NASCAR took the hood louvers from all four Hendrick Motorsports cars for further examination after practice Friday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway. An unspecified potential issue with the louvers was discovered in the garage but all four teams – the …
NASCAR took the hood louvers from all four Hendrick Motorsports cars for further examination after practice Friday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway.
An unspecified potential issue with the louvers was discovered in the garage but all four teams — the Nos. 5, 9, 24, and 48 — were permitted to participate in practice. The 50-minute practice was the first time NASCAR Cup Series teams worked with the new short-track aero package.
Kyle Larson and the No. 5 team topped the speed chart at 131.258 mph (27.427 seconds). Alex Bowman and the No. 48 team were third fastest at 131.105 mph. Larson also topped the best 10 consecutive lap average, while William Byron was fifth best in the category.
The parts will be taken back to the NASCAR R&D Center for further evaluation before any potential penalties are handed down.
Louvers are the openings in the hood that were a key component of the Next Gen design to allow for maximum engine performance. The louvers allow for air to exit through the hood for better engine cooling and aerodynamics.
While uneventful on the racetrack, the 50-minute practice session Friday at Phoenix Raceway gave teams plenty of time to work with the new short-track aero package for the first time. Teams were allotted extra track time as NASCAR officials made …
While uneventful on the racetrack, the 50-minute practice session Friday at Phoenix Raceway gave teams plenty of time to work with the new short-track aero package for the first time.
Teams were allotted extra track time as NASCAR officials made tweaks in hopes of creating a better racing product. Phoenix is the first race with the changes — a smaller spoiler (two inches) and strakes that were taken out of the diffuser and engine panel.
The action on short tracks and road courses did not receive reviews as good as the intermediate races last season. Officials expect a 30 percent reduction in downforce with the aero changes, making the cars to slide around more, hopefully leading to more passing throughout the field.
Kyle Larson was fastest in the session at 131.258mph (27.427s) after running 59 laps. Ryan Blaney was second fastest at 131.105mph, Alex Bowman third at 130.724mph, Joey Logano fourth at 130.586mph, and Chase Briscoe fifth at 130.270mph.
Briscoe is the defending race winner at Phoenix, having scored his first career Cup Series win in this event last season.
Brad Keselowski was sixth fastest at 130.222mph, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. seventh at 130.165mph, Harrison Burton eighth at 130.147mph, and Kevin Harvick ninth at 130.039mph.
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Harvick is a nine-time Phoenix winner.
“Well, I could drive it, so our Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang is manageable,” Harvick told Fox Sports afterward. “I think that’s going to be the name of the game. They still push really bad behind each other, but the good news is they slide around so much that you’ve got options up and down the racetrack. I like that, and having to manage the throttle pedal and the brake pedal and where you’re at on the racetrack — at least that gives you some options.
“The laps time slowed down, and ours hung on pretty good. It looks silly with a mud flap and windshield wiper on it, but other than that, everything is fine.”
Aric Almirola completed the top 10 drivers in practice. He clocked in at 129.959mph.
Zane Smith was 21st fastest and is making his third career start this weekend at Phoenix Raceway, and his first of six races in the No. 38 Ford for Front Row Motorsports.
Josh Berry was 23rd fastest as he continues to substitute for the injured Chase Elliott. Hendrick Motorsports announced earlier this week Berry will continue to drive the car on all the upcoming oval tracks, with Elliott expected to miss at least six weeks.
There are 36 drivers entered at Phoenix.
Larson was also fastest in the best 10 consecutive lap average over Blaney, Joey Logano, Harvick, and William Byron — the No. 5’s average speed of 129.311mph a touch over Blaney’s 129.211mph.
Chris Gayle did not want to leave the NASCAR Cup Series when Joe Gibbs Racing relocated him in 2021 to work with Ty Gibbs. It was a move that left Gayle with an admitted chip on his shoulder, determined to prove he was better than many might have …
Chris Gayle did not want to leave the NASCAR Cup Series when Joe Gibbs Racing relocated him in 2021 to work with Ty Gibbs. It was a move that left Gayle with an admitted chip on his shoulder, determined to prove he was better than many might have thought, and putting him in charge of the No. 54 Xfinity Series team was a mistake.
In two seasons, Gayle did just that. Of the multiple drivers he worked with in 2021, including Gibbs, the team won 10 times. Gibbs won seven times last year as he and Gayle won the drivers’ championship.
The two are still together as Gayle has made it back in the Cup Series, guiding Gibbs (pictured at left, above, with Gayle) in his rookie season. And as the veteran crew chief looks back, he has a much different perspective and appreciation for the turn his career took.
“I am as hungry as ever to win,” Gayle recently told RACER. “I feel like Ty has the talent to do it. But I’m also much wiser than when I did it with Erik (Jones) before; we were both rookies at the same time. So, I probably made more mistakes then. I realize it’s a different car now, but at least I’m very aware of the mistakes I may have made pushing in times I maybe didn’t need to with a rookie.
“This is where I want to be, and I want to sustain myself in this garage. Which means we’ve got to go out and win races right away. That’s just the truth of it.”
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Ironically, Gayle believes it might be even tougher to do that now with the Next Gen car. Building an advantage is harder for teams with the field a bit closer together. Even though he wasn’t in the series last year, Gayle is aware of how many winners there were (19).
Getting his bearings with the car has been more challenging than expected. And it’s not that Gayle feels a year behind the competition, with much learning and experimenting with the car that was going on most of last year.
“At best, half of that is what you need to remember,” Gayle said. “I feel like I can come in and focus on the last 12 races or so and all those racetracks that are similar to everything you’re going to have this year, and just look at that and say, ‘OK, I don’t need to know all the bad things. They’ve weeded that out for me.’”
Gayle is finding the Cup challenge different this time around with a more limited toolbox to tackle the Next Gen car. Rusty Jarrett/Motorsport Images
Fontana was the first weekend Gayle was hit with race adjustments. Teams are in a much smaller box with Next Gen in terms of what they can do, where they can be innovative and how the car differs in its adjustments. Gayle wouldn’t say he was surprised but frustrated with how limited he found his toolbox during a race.
“You realize it’s a totally different time in the sport,” Gayle said of the mindset change. “Most of these crew chiefs — and I understand — don’t like it for that reason. We’ve spent years and years trying to build a better mousetrap, and now you just give us the mousetrap and we can barely do anything with it.”
There is no learning curve between Gayle and Gibbs because while the series is different, sticking together was the best-case scenario. Gibbs ran 15 races last season for 23XI Racing as a substitute for the injured Kurt Busch, so the newness of the series and car has worn off for him. And as Gayle re-acclimates himself to the Cup Series garage and its policies, he does not have to learn a new driver.
Gayle knows what Gibbs wants or can quickly identify a problem when Ty gives feedback. Gayle also knows his driver’s work ethic and how Gibbs likes to do things.
Through the first few weeks, Gayle has been pleased with the “decent speed” the team’s shown. While execution could be better, Gayle said at least they aren’t behind the eight-ball and buried in the point standings.
“I feel like we’re sitting in an OK spot for where we should be with a new team and driver,” Gayle said. “I feel like it’s gone OK, so far. We’ll see.”
Gibbs would say that he expects to win every race and is here to compete for wins and championships. It’s a mindset that Gayle isn’t going to try to change, but the veteran crew chief can be realistic for both of them.
“My personal opinion — and this is based in lots of stats on rookies for the last 17 years –we need to be consistently running in the top 15 right now,” Gayle said. “For us, if we’re 15th or better that’s a good day. Running 15th or worse, no, we’ve had trouble. But if we can have a clean day and finish 15th or better.
“A top 10 would be great right now, but I think we need to crawl before we can walk. And I understand — I know he has that fire and wants to be competitive and you want him to have that, but someone has to make it to where every week when you don’t win the race, it doesn’t feel like a total failure. So, for me, 15th or better, early in the year. Then you start looking at how we need to be in the top 10.
“We still need to contend for a win this year. We need to win a race. But if I just look at last year (in Cup), he doesn’t have a big sample of races, and he was more focused on the Xfinity Series championship. This was just laps for him last year.”
With seat time already under Gibbs, Gayle said he could focus on improving his results and race craft. And in the process, Gibbs joins his crew chief in proving a point.
“Ty had a rough offseason, and I think getting back into the weekly grind and having a nice rhythm of things he needs to do will be beneficial for him,” Gayle said. “He really wants to do this. His mindset is, ‘I’m going to prove everybody wrong, and I’m going to outwork everybody in the garage.’ So far, so good.”
The NASCAR Cup Series field at Circuit of The Americas will have another significant name on the entry list as Jenson Button makes his first of three starts this season. Button, the 2009 Formula 1 world champion, will drive the No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford …
The NASCAR Cup Series field at Circuit of The Americas will have another significant name on the entry list as Jenson Button makes his first of three starts this season.
Button, the 2009 Formula 1 world champion, will drive the No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford for Rick Ware Racing. Stewart-Haas Racing will provide marketing and promotional support. The two teams did the same last season with multiple drivers.
The 43-year-old Briton ran his last full Formula 1 season in 2016 and retired after making one start in 2017 when he filled in for Fernando Alonso. Button made 306 career starts and earned 15 grand prix victories.
“The reason I was able to stay in Formula 1 for so long was because I always felt I was learning,” Button said. “There was always something new in terms of technologies, or I could still improve my driving or engineering skills within Formula 1. When I got to my 17th year in F1, I felt like I lost that hunger a little bit because it wasn’t new anymore. There wasn’t something new to learn.”
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Over the last few years, Button has challenged himself by racing new things. Button went to Japan and ran in the Super GR Series’ GT500 class, winning the 2018 championship. He competed at Le Mans and did off-road racing in the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000.
COTA will be Button’s first foray into NASCAR. Jordan Taylor is already entered in the event, substituting for the injured Chase Elliott at Hendrick and Kim Raikkonen, another former Formula 1 champion, is driving for Trackhouse Racing.
Button will also compete in the inaugural Chicago street course race and the Indianapolis road course.
“Obviously, racing a Cup car is very different than what I’m used to,” said Button. “It’s a lot heavier with a lot less power and, basically, no downforce. It’s got a sequential gearbox where you need to blip the throttle, so there’s lots of stuff to learn in a very short space of time.
“But I just get excited about that new challenge, and when I throw myself into something, I am 100% in. I’m not just doing it for fun in some one-off. I want to be competitive, and I know that to be competitive, it’s going to take a bit of time. That’s why doing these three races works very well this season.”
Tony Stewart commended Button’s attempt at a new racing series.
“It’s always a challenge to try a new racing discipline, and the best thing you can bring to a new opportunity like this is an open mind,” Stewart said. “Jenson has been doing that his entire career. Those F1 cars evolve every year, and Jenson always found a way to adapt. And when he got out of F1, he jumped into sports cars and won another championship. He’s even done off-road. There’s very little that he hasn’t experienced in a race car.
“He’s new to NASCAR, but he’s not new to racing. This is going to be fun for all of us, and we’re very appreciative of Mobil 1 for making it happen.”
Button made five starts at COTA in Formula 1. He said the most important thing for his Cup Series debut is to enjoy it.
“I want to feel comfortable in the car knowing that I can get as much out of the car in any situation as other people out on track,” Button said. “The result is the result and we’ll see what happens, but I want to get confidence to brake as late as I’d like, to carry the speed through the high-speed corners, and to be able to race close — wheel-to-wheel with the pack.”
Through his association with the Garage 56 program, where NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports are taking a modified Next Gen car to Le Mans, Button is familiar with the vehicle. Button tested the Garage 56 car at Sebring, Daytona and COTA.
“The first time I jumped into the Garage 56 car, it was like, ‘What have I done?’ This is so different,’ and that lasted about four laps,” Button said. “Then it was like, ‘Hang on, it’s still a race car. It’s got four tires that touch the road. It’s a mechanical race car, which is even better for learning.’ I’ve really enjoyed the challenge. A Cup car has a lot less downforce and is a lot heavier, but the Garage 56 car has given me an idea of what it will be like along with a direction, which is really useful.
“I know in my first race I’m not expected to be qualifying right at the front, and I’m not expected to be fighting for a victory. I have a lot of respect for the drivers racing in the Cup Series. There’s so much talent there, whether it’s on ovals or road courses.
“Ten years ago, people used to say NASCAR guys can’t drive around a circuit, but I think they’ve proven that they can. Every time an ex-F1 driver gets in a stock car these days, they struggle initially. It takes a while for them to get up to speed, so I don’t expect to be right at the front straight away. That’s why, for me, doing more than one race is really key, so I can get the best out of myself and the best out of the car.”
Kaulig Racing will field a third NASCAR Cup Series car in the Bristol dirt race next month for dirt ace Jonathan Davenport. Davenport will drive the No. 13 Chevrolet in the Food City 500 on April 9 with sponsorship from Nutrien Ag Solutions – a …
Kaulig Racing will field a third NASCAR Cup Series car in the Bristol dirt race next month for dirt ace Jonathan Davenport.
Davenport will drive the No. 13 Chevrolet in the Food City 500 on April 9 with sponsorship from Nutrien Ag Solutions — a supporter of Kaulig Racing for five seasons which also backs Davenport’s dirt late model.
“Jonathan Davenport is an all-time favorite of mine because of how well he has done in his dirt racing career,” Kaulig Racing president Chris Rice said. “I’m super excited to have his side of dirt racing intermix with NASCAR and see what he can do in one of our Kaulig Racing Chevrolets. He’s a great guy, a great racer, and we’re looking forward to making our relationship with Nutrien Ag Solutions deeper.”
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Bristol will be Davenport’s first run in the NASCAR Cup Series. However, it will not be his first time on the Bristol dirt.
Davenport has competed on the Bristol dirt track the last two seasons, earning two top-five finishes in the XR Super Series Bristol Dirt Nationals. In the World of Outlaws dirt late model race there last season, Davenport beat Kyle Larson.
Davenport, nicknamed “Superman,” is most known for his numerous accomplishments in the dirt world. The Georgia native won 24 times last season in dirt late models and earned the XR Super Series championship.
“This is literally a dream come true for me. I’ll get to race against the best race car drivers in the world and will get to do it at one of my favorite tracks,” Davenport said. “I have a lot to learn but have two great teammates in AJ (Allmendinger) and Justin (Haley) to learn from. We started working on this last October during the Roval weekend in Charlotte and to see it come to fruition is absolutely amazing.”
“We are thrilled to be a part of this pairing with Jonathan Davenport and Kaulig Racing to represent Nutrien Ag Solutions,” said David Elser, senior vice president of Retail North America at Nutrien Ag Solutions. “He connects well with the grassroots racing family and our growers. We are excited to see him represent our brand and share this experience with our dirt racing fan base for this special weekend of racing. We look forward to cheering him and the team on all weekend along with our partner AJ Allmendinger.”
