NASCAR Pole Position 2017 June/July

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NASCAR DEFINED PRESENTED BY ■■ Patriotic NASCAR fans pose for a photo during the Go Bowling 400 at Kansas Speedway.

■■ Samantha Busch cheers on Kyle Busch with their son, Brexton, at the Go Bowling 400.

This edition of NASCAR Defined features excitement, intensity, camaraderie and fun in a behind-the-scenes look at life at the track.

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POLE POSITION 2017

■■ Two young fans share a laugh at Kansas Speedway.

■■ Fans cheering in the grandstands during the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

■■ A pair of fans cheering at the Toyota Owners 400.

■■ Kurt Busch poses with the Monster Energy girls prior to the GEICO 500.

“Victory Never Tasted So Good!”

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62. DRIVER SPOTLIGHTS

A DAY IN THE LIFE

NASCAR POLE POSITION RACE FAN GUIDE AN OFFICIALLY LICENSED PUBLICATION OF NASCAR

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POLE POSITION 2017

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THE PAINT SCHEMES OF DALE EARNHARDT JR.

MY RACE GIG

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22.

GOT YOUR NUMBER

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RACE ROCK

10. GREEN FLAG 14. CREW SPOTLIGHT 16. TAILGATING 18. SPOTLIGHT: SYLVANIA 20. BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW

21. NASCAR PETS 23. HOW IT WORKS 32. GEAR 54. PIT PASS

58. NASCAR LEGENDS 60. RACE REWIND 63. 2017 SCHEDULES

F I L M - C O AT E D D I S S O LV E S FA S T, W O R K S FA S T. LOOK FOR IT IN THE WHITE BOX.

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GREEN FLAG Junior Offers Fans Unique Opportunity

ONE OF NASCAR’S top prospects, Christopher Bell, is scheduled compete in seven NASCAR XFINITY Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing this season. The 22-year-old will be in action at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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ale Earnhardt Jr. will drive a car with a unique paint scheme for a great cause on July 8 at Kentucky Speedway. Returning this year is a fundraising campaign that gives fans the opportunity to have their name emblazoned on Earnhardt’s No. 88 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet, while simultaneously supporting patients receiving care at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. During the Ride Along with Dale Jr. to Help Kids Everywhere campaign, fans who donate will be part of Earnhardt’s Kentucky race weekend. For a $250 donation, fans will get their name on the hood of the No. 88 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet. Only 315 spots are available on the car’s special paint scheme, which Earnhardt helped design. In addition, the 315 fans who donate will receive a limited edition 1:24 scale No. 88 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet with their name on it and autographed by Earnhardt Jr. DAN GUTTENPLAN

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Chicagoland Speedway and Nickelodeon officials announced that the No. 1 entertainment brand for children has signed to sponsor the track’s Sept. 17 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. The event will be known as the Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Chicagoland Speedway and Nickelodeon also worked together last year in hosting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400, which was won by Martin Truex Jr. This will be the seventh consecutive year Chicagoland Speedway has hosted the first race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

JR Motorsports has signed a multirace sponsorship agreement with TMC Transportation, the nation’s largest employee-owned, open-deck transportation company.

The No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro driven

by Michael Annett will carry TMC Transportation branding in multiple NASCAR XFINITY SERIES races, beginning July 22 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. TMC Transportation joins Pilot Flying J as a primary sponsor for Annett and the No. 5 JR Motorsports team.

DARLINGTON RACEWAY IS WORKING WITH Rent Like A Champion, a company owned by Mark Cuban, to provide private home rentals during the week of the Bojangles’ Southern 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event.

Rent Like A Champion is the conduit for area residents wishing to rent their homes to industry executives and fans attending the Labor Day weekend festivities, scheduled for Sept. 1-3, at the historic South Carolina track. It is completely free to list a home on the RLAC website. On average, RLAC homeowners earn more than $1,000 per rental period. Rent Like A Champion is a vacation rental platform specializing in rentals surrounding major sporting events. This is the company’s first venture into NASCAR racing.

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POLE POSITION 2017

ACTION SPORTS LEGEND TRAVIS PASTRANA PLANS TO MAKE HIS RETURN to NASCAR racing this season, competing in select NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events for Niece Motorsports. One confirmed date on the team’s schedule is the Sept.

30 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which is where Pastrana made his most recent NASCAR start in 2015. Serving as Pastrana’s primary sponsor for the Las Vegas race will be Weinerschnitzel. Additionally, Black Riffle Coffee Co., SilencerCo, Nitro Circus, Alpinestars and Palms Casino Resort will provide sponsorship support to the No. 45 team.

Digital games publisher and developer 704Games has announced the worldwide release of “NASCAR Heat Mobile,” the first authentic NASCAR racing game on mobile to feature 40 stock cars racing simultaneously.

“NASCAR Heat Mobile” is available globally on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, as well as Google Play for Android devices.

GOOGLE’S WIREless broadband team has a new target market: NASCAR race cars.

The company is seeking permission from the FCC for an experimental radio license to test “the transmission of broadband data from race cars to transportable/fixed base stations located at race track facilities.”

It’s all happening this summer during NASCAR races at Michigan International Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Richmond International Speedway.

The application provides only limited details about the plans.

There’s scant technical info about the type of wireless technology to be used, other than the fact that it will involve a frequency between 3400 and 3600 MHz. Race car drivers might make good guinea pigs to test high-speed data and communication services. Or the technology could also potentially be used to track vital car functions, such as tire pressure or engine temperature.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Announces Retirement Plan There has been no bigger story in NASCAR over the last few months than Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s announcement that he’ll be retiring from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at the end of the season.

WHO WILL FILL JUNIOR’S SEAT IN 2018?

Hendrick Motorsports founder and owner Rick Hendrick said he’s talking with his sponsors about who will replace Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car for 2018 and beyond.

“We’ve got a lot of people to consider, meaning partners, like our sponsors, and we’ve just been talking to them,” Hendrick said.

Hendrick Motorsports has a couple of talented young drivers already under contract.

William Byron is in his rookie season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, where he drives for JR Motorsports, the team owned by Earnhardt and his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller. JR Motorsports has a close working relationship with the Hendrick operation.

Also under contract is Alex Bowman, who drove to the No. 88 in 10 races last year when Earnhardt was sidelined by a concussion.

Bowman had one pole and a pair of top-10 finishes in the No. 88 during 2016.

Carl Edwards has also been mentioned as one of the would-be Earnhardt replacements. However, Edwards and Hendrick representatives have had no discussions about Edwards joining the team and have no plans to, according to a report by FOX Sports.

EARNHARDT JR. CONSIDERS FUTURE

Hendrick Motorsports officials announced on April 25 that Earnhardt Jr. will step away from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition following the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Earnhardt was voted NASCAR’s most popular driver 14 times by fans since his Monster Energy Series career began in 1999. He won the Daytona 500 in 2004 and 2014.

Earnhardt joins former teammate Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart – both former champions and immensely popular stars – in retiring from NASCAR during the last couple of years. Carl Edwards, another popular driver, stepped away from the sport at the end of the 2016 season.

Earnhardt made his first career Monster Energy Series start on May 30, 1999, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His first win came in the DirecTV 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 2, 2000. He will compete in his final NASCAR Cup Series race on Nov. 19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

A third-generation driver, Earnhardt Jr.’s father Dale Earnhardt won seven NASCAR championships, tying Richard Petty for most all-time and later matched by Jimmie Johnson. His grandfather, Ralph, raced in NASCAR’s premier series from 1955-1966 and had 16 top-10 finishes. Both were selected to NASCAR’s list of 50 best drivers.

Earnhardt Jr. has been plagued by concussion issues during the past few years, missing half of last season.

AS FOR WHAT’S NEXT FOR Dale Earnhardt Jr., the retiring racer is considering working with NASCAR’s television partners, Fox Sports and NBC Sports, as part of a broadcast team.

NASCAR’s 14-time most popular driver dabbled in broadcasting last season, serving as a guest race analyst for FOX on its XFINITY Series coverage and for two Monster Energy Series races on NBC during the fall while sidelined.

“Obviously, I enjoyed my fun in the booth,” Earnhardt said. “If that’s an opportunity for me, I’m certainly going to have those conversations to find out. But I haven’t been able to really talk to anybody and even try to sort that out because I couldn’t

communicate to anyone, ‘Man, I’m going to retire so can we talk about X, Y and Z, and do you think this is something I can do?’

“But now I can have those conversations with the people that I really trust.”

Earnhardt specifically mentioned former broadcaster Benny Parsons as someone he would like to emulate.

Parsons, who died in 2007, won the 1973 NASCAR Cup Series championship and 21 races in a career that earned him induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January. But many remember the congenial and gregarious former driver for his work as a longtime television analyst during an era when NASCAR’s popularity boomed.

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WIVES & GIRLFRIENDS

PRESENTED BY

■■ Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his wife, Amy. ■■ Austin Dillon and his fiancée, Whitney Ward.

■■ Jimmie Johnson and his wife, Chandra (right), pose with crew chief Chad Knaus and his wife, Brooke.

■■ Kyle Larson, his girlfriend Katelyn Sweet and their son, Owen.

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POLE POSITION 2017

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CREW SPOTLIGHT DETERMINED TO SUCCEED MOLICA REALIZING A DREAM-COME-TRUE

A PASSION FOR RACING FAMBROUGH IS BEST WHEN MOVING FAST

Pedro Mojica, an engineer for Richard Petty Motorsports and driver Aric Almirola, was introduced to NASCAR while flipping through channels at home on a Saturday evening. That everyday act had a huge impact on his life.

“My first dose of NASCAR came in 1997,” Mojica said. “I ran across a NASCAR race on ESPN that really sparked my interest. It was the night race at Bristol Motor Speedway and I began following it. I got to go to my first race at Texas Motor Speedway two years later in 1999. That really started me on the path to say, ‘OK, how can I be involved with this sport?’”

Mojica discovered that a degree in mechanical engineering would best help open doors with a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team. The University of Texas at San Antonio offered a four-year program and while completing his studies there in 2014, Mojica also interned with IMSA, Rev Racing, the Grand-Am Series and at the NASCAR Research and Development Center.

“While an intern, what was echoed to us a lot was to communicate and network with people as much as possible,” Mojica said.

Mojica is realizing a dream-cometrue with his first job in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2017.

“As a race engineer, we are always searching for speed,” Mojica said.

“Along with that, my duties are to take really detailed notes to have a running record of everything.”

One could say that Colin Fambrough, rear tire changer for JTG Daugherty Racing and driver Chris Buescher, just happened to be in the right place at the right time for his introduction to NASCAR. A summer trip to Florida nearly 20 years ago as a child gave the Texas native a true passion for racing and eventually the perfect career.

“My first NASCAR race was at Daytona Beach and it was the Pepsi 400 in July of 1999,” Fambrough said. “It was a family vacation and my mom and dad took me there. That first experience at the track blew me away. We were eating at a restaurant across the street from the speedway and I heard the cars practicing. I was young at the time, and the attendant let me walk right down to the frontstretch fence. A pack of cars came by, and Jeff Gordon was leading.

From that day, I was hooked.”

After seeing an infomercial on television, Fambrough attended the NASCAR Technical Institute where an instructor helped him get an interview with Roush Fenway Racing in 2004. The next year, he was given a tryout with up-andcoming star Joey Logano in the Hooters Pro Cup Series with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Over the years, Fambrough has worked with some of the very best Cup Series teams, including Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske, Richard Petty Motorsports and is presently with the No. 37 JTG Daugherty operation.

IT’S NEAT HOW YOU CAN SIT IN FRONT OF YOUR COMPUTER AND MAKE A BUNCH OF CHANGES TO SEE HOW THE BALANCE OF THE CAR CAN CHANGE.”

PLAYING FAVORITES WITH PEDRO MOJICA VACATION ■■ Dominican Republic HOLIDAY ■■ Christmas SEASON ■■ Summer TV SHOW ■■ 30 for 30 on ESPN MOVIE ■■ Days of Thunder MUSIC ■■ Alternative Rock

I’VE EXPERIENCED WINNING RACES AND CHAMPIONSHIPS. THERE’S NO BETTER FEELING THAN STANDING IN VICTORY LANE OR STANDING ON STAGE AT THE END OF THE YEAR AS A CHAMPION.”

PLAYING FAVORITES WITH COLIN FAMBROUGH VACATION ■■ Dominican Republic HOLIDAY ■■ Christmas SEASON ■■ Spring TV SHOW ■■ Breaking Bad MOVIE ■■ Shawshank Redemption MUSIC ■■ Rock

BEN WHITE 14

POLE POSITION 2017

TAILGATING Tailgating a Must at New Hampshire

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ew Hampshire Motor Speedway is first and foremost a motorsports complex with a 1.058-mile oval. But before, after and sometimes even during the races, NHMS also serves as the main hub for another popular outdoor activity – tailgating. The 1,200-acre property is able to accommodate over 5,000 individual campsites, many of them a prime spot for tailgating.

Roughly 5,000 campers and several thousand tailgaters descend on the popular New England venue on a typical NASCAR weekend, with about 40 percent of fans who come only on Sunday choosing to tailgate as part of their race-day experience.

“One of my favorite parts of NASCAR race weekend is seeing how much fun our fans have tailgating and camping throughout the property,” said David McGrath, New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s

executive vice president and general manager. “To look out at a sea of people having a great time grilling, partying and making memories with family and friends puts a big smile on my face. Tailgating is a must-do that adds to the overall race-day experience, and we encourage fans to arrive early or stay late to get their grill on!”

Tailgating is encouraged in the parking lots and campgrounds prior to the races. NHMS asks only that fans stay within their designated parking area in front of or behind their car/campsite, instead of taking up another parking spot.

Tailgating is permitted in all Day parking lots except the Premium Parking lot; the track just requests that tailgaters keep all fire lanes clear. The N3 and N10 lots are the most popular tailgating locations, but tailgaters can be found throughout the property.

“Tailgating is a major part of the overall race-day experience,” NHMS spokeswoman Kristen Lestock said. “Many fans arrive as early as 6 a.m. and start grilling out for breakfast and lunch before heading to the afternoon races. Tailgating is an experience that continues to grow year after year, and is encouraged as part of the race-day experience.”

JARED TURNER

MUST-HAVE GEAR NASCAR’s premier series has a new title sponsor in Monster Energy and there is plenty of new tailgating gear at the NASCAR.COM SuperStore.

A 16-ounce Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Travel Mug from WinCraft wouldn’t be a bad initial purchase, considering that a cool tailgating beverage comes in handy during the hot summer months.

Priced at just $15.99, the 100 percent acrylic, officially NASCAR licensed, Made-in-the-USA mug features bold colors and graphics.

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POLE POSITION 2017

PRESENTED BY

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THE EXPERIENCE

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n ordinary tailgate at Bristol Motor Speedway took an unexpected twist for Luke Olsen and friends when an uninvited guest stopped by during the March 2013 race weekend.

“While enjoying several rounds of our favorite tailgate beverage and our elaborate campsite setup, including 13 assorted racing flags, we inadvertently missed going to the track for qualifying and a public relations representative walked into our site and chatted with us about how we were enjoying the race weekend,” Olsen recalled.

What happened next really caught the group off guard.

The PR rep asked if he could come back later – and bring a camera crew and Bobby Labonte along with him. Of course, everyone was agreeable. So around 6 p.m. that same day, the 2000 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion showed up with camera crew in tow.

“While they were here we played cornhole tailgate games, and Bobby played as well,” Olsen said. “After, he took countless pictures with our group.”

But the surprises weren’t over. The next morning, JTG Daugherty Racing presented the amigos with its “Tailgater of the Week” award in the form of a banner that the friends now proudly display at their tailgating site every time they return to Bristol.

Q&A WITH LUKE OLSEN

WHO USUALLY ATTENDS YOUR TAILGATES? My friends, Ken Scheidt, Bob Worden, Ron Witt and Jim Koziol WHERE ARE YOU GUYS FROM? Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

AT WHAT TRACKS HAVE YOU TAILGATED? Bristol Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway and Auto Club Speedway.

Our longest race track we have been going to is Bristol, and we’ve been going there 15 years.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN NASCAR FANS? Among our group, we have 30-plus years, and cumulatively 148 years of NASCAR tailgating experience.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE DRIVERS? Dale Earnhardt Jr., and [Wisconsin native] Matt Kenseth.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE TAILGATING FOODS? Bloody Mary cocktails, steaks, burgers, Wisconsin Brats and BUSH’s beans.

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL TAILGATE? A good grill and food, great friends, good music and a surprise visit from a NASCAR driver!

Porta-Party.

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gen.honda.com Please read the owner’s manual before operating your Honda Power Equipment and never use in an enclosed or partially enclosed area where you could be exposed to odorless, poisonous carbon monoxide. Connection of a generator to house power requires a transfer device to avoid possible injury to power company personnel. Consult a qualified electrician. ©2016 American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

SPOTLIGHT

PRESENTED BY

DON’T MIX AND MATCH

Be Responsible for Your Own Headlights As a vehicle ages, headlight aiming often becomes inaccurate as a result of vibrations, suspension sag or simple wear and tear.

Headlights go out of alignment just like vehicle suspension and can end up pointed too high or too low, causing a driver to blind oncoming traffic, or, in the latter scenario, not have enough light to see clearly while going down the road.

Either predicament warrants immediate attention.

“We’ve all seen it.

We see a car and go, ‘Why do they have those illegal lights?’” said Brian Noble, marketing manager for OSRAM SYLVANIA, the world’s leader in automotive lighting.

“Well, it’s not illegal lights in a lot of cases.

It’s truly just somebody having their lights misaligned.”

The good news is there’s a simple remedy. Assessing and fixing your headlights’ aim requires only a few steps.

1. Park your vehicle.

2. Pull your vehicle up to a white wall, about two inches away, with headlights on.

3. Mark the driver side and passenger side beam reflections by placing tape on the wall in the middle of and along the top line of the beams.

The brightest spot comes right off the bulb and is known as the “hot spot.”

4. Pull the car back 25 feet from its original position.

5. If beams are not level with the tape on the wall, check

your vehicle owner’s manual to find the right adjustment screws, and turn these so the upper portion of the beams are both even with the tape and level with each other.

“All you do is twist the bolt clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on which way you need it to go, and you’ve changed the beam pattern of a headlight,” Noble said.

It’s paramount for drivers to take the

time to get educated on the importance of aiming headlights in the right direction.

“The vast majority of people aren’t going to slow down even though they have poor lighting,” Noble said.

“It’s the concept we’ve called ‘overdriving your headlights,’ but people are still going to drive the same 65 mph in way too many situations even if they don’t think they see as well.”

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POLE POSITION 2017

Over 90 percent all lighting on the road today comes from halogen headlights.

But, because not all headlights are halogens, there’s a temptation to interchange one kind of headlight with another.

But when drivers try to interchange one with another, they run the risk of sporting illegal headlights.

For example, you can’t simply install HID headlights in a vehicle designed solely for halogen bulbs.

“When people put HIDs in a car that requires halogens, they’re usually putting too much light in other peoples’ eyes and it’s creating a big glare spot,” said Brian Noble, marketing manager for OSRAM SYLVANIA. “It’s just not designed for it. If a filament is in a different spot, it’s going to reflect incorrectly. So someone puts a HID bulb into a halogen system, where the light comes from is in a totally different spot and it’s floor light, so now it’s reflecting completely wrong.

“That’s why it’s illegal when all these people buy a 9006 HID and take the 9006 halogen bulb out and put a HID bulb in there. Now it’s creating a situation that can either affect the driver because of bad light, or it affects the oncoming traffic, or both.”

GETTY IMAGES

www.sylvania-automotive.com/ultra

© 2017 OSRAM SYLVANIA

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BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW

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ELLIS TOPS HUGE FIELD

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An Indy Family Tradition It’s only fitting that Paul Menard’s lone Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory came in the 2011 running of the Brickyard 400 at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That’s because Menard’s father, John, has been involved in openwheel racing and the Indianapolis 500 as a team owner and sponsor for more than 20 years. Team Menard fielded cars in what is now the Verizon IndyCar Series from 1996 through 2003. The team won the series championship in 1997 with driver Tony Stewart and again in 1999 with Greg Ray behind the wheel. Since bowing out as a team owner, Menard has continued his involvement in the Indianapolis 500 by utilizing his chain of Menards home improvement centers as a sponsor, most recently with Team Penske.

THUNDER DOWN UNDER

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eil Bonnett, a member of the legendary Alabama Gang, won the first NASCARsanctioned race outside of North America when he topped the Goodyear NASCAR 500 on Feb. 28, 1988, at the Calder Park Thunderdome near Melbourne, Australia. Built by Australian businessman Bob Jane, the Thunderdome was a scaled-down version of Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 1.119-mile race track featured a quad-oval design and had 24-degree banking in the turns. The 500-kilometer exhibition race featured a mix of drivers and teams from NASCAR’s premier series, the series now known as NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and the upstart AUSCAR stock car series. An estimated 46,000 fans saw the lead change hands 25 times before Bonnett beat Bobby Allison to the checkered flag by .86 seconds.

wenty-seven years ago when Tommy Ellis drove through the tunnel and saw New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the first time, the veteran stock car racer from Richmond, Virginia, made a bold prediction.

“I remember getting out of the truck and looking at that track, and I said, ‘Boy, this is my kind of race track,’” Ellis recalled about the inaugural weekend or racing at NHMS in July 1990. “It reminded me of a big Langley Speedway back home in Virginia, and I told the guys on my crew, ‘We’ll win this race.’”

And that’s exactly what Ellis did, topping a stellar field of 46 NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers that included Dale Earnhardt, Harry Gant, Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip, Jeff Burton, Kyle Petty and Ken Schrader.

PLAYING IN THE DIRT

I

n addition to his duties as driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Clint Bowyer owns Clint Bowyer Racing, which campaigns two cars in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

Bowyer’s potent late models are driven by dirtracing veterans Darrell Lanigan and Don O’Neal.

THE U.S. GRAND PRIX Long before it became a yearly stop on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 1986, Watkins Glen International was home of the United States Grand Prix. The serpentine track, located in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, hosted its first event in 1956 as racing moved from the streets of nearby Watkins Glen to a newly constructed permanent circuit. Then, in 1961, track owner Cameron Argetsinger agreed to host the U.S. Grand Prix, this country’s round of the Formula One World Driving Championship. The event launched an annual tradition that continued through the 1980 season. The list of U.S. Grand Prix winners at The Glen includes racing legends Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, James Hunt and Emerson Fittipaldi.

KEITH WALTZ 20

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“They take care of their equipment, they run up front and they represent my sponsors well,” Bowyer said about his hired guns.

“It means a lot to me to have cars going up and down the road, chasing this very dream that I had as a kid. My plan is to always have a dirt car, or two, and someday I’ll be able to watch them more than I do now.”

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NASCAR PETS

PRE S E N T E D BY

Dogs Provide At-Track Stress Relief

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onster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie Gray Gaulding, 19, has been around dogs and loved dogs for most of his life. He is the proud owner of two bulldogs: 2-year-old Maverick and 3-year-old Bella. Both pets are adopted and the two were obtained just a few months apart.

“We kind of figured when we got the first bulldog that it would be good to go ahead and get another one,” Gaulding said.

“They’ve got a really good relationship.

They kind of play and they’re pretty tight, which is pretty cool. So I think having two bulldogs has been really, really enjoyable.”

While the two bulldogs look similar, they differ in at least two notable ways: Maverick, at 75 pounds, is considerably heavier than 50-pound Bella. Given the disparity in weight, it’s not surprising the

dogs’ styles of play are so different.

“Bella is pretty wide open, but Maverick will go for about 10 minutes wide open and then he needs to take a three-hour nap,” Gaulding said. “They’re kind of night and day. Bella just wants to run free all the time, but Maverick just hangs out and eats and sleeps.”

Gaulding cherishes the companionship of both canines, as they often travel with him to races and spend most of the weekend in the driver’s motorhome that is parked at the track.

“I think it’s cool to just have pets that I can bring around, and they just love being on the road,” Gaulding said. “So it’s really cool for them to be able to travel. … I just love having them there. After a long day, being able to kiss your dogs and play catch with them is definitely a stress-reliever.”

JARED TURNER

GOT YOUR NUMBER Numbers drive NASCAR in many different ways. Here are the stories behind two iconic numbers.

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A GOOD DOZEN ALLISON ENJOYED ASSOCIATION WITH NO. 12 Throughout an illustrious 25-year Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career spanning from 1961 through 1988, NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Allison has been quite fond of one particular car number – one he drove to 25 of his 85 victories.

Allison wheeled a Chevrolet for team owner Richard Howard, as well as a Dodge and AMC Matador for team owner Roger Penske, making the No. 12 quite famous during the 1970s.

So how did he come to love the number so much? Call it a choice with personal meaning.

“When I first started racing on tracks around Miami as a teenager in the late 1950s, I used the No. 312,” Allison said.

“My birthday is Dec. 3, 1937, so the No. 3 was the day and 12 was the month.

“As time went on, I used the No. 12 in the Cup Series quite a bit, and a lot of people associated it with me. Whether it was my cars – or cars I drove for other team owners – the number just felt right to me. I enjoyed an incredible amount of success with it, even though I won my only Cup Series championship with DiGard Racing in 1983 using the No. 22. The No. 12 is a real special number to me, and I’ve always enjoyed having it on the doors and tops of my race cars.”

DOUBLE EIGHTS ROBERT YATES FOND OF ICONIC NUMBER The No. 88 has been used in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports since they joined forces in 2008.

But the number has a long history in NASCAR. Since it was first used in 1949, the number has 1,603 starts with 74 wins.

The most victories for No. 88 were posted by Dale Jarrett, who claimed 28 of his 32 career wins while driving for Robert Yates Racing from 1996 through 2008.

“Ford Motor Co. asked my dad to keep the team going when Ernie Irvan came back [from a life-threatening injury],” said Doug Yates. “Ford wanted to keep Dale Jarrett as one of our drivers with the Ford Quality Care sponsorship. My dad thought about what number he would like to have, and that’s when he decided on the No. 88. It’s a number that was pretty special to him through the years. That’s because dad worked with Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison and Ricky Rudd at DiGard Racing from the mid-1970s through the early 1980s with the No. 88 Gatorade car and had a lot of success with it.

“That Gatorade car was a special car. The No. 88 was available when we started the second team for Dale, so we used it. You think back through the years, and you think back to that Gatorade car. It was a great one.”

88 BEN WHITE

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COURTESY NASCAR

HOW IT WORKS NASCAR-MANDATED RESTRICTOR PLATE THE CHARTER SYSTEM

S

The Overtime Rule

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or most of the sanctioning body’s history, events in NASCAR’s top touring series ended at the advertised distance no matter whether the race was under caution or green-flag conditions.

In the interest of the fans, that policy ended midway through the 2004 season when officials adopted a green-white-checkered finish – or overtime rule. The rule has been tweaked numerous times through the years, but here’s how it works today: Each track has an overtime line painted across the racing surface and the location of the line varies from track to track, but it is normally at some point on the backstretch.

After taking the green flag on an overtime restart, the race leader must pass the overtime line on the first lap under the green flag for the attempt to be considered a clean restart. If the leader has not yet crossed the line and the caution flag is displayed, it is not a valid attempt.

If necessary, multiple attempts may be made until there is a clean restart. Once a clean restart takes place, it is the only attempt to finish the race.

If a caution flag appears during a valid overtime attempt, the race is over. Officials then use scoring loop data and video evidence to determine the finish of the race, which is the running order at the time of the caution flag.

ince it was formed in 1949, teams competing in NASCAR’s premier series operated as independent contractors.

But that business model changed in February 2016 when NASCAR introduced the Charter system.

The agreement granted Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Charters to 36 teams, established a Team Owner Council that has formal input into decisions, and provided Charter teams with new revenue opportunities.

“Today represents a landmark change to the business model of team ownership in NASCAR,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said at the time of the announcement.

“The Charter agreements provide nine years of stability for NASCAR and the teams to focus on growth initiatives together with our track partners, auto manufacturers, drivers and sponsors.”

Charters were originally issued to teams that showed a long-term commitment to the sport by attempting to qualify for every race during the 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Each Charter team owner has a guaranteed entry into the field of every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points race. The remaining four spots in the 40-car fields are open to team owners who do not hold charters.

A Charter can be leased or sold, but charter teams are also held to a minimum performance standard. If a Charter team finishes in the bottom three of the owner standings three consecutive years, NASCAR has the right to remove the Charter.

July’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway will be the third restrictor-plate race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

Used in NASCAR races at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway, a restrictor plate is a thin aluminum plate with four holes of a NASCAR-designated size drilled through it. The plate is placed between the throttle body of the electronic fuel-injection system and the intake manifold.

It limits the flow of air and fuel into the engine’s combustion chambers, reducing horsepower and top speed. The numbers vary but the current consensus puts the horsepower reduction at nearly 300.

Restrictor plates were first used in NASCAR racing during the early 1970s, but they were mandated for the 1988 races at Daytona and Talladega following Bobby Allison’s horrific crash in the 1987 Winston 500 at Talladega.

Bill Elliott earned the pole for that race with a qualifying lap of 212.809 mph and race speeds topped 200 mph. Allison crashed early in the event when debris from a blown engine in his car cut a tire.

The car turned around backward on the frontstretch, became airborne and sailed into the catch fence.

Fortunately, the steel cables supporting the fence did their job and the car did not go into the stands.

It is believed that without restrictor plates today’s cars would be capable of approaching 230 mph at Talladega and Daytona.

KEITH WALTZ

GETTY IMAGES POLE POSITION MAG.COM

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MADE IN

AMERICA Looking for the quintessential American pastime? Try NASCAR – America’s No. 1 spectator sport and the place where fast cars, patriotism, love of country and all things made in America collide.

At many Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, the number of American flag sightings around the track outweighs the number of caution flags. And, of course, it’s not just the NASCAR fans sitting in the stands, hanging out in the infield or watching at home who passionately pledge their allegiance to the most powerful nation in the world.

From tweets of gratitude to servicemen and servicewomen from the NASCAR community, to drivers proudly hoisting American flags outside their window during victory celebrations, to special paint schemes commemorating patriotic holidays, to special military discounts on race tickets, NASCAR is as immersed in the red, white and blue as a sport could possibly be.

Following are five ways that NASCAR is a truly American institution like no other.

JARED TURNER 24

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GETTY IMAGES

MILITARY CONNECTION No sport supports the United States military like NASCAR – and it’s not even up for debate. From breathtaking pre-race flyovers to sightings of military guests on pit road to various salutes to the Armed Forces such as musical artist Lee Greenwood performing “God Bless the USA” before a race, NASCAR is a sport where patriotism is a way of life.

Of course, at no time is this more clearly seen than on Memorial Day weekend each year when the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway. For example, as a tribute to U.S. military personnel, every car in the last two Coca-Cola 600s at CMS has carried the name of a soldier on its windshield to honor that soldier’s courage and sacrifice.

Speaking of Charlotte Motor Speedway, the track also hands out an annual Stonewall Jackson Award to a person demonstrating the highest standards of patriotism.

Meanwhile, numerous tracks have been known to make race tickets available to active and former military members at generously discounted rates.

“NASCAR’s long-standing tradition of honoring the U.S. Armed Forces will never waver – it is woven into the fabric of our sport,” said Brent Dewar, NASCAR’s chief operating officer.

MANUFACTURER LOYALTY In NASCAR, manufacturer allegiances run as deep as bloodlines. Chevrolet – part of the General Motors family of automobiles – is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, while Ford is headquartered in nearby Dearborn. Toyota, the newest of NASCAR’s three manufacturers, is based in Japan – an unforgotten fact that tends to fuel the passion of NASCAR fans loyal to American-made brands.

The old adage, “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday,” has arguably never been truer than it is today. In other words, NASCAR fans are much more likely to spend their hard-earned dollars on a brand of vehicle that they associate with winning. So when Chevrolet and Ford enjoy success on the track, American-made street vehicles are in higher demand. The two are simply inextricably linked.

“What we know for a fact from the research is that when you’re in motorsports and you win races and championships, you lift brand image ratings,” Jim Campbell, Chevrolet’s U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports, told FOXSports. com in August 2014. “And, that’s really important, because that relates to brand opinion. And, when your brand opinion is lifted, and motorsports helps us do that, good things happen. Customers put you on their shopping list more quickly. That’s a fact.”

SPONSORS AND PAINT SCHEMES If you’ve ever attended the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend or the annual July 4 weekend race at Daytona International Speedway, you’ve seen the stars and stripes out in full force courtesy of the special patriotic paint schemes adorning the sides and hoods of the cars on the track.

It’s a tradition that more and more drivers and teams seemingly embrace with each passing year. Given how much respect drivers POLE POSITION MAG.COM

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MADE IN AMERICA have for the U.S. military, the plethora of red, white and blue cars shouldn’t come as a surprise. Check out just about any driver’s Twitter feed on a Memorial Day or July 4 weekend and you’ll find one or more tweets expressing heartfelt gratitude to the brave men and women who serve and protect. Some of these same men and women are given VIP treatment at the track by drivers, teams and NASCAR itself when opportunities allow.

Of course, behind just about any good paint scheme is a good sponsor that allows it to happen or even contributes to the design.

From McDonald’s to Lowe’s to Pennzoil, NASCAR is built on sponsors — many of them so familiar that they could be considered core to the American way of life.

THE FANS Go to just about any race track on any race weekend and you’ll notice a common theme in the camping and tailgating areas: American flags. NASCAR fans – or at least the vast majority of them – wear their patriotism on their sleeves, or, perhaps more accurately, on the outside of their RVs and motorhomes.

While there are no doubt plenty of die-hard patriots who attend other sports events, NASCAR fans tend to display a raw, outward love of country that is unlike any other. This passion isn’t the least bit surprising when you consider that statistics show NASCAR fans to be more prone to serve in the military than the general population.

“NASCAR fans are twice as likely as non-fans to serve in the military and 37 percent of active service members and veterans are NASCAR fans,” NASCAR chief marketing officer Steve Phelps told The Hill, a website covering Congress, back in the summer of 2012.

No doubt one of the ways fans show their love of country is by gobbling up the American-made products of NASCAR sponsors.

If a product is American in origin, NASCAR fans tend to have no hesitation in buying it. Overseas products can be a different story.

GEOGRAPHY While NASCAR is a lot more international than it used to be – for example, witness last year’s crowning of Mexico native Daniel Suarez as the first foreign champion of a NASCAR national series – the fact remains that NASCAR is still predominantly made up of drivers who were born and bred in the United States.

But, of course, among those American drivers, numerous areas of the country are represented. From California to North Carolina to Michigan to Washington State to Connecticut and elsewhere, NASCAR drivers hail from quite the hodgepodge of places on the map and are thus a pretty stellar representation of the entire country – not just one particular state or region.

Of course, the same can be said of the tracks on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Long gone are the days when NASCAR venues were located primarily in the Southeast; NASCAR tracks can now be found in virtually all corners of the country – the Midwest, the Northeast, the Southeast, the Southwest and the West Coast. NASCAR tracks are also found in a nice mix of suburban and urban areas.

Want a true snapshot of America? Look no further than the diverse group of cities that play host to NASCAR events. They truly span from sea to shining sea.

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MADE IN AMERICA

POR-15®: Proudly Made in the USA The employees at P.O.R. Products take the quality and performance of their brand extremely seriously, even conducting a “POR-15 Workshop” at one of the company’s three office locations. It’s here that they’ve restored a flathead motor from the 1930s, a 1932 Ford Roadster, and are currently in the process of restoring a 1980 Jeep CJ7.

How appropriate it is, then, that the hard-working folks of P.O.R. Products want to share this passion with their customers. Of course, to fully understand the company’s dedication to the industry, a quick look at the past is necessary.

P.O.R. Products is a professionally-managed company headquartered in New Rochelle, New York. The family-owned company has been around for nearly a century. P.O.R. is an acronym for Paint Over Rust. While most paints dry through evaporation, POR-15 Rust Preventive Coating — the company’s signature product but hardly its only product— dries faster in the presence of moisture and has the opposite chemistry of ordinary plants. Add in the trademark hardness, toughness and flexibility of POR-15, and the result is a coating that is practically indestructible.

POR-15 is highly effective for restoration projects on worn-out automobile surfaces, but in many cases, custom fabricators building their own frames and shaping new metal body panels apply POR-15 so the metal coatings never rust.

“Our loyal customers build and restore things right the first time,” said Daniel Cultice, Chief Marketing Officer, P.O.R. Products, Inc. 28

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Not surprisingly, P.O.R Products has a visible presence at SEMA, a widely acclaimed annual car show that attracts more than 60,000 domestic and international buyers. POR-15 has been seen on high-end builds at SEMA for many years, as builders of everything from rat rods and classic restorations to custom fabrications have proudly displayed the POR-15 logo on their cars. For the past five years, P.O.R. Products has exhibited its line of POR-15 restoration products in its own booth at SEMA, where some of the company’s own build projects have also been on display.

“It’s important to be able to display our products and restoration projects at SEMA and interact with the best and most knowledgeable builders in the world,” Cultice said. “We want to continue to be an innovative force in the industry.”

P.O.R. Products researches, develops, and manufactures its line of POR-15 Professional Restoration Products on-site in New Rochelle, New York and takes pride in being made in the USA and being a part of restorations that get passed down through generations of families and many of these same family members also share a common passion for NASCAR. “Car culture is a family thing and restored cars are like family members,” Cultice said. “POR-15 products are used to permanently stop rust so cars can stay in the family for generations. That is important to us.”

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To purchase POR-15® products near you, visit www.PORproducts.com/locator

PORproducts.com ©2017 Paint Over Rust Products, Inc. All rights reserved.

MADE IN AMERICA Thriving Business Rose from Humble Beginnings Mike Haney formed Haney Enterprises, LLC, in February 2011. The company initially began doing business as Hillbilly Stills®, which specializes in home and hobby distillation equipment.

Hillbilly Stills® was born out of the garage attached to Mike’s home. Mike had been purchasing stills to enjoy the distilling hobby when he decided to build his own. Not long after, Mike began designing his own stills and one of his first designs turned out to be his ticket out of the paper mill he had worked at for 32 years.

Once completed, he made a short video of his still in operation, posted it on a chat forum, and soon began to take orders. But Mike still didn’t see it as a career change, only a hobby to occupy his spare time.

Within a few short months, however, Mike had sold enough of his stills that he began to make a name for himself in the industry. It wasn’t long before the owner of another company called and wanted to sell Mike’s stills on his company’s website. That worked well for a time, but then Mike decided to build his own site. By the end of 2011, he was buried with work and what started as a part-time hobby quickly became a full-time job.

After an injury in the fall of 2011 forced him to miss work, Matt Haney went to work for his father in what was supposed to be a temporary position until his injury healed. By the time Matt was ready to go back, he and his father had decided they wanted 30

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to become full-time business partners. In January 2012, Matt Haney resigned from his job at a local fiberglass plant, and in February 2012 Mike Haney resigned from his job of 32 years at the local paper mill. Scared to death and unbelievably excited, Mike and Matt were past the point of no return.

In the early summer of 2012, Matt had the opportunity to attend a class at a local distillery in Breckenridge, Colorado. During that class, he began to realize what was about to happen, or maybe what had already started to happen in the distilling industry.

An explosion was about to take place and he wanted to be a part of it. Matt came home and convinced his father that the commercial craft industry was launching and they needed to be a part of it.

By the fall of 2014, the commercial craft side of the company had grown to a sizeable portion of the revenue. In order to grow the company and position for the future, Mike and Matt Haney decided to actually start a new company focused strictly on commercial equipment. HBS Copper® was established and has been building its name in the craft industry ever since.

Today, Hillbilly Stills® and HBS Copper® are both shipping equipment around the world. Every continent with the exception of Antarctica has a piece of equipment from Haney Enterprises LLC on it and the Hillbilly Flute® is a staple in the hobby and Nano distilling industry.

HBS Copper® now builds stills from 20-gallon batch units to 500-gallon batch stills. Both companies work out of a 48-by-60 fabrication shop with eight full-time employees and one part-time employee, not counting Mike, Matt and Ashley, Matt’s wife.

Mike is now semi-retired and has turned all day-to-day operations over to Matt. HBS Copper® and Hillbilly Stills® are tucked away in far western Kentucky in a one stop-sign town called Barlow, and visitors are always welcome.

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At Full Moon, we believe if it’s not good enough for us, it’s not good enough for our pets. That’s why we stick to simple, honest recipes made right here in the United States. Each Full Moon treat starts with USDA-approved, human-grade meat and is cooked in our kitchens using only 100% all-natural ingredients. We take a lot of pride in the treats we make and think your dogs will taste the difference!

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Chicken Poop is crafted from the kind of earthfriendly, all-natural ingredients you want to put on your skin. Its raw zaniness inspires the kind of grin you love to put on your face. Chicken Poop contains only six ingredients: Avocado oil, jojoba, sweet orange, lavender essential oil, bees wax and Vitamin E. In business for more than 16 years, we seek to make only the best, high-quality products, while also being environmentally responsible with our packaging, our business practices and in our own lifestyles. Peace, Love and Chicken Poop!

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POLE POSITION MAG.COM

33

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Aric Almirola’s Typical Week

The Life of a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver Aric Almirola customarily flies on an airplane between 15 and 20 times a month, and the 33-year-old married father of two estimates being away from home about 200 days a year.

Family dinners still happen in the Almirola household – but often on the run and not nearly as frequent as he would prefer.

Welcome to a “typical” week in the life of a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver – whatever that really means.

“The most typical thing about my schedule is that there’s nothing typical about it,” said Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford. “I could go two weeks in a row where I’m home on Monday and Tuesday and do a sponsor appearance on a Wednesday, and then I might follow that up with being gone every day of the week.”

With 36 points races and two exhibition events on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series calendar, most drivers find themselves at a race track at least 38 weekends out of the 52-week year. Throw in the occasional Goodyear tire test or weekend sponsor commitment and some drivers will be away even more weekends. It’s a brutal, brutal schedule no matter how you slice it, regardless of how much Almirola and other drivers might love their job.

“When you race 38 weekends a year, you really, really, really learn to enjoy and savor those weeks off – when you get to somewhat be a normal person and spend the week with your family. Have a normal weekend and go out and have breakfast with your kids, and go watch a movie or play at the playground or whatever,” said Almirola.

“Those days are few and far between, so you learn to appreciate those.”

On most weeks during the NASCAR season, Almirola generally treats Thursday – not Sunday or Monday – as the first day of his week. Here’s the Tampa, Florida, native, in his own words, describing how his schedule might look on a race week for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Thursday: “I try to block out Thursday morning as a day that I’m home. I’ll get up with the kids and spend some time with

the kids on Thursday morning. Maybe have lunch with my wife or something and then head to the airport and fly again to the next race track. So Thursday’s my travel day. I fly to the race track, get there, get my rental car and then do various things. I might have dinner with a sponsor, have dinner with the crew guys or just go to my bus.”

Friday: “I get up and we’ve got practice and qualifying. Friday night I usually stay put at the track because qualifying usually happens late Friday in the evening.”

Saturday: “We practice in the morning and afternoon and I usually follow up Saturday night by going to dinner with

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POLE POSITION 2017

GETTY IMAGES

a sponsor, or I get to kind of do my own thing on Saturday afternoon – I get to ride my bike in the area, or if the family’s with me I’ll take the kids to do something fun. If I don’t run the XFINITY Series race, Saturday afternoon and Saturday early evening is kind of my opportunity to get out of the bus, get away from the track and go have somewhat of an enjoyable afternoon/evening. While we’re out on the West Coast I enjoy going hiking. When we’re at other places, I might go to a dirt race nearby or something like that just to go out and kind of have some fun and get away from the track.”

Sunday: “Sunday, obviously, is race day and that starts off first thing in the

morning with sponsor appearances, hospitality, fan meet and greets and autographs — all of those various things for all of our different partners. And then we run the race. And, as soon as the race is over, I get out of the car and beeline to the bus to change out my fire suit, get in my rental car and head back to the airport and fly home. Most Sunday nights I get home – and it depends on what the proximity of the race is to home – but I would say anywhere from 9 p.m. being the earliest to midnight or later, if we’re on the West Coast.”

Monday: “Monday is sort of my day off.

I get up in the morning and eat breakfast with the kids and hang out and get them off to school, whatever, maybe go to a lunch date with my wife … something like that. Monday is normally just a home day for me. I try to make Monday a day where I’m not doing sponsor appearances or media requests or anything like that. Plus, we keep Mondays open, anyway, in the event the race gets rained out on Sunday.”

Tuesday: “Tuesday is usually pretty busy. Competition meeting first thing in the morning [at the Richard Petty Motorsports shop] followed usually by media requests. Most of our media requests happen on Tuesday afternoon. And then sometimes on Tuesday night I might get on an airplane and fly somewhere to do an appearance for our sponsors.”

Wednesday: “Tuesday afternoon, Tuesday night and Wednesday – that’s sort of a 36-hour time block that sponsors get to be able to use me to promote various things for them. I would say that’s pretty typical. I try to be home on Wednesday night.”

So what’s the bottom line? Almirola and his fellow cohorts in NASCAR’s premier series aren’t just sitting idly by on the days between races.

“I’ve got so many different obligations to so many different partners that we have at our race team. I make sponsor appearances during the week for Smithfield Foods or Waffle House or the Air Force – I fly to Air Force bases to make appearances for them,” Almirola noted. “And STP, I fly places and go make appearances for them, or do production shoots for them. And then

on top of that, I make appearances for NASCAR and the tracks. There are a lot of weeks that my schedule’s not routine at all. I’d say the most routine thing about my schedule is that I get on an airplane on Thursdays, usually, and fly to a race track or the city that the race is in, and when the race is over on Sunday, I fly home.”

Almirola’s wife, Janice, and their children, 4-year-old son Alex and 3-yearold daughter Abby, travel together to some races, but more often than not, it’s just Aric at the track. With the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series currently only getting two off-weekends from mid-February through late November, time at home is a rare and precious commodity.

“I think my favorite day of the week is Saturday on our off-weekends,” Almirola said with a laugh. “In our sport it’s really hard to balance the work and life aspect.

And so I really enjoy the days I get to be home, be a dad and hang out with my family. I really enjoy those days. When I’m thinking with the family hat, those are my absolute favorite days. When I’m thinking with the race car driver hat, absolutely, Sunday is my favorite day. I love getting in the race car and going racing.”

While Almirola wouldn’t change his life for the world, life as a driver in NASCAR’s premier series isn’t nearly as relaxing as some observers of the sport might imagine.

“I think the perception to the casual fan would be that we drivers fly on our private plane to the race track on Friday afternoon, we get in the car, do a little practice, we qualify, we practice on Saturday and get in the car and race on Sunday, and then we fly to some private island back to our fancy house where we’ve got maids and butlers and people that just do everything for us, and we do whatever we want,” Almirola said. “We just completely goof off Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then we show back up to the track again on Friday morning. I think that is probably the general perception by the casual fan.

I could be wrong, but I think they underestimate how hard and how much work the drivers put into the regular week. At least for me, and I know of several other drivers, there is a lot that happens during the week between one race and the next.”

POLE POSITION MAG.COM

35

A DAY IN THE LIFE On top of all the sponsor, team and media obligations a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver has, there’s also a family life to be nurtured and maintained. As chaotic as Almirola’s schedule might be for nine months out of the year, he and Janice try to prioritize family dinner – even if it doesn’t always end up happening quite the way they envisioned.

“We probably get two family dinners a week sitting around the table, and that’s only because my kids are young and we can kind of harness their schedule right now,” Almirola said. “On nights when my son has T-ball practice and my daughter has ballet, we’re getting home at 7:30 and they’ve got to be in bed by 8:30, so we’re grabbing food to go or pre-cooking a meal or something like that – just kind of eating on the run. I think sitting down and having a family meal is extremely important for us.

“My wife and I really make every effort possible to sit down and eat at the dinner table with our kids.

We think that’s important and promotes good family values and gives us a chance to sit and talk with our kids about our day and stuff like that, so we want to continue to do that forever. But logistically it is challenging.”

The logistics involved in getting from one part of the country to another without unexpected delays are the reason Almirola almost always flies private as opposed to commercial.

“NASCAR doesn’t really care if my flight got canceled,” he said. “Practice is still going to go off on time. If my sponsors have an event planned and they have media and things that are going to show up to the event, they don’t really want to get a phone call from the driver saying I got stuck in traffic and missed my fight or my flight got delayed or something of that nature, and I’m not going to make the event that you’ve spent a lot of money to promote, put on and have thousands of people there, plus media. You run the risk of that with commercial aviation, so a lot of what we do has to happen through private flights.”

Now in his sixth full season at NASCAR’s premier level, Almirola admits he doesn’t view his busy schedule like he did when he was just starting out.

These days, it’s simply a way of life.

“The first year is kind of all new and exciting and you look forward to every single day that you’re getting to do something related to racing,” Almirola said. “And then after that first year the newness and the excitement kind of wear off, and, honestly, it becomes the norm. That’s not to say I don’t love what I do and that it’s not exciting, because it is and I do love what I do, but it does become very routine.

The chaos, hectic travel schedule and all of that become very routine. It’s not surprising or out of the ordinary. It becomes a job.”

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POLE POSITION 2017

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Throughout the Years

PRESENTED BY

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arlier this year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced this would be his last full season of competition in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. His impending retirement brings to mind a rush of memories – some of which are captured here in the paint schemes featured on the cars he’s driven during his career.

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Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Driver Profiles

As the NASCAR season plows ahead into the hot summer months, we break down and analyze how several drivers – including some of the sport’s biggest stars – fared in the early stages of a thus far exciting 2017 campaign.

JARED TURNER

GETTY IMAGES POLE POSITION MAG.COM

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DRIVER PROFILES

PRE S E N T E D BY

Dale Earnhardt Jr. After missing the second half of the 2016 campaign with concussionlike symptoms and then returning for the start of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. told the world on April 25 that this would be his final season in NASCAR’s top division.

NUMBER

88 INFO

OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS

SPONSORS The blockbuster announcement came on the heels NATIONWIDE, AXALTA, of a sluggish start to the season that included just one MOUNTAIN DEW top-10 finish for the Hendrick Motorsports driver in the MANUFACTURER first eight races.

CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF “I wanted to be able to make that decision myself on GREG IVES retiring and not really have it made for me,” Earnhardt said during a press conference where he formally announced his plans to step out of the cockpit. “But I feel healthy. I’m having a really good time driving the cars and enjoying that with my team. … We feel competitive. We feel like we can go out there and do well. We’ve had some odd luck, but when the luck has been there, the results have been there, and the speed has been there in the car.”

At the time of his retirement announcement, Earnhardt was 24th in the standings and in serious jeopardy of missing out on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ 10-race playoff for a second consecutive year. Earnhardt’s biggest and perhaps only real reason for optimism occurred April 9 at Texas Motor Speedway when he came home a seasonbest fifth. The goal moving forward from Texas was to build on that finish and potentially move up the standings enough to earn a playoff berth without a regular-season victory.

Earnhardt told team owner Rick Hendrick about his retirement decision approximately a month before informing the rest of the world, so perhaps the inevitable distraction of his impending announcement played some role in his early-season woes. With the news now out there, and Earnhardt by all appearances feeling healthy again, better days could be on the horizon for NASCAR’s 14-time most popular driver before he completes his farewell tour as driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet. He’s definitely aiming to finish strong.

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DRIVER PROFILES

PRE S E N T E D BY

Kyle Busch One of the preseason favorites to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title, Kyle Busch began the 2017 campaign on a sour note when his No. 18 Toyota triggered a multi-car crash on lap 103 of the Daytona 500. His car badly wounded, Busch was done for the day and was scored with a 38th-place finish.

Following a 16th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Busch was in position to snare his first top-five result of the season when he and Joey Logano tangled on the final lap at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Busch got the short-end of the deal by spinning and finishing 22nd. He later confronted Logano on pit road where the two drivers exchanged blows and a major skirmish involving numerous crew members ensued.

But perhaps more frustrating for Busch than what happened in Vegas is that his cars have lacked the speed that they carried throughout much of 2016 when he went to Victory Lane on four occasions and made an appearance in the Championship 4.

“I would have to say that, obviously, we haven’t been as strong this year out of the gate,” Busch said.

“I feel as though we’re competitive and we’re close, but we’re not there. There’s things we’re seeing other

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POLE POSITION 2017

teams doing that we haven’t necessarily ventured off into yet, and some of those things, whether they’re better for you or worse for you, it may depend on what the wind tunnel says and things like that. We’re working on all those things, though. I don’t think there’s any reason for cause for concern yet.”

After starting the season with three finishes outside the top 15, Busch rattled off three consecutive top-10 finishes – a third at Phoenix, an eighth at Auto Club Speedway and a second at Martinsville.

But the good feelings quickly subsided when Busch came home 15th at Texas and 35th at Bristol, falling outside the top 10 in points.

“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs,” Busch said.

“We feel a little bit behind the 8-ball with where we’re at. We’d like to be better. We have to keep fighting and keep trying to do what we can with our M&M’s Camrys each week and make sure we turn those fortunes.”

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When Jimmie Johnson won on April 9 at Texas Motor Speedway, the victory wasn’t much of a surprise. After all, TMS is a place where he has achieved monumental success in recent years.

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48 INFO

Bristol Motor Speedway has been a different story, OWNER however. The .533-mile, high-banked track has never been RICK HENDRICK particularly kind to Johnson, relatively speaking, despite TEAM Johnson notching a win at Bristol in the spring of 2010.

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS So, needless to say, it doesn’t bode well for the compeSPONSORS LOWE’S, KOBALT tition that Johnson – fresh off his victory at Texas – made it back-to-back wins with a trip to Victory Lane at a place MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET that has historically not been one of his best.

CREW CHIEF “Just a really solid performance all day long, great pit CHAD KNAUS stops,” Johnson said after winning at Bristol. “It was just very solid; same thing at Texas. I think that was the piece we were lacking to start the season. Don’t know why – don’t know what it was – but our cars have been very capable of running up front. It’s been [a lack of execution].”

As much as some pundits played up Johnson’s unequivocally slow start to the season following just one top-10 in the first six races, all that seems like ancient history. The seven-time champion of NASCAR’s premier series now appears poised to make a serious run at a record-breaking eighth title.

Johnson also has a chance this year to surpass three legends – Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison – on the all-time win list.

“To be in this position is quite an honor,” Johnson said. “But I honestly wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for Chad Knaus [crew chief] and Rick Hendrick [team owner] and Jeff Gordon [co-owner/former teammate], Lowe’s [primary sponsor], all the consistent things that I’ve had through my career. This has really been the environment for me to thrive in.”

While Johnson is admittedly skeptical about the possibility of reaching 100 career wins (he had 82 at press time), Knaus is more optimistic.

“The likelihood of us winning every race is pretty slim,” the veteran crew chief said.

“But … the ability to go out there and win every single race is there.”

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DRIVER PROFILES

PRE S E N T E D BY

Danica Patrick Danica Patrick’s fifth season with Stewart-Haas Racing, second with crew chief Billy Scott and first with Ford has tremendous potential. As of press time, Patrick had yet to live up to it, however.

After eight races, Patrick had posted just one top-20 finish – a 17th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway during Week 2 – and had not led a lap all season. Perhaps most disappointing, Patrick was 30th in the standings – worse than she’s finished in any of her four previous seasons in NASCAR’s top division.

On a more positive note, Stewart-Haas Racing seems be putting faster cars on the track as the season wears on, so it’s possible and perhaps likely that Patrick’s results will get dramatically better as the organization works out any remaining bugs from its offseason switch from Chevrolet to Ford. That’s certainly the plan, at least.

“The goal is to do better all the time and hopefully some of the things that have changed within in our team, the big one being the changeover to Ford, will open up some opportunities and possibilities and just some pure potential for the team, and we

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POLE POSITION 2017

can improve,” Patrick said. “Hopefully, there is more room to improve now, so that’s kind of exciting to me. I’m optimistic, and hopefully it will be something that makes a difference. I think if you’re in the top 15 every weekend, then you do a little bit better and then you’re in the top 10, and then, once you’re in the top 10 with good pit stops, good strategy and all the things that play into it, some of the new formats for the races can play into segment wins.

“So, I think it’s important to be realistic,” Patrick continued. “So, to tell you [I can] go out and win races and segments is not something I necessarily think is going to happen right away, but we’ll assess. We’ll assess how strong we are as a team.

A few years back, we were really strong and I felt like that’s where I was running by the end of the year – up in the top 15 and getting into the top 10. So, hopefully we can get back to that and work from there.”

NUMBER

10 INFO OWNER TONY STEWART/GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS ASPEN DENTAL, TAXACT, CODE 3 ASSOCIATES MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF BILLY SCOTT

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Ty Dillon Like any Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie, Ty Dillon has faced some growing pains. However, more often than not this season, the youngest grandson of NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress has raced more like a veteran.

That’s not altogether surprising when considering Dillon’s pedigree as not only the grandson of a racer-turned-legendary-car-owner but also as the son of a former driver, Mike Dillon, who is now the vice president of competition at Richard Childress Racing.

Plus, Dillon didn’t come into 2017 as a total newcomer to NASCAR’s top level. He’d already made a total of 18 premier series starts from 2014-2016, which provided him with a good baseline of knowledge and experiences without thwarting his 2017 rookie status.

With eight races down, Dillon had completed 97.7 of all laps and finished on the lead lap in all but two events. His lone DNF came in the season-opening Daytona 500 where he was involved in a wreck with 60 laps to go. The Lewisville, North Carolina, native and younger brother of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon finished in the top 20 in exactly half of his first eight starts. Dillon’s best result over the first eight races was a 15th-place finish, which he recorded at both Atlanta Motor

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Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.

Not bad for a guy in his first year with Germain Racing, a RCR-affiliated, single-car organization still in search of its first premier series victory.

“Almost every week we’ve accomplished the goals we set at the beginning of the year,” said Dillon, who turned 25 in February. “Now, it’s time to start adjusting the goals a bit higher. We’d like to start working on top 15s and top 10s with our GEICO Chevrolet SS. I think we are ready for that. We’re excited with how our season’s going and the way we’re building momentum and getting better each week.”

Dillon’s crew chief, Robert “Bootie” Barker, has likewise been pleased with the progress.

“We’re doing well,” Barker said. “But, we can’t relax on that at all. I like Ty’s attitude to raise the bar. We have to constantly keep working toward better weekends. We have to stay focused and keep doing better every race.”

NUMBER

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

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DRIVER PROFILES

PRE S E N T E D BY

Chase Elliott Even a few years ago in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, Chase Elliott has always been a paragon of consistency.

The 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season has been no exception.

Elliott, a second-generation driver who is the son of 1988 premier series champion Bill Elliott, finished in the top 15 in each of the season’s first seven races – and all but two of those finishes were in the top 10. Elliott’s worst finish over the earlyseason stretch actually came in the race that he arguably had the best shot of winning.

Leading the Daytona 500 with four laps to go after starting from the pole, Elliott’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet ran out of fuel. He finished 14th after leading 39 laps.

“It was a disappointing finish to a good day,” the second-year Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver said. “Just one of those things you can’t do anything about.”

Elliott followed up his stellar Daytona performance with finishes of fifth (Atlanta) and third (Las Vegas), respectively. The following weekend, at Phoenix International Raceway, Elliott gave Chevrolet its first stage win of the season by topping Stage 2 on the strength of 65 laps led. Elliott led a total of

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106 laps in the race but finished 12th after being snake-bitten by pit strategy in the final stage.

After a 10th-place finish the following weekend at Auto Club Speedway in California, Elliott picked up a Stage 2 victory at Martinsville Speedway and returned to the top five with a third-place finish at a place where he struggled as a rookie.

“I was really proud of our improvements,” Elliott said. “I hope that it wasn’t just a fluke deal and we didn’t just get lucky and run good. I really hope that we’ve found something … at that track.”

Elliott came home ninth the next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, and then placed seventh at Bristol Motor Speedway to remain second in the standings – a position he first grabbed with his 12th-place finish and stage win at Phoenix.

Elliott, the 2016 rookie of the year, appears well on his way to reaching the playoffs in NASCAR’s top series for the second time in as many tries.

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24 INFO

OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS NAPA AUTO PARTS, HOOTERS, MOUNTAIN DEW MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF ALAN GUSTAFSON

ALL-NATURAL PRODUCT

Brandon Jones In his second year of full-time competition in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, 20-year-old Brandon Jones is on a mission to make the XFINITY Series playoff for the second time in as many tries. Based on the early-season returns, the Richard Childress Racing driver seems to have a decent shot.

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NUMBER

33 INFO

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After seven races, Jones was 13th in the standings.

MANUFACTURER Twelve drivers will qualify for the XFINITY Series playoff, CHEVROLET which is in just its second year of existence. Despite being CREW CHIEF MIKE HILLMAN JR. on the playoff bubble, Jones was less than satisfied with his season seven races in – especially, after a potential victory at Bristol Motor Speedway was snuffed out when contact on a late-race restart left Jones pinned against the wall and out of contention for even a top-10 finish. After leading five laps, he finished a disappointing 20th.

“We just can’t seem to catch any luck this season,” Jones said. “My team worked so hard to get the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro handling to where I needed it, and we had it dialed in there toward the middle of the race. I was able to run up front and contend for the lead for a lot of the race. It’s unfortunate that our shot at a top-10 was taken away after receiving contact and being pinned against the wall on a restart. We had a really strong race again but just couldn’t get the finish.”

Jones’ best finish in seven outings was a 14th-place result at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Week 2. He opened 2017 in style by capturing his first career NASCAR pole for the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. While Jones was battling for the fifth position just 28 laps into the race, however, two other drivers made contact resulting in one catching the back of Jones’ No. 33 machine. Jones made hard contact with the outside wall before starting down the track, where contact once again sent him back into the SAFER barrier. He finished 29th.

“I got turned from behind and it went out from there,” Jones said. “It was definitely the hardest hit I’ve ever had. It’s a bummer. … Unfortunately, that is what happens at Daytona; you never know what’s going to happen out there.”

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Track Food New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s Fried Lobster Plate: There is no better place in the United States for seafood than New England. And at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, seafood and NASCAR are a perfect combination. The speedway’s fried lobster plate is one of its signature dishes, featuring lobster that is battered and fried on a stick. It is served over a bed of homemade potato chips with a side of coleslaw.

Terminology Seven-Post Shaker Rig: This massive tool is designed to help teams analyze their race cars without them actually hitting the track.

The primary goal is to maximize the amount of downforce a car has, helping it go as fast as possible when race day arrives. With the vertical input forces the shaker provides, teams have an in-shop tool for fine tuning their race cars as NASCAR rules greatly limit at-track testing.

3Q

WITH NASCAR DRIVER RYAN BLANEY

Wood Brothers Racing is back in contention for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories thanks to Ryan Blaney. The son of former Cup Series driver Dave Blaney is attempting to make something old into something new with the No. 21 Ford.

What is it like to work with two teams that have so much history?

These groups have contributed so much of their lives to NASCAR. The Wood Brothers have been around for decades, and it’s remarkable that they’ve been around the sport for so long.

Their dedication to racing has definitely changed my outlook on life in general. It’s been great to know the Penske group. Roger Penske is an amazing person who I’ve gotten

to know over the years.

I’ve been really lucky to be with two great organizations that have been around forever.”

How did your appreciation for throwbacks begin?

Being with the Wood Brothers definitely got me to want to be more throwback because that’s what they represent. I did a lot before I got to the Wood Brothers, but being with them, I stepped it up. Personally, that’s my favorite time in the sport and in the history of the world

JOSEPH WOLKIN 54

POLE POSITION 2017

in the ’70s and ’80s.

I have to balance it.

The Wood Brothers are very throwback people and Penske is very clean-cut.

What are your tattoos of?

Both of them are of my grandfather, who passed away a little while ago. He’s the one who started this whole thing with my dad and the Blaney family. I felt like honoring him, and there is no better way of doing that than by reminding yourself of where you come from.

GETTY IMAGES

PLAYING FAVORITES

T

y Dillon, a 25-year-old native of Welcome, North Carolina, is in his first full season of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition, wheeling the No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet fielded by Germain Racing. Dillon spent two seasons in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and was a regular in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for three years beginning in 2014.

FAVORITE MUSIC

FAVORITE MOVIE

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT

I listen to music across all genres. Some of my favorites right now are Ed Sheeran, Eric Church and Future Pretty Lights.

I really enjoy “Senna,” the documentary about Ayrton Senna.

I really love to visit Montana and Seattle with my family. My family vacations in Montana during the holidays and my wife’s family is from Seattle. We visit Seattle as often as possible.

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MY RACE GIG Family Tradition WOOD BROTHERS RACING SPANS SEVEN DECADES

T

he name Wood has long been synonymous with NASCAR – and with winning races. In fact, members of the highly respected family have been signing entry blanks for stock car races since before the sanctioning body came into existence in 1948.

For Eddie Wood, current co-owner of Wood Brothers Racing, stock car racing is all he’s ever known, having been a fixture in the sport for many decades.

His father, Glen Wood, started the team with a single Ford in the mid-1940s and raced on short tracks in Virginia and North Carolina. Glen Wood went on to compete on the beach in Daytona Beach, Florida, and won four NASCAR races as a driver before becoming a full-time team owner in 1964.

Wood Brothers Racing has employed such drivers as Curtis Turner, Tiny Lund, “Fireball” Roberts, Bob Welborn, Dale Jarrett, A.J. Foyt, Glen Wood, Buddy Baker, Marvin Panch, Junior Johnson, Cale Yarborough, Ned Jarrett, Fred Lorenzen, David Pearson, Joe Weatherly, Ralph Earnhardt, Neil Bonnett, Ricky Rudd, Mark Martin, and Bill Elliott.

The team’s driver this season is Ryan Blaney, a rising star who many feel could help the Wood family reach the 100-win mark.

Eddie Wood remembers as teenagers he and his brother, Len, began working on the famed No. 21 Mercury and traveling to races as part of the crew in the early 1970s when Foyt and Pearson drove their car. The two have changed tires, built engines, painted cars and even helped get them to race tracks.

“I remember going to the shop in Stuart, Virginia, when I was a really young kid,” Eddie Wood said. “There hasn’t been a time in my life when there wasn’t a race car within arm’s reach. Len and I have done everything with a race team you can imagine other than drive them in a race.”

BEN WHITE

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56

POLE POSITION 2017

ACTION/REACTION ACTION: In the fall of 2011, Michigan International Speedway received its fourth new racing surface since the two-mile superspeedway opened in 1968. The track’s previous repaves took place in 1977, 1986 and 1995.

A laser survey process of the track began in August 2011 with over 100 million data points established across the racing surface. Doing so gave engineers ample information for closely replicating the original pavement. With dips and bumps eliminated, the track surface became as smooth as glass.

As expected, speeds increased when drivers and teams returned to the beautiful Irish Hills region as average lap speeds have consistently topped 200 mph since the project was

NEW SCHOOL VS. OLD SCHOOL FIRST RACE

completed. A smoother surface translated to more tire grip and improved handling of the cars produced passing in multiple grooves.

Over the past six seasons, drivers in each of NASCAR’s top three series have praised the way their cars handle on the wide, sweeping racing surface.

REACTION: ■■ Drivers and teams have openly expressed their excitement about the smooth racing surface at Michigan International Speedway.

■■ Fans of MIS come back year after year because they are guaranteed great racing.

■■ It’s possible a track record will be set during pole qualifying.

AUSTIN DILLON NEW SCHOOL OCT. 9, 2011 KANSAS

FIRST FINISH IN CUP RACE 26TH 2013 NASCAR CAREER XFINITY SERIES HIGHLIGHT CHAMPION YEARS IN 7 CUP SERIES BEST POINTS 14TH, 2016 FINISH

TERRY LABONTE OLD SCHOOL SEPT. 4, 1978 DARLINGTON

4TH TWO-TIME MONSTER ENERGY SERIES CHAMPION

37 1ST 1984, 1996

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NASCAR LEGENDS LeeRoy Yarbrough NASCAR’S FIRST TRIPLE CROWN WINNER Lonnie “LeeRoy” Yarbrough was victorious in NASCAR’s most prestigious superspeedway events. Sadly, the native of Jacksonville, Florida, died as a result of a fall on Dec. 7, 1984 – 11 years after his driving career came to a close.

98

BIRTHDATE ■■ Sept. 17, 1938 BIRTHPLACE ■■ Jacksonville, Florida AWARDS ■■ Highest NASCAR points finish was 15th in 1964 ■■ Inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1990 ■■ Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998

Born on Sept. 17, 1938, Yarbrough attended high school while fueling a need for speed on the highways and back roads of his hometown. When he was 16 years old, Yarbrough built his first race car – a 1934 Ford coupe – from unwanted parts, including a Chrysler engine. He eventually found his way to a local dirt track at age 19 and won the first race he entered. That victory came at Jacksonville Speedway in the spring of 1957.

Yarbrough moved up quickly and found NASCAR’s fledgling Sportsman division as his next quest. Eleven wins there prompted a move to the more powerful and more prestigious Modified division. Remarkably, he collected 83 victories during three seasons.

By 1964, Yarbrough had reached what is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

In 14 starts that season, he grabbed the attention of the circuit’s top car owners by scoring victories on the short tracks in Savannah, Georgia, and Greenville, South Carolina.

Yarbrough notched his first superspeedway victory in October 1966 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, leading 301 of 334 laps in a Dodge owned by Jon Thorne.

In 1968, Yarbrough joined forces with former driver and team owner Junior Johnson and together they won 10 superspeedway races over the course of three seasons.

During his 13-year career in NASCAR’s top series, Yarbrough competed in 198 races, scoring 14 wins. His best season was 1969 when he won the Daytona 500, the World 600 at Charlotte and the Southern 500 at Darlington to become the first driver to collect NASCAR’s Triple Crown.

He was voted to the list of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

LEEROY WAS ABOUT THE BEST RACE CAR DRIVER I HAVE EVER SEEN. HE COULD HANDLE A CAR ON DIRT OR ON A SUPERSPEEDWAY AND MAKE IT LOOK SMOOTH AND EASY.

QUIET AGGRESSIVE HUNGRY SMART

– JUNIOR JOHNSON

DRIVEN WINNER

BEST SEASON LEEROY YARBROUGH scored his biggest victory in the 1969 Daytona 500 driving for Junior Johnson.

Driving the No. 98 Ford Torino, Yarbrough also scored wins in the grueling World 600 at Charlotte and the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington, becoming the first driver to win NASCAR’s three biggest races in the same season.

RECORD-SETTER

RESPECTED

THE NO. 98 CAR

KNOWN FOR

IN 198 NASCAR STARTS, Yarbrough logged 14 premier series victories, 65 top-five finishes, 92 top-10 results and 10 pole positons. His average start was 10.5 and average finish was 15.0, even though he only ran a limited number of events. Yarbrough’s winnings totaled $465,544 or slightly more than $3 million in today’s dollars.

STANDING AT 5-FOOT-11, Yarbrough was one of the sport’s toughest competitors. He never competed for NASCAR’s coveted championship but made his presence known as one of the very best drivers in stock car racing history. His aggressive style and nevergive-up attitude resonated with the fans.

BEN WHITE 58

POLE POSITION 2017

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RACE REWIND Baker and Panch Dominate The 1957 NASCAR premier series season saw a very popular former-bus-driverturned-racer from Charlotte, North Carolina, successfully defend his title as Buck Baker – driving his own car – battled the factory teams for the championship.

SEASON RECAP

■■ Buck Baker

■■ Marvin Panch

The 1957 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season consisted of 53 races on tracks both dirt and paved. Thirty-eight races were held on dirt, 10 on paved surfaces and five on road courses. Eight were contested on short tracks with two being run on the superspeedways in Darlington, South Carolina, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Chevrolets won 21 of 53 events and enjoyed a title run as Baker took top honors with 10 victories. Ford’s drivers won 16 races, while Oldsmobile drivers logged four wins to Pontiac’s two triumphs.

Baker began his championship quest with an early season victory on the short track in Hillsboro, North Carolina, in his blackand-white No. 87 Chevrolet he built himself. Baker finished among the top 10 in 38 of the 40 races he entered with 35 of those coming in consecutive races.

Rising star Marvin Panch won the first race of the season at the Willow Springs road course in Lancaster, California, driving Pete DePaolo’s No. 98 Ford. He followed it by winning again at Concord (N.C.) Speedway, establishing himself as a season-long frontrunner and title hopeful.

Panch also fielded his own car for a portion of the schedule and over the next 11 months he and Baker combined for 16 victories, 52 top-five finishes and 65 top-10 results. When the 1957 season ended in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Oct. 27, Baker had successfully defended his 1956 NASCAR title by 760 points.

1957

DATE CIRCUIT Nov. 11 Willow Springs Int’l Raceway Dec. 2 Concord Speedway Dec. 30 Titusville-Cocoa Speedway Feb. 17 Daytona Beach & Road Course March 3 Concord Speedway March 17 Wilson Speedway March 24 Orange Speedway March 31 Asheville-Weaverville Speedway April 7 North Wilkesboro Speedway April 14 Langhorne Speedway April 19 Southern States Fairgrounds April 27 Hub City Speedway April 28 Greensboro Agricultural Fairgrounds April 28 Portland Speedway May 4 Cleveland County Fairgrounds May 5 Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds May 19 Martinsville Speedway May 26 Portland Speedway May 30 Eureka Speedway May 30 Lincoln Speedway June 1 Lancaster Speedway June 8 Los Angeles Fairgrounds June 15 Newport Speedway June 20 Columbia Speedway June 22 Capitol Speedway June 29 Hub City Speedway June 30 Speedway Park July 4 Raleigh Speedway July 12 Southern States Fairgrounds July 14 Memphis-Arkansas Speedway July 14 Portland Speedway July 20 Hickory Speedway July 24 Norfolk Speedway July 30 Lancaster Speedway Aug. 4 Watkins Glen International Aug. 4 Kitsap County Airport Aug. 10 Lincoln Speedway Aug. 16 Old Bridget Stadium Aug. 26 Coastal Speedway Sept. 2 Darlington Raceway Sept. 5 New York State Fairgrounds Sept. 8 Asheville-Weaverville Speedway Sept. 8 California State Fairgrounds Sept. 15 Santa Clara Fairgrounds Sept. 15 Langhorne Speedway Sept. 19 Columbia Speedway Sept. 21 Cleveland County Fairgrounds Oct. 5 Southern States Fairgrounds Oct. 6 Martinsville Speedway Oct. 12 Newberry Speedway Oct. 13 Concord Speedway Oct. 20 North Wilkesboro Speedway Oct. 27 Central Carolina Fairgrounds

PRESIDENT: DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

NO. 1 SONG: “ALL SHOOK UP,” BY ELVIS PRESLEY

TOP NEWS: MAY 6: JFK AWARDED PULITZER PRIZE

JUNE 27: HURRICANE AUDREY LANDS

NOV. 22: CONSTRUCTION OF DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ANNOUNCED

BEN WHITE 60

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WINNER Marvin Panch Marvin Panch Fireball Roberts Cotton Owens Jack Smith Ralph Moody Buck Baker Buck Baker Fireball Roberts Fireball Roberts Fireball Roberts Marvin Panch Paul Goldsmith Art Watts Fireball Roberts Paul Goldsmith Buck Baker Eddie Pagan Lloyd Dane Buck Baker Paul Goldsmith Eddie Pagan Fireball Roberts Jack Smith Bill Amick Lee Petty Buck Baker Paul Goldsmith Marvin Panch Marvin Panch Eddie Pagan Jack Smith Buck Baker Speedy Thompson Buck Baker Parnelli Jones Marvin Panch Lee Petty Gwyn Staley Speedy Thompson Gwyn Staley Lee Petty Danny Graves Marvin Porter Gwyn Staley Buck Baker Buck Baker Lee Petty Bob Welborn Fireball Roberts Fireball Roberts Jack Smith Buck Baker

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

BEST DRIVER GLENN “FIREBALL” Roberts collected eight victories in 42 starts.

The native of Apopka, Florida, showed strength in Pete DePaolo’s No. 22 factory-supported Ford as well the Ford Roberts fielded himself in 22 races. His year was that of feast or famine as his cars failed to finish 10 times. His average start was 5.8 and average finish was 9.2, slightly less than Baker’s statistics.

BEST RACE ALFRED “SPEEDY” Thompson, driving his own Chevrolet, passed veteran Curtis Turner on the 216th of 364 laps to collect the most prestigious victory of his career in the Southern 500 at South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway.

Thompson led 210 laps and averaged 100.094 mph in the hot, attritionfilled event. Sadly, driver Bobby Myers lost his life in a multi-car crash on the 27th lap of the race.

TOP CARS BUCK BAKER, driver and owner of the No. 87 Chevrolet Bel Air, logged 10 victories, 30-top-five finishes, 38 top-10 results and six pole positions.

MARVIN PANCH, driver of the No. 98 DePaolo Ford, scored six wins, 22 top-five results, 27 top-10 finishes and four pole positions.

DRIVER SPOTLIGHT XFINITY SERIES

CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

ELLIOTT SADLER

GRANT ENFINGER

As Elliott Sadler exited his No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro at Homestead-Miami Speedway last November, the disappointment in his eyes said it all.

Once again, the former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver came up short in a much-anticipated run for the NASCAR XFINITY Series title. His JR Motorsports team fell shy of the championship trophy, losing out to NASCAR’s first Mexican champion, Daniel Suarez.

“It was one of the best seasons ever in the history of the XFINITY Series in terms of average finishes are concerned and top 10s,” Sadler said. “It’s all about Homestead, and I can’t emphasize that enough. It’s all about one race. The whole season is based off one single race.”

As JR Motorsports continues to expand, featuring four entries this season, the division’s most decorated racer is growing more into a leader. Not only does Sadler play the role of mentor for Justin Allgaier, Michael Annett and rookie William Byron, but he is a major voice in the team’s shop.

Though the No. 1 team struggled off the truck during the first few contests in 2017, having an average start of 13.4 – the worst Sadler has qualified since returning to the series in 2011 – he is still methodically working to become a NASCAR champion.

“We have one goal and that’s winning the championship,” he said. “We were so close last year. We had a great season.

Everything is based on how you run at Homestead, so that’s my goal. I want to win Homestead because I know to win the championship, you need to win Homestead.”

CAREER STATS The old-timer of the NASCAR XFINITY Series started the year with 13 career victories and 80 top-five finishes. Sadler is in the midst of his seventh consecutive full NASCAR XFINITY Series season, and he’s earned eight wins since 2011. He finished runner-up in the division standings during the 2011, 2012 and 2016 seasons.

Quitting was not an option. It was out of the question for one Alabama native. From Late Models to the ARCA Racing Series, opportunities were hit or miss for Grant Enfinger.

Eventually, his perseverance and patience paid off.

“A lot of it is just situations and sponsorship,” Enfinger said.

“It is kind of hard to get everybody involved on the same page at the same time. I’ve been blessed to have a lot of good people supporting me and not giving up on me.”

Finally, the opportunity of a lifetime came his way.

Enfinger drove a GMS Racing truck to Victory Lane at Talladega Superspeedway last October, which put him on the radar of ThorSport Racing general manager David Pepper.

When the two began talking, it was obvious the 2015 ARCA Racing Series champion deserved a shot at competing full time in NASCAR’s third-tier division.

“It’s to go out there, win races and win the championship,” Enfinger said on his goal for this season. “It’s everybody’s goal.

I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to say we can do that. But I’m a rookie still and I’m going to places I haven’t been to before.”

While there is still plenty of time before the playoffs begin, Enfinger hopes to not only compete for a title, but to emerge as a threat for victories on a weekly basis.

“We don’t want to just take someone’s sponsorship money and not be able to deliver,” he said. “It’s all about trying to position yourself with companies and guys you trust to help them sell products. That’s what it’s all about and it’s the only way you can make it work long-term.”

CAREER STATS The Alabama native won 12 ARCA Racing Series events during a two-year span, earning the 2015 championship. Once he made it to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the success carried over.

Enfinger earned his first win at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2016. He finished runner-up in the Snowball Derby Late Model race in 2008 and 2013.

JOSESPH WOLKIN 62

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2017 SCHEDULES

GETTY IMAGES MONSTERY ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES Feb. 18 Feb. 23 Feb. 26 March 5 March 12 March 19 March 26 April 2 April 9 April 23 April 30 May 7 May 13 May 20 May 28 June 4 June 11 June 18 June 25 July 1 July 8 July 16 July 23 July 30 Aug. 6 Aug. 13 Aug. 19 Sept. 3 Sept. 9 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 1 Oct. 7 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Nov. 5 Nov. 12 Nov. 19

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 Superspeedway Kansas Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Dover International 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 Michigan International Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Darlington Raceway Richmond International Raceway Chicagoland Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway Dover International Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Talladega Superspeedway Kansas Speedway Martinsville Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Homestead-Miami Speedway

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES Feb. 25 March 4 March 11 March 18 March 25 April 8 April 22 April 29 May 6 May 27 June 3 June 10 June 17 June 24 June 30 July 7 July 15 July 22 July 29 Aug. 5 Aug. 12 Aug. 18 Aug. 27 Sept. 2 Sept. 8 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 6 Oct. 21 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18

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 Charlotte Motor Speedway Dover International 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. 24 March 4 April 1 May 12 May 19 June 2 June 9 June 17 June 23 July 6 July 19 July 29

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

Aug. 12 Aug. 16 Sept. 3 Sept. 15 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 14 Oct. 28 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17

Michigan International Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Chicagoland Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Talladega Superspeedway Martinsville Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Homestead-Miami Speedway

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RACE ROCK

F

or Shallow Side – an alternative rock band from Cullman, Alabama – there was a time when being recognized enough to play more than 200 shows a year seemed like little more than a pipe dream. Back in 2010, the band members were merely four friends hanging out in a garage, making music and having fun. But what started out as just a hobby became a way of life as jam sessions turned into full-fledged parties and parties turned into venues and venues turned into major cities.

“The next thing we knew, we were traveling around the country,” said Eric Boatright, the band’s lead singer and founder.

Now almost seven years into their musical journey, Boatright and fellow band members Cody Hampton, Seth Trimble and Heath Fields are garnering national attention. The music video of their cover of the 1978 Styx classic, “Renegade,” has garnered more than 617,000 views on YouTube alone since its November 2016 release.

How did the four of you meet?

Boatright: Three of us went to elementary school together and all the way up through middle school and high school we went to the same school. Cody,

our bass player, went to a school just north of our district, and he ended up finding us through the same group of friends. We’ve essentially known each other our entire lives as far as growing up and learning what life is about. You could pretty much call us family.

How has “Renegade” been received?

We knew we wanted to do a cover but we knew we didn’t want to do a cover of a more popular song that was out now. We wanted to reach back to where rock ’n’ roll was awesome, rock ’n’ roll was cool. So we stretched back into the classic rock era and found several songs. We’d heard “Renegade,” and the attitude that it had with it was just powerful.

Do you have a NASCAR connection?

We have a few friends that work at Team Penske in North Carolina. My first time at a NASCAR event happened to be at Talladega in the spring of 2015.

We went there and watched the race and got to meet Joey Logano and hung out and got pit passes.

I’m going to be straightforward honest: I didn’t know a whole bunch about the sport of NASCAR, but that day turned me into a fan immediately.

ONE SHALLOW SIDE’S NEW six song EP is a prelude to a full-length release to come out later this year.

01. We Roll 02. Rebel 03. Renegade 04. Fight Or Flight 05. Can You Hear Me 06. Start A Fire

JARED TURNER 64

POLE POSITION 2017