brand,” said Andrew Strolin, vice

president of marketing at Nature’s Bakery. “Her approachable personality, love for the outdoors, and healthy active lifestyle align nicely and authentically with what we value as a brand. At Nature’s Bakery our philosophy is to keep it simple, have fun and achieve balance in life through nature, activity, nutrition and community.”

Not surprisingly, Nature’s Bakery has been going all out in its efforts to ramp up for this NASCAR season, when the company and its signature tagline – “Energy for Life’s Great Journeys” – will adorn Patrick’s No. 10 Chevrolet as the primary sponsor for 28 races.

Nature’s Bakery has taken an active role in the redesign and launch of Patrick’s personal website, DanicaPatrick.com, in addition to introducing a

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major campaign that kicked off at the beginning of the year called, “Choose your Journey with Danica.”

The campaign allows fans to select two of six “journeys” to participate with Patrick at the U.S. Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The lucky fans will receive accommodations, a tour of StewartHaas Racing, a VIP race experience and a supply of Nature’s Bakery delicious, on-the-go snacks crafted with thoughtful ingredients to fuel their journey.

On top of all that, starting at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March and continuing throughout the year, Nature’s Bakery is hosting a “Fantern” experience at each race where the company serves as Patrick’s primary sponsor. Whether a die-hard fan or merely curious about the experience, anyone can apply to be a “Fantern.” The winning “Fantern” will earn a one-day internship with Patrick’s team.

As part of the immersive program, fans help set up Patrick’s pit box, tour the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage, meet Patrick and watch a race from pit road.

“It’s an honor to represent Nature’s Bakery and also a great deal of responsibility,” Patrick said.

“They have ambitious goals and they’re going to rely on me and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing to deliver. I have ambitious goals, too. It’s why I came to NASCAR and, specifically, to Stewart-Haas Racing. There’s still a lot I want to achieve in this sport, and I’m looking to continue my professional journey with a brand as determined as I am.”

Patrick is motorsports’ most recognizable athlete and the most marketable personality in NASCAR, according to Repucom’s 2015 Davie Brown Index.

Her success on the race track, which includes a Daytona 500 pole in her rookie Sprint Cup Series season of 2013, transcends her into the mainstream. To understand the influence Patrick wields, look no further than a 2014 Harris Poll that named her the second-most recognized female athlete in the United States.

NATURE’S BAKERY: A GLOBAL BRAND

HEADQUARTERED IN Reno, Nevada, Nature’s Bakery was founded in 2010 by a father and son – Dave and Sam Marson – with a mission of making delicious, convenient, on-the-go snacks that complement health-conscious living and active, everyday lifestyles.

The Marsons’ lineage in the food industry dates back to the 1960s when Dave’s father, Richard, opened a family bakery. Growing up around the family business, Dave passed his passion and skills along to his son, Sam, whereupon the two combined their knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit to form Nature’s Bakery.

Now with nearly 500 employees and two plants, Nature’s Bakery is a rapidly expanding enterprise with products sold in more than 20 countries and all 50 U.S. states.

“We are a global brand,” Dave Marson said. “We have some very big plans to grow this brand.”

Teaming with Danica Patrick and Stewart-Haas Racing should only further enhance the company’s steadily expanding reach.

“We’re taking and leveraging this opportunity with NASCAR, the NASCAR fan base, to look at our products and to grow,” Dave Marson said.

“All you need to say is ‘Danica’ and people know exactly who you’re talking about,” Nature’s Bakery co-founder Dave Marson said. “She has immersed herself and succeeded in a very intense sport and been recognized for her efforts. By offering convenient, easy-to-find and affordable products that people can feel better about eating, we’ve carved a niche for Nature’s Bakery in the fast-growing, packaged snack-food industry.”

Patrick is ecstatic to have a sponsor with values and priorities that align more closely with her own.

“I really feel like all you have to do is look at my social media,” said Patrick, who frequently shares photos and video of herself engaged in high-intense yoga regimens. “I’ve always used that as a way to get to know me off the track. It’s the things outside of the car that you would not necessarily know about me. I think all you have to do is look at that, and that is what lines up perfectly with Nature’s Bakery. It’s about being active and enjoying life’s great journeys. It’s going out on a hike with Dallas [Patrick’s pet dog], doing Yoga at home, doing CrossFit and needing energy for that.

“I’m also always on the road. I always need things that are quick and handy. It’s using lifestyle to get the product out there and letting them know what it stands for, right? I’m excited about that.”

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SPOTLIGHT Daniels Runs for Father, COPD Justin Daniels, 34, had never heard of COPD when his father was diagnosed in 2011. He knew his father, Leonard, was experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, swelling in his feet and a change in complexion.

O

nce Justin learned of his father’s diagnosis, he started researching the life-threatening lung disease.

“I didn’t know anything about COPD, and I don’t think most of America knows anything,” Daniels said. “Unless you have a family member or know of someone that is diagnosed, it’s not something you’ll hear about.”

COPD is a life-threatening lung disease, the fourth-leading cause of death globally, and affects more than 300 million individuals worldwide. Within the United States, COPD ranks as the third-leading cause of death, with more than 30 million Americans affected and approximately 12 million symptomatic but undiagnosed.

However, a simple, painless breathing test, called spirometry, can determine whether or not a person has COPD. In the aftermath of his father’s diagnosis, Justin Daniels, of Richmond, Ind., became more familiar with the disease through talking with medical professionals.

He then took it upon

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himself to raise awareness and spread the message about COPD. “I really like to run, and I wanted to see a lot of people and raise awareness,” Daniels said. “I found a way to mix the two.”

Daniels signed up for his first marathon in Indianapolis in 2013 and noticed at a pre-race expo an outpouring of people that seemed interested in learning more about COPD. He ran another marathon in Las Vegas in 2014 – this time setting up a COPD table at the expo center. He also ran the race in a Run for a Cure

COPD jersey.

“I figured I was talking to so many people about COPD and running by even more along the course,” Daniels said.

“I was getting the word out and it felt like I was doing something right.”

Daniels set a goal of running a marathon in all 50 states heading into 2015. He qualified for the Chicago Marathon, which had 26,000 runners and 1.5 million spectators. At every race – he completed 21 in 2015 – Daniels set up an informational table for people interested in learning about

COPD. Daniels’ mother has helped distribute literature on the day of races, while his father continues to live with COPD. “I want to do all 50 states, but the funding wasn’t there for me to do it all last year,” said Daniels, who works as a monitor technician at Reid Hospital in Richmond, Ind. “I will finish it this year. I’ve committed to a few already, but it’s harder to get to the ones that are farther away. I did California last year, and I signed up for Montana, Washington and Oregon for 2016.”

ustin Daniels ran marathons in 21 states in 2015, falling 29 shy of his goal to run one in all 50. He was limited by vacation time and funding, as he found it logistically difficult for someone working a full-time job to visit all 50 states in a calendar year.

During one 18-day stretch in 2015, Daniels ran marathons in 13 different states.

“I can do them on consecutive days,” Daniels said. “It’s almost like the sooner, the better. The way I did it, I ran a marathon one day and I walked one the next. Then maybe I’d run and walk during the same marathon.

A couple, I had to walk the whole thing, but I went and completed it. I’d see plenty of people. If the funding was there, I’d do one every day.”

Daniels plans to complete his running goal this year, while continuing to raise awareness of COPD. “I feel running in every state will give me a chance to spread the word and pass out information to as many people as possible – just in case they have symptoms so they are able to get checked out by their doctor,” Daniels said. “It also gives me the chance to meet COPD patients that live with the disease on a daily basis. I want the races to give patients hope and reassurance that there is someone out there taking action to give them a voice.”

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POLE POSITION 2016

COPD making you huff and puff?

SYMBICORT could help you breathe better, starting within 5 minutes.* SYMBICORT is a registered trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies. ©2014 AstraZeneca. All rights reserved. 3071101 11/14

SYMBICORT does not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms.

COPD can make it hard to get air out, which can make it hard to get air in. SYMBICORT is a twice-daily maintenance medication for adults with COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, that could help make a significant difference in your breathing.* *Results may vary.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SYMBICORT Important Safety Information About SYMBICORT SYMBICORT contains formoterol, a long-acting beta2 -adrenergic agonist (LABA). LABA medicines such as formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems. It is not known whether budesonide, the other medicine in SYMBICORT, reduces the risk of death from asthma problems seen with formoterol.

• Call your health care provider if breathing problems worsen over time while using SYMBICORT. You may need different treatment • Get emergency medical care if: ° Breathing problems worsen quickly, and ° You use your rescue inhaler medicine, but it does not relieve your breathing problems SYMBICORT does not replace rescue inhalers for sudden symptoms.

Be sure to tell your health care provider about all your health conditions, including heart conditions or high blood pressure, and all medicines you may be taking. Some patients taking SYMBICORT may experience increased blood pressure, heart rate, or change in hear t rhythm.

Do not use SYMBICORT more often than prescribed. While taking SYMBICORT, never use another medicine containing a LABA for any reason. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist if any of your other medicines are LABA medicines.

SYMBICORT can cause serious side effects, including: • Pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections.

People with COPD may have a higher chance of pneumonia.

Call your doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms: change in amount or color of mucus, fever, chills, increased cough, or increased breathing problems • Serious allergic reactions including rash, hives, swelling of the face, mouth and tongue, and breathing problems

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• Immune system effect and a higher chance of infection.

Tell your health care provider if you think you are exposed to infections such as chicken pox or measles, or if you have any signs of infection such as fever, pain, body aches, chills, feeling tired, nausea, or vomiting • Adrenal insufficiency. This can happen when you stop taking oral corticosteroid medicines and start inhaled corticosteroid medicine • Using too much of a LABA medicine may cause chest pain, increase in blood pressure, fast and irregular heartbeat, headache, tremor, or nervousness • Increased wheezing right after taking SYMBICORT. Always have a rescue inhaler with you to treat sudden wheezing • Eye problems including glaucoma and cataracts. You should have regular eye exams while using SYMBICORT • Lower bone mineral density can happen in people who have a high chance for low bone mineral density (osteoporosis) • Swelling of blood vessels (signs include a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs, flu like symptoms, rash, pain or swelling of the sinuses), decrease in blood potassium and increase in blood sugar levels Common side effects in patients with COPD include inflammation of the nasal passages and throat, thrush in the mouth and throat, bronchitis, sinusitis, and upper respiratory tract infection.

Approved Uses for SYMBICORT SYMBICORT 160/4.5 is for adults with COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. You should only take 2 inhalations of SYMBICORT twice a day. Higher doses will not provide additional benefi ts.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide and discuss with your doctor.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Ask your doctor about SYMBICORT Learn more at MySymbicort.com

I M P O R TA N T I N F O R M AT I O N A B O U T S Y M B I C O R T Please read this summary carefully and then ask your doctor about SYMBICORT.

WHAT SHOULD I TELL MY HEALTH CARE PROVIDER BEFORE USING SYMBICORT?

No advertisement can provide all the information needed to determine if a drug is right for you or take the place of careful discussions with your health care provider. Only your health care provider has the training to weigh the risks and benefits of a prescription drug.

Tell your health care provider about all of your health conditions, including if you: have heart problems have high blood pressure have seizures have thyroid problems have diabetes have liver problems have osteoporosis have an immune system problem have eye problems such as increased pressure in the eye, glaucoma, or cataracts are allergic to any medicines are exposed to chicken pox or measles are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if SYMBICORT may harm your unborn baby are breast-feeding. Budesonide, one of the active ingredients in SYMBICORT, passes into breast milk. You and your health care provider should decide if you will take SYMBICORT while breast-feeding Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. SYMBICORT and certain other medicines may interact with each other and can cause serious side effects. Know all the medicines you take. Keep a list and show it to your health care provider and pharmacist each time you get a new medicine.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SYMBICORT? People with asthma who take long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) medicines, such as formoterol (one of the medicines in SYMBICORT), have an increased risk of death from asthma problems. It is not known whether budesonide, the other medicine in SYMBICORT, reduces the risk of death from asthma problems seen with formoterol.

SYMBICORT should be used only if your health care provider decides that your asthma is not well controlled with a long-term asthma control medicine, such as an inhaled corticosteroid, or that your asthma is severe enough to begin treatment with SYMBICORT. Talk with your health care provider about this risk and the benefits of treating your asthma with SYMBICORT. If you are taking SYMBICORT, see your health care provider if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. It is important that your health care provider assess your asthma control on a regular basis. Your doctor will decide if it is possible for you to stop taking SYMBICORT and start taking a long-term asthma control medicine without loss of asthma control.

Get emergency medical care if: breathing problems worsen quickly, and you use your rescue inhaler medicine, but it does not relieve your breathing problems.

Children and adolescents who take LABA medicines may be at increased risk of being hospitalized for asthma problems.

WHAT IS SYMBICORT? SYMBICORT is an inhaled prescription medicine used for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It contains two medicines: Budesonide (the same medicine found in Pulmicort Flexhaler™, an inhaled corticosteroid). Inhaled corticosteroids help to decrease inflammation in the lungs. Inflammation in the lungs can lead to asthma symptoms Formoterol (the same medicine found in Foradil® Aerolizer®). LABA medicines are used in patients with COPD and asthma to help the muscles in the airways of your lungs stay relaxed to prevent asthma symptoms, such as wheezing and shortness of breath. These symptoms can happen when the muscles in the airways tighten. This makes it hard to breathe, which, in severe cases, can cause breathing to stop completely if not treated right away SYMBICORT is used for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as follows: Asthma SYMBICORT is used to control symptoms of asthma and prevent symptoms such as wheezing in adults and children ages 12 and older.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease COPD is a chronic lung disease that includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both. SYMBICORT 160/4.5 mcg is used long term, two times each day, to help improve lung function for better breathing in adults with COPD.

WHO SHOULD NOT USE SYMBICORT? Do not use SYMBICORT to treat sudden severe symptoms of asthma or COPD or if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in SYMBICORT.

Visit www.MySymbicort.com Or, call 1-866-SYMBICORT

HOW DO I USE SYMBICORT? Do not use SYMBICORT unless your health care provider has taught you and you understand everything. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Use SYMBICORT exactly as prescribed. Do not use SYMBICORT more often than prescribed. SYMBICORT comes in two strengths for asthma: 80/4.5 mcg and 160/4.5 mcg. Your health care provider will prescribe the strength that is best for you. SYMBICORT 160/4.5 mcg is the approved dosage for COPD. SYMBICORT should be taken every day as 2 puffs in the morning and 2 puffs in the evening.

Rinse your mouth with water and spit the water out after each dose (2 puffs) of SYMBICORT. This will help lessen the chance of getting a fungus infection (thrush) in the mouth and throat.

Do not spray SYMBICORT in your eyes. If you accidentally get SYMBICORT in your eyes, rinse your eyes with water. If redness or irritation persists, call your health care provider.

Do not change or stop any medicines used to control or treat your breathing problems. Your health care provider will change your medicines as needed While you are using SYMBICORT 2 times each day, do not use other medicines that contain a long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) for any reason. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist if any of your other medicines are LABA medicines.

SYMBICORT does not relieve sudden symptoms. Always have a rescue inhaler medicine with you to treat sudden symptoms. If you do not have a rescue inhaler, call your health care provider to have one prescribed for you.

Call your health care provider or get medical care right away if: your breathing problems worsen with SYMBICORT you need to use your rescue inhaler medicine more often than usual your rescue inhaler does not work as well for you at relieving symptoms you need to use 4 or more inhalations of your rescue inhaler medicine for 2 or more days in a row you use one whole canister of your rescue inhaler medicine in 8 weeks’ time your peak flow meter results decrease. Your health care provider will tell you the numbers that are right for you your symptoms do not improve after using SYMBICORT regularly for 1 week

WHAT MEDICATIONS SHOULD I NOT TAKE WHEN USING SYMBICORT? While you are using SYMBICORT, do not use other medicines that contain a long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) for any reason, such as: Serevent® Diskus® (salmeterol xinafoate inhalation powder) Advair Diskus® or Advair® HFA (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol) Formoterol-containing products such as Foradil Aerolizer, Brovana®, or Perforomist®

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS WITH SYMBICORT? SYMBICORT can cause serious side effects.

Increased risk of pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections if you have COPD. Call your health care provider if you notice any of these symptoms: increase in mucus production, change in mucus color, fever, chills, increased cough, increased breathing problems Serious allergic reactions including rash; hives; swelling of the face, mouth and tongue; and breathing problems. Call your health care provider or get emergency care if you get any of these symptoms Immune system effects and a higher chance for infections Adrenal insufficiency–a condition in which the adrenal glands do not make enough steroid hormones Cardiovascular and central nervous system effects of LABAs, such as chest pain, increased blood pressure, fast or irregular heartbeat, tremor, or nervousness Increased wheezing right after taking SYMBICORT Eye problems, including glaucoma and cataracts. You should have regular eye exams while using SYMBICORT Osteoporosis. People at risk for increased bone loss may have a greater risk with SYMBICORT Slowed growth in children. As a result, growth should be carefully monitored Swelling of your blood vessels. This can happen in people with asthma Decreases in blood potassium levels and increases in blood sugar levels

WHAT ARE COMMON SIDE EFFECTS OF SYMBICORT? Patients with Asthma Sore throat, headache, upper respiratory tract infection, thrush in the mouth and throat Patients with COPD Thrush in the mouth and throat These are not all the side effects with SYMBICORT. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist for more information.

NOTE: This summary provides important information about SYMBICORT. For more information, please ask your doctor or health care provider.

SYMBICORT is a registered trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies.

Other brands mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners and are not trademarks of the AstraZeneca group of companies. The makers of these brands are not affiliated with and do not endorse AstraZeneca or its products. © 2010 AstraZeneca LP. All rights reserved.

Manufactured for: AstraZeneca LP, Wilmington, DE 19850 By: AstraZeneca AB, Dunkerque, France Product of France Rev 11/11 1504903

DRIVER PROFILES

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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM NASCAR’S TOP STARS IN 2016 Every new NASCAR season starts with a clean slate, but previous performance is a good indicator of what lies ahead. Here, we look at what to expect from the sport’s premier racers.

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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Entering his second season with crew chief Greg Ives, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has reason to set the bar high. Despite recording his worst points finish in three years – 12th – Earnhardt’s finish wasn’t indicative of his performance.

In his first campaign with Ives – a former NASCAR XFINITY Series crew chief and race engineer for Jimmie Johnson – Earnhardt scored three wins and amassed more top fives (16) and top 10s (22) than he did in 2014. The No. 88 team’s bid to win the 2015 Sprint Cup Series championship ended in the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Talladega Superspeedway where Earnhardt was running neck-and-neck with race leader Joey Logano when the final caution flag was waved and NASCAR froze the field. Had Earnhardt been ahead of Logano at the time, he would have advanced to the Chase Eliminator Round and remained in title contention.

Earnhardt’s team and the entire Hendrick organization finished the year strong after hitting a bit of a lull in the summer months.

“Rick [Hendrick, team owner] sat us all down in the summer and told us to get to work, and I didn’t know if we could work any harder, but when Rick tells you to get to work, you find something else to do every minute of the day,” Earnhardt said. “Everybody is working harder, and the guys in the engine shop found some power. They did a lot of work trying to

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OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS NATIONWIDE, AXALTA, TAXSLAYER.COM MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF GREG IVES

improve there. All the teams in the fab shop started working harder to build better cars, newer cars, different cars, trying things, and we found some speed.”

Despite the mid-season struggles for the entire organization, Earnhardt was pleased with the effort, and enters the new season with arguably his best opportunity yet to capture an elusive title in NASCAR’s top series.

The only real question mark for Earnhardt’s No. 88 team comes in the role of lead engineer where Tim O’Brien has replaced Kevin Meendering, who held the position for five years before leaving to become the new NASCAR XFINITY Series crew chief for Elliott Sadler. O’Brien spent 2015 at Michael Waltrip Racing, where he was the lead engineer for the No. 55 team.

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y Jimmie Johnson

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Jimmie Johnson begins his third quest for a record-tying seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship on the heels of a curious 2015 season that saw him start out red hot, fall off dramatically for much of the middle part of the season, and then finish on a fairly strong note.

Even stranger than that was the fact that Johnson’s championship bid ended in the Challenger Round elimination race at Dover International Speedway – his best track – thanks to a faulty rear-axle seal that required an extended stay behind pit wall. “Definitely disappointed,” Johnson said. “It’s tough having a very inexpensive axle seal be the culprit and take your championship hopes away. It’s racing. I’ve had mechanicals take me out of championships growing up that led to some success for myself and I’m sure helped me with a championship or two. It’s just part of racing.”

Johnson, who won four times in the season’s first 13 races, didn’t win again until the fall race at Texas Motor Speedway.

“The reality of it is we’re not as strong as we need to be,” Johnson said late in 2015. “We’ve been searching for a couple years. I feel like we’re making progress. I feel like our mile-and-a-half stuff is improving. The cars are a lot more comfortable to drive in traffic. I can go out there and race, lay it on the line, not

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worry about spinning out. We’re getting there. Unfortunately, we still have a ways to go. We want to be back to being the dominant car; and we still have some work to get there.”

Johnson returns this season with veteran crew chief Chad Knaus – the man responsible for guiding him to all six of his titles – and looking to not only tie Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt’s mark of seven championships but also surpass Earnhardt on the all-time wins list. With 75 victories, Johnson needs just one more win to match “The Intimidator.”

“It would be huge,” Johnson said. “Hard to even put it into words. I came into this sport hoping to win a race. To have 75 of them is mind-blowing. If I’m able to tie Senior, it’s something I would be just extremely proud of.”

AVAILABLE AT

DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y Kyle Busch A year after winning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title in dramatic and improbable fashion, Kyle Busch will seek to make it two championships in a row with his No. 18 Toyota. Only this time, Busch would prefer a simpler path to glory.

Last season, Busch missed the first 11 points races of the Sprint Cup Series season after suffering a compound fracture of his lower right leg and a mid-foot fracture of his left foot when his car slammed an unprotected concrete wall in the NASCAR XFINITY Series opener at Daytona International Speedway.

After returning to competition in mid-May, Busch battled his way into the top 30 in points to become Chase-eligible and went on to win five races capped by a victory in the one-race, winner-take-all season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Busch was then able to celebrate the championship with his wife, Samantha, who was pregnant at the time of his Daytona wreck, and their young son, Brexton, who was born May 18.

When Busch was laid up in a Daytona Beach, Florida, hospital bed on the morning of the 2015

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POLE POSITION 2016

Daytona 500, no one – including him – imagined he would go on to win the title.

“When I had the crash and when I knew instantly that the right leg was broken, the left foot was broke, I was really worried,” Busch said. “I don’t know if it flashed before my eyes or if I just thought it, but it was like, ‘Man, I’m going to have to go back to laying decals.’ I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to get back in a car again.’ I just didn’t know how severe it was. But fortunately for me, it wasn’t that bad, and I was able to put it all back together. But it did worry me, for sure. You know, it crossed my mind. I was thinking, too, for Samantha and for Brexton, I was like, ‘Man, my wife is pregnant, I’ve got no job,’ so I was a bit worried.

But you know, I think that’s just the sort of emotion that goes through in that particular moment, but past that, everything has kind of gone really well.”

NUMBER

18 INFO

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y Tony Stewart Tony Stewart’s final season as a Sprint Cup Series driver will mark a new beginning as the three-time champion of NASCAR’s top division works with a new crew chief in Michael Bugarewicz, formerly the race engineer on the No. 4 team at Stewart-Haas Racing.

Bugarewicz, a 33-year-old from Lehighton, Pennsylvania, replaced Chad Johnston, who left SHR to join Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates after failing to win a race with Stewart in their two seasons together. Bugarewicz joined SHR in 2014 when his role as race engineer helped Kevin Harvick secure his first Sprint Cup Series championship. The departure of Johnston and appointment of Bugarewicz was no surprise, in light of Stewart’s struggles in 2015 when he not only didn’t win for the second season in a row but finished 28th in the standings after posting just three top-10 finishes in 36 starts.

Stewart, who is both a driver and co-owner for SHR, announced last September that 2016 – his 18th season in NASCAR’s top division – will be his finale one. But when the legendary driver rides off into the sunset, he wants to do so on a strong note, much like fellow champion Jeff Gordon did

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POLE POSITION 2016

in 2015 when he made the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, won a race and finished third in the standings after earning a spot among the Championship 4.

“You pray and you hope and you dream of having a season like Jeff had where you come into the last race of your career and you hopefully have an opportunity to race for a championship,” Stewart said.

While Stewart hopes being paired with a new crew chief will lead to improvements over 2015, he concedes that only time will tell.

“We have to take what we end up starting the season with, and we’ve got to make the best out of it all year,” he said. “You know, at the end of the season, if it’s not the way we want it and we gave everything we could, it doesn’t mean you’re going to be happy about it, but at least you don’t feel like you left anything on the table. We’ll do everything we can in our power.”

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14 INFO OWNERS TONY STEWART/GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS MOBIL 1, BASS PRO SHOPS MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF MICHAEL BUGAREWICZ

Greg Biffle Greg Biffle, the senior driver at Roush Fenway Racing, can only hope 2016 yields better results.

Coming off a disappointing 2015 campaign, the veteran driver believes there’s reason to expect improvements.

One of the reasons is the rollout of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rules package, which will feature cars with lower downforce than their 2015 predecessors. The new rules package was used, to great success, last year at Kentucky Speedway and Darlington Raceway.

“We had the two races with the low-drag package, and with the tires Goodyear brought those two times it sure looks like it is more lined up with the driving preference that our drivers have,” team coowner Jack Roush said. “I think that they will have more enthusiasm for it in 2016 than we have had in the last couple of years.”

Biffle, who hasn’t won a race since going to Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway in June 2013, echoed the sentiments of his boss.

“We think it’s a number of small things that other teams are beating us at,” he said. “Our cars seemed to respond better when we ran the Kentucky race and the Darlington race, and it seems

like every time we’ve tested the lower-downforce package we’ve been a bit better. So just going off of that, that package is going to be not remarkably different for us but probably a little bit better for us than everyone else.”

Another factor in Biffle’s optimism is the hiring of a new crew chief, Brian Pattie, who replaced Matt Puccia after spending the past four seasons at Michael Waltrip Racing where he worked primarily with Clint Bowyer. Pattie, likewise, is excited to be teaming up with Biffle, the oldest active full-time Sprint Cup Series driver.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Pattie said. “It’s definitely a guy that you can’t question how many times he’s won. He’s what, a 19-time race winner in the Cup series? He won a championship in (the XFINITY Series). The guy gets it done. I’m excited to be able to unload every week and know that we have a chance to win.”

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16 INFO OWNER JACK ROUSH/JOHN HENRY TEAM ROUSH FENWAY RACING SPONSORS CHEEZ-IT, KFC, KELLOGG’S MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF BRIAN PATTIE

POLE POSITION MAG.COM

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y Matt Kenseth If there’s one driver seeking redemption, it’s Matt Kenseth.

One of the fastest drivers last season, the 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion was considered a heavy favorite again last year before a run-in or two with Joey Logano.

Kenseth, who would have punched his ticket to the Eliminator 8 with a win at Kansas, was unable to advance to the next round – a huge disappointment in a season that had seemed so promising. But being eliminated from title contention was just the beginning of Kenseth’s troubles.

Two weeks after his collision with Logano at Kansas, Kenseth retaliated by deliberately wrecking Logano at Martinsville Speedway. Only, unlike in the previous instance, the two drivers were not racing for the win – Logano was the leader of the race while Kenseth, who had been involved in an earlier wreck, was nine laps down.

NASCAR reacted by suspending Kenseth for the next two races – a penalty that Kenseth served after the veteran driver and his team owner, Joe Gibbs, lost on two appeals to get the suspension reduced or overturned. Kenseth returned for the season finale at Homestead following a closed-door meeting with NASCAR chairman and

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POLE POSITION 2016

CEO Brian France, who called Logano’s bump of Kenseth at Kansas “quintessential NASCAR” but was not happy with the manner in which Kenseth chose to retaliate.

“We don’t want that to happen again,” France said. “We don’t want any of our events to be altered in a way they shouldn’t be. What we want to prevent happening is drivers or any participant in NASCAR to take matters into their own hands and begin to control the outcome of races beyond hard racing. When that happens, that’s a very serious thing for us.”

With the start of a new season, Kenseth – who never publicly apologized for exacting revenge on Logano – wants nothing more than to put the final weeks of the 2015 season behind him. He and his team, led by fourth-year crew chief Jason Ratcliff, certainly shouldn’t be lacking in motivation, either.

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

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y Danica Patrick Danica Patrick’s fourth season at Stewart-Haas Racing marks a new beginning on two major fronts: She’s paired with a new primary sponsor – Reno, Nevada-based Nature’s Bakery – and has a new crew chief in Michael Waltrip Racing transplant Billy Scott, who joined SHR after MWR closed its doors.

The appointment of Scott to Patrick’s No. 10 team marks Patrick’s third crew chief in a little more than a year. She spent last season with Daniel Knost, who has been reassigned within SHR for the 2016 season.

While Patrick finished a career-best 24th in points in Knost’s only full season at the helm, the Sprint Cup Series’ only female driver posted only two top-10 finishes and was unable to earn her first finish in the top five. What all this means for Patrick’s outlook in 2016 is anyone’s best guess, although it’s clear she and the team did not meet many of their goals for 2015.

“I think we had, quite frankly, a lot of potential that was unrealized,” Knost said. “I wish we would have qualified better. We had times when we would

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POLE POSITION 2016

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put down a good qualifying lap in the first round and then we would struggle to go to the second round or the third round. I was happy that we could have speed in the car. I struggled with how to keep the handle on it. As far as the race, I think we’ve had some races where we’ve run well, we’ve been aggressive, and sometimes those are rewarded and sometimes you get run over by somebody or something happens.”

Patrick was hardly alone in her struggles, however, as she actually finished better in points than Tony Stewart, her teammate and boss.

“I feel like Danica and I both need to step up,” Stewart said. “But to be able to say out of a four-car organization you’ve got two guys where you want them [Harvick and Kurt Busch], that’s half the battle right there.”

10 INFO

OWNERS TONY STEWART/GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS NATURE’S BAKERY, ASPEN DENTAL, TAXACT MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF BILLY SCOTT

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y A.J. Allmendinger A year after making the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for the first time thanks to a victory at Watkins Glen International, A.J. Allmendinger harbored hopes of a return to NASCAR’s playoff for the second year in a row. It didn’t happen, though.

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Shut out of Victory Lane and unable to capitalize on opportunities to break into the win column on the road courses at Watkins Glen and Sonoma Raceway, Allmendinger finished a frustrating 22nd in points – nine spots worse than he placed when he made the Chase in 2014. Not surprisingly, Allmendinger has a new crew chief for 2016 in Randall Burnett, who spent the past three seasons as the lead engineer on the No. 42 team of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

“What I really like about Randall is that, even though he hasn’t been a crew chief, he’s done every role you can ask for – whether it’s as a driver [late model], car chief, engineer, test team or building race cars,” Allmendinger said. “I think we are going to speak the same language pretty quickly. I know his knowledge is going to help us. I really look forward to getting the year kicked off and seeing where we are at as a team.”

Burnett’s appointment isn’t the only major

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change that will impact the No. 47 team. In addition to the single-car organization hiring Burnett to replace Brian Burns in the crew-chief role, JTG Daugherty also has a new competition director in garage area veteran Ernie Cope, who spent last season at JR Motorsports where he was the crew chief for 2014 XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott, who finished runner-up to Chris Buescher in the 2015 XFINITY Series championship fight.

“With both Randall and Ernie coming on board, it gives us more than anything new ideas,” said Allmendinger, whose team will continue its longstanding technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing – a Chevrolet organization with multiple teams.

“Ernie has a ton of experience when it comes to this role from all the years he was at Harvick’s [Kevin Harvick Inc.] shop and with the RCR alliance. That’s going to help us immediately with having an even better relationship with RCR.”

47 INFO

OWNERS BRAD DAUGHERTY/TAD GESCHICKTER TEAM JTG DAUGHERTY RACING SPONSORS KROGER, BUSH’S BAKED BEANS, KINGSFORD CHARCOAL, CLOROX MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF RANDALL BURNETT

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ARIC ALMIROLA OWNERS RICHARD PETTY/ANDY MURSTEIN TEAM RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS

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SPONSOR SMITHFIELD FOODS MANUFACTURER FORD

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

CREW CHIEF TRENT OWENS

CREW CHIEF STEVE ADDINGTON

KURT BUSCH OWNERS GENE HAAS/TONY STEWART TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS HAAS AUTOMATION, MONSTER ENERGY

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CHASE ELLIOTT OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS NAPA, 3M, KELLEY BLUE BOOK

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TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS BUSCH BEER, JIMMY JOHN’S, DITECH MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF RODNEY CHILDERS

SPONSORS ARRIS, STANLEY, SUBWAY, SPORT CLIPS

DENNY HAMLIN OWNER JOE GIBBS TEAM JOE GIBBS RACING SPONSORS FEDEX, SPORT CLIPS MANUFACTURER TOYOTA CREW CHIEF MIKE WHEELER

CREW CHIEF ALAN GUSTAFSON

KEVIN HARVICK OWNERS TONY STEWART/GENE HAAS

TEAM JOE GIBBS RACING

CREW CHIEF DAVE ROGERS

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

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CARL EDWARDS OWNER JOE GIBBS

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CREW CHIEF TONY GIBSON

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TEAM HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS 5-HOUR ENERGY, PEAK ANTIFREEZE & MOTOR OIL

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CLINT BOWYER OWNER HARRY SCOTT

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KASEY KAHNE OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS FARMERS INSURANCE, LIFTMASTER, GREAT CLIPS MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF KEITH RODDEN POLE POSITION MAG.COM

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y NUMBER

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BRAD KESELOWSKI OWNER ROGER PENSKE TEAM TEAM PENSKE SPONSORS MILLER LITE, ALLIANCE TRUCK PARTS

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CREW CHIEF PAUL WOLFE

CREW CHIEF TODD GORDON

JAMIE MCMURRAY OWNER CHIP GANASSI TEAM CHIP GANASSI RACING WITH FELIX SABATES SPONSORS MCDONALD’S, CESSNA

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PAUL MENARD OWNER RICHARD CHILDRESS TEAM RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING SPONSOR MENARDS

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TEAM FURNITURE ROW RACING SPONSORS BASS PRO SHOPS, FURNITURE ROW Manufacturer TOYOTA CREW CHIEF COLE PEARN

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TEAM GERMAIN RACING SPONSOR GEICO

CREW CHIEF ROBERT “BOOTIE” BARKER

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RYAN NEWMAN OWNER RICHARD CHILDRESS TEAM RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING SPONSORS CATERPILLAR, GRAINGER MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

CREW CHIEF JUSTIN ALEXANDER

MARTIN TRUEX JR. OWNER BARNEY VISSER

CASEY MEARS OWNER BOB GERMAIN

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

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SPONSORS SHELL-PENNZOIL, AUTOTRADER MANUFACTURER FORD

CREW CHIEF MATT MCCALL

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TEAM TEAM PENSKE

MANUFACTURER FORD

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

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JOEY LOGANO OWNER ROGER PENSKE

CREW CHIEF LUKE LAMBERT

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TREVOR BAYNE OWNERS JACK ROUSH/JOHN HENRY TEAM ROUSH FENWAY RACING SPONSOR ADVOCARE MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF MATT PUCCIA

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RYAN BLANEY OWNERS LEN AND EDDIE WOOD/ KIM (WOOD) HALL TEAM WOOD BROTHERS RACING

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SPONSORS MOTORCRAFT, QUICK LANEE

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TEAM RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING SPONSORS DOW CHEMICAL, CHEERIOS

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TEAM ROUSH FENWAY RACING SPONSORS FASTENAL, FIFTH THIRD BANK

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TEAM RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS ALBERTSON’S, SHORE LODGE MANUFACTURER FORD

REGAN SMITH OWNERS TOMMY BALDWIN JR./ AL HEINKE TEAM TOMMY BALDWIN RACING

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

CREW CHIEF NICK SANDLER

BRIAN SCOTT OWNERS RICHARD PETTY/ANDY MURSTEIN

SPONSOR TARGET

SPONSORS TOY STATE, GOLDEN CORRAL

MANUFACTURER FORD

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TEAM CHIP GANASSI RACING WITH FELIX SABATES

CREW CHIEF CHAD JOHNSTON

CREW CHIEF RICHARD “SLUGGER” LABBE

RICKY STENHOUSE JR. OWNERS JACK ROUSH/ JOHN HENRY

KYLE LARSON OWNER CHIP GANASSI

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

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SPONSORS LOVE’S TRAVEL STOPS, CSX TRANSPORTATION

CREW CHIEF BOB OSBORNE

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AUSTIN DILLON OWNER RICHARD CHILDRESS

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CHRIS BUESCHER OWNER BOB JENKINS

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MICHAEL ANNETT OWNER HARRY SCOTT TEAM HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS PILOT, FLYING J MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF JAY GUY

CREW CHIEF CHRIS HEROY POLE POSITION MAG.COM

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H LEGEND PROFILE Dale Earnhardt Dale Earnhardt was determined to follow the driving career of his father, 1956 NASCAR Sportsman champion Ralph Earnhardt. The seemingly impossible career path he set in motion is one of the greatest success stories in all of professional sports.

CHAMPION SAVVY

THE INTIMIDATOR

DETERMINED VICTORIOUS FOCUSED

3

BIRTHDATE ■■ April 29, 1951 BIRTHPLACE ■■ Kannapolis, N.C. NOTABLE SPONSORS ■■ Wrangler Jeans ■■ GM Goodwrench

ANYTIME YOU GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN A RACE, YOU’RE GOING TO WIN THE RACE. I AM NEVER GOING TO BACK OFF. I NEVER WANT TO RUN SECOND.

While racing on some of North Carolina’s most noted short tracks following his father’s death in 1973, Earnhardt struggled mightily to fund his racing operation.

He often borrowed money from a local bank on Thursday to race that weekend. Payments had to be made the following Monday without fail. So Earnhardt had to race hard and had to win. Drivers were often left fuming when the checkered flag fell.

Beginning in 1975, four NASCAR Cup Series starts for Ed Negre, Johnny Ray and Walter Ballard helped Earnhardt make an impression at stock car racing’s highest level. His best ride materialized with five events for team owner Rod Osterlund in 1978 and a full schedule of races for the California businessman in 1979, the year he won Rookie of the Year honors with a victory at Bristol, 11 top-five finishes and 17 top-10 results. The next season, Earnhardt stunned the racing community by winning his first of seven Cup Series championships in Osterlund’s Chevrolet. When the team was sold to J.D. Stacy in 1981, Earnhardt exited with 10 races remaining and joined former Cup Series driver Richard Childress.

After parting ways for two seasons, they reunited in 1984 and created one of the greatest dynasties in NASCAR history. Six of Earnhardt’s seven Cup Series titles and 67 of his 76 victories came while driving for Childress, including the 1995 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the 1998 Daytona 500.

Earnhardt lost his life in a crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. His contributions to the sport he so dearly loved are considered immeasurable.

BEST SEASON THE YEAR (1987) Earnhardt won his third Cup Series championship, the Kannapolis, N.C., native logged 11 victories, 21 top-five finishes, 24 top-10 results and one pole position for team owner Richard Childress.

Earnhardt led 3,354 of 9,043 total laps that season with an average finish of 5.9 during the 29-race schedule.

RECORD-SETTER

THE NO. 3 CAR

KNOWN FOR

EARNHARDT IS THE only driver to win the Cup Series Rookie of the Year title and the Cup Series championship in successive years (1979 and 1980). A second championship came in 1986, followed by five more titles in 1987, 1991, 1993 and 1994.

Earnhardt finished second in points during his final full season in 2000.

DURING A CAREER that spanned from 1975 to the season-opening Daytona 500 in 2001, Earnhardt was one of the most aggressive drivers in NASCAR history. A member of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class in 2010, he is recognized as an icon among the sport’s greatest drivers.

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GETTY IMAGES

REWIND 1974: Petty and Yarborough The 1974 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season was tested heavily by inflation, high interest rates, the Arab oil embargo and the ever-rising cost of auto racing.

Each created difficult challenges for competitors and fans to overcome.

■■ Cale Yarborough, winner of the Southern 500

The energy crisis prompted Bill France Jr., president of NASCAR, to mandate race distances for the first 15 of 30 Cup Series races be reduced by 10 percent. Major team owners such as Cotton Owens, Ray Nichels, Banjo Matthews and Ray Fox elected to curtail or end their racing operations due to rising costs and limited sponsorship.

Still, some of the very best on-track competition was evident with every race on the circuit. Week after week, drivers Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough consistently made headlines as race winners, while David Pearson’s limited schedule with Wood Brothers Racing produced seven victories. Bobby Allison won on the short track in Richmond, Va., driving his own Chevrolet, and again in the season finale at California’s Ontario Motor Speedway in an AMC Matador owned by Roger Penske.

Further, the Cup Series points system was overhauled in 1974 and was the fourth procedure used to determine the series champion since NASCAR was formed in February 1948. It was determined by money winnings, multiplied by the number of races started, multiplied by 1,000, giving the number of points earned. As a result, Petty and Yarborough ran away with the championship. At year’s end, the point system was changed again amid controversy and confusion.

Also, rookie Earl Ross, a Canadian, was a surprise winner at Martinsville Speedway in a Chevrolet fielded by Junior Johnson.

Ross took the lead from Buddy Baker with 79 laps remaining and went on to collect his only Cup Series victory.

1974

SEASON RECAP DATE Jan. 26 Feb. 17 Feb. 24 March 3 March 17 March 24 April 7 April 21 April 28 May 5 May 12 May 19 May 26 June 9 June 16 July 4 July 14 July 20 July 28 Aug. 4 Aug. 11 Aug. 25 Sept. 2 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 20 Nov. 24

EVENT & LOCATION Winston Western 500, Riverside International Raceway Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway Richmond 500, Richmond International Raceway Carolina 500, North Carolina Speedway Southeastern 500, Bristol Motor Speedway Atlanta 500, Atlanta Motor Speedway Rebel 500, Darlington Raceway Gwyn Staley 400, North Wilkesboro Speedway Virginia 500, Martinsville Speedway Winston 500, Talladega Superspeedway Music City USA 420, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Mason-Dixon 500, Dover International Speedway World 600, Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuborg 400, Riverside International Raceway Motor State 400, Michigan International Speedway Firecracker 400, Daytona International Speedway Volunteer 500, Bristol Motor Speedway Nashville 420, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Dixie 500, Atlanta Motor Speedway Purolator 500, Pocono Raceway Talladega 500, Talladega Superspeedway Yankee 400, Michigan International Speedway Southern 500, Darlington Raceway Capital City 500, Richmond International Raceway Delaware 500, Dover International Speedway Wilkes 400, North Wilkesboro Speedway Old Dominion 500, Martinsville Speedway National 500, Charlotte Motor Speedway American 500, North Carolina Speedway Times 500, Ontario Motor Speedway

WINNER Cale Yarborough Richard Petty Bobby Allison Richard Petty Cale Yarborough Cale Yarborough David Pearson Richard Petty Cale Yarborough David Pearson Richard Petty Cale Yarborough David Pearson Cale Yarborough Richard Petty David Pearson Cale Yarborough Cale Yarborough Richard Petty Richard Petty Richard Petty David Pearson Cale Yarborough Richard Petty Richard Petty Cale Yarborough Earl Ross David Pearson David Pearson Bobby Allison

PRESIDENT: RICHARD NIXON NO. 1 SONG: “THE WAY WE WERE,” BY BARBARA STREISAND TOP HEADLINES: PRESIDENT NIXON RESIGNS OVER WATERGATE SCANDAL; OIL EMBARGO CREATES LONG LINES AT GAS PUMPS

BEST DRIVER RICHARD PETTY DEFENDED HIS 1973 Daytona 500 victory and went on to establish himself as the driver to beat for 1974. The Randleman, N.C., native mastered the superspeedways and short tracks, winning one-third of the Cup Series races on the 30-race schedule. His famed fluorescent red and Petty blue Dodge rolled down pit road to Victory Lane 10 times under the direction of crew chief Dale Inman. Petty collected his fifth of seven championships that season.

BEST RACE

TOP CARS

IN JULY’S FIRECRACKER 400 AT Daytona International Speedway, David Pearson hit the brakes during the final lap, allowing Richard Petty to take the lead. As the two drivers came off of turn four, Pearson dropped low and drafted past Petty at the stripe to take the win by a mere car length.

The lead changed 45 times, a race record that stood until 2010. Cale Yarborough and Buddy Baker officially tied for third.

BEN WHITE

RICHARD PETTY’S No. 43 Dodge Charger collected 10 victories, 23 top-10 finishes and the series championship.

CALE YARBOROUGH’S Chevrolet Chevelle had one less top-five finish than Petty, and Yarborough ended up second.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR POLE POSITION MAG.COM

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X NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Relatives Fuel Dillon’s Racing Goals Away from the race track, Ty Dillon is a devoted husband to his wife, Haley, and a die-hard fan of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets. But when he’s in a stock car, Dillon’s driven to win races and compete for championships. It’s part of a family tradition.

D

illon, a native of Welcome, North Carolina, grew up with racing on his mind.

The son of former NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Mike Dillon and the grandson of legendary team owner Richard Childress always knew he wanted to be a race car driver.

Desire isn’t enough to forge a successful NASCAR career, though. Dillon – who turns 24 on Feb. 27 – had to prove to his famous grandfather that he deserved opportunities.

Nothing proves a driver’s worth more than winning. And Ty,

the younger brother of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Austin Dillon, has done plenty of that in a short period of time.

Dillon started racing in Bandoleros – gokart-sized versions of stock cars – where he proved his considerable aptitude behind the wheel. Following Austin up the ranks, Ty joined the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2009 and won his first race at Gresham Motorsports Park in 2010.

He also captured two ARCA Racing Series victories in 2010, and dominated the series en route to the 2011

championship.

Whenever Austin – who won NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships – moved up a level, Ty seemed to slot in behind him.

The younger Dillon proved his worth in the Truck Series where he scored his first win in 2012 and was the championship runnerup in 2013.

Childress has observed both his grandsons at every level.

He knows talent, too. In addition to having won six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles as the car

owner for the late Dale Earnhardt, Childress forged a respectable career as a driver. He didn’t have the sponsorship money to become a contender, but Childress earned his peers’ respect long before he hung up his helmet.

He made sure to pass on the importance of earning respect to his grandsons. After Ty Dillon notched his first XFINITY Series victory in 2013 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, both of Childress’ grandsons had victories at NASCAR’s secondhighest level.

“I think that both

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of them have a lot of talent, and both of them can win at the Cup level,” Childress said. “The first time I put them in a little Bandolero car, I said to myself, ‘This ain’t gonna take much,’ and now they’re both really shining in the areas they’ve raced.”

Ty Dillon credits his success to his family and to his Richard Childress Racing team.

But there’s no denying Dillon’s skill – or his penchant for improving.

“I think that’s overlooked by people,” Dillon said.

“Some people don’t understand my full personality and my passion [for racing].

It takes me a while to open up. My brother’s more of the crowdpleaser. I display it in a bit of a different way.”

Dillon’s potential was on full display last season. He posted 12 top-five finishes and wound up third in the NASCAR XFINITY Series standings. He also made his first start in the Daytona 500, where he finished 28th.

Dillon’s plans for this season were up in the air as 2015 ended, but he’s expected to supplant his NASCAR XFINITY Series efforts with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts.

If history is any indicator, the Dillon family will have more celebrating to do.

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X NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Golden Opportunity Daniel Suarez, a 24-year-old native of Monterrey, Mexico, claimed top rookie honors after earning three poles and 18 top-10 finishes. With some of the series’ best equipment, Suarez is primed for a breakout year.

S

uarez wasn’t sure what to expect when he first climbed into his orange No. 18 ARRIS Toyota at Daytona Int’l Speedway last season.

He came from the NASCAR Mexico Series ranks, where Suarez did everything but win a championship in four years of racing.

Suarez managed to post 10 wins in 58 starts from 2011-14.

His three victories in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East during 2013 and 2014 validated Suarez’s potential.

It’s a lot of success

for someone who never intended to get into stock-car racing.

Suarez’s first contact with racing was when he tried out a friend’s go-kart. The initial adrenaline rush left Suarez itching for more, and because he proved to be a faster driver, Suarez gained enough backing to forge his own career. He intended to compete in formula-style cars, but NASCAR offered Suarez a unique chance.

Reluctantly, Suarez gave it a shot.

“I wasn’t sure it was the right decision,”

Suarez said. “I had never raced on an oval.

I didn’t know how to race on an oval. The first time I tried it, I thought, ‘Man, this is really difficult.’ But I had a lot of fun and got really involved in it.

“My goal was to race in the NASCAR Mexico Series, and after I made that, my goal was to make it to the [NASCAR] Sprint Cup Series.”

Suarez knew he wasn’t going anywhere near NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing unless he moved to the U.S. He had a

good reason for being nervous about going stateside, though.

“I didn’t speak English at all,” Suarez recalled. “I didn’t know anyone. It was a big decision, but my manager had a lot of confidence in me. He told me, ‘Move to North Carolina now, and start learning English, because it will help your career.’

“I decided to move to North Carolina and see where it would take me.”

Suarez moved to the Charlotte, North Carolina, area in 2012 and learned to speak

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fluent English. He also learned how to handle K&N Pro Series cars, which gave Suarez a great primer for what to expect if he got a bigtime ride. Suarez didn’t figure he’d land a major ride, let alone one of the NASCAR XFINITY Series’ best.

After he joined NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program in 2013, however, Suarez began to attract a following. He won once in K&N Pro Series competition while driving for Max Siegel’s Rev Racing team, and used even better results the following year to catch the attention of team owner Joe Gibbs.

Gibbs jumped at the chance to hire NASCAR’s only full-time Mexican driver in a national touring series.

Suarez made him look like a genius last year. Now, he wants to win at least one NASCAR XFINITY Series race and compete for the championship. But win or lose, Suarez has his boss’ full support, which is a confidence boost.

Suarez still can’t believe his good fortune, but he’s made others believe in him.

“I never knew how far I’d be able to make it,” Suarez said. “It’s been an incredible couple of years.”

2016 SCHEDULES

GETTY IMAGES NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES Feb. 13 Feb. 18 Feb. 21 Feb. 28 March 6 March 13 March 20 April 3 April 9 April 17 April 24 May 1 May 7 May 15 May 20 May 21 May 29 June 5 June 12 June 26 July 2 July 9 July 17 July 24 July 31 Aug. 7 Aug. 20 Aug. 28 Sept. 4 Sept. 10 Sept. 18 Sept. 25 Oct. 2 Oct. 8 Oct. 16 Oct. 23 Oct. 30 Nov. 6 Nov. 13 Nov. 20

Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Auto Club Speedway Martinsville Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Richmond International Raceway Talladega Super Speedway Kansas Speedway Dover International Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Pocono Raceway Michigan International Speedway Sonoma Raceway Daytona International Speedway Kentucky Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pocono Raceway Watkins Glen International Bristol Motor Speedway Michigan International Speedway Darlington Raceway Richmond International Raceway Chicagoland Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway Dover International Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Kansas Speedway Talladega Superspeedway Martinsville Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Homestead-Miami Speedway

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES Feb. 20 Feb. 27 March 5 March 12 March 19 April 8 April 16 April 23 April 30 May 14 May 28 June 4 June 11 June 19 July 1 July 8 July 16 July 23 July 30 Aug. 6 Aug. 13 Aug. 19 Aug. 27 Sept. 3 Sept. 9 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 1 Oct. 7 Oct. 15 Nov. 5 Nov. 12 Nov. 19

Daytona International Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Auto Club Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Richmond International Raceway Talladega Superspeedway Dover International Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Pocono Raceway Michigan International Speedway Iowa 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 CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES Feb. 19 Feb. 27 April 2 May 6 May 13 May 20 June 10 June 18 June 25 July 7 July 20 July 30

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

Aug. 17 Aug. 27 Sept. 4 Sept. 16 Sept. 24 Oct. 1 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18

Bristol Motor Speedway Michigan International 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

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WHY WE LOVE NASCAR

NASCAR Gives Back From drivers to team owners, and all the way to the sport’s top officials, the generosity of the NASCAR family exemplifies how charity truly begins at home when it comes to helping the less fortunate.

NASCAR isn’t just about racing. It’s also about giving back with countless charitable actions, making it perhaps the most giving sport in the U.S., donating countless millions of dollars each year to help the less fortunate, the sick and even tending to neglected animals.

Equally heartening is how those generous souls seemingly go out of their way to remain in the shadows, not looking for publicity or attention for their charitable ways. One of the most important and heart-warming causes is Victory Junction Gang Camp, established in 2004 in memory of Adam Petty – son of NASCAR analyst Kyle Petty and former wife Pattie, and grandson of NASCAR Hall of Famer

Richard Petty – who was killed in a racing incident in 2000.

Those who have either established foundations or contribute their money and time to various charitable enterprises include: The NASCAR Foundation, Speedway (Motorsports) Children’s Charities, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, Danica Patrick, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Hermie and Elliott Sadler, Carl Edwards, Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, Jack Roush, Joe and J.D. Gibbs, Roger Penske and so many more.

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GETTY IMAGES