Earnhardt Jr. sees different horsepower with Derby, 500
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will experience a different type of horsepower before NBC's coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series season revs up next month. The retired NASCAR star will be at the Kentucky Derby for the second time on Saturday before contributing to the network's Indianapolis 500 coverage on May 29. Earnhardt said having a role in different events beyond NASCAR was a big reason why he decided to sign with NBC after retiring from driving in 2017.
news.yahoo.comEarnhardt brings Junior Nation into NASCAR Hall of Fame
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was voted NASCAR’s most popular driver a record 15 times. “When I stumbled, you guys were right there ready to lift me back up,” Earnhardt said to his fans. Earnhardt was inducted into NASCAR's 12th Hall of Fame class on Friday night along with late-model driver Red Farmer and the late Mike Stefanik, a decorated modified driver who died in a plane crash in 2019.
news.yahoo.comIndy's road course opens to mixed reviews from Cup drivers
Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick made their opinions perfectly clear Saturday. Now, after one short practice session, Cup drivers will spend Saturday night plotting their strategical twists and turns for Sunday's reconfigured and renamed Brickyard 200. Larson is this season's points leader after adding his series-high fifth victory last week on the road course at Watkins Glen.
news.yahoo.comAP Was There: Earnhardt killed in 2001 Daytona 500 crash
“I guess someone got into Dale because Dale got into me and then we went up,” Schrader said. We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt,” Helton said. The death of Earnhardt left NASCAR reeling in the wake of a 2000 season in which three of its young stars were killed in separate accidents. All three died of the same type of head injuries that apparently killed Earnhardt. “The only reason I won this race is Dale Earnhardt,” Waltrip said.
NASCAR to hold pre-race Daytona 500 concert with Luke Combs
NASCAR will attempt some normalcy at the season-opening Daytona 500 with a live pre-race concert featuring country music star Luke Combs. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NASCAR will attempt some normalcy at the season-opening Daytona 500 with a live pre-race concert — the first big performance at a track during the pandemic — featuring country music star Luke Combs. Born in Charlotte but raised in Asheville, Combs made NASCAR races a weekly viewing staple alongside his grandfather. “If you would’ve told me back then that I’d be performing at the Daytona 500 one day, I wouldn’t have believed you,” said Combs, a longtime fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Live music is a way for us to be able to disconnect from everything else, and just be there in the moment,” Combs said.
Alex Bowman shuffled to the No. 48 to replace Jimmie Johnson
The most coveted seat in NASCAR went to Alex Bowman in a Hendrick Motorsports lineup shuffle to replace seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson in the iconic No. (AP Photo/Terry Renna, File)CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The most coveted seat in NASCAR belongs to Alex Bowman in a Hendrick Motorsports lineup shuffle to replace seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson in the iconic No. Bowman and crew chief Greg Ives, who won five championships with Johnson as his engineer, will move from the No. “Every season, Alex gets better. “He earned his way into the 88 car through hard work and dedication and doing the stuff nobody else wanted to do," Johnson said.
NASCAR drivers cautious of COVID-19 as playoffs begin
CHARLOTTE, N.C. NASCAR has decided it will not grant COVID-19 relief during the playoffs, meaning a positive coronavirus test will end a driver's championship bid. The playoffs begin Sunday at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina without a safety net for the 16 participants during the pandemic. Jimmie Johnson and Austin Dillon both missed one race during the season following a positive COVID-19 test and earned zero points. NASCAR made no changes for the 10-race playoff series, so missing a race would would effectively end a driver's championship chances. Johnson was not suffering symptoms but was tested after his wife received a positive test; Dillon was experiencing mild symptoms.
Denny Hamlin downright dominant as NASCAR season pushes on
In fact, team owner Joe Gibbs and crew chief Chris Gabehart didn't even mention the season-ending race at Homestead. He gave me a list of probably six guys in history that won X number of races. That's the number he hit Thursday night at Kansas Speedway, where he led four times for a race-high 57 laps. The win broke a tie with Kevin Harvick for the most this season and gave Hamlin at least five for the second straight year. 11 team and Hamlin, who was coming off his first winless season since his 2005 rookie year.
Pocono twin bill weekend loses luster with no fans at track
After allowing a small number of fans into races in Florida and Alabama, none will be allowed at this weekend's races at Pocono. The absence stings a bit more this season for a track that first held a Cup race in 1974. Pocono is the site of a Cup Series twin bill, with one race on Saturday, one on Sunday, and the second race comes with a twist. Igdalsky, who said he did not have to lay off or furlough any Pocono employees, never considered asking to move the race weekend in hopes of accommodating fans later. It will be a busy weekend: After an ARCA race Friday, the Truck Series and Cup race were set for Saturday and the Xfinity Series was scheduled Sunday ahead of the second Cup race.
Earnhardt Jr. headlines NASCAR's 2021 Hall of Fame class
Longtime fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. is expected to be the marquee name on NASCAR's 2021 Hall of Fame class, to be announced Tuesday, June 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)All Dale Earnhardt Jr. needed was a chance to prove he could win in stock cars. Now the longtime fan favorite and two-time Daytona 500 winner will join his famous, late father in NASCAR's Hall of Fame after being selected as one of three members of the 2021 class. Earnhardt Jr. received 76% of the votes in his first appearance on the ballot. Stefanik will be enshrined with Earnhardt in the smallest Hall of Fame class in NASCAR history.
Briscoe finds a way, wins Xfinity race at Homestead
HOMESTEAD, Fla. Chase Briscoe lost much of his team and got a win for them. Its just a testament to our team, Briscoe said. With 15 laps to go, it was basically down to a two-car race: Gragson was leading, about 2 1/2 seconds ahead of Briscoe. Gragson never had control of the race again, and Briscoe wound up in victory lane. That was a team win, for sure, Briscoe said.
Earnhardt returns; Burton wins Xfinity race at Homestead
Burton, Gragson and Austin Cindric were three-wide going into that last lap, and it was Burton the 19-year-old son of former Cup star Jeff Burton, who wound up in front in a wild finish. I love you.Cindric was second and Gragson third, two spots ahead of Earnhardt part of his cars JR Motorsports ownership. It was Earnhardts third Xfinity Series appearance since retiring as a full-time Cup Series driver in 2017. Hed also raced there five times in the Xfinity Series, placing second in 1999 for his best finish. The Xfinity cars are back on the track Sunday before the Cup Series race at Homestead.
Junior to savor Homestead again, but virus upends routine
Hell change into driver gear, hop into his race car about 10 minutes before the flag drops and, without the benefit of any practice, hope for the best. Im experiencing this for the first time, Earnhardt Jr. said on his podcast this week. Once that engine fires up, things should seem normal again for Earnhardt Jr., who will take to the Homestead track Saturday for the first time since his NASCAR Cup Series career ended. Hes in the field for one of the two Xfinity Series races at Homestead this weekend, his third start in an Xfinity car since retiring. But on Saturday, the only fans watching Earnhardt Jr. in the No.
NASCAR vows to do better job addressing racial injustice
The governing body vowed to to do a better job of addressing racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd's death. Our country must do better.A black NASCAR official took a knee along pit road, mimicking a gesture used by protesters in tribute to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The time is now to listen, to understand and to stand against racism and racial injustice, Phelps said. After Phelps spoke to the NASCAR drivers, they observed a 30-second moment of silence. ___Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963 and find his work at https://apnews.com___More AP NASCAR: https://apnews.com/NASCAR and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
NASCAR looks to steer clear of protests over George Floyd
At the end of the day, theres a lot to talk about. When you sit down and listen, you realize theres a lot of injustices taking place across a broad spectrum. "But it's still an emotional and special moment to go back to tracks for what could be the final time." Johnson acknowledged that taking a stand against racism and police brutality could spark a backlash from some NASCAR fans. Im still trying to find that voice, but Im being pulled this way more than I have other times.
Gragson wiggles past Allgaier to win Xfinity race at Bristol
BRISTOL, Tenn. Noah Gragson squeezed past JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier with four laps remaining, a move that caused Allgaier to crash, and Gragson held on at Bristol Motor Speedway for his second win of the season. His victory Monday night was set up by a caution with 13 laps remaining that wiped away Allgaier's lead. The Chevrolet teammates lined up side-by-side for the restart with seven laps remaining but Allgaier cleared him on the restart. I really apologize to Justin and the (number) 7 team, thats not how I want to race, Gragson said. I was terrible here in trucks and Xfinity, Gragson said.
Hurricane Dorian won't wash out a massive sporting weekend
(CNN) - As Hurricane Dorian bears down on the east coast of Florida, let's take a moment to think of those spending the holiday weekend prepping for evacuation and shelter. The Champ, and a World Cup tip off. "The throwback weekend Darlington puts on is really entertaining and it's cool to see how involved the teams get," Earnhardt said on his website. FIBA Basketball World Cup2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup begins this weekend. Some teams will automatically qualify for the 2020 Olympics based on their finishing place at the World Cup.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweets first statement since surviving plane crash
(CNN) - Dale Earnhardt Jr. has made his first statement since surviving a plane crash. "I am thankful for the quick response of my pilots, local law enforcement, emergency personnel and hospital staff." A current racing analyst, Earnhardt was excused from participating in the broadcast of Saturday's NASCAR Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway, NBC Sports said. Earnhardt, son of the late racing legend Dale Earnhardt, has survived a fiery crash in the past. Earnhardt has credited a spiritual being for pulling him out of that fire to safety, according to interviews about that incident.
NASCAR gives tickets to Earnhardt Jr. crash first responders
NTSB has arrived at the scene where Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s plane crashed on Thursday in Elizabethton, Tennessee. (CNN) - NASCAR paid back the first responders of the plane crash that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family survived with a night at the races. The Carter County Tennessee Sheriff's Office said it got free tickets to the Bristol Motor Speedway night race along with others who responded to the crash. "We had a great time with our first responder family at the BMS night race! A big thank you to NASCAR for giving us and all the agencies that responded to Dale Jr.'s plane crash free tickets!," it said on Facebook.
Earnhardt Jr. takes break from broadcast booth after plane crash
Dale Earnhardt Jr. signs autographs during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 9, 2019, in Brooklyn, Michigan. (CNN) - Having just survived a plane crash in Tennessee, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be excused from participating in the broadcast of Saturday's NASCAR Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway, NBC Sports says. Earnhardt popular figure in racingEarnhardt was voted as NASCAR's most popular driver in 2017 for the 15th straight year. Earnhardt, son of the late racing legend Dale Earnhardt, has survived a fiery crash in the past. In 2004, he was driving a Corvette during a practice session at an American Le Mans Series race at the Sonoma Raceway in California.
Earnhardt Jr., family escape plane crash without serious injuries
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. - Race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family escaped a plane crash in Tennessee without serious injuries on Thursday, said the local sheriff. The race car driver, his wife and child were on board along with the pilot and one other person, as well as the family dog, said Carter County Sheriff Dexter Lunceford. The race car driver was taken to Johnson City Medical Center. He was the only person on board who was hospitalized, said the sheriff. Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and family survive plane crash in Tennessee
Retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., his wife Amy and baby daughter have survived a small plane crash in Tennessee on Thursday afternoon, authorities said. Earnhardt Jr., 44, was hospitalized following the crash at Elizabethton Municipal Airport, the Carter County Sheriff's Office said, according to CBS affiliate WJHL-TV. In this CBS News exclusive video, first responders are seen treating Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the aftermath of a plane crash Thu., Aug. 15, 2019. Earnhardt Jr. retired from NASCAR in 2017 and has since been working as an analyst and was slated to join the broadcast team for Saturday's Cup Series event in Bristol, Tennessee. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his wife Amy seen Oct. 1, 2017, in Dover, Delaware.
cbsnews.comDale Earnhardt Jr. taken to hospital after surviving plane crash in Tennessee
Retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was taken to the hospital after suffering minor injuries in a small plane crash in Carter County, Tennessee, according to his family and sheriff's officials. Carter County Sheriff Dexter Lunceford told WJHL that Earnhardt's wife and child were also on the plane with him, along with a pilot, a family dog and another passenger.
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