NASCAR Pole Position - February-March 2022

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DRIVER Q&AS ALEX BOWMAN NOAH GRAGSON MYATT SNIDER ZANE SMITH

1961: A Fight to the Finish

MEET THE BURTONS:

JEB & WARD

DRIVERS POSTERIZED

ELLIOTT // DEEGAN // CINDRIC // & MORE

WHEN NASCAR

RULED

VICK

AR KEVIN H

A High Rock Moment

Dale Jr. & Amy Earnhardt launch premium Vodka brand P. 10

chase e lliott

THE CONSOLE GAMING WORLD

The Next Gen is Here All eyes are on NASCAR’s new race cars P. 8

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CROWN? OUR KING WEARS A COWBOY HAT

From the legends who established the sport, to the new heroes fighting for a spot in the record books—there’s always something exciting to see at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Walk down Glory Road, drive our realistic race simulator and relive the unbelievable racing moments that made you a fan in the first place. THIS IS OUR SPORT. THIS IS OUR HOUSE.

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Green Flag

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RCR Inks Deal with 3CHI

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My Favorites with Todd Gilliland

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18 20 22

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Myatt Snider Q&A

Presented by Slo-Niacin

64

Zane Smith Q&A

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When NASCAR Ruled Gaming

NASCAR’s Return to Rivalries

Paint Schemers: NASCAR’s Creatives

36

NASCAR Builds

68

Never To Be Forgotten

NASCAR Home Tracks: Tucson Speedway

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69

Favorite Finds

70

NASCAR Collector Spotlight

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Did You Know?: NASCAR Facts & Figures

Presented by K-Seal

Health & Wellness

Presented by Forney Industries

Meet Jeb & Ward Burton

Presented by State Water Heaters

Presented by Hempvana

40

Noah Gragson Q&A

Senior Salute

43

NASCAR Drivers Posterized Presented by Jockey

D I E TA R Y S U P P L E M E N T

POLE POSITION 2022

ELLIOT T

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Presented by Prevagen

02

CHASE

Alex Bowman Q&A

Blast From the Past

Backstory

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52

Presented by Alka Seltzer

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2022 SCHEDULES NASCAR Cup Series Sun., Feb. 6 Wed., Feb. 16 Thu., Feb. 17 Sun., Feb. 20 Sun., Feb. 27 Sun., March 6 Sun., March 13 Sun., March 20 Sun., March 27 Sun., April 3 Sat., April 9 Sun., April 17 Sun., April 24 Sun., May 1 Sun., May 8 Sun., May 15 Sun., May 22 Sun., May 22 Sun., May 29 Sun., June 5 Sun., June 12 Sun., June 26 Sun., July 3 Sun., July 10 Sun., July 17 Sun., July 24 Sun., July 31 Sun., Aug. 7 Sun., Aug. 14 Sun., Aug. 21 Sat., Aug. 27

Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum Daytona 500 Qualifying at Daytona International Speedway Daytona 500 Duels at Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway Auto Club Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Phoenix Raceway Atlanta Motor Speedway Circuit of The Americas Richmond Raceway Martinsville Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway (dirt) Talladega Superspeedway Dover Motor Speedway Darlington Raceway Kansas Speedway NASCAR All-Star Open at Texas Motor Speedway NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway World Wide Technology Raceway Sonoma Raceway Nashville Superspeedway Road America Atlanta Motor Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway Pocono Raceway Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Michigan International Speedway Richmond Raceway Watkins Glen International Daytona International Speedway

PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 16 Sun., Sept. 4 Sun., Sept. 11 Sat., Sept. 17

Darlington Raceway Kansas Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway

PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 12 Sun., Sept. 25 Sun., Oct. 2 Sun., Oct. 9

Texas Motor Speedway Talladega Superspeedway Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL

PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 8 Sun., Oct. 16 Sun., Oct. 23 Sun., Oct. 30

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Homestead-Miami Speedway Martinsville Speedway

CHAMPIONSHIP RACE Sun., Nov. 6

Phoenix Raceway

XFINITY Series Sat., Feb.19 Sat., Feb. 26 Sat., March 5 Sat., March 12 Sat., March 19 Sat., March 26 Sat., April 2 Fri., April 8 Sat., April 23 Sat., April 30 Sat., May 7 Sat., May 21 Sat., May 28 Sat., June 4 Sat., June 25 Sat., July 2 Sat., July 9 Sat., July 16 Sat., July 23 Sat., July 30 Sat., Aug. 6 Sat., Aug. 20 Fri., Aug. 26 Sat., Sept. 3 Sat., Sept. 10 Fri., Sept. 16

Daytona International Speedway Auto Club Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Phoenix Raceway Atlanta Motor Speedway Circuit of The Americas Richmond Raceway Martinsville Speedway Talladega Superspeedway Dover Motor Speedway Darlington Raceway Texas Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Portland International Raceway Nashville Superspeedway Road America Atlanta Motor Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway Pocono Raceway Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Michigan International Speedway Watkins Glen International Daytona International Speedway Darlington Raceway Kansas Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway

PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 12 Sat., Sept. 24 Sat., Oct. 1 Sat., Oct. 8

Texas Motor Speedway Talladega Superspeedway Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL

PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 8 Sat., Oct. 15 Sat., Oct. 22 Sat., Oct. 29

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Homestead-Miami Speedway Martinsville Speedway

CHAMPIONSHIP RACE Sat., Nov. 5

Phoenix Raceway

Camping World Truck Series Fri., Feb. 18 Fri., March 4 Sat., March 19 Sat., March 26 Thu., April 7 Sat., April 16 Fri., May 6 Sat., May 14 Fri., May 20 Fri., May 27 Sat., June 4 Sat., June 11 Sat., June 18 Fri., June 24 Sat., July 9 Sat., July 23

Daytona International Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway Circuit of The Americas Martinsville Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway (dirt) Darlington Raceway Kansas Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway World Wide Technology Raceway Sonoma Raceway Knoxville Raceway Nashville Superspeedway Mid-Ohio Pocono Raceway

PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 10 Fri., July 29 Sat., Aug, 13 Fri., Sept. 9

Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park Richmond Raceway Kansas Speedway

PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 8 Thu., Sept. 15 Sat., Oct. 1 Sat., Oct. 22

Bristol Motor Speedway Talladega Superspeedway Homestead-Miami Speedway

CHAMPIONSHIP RACE Fri., Nov. 4

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Phoenix Raceway

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

POLE POSITION 2022

SLICK NEW SUITS DRIVERS ARE SPORTING OLD AND NEW SPONSORS ON THEIR FIRE SUITS IN 2022!

CHASE BRISCOE PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

BRETT MOFFITT

ANTHONY ALFREDO

JOSH WILLIAMS

JEFFREY EARNHARDT

COLE CUSTER

JORDAN ANDERSON POLE POSITION MAG.COM

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NASCAR DEFINED

FLIPPIN’ THEIR LIOTT

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MIRO LA

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KEVIN

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HARV ICK

N AL JUSTI KURT BUSCH

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E HOUS N E T S ICKY

ENFI NGER

POLE POSITION 2022

R KYLE BUSCH

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

LIDS JOHN HUN TER N E

MEC HEK

ALEX B

OWM AN

DAN IEL S U

AREZ

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

OWN

BR DON N A R B

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O CER B N E P S

DO LFRE

A ONY ANTH

PRESENTED BY

GREEN FLAG

eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Returns

NEXT GEN CAR FINALLY ON TRACK No NASCAR Cup Series storyline will be bigger this season than the performance of the Next Gen race car, set to make its official debut at the Daytona 500. Delayed a year by logistical challenges that COVID-19 presented, the Next Gen car replaces the familiar Gen-6 model that all Cup Series teams have campaigned exclusively the past nine seasons.

This year, drivers will run the Next Gen car at all 36 points races and two exhibition races, but the car won’t feature the same rules configuration everywhere. So the

Next Gen could perform extremely well at some tracks but have a less-than-desired effect at others. Only time will render the overall verdict.

One thing is certain, the Next Gen race car will create excitement and storylines.

SEVERAL NEW TRACKS ARE SET to debut during the 13th season of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. For more information on the series, visit eNASCAR.com.

The full 2022 eNASCAR Coca-Cola

NASCAR NEWS & NOTES

iRacing Series schedule: ■■ Feb. 1, L.A. Memorial Coliseum Exhibition ■■ Feb. 15, Daytona International Speedway ■■ March 1, Las Vegas Motor Speedway ■■ March 15, Atlanta Motor Speedway ■■ March 29, Richmond Raceway

GO WITH THE FLO NASCAR AND FLOSPORTS

CHASTAIN, MOOSE FRATERNITY PARTNER

HENDRICK ADDS SPONSOR

■■ April 12, Bristol Motor Speedway (Dirt) ■■ April 26, Dover International

have formed a multi-year

THE MOOSE FRATERNITY WILL

CANNED COCKTAIL BRAND

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join Trackhouse Racing as a

Day Chaser has joined

■■ May 10, Kansas Speedway

FloRacing the home of NASCAR

primary partner on the No. 1

Hendrick Motorsports as

■■ May 24, Charlotte Motor

Roots properties, including the

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE,

an official sponsor of Alex

ARCA Menards Series, ARCA

driven by Ross Chastain. The

Bowman and the No. 48

Menards Series East and West,

Moose Fraternity will serve as

Chevrolet team. With a

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour,

primary sponsor at Talladega

three-year agreement, Day

■■ June 21, Nashville Superspeedway

NASCAR Pinty’s Series and

Superspeedway on April 24,

Chaser will be featured on the

■■ July 5, Road America

NASCAR Advance Auto Parts

World Wide Technology Raceway

fire suits of Bowman and his

■■ July 19, Pocono Raceway

Weekly Series.

on June 5, Richmond Raceway

No. 48 crew members and

■■ Aug. 16, Watkins Glen

on Aug. 14 and Martinsville

will also receive prominent

Speedway on Oct. 30.

placement throughout race

■■ Aug. 30, Darlington Raceway

More than 280 NASCAR Roots races annually will stream live

Speedway

Speedway ■■ May 31, World Wide Technology Raceway

International

weekends. Day Chaser will

■■ Sept. 13, Bristol Motor Speedway

TrackPass banner on FloRacing,

membership of nearly 1,000,000

have rights to use the full

■■ Sept. 27, Talladega

transforming the popular platform

men and women throughout the

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into the leading destination for

roughly 1,300 lodges. Members

of race cars and stylized car

grassroots motorsports. Learn

are involved in civic and charitable

numbers in its advertising and

more at floracing.com

service in their communities.

promotion.

and on-demand under the

08

POLE POSITION 2022

The Moose Fraternity has a

Superspeedway ■■ Oct. 11, Homestead-Miami Speedway ■■ Oct. 25, Phoenix Raceway PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Hall of Fame Inducts Three

DALE EARNHARDT JR., MIKE STEFANIK AND RED FARMER JOIN ELITE GROUP

At first glance – aside from sharing the profession of “race car driver” – Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mike Stefanik and Red Farmer couldn’t be more different.

A perennial Most Popular Driver at NASCAR’s highest level of competition, Earnhardt holds two Daytona 500 wins among his 26 career victories.

More than that, as a driver, team owner and television analyst, Earnhardt has transcended both the sport of stock car racing and his own legacy as the son of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt.

Stefanik, a hard-nosed New Englander, drove modifieds with a relentless tenacity that carried him to seven Whelen Modified Tour titles. Stefanik, who died in 2019 at age 61 from injuries sustained in the crash of a private plane, also collected two championships in what was then the Busch North Series.

The patriarch of the Alabama gang, Farmer accumulated innumerable victories – estimated between 700 and 900 – at short tracks located primarily in the South. At age 89, he still competes on the one-third mile dirt oval at the Talladega Short Track across the highway from NASCAR’s biggest superspeedway.

Despite their varying backgrounds and diverse racing pursuits, Earnhardt, Stefanik and Farmer now share one monumental achievement in common – after all three entered the NASCAR Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony at the Charlotte Convention Center on Jan. 21.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Listen to the latest podcast ON THE OUT OF THE GROOVE PODCAST NETWORK

NOW AVAILABLE ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM

L

ife’s High Rock moments come in many forms, from excelling in business and sports to simply unwinding and enjoying an evening with friends and family.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. knows that firsthand.

The recently enshrined Hall of Famer has won on racing’s biggest stages, successfully launched multiple business ventures and most importantly, become a husband and father in recent years.

Now, alongside his wife, Amy, Dale Jr. adds another accolade to their list of achievements – partners in a new premium vodka brand.

Together, the Earnhardts have teamed with Sugarlands Distilling Company to launch High Rock – a new premium vodka handcrafted by Sugarlands’ master distiller in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

The partnership between Dale, Amy and Sugarlands was born from mutual values, including a shared commitment to excellence, an emphasis on integrity, and the importance of family.

“Over the years, we’ve been approached by spirit companies, but none of those were the right fit for us,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “We knew Sugarlands from its long-time support of auto racing, so when we took a family vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, we had to stop by the distillery. Seeing the way Sugarlands operates and getting to know the team behind the brand made our partnership a natural fit.”

Beginning with a base of 100% corn and crisp, clean water from the Great Smoky Mountains, High Rock Vodka is distilled seven times then triple-filtered using the Lincoln County Process. Made famous by Tennessee whiskeys, the Lincoln County Process uses sugar maple charcoal to remove any impurities. The result is a premium vodka that is undeniably smooth and pure.

“A good vodka cocktail is a perfect ingredient for celebrating a major milestone or simply enjoying an evening together at home,” said Amy Earnhardt. “It’s always nice to unwind together after a long day with a great craft cocktail, and High Rock is the perfect vodka for that.”

“Plus, there’s a nostalgia element for me, because Vodka was always dad’s favorite spirit; he would mix his with Five Alive Orange Juice,” Dale Jr. continued.

High Rock checks in at 88 proof, and anyone who followed Dale Jr.’s career on the race track knows the significance of 88. Some of the biggest moments of his career – including a Daytona 500 win – came while piloting the No. 88 car. Dale’s grandfather, Ralph, also drove the No. 88, making it even more significant for the Earnhardt family.

Founded in 2014, Sugarlands Distilling Company produces a full line of craft moonshines and sippin’ creams with flavors like Dynamite Cinnamon, American Peach, Dark Chocolate Coffee and Butter Pecan. Sugarlands also produces Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey, which won Best Whiskey in the 2019 American Craft Spirits Association Awards.

Written by Sammy Eanes

Launching High Rock further diversifies the offerings produced by Sugarlands.

“Dale and Amy have been incredible to work with and we’re thrilled to roll out High Rock as the next step in our relationship together,” said Patrick Sullivan, chief revenue officer, Sugarlands Distilling Company. “We’re also excited to expand our product offering by entering into the vodka category alongside the Earnhardts.”

“I’m most excited about the launch of High Rock because it’s something that Amy and I can do together as a couple,” said Dale Jr. “This has been such a fun project to work on with Sugarlands,” said Amy. The most important thing in life is who we share our High Rock moments with. A good vodka cocktail is a perfect ingredient to toast a major milestone or simply enjoy an evening at home with friends or family. High Rock Vodka is made to celebrate life’s special moments with the people that matter most.

Join Dale, Amy and Sugarlands as they raise a craft vodka cocktail to all of life’s High Rock moments.

LEARN MORE AT

HighRockVodka.com

Sponsor spotlight

RCR INKS BREAKTHROUGH SPONSORSHIP

Hemp-Based Consumer Products Company 3CHI Goes Racing

3CHI, a company focused on innovation within hemp-based consumer products, will be a major sponsor of Richard Childress Racing, Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 NASCAR Cup Series team this season.

The agreement is significant for both organizations as it marks the first categoryspecific team partnership in NASCAR and first hemp-based consumer brand sponsorship across all major professional sports.

Reddick will drive the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet in the Daytona 500, as well as a significant number of races this season as part of the multi-race, multi-year program.

“This is a unique opportunity to leverage a team partnership with one of the most iconic and innovative teams in NASCAR to help introduce 3CHI’s vast array of products to a passionate and dedicated fan base,” said Justin Journay, founder and chief executive officer of 3CHI. “We’re looking forward to working with Richard Childress Racing to tap into the excitement of the sport and new Next Gen car, unique activation opportunities and technology involved.”

3CHI focuses on bringing natural science and innovation to the hemp industry and has earned thousands of consumer testimonials to their benefit and enjoyment of 3CHI products. 3CHI produces products made by the industry’s best scientists, using the highest quality natural and organic hemp.

Everything produced by 3CHI follows all federal requirements for full legal compliance.

3CHI’s production and distribution of its products strictly adhere to a policy of safety above all else and sales are for responsible adult use only to consumers aged 21 and older.

“This is a first-of-its kind partnership, both within motorsports and within the sports industry as a whole,” said Torrey Galida, president of Richard Childress Racing. “We’re proud of our role as industry leaders in this category and look forward to introducing a pioneer in hemp-based consumer products to NASCAR, as well as educating fans about 3CHI’s innovative, science-based products.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

NASCAR Wives & Girlfriends

•• Tyler Reddick and guest Alexa De Leon

•• William Byron and guest Erin Blaney

•• Aric and Janice Almirola

•• Ryan Blaney and guest Gianna Tulio

•• Zane Smith and girlfriend McCall Gaulding

•• Chase and Marissa Briscoe

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

POLE POSITION MAG.COM

13

MY FAVORITES

MY FAVORITES WITH

Todd Gilliland

Todd Gilliland may be a NASCAR Cup Series rookie, but the 21-year-old racer walks around with the understanding of how to chase checkered flags.

The California native grew up racing and watching his father, David Gilliland, compete at NASCAR’s highest level. Now, it’s his turn to shine, and it’s time for fans to get to know Todd away from the track.

BY JOSEPH WOLKIN

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VACATION SPOT?

WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WEREN’T A RACE CAR DRIVER?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF RACING MEMORABILIA?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?

PEOPLE ALWAYS

MY FAVORITE

make fun of me for

food is definitely a

MY HELMETS. I

Thunder.” It’s all

this. I was just at a

nice steak. I just had

take a lot of pride in

December. I’m pretty

about racing and I

I JUST GOT INTO

big sponsor event

my first tomahawk

how they look. I’m

know every word

sure that place tops

XBOX pretty hard.

and I ordered a

a few months ago.

really involved in the

to it. I just love the

it all for me with the

I’ve been watching

Shirley Temple. It’s

Nothing beats a good

design process of

racing part of it.

blue water.

streamers, so maybe

just hard to beat a

steak.

them. They’re my

I’d take my shot at

good Shirley Temple.

favorite decoration.

being a professional

It reminds me of

I have helmets all

streamer.

being young and

over the house.

WE WERE IN THE Bahamas in

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GO-TO DRINK?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?

“DAYS OF

tastes really good.

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POLE POSITION 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

NASCAR PETS

Bell: ‘Pretty Much Love at First Sight’

BY JARED TURNER

G

rowing up around dogs,

Christopher Bell has never had anything against canine pets. But about four years ago when his wife mentioned wanting a dog, Bell – who was then a full-time driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – didn’t exactly jump at the idea.

“I love dogs but with our crazy schedule and traveling all the time, I didn’t really think a dog was the right call,” said Bell, who is now entering his third season at the NASCAR Cup Series level. “She found this dog on the internet, and she fell

in love with it and then begged me to go see it.

Once I saw it, it was pretty much love at first sight, and we couldn’t say no to it.”

The Bells’ dog, Sadie, is a female Poochon – a cross between a Bichon Frise and a Poodle. She weighs only six pounds.

“She was the runt of the litter,” Bell said.

Although training a puppy presented some challenges, Bell has no buyer’s remorse when it comes to Sadie, whom he describes as “very, very lovable.”

“She is wonderful,” Bell added. “Luckily, Sadie caught on quick to the potty training, and it wasn’t that big of a deal. It’s been awesome.

“The potty training was the only part that I was nervous about. Traveling has been a little bit more difficult, but she is so small, so she can typically go with us into places.”

NASCAR GAMING

WHEN NASCAR RULED THE CONSOLE GAMING WORLD

BY JOSH MULL

F

or many NASCAR fans, the games available for home

video game consoles were their main entry point into the sport. There’s something about being able to drive the car yourself, even without the greatest graphic fidelity, that can turn a casual NASCAR viewer into a lifelong fan.

And for NASCAR fans of a certain age, it wasn’t just any console games, but specifically the series of games from the 2000s. This was a time when the sport itself was at its peak of popularity, but arguably also at the peak of its console gaming quality.

This was, after all, when there were three video game publishers each putting its own unique spin on the series.

Those publishers were the legendary trio of Papyrus, Eutechnyx and Electronic Arts.

The fierce competition among these publishers led to the creation of features that are nowadays considered required fare, from paint scheme customizations to team management simulations.

These games also had the boost of coming out at a pivotal moment in video gaming as a whole. The crop of consoles available at the time, from the PlayStation 2 through to the Xbox 360 era, were pushing new limits in

hardware, memory and graphics capabilities. This led to huge advancements, particularly in the multiplayer arena, as broadband internet and improved matchmaking technologies became more ubiquitous.

But it wasn’t just multiplayer. The improved hardware for these consoles also allowed them to finally reach parity with computers in offering a full field of more than 40 cars on the track, along with the ability to facilitate mini-games outside of the core racing gameplay, like career modes and team management.

Many of these games are still played by the hard-core fans in the online community. A quick browse through YouTube reveals countless players still working their way through career modes, modding in new content and features and competing in online multiplayer tournaments.

While today’s NASCAR gamers are spoiled with photorealistic graphics and professional online tournaments as the expected norm, it shouldn’t be forgotten where these standards were set, and who helped to set them.

With that, we look back at some of the most influential – and fondly remembered – NASCAR games from what many consider its golden age.

Leading the Pack: The Fan Favorite Games NASCAR: DIRT TO DAYTONA

NASCAR THUNDER

NR2003

PLATFORMS

PLATFORMS

PLATFORMS

PlayStation 2, GameCube

XBox, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Windows

Windows, MAC

DIRT TO DAYTONA IS REMEMBERED FOR

CONSIDERED THE PINNACLE OF THE

THE ONLY PC EXCLUSIVE GAME TO

a lot of reasons, but this game is where you

Thunder series of games, 2004 featured one of

appear on this list, it wouldn’t be a

started to see many of NASCAR’s lower

the most comprehensive series of game modes,

complete story without the inclusion of

series. Dirt to Daytona even featured the

from Thunder License (hosted by Richard Petty)

NR2003. This game is still wildly popular,

Dodge Weekly Series, better known to today’s

to the Lightning Challenges, which allowed players

with a whole range of mods available

fans as the Advanced Auto Parts Weekly

to take on special moments from past seasons.

to add everything from current season

Series, and was the only game in the series to

Thunder 2004 also expanded on the rivalry

drivers and paint schemes all the way to

ever do this.

system with its Grudges and Alliances features.

Indy and Formula 1 cars.

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POLE POSITION 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

•• Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 6 Ford, competes against former Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage in NASCAR ‘14 on “Big Hoss TV” during the Brad Keselowski’s “Who’s Got Game?”

Video Game Fan Challenge.

of the 2000s NASCAR 07

NASCAR THE GAME: INSIDE LINE

NASCAR 2005: CHASE FOR THE CUP

PLATFORMS

PLATFORMS

PLATFORMS

Windows, MAC

PlayStation 3, Wii, XBox 360, Windows

GameCube, PlayStation 2, XBox

ALTHOUGH NOT LOVED BY CRITICS AT THE

PUSHING CLOSER TO THE MODERN ERA IS

CHASE FOR THE CUP DIDN’T JUST FOLLOW

time of its release, at least relative to other

Inside Line. This game was fully in the era of the

along with the real-life introduction of the Chase

games of the era, NASCAR 07 has retained its

PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and not only did

point system, but also included a number of

fan base by being one of the most complete

its graphical fidelity reflect the times, but its

fantastical elements, like the fact that Ryan Newman

experiences available on consoles at the time.

gameplay featured a lot of the flare and style

recruits you, the player, after a street race in Dodge

Likewise, many of the graphical flourishes that

that most modern games have as a standard,

Vipers. This was the player’s entrance into Chase’s

are standard today were first iterated upon here

like the inclusion of TV personalities and

impressive career mode, spanning everything from

on the early Xbox and PlayStation 2 hardware.

extensive race animations.

modified cars to Daytona prototypes.

POLE POSITION MAG.COM

17

NASCAR HOME TRACKS

Tucson Speedway

Fun and sun are the two ingredients that make Tucson Speedway, a three-eighths-mile asphalt oval located at the Pima County Fairgrounds south of Tucson, Arizona, a popular destination for NASCAR-sanctioned racing with a schedule that starts in January and then runs from March to November.

“It’s pretty much predictable that we are going to have 352 sunny days a year,” said John Lashley, who has managed Tucson Speedway since 2012. “When we are racing here, people are warm – the fans are warm, the drivers are warm.

You’ve got a happy crew chief because he’s warm. All in all, it really is the sun. It’s why I moved to Tucson – to get warm.”

Tucson Speedway is the only track in the state that’s part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

“My goal is to provide a racing platform for the people in the state of Arizona and surrounding areas,” Lashley noted.

TUCSON’S REGULAR SEASON OPENER WILL BE RUN ON SATURDAY, MARCH 12 STORIED HISTORY

REFURBISHED

THE CHILLY WILLY

BUILT AS A DIRT TRACK IN 1968, THE

“NASCAR LEFT IN 1999 AND THE TRACK

TUCSON SPEEDWAY OPENED ITS 2022

fairgrounds facility was leased in 1990 by

was leased to a variety of people and many of

season in January with a three-day event

International Speedway Corp., which is now

them were underfunded or didn’t have a long-

known as the Chilly Willy. “Chilly Willy is our

owned by NASCAR, and the race track was paved

term vision of what the track might be,” Lashley

track mascot. Some people think he’s a

in 1992. It hosted the second NASCAR Camping

explained. “When I got the track, which was in

cucumber. Some people think he’s a string bean,

World Truck Series race – won by Ron Hornaday Jr.

2012, the weeds were three-feet tall. There

but he’s really a saguaro cactus,” Lashley said.

– on April 8, 1995, and was home to the televised

were cracks in the banked corners. We started

“This marquee event is 150 laps on our three-

Winter Heat Series, which introduced several

from the rooftops. We redid the whole place

eighths-mile track and it’s always a good race.

future NASCAR stars including Kurt Busch, Greg

from the rooftops to the track surface. It was

Again, it’s because of the sun. No one else is

Biffle and Matt Crafton.

a big project.”

racing in late January.”

18

POLE POSITION 2022

WORDS: KEITH WALTZ, PHOTOGRAPHY: TIFFANY O’NEALL/TUCSON SPEEDWAY

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PRESENTED BY

NASCAR Legend: Mark Martin

Mark Martin came to NASCAR’s Cup Series after building an impressive résumé on the paved short tracks of the Midwest. We won 40 races and recorded 453 top-10 finishes during a 31-year Cup Series career.

BY BEN WHITE

Born Jan. 9, 1959, Martin began driving on short tracks in the area around his Batesville, Arkansas, home at the age of 14. Having been a bit short for his age, he would place phone books in the seat of his race car in order to comfortably see through the car’s windshield.

That small detail didn’t stop him from quickly becoming one of the most successful drivers to continually collect checkered flags week after week.

A move to the American Speed Association was a natural progression and soon Martin was racing against such stars as Bobby Allison, Rusty Wallace, Dick Trickle and Jim Sauter, all icons he would face later in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Martin earned the 1977 ASA National Tour rookieof-the-year title. Before leaving the ultra-competitive division, Martin won 22 ASA races with championships coming in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1986.

Funding the venture he co-owned with Bud Reeder, Martin moved to NASCAR’s Cup Series in 1981, earning two pole positions and a top-five finish in five series starts. He struggled to find success in NASCAR and eventually returned to the ASA circuit.

At the end of 1987, a call from team owner Jack Roush changed his destiny. Roush offered Martin the Cup Series ride of a lifetime with the new team he was forming. Together, they collected 35 of Martin’s 40 victories and finished second in Cup Series points on five occasions.

“I DIDN’T DRIVE RACE CARS FOR THE JOY OF GOING FAST, MAN. IT WAS TO SEE THAT CAR AT THE TOP OF THE SCOREBOARD.” –MARK MARTIN

BEST SEASON EVEN THOUGH HE FINISHED SECOND IN CUP Series points to Jeff Gordon during the 1998 season, Martin scored seven victories for team owner Jack Roush and was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers that year. He set career highs for top-five finishes with 22 and laps led with 1,730.

RECORD SETTER MARTIN WON 49 TIMES IN WHAT IS NOW THE NASCAR Xfinity Series, holding the record for series wins for 14 years. He retired from driving in 2013 with 96 wins across NASCAR’s three national series, seventh on the all-time list. He was recognized for winning in all types of cars.

LASER-FOCUSED TALENTED

DRIVEN

DEDICATED STRONG-WILLED KNOWN FOR MARTIN WAS KNOWN FOR HIS INTENSITY, BOTH on and off the track. Whether doing interviews or inside the race car, he was incredibly focused on the job at hand, often admitting he had difficulty relaxing between races. When behind the wheel of his cars, he was totally consumed with winning.

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POLE POSITION 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

1961 | A FIGHT TO THE FINISH

BEST DRIVER

BY BEN WHITE

driving a Ford owned by

Ned Jarrett and Rex White used talent on the short tracks to become the championship contenders during the 1961 NASCAR Cup Series season, collecting a combined eight victories throughout the 52-race premier series schedule.

Jarrett, a native of Newton, North Carolina, had competed in NASCAR’s premier series for eight seasons before making a championship bid in 1961. Team owner B.G. Holloway fielded the No. 11 Chevrolet with Bud Allman serving as chief mechanic, a position known today as crew chief, for 46 of 52 races on the schedule.

Jarrett visited Victory Lane only once, topping Jim Paschal in a 100-mile event on June 4 at the Alabama State Fairgrounds in Birmingham. His championship season was sealed by consistency through 29 top-five finishes and 34 top-10 results.

White, driving his own No. 4 Chevrolet, won seven races in 47 starts that season, logging 29 top-five results and 38 top-10 finishes. The Taylorsville, North Carolina, native employed Louis Clements, grandfather of current Xfinity Series competitor Jeremy Clements, as his chief mechanic. Even though their number of wins was far greater that Jarrett’s, the team came up 840 points short under the system NASCAR used that year.

Races of 249 miles or less were awarded 50 points to the winner. Races of 250 to 399 miles awarded 100 points to the winner. Races lasting 400 miles or longer awarded 150 points to the winner. White failed to finish seven times during the season as the number of laps completed was also a factor in determining the championship.

White’s wins came at Bowman Gray Stadium (3) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway (2); Asheville-Weaverville (N.C.) Speedway; and Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

JOE WEATHERLY, Doc White and a Pontiac owned by Bud Moore, won nine NASCAR Cup Series races during the 1961 season. The Norfolk, Virginia, native opened the season with a victory in the final event at the Charlotte Fairgrounds. He also won at Daytona, twice at Charlotte Motor Speedway and on short tracks in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Hillsboro, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Martinsville, Virginia; and Bristol, Tennessee.

BEST RACE ON MAY 6, 1961, young Fred Lorenzen, driving a Holman Moody Ford, and veteran Curtis Turner, in the Wood Brothers Racing Ford, battled for the win in the Rebel 300, bumping an estimated 50 times in the final 20 laps.

Turner blocked Lorenzen numerous times while shaking fists at one another until Lorenzen faked high and went low. Lorenzen held a six-car length lead with

DATE

November 6 November 20 February 24 February 24 February 26 March 4 March 5 March 12 March 26 April 1 April 2 April 3 April 9 April 16 April 20 April 22 April 23 April 30 May 6 May 21 May 21 May 21 May 27 May 28 June 2 June 4 June 8 June 10 June 17 June 23 June 24 July 4 July 9 July 20 July 22 July 29 August 6 August 9 August 13 August 18 August 27 September 4 September 8 September 10 September 10 September 17 September 24 October 1 October 15 October 22 October 28 October 29

LOCATION

Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway Park Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds Asheville-Weaverville Speedway Marchbanks Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway Greenville-Pickens Speedway Orange Speedway Bowman Gray Stadium Martinsville Speedway North Wilkesboro Speedway Columbia Speedway Hickory Motor Speedway Richmond Raceway Martinsville Speedway Darlington Raceway Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Riverside International Raceway Ascot Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds Alabama State Fairgrounds Greenville-Pickens Speedway Bowman Gray Stadium Norwood Arena Hartsville Speedway Starkey Speedway Daytona International Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway Columbia Speedway Rambi Raceway Bristol Motor Speedway Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville Bowman Grady Stadium Asheville-Weaverville Speedway Southside Speedway South Boston Speedway Darlington Raceway Hickory Motor Speedway Richmond Raceway Sacramento Fairgrounds Atlanta Motor Speedway Martinsville Speedway North Wilkesboro Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Greenville-Pickens Speedway Orange Speedway

WINNER

Joe Weatherly Lee Petty Fireball Roberts Joe Weatherly Marvin Panch Cotton Owens Rex White Fireball Roberts Bob Burdick Emanuel Zervakis Cotton Owens Rex White Fred Lorenzen Rex White Cotton Owens Junior Johnson Richard Petty Junior Johnson Fred Lorenzen Richard Petty Joe Weatherly Lloyd Dane Eddie Gray David Pearson Jim Paschal Ned Jarrett Jack Smith Rex White Emanuel Zervakis Buck Baker Junior Johnson David Pearson Fred Lorenzen Cotton Owens Joe Weatherly Jack Smith Jim Paschal Rex White Junior Johnson Junior Johnson Junior Johnson Nelson Stacy Rex White Joe Weatherly Eddie Gray David Pearson Joe Weatherly Rex White Joe Weatherly Joe Weatherly Junior Johnson Joe Weatherly

two laps remaining and maintained it until crossing under the checkered flag.

TOP CARS Ned Jarrett’s No. 11 blue-and-white Chevrolet Impala owned

by B.G. Holloway – a onerace winner.

Rex White’s No. 4 goldand-white Chevrolet Impala – winner of seven races.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

SEASON RECAP

PRESIDENT

John F. Kennedy N O . 1 AT T H E B O X O F F I C E

West Side Story NO. 1 SONG

“Tossin’ and Turnin’”

by Bobby Lewis

1961

P O P C U LT U R E

Navy Commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. rockets 116.5 miles up into space.

GALLON OF GAS

31 Cents

POLE POSITION MAG.COM

21

SENIOR SALUTE

PRESENTED BY

Q&A WITH MASTER MECHANIC

LEONARD WOOD

BY BEN WHITE

L

eonard Wood, younger brother of 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and team owner Glen Wood, has been

turning wrenches on race-winning engines in NASCAR competition since he was a child.

The famed Virginia-based Wood Brothers Racing organization began fielding modifieds for Glen Wood at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Since the early 1960s, Leonard Wood has worked as crew chief for a very long list of iconic drivers.

In this interview with NASCAR Pole Position, 87-year-old Leonard Wood, a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee in 2013, discusses growing up working on cars, seeing his first race car, his love for mechanical things and working with NASCAR’s greatest legends.

WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST RECOLLECTION OF SEEING A RACE CAR? There was a guy named Preacher Pearlman. We happened to be out on the highway, and I was riding in a car and this race car came driving by. They used to have a track in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, and he was on the road driving it to the race. It was a 1937 Ford.

DID MECHANICAL THINGS COME EASY TO YOU FROM AN EARLY AGE? Oh, yeah. I’ve always been interested in them, for sure. I remember my dad had me help put a transmission in a 1939 Ford when I was 7 years old. I was so small I could climb down in there and put my feet against the engine and turn a long-handled wrench and my dad wouldn’t have to retighten the steel head

22

POLE POSITION 2022

bolts on the cylinder heads. I also remember whittling cars out of wood with a pocketknife, also when I was 7 years old.

DID YOU EVER WANT TO DRIVE RACE CARS? (Laughter) Oh, no. I thought it was too dangerous, especially when they’d come by me at 190 miles an hour on pit road at Daytona (before pit road speeds).

About all the driving I did was warming up the car at Martinsville, and I just loved to feel the purr of the thing. I remember I was working on the carburetor on the 1971 Mercury when David Pearson was driving for us in 1973. I took the car out on the track and the good news was there was so much power it broke the back end loose. The bad news was I spun the car in a 180 and I thought I was going to crash. I was able to save it.

PHOTOGRAPHY: NASCAR HALL OF FAME

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SENIOR SALUTE

PRESENTED BY

DID YOU SET OUT TO BECOME A CREW CHIEF OR DID THAT ROLE JUST HAPPEN WITH WOOD BROTHERS RACING? No. Glen and I started out in 1950. I was 15 years old, and he was 25. I had already been tuning cars and working on engines. I was always the mechanic of the family and all my brothers supported that. I’ve always been interested in engines and made a go-kart when I was 13. I wanted something that pulled me along with an engine. I was always interested in that sort of thing.

YOU ARE KNOWN AS ONE OF THE GREATEST ENGINE BUILDERS IN NASCAR HISTORY. HOW DID ENGINE BUILDING COME ABOUT FOR YOU? I always loved engines and wanted to make them more powerful. I always wanted to see what I could do to modify them and get the most horsepower I could out of them.

YOU’VE WORKED WITH SO MANY LEGENDARY DRIVERS IN YOUR CAREER. ARE THERE ANY THAT YOU REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH THE MOST? Oh, Yeah. There was David Pearson, A.J. Foyt. Marvin Panch, Tiny Lund, Speedy Thompson, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Curtis Turner, Cale Yarborough, Buddy Baker, Dale Jarrett, Kyle Petty. They all had different styles and you had to do something just a little bit different for them. I enjoyed them all.

I remember we went to Riverside with Curtis in 1965. He hadn’t gotten in the car at that point, and I asked him to check the seat out to see if it felt right. He stuck his foot through the window opening and said, “She’s just right.” And then working with David and how good he was as a driver. He would never tell us anything about the car during the race and then he’d go out and win with it.

WOOD BROTHERS RACING HAS 99 WINS AND IS THE LONGEST RUNNING CUP SERIES TEAM IN OPERATION AT 72 YEARS. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT HOW INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL THE TEAM HAS BEEN THROUGHOUT NASCAR HISTORY? I’ve said it many times. Back when I was growing up when Glen and I were hauling corn, I never dreamed that I would have the opportunity to set cars up for the world’s greatest drivers. It’s so humbling to think of how many great drivers that Glen and I worked with in the early days.

YOU’VE WON FIVE DAYTONA 500S WITH TINY LUND, CALE YARBOROUGH, A.J. FOYT, DAVID PEARSON AND TREVOR BAYNE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY? It’s just one of the things the Wood Brothers team has accomplished over the years. There have been a lot of other great races, such as Charlotte, Atlanta, Riverside and Michigan that we’ve won. All of them have been special. We need one more to get 100 wins. But when we get that one, we’ll be looking to win more yet. The more you win, the more you want to win.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED FOR MOST? Well, you know, you always want to be remembered for doing the right thing and not being bad to people. You always want to be remembered by people because they enjoyed your work. It pleases me when I see an up-and-coming driver really start doing well. When I see that, I think he deserves a pat on the back and want to tell him so. I enjoy that sort of thing.

When I see a driver do a great job, I like to congratulate him.

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POLE POSITION 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY: NASCAR HALL OF FAME

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BACKSTORY

PRESENTED BY

LUCKY NO. 17

WALTRIP WINS 1989 DAYTONA 500 ON A PRAYER

BY BEN WHITE

D •• Darrell Waltrip

drove in the No. 17 car during 13 of his NASCAR Cup Series seasons.

During the 1975 season, Waltrip briefly drove the No. 17 car, but his most successful time in that number came during a stretch from 1987-1998.

26

POLE POSITION 2022

ays prior to the 1989 Daytona 500, one number kept

coming up for three-time NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip and crew chief Jeff Hammond. It was their own familiar No. 17.

Both driver and mechanic were starting to recognize the strange pattern that was unfolding around them.

“Since my early days of following NASCAR, David Pearson was always my driver while growing up in Owensboro, Kentucky,” Waltrip said. “His car number was 17 when he drove for Holman Moody in the late 1960s. When I went to work driving for Rick Hendrick in 1987, I asked for No. 17 and that was my number.”

Waltrip and Hammond elected to take a car named “Bad Betty” to Daytona. Naming race cars was something teams often did in those days. Waltrip named this car because as he put it, “It handled well on superspeedways but had been bad at times and deserved a name like that.”

The No. 17 kept popping up everywhere in the days leading up to the race.

“We get to Daytona and we’re given garage stall 17,” Waltrip said. “We go out and we end up getting pit box 17.

Then we figure out it’s my 17th Daytona 500 and you just kind of start looking at all the possibilities. My name Darrell Lee Waltrip has 17 letters in it. Our house is actually built on lot No. 17. My golf handicap is 17. The purse was $1.7 million. It was ’89 and 8 plus 9 is 17. My daughter Jessica was also born on the 17th. It seemed like 17s were everywhere we looked. I won the Busch (Xfinity Series) race the day before the 500 using No. 17.”

With 11 laps remaining in the Daytona 500, polesitter and teammate Ken Schrader pitted for fuel, as did second-place Dale Earnhardt. Waltrip remained on the track after stretching his fuel for a remarkable 56 laps. As Waltrip’s engine sputtered, he prayed as he drafted off of every car he could find and miraculously made it to the checkered flag.

“I told Hammond we were either going to win or finish 17th,” Waltrip said. “I didn’t realize until I watched the race many years later that I led the very first lap and the very last lap of that race. That’s all that really mattered. But the No. 17 was a really big deal that day for sure.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: NASCAR HALL OF FAME

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D I E TA R Y S U P P L E M E N T

SPENCER BOYD SHEDS 45 POUNDS

Healthier Eating and Exercise Pay Dividends

BY JARED TURNER

A

picture, they say, is worth a

thousand words. For NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Spencer Boyd, though, a certain picture has been worth 45 pounds – the amount of weight he’s lost since April 2020.

“Basically, that was like the start of COVID,” Boyd recalled. “I wasn’t racing, kept the normal eating habits and wasn’t burning as many calories, and was sitting at home and looking in the mirror, and I’m like, ‘Man, my face is super-chubby. What’s going on?’ I also saw photos from the 2020 (preseason) Getty photo shoot in Daytona, and I was like, ‘Man, I really don’t like these pictures.’”

And with that began a nearly two-year fitness journey for Boyd, who enters the 2022 season looking a lot more like he did six years ago when he made his Truck Series debut.

“I kind of looked back at my start in NASCAR and was like, ‘I have gained a lot of weight since I got in this sport in 2016,’” Boyd said. “That was kind of the light switch of, ‘Hey, during COVID, I really need to start eating at home and taking this serious’ – and the weight started falling off.”

While the picture Boyd saw of himself in the mirror certainly caused him to examine his lifestyle, it wasn’t until consulting with a nutritionist that same month that he began to make some major lifestyle changes.

“We did a study for a week to find

SIMPLE MEAL PLAN

for an hour to 90 minutes a session, during the NASCAR

rather strict but simple meal plan.

offseason. During the racing season, his goal is to hit the gym Monday through Wednesday. He’s part of group called

intake low,” he said. “During the racing season, I keep that

FitStop Performance that focuses on helping athletes

normal nutrition from the offseason Monday through

involved in motorsports stay in top shape. Members of the

Wednesday, and then getting ready for the race on

group normally get together to go mountain biking or cycling

Thursday and Friday, I’ll bring in some more calories and

at least twice a week, in addition to their regular workouts.

definitely allow myself to eat some more carbs. And no drinking. I really just stay away from alcohol.”

POLE POSITION 2022

Boyd tries to work out every Monday through Friday,

SPENCER BOYD ATTACKS EACH WEEK WITH A “I don’t eat a lot for breakfast and just keep that calorie

28

out what I was eating and just write it all down, and at the end of that week, I looked at it, and I had eaten fast food seven or eight times that week,” Boyd said. “The nutritionist was like, ‘That’s your problem.’”

So instead of consuming fast food at will, Boyd now has a diet consisting mainly of grilled chicken, rice, carrots and broccoli. Healthier food choices – coupled with consistent exercise – have made a significant difference in his energy level and his waistline.

“I always worked out a decent amount, maybe two or three days a week, and realized, ‘Man, I’m really not fit,’” Boyd said. “I worked out at a gym located above (NASCAR Cup Series driver) Corey LaJoie’s shop, and one thing Corey told me was, ‘You can’t outrun the kitchen,’ and that really stuck with me.”

The benefits of healthier eating are especially evident to Boyd on race weekends.

“The confidence is high when you look good, feel good and just know you’ve put in the work,” he said. “Going from basically 225 to 180 pounds is a significant drop and sense of pride in knowing I can do it. And when it comes to going out on the race track, confidence is key, so when you feel like you look good in your fire suit and know you’re not going to be super-winded at the end of the race, it allows you to go to the race track and have that confidence.”

“It’s nice to see results,” Boyd said. “It takes time, but I definitely feel like it’s been worth it.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Pack for the Track

The foods and fluids you consume before and during your NASCAR festivities will help determine how much fun you will have. Here are some tips on how to properly fuel your body. BY NANCY CLARK, SPORTS NUTRITIONIST

CARBOHYDRATES

FATTY FOODS

Eat: Apple, orange, banana, applesauce, boiled potato, roasted carrots, sticky rice balls, pretzels, pita, sports drinks, gels, chomps Don’t eat: Sugary cereals, ramen, white bread, desserts Clark says: Some popular carb-based snacks include fruits, vegetables and grains. While you want to limit nutrient-poor carbs, wholesome carbs should be the foundation of every meal to fully fuel muscles.

DRINKS

Eat: Nut butter, peanut butter, nuts Don’t eat: Butter, cheese, ice cream Clark says: Fatty foods tend to slowly leave the stomach and are metabolized slower than carb-rich foods. If you will be on the go for only one to two hours, think twice before reaching for a handful of nuts or a chunk of cheese for a quick fix. A banana or slice of toast will digest quicker and be more available for fuel.

Drink: Water, sports drinks, chocolate milk

Don’t drink: Soda, sugary juices Clark says: Chocolate milk is preferable to a sports drink to enhance rehydration.

It offers more sodium – as well as more carbohydrate and protein. Drink wisely!

Do not over-consume plain water and/ or sports drink unless you are taking in other sources of sodium.

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1

Stenhouse Makes Health and Fitness a Priority

BY JARED TURNER

T

here was a time not all that terribly long ago when NASCAR Cup Series

driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn’t make health and fitness a huge priority.

However, that time has passed.

“I’ve put a ton of effort into being in the best shape possible cardiovascularwise and strength-wise. I have a trainer that I’ve hired, and I’ve had him since the end of 2018,” Stenhouse said in January. “We put a lot of work, a lot of emphasis on tracking my heart rate in the car, trying to make sure my heart rate during the workouts kind of reflects what’s in the race car. … I would say in the last year I’ve taken it to another level as far as trying to make sure what I put in my body is better than what I used to put in it.

“I’ve been eating healthier and really kind of buckling down on that side of things. I’ve seen my performance level go way up the harder I work in the gym, and since I’ve been eating better, I can see that level getting better and better.”

Stenhouse works out no fewer than six times a week, and sometimes as many as eight, through a mix of intense weight training and cardio. That latter usually consists of 18-22 miles of running. Stenhouse has become a stickler for getting adequate sleep, too.

“I at least want to get seven to eight hours of sleep every night,” he said.

Given Stenhouse’s attitude toward healthy living, it’s appropriate that one of his new primary sponsors is SweetLeaf – an award-winning and all-natural sweetener that’s part of the Kroger Racing family of brands.

“This is a perfect brand to represent as we continue to make good choices that benefit our overall well-being,” Stenhouse said.

A Typical Day

Like anyone, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. doesn’t eat the same foods or do the same workout every day, but here’s a typical day of nutrition and exercise for the JTG Daugherty Racing driver.

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POLE POSITION 2022

MORNING

AFTERNOON

EVENING

LATE NIGHT

“I TRY TO WORK OUT IN

“FOR LUNCH, A LOT OF

“I HAVE SOME SNACKS IN

STENHOUSE HAS A GO-

the morning anywhere

times I’ll make some

between lunch and dinner,

to for late-night snacks.

from 8 to 9 o’clock,”

grilled chicken and some

which would be some

“There’s a company called

Stenhouse said. “Right

rice and get some carbs

protein puffs, some beef

The Frozen Farmer that

when I get done working

in that way. I’ll probably

jerky – more lean beef jerky,

has partnered with us, and

out, I’ll have egg whites. I

eat six ounces of grilled

like bison jerky and things

they have some sorbets

do a cup of egg whites with

chicken and half a cup

like that,” Stenhouse said.

that are pretty low in

turkey sausage. If I don’t do

of rice and maybe some

“For dinner, it’s either some

calories and pretty low in

that, I’ll do a bowl of protein

broccoli or another type

steak filet with a salad or

sugar and carbs and stuff

oatmeal. It depends on

of vegetable,” Stenhouse

some more grilled chicken

like that,” he said. “So that

when I get done working

said. As for a beverage? “I

with a salad. Sometimes I

could be my late-night,

out. Normally, I don’t

drink pretty much water

do a vegetable. I try not to

after-dinner, a little bit

have any snacks between

all day long,” he noted.

eat the rice and carbs at

of almost a dessert but a

breakfast and lunch.”

“That’s really all I do.”

night before bed.”

little bit healthier.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

NASCAR RIVALRIES

Some Drivers Simply T

he first 28 races of the 2021 NASCAR

Cup Series season didn’t produce too many notable conflicts among competitors. But just as chillier fall temperatures rolled around, things suddenly turned hot on the race track.

And it all started with Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick and the first elimination race of the playoffs – hosted by Bristol Motor Speedway, appropriately known as Thunder Valley.

After tangling memorably on the track and in the garage at the high-banked Tennessee short track’s annual night race, the two former Cup Series champions engaged in a back-andforth brouhaha that continued for multiple weeks and set the NASCAR world abuzz in anticipation of what would happen next.

During the offseason, Harvick was still mad enough at Elliott to go on the popular Dale Jr. Download podcast and vent his frustrations to host Dale Earnhardt Jr. Specifically, Harvick was still miffed about how Elliott drove at Bristol. After cutting a tire and making an unscheduled pit stop necessitated by contact with Harvick, Elliott retaliated by racing Harvick especially hard in the final laps despite being laps down. Elliott’s aggression allowed his teammate – Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson – to catch and pass Harvick for the victory with four laps to go.

Harvick went on to record his first winless season since 2009, and employees of StewartHaas Racing were denied the bonus they would normally receive for one of the organization’s drivers wining at Bristol. Harvick blamed Elliott for SHR employees missing out on this money.

“In the end, he took hundreds of thousands of dollars out of everybody’s pocket,” Harvick told Earnhardt Jr. on The Download. “All the team guys were mad.”

Then, Harvick added one more nugget, making it clear he and Elliott hadn’t worked out their differences.

“There still needs to be another conversation before we start the next season,” Harvick said, alluding to the animated exchange he had with Elliott after the Bristol race.

Harvick and Elliott were hardly the only drivers less than pleased with each other in

32

POLE POSITION 2021

2021. In the next-to-last race, held at Martinsville Speedway, Denny Hamlin and Alex Bowman banged together while racing for the lead in the closing laps, resulting in Hamlin spinning and Bowman going on to take the win.

Hamlin later expressed his displeasure with Bowman by calling the Hendrick driver “a hack” during a post-race interview and stopping his No. 11 car on the frontstretch to disrupt Bowman’s victory celebration. Bowman never apologized for wrecking Hamlin and sees no reason to apologize – or antagonize the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

“I’ve been getting pushed around and bullied for a long time, so I know if I say something back, it just turns into a shitstorm, right?” Bowman said during an exclusive interview with NASCAR Pole Position in late December. “It kind of builds up and then you start going back and forth with somebody, and it’s just not worth it. I would have been mad, too, if I were him (Hamlin) … but he stepped over the line and made it superpersonal after the race, but I also understand why he was mad.

“So at that point, I feel like he made it superpersonal, I crashed him, I don’t feel like either of us owe each other anything. I feel like we’re kind of even at that point. He might not see it that way, but I think everything he said kind of erased me being sorry.”

In that same race at Martinsville, former champs Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski also sparred, but their issue didn’t occur until the final lap while battling for second-place off Turn 4. Following their initial contact, the two collided again in Turn 1 on the cooldown lap, with Busch’s No. 18 Toyota spinning and Keselowski continuing.

“I should beat the shit out of him right now is what I should do, but that doesn’t do me any good,” a steaming Busch later told a group of reporters on pit road.

Martinsville wasn’t the first time Busch and Keselowski have ever clashed, either, so it’s likely their rivalry will continue – and perhaps even intensify – this season. And the same can be said for the other rifts that emerged in late 2021.

Stay tuned.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

Don’t Like Each Other

BY JARED TURNER

WILL THESE DRIVERS MIX IT UP IN 2022?

When the 2021 NASCAR season ended, several drivers weren’t seeing eye to eye with each other. Here are five emerging rivalries to keep a close eye on this year: KEVIN HARVICK VS. CHASE ELLIOTT What began with contact on the track during the September night race at Bristol culminated three weeks later on the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway when Harvick deliberately spun Elliott and even admitted his intent during a post-race interview. Elliott got the last laugh, however, when he advanced to the next round and Harvick was eliminated from championship contention that same day. As the page turns to 2022, no signs suggest either driver is ready to move on.

ALEX BOWMAN VS. DENNY HAMLIN Hamlin delivered a low blow to Bowman when he called the Hendrick Motorsports driver “a hack” in a televised interview just moments after Bowman had captured his fourth win of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. While Hamlin was displeased to have gotten the short end of the stick on the race track, Bowman understandably bristled at Hamlin’s disparaging remark. Whether these two drivers will bury the hatchet or revisit their disagreement will be one of the most intriguing storylines to watch in 2022.

BRAD KESELOWSKI VS. KYLE BUSCH Keselowski is with a different team – Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing – than the Team Penske organization he drove for when he and Busch clashed on the final lap of last fall’s race at Martinsville Speedway. It’s unlikely that Keselowski’s new digs will matter a whole lot, though, if Busch feels like he still needs to settle a score with Keselowski for running into him both coming to the checkered flag and immediately after the race ended.

DANIEL HEMRIC VS. NOAH GRAGSON Two of the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ most talented young drivers, Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson, engaged in an all-out fisticuffs after the spring Xfinity Series race at Atlanta. To put it mildly, Hemric was unhappy that Gragson had backed into his car during a pit stop, and he showed it by abruptly grabbing Hemric during a live interview. The two then attempted to punch each other while shouting profanities. The great irony?

They’re two of three drivers sharing a Cup Series ride this season for Kaulig Racing.

JOE GRAF JR. VS. GRAY GAULDING Arguably the most dramatic fight of 2021 occurred moments after the spring NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Martinsville Speedway when Joe Graf Jr. and Gray Gaulding scuffled on the ground in an attempt to settle an altercation that occurred during the race. NASCAR officials and crew members eventually separated the two angry drivers but only after they created quite the spectacle in the garage. If both return to the Xfinity Series this season, another run-in is far from out of the question.

NASCAR RIVALRIES

BITTER RIVALS

Rivalries Fuel Passion for NASCAR

Throughout NASCAR’s storied history, on-track rivalries among drivers have developed due a variety of reasons, ranging from personal egos to the horsepower under the hoods of the cars they drove.

Here are five rivalries that helped to write NASCAR lore over seven decades of stock car racing:

BY BEN WHITE

CURTIS

BOBBY

TURNER

CALE

ALLISON

YARBOROUGH

DARRELL WALTRIP

During a race at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem,

During the late 1970s, Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough

North Carolina, on Aug. 27, 1966, veteran Curtis Turner wrecked relative newcomer Bobby Allison on the eighth lap.

While trying to pass Turner to return to the lead lap, Allison wrecked him. The two drivers then traded paint in retaliation for more than 10 laps.

battled fiercely enough to cause Yarborough to tag his rival with the nickname “Jaws,” as the movie of the same name was so popular in the movie theaters. Waltrip couldn’t resist mentioning Yarborough’s chicken sponsorship in his verbal jabs.

JIMMY SPENCER

KURT BUSCH

BRAD KESELOWSKI

CARL EDWARDS

M AT T KENSETH

JOEY LOGANO

AFTER TWO YEARS, THE JIMMY SPENCER

DURING THE 2010 SEASON, BRAD

AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY IN OCTOBER 2015,

and Kurt Busch feud came to a head in 2003

Keselowski and Carl Edwards couldn’t seem to

Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano got into a crash

when Spencer went after Busch in the garage

stay away from one another on the track. The

that caused tempers to escalate at the 2.66-mile

area at Michigan International Speedway and

result was contentious, so much so that each

Talladega Superspeedway the next week. Their

connected with a punch. Spencer wound up being

found themselves flipping into the catchfences

feud came to a head at Martinsville Speedway

suspended for a race by NASCAR and the local

at Talladega and Atlanta. The feud escalated so

on Nov. 1, leading Kenseth to intentionally dump

authorities were even called to investigate.

badly that NASCAR had to step in.

Logano into the first-turn wall.

34

POLE POSITION 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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POLE POSITION 2022

BY RACHEL BIGUM, MARKETING & ECOMMERCE ANALYST

PHOTOGRAPHY: FORNEY

DRIVER SPOTLIGHT

PRESENTED BY

MEET THE BURTONS: WARD & JEB Ward and Jeb Burton have a lot in common, but the father and son also have their own unique takes on various topics. NASCAR Pole Position interviewed the two Burtons – separately – and asked them the same questions. Here’s what they had to say. BY JARED TURNER

Jeb Burton

Ward Burton

FAVORITE FOOD: I’d have to go with ribeye steak.

FAVORITE FOOD: Wild game and things of that nature.

FAVORITE MOVIE: “Saving Private Ryan.”

FAVORITE MOVIE: “The Cowboys” with John Wayne.

RACING HERO: It was dad. When he wasn’t racing anymore, I leaned on

RACING HERO: Bobby Allison.

BIRTHDATE: Aug. 6, 1992.

BIRTHDATE: Oct. 25, 1961.

Jimmie Johnson when I first came into the sport. He took time with me and

PROUDEST LIFE ACCOMPLISHMENT: Probably all of the growth and

would talk to me a lot, to be honest.

difference we’ve made for others and land and youth outreach and veteran

PROUDEST LIFE ACCOMPLISHMENT: That’s a tough one. Probably No.

outreach with the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation. I never would have

1 was locking down my wife to be with me. No. 2 is starting this outdoors

believed we would accomplish what we’ve accomplished and gotten to

show (“Crossroads with the Burtons” on the Sportsman Channel) and trying

where we’ve gotten with a sustained conservation effort.

to have a successful racing career at the same time.

PERSONAL VEHICLE: Chevrolet Duramax Diesel 2500 HD. It’s a 2015 with

PERSONAL VEHICLE: 2012 Chevy Silverado with 123,000 miles.

about 150,000 miles on it.

BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED: I would say my dad’s advice just

BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED: A dear friend of mine, C.R. Sanders,

to never give up on your dreams and just keep working hard. If you want to

told me when I was very young, on a piece of property he was letting me and

do something, keep trying to make it happen and you can do it.

his children use, “Even though I own the land, I’m just a steward of the land.”

BEST NASCAR MEMORY: Probably winning at Talladega in the Xfinity

BEST NASCAR MEMORY: My Daytona 500 and Southern 500 wins

Series, I would say.

FIRST NASCAR WIN: Feb. 29, 1992 (NASCAR Xfinity Series race at

FIRST NASCAR WIN: June 7, 2013 (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Rockingham Speedway).

race at Texas Motor Speedway).

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE JEB’S DRIVING STYLE: Aggressive, drives

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DAD’S DRIVING STYLE: I would just

every lap like the last lap, intense.

say aggressive.

WHO’S THE BETTER HUNTER: I would have to say right now Jeb is because

WHO’S THE BETTER HUNTER: I think I am now just because I put more

he spends a whole lot more time on it than I do.

effort into it than he does.

WHO WINS IN A FIVE-LAP RACE IN LATE MODELS AT HICKORY MOTOR

WHO WINS IN A FIVE-LAP LATE MODEL RACE AT HICKORY MOTOR

SPEEDWAY: Probably Jeb right now because I’m rusty since I haven’t been

SPEEDWAY: I think I would because he hasn’t been in one in so long, you know?

in a race in a long time.

WHAT IF YOU WERE GOING UP AGAINST 2002 WARD BURTON IN HIS

WHAT ABOUT WHEN YOU WERE IN YOUR PRIME: I’d have to say I’m going to

PRIME: I’d say it would come down to whose car was handling better at that

win. I’m not going bend over on that one and take it for him or anybody else.

point, because I think it would be tough. I think we’d probably wreck each other.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED: Just as someone who

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED: Just a honest, hard-

lives by the code, with honesty and integrity, and I’ve always gone out

working guy that would treat you like you wanted to be treated and treat

of my way to treat others the way I wanted to be treated, and have a

everybody fairly.

damn strong work ethic.

38

POLE POSITION 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

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DRIVER Q&A

Q&A with

NOAH GRAGSON

CHARISMATIC DRIVER ISN’T AFRAID TO SHOW HIS PERSONALITY

BY JARED TURNER

N

oah Gragson is going to be an especially busy man this season. In addition to running his fourth full NASCAR Xfinity Series season in the No. 9 Chevrolet of JR Motorsports, Gragson will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in a part-time role with Kaulig Racing as he shares the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro with reigning Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric and veteran A.J. Allmendinger.

Find out how Gragson is feeling about his hectic schedule and much more in this wide-ranging exclusive interview.

40

POLE POSITION 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TACKLE YOUR 2022 SCHEDULE? I’m going to have to be very selfish in the way I’m managing my time. It’s a big commitment, and there’s a lot of people that rely on me performing at my peak. Instead of hanging out with friends and maybe being up until 10 o’clock at night and whatnot, I’m going to have to be pretty selfish and really prioritize to make sure I’m at my best.

WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE GROWING UP IN LAS VEGAS? It was fairly normal. It’s like in any other city or town – outside of The Strip. We would go down to The Strip maybe five or six times a year, but you’re not really going down there too much as someone who lives there. Now when I go visit, I’ll go down there with some friends and stuff and maybe go play Blackjack, but as a kid, it’s fairly normal. You ride your bike every day and go out dirt-biking and skateboarding and doing whatever.

WHAT’S IT LIKE HAVING DALE EARNHARDT JR. AS A BOSS AT JR MOTORSPORTS? It’s great to be able to call him more of a mentor of mine within the company. He’s kind of got a different role than it might seem, but he’s always been there if I ever need anything. So it’s great to be able to work with him. Obviously, watching him on TV and being a fan of his when I was younger, that’s cool for a little bit, and then it becomes more of a reality of, “Hey, you’re working with this guy now and sometimes even racing with him and trying to beat him.” It takes that fan side away from you, and it’s more of that coworker/work vibe, I guess, but he’s been a great mentor to myself and helped tremendously throughout my career.

WHO WERE YOUR RACING HEROES GROWING UP? Travis Pastrana (action sports legend and X Games gold medalist). I just always liked Travis. A cool guy, and I liked the way

he carries himself and stuff. That’s how I’ve always wanted to be.

He’s just always smiling and having a good time and enjoying the moment. That’s what I’ve really taken from him and tried to be like.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY? I grew up doing action sports. I started racing when I was 13 years old in Bandoleros out in Las Vegas. Before that and still even to this day, I’ve always been an adrenaline junkie. What kind of gets my blood pumping is action sports and scaring myself. So whether it be jumping on my mountain bike or snowboarding, skateboarding, whatever there is – wake surfing, going in the ocean and surfing – stuff that’s kind of unpredictable where you have to adapt on the fly, that’s what I enjoy, and that’s what makes me feel alive. I feel like I’ve got to scare myself to really live life to the fullest, and I really enjoy all those kind of activities. … Just doing anything I can to be outside and scaring myself, that’s what I love.

THIRTY YEARS FROM NOW, WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF? I hope to be remembered, obviously, but I don’t have, really, a clue. Obviously, you set goals and stuff to hopefully be racing or doing something involved with racing. I always told myself I’d like to make a living racing cars – whether it be racing go-karts or in the Cup Series or whatever. That’s how I feel like you make it in racing is you’re able to make a living out of it and continue that for 15 or 20 years. There’s a lot of people who help get you to that point, and, hopefully, you’ll be remembered and make all those people that are involved proud.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE? They’d move the championship race back to Homestead (MiamiSpeedway). … That’s what keeps me up at night.

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DRIVER Q&A

Q&A with

ALEX BOWMAN

HENDRICK DRIVER HAS EMERGED AS ONE OF NASCAR’S BIGGEST STARS

BY JARED TURNER

O

n the heels of his most successful campaign since joining the NASCAR Cup Series full time in 2018, 28-year-old Alex Bowman is gearing up for another big season with Hendrick Motorsports.

Bowman, who earned a career-high four Cup Series victories in 2021, went to Victory Lane for the final time after wrecking Denny Hamlin in the closing laps at Martinsville Speedway.

Get to know Bowman in this exclusive interview from his personal race shop, where he discusses – among other things – his run-in with Hamlin, who angrily labeled him “a hack” during a post-race interview.

52

POLE POSITION 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

HOW DOES WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED IN 2021 AFFECT YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS SEASON? I’m definitely proud of those four wins. I think the way we ended ’20 was probably a little bit stronger than how we ended ’21 – we had a much better playoff run and ended up way better in the points – but being able to win four races in one year was pretty awesome, so I’m definitely confident going into ’22. I’m still trying to find that consistency, but we know how to win races and we know how to finish well at the end, and if we can put the consistency factor in there as well, I think we can contend for a championship.

WHAT WAS THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU DID DURING THE OFFSEASON? I have no clue why my trainer made me do this, but I did almost like a Supermoto motorcycle school, minus the jumps. So like slick tire, dirt track, road course motorcycle school, and I have no coordination – period. I’m really lucky driving a race car doesn’t require me to move my body around inside the race car because I would be no good at it. So it was a struggle. I fell down a lot. It was a really interesting day, and I was super-uncomfortable the whole time, but it was pretty interesting and something I never thought I would do, and it was pretty neat. I don’t want to ever do it again, but it was pretty interesting.

WHAT IS RICK HENDRICK’S BEST QUALITY AS A BOSS? I think just the way he can connect with people. Even when it’s a hard conversation and not exactly a fun conversation to have, he’s good at being able to have those conversations and have those talks and do it in a positive way, and the way he can lead everybody is really special.

It’s been awesome to be driving for Mr. H. I’ve had a lot of fun, and I’ve learned a lot from him, so I’m thankful for the friendship we have, and it’s been pretty awesome.

WHAT’S THE MOST INTERESTING THING ABOUT YOU THAT MOST FANS PROBABLY DON’T KNOW? I feel like there’s no hidden thing about me. I’m just a car guy, I’m really into cars. I grew up in a paint shop, so I’m really mechanically inclined and have been working on stuff my whole life, so all my free time is spent at my race shop working on race cars and trying to get ready for sprint car stuff. … I love hanging out with my dogs. I’m kind of like, “What you see is what you get.” There’s not much else to it. I’m a regular person – uncoordinated and awkward, whether it’s the motorcycle school or trying to snowboard or pretty much anything other than driving a race car, I’m pretty terrible at.

YOU’RE A BIG COFFEE FAN. TELL ME ABOUT IT. First coffee today was at 6:45 (a.m.). I will drink coffee all day if I have access to it. … It’s all the coffee I can get. My trainer tries to make me not drink as much as I wish I could

all the time, but I’m a big coffee guy. It all started when I was driving the Chevy simulator in 2016. I would have to get there at like 7:30 (a.m.), which would turn into 7:45 or 8 with me because I’m not the most on-time person in the world, but I lived like an hour, 15 minutes away.

So I was a 23-year-old race car driver who had never had a super-real job that started that early in the morning at least, and I was trying to figure out how to stay awake in a dark room for long periods of time while they were making changes in the simulator, because I was literally falling asleep in the morning. So I started drinking coffee, and now I’m as addicted as the rest of the country is.

EVERYONE’S SEEN YOUR DOGS – ROSCOE AND FINN – ON TWITTER, AND THEY’RE WITH YOU NOW DURING THIS ZOOM INTERVIEW. THEY’RE PRETTY SPECIAL, RIGHT? They’re the best – even when they’re not. I’m not going to lie to you: Finn just farted, and it smells terrible in here, so I’m dealing with that. No, they’re great. They’ve been coming with me to my shop this winter quite a bit. They can be a handful, they can be awesome. They’re different every day, and I really enjoy having them around.

WHERE DO YOU KEEP YOUR GRANDFATHER CLOCK FROM YOUR MARTINSVILLE WIN LAST FALL, AND DOES IT CHIME? It’s in my office at home, and it does chime. You have to wind it once a week. Honestly, it was kind of a project putting it together. There’s a lot that goes into those things. …

There’s a lot to set it up, but it’s a really cool trophy.

WERE YOU SURPRISED AT THE WARM FAN RECEPTION AFTER WRECKING DENNY HAMLIN FOR THE MARTINSVILLE WIN? Yeah, for sure. Quite honestly, I think if that was somebody else (besides Hamlin), I would have been the one getting booed, but kind of the way some of those late races have gone there, the 11 car (Hamlin) has obviously been on the other side of that, and he’s crashed me twice, getting loose underneath me, so stuff happens. It was obviously very unintentional, and I got out of the car fully expecting to get booed.

I think if anybody watches that post-race stuff, anybody that knows me can tell I wasn’t exactly thrilled and happy and excited. I was pretty frustrated at myself for making that mistake and wrecking somebody like that. So I was definitely surprised to be on the good side of that when I was the one that wrecked somebody, but after watching some (post-race) interviews, I also understand it, so very appreciative of all the support. We sold a lot of T-shirts (playfully featuring Hamlin’s “hack” reference) that went to a good cause (Bowman and primary sponsor Ally each donated $10,000 to Stand for Animals, a nonprofit spay and neuter clinic in Mooresville, North Carolina). So that’s really cool. I’m not the most outgoing person, not the most popular guy in the garage, but to see that kind of support from a bunch of fans was really cool.

POLE POSITION MAG.COM

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JOSH BERRY | JR MOTORSPORTS

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NO.8 CHEVROLET CAMARO

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R YA N VA R G A S | J D M O T O R S P O R T S

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DRIVER Q&A

Q&A with

MYATT SNIDER

EXCITED ABOUT NEW CHAPTER AT JORDAN ANDERSON RACING

BY JARED TURNER

A

s the son of longtime NASCAR on NBC pit reporter Marty Snider, Myatt Snider has been around NASCAR for most of his life. But unlike his father, an award-winning broadcaster, 27-year-old Myatt has carved out a promising career on the driving side.

Entering his third season as a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor, the younger Snider joins Jordan Anderson Racing this season after earning Xfinity Series career win No. 1 at HomesteadMiami Speedway last season with Richard Childress Racing.

Get to know him better in this exclusive Q&A.

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POLE POSITION 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

YOU ATTENDED THE GATOR BOWL AS A GUEST OF YOUR PRIMARY SPONSOR, TAXSLAYER. HOW DID IT GO? It was awesome. TaxSlayer always does a really good job with the bowl every year, and I’ve had the luxury of being able to go two times now. It’s been cool, to say the least, to go to that game. The first time I went we got to drive the race car onto the field and then do the coin toss. I just really enjoy going.

HOW ARE YOU SETTLING IN AT JORDAN ANDERSON RACING? Things have been really good, just getting to know Jordan, getting to know the team, kind of setting everything up. Things have been really good with Jordan, and I really have had a lot of satisfaction with how we’ve been able to work together and his goal and his vision and what he wants to do with the team and how our ideals mesh. He’s a really good leader of the team, and I’m very happy to be integrating myself into that, and, hopefully, I can become a “Jordan Anderson Racing guy.” I’m looking forward to what successes we can build this year, and I’m just really excited for everything.

YOU FLY AIRPLANES? I actually started in 2018, and I think I took my first discovery flight in November 2017. I’ve been trying to get my private pilot’s license for a couple of years now, and I’m basically there as far as flying skills go. I’ve flown most of the hours I need to fly and done most all of the stuff I need to do flying-wise. I think the only things I have left are my FAA written test and maybe a couple of cross-country flights, and that’s about it. So once I do those, I’ll have my pilot’s license and I can fly anywhere. It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to fly to one of my own races, and I’m really looking forward to being able to get that done this year.

WHO’S YOUR BEST FRIEND IN THE SPORT? That’s a tough one. I’d have to say (reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion) Ben Rhodes just because I became really good friends with him when I was racing at ThorSport Racing a couple of years ago, and we would always joke around with each other, and he just seemed like an all-around good dude.

I stay in touch with him, and I have a couple of other friends, but that’s probably my best driver friend, I would say.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BEST DAY IN RACING SO FAR? Oh, man. Probably Homestead this past year just because I kind of knew I had a good chance to run well that whole day, and we kind of did for the most part. There were times when we ran well and times when we didn’t, but we were contenders at the end when it mattered, and for me, that was one of my better accomplishments in racing so far because previously, in trucks, I had really struggled at Homestead. Homestead has a special place in my heart. There’s a lot of other special days I can think of – like winning my first ARCA start, winning the Myrtle Beach 400 (late model race). There’s been a lot of good days in racing.

WHAT WOULD BE A SUCCESSFUL, FULFILLING CAREER IN YOUR MIND? I’ve always been a simple guy. I obviously want all the success I can get in racing, but if I ended up having a career as a NASCAR driver in competitive rides and I’m a competitive driver week in and week out – whether that be in the Truck Series, Xfinity Series or Cup Series – that’s a pretty fulfilling existence for me. Just a fulltime competitive ride is enough for me. That could be anywhere.

That’s my goal.

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DRIVER Q&A

Q&A with

ZANE SMITH

SWITCH TO FORD OFFERS A FRESH START

BY JOSEPH WOLKIN

Z

ane Smith came oh so close to capturing the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.

At the time, while driving for GMS Racing, Smith stunned the NASCAR world with a remarkable win at Martinsville Speedway to lock himself into the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. The emotional triumph also helped Smith secure a ride for 2022 after having no idea what he’d be doing.

Smith, known for being an aggressive and consistent driver, finished runner-up in the series for a second-straight season. With Todd Gilliland moving to the Cup Series, Front Row Motorsports signed the Californian to pilot truck No. 38, a move that Smith believes positions him for a future with Ford Performance.

Not only is Smith a promising 22-yearold racer, he’s also a dog lover. We spoke to Smith about his thoughts heading into the next season, as well as his life with two cute dogs.

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POLE POSITION 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO BE WORKING WITH FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS? I’m pretty excited, mostly because it’s a really good group, especially on the Truck Series side. That’s what has me most excited. Being in the stable of Ford Performance is super exciting, as well, for whatever can come in the future. There’s not a whole lot of people in line there. I’m really fortunate.

WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED EARLY ON THAT IS DIFFERENT BETWEEN CHEVROLET AND FORD? I feel like all manufacturers are going to have their own things that are different. So far, before driving the trucks at Daytona – I’ll feel more then – a lot of the stuff is pretty similar. Even the simulator is close on a lot of things. There are few things I like more when I spend a day in the DIL (simulator) or at the shop, and I’ve been learning.

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS SEASON? Obviously, we’re going to try our hardest to hit the ground running.

It’s hard to do as a new group, especially right now. I feel that myself and this group already have a good connection. That’s important to make sure everybody is on the same page right away. We have to make the most out of these weekends. We don’t have a lot of practice time, so we’ll have to be on our A-game come race weekend.

YOU HAD A GREAT END TO THE 2021 SEASON. WHAT WAS THE ROLLER-COASTER JOURNEY LIKE FOR YOU LAST YEAR? Honestly, I’ve never – throughout a year – felt so much adversity.

We had pit-road penalties and racing situations that took us a while to learn from our mistakes. The playoffs were brutal. If you don’t have all of your eggs in line, you’re going to get bit.

Unfortunately, that’s what was costing us. Somehow, I was able to race my way in. Come the final round, we went from passing for second or the lead three-wide on the top and my left-rear tire cut down and destroyed our truck. We were leading and got taken out. We entered a must-win situation at Martinsville, and we did exactly that. It literally came down to getting passed with eight to go. I don’t know. You have to look at the bright side of things and we would’ve been outside of the top five in points. We had a shot at winning the championship. We had an extremely tight race car, and I could only hold onto it for so long. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long enough.

WHAT CAN YOU DO DIFFERENTLY IN 2022 WITH A FRESH START? I’m not going to be doing a whole lot different. The more years you have with the more experience you have, the better you’re going to get naturally. I think I’m going to go into it the same way I’ve been going into it the past couple of years. I’ll be on my own in terms of preparation, so that’ll be a little bit different. Like I said, I know how to go about it since I’ve been doing it for the past few years. The goal is always the same every year, and that’s to win as many races and contend for wins in as many races as you can. If you can do that, it’s anybody’s game.

WE UNDERSTAND YOU’RE QUITE THE DOG GUY. TELL US ABOUT YOUR PETS. I have a French bulldog and a golden retriever. I spend a lot of time with them, and I know they’re loving it. I’m a huge dog person for sure. I always have been and always will be. My golden retriever is 2 and my French bulldog is 4. Most of the time, they’re either sleeping or just hanging out.

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THE ART OF NASCAR

Paint Schemers The NASCAR world is filled with creative types who are making their own names in the sport.

BY JOSEPH WOLKIN

Harris Lue

Aaron Burnette

Ryan Pistana

A graphic designer for Stewart-Haas Rac-

Aaron Burnette spent plenty of time hon-

Ryan Pistana started designing cars for

ing, Harris Lue is focused on bringing graphic schemes from conception to reality. His most recent work is Chase Briscoe’s new Mahindra Tractors No. 14 Ford Mustang. Besides designing schemes, he’s also designed merchandise, including an epic Grave Digger shirt for Kevin Harvick and social media graphics for teams.

ing in on his craft. Now, he’s Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s newest graphic designer, and he’s the man who will work on the sleek new No. 6 car that Brad Keselowski will race this season and beyond.

He moved to RFK Racing from Chip Ganassi Racing, where he most recently worked with Ross Chastain and Kurt Busch.

video games as a kid, teaching himself the tricks of the trade. Tommy Joe Martins and Will Rodgers gave him his first big break, and now the 21-year-old is one of the most recognizable designers in the NASCAR Twittersphere. This year, he’s already revealed some of his work with Alpha Prime Racing in the Xfinity Series.

NOAH SWEET NOAH SWEET, ALSO KNOWN AS “LEFTY,” IS WELL KNOWN AMONG NASCAR DESIGNERS FOR HIS CONCEPT SCHEMES. BUT IN 2020, HE had the opportunity of a lifetime when his work was featured on one of Jimmie Johnson’s final paint schemes with Hendrick Motorsports. Ever since, well-deserved opportunities have come up for Sweet, including designing schemes for Landon Cassill, Ty Gibbs, Dawson Cram and Daniel Suarez.

Ryan Williams

Shawn Magee

Kyle Williams

RYAN WILLIAMS

SHAWN MAGEE

KYLE WILLIAMS IS

has become

designs schemes

a designer for

synonymous with

in each of the top

The Decal Source,

JR Motorsports,

NASCAR divisions.

which works with

the NASCAR Xfinity

In 2019, his Scooby

several teams in the

Series powerhouse.

Doo-themed car

NASCAR Cup Series,

He designs

with Keen Parts and

NASCAR Xfinity

schemes for most

Corey LaJoie won

Series, NASCAR

of JR Motorsports’

NASCAR on NBC’s

Camping World

drivers, working

Paint Scheme of the

Truck Series and

diligently with sponsors to ensure they have

Year award. He currently designs schemes for

ARCA Menards Series. In 2021 alone, Williams

a different look each season. This year, Dale

Rick Ware Racing, Spire Motorsports and many

designed 121 race car schemes. He’s worked with

Earnhardt Jr. will use Williams’ paint scheme in his

other teams. He’s even gone as far as designing

everyone from Chase Elliott to Jeb Burton, A.J.

only race of the year after a fan vote put his No.

logos for events, including the ones sponsored by

Allmendinger to Bubba Wallace and more. Now,

88 car design on top.

Fr8Auctions.

he’s one of the busiest designers in NASCAR.

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POLE POSITION 2022

Justin Harris

Graphic Designer for Joe Gibbs Racing

BY JOSEPH WOLKIN

To be a graphic designer in NASCAR, one must understand the ins and outs of the industry. The art of bringing the design of a race car from a concept to reality is one few can master.

Justin Harris, one of Joe Gibbs Racing’s lead designers, began working with the organization in the summer of 2013 as a CNC machining intern. But his true passion was to design the graphic schemes in which JGR’s cars would be wrapped come race day.

“I inquired about a position that became available, which ultimately I didn’t get,” Harris said. “But I had a really well designed portfolio that I submitted, and they mentioned that the graphic artist put in her two weeks the same day. So I ended up with the graphic artist job instead.”

From there, Harris’ career took off.

He made his own path and drove right through it, determined to please the company’s sponsors, drivers and, most of all, fans.

“To be honest, I don’t believe I have received much – if not any – advice on my career here,” he said. “I am the only person here to design cars and create the print files to make it, so I’ve had to teach myself a lot and create things that work best for me.”

Overall, Harris has designed roughly 24 paint schemes and counting, including having the same DeWalt and Stanley Tools paint schemes on multiple cars (i.e. Christopher Bell in both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series).

Some drivers, he says, love to have input on the paint schemes. Others, not so much.

“Kyle Busch had a lot of involvement with the NOS Energy Xfinity Series car he ran a few years ago,” Harris said. “It ended up being about four layers thick of different kinds of vinyl, so I think we had to limit his involvement with car layout.

“I most recently got to design the (No.) 18 Xfinity Poppy Bank car with Daniel Hemric. It appeared the sponsor just wanted whatever Daniel wanted. So we went back and forth until he ultimately got the car design he wanted. But that is the most a driver has given feedback on my designs.”

But what is Harris’ favorite scheme that he’s designed? It’s Bell’s 2021 Craftsman car, boasting a sleek, traditional design that pays tribute to the firm’s involvement in NASCAR. In the future, as Harris continues designing for JGR, he has his eyes set on creating his own woodworking/3D printing company.

POLE POSITION MAG.COM

67

NASCAR HISTORY

T O N T U B E N O G TTEN

O G R FO

A.

Over the years, many competitors have left their marks on the sport through perseverance, dedication, desire and even antics, and each of them deserves to be remembered as a part of NASCAR history.

BY BEN WHITE

A. JOHNNY MANTZ: California native Johnny Mantz recorded

B.

C.

one victory during his four-year career, that being the inaugural Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in 1950. He only had 12 NASCAR starts.

B. FONTY FLOCK: From 1949 to 1957, Fonty Flock was a fun-loving prankster who was serious on the track, scoring 19 wins, 72 top-five results, 83 top-10 finishes and 33 pole positions during his career.

D.

C. SPEEDY THOMPSON: From 1950 through 1971, Alfred “Speedy” Thompson drove for some top team owners, including Carl Kiekhaefer and the Wood brothers. He logged 20 NASCAR victories and 19 pole positions.

F.

D. AL UNSER: Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser entered five NASCAR Cup Series races over three years – 1968, 1969 and 1986. He logged two top-five finishes and three top-10 results during his brief stock car career.

E. JIM REED: From 1951 through 1963, Jim Reed made 106 NASCAR starts, logging 38 top-five finishes, 48 top-10 results and five poles. Ironically, he logged seven wins, the same as his car number.

E.

G.

F. RED BYRON: Known as NASCAR’s first champion, Alabama native Red Byron entered 15 races in 1949 and 1950 and won two twice – Daytona and Martinsville – while driving for Raymond Parks.

G. TIM FLOCK: The NASCAR Cup Series champion in 1952 and 1955, Flock enjoyed 39 victories during his 13-year career. His best year of racing was his second title season when he won 18 races.

H. MARTY ROBBINS: During his Cup Series career from 1966 to 1982, award-winning country music icon Marty Robbins drove in 35 races. He scored one top-five result and six top-10 finishes.

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POLE POSITION 2022

H.

PHOTOGRAPHY: NASCAR HALL OF FAME

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NASCAR COLLECTIBLES

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finding 30 years ago,” he said. “People are cleaning out their attics and basements and selling books you would never have seen years ago.”

Internet auctions allowed Todd to significantly add to his collection, including two pieces that would have once been nearly impossible to obtain. He has been a big Curtis Turner fan since childhood, so it should come as no surprise that the legendary driver was the topic of two items on Todd’s mostwanted list.

“One was the book, ‘Timber on The Moon,’” he elaborated.

“When I started looking for one, if you found one that somebody was willing to part with, the asking price was usually really steep. I also wanted the 1968 Sports Illustrated magazine

DAVE TODD

Quenching a Thirst for Knowledge

I

n this digital day and age, even the most obscure racing information is just a

keystroke away. It wasn’t always that way. Just a few short years ago, those with a hunger for NASCAR knowledge were forced to sift through countless books, magazines, programs and any other printed material they could come across. Consequently, many a learned stock car racing historian compiled an extensive library during that elusive quest for knowledge.

Dave Todd, a retiree living in western Massachusetts, has amassed so much reference material that he has literally lost count of just how many pieces of motorsports media he has in his possession.

“If I counted it all, it would be several thousand pieces,” he said. “I don’t mean for that to sound like I’m bragging. But if you count books, magazines, record books, programs, media guides … I gave up trying to keep track of just how much I have 10 or 15 years ago.”

Todd’s vast collection initially took the green flag in the late 1960s with his first purchase of a copy of Stock Car Racing magazine.

“I picked it up off the magazine rack in the local pharmacy of all places,” he recalled. “Of course, I was just a kid, so one magazine at a time was all I could afford. But after a few months of raiding the magazine rack every month, I saved up enough to buy a subscription, and I was hooked!”

Soon, the titles on Todd’s required reading list was growing by leaps and bounds. If it had anything to do with NASCAR or high performance, it was going on his bookshelf.

Todd considers the centerpiece of his library to be his extensive collection of vintage Official NASCAR Record Books. He owns early copies documenting the sanctioning body’s statistical history all the way back to the early 1950s.

“I think I have all of them except for a couple,” he said. “Record-keeping during the early years of NASCAR was sometimes a little ‘iffy,’ and I think there were a couple of seasons that they didn’t publish the Record Book. But I have most of them from the beginning right on up to present day.”

Originally published specifically for members of NASCAR and the working media, these Record Books contain many facts that aren’t readily available anywhere else.

“The Record Books give pertinent information on all of the top drivers and virtually every division of NASCAR,” Todd explained. “They even cover every NASCAR-sanctioned weekly track and document their point standings from the previous season. It’s amazing the information you can find in them. Without a doubt, they are my most prized possessions.”

Like many collectors of vintage memorabilia, Todd acknowledges that the advent of the internet auction platform eBay, more than two decades ago, has been a godsend to his hobby.

“It has enabled me to purchase books and magazines that I could have never dreamed of

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POLE POSITION 2022

with Turner on the cover and the story ‘King of The Wild Road’ in it. A couple of years ago, I was able to buy both of them on eBay within two weeks of each other for a very reasonable price. I felt like a kid at Christmas.”

The one aspect of Todd’s collection that evokes an added measure of pride is its diversity. His assemblage of motorsports journalism is by no means limited to traditional NASCAR publications. Here is a quick sampling that offers a glimpse at the depth of his library:

•• 1924 Charlotte (N.C.) Speedway (Board Track) Souvenir Program

•• 1957 Chevrolet Black Widow Competition Guide •• 1950 Southern 500 Program •• 1987 Allan Grice Aussie Assault Press Kit •• 1978 Metrolina (N.C.) Dirt Track Rule Book •• 1967 NASCAR Summernationals DRAG RACING Program

•• 1998 Adam Petty Media Guide While he readily admits that the computer age has brought a plethora of information to our fingertips in the blink of an eye, Todd insists that we should view the past with the reverence it deserves. He also believes that the younger generation is missing out on something, “The internet is great,” he said matter-of-factly, “but there is still something special about being able to physically hold a book or magazine in your hand and flip through the pages.

There’s nothing quite like it.”

CHRISTIAN WILSON

‘Every Car Has a Story Behind It’

T

hey only graced the tracks of NASCAR for less than two

seasons. Their 14 combined victories – while impressive – were far from overwhelming. Yet no cars before or since have left a more indelible mark on the face of NASCAR than the famed Chrysler “wing cars” – the Dodge Daytona and the Plymouth Superbird.

With their pointed nose pieces and high sweeping rear wings, they were designed specifically to do battle with the Ford Talladegas and Mercury Cyclone Spoilers in the aero wars of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Dodge Daytona made a triumphant debut with Richard Brickhouse’s victory at Talladega in September 1969. The aerodynamic marvel was joined by its sister car – the Superbird – the following year. Both Ford and Chrysler waged a relentless struggle for supremacy of the high banks of NASCAR until the sanctioning body legislated the exotic aero warriors out of existence through the implementation of severely restricted engines.

The Chrysler wing cars made their final appearance in the 1971 Daytona 500 when Dick Brooks piloted a lone Dodge Daytona with a small 305-cubic-inch power plant to a seventh-place finish.

And as quickly as they appeared, the wing cars were gone. But they live on in racing lore, adored by hardcore fans and coveted by die-cast enthusiasts.

“I’ve been fascinated with the wing cars since I was very young,” said Christian Wilson, a 20-year-old whose healthy appreciation for NASCAR history is leading him into a career in motorsports media. “Even when I was a little guy playing with die-cast cars as kids often do, there was just something about those wing cars that sparked my interest. As I grew older and learned more about them, the more I wanted to share to newer fans about this special part of NASCAR history.”

Growing up in the Carolinas, Wilson was exposed to stock car racing nonstop throughout his formative years.

“Our family was in front of the TV watching NASCAR races almost every weekend at my grandparent’s houses,” he recalled. “We all had our favorites. My grandfather’s favorite was Dale Sr., and I have family members who were fans of Davey Allison and Jeff Gordon. I was a big Jimmie Johnson fan until he retired. My favorite current drivers are Aric Almirola, Ross Chastain, Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott.”

As often happens, Wilson’s enthusiasm for stock car racing has manifested itself in a massive die-cast collection. He estimates the number of replicas he currently owns at somewhere in the range of 600-800 vehicles.

“When I first began collecting, I bought off the shelves at Target

and Walmart,” he recalled. “Then, of course, I discovered that you could buy from dealers, buy on the internet, find cars on eBay. …

That’s when my collection really took off.”

Of course, the wing car segment of his inventory makes up just a small portion of his total car count. But the Dodge Daytonas and Plymouth Superbirds are by far his most prized collectibles.

“I currently have 29 wing cars in my collection, and four more on the way,” Wilson said. “It’s hard to say which of the wing cars are my favorite. Really, it’s impossible because there is something special about each one – just like the real cars they were based upon.”

Wilson notes that shopping for wing car die-casts is a bit more challenging than the search for more common issues.

That’s because not all wing cars have been replicated en masse by collectibles manufacturers.

“That usually happens in the case of some of the smaller teams or lesserknown drivers,” he elaborated. “If you want a replica of one of those cars you might have to have it custom built.

There are some builders out there who do a superb job of creating custom-made replicas of just about any car you could think of. Some of these cars are kind of expensive, but that is to be expected when you’re looking for a quality collectible.”

According to Wilson, the striking authenticity of today’s die-cast replicas provides a comprehensive history lesson for collectors. That is true whether it is contemporary die-casts or historically significant recreations like the wing cars.

“You can learn a lot from die-casts,” he noted. “Just from looking at them, I’m amazed at the safety features that have evolved over the years. You can also learn a lot about how the bodies have changed over time.”

Wilson also notes that each wing car die-cast tells a story all its own. Some teams, like the Pettys or the K&K team, ran all the races, but they only used their wing car on the superspeedways. Other teams, such as the No. 99 Nichels team, only ran the big tracks, so they raced the Dodge Daytona exclusively. When you look at each of those die-casts, you are reminded of something the actual car accomplished. For instance, the blue No. 88 Dodge was the car that Buddy Baker drove when he broke the 200 mph barrier at Talladega.

The No. 71 was one of the cars Bobby Isaac used to win the 1970 championship, and then broke an abundance of speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

“Every car has a story behind it,” Wilson said matter-of-factly.

“It has been 50 years since they ran their final race and the Dodge Daytonas and Plymouth Superbirds are still a huge part of NASCAR history and always will be.”

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PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. (OH YEAH!)

BY BEN WHITE The most cars to ever start a NASCAR race came in the 1951 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway with 82. The race was won by Fonty Flock.

1.

From 1956 to 1959, NASCAR sanctioned an upstart convertible division. Bob Welborn won championships the first three seasons while Joe Lee Johnson was crowned division champion during its final year.

2.

Before pit boxes were introduced in the late 1980s, crews would lay their tools out on shop cloths. Here, they are positioned for use at Darlington Raceway in the early 1960s.

3.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Richard Petty and David Pearson finished first and second to one another in NASCAR competition 63 times with Pearson winning 33 races to Petty’s 30.

4.

Two-time Cup Series champion Terry Labonte won his first Cup Series race in the 1980 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and his last victory came in the 2003 Southern 500.

5.

On May 1, 1987, Bill Elliott set at qualifying record of 212.809 mph prior to the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway while driving the Melling Racing Ford.

6.

On Feb. 14, 1988, Bobby Allison won the Daytona 500 over his son, Davey Allison. In the race’s 62-year history, no other father and son has finished first and second.

7.

NASCAR’s winningest drivers in a single Cup Series season are Richard Petty with 27 in 1967, Tim Flock with 18 in 1955 and Jeff Gordon with 13 in 1998.

8.

PHOTOGRAPHY: NASCAR HALL OF FAME

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