2019 RACING GUIDE
(Ull!I DIP !Al!A PROUD SPORSDR OF LEXI Gnu RncmG
Hey! I am 188 year old Lexi Gay from Georgia and drive in the NASCARÂŽ Whelen All-American Series. I began this crazy adventure at age 12 in a small car called a Bandolero. That's when I knew that I belonged behind a steering wheel. Taking to the track with my southern stubbornness, my mother calls it, I came out strong leading the pack. Within a couple of seasons we decided it was time to make the move to full size Late Model Stock cars and build my experience. With my move to Late Model Stock cars, I met and partnered with Gordo's Cheese Dip. Having Gordo's Cheese Dip support me from my first days in a late model is overwhelming. Without them I would not have the opportunities I have today. Being a first generation racer makes it a tough road and as a female I feel I have to work harder to prove myself, which doesn't bother me at all. This has not come without my share of struggles but an awesome family and fierce determination keeps me focused. I am starting my fourth year driving Gordo's Cheese Dip Late Model and select ARCA races with Empire Racing for my 2019 season. We have some big plans so grab some Gordo's Cheese Dip and follow me to see where all of this takes us! NASCARÂŽ and its marks are trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc
2018 STANDINGS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
Driver Joey Logano Martin Truex Jr. Kevin Harvick Kyle Busch Aric Almirola Chase Elliott Kurt Busch Brad Keselowski Kyle Larson Ryan Blaney Denny Hamlin Clint Bowyer Austin Dillon Jimmie Johnson Erik Jones Alex Bowman Ryan Newman Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Paul Menard Jamie McMurray Daniel Suarez AJ Allmendinger William Byron Chris Buescher David Ragan Michael McDowell Ty Dillon Bubba Wallace Matt DiBenedetto Kasey Kahne Trevor Bayne Matt Kenseth Regan Smith Corey LaJoie Cole Whitt Gray Gaulding Jeffrey Earnhardt Kyle Weatherman Harrison Rhodes Blake Jones
Points 5040 5035 5034 5033 2354 2350 2350 2343 2299 2298 2285 2272 2245 2242 2220 2204 769 701 692 683 674 603 587 585 524 493 482 471 368 358 287 268 157 144 132 119 110 33 24 21
Diff. Races Wins — 36 3 -5 36 4 -6 36 8 -7 36 8 -2686 36 1 -2690 36 3 -2690 36 1 -2697 36 3 -2741 36 0 -2742 36 1 -2755 36 0 -2768 36 2 -2795 36 1 -2798 36 0 -2820 36 1 -2836 36 0 -4271 36 0 -4339 36 0 -4348 36 0 -4357 36 0 -4366 36 0 -4437 36 0 -4453 36 0 -4455 36 0 -4516 36 0 -4547 36 0 -4558 36 0 -4569 36 0 -4672 36 0 -4682 25 0 -4753 21 0 -4772 15 0 -4883 11 0 -4896 23 0 -4908 13 0 -4921 20 0 -4930 17 0 -5007 7 0 -5016 6 0 -5019 3 0
T5 13 20 23 22 4 11 6 12 12 8 10 9 2 2 9 3 0 3 1 2 3 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T10 26 21 29 28 17 21 22 20 19 16 17 16 8 11 18 11 9 5 7 8 9 5 4 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DNF 3 5 4 3 2 4 4 6 4 5 4 6 3 4 3 3 3 6 5 5 3 6 9 3 2 6 4 6 8 3 6 1 0 7 1 4 3 1 2 0
Stage Wins Playoff Pts 5 14 10 35 19 50 6 50 1 1 4 8 3 14 5 19 5 5 6 7 3 0 1 15 0 5 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019 TEAMS Chip Ganassi Racing
Front Row Racing
Owner: Chip Ganassi Location: Concord, N.C. Drivers: Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson Cup Championships: 0
Owner: Bob Jenkins Location: Mooresville, N.C. Drivers: David Ragan, Michael McDowell, Matt Tifft Cup Championships: 0
Chip Ganassi is excited about the upcoming season and the addition of driver Kurt Busch to the Ganassi stable. Busch and youngster Kyle Larson give the organization two legitimate threats to win every week, not to mention a couple of Chase contenders. Larson didn’t see Victory Lane last year, but has five career wins with three of them coming at Michigan. He’s still a rising talent with six runner-up finishes last season to go along with three third-place finishes. He led 284 laps at Darlington before settling for third and was out front for 200 laps at the Bristol spring race and ended up second. He was 12th entering the Chase and ended up ninth. Busch brings a tremendous amount of valuable experience with 30 career wins including his sixth at Bristol last season. Busch began, and ended, the playoffs in seventh place.
Front Row Racing is making progress in the sport against larger and better-funded teams, and has added a third team for 2019. David Ragan and Michael McDowell combined for just two top-10 finishes last season, both at plate tracks. McDowell ran 10th in the Daytona 500 and Ragan was sixth at Talladega in the spring. Ragan last won at Talladega in 2013, one of just two wins in the organization’s history. But Ragan usually finishes what he starts. He was one of only two drivers (Aric Almirola the other) to finish 34 races last season. Considered one of the nicest guys in the sport, Ragan has plenty of fans throughout the garages. Tough luck hit McDowell last season when he had good cars at Watkins Glen and Bristol. He led 20 laps at Daytona in July before getting caught up in a crash. Matt Tifft has had little success on the XFINITY Series.
2019 TEAMS
Hendrick Motorsports
Joe Gibbs Racing
Owner: Rick Hendrick Location: Concord, N.C. Drivers: Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Alex Bowman Cup Championships: 12 Most Recent Title: Johnson, 2016
Owners: Joe Gibbs Location: Huntersville, N.C. Drivers: Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin Cup Championships: 4 Most Recent Title: Busch, 2015
What was for several years one of the more veteran teams in the sport is now one of the youngest. Veteran Jimmie Johnson—that’s seven-time champ Jimmie Johnson to you and me—remains the unquestioned leader of this group. Johnson won the championship in 2016, but is coming off the two worst seasons, statistically, of his career. For the first time in his career he didn’t visit Victory Lane at least twice. In fact, he didn’t see checkers at all in 2018. Awesome Chase from Dawsonville entered the Chase ranked eighth last season and won a couple times during the playoffs (Dover and Kansas). He led the league in quality passes with 1,707. He is a future champion. Johnson and Alex Bowman earned the final two spots in the 2018 Chase. Long-time Johnson crew chief Chad Knaus takes over
This outfit has been the most successful team over the past few years from top to bottom. With the addition of Martin Truex Jr., the organization now has two of the drivers who were in the final four of the Chase last season, ranking one and three entering the Chase. The four drivers for 2019 combined for 13 wins last season, although Truex’s four victories came with the Furniture Row organization. Busch and Truex combined to win 10 of the first 21 races last season, with Busch’s win at Charlotte the most dominating performance of the season. Throw in Erik Jones’ win at Daytona and that’s 12 of the first 21. Jones was 10th heading into the playoffs and Denny Hamlin 13th. Hamlin, by the way, ran in the top 7 nine times in those first 21 events and led 11 of them giving this organization a quartet of championship caliber teams.
2019 TEAMS JTG Daugherty Racing
Team Penske
Owners: Tad Geschickter, Jodi Geschickter, Brad Daugherty and Gordon Smith Location: Harrisburg, N.C. Drivers: Chris Buescher, Ryan Preece Cup Championships: 0
Owner: Roger Penske Location: Mooresville, N.C. Drivers: Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney Cup Championships: 2 Most Recent Title: Logano, 2018
A two-car operation like JTG Daugherty Racing, led by former basketball star and NASCAR analyst Brad Daugherty, continues to defy the odds on the Cup circuit. However, rolling a competitive car out of the hauler on a weekly basis just hasn’t happened for this organization. Chris Buescher took some steps backward in 2017 after making the Chase in 2016, then essentially plateaued this past summer. But Buescher and the No. 37 team figured out Daytona last season. Buescher ran fifth in both events at the storied track. The question now before JTG Daugherty is how the new rules package removing restrictor plates will affect the team. The team welcomes rookie Ryan Preece in the No. 47 car.
Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano work as well together as any teammates in the sport. Prior to last season, Roger Penske added a third team primarily because he wanted to bring Ryan Blaney on board. All three teams give the organization legitimate championship contenders. Logano won just once prior to the Chase, but notched a couple of victories (Martinsville and Homestead) to win the Cup title. He ranked sixth heading into the Chase. Keselowski, the 2012 Cup champion, won the final two races of the regular season to enter the Chase in fourth place. Blaney had some consistency issues during the first half of the season, but the team came together in time to enter the Chase in ninth place. At win at the Charlotte Roval propelled the team into the second round of the Chase.
2019 TEAMS
Richard Childress Racing
Richard Petty Motorsports
Owner: Richard Childress Location: Welcome, N.C. Drivers: Austin Dillon, Daniel Hamric Cup Championships: 6 Most Recent Title: Dale Earnhardt Sr., 1994
Owners: Richard Petty, Andrew M. Murstein Location: Welcome, N.C. Drivers: Bubba Wallace Cup Championships: 0
The proud Richard Childress organization, accustomed to winning races and chasing Cup Championships, has struggled to field fast cars over the past several years. There have been 13 different drivers win championships since the last RCR Cup title. In the 2000s, 11 different drivers have hoisted the hardware and six different owners. But RCR has been shut out. The organization will field just two fulltime teams in 2019. Austin Dillon returns to drive the No. 3 car and rookie Daniel Hamric will pilot the No. 8 full-time this season after just two starts in 2018. Dillon led just four races for a total of 23 laps, but he was out in front for the secondmost important lap of the season, the final lap of the Daytona 500. Dillon should return to the Chase, but isn’t a title contender. Hemric won nine stages and finished third in points in the XFINITY Series.
Bubba Wallace, the first full-time African-American behind the wheel in NASCAR since 1971, immediately made his presence known with a second-place finish in the Daytona 500. But seven races later, Wallace was outside the top 20 in points for good with nary a sniff at the Chase. The Petty organization remains underfunded and must overachieve just to compete on a weekly basis. But Wallace is a talented driver who should overachieve in Petty cars. A visit to Victory Lane or eking into the Chase would be a huge step forward for this team; a step that would likely bring funding necessary to compete for the Chase on a yearly basis. Wallace led five races for a total of 19 laps— a small step by most teams’ standards—but a significant step for the No. 43 team. Expect continued success on the superspeedways.
2019 TEAMS Roush Fenway Racing
Stewart-Haas Racing
Owners: Jack Roush, John W. Henry, Fenway Sports Group Location: Concord, N.C. Drivers: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Newman Cup Championships: 2 Most Recent Title: Kurt Busch, 2004
Owners: Tony Stewart, Gene Haas Location: Kannapolis, N.C. Drivers: Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Daniel Suarez Cup championships: 2 Most Recent Title: Harvick, 2014
The Roush organization hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire over the past several seasons. For the second time in three seasons, the Roush organization has been shut out of the Chase. After missing the Chase with three drivers in 2016, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. drove a Roush car back into the Chase thanks to two wins in plate races in 2017. But both Stenhouse and Trevor Bayne missed the Chase last season. Now Ryan Newman, who also missed the Chase in 2018 while driving for RCR, will replace Bayne in the No. 6 car. Newman has 18 career wins, but eight of those came way back in 2003. He’s still a tough customer on the track, but the Roush cars just aren’t fast enough to compete weekly.
Kevin Harvick, the 2014 Cup champion, is a favorite to win another title at some point, perhaps this season. Harvick was close to dominant last season. He had eight wins and only six finishes out of the top 12. Of the 10 races in which Harvick never led, he still finished in the top 10 seven times, three times in the top 5. He entered the Chase in a tie with Kyle Busch atop the standings. Clint Bowyer found checkers at Martinsville and Michigan, but ran outside the top 10 for most of the second half of the season. Due to his two wins, he stood in fifth place heading into the Chase. He’s expected to be in the playoffs again this season. Aric Almirola drove his way into the fringes of the Chase, then won at Talladega to earn a spot in the third round of the playoffs. Daniel Suarez moves over from JGR.
2019 TEAMS
OTHER TEAM NOTES: Other organizations who will field full-time teams in 2019 hoping to gain respectability: The Wood Brothers will once again employ veteran Paul Menard who brings solid financial backing, if not top-notch racing skill, to the team. He won a stage and logged seven top 10s, but is not a threat to make the Chase. Corey LaJoie had three blown engines in his first four starts last season for TriStar Motorsports. He will pilot the No. 32 Ford for Go Fas Racing in 2019. Most experts believe given better equipment, LaJoie can compete at the Cup level. Leavine Family Racing signed Matt DiBenedetto, an extremely popular driver, for the 2019 season. He had one top-10 finish for Go Fas Racing last year. It was in the July Daytona race. He led just eight laps all season, six in the spring at Talladega and two in the fall at the superspeedway. LFR hopes to make noise at the superspeedways this season. Veteran crew chief Mike Wheeler could make a huge difference for this team. Ty Dillon returns in the No. 13 Chevy for Germain Racing. The youngster cracked the top 10 for the first time in 90 career starts last year at Daytona where he ran sixth. He led the only three laps of his season in that race. Landon Cassill returns to the 00 team with StarCom Racing. He had two runs to write home about: 18th at Vegas during the playoffs and 20th at the spring Bristol race. But he couldn’t crack the top 50 in points. Premium Motorsports will run the No. 15 car with Ross Chastain, who also will run full-time on the XFINITY Series with Ganassi... Obaika Racing enters the fray this season and Tanner Berryhill will be behind the wheel...Rick Ware Racing has a couple of charters and plans to use a number of drivers in the No. 51 and No. 52 cars...Carl Long Racing plans to have Timmy Hill drive for most of the season.
Landon Cassill #00
DOB: 7/7/1989 – 9th year – Birthplace: Cedar Rapids, IA
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 1 1 288 2019 Team: StarCom Racing Sponsors: StarCom Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Wayne Carroll Landon Cassill has been driving on the Cup series for enough years to know his way around the garage. Unfortunately, he doesn’t find his way around tracks very quickly. It’s difficult to say whether it’s substandard equipment or subpar driving. The truth is probably quite a bit of both. Cassill has just one top-10 finish in his career. That was a fourth-place run at Talladega in 2014. He also ran 11th at that superspeedway that season as well. Last season in 29 starts with StarCom, Cassill never led a race and had just two lead lap finishes. Prediction: Field Filler
Kurt Busch #1 Career
DOB: 8/4/1978 – 19th year – Birthplace: Las Vegas, NV Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 30 137 280 648
2019 Team: Chip Ganassi Racing Sponsors: Monster Energy, McDonald’s, Cessna Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Matt McCall Kurt Busch earned six wins over the past five seasons driving for Stewart-Haas, but evidently the organization didn’t feel the veteran has enough left in his tank to compete for championships any more. He won at Bristol last season and had a string of eight top-10 finishes to close out the regular season, then advanced to the third round of the Chase. Ganassi didn’t hesitate to bring Busch over and offer him the seat in the No. 1 car. As successful as Busch has been, he’s never won at Indianapolis, Darlington or Talladega. Prediction: In the Chase
Brad Keselowski #2
DOB 2/12/1984 – 10th year – Birthplace: Rochester Hills, MI
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 27 102 167 341 2019 Team: Team Penske Sponsors: Discount Tire, Miller Lite, Alliance Truck Parts Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Paul Wolfe Brad Keselowski and Crew Chief Paul Wolfe have been together since 2011, and are hungry to win another championship. Keselowski drives aggressively, sometimes too much, and that has caused trouble for the No. 2 team. He’s crashed out of 11 races over the past two seasons, and must keep his car intact in order to contend for a title. In 2012, his lone championship season, Keselowski crashed just once. He also must rediscover his magic at the superspeedways where his best finish last season was 27. Prediction: Title Contender
Austin Dillon #3 Career
Wins 2
Top 5 11
DOB 4/27/1990 – 6th year – Birthplace: Lewisville, NC Top 10 Starts 34 193
2019 Team: Richard Childress Racing Sponsors: Dow, American Ethanol, AAA Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Danny Stockman Jr. After winning the Coca-Cola 600 in 2017, Austin Dillon captured the Daytona 500 last season, punching his playoff ticket early. However, the young driver never found a rhythm and couldn’t maintain any kind of consistency last season. After his Daytona win, he notched just one more top 5, a 4th-place finish at Michigan. His only two top-10 finishes in the first 22 races in 2018 were at Daytona. Dillon is a better driver than his equipment at RCR, but without significant upgrades, the team will struggle to run up front. Prediction: In the Chase
Kevin Harvick #4 Career
DOB 12/8/1975 – 19th year – Birthplace: Bakersfield, CA Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 45 191 336 646
2019 Team: Stewart-Haas Racing Sponsor: Busch, Jimmy John’s, Mobil 1 Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Rodney Childers Since winning the 2014 Cup Championship, Kevin Harvick has finished second, eighth and third twice in points. The No. 4 team is a contender every week regardless of the type of track. He was in Victory Lane eight times last season, and has won at least one race for nine consecutive seasons. Pocono, Kentucky and the Charlotte Roval are the only tracks where Harvick hasn’t won a Cup race. He led the circuit last season with 19 stage wins, 375 stage points and 1,990 laps led. Prediction: Title Contender
Ryan Newman #6 Career
Wins 18
DOB 12/8/1977 – 18th year – Birthplace: South Bend, IN Top 5 Top 10 Starts 112 247 620
2019 Team: Roush Fenway Racing Sponsor: Ford, Wyndham Rewards, Oscar Meyer Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Scott Graves Once a title contender, Ryan Newman has been relegated to a field filler in recent seasons. Newman was at one time terrific in qualifying, but he hasn’t won a pole since 2013. He won eight times way back in 2003, but has visited Victory Lane just once since 2013. Most competitors don’t consider the Roush Fenway cars real threats, so Newman must conjure up some old magic to compete in 2019. He’s still one of the most difficult drivers to pass, and hasn’t missed a race since early 2002. Prediction: Just outside the Chase
Daniel Hemric #8
DOB: 1/27/1991 – 1st year – Birthplace: Kannapolis, NC Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 0 0 0
2019 Team: Richard Childress Racing Sponsor: Liberty Insurance, Caterpillar Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Luke Lambert Daniel Hemric gets his first shot at the big time as he takes over in the seat of the No. 31 RCR team driven by Ryan Newman last year, The team is pretty much intact other than Newman and will switch over to the No. 8 for 2019. The 28-year-old driver has never won a race in a national series. This team won’t compete for any championships soon, heck, it probably won’t even run up front at all. But Richard Childress hopes this season will provide learning opportunities the team and driver can build on for the future. Prediction: Nowhere near the Chase
Chase Elliott #9 Career
DOB: 11/28/1995 – 4th Year – Birthplace: Dawsonville, GA Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 3 33 59 113
2019 Team: Hendrick Motorsports Sponsor: NAPA, SunEnergy1, Kelley Blue Book Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson Chase Elliott broke through with his first three career wins (Watkins Glen, Dover and Kansas) last season, two of them coming in the second round of the Chase. The young driver has always run well at Dover with five top 5s in six starts. It shouldn’t be long before he visits Victory Lane in Michigan where Elliott has three top 5s and never finished out of the top 10. Although he was posting strong finishes early last season, he led in just two of the first 17 races for a total of eight laps. Prediction: Easily in the Chase
Aric Almirola #10
DOB 3/14/1984 – 8th year – Birthplace: Fort Walton Beach, FL
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 2 15 49 280 2019 Team: Stewart-Haas Racing Sponsor: Smithfield, Mobil 1, Valley Technical Academy Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: John Klausmeier Aric Almirola struggled with Richard Petty Racing for a few seasons before landing the seat in the No. 10 car in 2018. Almirola proved he could drive with the big boys. Prior to his connection with Stewart-Haas, Almirola had topped out at 16th in the standings prior to his fifth-place finish last year. He led 181 laps last season, which was five more than he had led over the first nine years of his career. Now, the team must prove that their 2018 success was no fluke. Prediction: In the Chase
Denny Hamlin #11 Career
DOB 11/18/1980 – 14th year – Birthplace: Chesterfield, VA Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 31 142 235 470
2019 Team: Joe Gibbs Racing Sponsor: FedEx Manufacturer: Toyota Crew Chief: Chris Gabehart Denny Hamlin had at least one win in each of his first 12 seasons as a full-time Cup driver, but that streak came to an end after going winless in 2018. Chris Gabehart replaces Hamlin’s friend and longtime crew chief Mike Wheeler. That type of change is what happens when you don’t sniff Victory Lane and are eliminated in the first round of the Chase. Hamlin believes the new rules creating more downforce will benefit his driving style, especially at tracks that require drafting. Prediction: In the Chase
Ryan Blaney #12 Career
DOB: 12/31/1993 – 4th year – Birthplace: High Point, NC Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 2 16 41 126
2019 Team: Team Penske Sponsors: BodyArmor, Menards, REV Group Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins After a breakout season with the Wood Brothers No. 21 team in 2017, Ryan Blaney moved to Team Penske last season and the results were encouraging. Blaney finished 10th in points and doubled his career win total and number of top 5s. Crew Chief Jeremy Bullins, the only Cup crew chief Blaney has teamed with, will continue to work alongside Blaney. There is some work to do for this team. Blaney had five finishes of 34th or worse in the first half of the season, three due to crashes, one due to engine failure and one due to a slow car. Prediction: In the Chase
Ty Dillon #13
DOB 2/27/1992 – 3rd year – Birthplace: Lewisville, NC Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 0 1 90
2019 Team: Germain Racing Sponsor: GEICO Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Matt Borland Baby steps. That’s what Ty Dillon and his No. 13 Germain Team must be willing to take. That requires patience and that is usually in short supply in this sport. But Dillon appears overmatched in the Cup series and Germain doesn’t exactly have championship caliber equipment under him. But the team made some strides last season, garnering a sixth-place finish at Daytona. Only two drivers who started all 36 races—Bubba Wallace and Matt DiBenedetto—finished with fewer points than Dillon. Prediction: Out of the Chase
Clint Bowyer #14 Career
DOB 5/30/1979 – 14th year – Birthplace: Emporia, KS
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 10 73 196 469
2019 Team: Stewart-Haas Racing Sponsor: Mobil 1, Haas Automation Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Mike Bugarewicz Clint Bowyer broke a five-year winless drought with a pair of wins in 2018. He also posted more top 5s (nine) than he had the past three seasons combined. Over his career, the versatile Bowyer has won on short tracks, intermediates, road courses and superspeedways, so he is a threat to some extent every week. Most of Bowyer’s success in 2018 came in the first half of the season, which is discouraging. His 10.6 average finish over the first 18 races dropped to 17.4 over the final half. Prediction: In the Chase
Ross Chastain #15
DOB 12/4/1992 – 2nd year – Birthplace: Alva, FL Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 0 0 36
2019 Team: Premium Motorsports Sponsor: Low T Center Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Pat Tryson Ross Chastain, an inexperienced driver in the Cup series, and an underfunded Premium Motorsports team is not exactly a recipe for success. However, if this team can find just a glimmer of hope with the new rules package that, perhaps, levels the playing field a bit, then Premium Motorsports could climb above field filler status. Chastain made just 34 starts last season—he missed the Daytona 500 and Sonoma—and led just one lap, at the fall Talladega race. An 18th at Texas was his best finish of the season. Prediction: Field Filler
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Career
DOB 10/2/1987 – 7th year – Birthplace: Olive Branch, MS Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 2 14 31 220
2019 Team: Roush Fenway Racing Sponsors: Fastenal, Fifth-Third Bank, Sunny D Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Brian Pattie Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn’t crack the top 13 in the any of the first seven races last season, digging a hole for the No. 17. A fourth-place run at Bristol followed by a fifth-place finish at Talladega two weeks later seemed to get the team on track, but the No. 17 just never got over the hump. Stenhouse enjoys visits to the monster track in Talladega. He has a win and four top-5 finishes in his last five races there. Stenhouse doesn’t run up front often, but he does finish what he starts, finishing second in laps completed. Prediction: Just out of the Chase
Kyle Busch #18 Career
DOB 5/2/1985 – 15th year – Birthplace: Las Vegas, NV Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 51 183 269 498
2019 Team: Joe Gibbs Racing Sponsors: M&M’s, Skittles, Snickers, Pedigree Manufacturer: Toyota Crew Chief: Adam Stevens In this space last year, we predicted a Cup championship in 2018 for Kyle Busch. We weren’t too far off. The former champ won eight times before ultimately finishing fourth in the final race at Homestead, leaving him fourth in points. Busch ran fast all season, posting 22 top 5s and 28 top 10s. There were only seven races in which he finished outside the top 13. Over his career, he’s excelled on short tracks, winning twice at Richmond and at Bristol last season giving him 13 wins on those tracks combined. Prediction: Title Contender
Martin Truex Jr. #19 Career
Wins 19
DOB 6/29/1980 – 14th year – Birthplace: Mayetta, NJ Top 5 87
Top 10 Starts 181 477
2019 Team: Joe Gibbs Racing Sponsor: Arris/Ruckus, Stanley, Bass Pro Shops Manufacturer: Toyota Crew Chief: Cole Pearn Martin Truex Jr. came within a few eyelashes of becoming the first repeat champion since Jimmie Johnson reeled off five straight from 2006-10. Ultimately, Truex ran second behind champion Joey Logano at Homestead to finish runner-up in points. He parlayed a terrific first half into another productive season. Truex posted an average finish of 9.1 over the first 22 races, then fell to 13.3 the rest of the way. He rebounded enough during the Chase to make the final round. Expect to see him there again this season. Prediction: Title Contender
Erik Jones #20 Career
DOB 5/30/1996 – 3rd year – Birthplace: Byron, MI Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 1 14 32 75
2019 Team: Joe Gibbs Racing Sponsors: DeWalt, Circle K, Reser’s Manufacturer: Toyota Crew Chief: Chris Gayle Erik Jones, the 2017 Cup Rookie of the Year while driving for Furniture Row Racing, is now beginning his second season at Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones enjoyed his first Cup win at Daytona last summer and posted 18 top 10s. He had a string of 11 top 10s in 13 outings to end the regular season. That was good enough to get Jones into the Chase, but a crash in Vegas and a poor showing at the Charlotte Roval left him out after the first round. Jones and his team are rising stars and should be fixtures in the Chase. Prediction: In the Chase
Paul Menard #21 Career
DOB: 8/21/1980 – 13th year – Birthplace: Eau Claire,
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 1 20 65 435
Sponsor: Menards, Motorcraft/Quick Lane 2019 Team: Wood Brothers Racing Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Greg Erwin It’s true that Paul Menard has less trouble finding a seat in a Cup car that several more talented drivers, simply because of the instant sponsorship he brings. And while he’s probably tired of hearing that, it must be noted that he made the Chase and finished 14th in 2015 with inferior equipment than he will run in 2019. The lone win of his career came at Indy in 2011, and he earned the second pole of his career last year at Chicago. Menard’s an average driver at best with a little better-than-average equipment. Prediction: Out of the Chase
Joey Logano #22 Career
DOB 5/24/1990 – 11th year – Birthplace: Middletown, CT Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 21 104 179 363
2019 Team: Team Penske Sponsors: Shell-Pennzoil, AAA, Autotrader.com Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Todd Gordon Joey Logano didn’t have a dominating regular season in 2018, but he consistently ran in the top 10, reaching at least 26 top 10s in three of the last four seasons. His lone regular-season win came at Talladega, and he suffered through a rough stretch in mid-summer with an average finish of 21.4 over seven races. But the team was at its best in the Chase finishing in the top 10 in eight of the races, including a win at Martinsville, and of course, the most important win of the season, at Homestead to take the 2018 championship. Prediction: Title Contender
William Byron #24
DOB: 11/29/1997 – 2nd Year – Birthplace: Charlotte, NC Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 0 4 36 2019 Team: Hendrick Motorsports Sponsors: Axalta, Liberty University, UniFirst Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Chad Knaus After winning the 2017 XFINITY Championship, William Byron was rushed to the Cup series and his inexperience showed. He had just four top-10 finishes, and crashed out seven times and suffered a couple of blown engines. Most insiders believe Byron has a ton of talent and should enjoy a stellar racing career. But Hendrick is lagging behind a bit, and that makes Byron’s learning curve a bit steeper. With Jimmie Johnson’s championship crew chief Chad Knaus leading this team, the No. 24 should take steps forward. Prediction: Out of the Chase
Corey LaJoie #32
DOB 9/25/1991 – 3rd year – Birthplace: Concord, NC Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 0 0 57
Sponsor: Schluter Systems 2019 Team: Go Fas Racing Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Randy Cox Corey LaJoie has never led a lap on the Cup circuit, and has posted just three lead lap finishes in his brief 57-race career. That lack of success, coupled with one of the smallest organizations in NASCAR, doesn’t seem to be a winning recipe. However, the driver was married on New Year’s Eve, so this could be an exciting year for LaJoie. Driving for the underfunded TriStar Motorsports team last season, LaJoie had three blown engines in his first four starts, and finished better than 24th just once (16th at Las Vegas). Prediction: Out of the Chase
Michael McDowell #34
DOB: 12/21/84 – 10th year – Birthplace: Phoenix, AZ
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 1 6 285 2019 Team: Front Row Motorsports Sponsor: TBD Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer Michael McDowell has spent his career driving for team with limited funding and typically over delivered. Having said that, he’s had just one top-5 finish in his career, posting a fourthplace at Daytona in 2017. On the bright side, he led 33 laps in 2018, more than he had combined coming into last season. He had a terrific run at Daytona in July, leading 20 laps before getting caught up in a crash with five laps to go in regulation. Crew chief Drew Blickensderfer worked with Bubba Wallace last season. Prediction: Out of the Chase
Matt Tifft #36 Career
Wins 0
Top 5 0
6/26/1996 – 1st year – Birthplace: Hinckley, OH Top 10 Starts 0 0
2019 Team: Front Row Motorsports Sponsor: TBA Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Mike Kelley Front Row Motorsports surprised most observers with the announcement of a third full-time Cup team in 2019. The organization tabbed Matt Tifft to pilot the No. 36 car. Tifft, with only two years of full-time experience in the XFINITY Series, posted no wins in his 77 starts on the circuit. Last season, in only 33 starts, Tifft finished on the lead lap just 24 times. Sponsorship and funding will likely be a fluid situation all season. Tifft has one major victory in his life, he has made a successful recovery from a brain tumor. Prediction: Field Filler
Chris Buescher #37 Career
Wins 1
Top 5 4
10/29/1992 – 4th year – Birthplace: Prosper, TX Top 10 Starts 8 114
2019 Team: JTG Daugherty Racing Sponsor: Kroger, Scotts, Kleenex Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Trent Owens Chris Buescher grabbed the only win of his career at Pocono in a rain-shortened event in 2016. The win earned him a spot in the Chase, but he finished inside the top 20 just once in the Chase that season. This team loves plate racing, which may not mean much heading into 2019 with rule changes limiting horsepower. Buescher ran fifth twice at Daytona and his next best finish was 11th at Talladega. He was able to crack the top 15 just nine times last season. Prediction: Out of the Chase
David Ragan #38 Career
DOB: 12/24/1985 – 13th Year – Birthplace: Unadilla, GA
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 2 15 40 434
2019 Team: Front Row Motorsports Sponsor: Shriners Hospital Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Seth Barbour David Ragan has started 434 consecutive races, but has just two wins to show for his efforts. He loves the superspeedways having won at both Daytona and Talladega. Of the 15 top-5 finishes in his career, seven of them have come at either Daytona or Talladega. During his lengthy career, Ragan has been consistently outside the top 25 in points, but ranked 25th last season. Having and additional car in the Front Row stable this season should provide a boost, but probably not enough to produce a Chase season. Prediction: Out of the Chase
Daniel Suarez #41
DOB 1/7/1992 – 3rd year – Birthplace: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon,
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 4 21 72 2019 Team: Stewart-Haas Racing Sponsors: Arris, Haas Automation Manufacturer: Ford Crew Chief: Billy Scott Daniel Suarez won the 2016 XFINITY Series championship, then was rushed to the big leagues after Carl Edwards’ sudden retirement just prior to the 2017 season. While driving for Joe Gibbs the past two seasons, Suarez did not make the Chase either season, and was the lone JGR driver not to make the Chase in 2018. Now Suarez joins Stewart-Haas with a new lease on his racing life. Arguably, he will have better equipment this season than with JGR, so sneaking into the Chase would not be a shock. Prediction: Just Misses the Chase
Kyle Larson #42 Career
DOB 7/31/1992 – 6th year – Birthplace: Elk Grove, CA
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 5 47 81 183
2019 Team: Chip Ganassi Racing Sponsor: Credit One, DC Solar, McDonalds Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Chad Johnston After a promising 2017 season that included four wins and 20 top 10s, expectations were high for Kyle Larson and the No. 42 team in 2018. But success didn’t follow. Larson generally had fast cars last season, leading 782 laps, which was fifth on the circuit, but didn’t perform consistently. Larson put together just one streak of as many as four top 10s, and that was early in the season. He easily made the Chase, but was never a threat for the title. Three of his five career wins have come at Michigan. Prediction: In the Chase
Bubba Wallace #43
DOB 10/8/1993 – 2nd year – Birthplace: Mobile, AL Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 1 3 40
2019 Team: Richard Petty Motorsports Sponsor: Air Force, World Wide Technology Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer Bubba Wallace enters his second season for Petty Motorsports and is optimistic that the No. 43 team will make significant strides in 2019. Wallace took the circuit by surprise with a second-place run in the Daytona 500. He didn’t lead any laps, but ran near the front for much of the second half of the race. The excitement didn’t last long as the team had just two more top 10s last season and posted 19 finishes of 25 or worse. Wallace ranked 27th at the close of the regular season and finished 28th. Prediction: Out of the Chase
Ryan Preece #47
DOB 10/25/1990 – 1st year – Birthplace: Berlin, CT Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 0 0 5
2019 Team: JTG Daugherty Racing Sponsor: Kroger Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Tristan Smith The last two years have been a whirlwind for Ryan Preece. The young driver took out a personal loan in order to run part-time on the XFINITY Series the past two seasons for Joe Gibbs. Preece proved to be capable behind the wheel with a pair of victories and a promotion to the Cup Series with JTG Daugherty. In 19 starts at the lower level over the past two seasons, Preece has a pair of wins, 11 top 5s and 14 top 10s. Preece was not a factor in five Cup starts last season with a best finish of 32, four laps off the pace. Prediction: Out of the Chase
Jimmie Johnson #48 Career
DOB 9/17/1975 – 18th year – Birthplace: El Cajon, CA
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts 83 222 341 579
2019 Team: Hendrick Motorsports Sponsor: Ally Financial Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Kevin Meendering As the oldest full-time Cup driver, is the end near for Jimmie Johnson? Last season marked the first time without a win for the No. 48 car since 2001 when Johnson started just three races. In fact, 2018 was the first season of his career without at least two wins. This season will mark the first for Johnson without long-time friend and crew chief Chad Knaus, who will lead the No. 24 team. How much racing is left in Johnson’s tank? We’ll find out 13 races into the season after visits to Martinsville, Dover and Charlotte, his favorite tracks. Prediction: In the Chase
TBA #51/52 Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 0 0 0 2019 Team: Rick Ware Racing Sponsor: TBD Manufacturer: TBD Crew Chief: TBD Rick Ware Racing has announced that it owns two charters and plans to run two cars full-time in the Cup Series in 2019. Just who will drive the cars and run the teams from atop the box remains a mystery. RWR hasn’t even sorted out a manufacturer or sponsorship for either car. Mike Wallace will likely drive a few races in one of the cars, and Cody Ware could be another option. But the expectation is that several drivers will be employed throughout the season. Prediction: Field Fillers
Quin Houff #72
DOB 9/15/1997 – 1st year – Birthplace: Weyers Cave, VA
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 0 0 0 2019 Team: Spire Motorsports Sponsor: McDonalds Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: TBA Quin Houff, who has just 10 starts in the XFINITY Series without ever leading a lap, will drive the No. 72 for Spire Motorsports beginning with the March Phoenix race. From there, it is difficult to see how long this relationship will last. Most observers give it less than a few months. Not to make this too complicated, but Jamie McMurray will run the Daytona 500 for this team in the No. 40 car. McMurray, an experienced veteran, has seven career wins, including the 2010 Daytona 500. Prediction: Field Filler
Alex Bowman #88 Career
Wins 0
DOB: 4/25/93 – 4th year – Birthplace: Tucson, AZ Top 5 3
Top 10 Starts 14 117
2019 Team: Hendrick Motorsports Sponsors: Nationwide Insurance, Axalta Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Greg Ives Alex Bowman didn’t run up front much last season—leading just seven races for a total of 71 laps—but he ran near the front often enough to eke his way into the playoffs. His best finishes were a third at Pocono and fourth at the Charlotte Roval. Bowman was ninth at Sonoma and 14th at Watkins Glen, proving he enjoys the road races. He sat on the pole for the Daytona 500 and led 13 laps. He also led 26 laps at the first Talladega race, so he isn’t intimidated by the superspeedways. Prediction: Just out of the Chase
Matt DiBenedetto #95
DOB: 7/27/1991 – 5th year – Birthplace: Grass Valley, CA
Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 0 4 140 2019 Team: Leavine Family Racing Sponsor: Procore, Dumont Jets Manufacturer: Toyota Crew Chief: Mike Wheeler The one-time development driver for Joe Gibbs, Matt DiBenedetto drove for Go Fas Racing last year with limited results. Oddly enough, this will likely be the best equipment DiBenedetto has driven in his young career. Having Mike Wheeler atop the box should help tremendously. DiBenedetto had just six top-20 finishes last season with a seventh at Daytona in July his only top 10. He is extremely popular among fans, especially on social media. Prediction: Out of the Chase
Tanner Berryhill #97
DOB 11/29/1993 – 1st year – Birthplace: Bixby, OK Wins Top 5 Top 10 Starts Career 0 0 0 2
2019 Team: Obaika Racing Sponsor: TBA Manufacturer: Toyota Crew Chief: Dan Stillman Tanner Berryhill’s Cup career consists of an unsuccessful qualifying attempt in 2015 at Phoenix for Premium Motorsports and two starts for Obaika Racing at Phoenix and Homestead last season without placing in the top 30. The young driver hasn’t posted a single top-10 in 40 starts in NASCAR’s lower levels. So, the dramatically underfunded Obaika operation will be challenged to prevent getting parked for slow driving each week, not mention qualifying for races. Prediction: Nowhere near the Chase
Atlanta Motor Speedway
770-946-4211
www.atlantamotorspeedway.com
The 1.54-mile track just outside of Atlanta is a favorite of many drivers and one of the fastest tracks on the circuit. Track officials had planned a complete repave a year ago, but push back from drivers has delayed that indefinitely. Keeping fresh tires on this abrasive surface is typically a key to victory. Last year’s winner, Kevin Harvick, has Seating Diagram a 4.5 average finish over the past four seasons, Banking/Turns: 24 2018 Winner: Kevin Harvick and has led 55 percent of Distance: 1.54 miles the laps during that span. One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Quad-oval GATE
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Geoffrey Bodine, 1997 – 197.478 mph
Auto Club Speedway This track is wide and fast and tests engines early in the season. Drivers with enough confidence to run fast in the turns can really blow it out on the straightaways, which pushes the limits of the engines. For that reason, most drivers consider this one of the most fun venues on the circuit. Kyle Busch has three wins and 14 top-10s in his 20 career starts at the track in Fontana, Calif. Jimmie Johnson has six wins and 13 top 5s in 24 starts, but only one of those in the past seven years.
800-944-7223
www.autoclubspeedway.com
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Banking/Turns: 14 2018 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. Distance: 2.0 miles Shape: D-shaped oval One-lap qualifying record: Denny Hamlin, 2016 – 188.511 mph
Bristol Motor Speedway
423-764-1161 www.bristolmotorspeedway.com
The iconic track remains a must-see for NASCAR fans, especially the night race in August. The tight quarters, high banks and 15-second laps provide some of the most exciting racing of the year. It just isn’t possible to leave Bristol without visible battle scars. Two years ago, the track added some special pavement at the bottom of each corner to improve grip. The Busch broth- Banking/Turns: 24-28 2018 Winners: Kyle Busch Kurt Busch ers have combined to win Distance: 0.533 miles One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Oval 13 times in 63 starts here. Denny Hamlin, 2016 – 131.668 mph
Charlotte Motor Speedway The iconic venue now hosts just one event as an oval on the Cup circuit. The longest race of the season tests drivers and teams in ways that no other event can. The 600-mile race is a grueling challenge for drivers and their equipment and tests patience. Last season, Kyle Busch broke through for his first win at the track. Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and youngster Erik Jones have emerged as threats at Charlotte.
800-455-FANS www.charlottemotorspeedway.com
Banking/Turns: 24 2018 Winner: Kyle Busch Distance: 1.5 miles One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Quad-oval Kurt Busch, 2014 – 198.771 mph
800-455-FANS www.charlottemotorspeedway.com
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2018 Winner: Ryan Blaney Distance: 2.28 miles Shape: 12-turn road course One-lap qualifying record: Kurt Busch, 2018 – 106.868 mph
Chicagoland Speedway Last season’s move from opening the Chase to July 1, was a solid move by NASCAR officials. The venue offers nothing unique and both fans and drivers realized that, and NASCAR agreed and changed the schedule accordingly. It’s a small sample size, but Kyle Larson has finishes of third, seventh, 18th, fifth and second at Chicago. It was a nudge courtesy of Kyle Busch last July that turned a win into a runner-up finish for Larson. Brad Keselowski has won twice in 10 starts.
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Drivers expressed mixed feelings about the inaugural event at the Charlotte Roval. The new layout at the old venue features 12 turns and a 35-foot elevation change throughout the course. The layout incorporates much of the existing oval, which allows cars to use speed and provides the best passing opportunities. Ryan Blaney was in the right place at the right time as leaders Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. tangled on the final lap handing the win to Blaney.
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Charlotte Roval
815-727-7223
www.chicagolandspeedway.com
Banking/Turns: 18 2018 Winner: Distance: 1.5 miles Kyle Busch One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Tri-oval Joey Logano, 2013 – 189.414 mph
Darlington Raceway Each end of the unique 1.366-mile oval at Darlington is a little different making it difficult to hone in on a good setup. The Southern 500 is a significant notch in any driver’s belt, so the racers bring their A game to this famed track. The favorites to win here are the usual suspects: Martin Truex, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson. Busch has won just once here, but has finished 11th or better for nine years in a row.
866-459-RACE
www.darlingtonraceway.com
Banking/Turns: 25 and 23 2018 Winner: Distance: 1.366 miles Brad Keselowski One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Oval Aric Almirola, 2014 – 184.145 mph
Daytona Intl. Speedway 386-254-2700 www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com The Daytona 500 welcomes NASCAR back after a cold winter’s offseason as the sport’s signature event. Every driver wants to win at Daytona in February. Ryan Blaney was runner-up at the 2017 Daytona 500 and always seems to have a fast car here. Austin Dillon is a candidate to repeat. Bubba Wallace ran second in February and has a 14th and 15th in his other two starts at the track. Chris Buescher is the only driver to finish in the top 5 in both events last season.
Banking/Turns: 31 2017 Winners: Distance: 2.5 miles Austin Dillon, Erik Jones One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Tri-oval Bill Elliott, 1987 – 210.364 mph
Dover International Speedway The one-mile oval with 24-degree banking takes guts to navigate at top speeds. Real guts. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson owns this track. Or, at least he used to own it. He’s pretty much subletting to teammate Chase Elliott now. Johnson has won there 11 times, but didn’t lead a single lap there last season and finished the fall race 17 laps down. Elliott now has five top 10s in his six starts at the classic track. Kurt Busch ran fifth in both events last season.
800-441-7223
www.doverspeedway.com
Banking/Turns: 24 Distance: 1.0 miles One-lap qualifying record: Brad Keselowski, 2014 – 164.444 mph
Homestead-Miami Speedway
2018 Winners: Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott Shape: Oval
305-230-5000 www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com
Not Bristol, not Talladega, not Charlotte, not Indy, not even Daytona, but Homestead is where NASCAR hands out the season hardware every year. NASCAR has created excitement and drama at the season finale here with the current Chase format. And the drivers haven’t disappointed at all. The winner of this race the last five years has also been the Cup champion. Driv- Banking/Turns: 18-20 2018 Winner: Joey Logano Shape: Oval ers love flying into the turns Distance: 1.5 miles using very little braking. One-lap qualifying record: Brad Keselowski, 2014 – 181.238 mph
Indianapolis Motor Speedway One of the most historic tracks in America didn’t host a NASCAR event until 1994. The flat, 2.5-mile track has four 90-degree turns banked at only nine degrees. Setup is critical as drivers need momentum at this hallowed track, and losing too much speed in turns can really penalize a car. Inexperienced drivers can be intimidated by the perception of sharp turns coming off long straightaways doing about 205. There’s a fine line between slowing too much and hitting the wall.
ISM
317-481-8500 www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com
Banking/Turns: 9 2018 Winner: Distance: 2.5 miles Brad Keselowski One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Oval Kevin Harvick, 2014 – 188.470 mph
866-408-RACE (7223) www.ismraceway.com
In addition to the name change (from Phoenix International Raceway) the folks at ISM have placed the startfinish line coming out of Turn 4 (which used to be Turn 2) adding an interesting element to restarts and the finish. Last-lap passes around the turns could make for exciting finishes. Kevin Harvick continued his mastery in the desert with a win in the spring last year. Kyle Busch ran second to Harvick, then won the fall event, so expect those to battle in here 2019.
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Banking/Turns: 8-11 2018 Winners: Kevin Harvick Distance: 1.0 miles Kyle Busch One-lap qualifying record: Shape: D-shaped oval Jimmie Johnson, 2015 – 143.158 mph
Kansas Speedway
913-328-3300
The Kansas Speedway doesn’t exactly offer much unique, but the timing of the race plays an important role in the Chase. That bodes well for Martin Truex and Kevin Harvick. Harvick has three wins and eight top 5s in 26 starts. Truex won both tilts in 2017 in dominating fashion, leading 195 laps across both races, before running second and fifth last season. Jimmie Johnson had three wins and 17 top 10s in his first 23 starts here, but ran 19th and 22nd last season.
Kentucky Speedway The newest venue on the Cup circuit, Kentucky Speedway is similar to other 1.5-mile tri-ovals, but here, the turns are a bit longer. The banking in turns 1 and 2 is a bit steeper than 3 and 4, just enough to keep the drivers thinking and on their toes. Martin Truex has won here the last two years, both coming with a stage sweep. Even with a new team, Truex will be tough to outrun. In eight starts, Kyle Busch has a pair of wins and seven top 10s.
www.kansasspeedway.com
Banking/Turns: 17-20 2018 Winners: Distance: 1.5 miles Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Tri-oval Kevin Harvick, 2014 – 197.773 mph
888-652-7223
www.kentuckyspeedway.com
Banking/Turns: 14-17 2018 Winner: Distance: 1.5 miles Martin Truex Jr. One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Tri-oval Kyle Busch, 2017 – 190.282 mph
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas now hosts two events on the Cup schedule, kicking off the Chase in September as well as the traditional spring race. Drivers often cite weather conditions—heat in particular—as a major factor in the events here. Brad Keselowski has finished seventh or better in the past seven races in Sin City. Small samples reveal that some youngsters have adapted quickly to the track. Ryan Blaney has four top 10s in five starts, Kyle Larson has four in six starts.
800-644-4444
www.lvms.com
Banking/Turns: 20 2018 Winners: Distance: 1.5 miles Kevin Harvick, One-lap qualifying record: Brad Keselowski Kurt Busch, 2016 – 196.328 mph Shape: Tri-oval
Martinsville Speedway The shortest track on the Cup circuit has much less banking than Bristol and doesn’t allow for speeds much over 100mph. The track is narrow and the straightaways are shorter than three football fields, and lie between two pretty flat hairpin turns, making for some tight racing. Pit stop quickness and strategy are paramount here, especially late in the race. Kyle Busch and Martin Truex are the lone drivers to finish in the top 5 of both events last season.
276-956-3151 www.martinsvillespeedway.com
Banking/Turns: 11 2018 Winners: Clint Bowyer Distance: 0.526 miles Joey Logano One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Oval Joey Logano, 2014 – 100.201 mph
Michigan International Speedway The two-mile circuit in Brooklyn, Mich., is wide and extremely fast. Drivers love to push the pedal to the metal and let it ride. Because of the width of the track, racers can find grooves up and down the track. Kyle Larson won three consecutive races here prior to last season when he finished out of the top 15 in both tilts. Kevin Harvick was second and first last season. Chase Elliott has three runner-ups and has never been outside the top 10 in six starts.
Banking/Turns: 18 2018 Winners: Distance: 2.0 miles Clint Bowyer, One-lap qualifying record: Kevin Harvick Jeff Gordon, 2014 – 206.558 mph Shape: D-shaped oval
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Tires are a must at this flat oval, so keeping fresh rubber on the road is key. Some drivers feel another key is being able “roll the middle of the corner” without being too loose going into the turns or coming out. Kevin Harvick won here for the third time last season, but Kyle Busch has run third or better in seven of his last 11 races here. Aric Almirola had some good runs here during his days with Petty and ran third last year for Stewart-Haas.
800-354-1010 www.mispeedway.com
603-783-4931
www.nhms.com
Banking/Turns: 2-7 2018 Winners: Denny Hamlin Distance: 1.058 miles Kevin Harvick One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Oval Brad Keselowski, 2014 – 140.598 mph
Pocono Raceway
The Tricky Triangle tests drivers in ways that no other track can. Cars reach speeds in excess of 200 mph down the front stretch, then take the first turn at about 135. The three turns all vary in banking and sharpness, and none of the three straightaways are the same length. Kevin Harvick posted a couple of runner-ups in 2017 and two fourths last year, but has never won here. Kyle Busch was third in June and won the July event. Denny Hamlin has four wins at this track.
800-722-3929
Banking/Turns: 6, 8, 14 2017 Winners: Ryan Blaney Distance: 2.5 miles Kyle Busch One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Tri-oval Kyle Larson, 2014 – 183.438 mph
Richmond International Raceway Richmond is a quarter mile longer than Bristol and Martinsville, and that extra quarter mile, along with extra width, gives drivers a tad more maneuverability to find the best line than at the other short tracks. Finding that groove is a key to success here. Kyle Busch swept the two races last year leading 32 and 92 laps. Chase Elliott was second and fourth while Kevin Harvick was fifth and second. Denny Hamlin ran third and fifth in 2017 before a third-place finish last spring.
www.poconoraceway.com
866-455-7223
www.rir.com
Banking/Turns: 14 2018 Winners: Kyle Busch, twice Distance: 0.750 miles One-lap qualifying record: Shape: D-shaped oval Jeff Gordon, 2013 – 130.599 mph
Sonoma Raceway Road courses like this one, Watkins Glen, and the Charlotte Roval are true wild cards on the NASCAR circuit. The 12-turn circuit is the slower road course. No one has ever qualified as fast as 100 mph. Drivers are constantly shifting, accelerating, braking or turning, and limiting mistakes is critical. An underrated aspect is the elevation change of 160 feet. Martin Truex won last year after leading 62 of the 110 laps. Kevin Harvick led 35 circuits, but finished 10 seconds behind Truex.
707-938-8448
No. of Turns: 12 2018 Winner: Distance: 2.52 miles Martin Truex Jr. One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Road course Rusty Wallace, 2000 – 99.309mph
Talladega Superspeedway The circuit’s biggest track always promises excitement and drama. Current drivers and crew chiefs are still unsure how the new rules package removing the restrictor plates will play out in 2019. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has proven to be fast at the superspeedways in the past with seven top 5s in 11 races at Talladega, including runs of fifth and third last season. Joey Logano ran fifth in October after winning in April. Brad Keselowski has won here five times.
www.racesonoma.com
877-GO2-DEGA
www.talladegasuperspeedway.com
Banking/Turns: 33 2018 Winners: Joey Logano Distance: 2.66 miles Aric Almirola One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Tri-oval Bill Elliott, 1987 – 212.809 mph
Texas Motor Speedway After a repave of the track recently, the two ends now handle a bit differently creating some unique characteristics that were previously missing from this cookie-cutter track. It takes patience, savvy and a good set of tires to win in the Lone Star State. Kevin Harvick has nine straight top 10s at Texas, including his second win there last year and a runnerup finish. Ryan Blaney (5th, 2nd) and Erik Jones (4th, 4th) each had a pair of top-5 runs in 2018.
817-215-8500
www.texasmotorspeedway.com
Banking/Turns: 24 2018 Winners: Kyle Busch Distance: 1.5 miles Kevin Harvick One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Quad-oval Tony Stewart, 2014 – 200.111 mph
Watkins Glen International
607-535-2486
www.theglen.com
Guest Services - Sprint Cup 2011
Having good brakes and sound strategy are keys to success at the 7-turn layout NO CAMPING at Watkins Glen. Negotiating the inner loop between turns C B A F 4 and 5 is critical and in an E D area of the track where spotG H ters are of little help. Martin Truex Jr. won in 2017 and finished second last year. Kyle Busch has finished in the top 10 12 times in 14 starts. Daniel Suarez should be a threat here in 2019 with the No. of Turns: 7 2018 Winner: Chase Elliott move to Stewart-Haas and Distance: 2.45 miles the fact he’s been in the top One-lap qualifying record: Shape: Road course 5 in both of his starts here. Marcos Ambrose, 2014 –129.491 mph
To Rte. 414 & 17/I-86
Meads Hill Rd.
GATE 1 UNRESERVED CAMPING
GREEN
$G
?
?
Finish Line Hospitality
10
TU
RN
No Drive Zone Sat: 9am - 1 Hr after Race End Sun: 8am - Race Start
Bud Tiki Hut Speed Stage
Sun: 10am - Race Start
RV DUMP
Showers
PEDESTRIAN WALK-THRU
Bog Hosp
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE
WEST L TUNNE
Oneida Rd.
TURN 11 HANDICAP VIEWING
UNRESERVED GATE 7 CAMPING
HANDICAP PARKING w/ CART TRANSPORTATION
TICKET SHERIFF OFFICE HDQTRS
LOT 4A
OVER-NIGHT PARKING (Fee)
Kuhl-Winner Way
LOT 4
LOT 5
LOT 6
L
OT
RV DUMP SHOWERS
FRONTSTRETCH W/HANDICAP SEA TIN
Sunday: 7am - 12pm Sunday: End of Race Saturday: End of Race
?
ing
$
Town Hall $ ATM Track cross-over
Rd.
teo Canis
GA View
Kid McD Zon’s e
?
S/F
Seneca Suites
PA SO DD UT O H CK E
Handicap
Y
Press Park
Rd.
Old Bronson Hill Road REGISTRATION
To Rte. 17 & 390
TOWER SUITES
E
E & BLU
REDT, WHI
ET
Steuben Rd.
Yates
Red Cat Stage
Displays
NIN
WORKER REGISTRATION
$
Operations
Chemung Rd.
PADDOCK
Pit Terrace ( Rd. w/Handicap)
Displays
R
MEDICAL
Tompkins Rd.
RETAIL VENDORS
DAYTIME PARKING ONLY
Turn 1 Tail Gate Zone
Restrooms Food Sales
? Info Booth
Inner Loop
Vendors
?
SILVER
Backstraight
Richardson
Displays
GA Viewing Crown Royal Club
R
Keuka Alley
?
EAST TUNNEL
DAYTIME PARKING ONLY
Turn 2 Tail Gate Zone
Showers
Worker Camp
Family Camping
RV DUMP
k #2
Showers
Pres s Par
NO CAMPING
LOT 2
LOT 3
?
(Fence line)
AG
Golf Carts
Seagraves Rd.
R
Worker Camp
GA R
To Rte. 14, 414, 17, I-90
LOT 1
Motorcycle Compound
GATE 1 UNRESERVED CAMPING
To Rte. 414 & 17/I-86
7
Golf Cart Routes around No Drive Zone (Uses access road behind displays on Manuafacturer’s Row.)
adraw\maps\facility\GuestServices10Cup.cdr rev. 07/22/10
2019 XFINITY Series DATE VENUE TV Feb. 16 Daytona TBA Feb. 23 Atlanta TBA March 2 Las Vegas TBA March 9 ISM (Phoenix) TBA March 16 Auto Club TBA March 30 Texas TBA April 6 Bristol TBA April 12 Richmond TBA April 27 Talladega TBA May 4 Dover TBA May 25 Charlotte TBA June 1 Pocono TBA June 8 Michigan TBA June 16 Iowa TBA June 29 Chicago TBA July 5 Daytona TBA July 12 Kentucky TBA July 20 New Hampshire TBA July 27 Iowa TBA Aug. 3 Watkins Glen TBA Aug. 10 Mid-Ohio TBA Aug. 16 Bristol TBA Aug. 24 Road America TBA Aug. 31 Darlington TBA Sept. 7 Indianapolis TBA Sept. 14 Las Vegas TBA Sept. 20 Richmond TBA Sept. 28 Charlotte Roval TBA Oct. 5 Dover TBA Oct. 19 Kansas TBA Nov. 2 Texas TBA Nov. 9 Phoenix TBA Nov. 16 Homestead TBA
2019 TRUCK SERIES DATE VENUE Feb. 15 Daytona Feb. 23 Atlanta March 1 Las Vegas March 23 Martinsville March 29 Texas May 3 Dover May 10 Kansas May 17 Charlotte June 7 Texas June 15 Iowa June 22 St. Louis June 28 Chicago July 11 Kentucky July 27 Pocono Aug. 1 Eldora Aug. 10 Michigan Aug. 15 Bristol Aug. 25 Bowmanville Sept. 13 Las Vegas Oct. 12 Talladega Oct. 26 Martinsville Nov. 8 Phoenix Nov. 15 Homestead
TV TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA
2019 Indy Car DATE VENUE March 10 St. Petersburg, FL March 24 Austin, TX April 7 Birmingham, AL April 14 Long Beach, CA May 11 Indianapolis, IN May 26 Indianapolis 500 June 1 Detroit, MI June 2 Detroit, MI June 8 Fort Worth, TX June 23 Elkhart, WI July 14 Toronto, ON July 20 Newton, IA July 28 Lexington, OH Aug. 18 Long Pond, PA Aug. 24 Madison, IL Sept. 1 Portland, OR Sept. 22 Salinas, CA
TV ABC NBCSN NBCSN NBCSN ABC ABC ABC ABC NBCSN NBCSN CNBC NBCSN CNBC NBCSN NBCSN NBCSN NBCSN
Monster Energy Cup Chase and Points System NASCAR completely overhauled the scoring system for 2017, and the reviews are mostly positive from fans and drivers now that we’ve had two seasons under the system. As a refresher, each race has three Stages. The first two stages will each be about 25-33 percent of the race depending on the venue. The first 10 finishers in each stage will receive points on a sliding scale from 10 to 1. After a “brief” caution, the cars will visit pit road, then return to the track for the next stage. The third stage will be scored as the end of the race with the winner awarded 40 points, second place 35, third 34 and so on. Each Stage 1 and Stage 2 winner will receive one Playoff Point, should they make the playoffs. Stage 3 (Race) winners receive five Playoff Points. The regular season champion is awarded 15 Playoff Points, second place 10 Playoff Points, third eight, fourth seven, etc. At the end of the regular season (26 races), the 16 drivers with the most wins (as long as they’re in the top 30 in points) qualify for the Chase with ties broken by points. Points are reset to 2,000 for these 16 drivers PLUS any Playoff Points they’ve earned. Once the Chase begins, race winners qualify for the next round and the four drivers with the lowest point totals are eliminated after each three-race round. After the first nine races, only four drivers remain in contention for the championship. Of these four drivers, the driver with the best finish at Homestead is then crowned series champion. No bonus points are awarded for leading laps or leading the most laps. The 150-mile qualifying runs at Daytona also earn driver points for places 1-10.
2019 Monster Energy DATE TRACK TV Feb. 17 Daytona FOX Feb. 24 Atlanta FOX March 3 Las Vegas FOX March 10 ISM (Phoenix) FOX March 17 Auto Club FOX March 24 Martinsville FS1 March 31 Texas FOX April 7 Bristol FS1 April 13 Richmond FOX April 28 Talladega FOX May 5 Dover FS1 May 11 Kansas FS1 May 18 Charlotte* FS1 May 26 Charlotte FOX June 2 Pocono FS1 June 9 Michigan FS1 June 23 Sonoma FS1 June 30 Chicago NBCSN July 6 Daytona NBCSN July 13 Kentucky NBCSN July 21 New Hampshire NBCSN July 28 Pocono NBCSN Aug. 4 Watkins Glen NBCSN Aug. 11 Michigan NBCSN Aug. 17 Bristol NBCSN Sept. 1 Darlington NBCSN Sept. 8 Indianapolis NBCSN CHASE FOR THE CUP Sept. 15 Las Vegas NBCSN Sept. 21 Richmond NBCSN Sept. 29 Charlotte Roval NBC Oct. 6 Dover NBCSN Oct. 13 Talladega NBC Oct. 20 Kansas NBC Oct. 27 Martinsville NBCSN Nov. 3 Texas NBCSN Nov. 10 ISM (Phoenix) NBC Nov. 17 Homestead NBC *NASCAR All-Star Race