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CONTENT 56. LEGEND PROFILE 57. HISTORY: REWIND

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60 TY DILLON AND CREW A UNIFIED TEAM

DRIVER PROFILES 10. WIVES & GIRLFRIENDS

64. WHY WE LOVE NASCAR 4. GREEN FLAG NEWS 6. BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW! 7. TRADIN’ PAINT 12. MY FIRST RIDE 14. TAILGATING: HONDA 16. SPOTLIGHT: SYLVANIA

18. SPOTLIGHT: GEICO 20. NASCAR DEFINED: BUBBA BURGER 32. SPOTLIGHT: COPD 58. NCWTS PROFILE: COLE CUSTER 61. 2016 SCHEDULES 62. GEAR POLE POSITION MAG.COM

GREEN FLAG 2016 NASCAR D4D Class Set

ollowing a competitive Combine event last October, six drivers were selected for the 2016 NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D) class, joining the industry’s premier development program for multicultural and female drivers, and pit crew members. Talented drivers from across the Americas will compete for Rev Racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, and attempt to follow in the footsteps of D4D graduates and current NASCAR national series drivers Kyle Larson, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Daniel Suarez. Rev Racing will field four teams in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and two in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. The 2016 class is led by returning driver Collin Cabre and newcomer Rubén Garcia Jr., fresh off his 2015 NASCAR Mexico Series championship. Other members of the class are Jairo Avila, Ali Kern, Enrique Baca and Juan Garcia. DAN GUTTENPLAN

redit One Bank has entered into a multi-year promotional program with NASCAR that includes official agreements with both the sanctioning body and Chip Ganassi Racing. In addition, NASCAR and Allegiant Air inked a multi-year agreement designating the travel company as the Official Passenger Airline of NASCAR.

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he Kyle Busch Foundation will support three Charlotte, North Carolina-area charities again this spring through its annual prom dress drive. Steered by Samantha Busch, wife of NASCAR champion Kyle Busch, the foundation collects hundreds of new and gently used formal dresses that are then donated for local girls to wear during prom season. This year, KBF’s prom dress drive will support Girl Talk Foundation’s Prom Project, Joyful Hearts’ JOYPROM and North Carolina’s Iredell County schools.

exas Motor Speedway has partnered with race sponsor Duck Commander to raise awareness and funds for adoption in conjunction with the Duck Commander 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on April 9. To help generate adoption awareness, Texas Motor Speedway and Duck Commander established a special “Drive Adoption” ticket package for NASCAR’s first pointspaying Saturday night race of the Sprint Cup Series season.

tewart-Haas Racing announced in February that its four-car NASCAR Sprint Cup Series operation will switch from Chevrolets to Fords beginning next season. Team co-owner and driver Tony Stewart considers it a coup that they were able to keep the past six months of negotiations with Ford under wraps before the big announcement – which came two weeks into the season. “I don’t think the timing was a big issue, we just wanted to make sure we were in control of it,” Stewart said about the announcement. “It’s very hard to keep secrets in this sport.” Chevrolet released a statement from Jim Campbell, the company’s VP of performance vehicles and motorsports: “We are disappointed with Stewart-Haas Racing’s decision, but our focus for 2016 has not changed.”

POLE POSITION 2016

ccording to numerous media reports, NASCAR was expected to have finalized race dates for its three premier national series after completing discussions with track operators on or before April 1. No timetable has been revealed for when NASCAR officials will release the dates, but the announcement is expected to come much earlier than in previous years. NASCAR announced five-year agreements with tracks that host Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series races in October and with tracks that host Camping World Truck Series races in November, assuring events through the 2020 season in each series. By having those sanctioning agreements in place, it allows NASCAR to focus on specific dates earlier in the process.

oush Fenway Racing announced that the iconic 50-year-old Sunny Delight brand will serve as a primary sponsor of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for five races this season – four times on his No. 17 Sprint Cup Series Ford and once as the two-time NASCAR XFINITY Series champion makes his return to the series.

n partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports, Empire Racing Group debuted its late model stock car driver development program March 13 at North Carolina’s Caraway Speedway. The two organizations are fielding one limited late model stock car and one late model stock car at the historic oval this season. The driver lineup features two young, upand-coming drivers, Thad Moffitt and Dylan Martin. Moffitt, a 15-year-old racer from North Carolina’s Randolph County, drove ERG’s No. 46 Ford

Mustang in his first limited late model stock car race. Moffitt, the son of Brian and Rebecca PettyMoffitt and the grandson of Richard Petty, had previous experience racing quarter midgets and in karting at Ace Speedway. Moffitt’s entry features a paint scheme similar to those that appeared on the historic Richard Petty Motorsports race cars.

Lionel Racing Produces Batman v. Superman Die-Casts NASCAR fans now have the opportunity to mix their favorite comic book superheroes and their favorite race cars with the new Batman v. Superman die-cast cars.

In Stores

Now!

PRESENTED BY

NASCAR licensee Lionel Racing is producing the wildly popular die-casts of the cars that appeared on-track during the March 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at California’s Auto Club Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove the No. 88 Batman v. Superman Chevrolet SS and Jimmie Johnson wheeled the No. 48 Batman v. Superman Chevrolet SS. Both die-casts are available for purchase at lionelracing.com, official trackside retailers, the NASCAR.com Superstore and local die-cast retailers across the country. Mass retailers Walmart, Target, Toys “R” Us and Meijer also have 1:64-scale Batman v. Superman die-casts available for sale. The die-cast theme is based on the Warner Bros. production of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which is set in the DC Comics universe. During the weekend prior to the blockbuster movie’s release, Earnhardt and Johnson drove race cars with Batman v. Superman paint

schemes in the Auto Club 400. This was Johnson’s first time piloting a car emblazoned with either superhero’s marks. Earnhardt, on the other hand, drove the Dark Knight Rises Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway in 2012. He also drove with Superman on his car in one race during the 1999 NASCAR XFINITY Series season and two races the following season. Prior to this year, Lionel Racing assumed mass-distribution rights for NASCAR’s diecast collectibles, 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 such as Walmart, Target, Toys “R” Us and Meijer. DAN GUTTENPLAN

Target Walmart Toys R Us

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G BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW!

TAKE A FEW LAPS FOR $20

H Good Things in Small Packages Ask most NASCAR fans, and they’ll likely pick Bristol Motor Speedway as the smallest race track in the sport. If so, they’d be wrong: Martinsville Speedway registers at .526 miles in length, .007 of a mile shorter than the .533-mile Bristol oval. How much of a difference is that? It’s roughly 26.4 feet. And even though Martinsville is the smallest track in NASCAR racing, it also has had the greatest staying power. The paperclip bullring, which was founded by the late H. Clay Earles and opened in 1947, has hosted Sprint Cup Series races every year since the inception of NASCAR’s marquee series in 1949. Martinsville has one other unique distinction: Fans are closer to the racing action than at any other track on the circuit. WHAT’S IN A NAME, TEXAS?

wenty years ago, the track we’ve come to know as Texas Motor Speedway had somewhat of an identity crisis. While under construction in August 1996, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. had to temporarily change the name of the track to “Texas International Raceway” due to a lawsuit filed by another facility named Texas Motor Speedway, a quarter-mile dirt track located in Alvin, Texas, near Houston. A few months later, a financial settlement was reached and the original Texas Motor Speedway was renamed Texas Thunder Speedway, while Texas International Raceway claimed the name it originally wanted. I don’t know about you, but TMS has a much better ring to it than TIR. Also, TIR merchandise – if you can find any – is among the most sought-after collectibles by race fans.

ave you ever wanted to take your personal car (or motorcycle) out on a NASCAR race track (within reason, speed-wise, of course)? You can do just that this year as Richmond International Raceway once again will allow race fans to take five laps around the three-quarter-mile track for an incredible bargain price of just $20. While you can have the experience of a lifetime, the money goes to a good cause: RIR Cares, which raises funds for charities in the greater Richmond metro area. You must be 18 or older; your car must follow the pace car as speeds cannot exceed 55 mph and there’s no passing – or racing; and you must have insurance and sign a liability waiver. Contact the track for more details.

BRIAN FRANCE: A MULTI-FACETED MAN

ASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France learned the racing game from the ground up. One of his first jobs after leaving the University of Central Florida was as a janitor at the International Speedway Corp.-owned Talladega Superspeedway. France climbed the corporate ladder very quickly, ultimately becoming one of the creators of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

in 1995. He became the head of NASCAR’s entertainment division shortly after the release of “Days of Thunder” in 1990. The Hollywood experience whetted France’s appetite so much that he opened a side business, Brand Sense Partners, a Los Angeles-based marketing agency that used to handle the licensing rights for singer Britney Spears, and which recently became the licensing agent for I ♥ NY.

DA TRACK TO DA BEARS For the first time, Bristol Motor Speedway will host two college football games this September. But can you name the only current NFL stadium that formerly hosted NASCAR racing? Soldier Field – home of the Chicago Bears – hosted one Sprint Cup Series race in 1956 (“Fireball” Roberts was the winner) and three Convertible Series races in 1956 and ’57 (the winners were Tom Pistone, Curtis Turner and Glen Wood, of Wood Brothers Racing fame). The track, which also hosted other national and regional racing events, was a half-mile asphalt surface that ringed the football field. Its last race was in 1968. According to “NASCAR Encyclopedia,” the track was removed in 1970 “following protests by hippies who objected to city funding of auto racing.” The Bears moved into Soldier Field the following year.

JERRY BONKOWSKI 06

POLE POSITION 2016

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

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.

Davey Allison, driver of the No. 28 Robert Yates Racing Ford from 1987 until his death in July of 1993, debuted this paint scheme at the Dayona 500 in 1991. At the time, the scheme was considered bold and loud.

Tim Richmond was hired in late 1985 to drive the Hendrick Motorsports Folger’s Coffee Chevrolets. Richmond’s No. 25 Chevrolet was unveiled during Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Media Tour in January of 1986.

Harry Gant wheeled the Leo Jackson-owned No. 33 SKOAL Oldsmobile to five Cup wins in 1991 — four consecutively at Darlington, Richmond, Dover and Martinsville — and another at Talladega.

Donnie Allison, a Cup driver from 1966 to 1988 with 10 wins to his credit, is remembered most for driving Hoss Ellington’s No. 1 Hawaiian Tropic Chevrolets and Oldsmobiles in the late 1970s.

BEN WHITE

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SPOTLIGHT PRE S E N T E D B Y

nature’s bakery

Danica’s Journey

FROM THE TOP:

■ Danica Patrick debuted the Nature’s Bakery colors at Daytona International Speedway, where she signed autographs for fans. ■ Patrick was all smiles after qualifying 16th for the Daytona 500. ■ The Nature’s Bakery No. 10 Chevrolet had a strong ﬁnish at Las Vegas, placing 21st. ■ Patrick appeared poised before a practice run at Daytona. ■ Patrick has a 28-race deal with Nature’s Bakery in 2016.

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POLE POSITION 2016

G WIVES & GIRLFRIENDS

FROM THE TOP:

■■ Kyle Busch with wife Samantha and son Brexton; Denny Hamlin with girlfriend Jordan Fish and daughter Taylor; Dale Earnhardt Jr. with girlfriend Amy Reimann; Austin Dillon and girlfriend Whitney Ward; Jimmie Johnson and wife Chandra.

PRE S E N T E D B Y

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POLE POSITION 2016

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G MY FIRST RIDE A Wheelman For the First Time NASCAR owners and drivers will never forget the first car they drove – whether it was purchased or on loan from a family member. These two NASCAR competitors reflect on their first rides.

EDDIE WOOD 1968 MERCURY COUGAR

BASE ENGINE: 210 HP 302-IN3, TWO-BARREL V-8 Three new engines were added to the option list in 1968: the 230 hp 302-in3, four-barrel V-8; the 335 hp 428-in3, four-barrel V-8; and the 390 hp 427-in3, four-barrel V-8. In addition, the 289in3 engine was made standard on base cars without the interior decor group midway through the model year.

Like many young drivers, Eddie Wood borrowed his first car from his mother. Now a co-owner of Wood Brothers Racing, the 16-year-old car junkie was left embarrassingly claiming a white 1968 Mercury Cougar as his first ride. It wasn’t until later in his high school experience that Wood finally bought a car he could be proud of. “They were still her cars, but they became mine when I needed them,” Wood said. “Then, when I was a senior in high school, I got the first car that was actually mine, which was a 1970 Mercury Eliminator. It had a Boss 302 engine in it, and I got in a lot of trouble with that car.” At the time, his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Glen Wood, owned an auto dealership in Danville, Virginia. It was a special order from Detroit and was sleek orange with a black interior and four-speed shifter. To buy it, Wood worked two jobs in Virginia and saved every nickel. He has since driven many dream cars along the lines of the Mercury Eliminator. “I got the money to buy it by working at the hospital in Stuart after school,” Wood said. “I washed dishes and served food in the kitchen. I also worked at the race shop at night. That was 1968, 1969 and 1970. I ended up blowing the motor messing around at the drag strip.”

CARL EDWARDS 1987 FORD RANGER

BASE ENGINE: 2.0L 73 HP I4 A “High Rider” STX 4X4 debuted (for standard cab only) in 1987 and featured heavy-duty shocks, off-road tires and a ride height that was 1.5 inches greater than the ’86 STX four-wheeler. New graphics, consisting of three stripes that kicked up as they neared the rear of the truck, adorned the STX. Realizing that the 90-horsepower four-cylinder was not enough to motivate a four-wheel-drive SuperCab, Ford made the more powerful V-6 engine standard on the truck.

Even before Carl Edwards was old enough to drive, he spent hours sitting in a family friend’s 1987 Ford Ranger. That friend eventually sold the truck to Edwards before the NASCAR star’s 16th birthday. For the current driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, the appeal of the 1987 Ford Ranger pickup was the manual transmission and V-6 engine. “Someone my mom knew was selling it,” Edwards said. “Before I got my driver’s license, I would just go and sit in it because I wasn’t quite old enough to drive it.” Columbia, Missouri, can be a bit treacherous during the winter months, as the 16-year old Edwards discovered when ice and snow blanketed the area in 1994. “I was at a buddy’s shop working on one of his cars one night and it started snowing,” Edwards said. “My Mom called the shop and said, ‘You’ve got to come home. It’s not safe out there!’ I said, ‘Mom, I’ve won four feature races, so I’ll be fine!’ I was driving four-cylinder race cars then at a local track in Missouri. I was so insulted that she made me come home. “I drove the thing sideways the entire way. I hit a tree with it and scraped it up, but not real bad. I swear it was only onethird of a mile from home. Mom said, ‘I told you so!’ There’s still a mark in that tree.”

BEN WHITE 12

POLE POSITION 2016

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G TAILGATING Talladega Nights

PRESENTED BY

Talladega Superspeedway offers the most unique and memorable tailgating experience in professional sports – and there’s much more to it than simply being surrounded by fans and cars.

t 2.66 miles in length, Talladega Superspeedway is NASCAR’s longest track. It’s also, according to fans, the site of some of the sport’s most epic tailgates. Talladega has long been known as Earnhardt Country, so fans trekking to the track are sure to see Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 on countless flags and banners throughout the infield. Earnhardt’s the defending GEICO 500 winner, too, so members of Junior Nation are likely to populate quite a few tailgates this year. But there’s also always a cast of characters such as the “Dega Do Club,” which includes fans named “Dega Man,” “Target Man” and “Copenhagen Man” who tailgate at the track. In addition to meeting some enthusiastic fans, the track has added some fantastic upgrades for tailgaters. The famous Party Pack has grown in popularity in recent years. Talladega’s Party Packs are suitable for fans in groups ranging from 10 to 40 people. The 40-person Party Pack includes pork butts, a beef tri-tip roast, baby back ribs, chicken wings,

Q&A WITH A TAILGATE TITAN

chicken thighs and hot dogs to fire up on the grill. As an added incentive for tailgaters, Talladega features a rocking infield concert in the days leading up to its Sprint Cup Series races. Anyone with a ticket can attend the concerts, which have included acts like Easton Corbin and Florida Georgia Line. With plenty of space to play games, meet friends and grill delicious food – and tons of it – Talladega Superspeedway isn’t merely a must-see: It’s a must-tailgate. AARON BURNS

UNIQUE RECIPE

C ■■

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anadian Karen Thorne has a banana bread recipe that is suitable for race-day breakfast or to take into the track for a mid-race snack. Ingredients: 1 cup butter; 2 cups white sugar; 2 eggs; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 6 very ripe bananas, mashed; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) Prep: 10-15 minutes. Cook: 60-75 minutes Preheat oven to 350 degrees Grease two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the mayonnaise and bananas. Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Blend the flour mixture into the banana mixture; stir enough to combine the two. Add in chocolate chips and/or walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 50 to 75 minutes. Cool bread in the pan for 20 minutes before removing to cool completely.

POLE POSITION 2016

MUST-HAVE PRODUCT Nothing looks cooler and keeps a drink cooler than a NASCAR Tervis Tumbler with your favorite driver’s name and number on it. The NASCAR.com store, as well as the official Tervis website, features many drivers’ tumblers that are sure to improve the tailgating experience. Even better, most of them can be had for around $20 – not a lot of pocket change for a durable tumbler that features your favorite driver. But if you’re looking to simply show off your NASCAR fandom, there are also tumblers with the NASCAR logo or individual track logos. In a sport with something for everyone, tumblers are something for every tailgate.

JEFF LENTZ BRADNER, OHIO WHEN DID YOU GET INTO NASCAR RACING? A friend took me to Michigan a long time ago. Since then, I bought a motorhome and now we go to all kinds of races. WHICH RACES DO YOU ATTEND? I go to Las Vegas every year, and Bristol for both races. I’ll be at Homestead and at Talladega in October. WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE DRIVER? Jeff Gordon. I’d say Kyle Larson now. Both boys came out of sprint cars. WHAT MAKES A GOOD TAILGATE? A lot of drinks and good cooking. WHAT CAN FANS FIND AT YOUR TAILGATES? I’ve got a charcoal cooker that can do 30 halves of chicken. It folds up, we put it in the motorhome and we bring it out when we arrive. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AT YOUR TAILGATES? Once they see the food we’ve put out, you get people from everywhere. We don’t do your regular hot dogs and hamburgers. We do steaks, chicken, everything.

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SPOTLIGHT

LEDS ARE ENERGY EFFICIENT

PRESENTED BY

The Importance of Brake Lights

YLVANIA Automotive Lighting offers both incandescent and LED bulbs for vehicles. While LEDs are the more expensive of the two, they are also more sophisticated and higher quality. Unlike incandescents, SYLVANIA ZEVO LEDs come with a lifetime warranty and the installer should never need to replace the bulbs due to burnout. LEDs also turn on significantly faster than incandescent bulbs, which is a tremendous safety benefit. “It’s the instant-on technology versus the slow rise of an incandescent bulb,” said Brian Noble, SYLVANIA Automotive Lighting’s marketing manager. “On my truck, my rear turn lights are incandescent bulbs, but the

turn lights on my side mirrors are LEDs, and when you watch them turn on, the LEDs come on so much faster and are a cleaner, crisper, brighter light that you just see sooner than you see the incandescent. And if you do the mathematics of when that turns on, the benefits of an LED bulb at highway speed (as long as both vehicles are moving at a similar speed) – 55-65 mph – it translates to 15-18 feet of additional distance that somebody behind you will see your vehicle signaling or stopping sooner. If you say 18 feet, go measure what your vehicle’s length is. You could say that’s a full vehicle. “As a society, this isn’t going to help a driver be less distracted from phones, eating, makeup

and all that, but it will help in that when they see it, they will hopefully be able to react sooner. So it’s a nice safety benefit to the LEDs.” Then there’s the convenience factor. No one enjoys the hassle of switching out the bulbs in their vehicle. With LEDs, drivers are all but set for their vehicle’s lifespan. “LEDs last a really long time, and along with the thermal management, you have a product that’s better for you and your family in the car,” Noble said. “You don’t want somebody else’s front bumper in your backseat. It’s better for safety – you don’t have to worry about your brake lights being out and somebody not seeing them because they’re just not on.” JARED TURNER

POLE POSITION 2016

ED bulbs use only 20 to 25 percent of the energy that incandescent bulbs do in a vehicle – a factor that should also be considered when choosing a bulb for an automobile. “It puts a lot less strain on your electrical system, and the electrical system puts a strain on the engine especially when you’re plugging in a GPS, phones, chargers and everything else,” SYLVANIA Automotive Lighting’s Brian Noble said. “You’re putting a strain on the alternator, putting a strain on the engine, and that just takes its toll over time. These bulbs are better for the car and better for the longevity as you use them.” Also unlike incandescents, LEDs don’t have a filament inside – which optimizes the bulb’s lifespan. “When a filament weakens, which happens over time with all lights with a filament, it breaks,” Noble said. “Well, there’s no filament in an LED bulb to break. There’s nothing there that will bounce. There’s nothing there that will snap because of anything you’re hitting on the road, like bumps or potholes. Now, for thermal management, I say that with a caveat. What’s true for SYLVANIA products is not true for some of our competitors. It is really important to have thermal management. The LED itself does not get as hot to the touch as the incandescent, but there is heat generated and the electronics and everything else are getting hot. If you don’t have thermal management to keep the heat away from the LED or away from the system, the heat will kill the LEDs.”

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SPOTLIGHT A GOOD DEAL

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GEICO: Insuring Customers Since 1936

rom a company with just a dozen or so employees to one that now employs some 34,000 associates in 14 major offices around the country, GEICO has grown tremendously from humble beginnings. Established in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1936 by Leo and Lillian Goodwin, a husband and wife, GEICO began as an auto insurance-only provider that targeted a customer base of military and federal employees. Even though 80 years later it remains an acronym for Government Employees Insurance Company, GEICO has grown to provide numerous types of insurance to a wide range of customers – both those employed by the government and the private sector. In 1996, GEICO became a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, which is led by billionaire Warren Buffett, one of the country’s most successful investors. “It was very big to have someone like him come in and buy

the company and be a part of it and really kind of take it to the next level,” said Patrick Judge, the company’s special audience marketing planner. “He’s really been pretty instrumental in having the company grow and be as successful as it has been.” For the past several years, Fortune magazine has named Berkshire’s property-casualty insurance operation the most admired in the country – and it’s easy to see why. The second largest privatepassenger auto insurer in the United States, GEICO is one of the fastest-growing major auto insurers and serves more than 14 million private passenger customers while insuring more than 22 million vehicles. So what has been the biggest key to GEICO’s exponential growth over the past eight decades? “I think the biggest thing is the accessibility, and that’s being able to access a claim or policy whether you’re at home, on the

go or at your office,” Judge said. “That’s something we really pride ourselves in is being able to give the consumer access to their information wherever they may be. So they have the option if they want to deal with a local agent. We have about 160 throughout the country, but we’ve seen that people prefer using the app or calling in. The agent method, we still utilize it very heavily, but a big chunk of our business is also through the phone and Internet – people just like that instantaneous interaction.”

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elping bring GEICO to a whole new group of customers has been the company’s involvement in NASCAR for the past 15 years. Since 2011, GEICO has been the full-time primary sponsor for driver Casey Mears, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner and member of the famous Mears family that includes Casey’s uncle, open-wheel legend Rick Mears, and Casey’s dad, Roger, an accomplished offroad racer. The presence of Casey’s No. 13 GEICO-sponsored car on the track each week continues to put the GEICO brand in front of millions of potential customers whom otherwise may not be exposed. And the NASCAR audience is a natural fit, too. GEICO provides insurance quotes on travel trailers and motorhomes – both favorites among fans who spend weekends at the track. So when Mears and his Germain Racing team perform well on Sunday afternoon or Saturday night, GEICO wins, too. “It started with a one-race deal in 2001 at Richmond International Raceway, and the driver was Kenny Wallace,” GEICO marketing planner Patrick Judge said. “Basically a one-race deal put our foot in the water to see what it was like, and it started out very, very small and now 15 years later it’s blossomed into a full-season sponsorship with Germain Racing.”

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Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. Homeowners, renters and condo coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Boat and PWC coverages are underwritten by GEICO Marine Insurance Company. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2016. © 2016 GEICO

NASCAR DEFINED

PRESENTED BY

This edition of NASCAR Defined features excitement, intensity, camaraderie and fun in a behind-the-scenes look at life at the track. GETTY IMAGES ■ Kevin Harvick’s margin of victory over Carl Edwards in the Good Sam 500 was .01 seconds (roughly four inches), the identical margin by which Denny Hamlin beat Martin Truex Jr. in the season-opening Daytona 500. ■ Harvick, left, and Edwards make contact on the way to the checkered flag. The photo finish was the closest in track history. 20

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“Victory Never Tasted So Good!” Find Us In Your Local Grocer’s Freezer! www.bubbafoods.com

NASCAR DEFINED PRE S E N T E D B Y

■■ Ty Dillon having fun goofing around with a crew member. ■■ Pole winner Kyle Busch drove to a fourth-place finish in the Good Sam 500. ■■ The pit crew for the No. 22 team huddles together before the Good Sam 500. ■■ Kyle Busch celebrates his third consecutive NASCAR XFINITY series victory. ■■ Kyle Busch earned the 18th pole of his career in qualifying for the Good Sam 500.

OPPOSITE PAGE: ■■ Kevin Harvick signs a painting depicting the photo finish between himself and Carl Edwards. ■■ Fans dressed as Chase Elliott and Danica Patrick. ■■ Danica Patrick rallied from a 36th-place starting position to finish 19th in the Good Sam 500.

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■■ Fan artwork by Chuck Kelley of Windber, Pennsylvania POLE POSITION MAG.COM

NASCAR DEFINED PRE S E N T E D B Y ■■ Axalta Coating Systems made its debut as primary sponsor of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 team. ■■ Race fans enjoy the action in the Good Sam 500 from seats on Monument Hill outside Phoenix International Raceway.

OPPOSITE PAGE: ■■ Elliott Sadler rests in his car during practice at Phoenix. ■■ Crew members for Jimmie Johnson prepare a backup car after an on-track incident during qualifying for the Good Sam 500. ■■ Military members hold the American flag during the National Anthem prior to the Good Sam 500. ■■ Ryan Blaney, who came into the Good Sam 500 leading the Rookie of the Year standings, finished 10th for the second time in as many weeks.

POLE POSITION 2016

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NASCAR SUPERSTORE

Supercharged Superstore REIMAGINED AT-TRACK RETAIL EXPERIENCE HAS TAKEN NASCAR’S MERCHANDISE SALES TO THE NEXT LEVEL

new and improved era of at-track shopping has arrived – and it’s a major hit. Beginning with last August’s NASCAR weekend at Pocono Raceway, a revolution of the at-track shopping paradigm began with the partial launch of a new trackside retail model. Then, beginning this February at Daytona International Speedway, it all but completely replaced the traditional souvenir trailers that were popular among fans for some two decades. The appropriately named Trackside Superstore takes the basic form of an enormous tent-style structure made up of two long sides, a centerpiece area and checkout piece at the end. The total area of the basic footprint being used at most tracks this season is roughly the size of 1.5 football fields. The standard 2016 configuration offers 20 percent more retail square footage than the standard layout used last year.

Each race weekend now features at least 60 checkout stations – and in some cases as many as 100 – capable of processing up to 3,600 customers per hour and creating a wait time of less than four minutes even at peak shopping times. An open courtyard format provides more than 5,000 unique items – divided among at least 30 shops, formally known as PODS, for individual driver product at each event. The new arrangement is part of a 10-year agreement between NASCAR and Fanatics, the world’s largest online retail company, which is overseeing the Superstore experience at all tracks. “It’s going quite well,” said Alex Dean, the vice president of strategy for Fanatics. “Sales have been strong if you’re looking at it from a performance metric. Customer feedback has been extremely positive. The basic premise had to do with creating JARED TURNER

POLE POSITION 2016

COURTESY OF NASCAR

one retail destination that was ‘walk-in’ versus ‘walk-up.’ So by that I mean consumers have the ability to touch and feel the products and to take their time as they’re shopping the environment, versus the old trailer model where you had 10 people behind you and you had to make a decision really quickly and you were just pointing at something on the wall. “Daytona was amazingly positive. People just really like shopping in a traditional retail environment, versus pointing at things.” While getting traditional fans to completely embrace the new model remains a bit of a work in progress, Dean and others have been encouraged by the results. Howard Hitchcock, president of Lionel Racing – one of multiple licensees that carry the Fanatics product at track – has witnessed the benefits of the new model firsthand. “One of the first things we noticed after the new Trackside Superstore debuted last year was that sales of our 1:64-scale die-cast cars grew very quickly,” he said. “It’s so much easier now for fans and children to pick up several of these cars as they shop in the tent, whereas in the hauler model, making an impulse buy wasn’t as easy.”

From last August’s debut of the Trackside Superstore through the final race weekend at HomesteadMiami Speedway, there was a 75 percent increase in average order value, along with a 73 percent increase in number of items per transaction and a 34 percent increase in headware sales. Year to year, 2014 vs. 2015, saw a 22 percent increase in sales, but that figure isn’t representative of the full effect of the Trackside Superstore since its debut wasn’t until early August. “I run into a lot of consumers who’ve said, ‘I didn’t think I was going to like this. I heard about this and thought it was a bad idea, but I’m here and it’s really cool,’” Dean said. “I hear that a lot. Certainly, there are still people that would rather have the haulers back. I think there’s been a lot of misinformation out there about what happened to the employees that used to run the haulers. I mean the fact of the matter is we hired the majority of them and they’re actually running the tent now. I think there were some concerns around that that we were kind of being the bad guys in this when we really partnered with the old companies’ employees and transitioned them into this new model. “I think the fans are really getting used to it, and when they give it a try they are overwhelmingly positive.”

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NASCAR SUPERSTORE Customization Enhances the Experience New for this year, and exclusive to the NASCAR Trackside Superstore, is an appropriately named “customization area” where fans can add a personal spin to their merchandise, enhancing their at-track experience and creating a connection to their driver and team of choice. Want your name emblazoned on the hat of your favorite driver? Want a T-shirt commemorating your favorite driver’s win in a race that just ended? Fans can in many cases purchase both before leaving the track, thanks to the Trackside Superstore’s quick-turn printing facilities. Ultimately, the idea is for fans to be able to leave the track feeling like they can take their memories home with them. “We did 2016 Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin hats,” said Alex Dean, the vice president of strategy for Fanatics, the world’s largest online retail company, which is overseeing the superstore experience all at tracks. “We were producing them within two minutes of him taking the checkered flag, and selling them in the Trackside Superstore.” Hamlin’s big win is just one example of the new customization at work. While such fast-turn winner paraphernalia won’t be available after every race this year, the plan is for it to become more common over time. “It is available online for most races, but we’re going to continue to test the tracks, and our goal is to get to a point where you can do a headwear piece and a T-shirt for any driver for any win across the series and build a business around that,” Dean said. “I think as the customers get more aware of that, it’s going to continue

to grow as it’s a great way for them to celebrate as they’re there in the moment. Being able to commemorate that, if you will, I think is a really interesting opportunity to kind of embed retail with the kind of at-event experience and euphoria. I think it’s going to do very well. Our initial tests have done well, and we’re going to continue to optimize it and play with it.” Fans of the sport’s top drivers need not worry much about whether a piece of paraphernalia commemorating their favorite driver’s win will be available before they leave the track. “Obviously, certain drivers winning are going to have more retail potential than others, so it’s got to be a very flexible model to be able to ramp up production in line with demand, kind of real-time,” Dean said. “There are some logistical challenges to doing it, but at the same time I think NASCAR has a unique opportunity to get it right, and Fanatics – given our manufacturing customization expertise – is kind of well-positioned to bring that to market.” Another unique offering at the Trackside Superstore is a new NASCAR Classics product line featuring retired or deceased NASCAR greats such as Dale Earnhardt,

Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough and Jeff Gordon. Dean says this concept is all about “merging generations” of both drivers and fans. Also available with the new retail model – as opposed to the old souvenir trailers it replaced – is 50 percent more XFINITY and Camping World Truck series drivers’ product than last year. In addition, there’s room for expansion within the individual driver PODS for drivers both past and present. “One of the challenges with the trailer model was you had one trailer that represented a driver,” Dean said. “Maybe Dale Earnhardt Jr. had three, but most drivers had one. As drivers get more popular – look at Denny Hamlin or Chase Elliott, for example – we’re already changing the design to give more space to just Elliott’s products and reconfiguring some things around because he continues to sell well at the track. “That’s something you couldn’t do with the old model, where the lines just got longer. Now we can expand the merchandise footprint and adjust the space as necessary in order to improve the customer experience. That’s something really unique about this model versus the old one.” JARED TURNER

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COURTESY OF NASCAR

A REAL RETAIL ENVIRONMENT

ennifer Szarzynski, the senior category manager for New Era Cap Co., calls the Trackside Superstore “a licensed partner’s dream to sell merchandise.” At each Superstore at each track, New Era has its own POD along with hats displayed in the individual driver PODS. The caps in the 39THIRTY driver cap series collection have been a fan-favorite, which isn’t surprising since this is the cap worn by many drivers. Also, bucket hats were a top seller in the Superstore last summer. Shoppers will find a metal cap display made of metal car parts, doors and a hood, all molded into the shape of a New Era cap.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WHO WORK THE REGISTERS. About 70 on a regular weekend, up to 120 at Las Vegas and some of the other larger tracks.

200

MAN HOURS REQUIRED TO ASSEMBLE THE VARIOUS SUPERSTORE ELEMENTS. Fixtures, 200; load-in of product, approximately 500; load out of product, 200; and fixture teardown, 150. (These figures do not include the Superstore tent, but it’s in the 300 man-hour range for both tent setup and tent takedown.)

TOP-10 TRACKSIDE SUPERSTORE PRODUCT CATEGORIES

T-SHIRTS + BASEBALL CAPS + FLEECE + 1:64-SCALE DIE-CAST CARS + TWILL DRIVER JACKETS + 1:24-SCALE DIE-CAST CARS + CREDENTIAL HOLDERS + KOOZIES + DECALS + FLAGS ■■ The Superstore tent is set up 11-12 days prior to an event, fixtures are set up about a week prior to an event, and products are set up three or four days before an event.

■■ Facts and figures regarding the Trackside Superstore provided by Fanatics vice president of strategy Alex Dean.

■■ While it varies by event, 12-16 trucks are generally required to transport everything to the track.

“THIS IS NOT ANY LESS DIFFICULT THAN THE OLD HAULER MODEL. IN FACT, IN A LOT OF WAYS, IT’S MORE DIFFICULT; IT’S JUST AN IMPROVED SHOPPING EXPERIENCE.” –ALEX DEAN

■■ Fans can find merchandise available for men, women and children in a range of sizes and styles, in addition to tailgating gear and collectibles.

“NASCAR’S REALLY UNIQUE IN SPORTS IN THAT IT’S REALLY THE ALL-STAR GAME COMING TO TOWN EVERY WEEKEND. SO YOU HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY WHERE IT’S AN ACCUMULATION OF ALL THE FANS IN THAT REGION IN ONE SPOT, AND WE THINK THAT PROVIDES THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING A REALLY LARGE RETAIL PRESENCE ON THE ROAD, AND PROVIDE THE FANS IN EVERY TOWN WHAT REALLY NO OTHER SPORT PROVIDES. EVERYTHING ELSE IS KIND OF A ONE-OFF EVENT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF CREATE A REAL RETAIL ENVIRONMENT AND DO IT EVERY SINGLE WEEK IN A NEW TOWN.” – ALEX DEAN, ON WHY FANATICS GOT INVOLVED WITH THE TRACKSIDE SUPERSTORE

POLE POSITION MAG.COM

The Many Hats of Tony Stewart

For all the success Tony Stewart has enjoyed on the race track, he’s achieved just as much, if not more, in the business world. Here are five different hats that Stewart wears in the business sector.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Team Co-Owner. Probably the boldest business decision Stewart has ever made was the one to leave Joe Gibbs Racing – where he won two Sprint Cup Series championships and spent the first 10 years of his NASCAR career – to become a co-owner and driver for the newly named Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009. The move was a gamble on many levels, the biggest being the fact that Stewart seemingly had everything he needed at JGR – fast cars, quality sponsors and talented people around him. Stewart left JGR to join a team that prior to his arrival had never won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, or been anywhere remotely close to a title contender. But under Stewart’s leadership – and that of team founder and fellow co-owner Gene Haas – SHR has flourished.

The Dirt-Track Owner/Promoter. Other than Stewart-Haas Racing, the most well-known motorsports property owned by Stewart is Eldora Speedway, a half-mile clay oval in Rossburg, Ohio. Stewart bought the fabled dirt track from legendary promoter Earl Baltes in 2004 and has used the facility to host numerous events – among them the Prelude to the Dream, a race for dirt late models held from 2005-2012 that raised money for charity and typically featured a star-studded field. Eldora has hosted a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race since 2013, when the track’s inaugural NASCAR race marked the sanctioning body’s first national event run on dirt since 1970. Although Stewart has never raced a truck at Eldora, he is always on hand, appearing in Victory Lane with the winner and assisting with track preparations.

The Traveling Sprint Car Series Owner. Stewart embarked on yet another huge endeavor in March 2015 when he finalized the purchase of the All Star Circuit of Champions – one of the oldest traveling sprint car series and a staple of grassroots, open-wheel racing. Formed in 1970, the series is recognized as the first “outlaw” sprint car organization of the modern era. “My passion for sprint car racing is well known, and the All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series has been a pillar of the sport for a long time,” Stewart said. “Racing is my business, and I look forward to building on the All Star Series’ already impressive legacy by taking it to a new level of success and sustainability.”

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The Dirt-Track Team Owner. Tony Stewart’s affinity for all things dirt-track racing, and sprint car racing in particular, is no secret. How passionate is Stewart about the ultra-competitive dirt-track scene? He’s passionate enough to invest his time and money in it. Tony Stewart Racing has fielded entries in the USAC Silver Crown, sprint car and midget divisions along with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, all while fielding an additional sprint car

for Stewart himself to race on occasion. Since its formation, TSR has earned numerous championships, including six World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series titles with drivers Donny Schatz (5) and Danny Lasoski. The team has also earned 17 championships across USAC’s three premier divisions. In addition, Stewart has fielded cars for 20-time World of Outlaws champion and good friend Steve Kinser.

The Marketing/PR Agency Owner. The company that handles Tony Stewart’s business affairs – True Speed Communication – is one of 12 companies that fall under the corporate umbrella of True Speed Enterprises, a privately held company owned by the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. True Speed Communication was founded in 2003 by Stewart’s now longtime road manager and chief spokesman, Mike Arning. True Speed helps guide companies through the various series in which their motorsports dollars are spent, then follows through with their sponsorship by creating a comprehensive plan that leverages their investment, both in the media and in the marketplace. True Speed Communication is a marketing and public relations agency that specializes in motorsports, with a focus on Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing.

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SPOTLIGHT

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A Cookbook Between Generations

ennifer Cowgill was eight months pregnant when her mother, Marla Loftis, died from COPD in February 2013. Nobody was more excited to meet Cowgill’s unborn baby than Loftis, but her condition deteriorated quickly during her daughter’s pregnancy. “Before my mom passed away, she told me she wished she could have done more research about COPD,” Cowgill said. “She never took good care of herself, never took the disease that serious. She was the tough person in the family and wanted to focus on everybody else.” COPD is a lifethreatening lung

disease, the fourthleading 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. Following her mother’s death, Cowgill considered options for ways in which she could pay tribute. She began to collect cooking recipes from her mother’s kitchen. Loftis

was a highly touted baker within the family, and Cowgill wanted to memorialize this skill for her newborn daughter, Sophia. “I thought, ‘Why don’t I dedicate this to my mom and make it a keepsake for my daughter?’” Cowgill said. “Then I thought I could sell the cookbooks and raise money for COPD.” Cowgill filled out the cookbook with recipes from friends and family and had 217 copies printed in 2015. She has sold more than 165 copies to date and donated $3,000 to the COPD Foundation. “I have a story in the cookbook talking about my mom and why I did the cookbook,” Cowgill

said. “I have such fond memories of her. I also have the story about how she wished she took her health more seriously. I put information about the COPD Foundation on it to bring awareness.” Cowgill said if she could offer any advice to COPD patients after witnessing her mother’s battle, she would encourage them to remain active even after being diagnosed. Her mother was a non-smoker but did not spend much time exercising or concentrating on her own health. “The doctors didn’t really tell her about the four stages of COPD, and Stage 4 is the end stage,” Cowgill said. “That’s when she needed to be in a wheelchair and kept having lung infections. The doctors just kept turning her oxygen up. I wish she knew how quickly it could turn serious. Whenever she did physical therapy, she did so well. When she stopped, it got worse. When all she could do was sit and be sedentary, it made her health worse quickly.”

HER SPIRIT LIVES ON

ennifer Cowgill believes her cookbook is a success not only for the fundraising effort, but for the way it has brought her daughter closer to her mother. Cowgill and her mother used to spend hours in the kitchen talking about anything and everything. “I hate that she missed being a grandmother and Sophia will grow up without meeting my mom,” Cowgill said. “But I have such great memories of cooking and talking with her. Now I’m forming those memories with my daughter.” While Sophia, who turned 3 in March, never met Loftis, she seems to have a connection with her grandmother. She often grabs photos of Loftis and says hello. She also enjoys many of her grandmother’s baking recipes. “It’s weird because I really feel like my daughter knows who my mom is,” Cowgill said. “I talk to Sophia about her a little bit, but not really all that much. She looks at pictures all the time and says, ‘Hey, lady.’ It’s really cool. They say kids can see spirits, and I kind of believe that a little. My mom watches over her a good deal. When I’m baking cookies in the kitchen with my daughter, I can feel the same kind of bond I used to have with my mom.” To purchase Cowgill’s cookbook, visit donateforlungs.com.

DAN GUTTENPLAN 32

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COPD making you huff and puff?

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.

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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.

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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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GETTING TO KNOW THE STARS OF NASCAR RACING Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot that race fans already know about the drivers of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Then, there are also the lesser-known facts. Here is some information you may not realize about 10 drivers. JARED TURNER

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

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s spotter, T.J. Majors, is also a close friend. How close are the two? Let’s begin with a history lesson. Majors has been Earnhardt’s spotter since Junior’s final 10 races at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. – which came in 2007. But even before the two hooked up on the in-car radio on Sunday afternoons, they were amigos. In fact, they’ve known each other since Majors and Earnhardt competed together in an online computer game during the late 1990s. Majors has lived adjacent to Earnhardt’s property in Cleveland, North Carolina, and unlike most drivers and spotters, the two typically converse multiple times a week. Being so close only enhances their chemistry on race day, when good communication can be the difference between winning and wrecking. “I don’t like to give T.J. too many compliments,” Earnhardt said with a laugh. “He’s so good. … Michigan, these other race tracks we go to, I don’t even have to look in the mirror. I might go 60 laps without glancing at the mirror because the information is so good. I can almost see the image in my mind of what’s happening behind me because of how good T.J. is at describing it.” Majors has been especially helpful

to Earnhardt at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, the two restrictor-plate tracks where splitsecond decisions in the draft are crucial to success and survival. “He’s learned over the years how to understand when a run’s happening half a lap before it forms,” Earnhardt said. “He can see things sort of forming and understand this lane’s going to be coming, give me that information. So I’m ready before it’s happening. I’m not making a nasty block late in the game. I’m actually preemptive and moving in front of the line that’s going to be coming.” Ultimately, strengthening the kinship between Earnhardt and Majors is the mutual trust they have in one another. “I’ve worked with other spotters in the past that are good spotters, but I also know some of the guys up there that he’s working with,” Earnhardt said. “I know he’s miles better than half of them up there. I wouldn’t want to be working with anybody else.”

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The foundation focuses on funding K-12 public education, primarily through the Jimmie Johnson Foundation/Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Champions Grants program. Champions Grants have been awarded to 94 school projects located in California, Oklahoma and North Carolina, where the Johnsons grew up and currently reside. In addition, each year the foundation selects five charities that support K-12 public education to be featured on Johnson’s Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope. Charities are nominated by fans nationwide and are voted on by the public. Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope charities receive a cash grant and national exposure on the helmet worn for a select NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Past foundation partnerships include working with San Diego Habitat for Humanity to construct four homes on Foundation Lane in Johnson’s hometown of El Cajon, Calif.; building Jimmie Johnson’s

Victory Lanes, a four-lane bowling center for campers at the Petty family’s Victory Junction in Randleman, N.C.; and funding the construction of the Toddler Playroom at the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte. The foundation continues to work with the Hendrick Marrow Program, Make-A-Wish and Project L.I.F.T. Another offshoot is the annual JJF Wellness Challenge, which is a series of four athletic events that attract a wide range of participants from beginners to advance. Three of the four events are located in and around Charlotte this year. New to the JJF Wellness Challenge in 2016 is the JJF Virtual Triathlon, an event that allows anyone living in the United States to participate by registering and completing a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run during the month of October. Since its inception, the JJF Wellness Challenge has raised more than $400,000 for K-12 public education.

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y Kyle Busch In addition to being a highly successful driver, Kyle Busch is also a topnotch team owner. Busch, the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and all-time wins leader in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, founded Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2009. After dabbling in the XFINITY Series from 2011-2013, Busch made the decision for KBM to invest all its resources in the Truck Series – and the results have borne out as the right move. While KBM picked up just one victory in 67 XFINITY Series starts, the organization is a perennial force in the Truck Series where it entered this season with a remarkable 45 wins, including a single-season series record 14 wins in 2014. Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates Christopher Bell and William Byron are competing full time for KBM this season while Daniel Suarez and Cody Coughlin are sharing the team’s third entry. Fueled by Busch’s passion for winning, KBM has collected a record four Truck Series owners’ championships in just six seasons. This can be attributed at least in part to Busch’s eye for young talent. Last year, the organization claimed both an

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owners’ title and the drivers’ title with Erik Jones, who has since joined Joe Gibbs Racing’s XFINITY Series program. Jones, a JGR development driver, first gained notoriety when he captured the prestigious Snowball Derby Late Model race in 2012 by outdueling Busch, his future boss, in the final laps. Jones’ performance helped convince Busch to offer him a part-time ride with KBM in 2013, which led to another partial schedule in 2014 and then a full season in 2015. “Erik’s done a lot of growing up, I think, in a short period of time, and it’s also under the limelight,” said Busch. “I’m thankful that he stuck with me and he believed in what our plan was for him.” In addition to housing multiple Truck Series teams, the KBM shop is home to a Super Late Model team and KBM Chassis, which provides a full range of racing services to customers.

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y Chase Elliott Before Chase Elliott was the driver of the iconic No. 24 Chevrolet made famous by Jeff Gordon, the son of 1988 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Bill Elliott had to climb the ranks of the sport just like anyone else. Following is a roundup of Elliott’s little-known accomplishments that led to him landing a fulltime NASCAR XFINITY Series ride in 2014 with JR Motorsports, which ultimately put him on the radar of legendary team owner Rick Hendrick, his boss. In seven races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2013, Elliott earned one win, five top-five finishes and six top-10 results. He became the youngest pole winner in series history when he claimed the No. 1 spot at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 22. He followed up this milestone by becoming the youngest winner in a NASCAR national series during the Truck Series’ inaugural trip to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park on Sept. 1. With five ARCA Racing Series events on his 2013 schedule, Elliott also made headlines in his seasonopener. On June 8, the second-generation driver led 21 laps on his way to winning the ARCA event at Pocono Raceway and becoming the youngest superspeedway winner in series history.

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Prior to 2013, Elliott posted a strong season of firsts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. During the 2012 season, he captured his first career NASCAR victory on May 19 and followed that performance by becoming the series’ youngest pole winner when he earned the top qualifying spot at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia. In 14 races, Elliott tallied six top-five finishes and nine top-10 results. In addition to K&N Pro Series East action, Elliott also strengthened his racing résumé in 2012 by adding six ARCA events to his schedule. The young driver never finished outside the top 10. Elliott made his full-time debut in the K&N Pro Series East in 2010, while juggling 23 late model events. He earned three top-five finishes and had six top-10 showings in the 12-race K&N Pro Series East season, and concluded the year in late models with seven wins and 19 top-five finishes.

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OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS NAPA, 3M, KELLEY BLUE BOOK MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF ALAN GUSTAFSON

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y Kyle Larson Kyle Larson’s path to big-time NASCAR competition was anything but ordinary. The son of a Japanese-American mother and a Caucasian father, Larson is the first Asian-American driver to compete full time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Larson, a product of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, is the first D4D alumnus to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole and rookie-of-theyear honors in the sport’s premier series. Before being signed as a Chip Ganassi development driver in 2012, Larson claimed 22 open-wheel victories in 2011, including wins in the World of Outlaws series, all three United States Auto Club national divisions and the American Sprint Car Series. In one night, Larson swept the races in all three USAC divisions (midget, sprint car and Silver Crown) at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway. Even though he’s racing on Sundays now, Larson spends much of his time “off” doing what he loves best – racing on dirt tracks. Larson also has competed for his Sprint Cup Series team owner, Chip Ganassi, in the world-famous Rolex 24 sports car endurance race at Daytona International Speedway. Despite his busy racing schedule, the 23-yearold Larson is a family man. He and his girlfriend,

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Katelyn, became parents to a son, Owen, in December 2014. “I bawled my eyes out,” Larson said of his reaction to his son’s birth. “I cried right when they told her to start pushing ... After a while, I got used to it, but then toward the end I started losing my emotions again and started bawling my eyes out some more.” Another compelling tidbit: Larson is the only driver in memory to miss a race after a fainting spell. Larson missed the spring 2015 race at Martinsville Speedway after passing out during an autograph session at the track a day earlier. Larson later blamed dehydration for his blackout. “I was confident everything was fine, and it turned out where everything in the end was fine,” Larson said. “Just got to make sure I hydrate myself throughout the day better than I did that day.”

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OWNER CHIP GANASSI TEAM CHIP GANASSI RACING WITH FELIX SABATES SPONSOR TARGET MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF CHAD JOHNSTON

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y Danica Patrick Everyone knows Danica Patrick’s popularity transcends NASCAR. But do they know just how deep it runs? She’s appeared in numerous Super Bowl commercials and even been in a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Being a connoisseur of healthy foods and a workout enthusiast only adds to her appeal. This image of a healthy lifestyle is further enhanced through her Twitter and Instagram feeds and her first-year primary sponsor – Reno, Nevada-based Nature’s Bakery. “I feel like our brands align so perfectly, it’s kind of amazing,” she said of Nature’s Bakery, which specializes in delivering healthy choices to its customers. “I feel like all you have to do is look at my social media to see how so much of what I do lines up perfectly with Nature’s Bakery. Their products help provide energy for your journey. For me, that’s going out on a hike with [dog] Dallas, doing Yoga at home, doing CrossFit and needing energy for all of that.” When Patrick isn’t devouring her sponsor’s products, she has what she calls “a lot of cults,” which rival boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s infatuation with dirt-track racing.

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“Girls’ trips are a great cult for me. I love taking those,” Patrick said. “I love cooking. I love my working out whether it be Yoga or CrossFit or anything like that. I love vacations. I have to tread lightly on vacations. I’m like, ‘Do you want to go somewhere. Do you not? If you do, I’m planning it; it’s OK, I got this.’” In fact, Patrick loves being home so much that she has what she calls “a woman cave.” “It’s where I do my yoga,” she said. “I have all my arts and crafts in there. I’m probably going to be ... what do they call it when you get older? Not journaling, but scrapbooking. I’ll probably scrapbook someday, but I make things, paint things, design things. I made my sister a dreamcatcher. Just stuff like that. That’s kind of my escape.”

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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 Good luck finding a driver anywhere who is more versatile than A.J. Allmendinger. Affectionately known as “Dinger” to many in the NASCAR garage, Allmendinger has raced open-wheel cars, sports cars and stock cars. NUMBER

Allmendinger is always a threat on the road courses, where he has more experience than most of his fellow Cup Series drivers due to his time in the open-wheel ranks. Allmendinger was suspended by NASCAR in 2012 but reinstated the following year. Allmendinger was released by team owner Roger Penske after his suspension, but later drove for Penske in both the IndyCar Series and the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Allmendinger is single and has no kids. “I’m a guy that, honestly, is kind of to myself, and obviously especially now with everything that had happened over the last couple years, I try to do my job at the race track and I don’t socialize a ton at the race track,” Allmendinger said. “I just go home and hang with my crew guys and have fun with them, because we are such a family together.”

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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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Through those journeys, he’s competed in arguably the three most prestigious races across all genres of motorsports: The Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Allmendinger has also won at least once in a stock car, an open-wheel car and a sports car. Allmendinger made the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for the first time in 2014 when he won on the road course at Watkins Glen International. “Just to have my name somewhat in the same breath as our champion, Kevin Harvick, who was so deserving, and Jimmie [Johnson], Jeff [Gordon] and Dale [Earnhardt Jr.], and those guys that I’ve looked up to that have reached the pinnacle of our sport, was pretty special,” Allmendinger said of making the Chase in 2014. “I hope I get to go back there for many years to come, but I try to take it all in and have as much fun as possible, just because you never know in this sport. To at least say I’ve gotten to do it one time, it was a lot of fun and I just truly enjoyed it.”

Regan Smith There is certainly no shortage of intriguing and little-known tidbits about Regan Smith. Like so many NASCAR drivers, Smith has racing his in bloodlines. He is the son of former NASCAR XFINITY Series team owners Ron and Lee Smith. Regan began racing quarter-midget-style cars at age 4, joined the World Karting Association at age 12 and won the World Karting Association Grand National championship in 1996 and the WKA Manufacturers’ Cup in 1997. Smith’s mother, Lee, served as an animal rescue volunteer worker after the devastating 2011 tornado in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Regan Smith married the former Megan Mayhew on Nov. 26, 2011, in Palm Coast, Florida, and the couple welcomed their first child, son Rhett Lee, into the world in February 2015. Rhett was born just a few days after Smith was called on to sub for Kurt Busch in the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet for the 2015 Daytona 500 when Busch was ineligible to race. Interestingly, Smith has been called on as a sub in NASCAR’s top series in both of the past two years while running a full-time XFINITY Series schedule

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for JR Motorsports. After subbing for Busch in the first three races of 2015, Smith subbed for Kyle Larson in the spring race at Martinsville Speedway because Larson had fainted a day earlier. In 2014, Smith was asked on the morning of the race to jump in Tony Stewart’s car on the road course at Watkins Glen International. Now, Smith is back in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full time, competing for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Smith, 32, is one of the few NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers with just one win. The Cato, New York, native won at Darlington Raceway – arguably NASCAR’s toughest track – in the spring of 2011 while driving for Furniture Row Racing. It was the first victory for the Denver, Colorado-based organization, which at the time was considered a longshot to win anywhere.

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OWNERS TOMMY BALDWIN JR./ AL HEINKE TEAM TOMMY BALDWIN RACING SPONSORS TOY STATE, GOLDEN CORRAL MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF TOMMY BALDWIN JR.

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DRIVER PROFILES PRE S E N T E D B Y Chris Buescher To be the reigning NASCAR XFINITY Series champion, Chris Buescher has successfully managed to fly under the radar to an extent that most champions can’t. Now running his first full season in the Sprint Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports, Buescher continues to fly below the radar, garnering far less attention than fellow Sprint Cup Series rookie Chase Elliott, for example. Buescher, a 23-year-old racer from Prosper, Texas, wouldn’t change a thing, however. “I’ve been under the radar all my life, not opposed to it, so I’ve been able to have good success coming up through various series and been able to accomplish a lot to get to this point,” said Buescher, whose 2015 XFINITY Series title came with Roush Fenway Racing. So who exactly is Chris Buescher, the under-theradar champion? “I’m just a redneck from Texas that gets to go racing, really,” he said. “I’m a big outdoors guy; I like to spend all my time I can outside. We go ride four-wheelers on the weekends and I go fishing with a couple guys on the team and try to keep busy. I like to work on stuff and I’m pretty mechanically inclined and love fabrication and do a lot of stuff

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in the shop at my place, and work on a lot of my own vehicles. I’m really good at taking stuff apart and not quite as good at putting it back together. ... Personality-wise, I’m not very loud, but I have obnoxious vehicles, and that’s kind of my getaway.” Buescher began his racing career at the age of 6 in his hometown. He started racing motorcycles and continued until the age of 9. He then switched to the Bandolero series, which he raced in over the next three years. In 2004, he went to the Bandolero Nationals and won at the age of 12. Buescher made the long haul to North Carolina for the Summer Shootout Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway, spending the summer of 2005 racing in the Legends Car Series at tracks along the East Coast. Buescher finally got the break he’d been seeking in 2009 when he became a Roush Fenway development driver.

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OWNER BOB JENKINS TEAM FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS LOVE’S TRAVEL STOPS, CSX TRANSPORTATION MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF BOB OSBORNE

Brian Scott Without sponsors, there would be no racing, and without family, Brian Scott would have different sponsors. That’s because when it comes to primary sponsors, Scott keeps it mostly in the family. NUMBER

His father, Joe, is the owner of the Shore Lodge and Whitetail Club resorts in McCall, Idaho. Brian Scott is also the great-grandson of Joe and Kathryn Albertson, the founders of the Albertsons enterprise – one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States. The two family-run companies have sponsored Scott for much of his racing career, going all the way back to his days in the Camping World Truck Series. This year, Scott’s first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the 28-year-old native of Boise, Idaho, has both his father’s company and his greatgrandfather’s company as primary backers on his No. 44 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford. Both are major enterprises. Albertsons operates more than 2,276 stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia. Shore Lodge, which opened for business in 1948,

is billed as the quintessential lodging experience. “It is our privilege to be a part of the Richard Petty Motorsports team and to support Brian in his first full season, [starting with the] Daytona 500,” said Dan Scott, president and general manager of Shore Lodge and Whitetail Club.” In addition to his bloodlines, Brian Scott is a family man by way of marriage. He and former fiancée Whitney Kay exchanged wedding vows in the NASCAR offseason of 2014–2015 at Shore Lodge. During that ceremony, Brian spoke directly to Whitney’s young daughter, Brielle, promising to show her how a woman should be treated through his relationship with her mom. Brian and Whitney have a son, Joseph, who was born in November 2014.

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OWNERS RICHARD PETTY/ ANDY MURSTEIN TEAM RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS ALBERTSONS, SHORE LODGE MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF CHRIS HEROY

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H LEGEND PROFILE The Silver Fox DAVID PEARSON PREVAILED 105 TIMES David Pearson ran his first race in NASCAR’s premier series in February 1960. He eventually claimed three Cup Series titles and amassed 105 victories in 574 series starts, second only to Richard Petty (200) in the win column.

QUIET UNASSUMING

SAVVY CAPABLE

INGENIOUS MOTIVATED SMOOTH

I ENJOYED BEING WITH THE WOOD BROTHERS. WHEN WE WERE AT THE RACE TRACK, WE WERE ALWAYS JOKING AND KIDDING EACH OTHER. IT WAS THE JOY AND HIGHLIGHT OF MY LIFE.

orn in Whitney, South Carolina, in 1934, Pearson’s first race came in a 1952 Hobby Stock event at a track in nearby Woodruff. He earned $13. In February 1960, Pearson built a Ford for Late Model competition and hauled it to Daytona International Speedway. The next year, he collected major Cup Series victories at Daytona International Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway en route to rookie-of-the-year honors. By 1966, Pearson had joined team owner and fellow South Carolinian Cotton Owens and logged 15 victories and his first Cup Series championship. Two more titles came with Ford’s powerhouse Holman-Moody organization in 1968 and 1969. In 1970 and 1971, Pearson began racing a limited schedule of Cup Series races for Holman-Moody and car owner Ray Nichels.

BEST SEASON PEARSON WON HIS SECond of three NASCAR premier series championships in 1968 with 16 victories, 36 top-five finishes, 38 top-10 results and 12 pole positions for team owners John Holman and Ralph Moody. Pearson led 3,950 of 13,907 laps that season with an average finish of 5.8 over the 48-race schedule.

RECORD-SETTER

He enjoyed his best years with Wood Brothers Racing from 1972 to 1979 as he won 43 races with the Virginia-based team, including 11 of 18 starts in 1973. Pearson and team owner Glen Wood parted ways in April 1979 after a pit road miscue at Darlington Raceway. Pearson returned to the track that September to win as a substitute driver for the injured Dale Earnhardt. Pearson’s final Cup Series victory came at Darlington in April 1980 in Hoss Ellington’s Chevrolet, while his final start was six years later at Michigan International Speedway. Throughout his career, Pearson’s reputation for laying back and striking late unnerved his rivals. Of those, he and Richard Petty finished first and second 63 times with Pearson winning 33 and Petty coming out on top 30 times.

THE NO. 17 CAR

KNOWN FOR

ONE OF PEARSON’S greatest victories came in the 1976 Daytona 500 at just 20 mph after a last-lap crash with Richard Petty. Pearson was chosen Driver of the (20th) Century by a select group of NASCAR media members who covered the sport in that era.

DURING A 26-YEAR career, Pearson was considered to be one of the smartest, yet elusive drivers in NASCAR’s long and storied history. Even his own crew members and team owners didn’t know his strategies for the closing laps of races. He was known for saving his cars until the final 50 laps.

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POLE POSITION 2016

COURTESY OF NASCAR

REWIND 1985: Waltrip Upsets Elliott EXCITEMENT HELPS GROW NASCAR’S POPULARITY The 1985 season was often described as intriguing and curious. Thanks to one particular racer from a small, north Georgia community, stock car racing was quickly gaining acceptance among fans of mainstream professional sports. ■■ Bill Elliott

As the season began, drivers and teams were eyeing an unprecedented bonus. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., the sponsor of NASCAR’s premier series through its Winston brand, was offering a $1 million bonus to any driver who could win three of stock car racing’s four marquee events – the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. It seemed an impossible task given the series’ level of competition and, certainly, no one expected a small team from Dawsonville, Georgia, to meet the lofty challenge. But Bill Elliott answered the call by winning the Daytona 500 in convincing fashion behind the wheel of a sleek and powerful No. 9 Ford Thunderbird owned by Michigan businessman Harry Melling. Elliott then fell short of the Coca-Cola 600 victory due to brake problems while Darrell Waltrip, in Junior Johnson’s No. 11 Chevrolet, won NASCAR’s longest race. Round three was the Winston 500 and Elliott earned the pole starting position with a record qualifying lap of more than 205 mph. Brake problems early in the race saw him fall two laps behind, but he came roaring back to the claim the victory. The finale of the four special events was the legendary Southern 500 in September. After holding off a hard-charging Cale Yarborough during the closing laps, Elliott claimed the victory and banked the $1 million bonus.

1985

SEASON RECAP DATE Feb. 17 Feb. 24 March 3 March 17 April 6 April 14 April 21 April 28 May 5 May 19 May 26 June 2 June 9 June 16 July 4 July 21 July 28 Aug. 11 Aug. 24 Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 20 Nov. 3 Nov. 17

EVENT & LOCATION Daytona International Speedway Richmond International Raceway North Carolina Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Darlington Raceway North Wilkesboro Speedway Martinsville Speedway Talladega Superspeedway Dover International Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Riverside International Raceway Pocono Raceway Michigan International Speedway Daytona International Speedway Pocono Raceway Talladega Superspeedway Michigan International Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Darlington Raceway Richmond International Raceway Dover International Speedway Martinsville Speedway North Wilkesboro Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway North Carolina Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway Riverside International Raceway

WINNER Bill Elliott Dale Earnhardt Neil Bonnett Bill Elliott Dale Earnhardt Bill Elliott Neil Bonnett Harry Gant Bill Elliott Bill Elliott Darrell Waltrip Terry Labonte Bill Elliott Bill Elliott Greg Sacks Bill Elliott Cale Yarborough Bill Elliott Dale Earnhardt Bill Elliott Darrell Waltrip Harry Gant Dale Earnhardt Harry Gant Cale Yarborough Darrell Waltrip Bill Elliott Ricky Rudd

PRESIDENT: RONALD REAGAN NO. 1 SONG: “WE ARE THE WORLD” JAN. 1: THE INTERNET’S DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM IS CREATED. APRIL 1: VILLANOVA BEATS GEORGETOWN 84-75 TO WIN THE MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. SEPT. 1: AN EXPEDITION LOCATES THE WRECKAGE OF THE TITANIC

BEST DRIVER BILL ELLIOTT ARRIVED AT DAYTONA International Speedway in February 1985 determined to dominate the superspeedways. In the process, he and his brothers, Ernie Elliott (crew chief) and Dan Elliott (mechanic), won nearly half of the races on the 28-race schedule. His famous red, white and gold No. 9 Ford rolled into Victory Lane 11 times, producing one of the most successful years in NASCAR’s modern era with 16 top-five finishes, 18 top-10 results and 11 pole positions.

BEST RACE

TOP CARS

ELLIOTT’S VICTORY IN THE SOUTHERN 500 was the greatest of the season and possibly the decade. He set up the springs and shocks on the team’s Ford himself, making sure it could handle the tricky and narrow track configuration for which Darlington Raceway is so famous. The Georgia native led 100 of the 367 laps and garnered international headlines after crossing under the checkered flag to collect a $1 million bonus for winning three of NASCAR’s most prestigious events in the same season.

BEN WHITE

ELLIOTT’S 1985 No. 9 Ford set records and sparked interest in NASCAR around the world. Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was the second-winningest car of 1985 with four wins and 16 top-10 finishes.

COURTESY OF NASCAR POLE POSITION MAG.COM

T NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES LEARNING EXPERIENCE

J Custer’s First Stand Cole Custer won two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races before he was old enough to race on superspeedways. Now 18, the series’ youngest winner drives for JR Motorsports, a team with championship-caliber equipment. But JRM’s most valuable asset is the kid behind the wheel.

adera Ranch, California, is the hometown of the Truck Series’ newest title contender – a kid who bypassed surfboards to race quarter midgets. Five years ago, Custer was the USAC National Ford Focus Young Guns champion and a driver with a bright future in whatever racing discipline he decided to pursue. Custer chose NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who co-owns JR Motorsports with his sister, Kelley, and Rick Hendrick, took note of Custer’s skills after he

became the youngest winner in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East history in 2013. Custer joined the JRM stable a year later and proved his worth in short order. He won three poles, two races and had 10 top-10 finishes in 19 starts as a part-time driver. Custer – the son of Stewart-Haas Racing Executive Vice President Joe Custer – has set specific objectives for his first full Truck Series season. “I’m looking to be more consistent than I’ve been in the past,” Custer said. “Trying to

get a few wins, so we can be in the Chase, and not make mistakes when we’re going for wins, to just be smart.” Since drivers can’t compete in restrictorplate races until they’re 18 years old — and Custer didn’t turn 18 until Jan. 23 — he had only one practice option, the ARCA Racing Series, before the Truck Series season opener. Custer drove a No. 54 HAAS CNCsponsored Chevrolet to the pole in his first plate race, then led a race-high 42 laps and finished 10th. “It’s different,”

Custer said of plate racing. “I learned a lot, and got comfortable with it.” Custer’s proven he’s a quick study at every level, so running well at Daytona was no surprise. In addition to running for the Camping World Truck Series title, Custer plans to make five NASCAR XFINITY Series starts. He wants to make Ladera Ranch the hometown of a NASCAR champion. “We’re focused on trying to win this Truck championship,” Custer said.

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POLE POSITION 2016

oe Custer knew his son had what it took to make it in NASCAR’s national series after he saw him come heartbreakingly close to winning. Cole Custer was a 15-yearold K&N Pro Series East rookie when he led the field to green in the final laps of the Blue Ox 100 at Richmond International Raceway. Custer appeared to have the race won, but he missed a shift as he went through the gears. The mistake took out several cars in a chain-reaction wreck and Custer was locked out of Victory Lane. He used it as motivation for the future. “[Cole] took that personally,” Joe Custer said last year. “It had an impact on him for a while, but he eventually turned it into a positive. He’d already showed in that race that he could hang with anybody.” Custer didn’t wait long to make up for it. He scored his first K&N Pro victory five races later in a dominant performance at Iowa Speedway. Custer led every lap as he drove a flawless race to score the victory and establish himself as a threat in NASCAR’s top feeder series. Three years later, Custer has the same type of hunger – but he’s figured out how to channel it into calculated aggression. He attacks the car the same way he attacks every race track: never too much, but always on the limit.

COURTESY OF NASCAR

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X NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

IN THE ‘NICK’ OF TIME

I Ty Dillon and Crew a Unified Team The sport that glorifies its drivers is no one-man show. Veteran car owner Richard Childress makes sure his teams have a unified approach that puts everyone on an equal playing field, and Ty Dillon and his teammates love it.

illon can always look to his crew and his teammates for more than run-of-the-mill information exchanges. Dillon’s RCR cohorts are teammates, but they’re also his support group. Teammates like Brendan Gaughan and Dillon’s older brother, Austin, have made a major difference. But Dillon’s road to victories, top-five finishes and championship contention never begins on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays. It kicks off during the week at

RCR’s base in Welcome, North Carolina, where meetings with Dillon’s crew and fellow RCR drivers set the tone for what to expect when Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet hits the track. “With every person you work with, there are different personalities you have to get used to,” Dillon said. “When [crew chief] Nick [Harrison] came in last year, we meshed immediately.” Gaughan, the team’s senior driver, has seen how important friendships and relationships are within

the team since he joined RCR in 2012. “I’ve told everybody, I’ve been a lot of places in this sport,” Gaughan said. “I’ve seen a lot of young drivers. The image of Ty and Austin is real. They’re great guys and they’re great drivers.” Ty Dillon has high hopes for what he believes will be his most successful season on the NASCAR XFINITY Series circuit. Although Dillon went winless last season, he relied on 12 top-five finishes and 25 top-10 results to remain in the

title hunt. “With this new Chase format, I think we can afford to be more aggressive than we were in the past,” Dillon said. “Hopefully, we can win early and then attack the rest of the year. I’m looking forward to it.” His team has even adopted a slogan to unite them in their quest for an XFINITY Series title. “Our phrase this year is ‘Refuse to Lose,’” Dillon said. “That’s what we’re going to try and do – go out and win races.”

AARON BURNS 60

POLE POSITION 2016

t’s possible that no crew chief in NASCAR knows more about the Dillon brothers than Nick Harrison. Harrison began his NASCAR career in 2006 as a crew chief for Steadman Marlin and Chad Chaffin, and steadily worked his way to the Sprint Cup Series ranks. He was Kurt Busch’s Sprint Cup Series crew chief with Phoenix Racing in 2012 before joining RCR the following year. Since then, Harrison has been the “Dillon Whisperer.” He worked with a slew of RCR drivers in 2013 and ’14 before spending most of his time with Austin Dillon last season. In 11 races with Harrison calling the shots for Austin Dillon, they had two wins – at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway – to go with eight top-five finishes. Once Harrison switched places with Danny Stockman and became Ty Dillon’s crew chief, the younger Dillon’s numbers moved upward. The duo had nine top-five finishes to close out the season. Harrison’s first goal this year is to get Ty Dillon back in Victory Lane. His second: win a championship. “He is so focused on this year and ready to go,” Dillon said of Harrison. “Starting fresh and having the whole offseason together really helps. He’s done such a great job with me and [teammate] Brandon [Jones]. I’m excited to see what we can do over a whole season.”

COURTESY OF NASCAR

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

POLE POSITION MAG.COM

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POLE POSITION MAG.COM

WHY WE LOVE NASCAR

Remembering Barney Hall For 35 years, Barney Hall was the “Voice of NASCAR” on the Motor Racing Network, serving as the eyes of race fans from Dover, Delaware, to Fontana, California. Sadly, he passed away on Jan. 26 at the age of 83.

Barney Hall lived his life the way he announced NASCAR races: smooth and measured. When he was in the broadcast booth, Hall never got overly excited, was able to translate the most complicated technical issues into easy-to-understand terms for the millions that tuned in, and had the persona of a friendly grandfather who always had a smile on his face and a skip in his step. Hall made his NASCAR debut in 1960 as part of the team that broadcast the Daytona 500. He would go on to attend and announce 50 of the next 54 editions of The Great American Race. Unfortunately, Hall abruptly retired

midway through the 2014 season – ending his career where it began, at Daytona – due to the onset of Parkinson’s disease. Among Hall’s favorite broadcasts: When close friend Dale Earnhardt finally snapped a 20-year jinx to win his first – and ultimately only – Daytona 500 of his career in 1998. Among Hall’s least favorite broadcasts: The day Earnhardt died in a last-lap crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. Hall had to tell millions how badly Earnhardt was hurt, and eventually, that “The Intimidator” had passed away. The “Voice of NASCAR” is forever silenced, but our memories and love of Barney will never be forgotten.

JERRY BONKOWSKI 64

POLE POSITION 2016

COURTESY OF NASCAR