#NASCAR Nationwide Series

[swedishghostvoice28789]

Elliott Sadler in JGR Xfinity (formerly Nationwide) Series equipment. Nice 👌

Sourced from this post on BlueSky:

[coimbrabertone]

So Can NASCAR Drivers Turn Right or Not?

So in the past couple of weeks, I've watched a couple of races and a couple of things crossed my timeline that had to do with the following question: just how good are NASCAR drivers at turning right?

I don't mean this in like the Formula One fan newbie kinda way, I mean this as like a legitimate discussion as to the quality of the NASCAR field and the fact that road course ringers have seemingly returned to the series.

So, first things first, Shane van Gisbergen. Love him, New Zealander race car driver that went over to Australia, won three Supercars championships and three Bathurst 1000s. SVG then came over to America last year, won the NASCAR Chicago Street Race to be the first guy to win in his first attempt since 1963, and impressed so much that Trackhouse partnered with Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series to give Shane a full-time campaign in American stock car racing.

Well, last week he won the Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Raceway, and this week he won the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250 at Sonoma. Which brings two things to mind:

One: Gee Xfinity races have some crappy ass names, don't they?

Two: Wow, he went back-to-back on road courses...that is really impressive, but also kinda sad.

Like two weeks in a row now the Xfinity field got beat by a thirty-five-year-old rookie on road courses. This is supposed to be the most road course heavy era of NASCAR, in the past five years the top three NASCAR series have gone to the likes of Mosport, Road America, Mid-Ohio, the Daytona Sports Car Course, the Charlotte Roval, the aforementioned Chicago Street Race, Circuit of the Americas, and NASCAR's traditional road courses in the form of Sonoma and Watkins Glen.

NASCAR drivers turn right a lot, they're not the oval only meme that F1 fans like to present it as, so what is going on?

Well, I think the simplest answer is that Shane van Gisbergen is a damn good race car driver. Supercars have long been compared to NASCARs and that's even truer in the Next Gen era, plus he's gotten a lot of support and advice from Marcos Ambrose, someone who I'll talk about more shortly. Plus, there's also Scott McLaughlin.

SVG and Scotty Mac are quite possibly the two best drivers to ever come out of Supercars, and we've seen Scott be successful in Indycar for a number of years now. Just this last weekend he was competing for the win at Road America with his Penske teammates. So it's not that NASCAR drivers are bad at turning right, it's that they've been unlucky enough to come up against a once in a generation talent.

To support this, there were another two Supercars drivers in Sonoma this past weekend. Cam Waters in the #60 RFK Mustang and Will Brown in the #33 RCR Camaro, and quite frankly, both of them had weekends full of bad luck that didn't amount to much of anything. Will was third in one of the practice sessions, and that's as close as he got to pulling off an SVG-esque performance in the Cup race.

And even in the Xfinity race, Ty Gibbs and Austin Hill both presented very real threats to SVG during the race, before Gibbs got caught up in a wreck and spun around into his own teammate trying to get going again, and Austin Hill got pushed into the grass after trying to slam the door shut on SVG in turn two.

It wasn't a cake walk.

Hell, Boris Said, long considered to be the archetypal NASCAR road course ringer, has been around the series since the mid to late 90s...he's never won a Cup race. He has one truck win at Sonoma and one Xfinity (then Nationwide) win at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to his name.

So even way back when, NASCAR drivers could handle themselves on the road courses.

There are three road course ringers that have had a lot of success in the modern era, and I think all of them subvert the idea that it's as simple as being able to turn right.

The first is the great Juan Pablo Montoya, who famously got sick of F1 mid-2006, quit McLaren, and decided to become a NASCAR driver instead. Well, come 2007, and JPM is driving the #42 Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing, and he won at Sonoma in his first attempt. He would only win one more NASCAR race, the 2010 Watkins Glen race. Despite this, I would argue his best season was 2009, when he finished eighth in the points after running as high as third in the season.

The high point was six top five finishes in eight races towards the end of the season, all of which were on ovals. One of which, Fontana, he was well acquainted with from his CART days!

The second is Marcos Ambrose, who in 2011 and 2012, had two consecutive duels with Brad Keselowski at Watkins Glen and came out on top both times. Those two races are badass, and I recommend you watch them, because it's just two big giant stock cars fighting tooth and nail without a care in the world for track limits. It's freaking glorious.

But after that 2012 Watkins Glen win? Well, Marcos then took two straight fifth placed finishes, at Michigan and Bristol, two ovals, and two very different ovals, no less. The third is AJ Allmendinger, who is still in NASCAR and still doing well. With wins on road courses in Cup and the old Champ Car series, and wins on both road courses and ovals in Xfinity. His story continues, most recently as SVG's Kaulig teammate.

So, the moral of the story? Being a good road course racer isn't enough to win NASCAR road races, you need to be a pretty damn good race car driver, and you need to learn stock cars. That means you'll have good showings on the ovals as well as the road courses.

To that end, in addition to SVG's back-to-back Xfinity wins, he also finished third at Atlanta earlier in the season and managed to finish on the lead lap in a Cup race at Talladega this year as well. In fact, I remember in that Talladega race SVG did well in the draft and worked his way to the front, only to fall back when the uppermost line collapsed behind him, and he was left all alone a lane above the drafting pack.

Something that could happen to anyone in a restrictor plate race in NASCAR.

So...NASCAR drivers are good at turning right, the top "road course ringers" in the form of JPM, Marcos Ambrose, and Shane van Gisbergen just happen to, you know, be pretty damn good drivers, and Xfinity races have some crappy ass names.

They let the crappiest name of them all die though.

So please, let's pour one out for the Beef. It's What's for Dinner. 300, the NASCAR Xfinity season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

RIP, 2021-2023. Your name was so bad that it was actually great.

[dystini]

Indycar Driver Lore

Indycar Driver Lore Masterlist

George Dario Marino Franchitti

Birthdate: May 19, 1973 Hometown: Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland Residence: Scotland Height/Weight: 5′ 9″/172lbs

Rookie Year: 1997 (CART)

Team: Ganassi (advisor)

Follow him on: Instagram Twitter

Career Stats

CART 1997 Hogan Racing - 22nd Overall 1998 Team Green - 3rd Overall 1999 Team Green - 2nd Overall (lost the title on a tiebreaker) 2000 Team Green - 13th Overall 2001 Team Green - 7th Overall 2002 Team Green - 4th Overall

Indycar 2002 Team Green (Indy 500 only) - 44th Overall 2003 3 races with Andretti Green Racing - 25th Overall 2004 Andretti Green Racing - 6th Overall 2005 Andretti Green Racing - 4th Overall 2006 Andretti Green Racing - 8th Overall 2007 Andretti Green Racing - 1st Overall 2008 Chip Ganassi Racing (Only competed in an exhibition race) 2009 Chip Ganassi Racing - 1st Overall 2010 Chip Ganassi Racing - 1st Overall 2011 Chip Ganassi Racing - 1st Overall 2012 Chip Ganassi Racing - 7th Overall 2013 Chip Ganassi Racing - 10th Overall

NASCAR

Sprint Cup 2008 Chip Ganassi Racing - 49th Overall (partial season)

Nationwide Series 2007 Chip Ganassi Racing - 95th Overall (partial season) 2008 Chip Ganassi Racing - 35th Overall (partial season)

appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2014

is lefthanded

currently serves as advisor/diver coach for Chip Ganassi Racing

started go-kart racing at age 10

won more than 100 races and 20 Scottish, British and World karting titles

raced in British F3 in 1994

made a cameo appearance as a racing driver in the 2001 film Driven

appeared on the US television shows Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson three times each in the late 2000s and early 2010s

voiced a Scottish news anchor and a male tourist in the 2013 animated film Turbo, for which he provided technical consultation

served as a television co-commentator and driver pundit on Formula E's world feed since its inaugural season in 2014

is a member of the "Brat Pack", an international group of CART drivers composed of Dario, Tony Kanaan, Greg Moore and Max Papis, who shared a desire for enjoyment, attending all-night parties, discussing life and staying in close contact with one another

Prior to the 2000 CART season, Franchitti was hospitalised after a crash during pre-season testing at Homestead–Miami Speedway; part of the car's suspension hit his head, and he sustained displaced fractures in his left hip and pelvis, and multiple minor brain contusions

sustained an anterior stable compression fracture of the lumbar vertebrae in an motorbike accident during a trip to West Lothian in April, 2003

requiring season-ending keyhole surgery to strengthen his back, missing the second half of the 2003 season

had a minor left-ankle fracture in 2008, after a crash in a NASCAR Nationwide race

Before the season-ending 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Franchitti led Will Power in the championship standings by 18 points. The race was abandoned following a 15-car accident on the 11th lap that involved Power and caused Wheldon's death, meaning Franchitti won his fourth championship win; his third in succession.

suffered a concussion and two spinal fractures, plus a fractured right ankle in the second to last race of the 2013 season

retired from competitive driving in 2013 after doctors advised him his most recent injuries and those from previous accidents put him at risk of permanent paralysis and brain damage in the event of another major crash

Iconic/memorable moments

Shopping at Target with Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon IndyCar: Scott Dixon, "We got hosed again" by Will Power IndyCar Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon Interview (part 2) RACER: Franchitti, Kanaan, Dixon Prank 20yr old Teammate Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon, part 1 Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon, part 2 3 motorsport legends compete at Goodwood Revival! | Goodwood Revival Special IndyCar drivers Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti robbed at Indy Taco Bell RACER: Dario Franchitti ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Thank You Dario Dario Franchitti: A hacksaw to Tony Kanaan’s bike Dario Franchitti: People think I have OCD Dario Franchitti: Royal Automobile Club Talk Show in association with Motor Sport Dario Franchitti: Regrets NASCAR move? Behind the Bricks: Dario Franchitti, Part 1 Behind the Bricks: Dario Franchitti Part 2 Dario Franchitti: Five weeks of my memory lost in crash Dario Franchitti: Devastated by Dan Wheldon's death Dan Wheldon Memorial Service, Part 3

Dario Franchitti Press Conference 11 in 11 with Dario Franchitti Dario Franchitti gets pied 2012 Indianapolis 500 Finish - Dario Franchitti Wins (Interviews Included) RACER: Robin Miller Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan IMS Tire Test 2013 Dario Franchitti Press Conference Drivers React to Wheldon's Death Road to the Championship: Close Competition 2011 Indycar Toronto - Will Power and Dario Franchitti controversial incident Dario Franchitti is 2010 Champion Dario Franchitti Indy Means Everything Concussions in Racing: A Case Study - Dario Franchitti & Dr. Stephen Olvey Dario Franchitti: Garage full of Ferraris, Porsches Dario Franchitti: Lack of recognition in Europe is disgraceful Dinner with Racers Episode 59: Dario Franchitti Greg Moore At 20, with Dario Franchitti, Paul Tracy, Max Papis, Mike Zizzo, and Marshall Pruett. Dario Franchitti - McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winner 1992 Remembering Greg Moore: Champ Car’s Brat Pack having the time of their lives Dario and Greg Moore and Seibkins in Elkhart Lake

Dario Franchitti book Romance of Racing (out of print, can be found used, although not cheaply. Try your library)

The "Brat Pack" Max Papis, Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti, Greg Moore

Dario is now a senior member of the paddock, an advisor for Ganassi and coach, often more like a father/uncle figure, to their new young drivers. But in his youth in the 1990’s he was a wild child, a member of Cart’s “Brat Pack”, prone to staying up all night partying yet still winning races. He almost won the championship in 1999 but lost in the finale only to be told after the race that his best friend, and fellow member of the “Brat Pack”, Greg Moore had died.

He made the switch to IRL which became Indycar, in 2003, although injuries and recovering from those injuries kept him out of the car most of that year. He recovered and then began the epic prank era at Andretti Green races with his teammates on the way to his first Indy 500 win and his first Indycar championship in 2007. He decided to give NASCAR a try in 2008.

(We don’t talk about the NASCAR year)

He came back at Ganassi in 2009 and proceeded to win three championships in a row (and two more Indy 500s) while becoming the elder statesman of the series. But all of this success was not without sorrow and near disaster. The loss of Dan Wheldon hit him hard. He and his former teammate were still close friends. Another crash and the subsequent injures forced him into retirement in late 2013

He is a prime example of why we don't leave decisions on their fitness to race up to the drivers anymore, suffering more than his fair share of injuries in his career (see list above) and continuing to race when he definitely should not have.. One might call it a lack of survival instinct, which to be honest, most drivers lack, but Dario lacks it to an alarming degree. He is at risk of permanent paralysis and brain damage in the event of another major crash, yet still races vintage/historic cars on occasion, particularly at Goodwood.

I would be remiss not to mention his Scottish accent, thick dark hair that is silvering at the temples and still fit physique. He’s lost none of the charm of his youth and perhaps gained more now at the age of 50.

Fanfic Lore

Paired/grouped with the “Brat Pack” Originally comprised of Dario, Tony Kanaan, Greg Moore and Max Papis. Various later iterations included Scott Dixon, Bryan Herta, Dan Wheldon and sometimes Marco Andretti.

paired with Will Power during the height of their rivalry though they’ve became very good friends since Dario was forced to retire

sometimes used as supportive dad figure for younger drivers (sometimes as more of a “Daddy”)

Dario and TK

More Dario and TK

Even more Dario and TK

Brat Pack

Dario and Dixon

[logginspromotion]

Chase Rice: Cruisin’ To The Top

Chase Rice was born September 19, 1985. A country music singer, songwriter and reality television personality, he first came to prominence in 2010 while he was a contestant on Survivor: Nicaragua, where he was the runner-up to Jud “Fabio” Birza. In the same year Rice began focusing on a career in country music, and later co-wrote the diamond-certified single “Cruise”, performed by Florida Georgia Line. Rice has released five studio albums. He has also scored two number-one singles with “Eyes On You” and “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” (featuring FGL). Prior to 2010, Rice was a former college football linebacker for the North Carolina Tar Heels and a former NASCAR pit crew member for Hendrick Motorsports. He was born in Florida and then raised on a farm in Asheville, North Carolina. After graduating from UNC, Rice was selected to join the Hendrick Motorsports pit crew as the rear tire carrier for Ryan Newman’s Nationwide Series car. He also worked on Jimmie Johnson’s Sprint Cup Series car and won two championships with the Lowe’s team. Chase began playing guitar in college. He cites his father as the inspiration for his career, recalling his father saying “boy anyone can play guitar, but no one is gonna really listen to you until you start singing. His first studio album, Friday Nights & Sunday Mornings, was released in 2010. This 13-track album includes the first song he ever wrote/recorded, “Larger Than Life”, which is about the passing of his father. Read the full article

[gossipontheasphalt]

NASCAR Lucky Moments

In professional sports, sometimes to win, you have to be at the right place at the right time. At some point, a little luck will go a long way. NASCAR is no different. Today, I’m going to be talking about five times a driver just flat out got lucky.

We’ll start this list off with the Pocono race in 2022. Denny Hamlin crossed the finish line first, with Kyle Busch finishing second. But after the race, the two of them were disqualified. On their cars underneath the paint, was a small piece of tape. That may not seem like much, and it probably seems like a dumb reason to get disqualified. But in an automobile race, every little bit helps. In races like this, if something is off by only a centimeter, it’s illegal. With those two being disqualified, the win went to the third place driver, Chase Elliott. Before the announcement was made, Chase Elliott hadn’t even led a lap, and then boom, now he’s the race winner.

At the end of the 2012 Nationwide series race at Daytona, James Buescher was running eleventh going into the final turn. Then, a wreck happened in front of him. Everyone in the top 10 ended up crashing in front of him. Remember that scene in Pixar Cars when Lightning McQueen was able to dodge a massive wreck? Well, this is an example of life imitating art. James Buescher was able to dodge the carnage in front of him and win the race. Dude wasn’t even in the top 10 going into the final turn, and he ended up winning.

Here's another thing that happened in a Nationwide race. This one was the 2010 race at Charlotte. Late in the race, Brian Scott made a pit stop. NASCAR then black flagged him for a loose lug nut. Scott then came back down pit road, and what happened next was crazy. It turns out the lug nut wasn’t loose. Brian Scott came back down pit road and lost a bunch of spots, for absolutely nothing. NASCAR then corrected their mistake, by putting out the caution. They slowed down the rest of the field, and they let Scott take his position back. He would then go on to finish third. This is why I think Scott was so lucky. NASCAR rarely ever takes responsibility when they penalize a driver for no reason, and very rarely do they correct their mistakes. There have been several other instances of a time when they should have thrown a caution to overturn a penalty. The NASCAR officials suck at their job.

At Bristol in 2002, during practice for the Busch series race, Mike Harmon had a really horrifying crash. His car was completely totaled and ended up being torn in half. The car was also on fire. And then, this happened. He got out of the car under his own power and walked away. In a crash like that, there is no way someone is supposed to survive. By all accounts, Mike Harmon should be dead. Yet somehow, he was able to survive what was probably one of the worst wrecks in the history of automobile racing. Not only that he was able to walk under his own power. This accident is proof that God is real. If there was no God, Mike Harmon would have bled to death all over the track, body parts everywhere.  

For this last one, we’re going to look at Justin Haley. Everyone knows that he is the winner of the 2018 Xfinity series race at Daytona, even though NASCAR says he didn’t. **CENSORED** you NASCAR, you know damn well for a fact that he was already leading before he went below the yellow line. Haley would be able to bounce from this the following year in 2019, at the same track. Justin Haley was leading the race past the halfway point. He clearly did not have enough fuel to make it to the end of the race, he was going to have to pit again. Then, the race was put under the red flag due to lightning in the area. If a lightning strike happens within 8 miles of the track, the race has to temporarily be halted. They need to wait at least 30 minutes before resuming the race. They gotta make sure everything is safe. During this delay, more lightning was found in the area, and they kept having to reset the clock. Eventually, the clock finally expired, and the drivers were instructed to return to their cars.

Then, before the race could resume, they found another lightning strike, and they had to reset the clock again. Then it began pouring down rain. Obviously, NASCAR can’t race in the rain. At this point, they have been waiting hours to finally resume the race. Finally, NASCAR made a decision. They determined that they would not be resuming the race, as it was going to take too long to dry the track. They decided to end the race. Because Justin Haley was the leader at the time, he was declared the winner. I can’t imagine what was going through his head during all of this. He had to wait in anticipation for hours, before he finally found out he had gotten his first cup series win. Nobody likes the rain, but in this case, the rain is what saved Justin Haley.

That does it for today folks. If you can think of an example in NASCAR that involved a driver getting lucky, let me know in the comments, and I might make a part 2.

[powerrcp-g3]

Yup, this is my first live appearance to a stock car race since 2009 where the NASCAR Nationwide Series (Now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series) had a race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. And, I got to see Regan Smith himself! But anyways, the IWK 250 is an annual Late Model race event that usually has a celebrity NASCAR driver show up and it could be anybody. For this year, it's the guy who nearly won the 2008 AMP Energy 500 at Talladega had NASCAR not implemented the yellow line rule, had won the 2008 IWK 250 and, the 2011 Southern 500 at Darlington. So yeah, he might not be the best NASCAR driver. But, he was still a great guy to meet and I got his Autograph! 👍 Hopefully next year, you will see me at an actual NASCAR race.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.19 (after 1950)

1953 – Cold War: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed at Sing Sing, in New York. 1960 – The first NASCAR race was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 1961 – Kuwait declares independence from the United Kingdom. 1964 – The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is approved after surviving an 83-day filibuster in the United States Senate. 1965 – Nguyễn Cao Kỳ becomes Prime Minister of South Vietnam at the head of a military junta; General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu becomes the figurehead chief of state. 1978 – Garfield's first comic strip, originally published locally as Jon in 1976, goes into nationwide syndication. 1985 – Members of the Revolutionary Party of Central American Workers, dressed as Salvadoran soldiers, attack the Zona Rosa area of San Salvador. 1987 – Basque separatist group ETA commits one of its most violent attacks, in which a bomb is set off in a supermarket, Hipercor, killing 21 and injuring 45. 1987 – Aeroflot Flight N-528 crashes at Berdiansk Airport in present-day Ukraine, killing eight people. 1988 – Pope John Paul II canonizes 117 Vietnamese Martyrs. 1990 – The current international law defending indigenous peoples, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989, is ratified for the first time by Norway. 1990 – The Communist Party of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic is founded in Moscow. 1991 – The last Soviet army units in Hungary are withdrawn. 2005 – Following a series of Michelin tire failures during the United States Grand Prix weekend at Indianapolis, and without an agreement being reached, 14 cars from seven teams in Michelin tires withdrew after completing the formation lap, leaving only six cars from three teams on Bridgestone tires to race. 2007 – The al-Khilani Mosque bombing in Baghdad leaves 78 people dead and another 218 injured. 2009 – Mass riots involving over 10,000 people and 10,000 police officers break out in Shishou, China, over the dubious circumstances surrounding the death of a local chef. 2009 – War in North-West Pakistan: The Pakistani Armed Forces open Operation Rah-e-Nijat against the Taliban and other Islamist rebels in the South Waziristan area of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. 2012 – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requested asylum in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army. 2018 – The 10,000,000th United States Patent is issued. 2018 – Antwon Rose II was fatally shot in East Pittsburgh by East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld after being involved in a near-fatal drive-by shooting. 2020 – Animal rights advocate Regan Russell was run over and killed by a transport truck outside of a pig slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ontario.

[benandstevesposts]

NASCAR DRIVER NOAH GREGSON SUSPENDED AFTER APPEARING TO POST "LIKE" TO INSENSITIVE GEORGE FLOYD MURDER!

The original report from PEOPLE By Brenton Blanchet

NASCAR driver Noah Gragson is now "under indefinite suspension" shortly after it was reported that he liked an insensitive meme about George Floyd's 2020 murder.

On Saturday, Legacy Motor Club released a statement about the suspension, noting that Gragson's actions "do not represent the values of our team." Josh Berry instead drove the No. 42 car for this weekend's Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

NASCAR released a statement reading - "NASCAR fully supports Legacy Motor Club’s decision to suspend Noah Gragson. Following his actions on social media, NASCAR has determined that Gragson has violated the Member Conduct section of the 2023 NASCAR Rule Book and has placed him under indefinite suspension."

As NBC Sports noted, Section 4.3.E in the Cup Rule Book states that NASCAR members "shall not make or cause to be made a public statement and/or communication that criticizes, ridicules, or otherwise disparages another person based upon that person’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, or handicapping condition.”

The outlet also cited Section 4.4.D, which states that "statement and/or communication made public (including social media platforms) that demeans, criticizes, ridicules, or otherwise disparages another person based upon that person’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, or handicapping condition" could result in a fine or indefinite suspension.

Gragson is in his first entire season in the Cup Series and is 33rd in the Cup Series standings, per ESPN. 

In June 2020, a month after the death of Floyd sparked nationwide protests, Gragson's fellow driver Bubba Wallace wore a Black Lives Matter shirt during a pre-race ceremony in Atlanta. Wallace then called on NASCAR to eliminate Confederate battle flags from race tracks, and the organization responded by barring their use in "any official" capacity.

Read the original report from PEOPLE. Click here!

[spinstrackingsystem]

Chase Rice: Cruisin’ To The Top

Chase Rice was born September 19, 1985. A country music singer, songwriter and reality television personality, he first came to prominence in 2010 while he was a contestant on Survivor: Nicaragua, where he was the runner-up to Jud “Fabio” Birza. In the same year Rice began focusing on a career in country music, and later co-wrote the diamond-certified single “Cruise”, performed by Florida Georgia Line. Rice has released five studio albums. He has also scored two number-one singles with “Eyes On You” and “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” (featuring FGL). Prior to 2010, Rice was a former college football linebacker for the North Carolina Tar Heels and a former NASCAR pit crew member for Hendrick Motorsports. He was born in Florida and then raised on a farm in Asheville, North Carolina. After graduating from UNC, Rice was selected to join the Hendrick Motorsports pit crew as the rear tire carrier for Ryan Newman’s Nationwide Series car. He also worked on Jimmie Johnson’s Sprint Cup Series car and won two championships with the Lowe’s team. Chase began playing guitar in college. He cites his father as the inspiration for his career, recalling his father saying “boy anyone can play guitar, but no one is gonna really listen to you until you start singing. His first studio album, Friday Nights & Sunday Mornings, was released in 2010. This 13-track album includes the first song he ever wrote/recorded, “Larger Than Life”, which is about the passing of his father. Read the full article

[newmusicweekly]

Chase Rice: Cruisin' To The Top

Chase Rice was born September 19, 1985. A country music singer, songwriter and reality television personality, he first came to prominence in 2010 while he was a contestant on Survivor: Nicaragua, where he was the runner-up to Jud “Fabio” Birza. In the same year Rice began focusing on a career in country music, and later co-wrote the diamond-certified single “Cruise”, performed by Florida Georgia Line. Rice has released five studio albums. He has also scored two number-one singles with “Eyes On You” and “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” (featuring FGL). Prior to 2010, Rice was a former college football linebacker for the North Carolina Tar Heels and a former NASCAR pit crew member for Hendrick Motorsports. He was born in Florida and then raised on a farm in Asheville, North Carolina. After graduating from UNC, Rice was selected to join the Hendrick Motorsports pit crew as the rear tire carrier for Ryan Newman’s Nationwide Series car. He also worked on Jimmie Johnson’s Sprint Cup Series car and won two championships with the Lowe’s team. Chase began playing guitar in college. He cites his father as the inspiration for his career, recalling his father saying “boy anyone can play guitar, but no one is gonna really listen to you until you start singing. His first studio album, Friday Nights & Sunday Mornings, was released in 2010. This 13-track album includes the first song he ever wrote/recorded, “Larger Than Life”, which is about the passing of his father. Read the full article

[menuandprice]

Outback Wednesday Special

Outback Wednesday Special

➽ Outback Steakhouse has introduced a new limited-time promotion that they’re calling “Walkabout Wednesday,” where you get one classic Outback entrée, Aussie Fries and your choice of a small domestic draft beer or soda (Coca-Cola product), all for $9.99.

Outback Steakhouse $10.99 Walkabout Wednesday

➽ Outback Steakhouse presents $10.99 Walkabout Wednesday! You can enjoy the Outback Center-Cut Sirloin and Grilled chicken every Wednesday with the Barbie. ➽ Include Aussie Fries and your choice of an ice-cold Coca-Cola beverage or a small domestic beer. ➽ It’s the price of a $10.99 Walkabout Wednesday, only from Outback Steakhouse. A wide selection of dishes at an affordable cost! Food is available for lunch and dinner, and it’s ready whenever you’re. ➽ This Walkabout Wednesday promotion is available for a short period only for participating eateries. There are no substitutions to menu items for this promotion. ➽ Are you the proud owner of Outback Gift Cards that you are still unable to use? Don’t forget to take them along! ➽ The majority of Outback Steakhouse restaurants will be open during the holiday period of Labor Day (Monday, September 6.)

FAQs – Outback Steakhouse

Does Outback Steakhouse give senior discounts? ➽ There is no discount for seniors, and outback Steakhouse does not offer discounts for seniors. Should you tip Outback curbside?   ➽ In terms of modern tipping etiquette, According to the advice of Peter Post and his institute, There can be “no need” to give a tip at the table for take-out; however one should leave 10% to pay for “extra delivery (curb service) or a large, complicated purchase.”  Does Outback do AAA discount? ➽ Restaurant & dining discounts. … When you have the AAA card, you can access deals at popular restaurants like Rainforest Cafe, Hardrock Cafe, and Outback Steakhouse. What day do you get a free Bloomin Onion at Outback?   ➽ The Blooming Mondays are back! If Harvick is in the top 10 of a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, Fans can enjoy a complimentary Bloomin’ Onion at Outback Steakhouse on the Monday after the race.  How do I get a free Bloomin Onion from Outback Steakhouse?   ➽ To receive the offer, say “Outback Bowl” to your server when you purchase. One free promotion per table. ➽ This offer is valid only at participating restaurants on 1/3/2021, for lunch or dinner with eating in or taking out. Does Outback give you anything for your birthday?   ➽ Free Birthday Stuff The location is Outback Steakhouse. Make it a special day Down Under and enjoy the FREE Birthday dessert from Outback Steakhouse with the purchase of an entree. ➽ You’ll receive a free dessert each year as a member of Outback Steakhouse’s”365 Offers” program. Does Outback still have the steak and lobster special?   ➽ Outback Steakhouse is currently serving Their Special Sirloin that comes with a grilled lobster tail and baked potatoes for $14.99! The offer is available nationwide. Is endless Shrimp at Red Lobster endless?   ➽ Like Shrimp, the surprises at Red Lobster are endless. The restaurant has announced a new and exciting feature to their menu parmesan shrimp scampi. Alongside Parmesan Shrimp Scampi, Red Lobster is adding two items from their menu that aren’t on the menu. The possibilities are infinite. Does Outback Steakhouse give AAA discounts?   ➽ AAA is covered. By using the AAA membership card, you’ll be able to enjoy specials at hot restaurants such as Rainforest Cafe, Hardrock Cafe, and Outback Steakhouse. Be aware that discounts and availability can vary based on the location. Be sure to contact the restaurant in your area to confirm the details before dining. Does Outback still have steak and lobster specials? ➽ Everyone’s favorite Outback combo menu has been reintroduced! … lobster tail and steak are priced at $15.99. Take advantage of Victoria’s Filet Mignon, a steamed lobster tail with your choice of potato and a freshly-prepared dish. Should you tip for the car side to go?   ➽ A tip of at least 10 % is acceptable because the person who delivers makes sure that the food you ordered is provided to you in a timely and neat way. The driver likely handles several orders simultaneously, which means their service is more than simply giving you a bag and taking your payment. How much do you tip a hairdresser for $200?   ➽ Most experts in the field of hair advise that the minimum tip amount should be 15% to 15 percent of the price of the services offered. Do you tip Outback delivery? ➽ Outback Steakhouse Delivers so that You can Get A Blooming Onion to Your Door. Check if they have delivery in your neighborhood! ➽ It is, however, an additional delivery fee of $4 that doesn’t include a tip to drivers. ➽ Employees of Outback Steakhouse (known by the name Outbackers) are the primary sources of service.  Does Outback have any discounts?   ➽ Outback Steakhouse offers special discounts and prices for military personnel and AARP members, front-line workers nurses. ➽ Click the link to view the entire list of customer values on outback.com What discounts can you get with AAA?   -  1. Hotel discounts. AAA hotel discounts are among the most popular perks for members. -  2. Rental car discounts. iStockphoto.  -  3. Restaurant discounts.  -  4. Restaurant certificates. -  5. Apparel discounts. -  6. Electronics discounts. -  7. Cellular service and accessory discounts. -  8. Business and personal services discounts. What restaurants offer AAA discounts? ➽ Restaurants and Dining: - Bubba Gump Shrimp Co: 10 10% off all food and non-alcoholic drinks. - Denny’s 10 percent off food and non-alcoholic beverages in participating stores. - Gino’s East 10% off beverages and food up to $100. How can I receive complimentary appetizers when I dine at Outback Steakhouse? ➽ Go to the nearest Outback Steakhouse on January 3, 2021. tell the server “Outback Bowl” to your server to receive a complimentary APPETIZER when you purchase. Do you get something for your birthday from Outback? ➽ Receive the small vanilla sundae and your Bloomin Onion and Steak to celebrate your birthday. Talk to your server. ➽ If you decide to sign up for Rewards at Outback’s restaurant, then you’ll be able to get the whole dessert free of charge or a meal on your birthday. What does Outback give you for your birthday?   ➽ FREE BIRTHDAY ACCESSORIES for birthdays at Outback Steakhouse. ➽ Make it a special day down Under and enjoy the FREE Birthday Cake in Outback Steakhouse by purchasing an entree. ➽ You’ll get a free dessert each year as a part of Outback Steakhouse’s”365 Offers” program. Finf here: Outback menu with prices The post Outback Wednesday Special appeared first on ❤️ UPDATED 2023. Read the full article

[nascarwallpapers]

Monster Energy Series: Alex Bowman, #88 2018 Nationwide Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports.

[coimbrabertone]

NASCAR Numerology: How NASCAR's Current Teams Got Their Numbers: Part Four.

Welcome everybody to the mission creep blog! We've done Trackhouse, Penske, Wood Brothers, RCR, SHR, Hendrick, RFK, and Spire, which means we've cleared the first ten numbers!

Today we're going to talk about:

Joe Gibbs Racing, who runs the #11, the #19, the #20, and the #54 this year.

Kaulig Racing, who runs the #13, the #16, and the #31.

Rick Ware Racing, who run the #15 and the #51,

and 23XI Racing, who run the #23, the #45, and sometimes the #50.

So, starting with Joe Gibbs Racing...and their story starts with none of their current numbers! Rather, it starts with the #18 in 1992.

Why the #18? Once again, it was a story of lowest available number, as 1-12 were taken, the #13 was being used by a part time time along with various superstitions around it, and #14, #15, #16, and #17 were taken as well. Thus, JGR debuted in 1992 with Dale Jarrett in the Interstate Batteries Chevrolet. This partnership won the Daytona 500 in 1993 and won at the fall Charlotte race in 1994, but for 1995, Dale Jarrett would leave. He moved to Yates Racing to take over the #28, subbing for the injured Ernie Irvan, and when Irvan returned to the #28 in 1996, Jarrett moved to a second Yates car, the #88.

Thus, JGR had to make their own story with Bobby Labonte, who impressed immediately by winning the 1995 Coke 600 and sweeping Charlotte.

1997 would bring only one win, at Atlanta, so for 1997, JGR switched to Pontiac. This era of JGR, with Bobby Labonte running the Interstate Batteries #18 Pontiac, is when the team really broke into the top of NASCAR.

Bobby would finish second to Dale Jarrett in 1999, but in 2000, Bobby Labonte would win the championship for JGR.

This was also the time that JGR became a two car team for the first time, but more on that in a moment.

For now, Labonte continued in JGR through the end of the 2005 season, with his last three years in a Chevrolet as GM began phasing out the Pontiac brand in NASCAR. Upon his retirement, he was replaced by JGR development driver JJ Yeley, but Yeley would only last two winless seasons.

He would be shuffled off to Hall of Fame Racing for 2008.

This is when JGR experienced its biggest change in history when, feeling like they were second or even third fiddle at Chevrolet, they switched to Toyota for the 2008 season. Toyota looked downright bad in 2007, but with a year of experience and JGR making the switch, there was hope.

Another reason to hope was that Kyle Busch, the hotheaded but fast kid from Hendrick Motorsports, made the switch, with JGR signing M&Ms as a sponsor over from Yates.

Thus, one of the most recognizable partnerships in modern NASCAR began, with Kyle Busch, Toyota, and M&Ms - they won the 2015 and 2019 championships together, took countless wins, and along with Kevin Harvick of SHR and Martin Truex Jr., Kyle formed part of the "Big Three" drivers that dominated the late Gen 6 era of NASCAR, particularly 2017-2019.

However, during the 2022 season, Mars Inc., parent company of M&Ms, announced that they were ending their NASCAR sponsorship. Kyle Busch was forced to move to the #8 car at RCR, while Joe Gibbs announced that his grandson, Ty Gibbs, would move up to the NASCAR Cup Series.

Rather than the #18, he would continue in his Xfinity number, driving the #54.

Ironically enough, the #54 originates with Kyle Busch, as Kyle Busch Motorsports has long run the #51 (a tribute to Days of Thunder antagonist Rowdy Burns, who Kyle has nicknamed himself after) and the #4 in trucks. When KBM moved up to the second-tier Nationwide series in 2012 neither number was available, so they ran the #54 instead.

Kyle and Kurt Busch split the season, with Kurt taking its only win at Richmond.

For 2013, KBM's Nationwide team was sold to Joe Gibbs Racing, where, in 2022, Ty Gibbs ran the #54 to the Xfinity series championship (for those who don't know, Busch, Nationwide, and Xfinity are all the second-tier NASCAR series, it just doesn't have a proper name so it has always been known by its title sponsor, which has changed a few times).

So, the #18 became the #54.

Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs' second number was the #20, introduced in 1999. Why the #20? Because the #19 was taken by a part-time team at the time, so the #20 was the next available number after #18. This number was initially ran by Tony Stewart with immediate success, winning the championship in 2002 with Pontiac and 2005 with Chevrolet. The Home Depot #20 was one of the iconic cars of NASCAR's boom era, and Tony Stewart was its superstar driver. In 2008, however, JGR switched to Toyota, while Tony was an all-American GM guy to his core.

The awkward partnership only lasted for one year before Tony left JGR to start his own team with Gene Haas, forming SHR.

Joey Logano replaced Tony in the #20, showing flashes of brilliance, but with only two wins in four seasons, Logano was replaced with Matt Kenseth for 2013. Logano would move to Penske, with much more success there than he had at JGR.

Matt Kenseth, meanwhile, saw the #20 switch from Home Depot sponsorship to running a Dollar General primary. Nevertheless, Kenseth showed immediate success, taking seven wins and falling just nineteen points off championship leader Jimmie Johnson.

Two years later in 2015, Kenseth was on for another championship contending season before being spun out from the lead at Kansas by none other than Joey Logano. Getting caught up in a wreck at the next race at Talladega saw Matt Kenseth get eliminated in the round of 12, while Logano won his third race in a row at Talladega to sweep the round of 12.

In retribution, at Martinsville two weeks later - the first race of the round of eight - Matt Kenseth wrecked Joey Logano as the crowd cheered. Kenseth was suspended for two races, but getting wrecked at Martinsville, a tyre problem at Texas, and failing to win Phoenix meant that Joey Logano didn't advance either.

A historic feud between drivers of the #20.

Kenseth would leave JGR after 2017, handing the #20 over to Erik Jones for three seasons, before it ended up in the hands of current driver Christopher Bell in 2021.

Bell has made the championship four in both 2022 and 2023, but finished fourth in the standings both years.

JGR's third car was the #11, co-owned by JD Gibbs and running the #11, which was the number JD used in college football at William & Mary. The #11 debuted in 2004, running various drivers such as JJ Yeley, Jason Leffler, Ricky Craven, and even Terry Labonte before settling on Denny Hamlin at the end of 2005. Hamlin went full time for 2006.

The team, with primary sponsorship from FedEx, has run ever since.

Denny Hamlin and the #11 team have won three Daytona 500s, fifty-four races, and have basically done everything in NASCAR besides winning a championship. Truly the Chicago Cubs of the stock car racing world.

Last on the list for JGR is the #19, which Joe Gibbs was finally able to secure in 2015. They had already poached Matt Kenseth from Roush for the #20, so Gibbs decided to do it again and nabbed Carl Edwards for the #19, a partnership that lasted two years before Carl abruptly retired at the end of the 2016 season for reasons NASCAR fans still speculate about to this day.

In the words of Carl Edwards himself...he had taken too many knocks to the head over the years and with him then starting a young family with a neurosurgeon wife, he decided to retire.

Daniel Suárez replaced Edwards for 2017 and 2018, before the other leading Toyota team in the form of Furniture Row Racing collapsed, giving JGR the chance to pick up 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. for the 2019 season. Truex brought sponsors Bass Pro Shops and Auto Owners Insurance over with him.

2024, however, will be Truex's last season. Chase Briscoe will take over the #19 for 2025.

One team down.

Kaulig Racing has two full time cars, the #16 and the #31, as well as a part-time #13. The #31 is driven by Daniel Hemric, the #16 by AJ Allmendinger, Shane van Gisbergen, Josh Williams, Derek Kraus, and Ty Dillon, and the #13 has been used by Allmendinger in races where both he and SVG were running, such as COTA and Chicago.

Kaulig took #16 since it was available in 2021 (their usual Xfinity numbers, #10 and #11, were both taken), the #31 was chosen for their chartered entry for 2022 since RCR had vacated it after 2019, and the #13 because one: it was vacated, and two: it's the inverse of the #13. Yeah, not much story there, Kaulig is a new team and their numbers don't have much historic meaning behind them.

I mean, Roush ran the #16 for a long time, most successfully with Greg Biffle, but there's no link between that and Kaulig.

Kaulig does have two wins - Indianapolis Road Course 2021 and Charlotte Roval 2023 - with AJ Allmendinger, which is the most success the #16 has had since Biffle, for whatever that's worth.

Now onto Rick Ware Racing.

Rick Ware Racing has built up their history as a start-and-park team running the #51, and initially their numbering scheme was built on that, running numbers such as #52, #53, and the #54 as well. This is also the number that Rick Ware uses on its co-entries in other series, such as its alliance with Dale Coyne Racing in Indycar - where the #51 is currently run by a slew of drivers, of which Katherine Legge is expected to finish out the season - and IMSA LMP3 racing, where Rick Ware runs his son Cody.

Cody Ware was arrested in 2023 for assaulting and strangling his then girlfriend, so that's the first and only time I will mention him on this blog.

Anyway, more recently Rick Ware Racing has started professionalizing its NASCAR efforts, with Justin Haley showing promise in the #51 car that he runs in alliance with RFK Racing. Their other car, the #15, is still somewhat of a revolving door of drivers, but it does appear to be improving.

So, that's the #11, the #13, the #15, and the #16. Roush has the #17, the #18 is currently vacant, JGR has the #19 and the #20, Wood Brothers has the #21, Penske the #22...that means 23XI is next.

23Xi Racing, a joint venture by Michael Jordan (the 23 part) and Denny Hamlin (the 11 part, or XI in Roman numerals) is another new NASCAR team, having entered NASCAR in 2021 in alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing.

The history of their numbers is quite simple, the #23 is Jordan's jersey number, and the #45 is the number he wore when he returned to the Chicago Bulls in 1995 after a brief sabbatical during which time he played for the White Sox's minor league affiliates.

Bubba Wallace has run the #23 since it was established in 2021, while Kurt Busch was the initial driver of the #45 before a career-ending crash at Pocono. Ty Gibbs was drafted in to replace Kurt, before 23Xi briefly switched Bubba into the #45 to compete for the owner points playoffs. Daniel Hemric and John Hunter Nemechek also had starts in 23XI cars in 2022.

For 2023 though, Tyler Reddick has been brought in to drive the #45, winning twice in 2023, and another two times so far in 2024.

Bubba, meanwhile, won Talladega 2021 in his #23, and Kansas 2022 while filling in in the #45.

23XI's third car was initially the #67 - get it, like 2,3,4,5,6,7? - but this year, in a promotion with sponsor Mobil 1, it has run as the #50 to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Travis Pastrana, Kamui Kobayashi, and Corey Heim have all started in the #67/#50, while Juan Pablo Montoya is scheduled to run the #50 at the 2024 NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen.

So yeah, we started with a college football number in the #11, and we finish on a team named after basketball numbers with 23XI.

I believe tomorrow will be the end of this series, as Front Row Motorsports with the #34 and #38, Legacy Motor Club with the #42 and the #43, and JTG Daugherty with the #47 are the only remaining full-time teams.

Higher numbers are a bit sparse in NASCAR these days, huh?

[hilaryduffs]

NASCAR Nationwide Series Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta - June 13, 2009

[shefanispeculator]

“Jimmy John’s Plane”

Plane not owned by Jimmy John’s but the founder’s development company.

There seems to be ties to NASCAR with the founder.

Plane is left for NC after pickup from ranch(took to Ardmore)

Starting in 2007, Jimmy John's began sponsoring NASCAR, first with Steven Wallace in 2007 and 2008. In 2009 and 2010, Jimmy John's sponsored Kevin Harvick in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

In 2011, Jimmy John's and Richard Childress Racing reached a multi-year agreement to sponsor Harvick for the Sprint Cup Series. The 2014 sponsorship continued with Harvick and the Stewart-Haas Racing team.

On September 13, 2014, Jimmy John's became the title sponsor of the Jimmy John's Freaky Fast 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. 

Harvick won the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, giving Jimmy John's their first championship.

[gossipontheasphalt]

NASCAR Drivers Making Bonehead Moves.

In every professional sport, athletes make stupid decisions. Bonehead moves happen every season. NASCAR is no exception. Here are some of the dumbest things drivers have ever done during a NASCAR race. Let’s laugh at other people’s misfortunes.

We’ll start off with the 2008 Nationwide series race at Talladega. At every racetrack, after you exit pit road, you have to stay on the apron for a certain distance before you come back onto the track. This is to prevent drivers from checking up in front of the rest of the field. This is similar to highways. You have to stay on the shoulder for a short distance, before you merge onto the main road. Apparently, Kevin Lepage was not informed about this. He came up onto the racetrack as soon as he got off of pit road, in front of the entire field. This resulted in a massive wreck happening. I would be willing to give slack, if a rookie did this. But when Lepage did this, he was a veteran. This stupid split-second decision ended up causing several teams thousands of dollars in damages.

This next incident also happened at Talladega. It was a truck race in 2022. It wasn’t the driver who made the move, it was a member of the pit crew. While the race was under caution, several drivers were on pit road getting service done. Then, a tire rolls away and goes into the infield grass. Normally when something like this happens, it is the job of the track safety workers to retrieve the tire. A member of Hailie Deegan’s pit crew ran into the infield, to get the tire instead. How can someone be this dumb? You are at risk of being run over. This is an automobile race, not a game of chicken.

Oh Lord, we have another Talladega bonehead move. Why do so many of these happen at Talladega? During the 2012 cup series race, Kurt Busch crashes, and then comes to a complete stop. Per the NASCAR rules, when this happens, you are required to get in the ambulance and take the mandatory ride to the infield care center. What Busch decided to do instead was very dangerous. After getting out of the car, Kurt Busch got back in without his helmet and took off. The NASCAR officials are screaming at him to stop, but Kurt can’t hear them. He eventually does stop, and it’s only because he ran out of gas. I don’t care if the race was under caution. Never, under any circumstances, should you drive in an automobile race without a helmet. Kurt Busch is known for having wild moments, but this takes the cake.

This next incident is just Robby Gordon, being Robby Gordon. During the 2006 Charlotte race, Robby Gordon was the first driver a lap down. A caution then came out, allowing Robby Gordon to get the free pass, and end up back on the lead lap. Once the field gets bunched back up, a wreck then happens. Gordon then goes on to finish tenth. But it is then revealed that Robby Gordon was the one that brought out the caution, that resulted in him getting the free pass. He took a piece of roll bar padding in his car and threw it onto the track. NASCAR allowed Robby Gordon to keep the tenth place finish, but they still docked him several points, for manipulating the outcome of the race. When athletes are falling behind in a sporting event, they have a tendency to make ballsy decisions, that result in their competitors being put in danger.

I think I saved the dumbest moment for last. Just like the last list I made Mark Martin is the last one being mentioned. Hopefully the next time I do a list of five things that have happened in NASCAR, Mark will be on his best behavior. Bristol 1994. The caution comes out late in the race, and Mark Martin is the leader. The race is going to end under caution. With the caution being out, there is no passing, the field is frozen. All Martin has to do is follow the pace car across the finish line. Then this happens. He stupidly mistakes the white flag for the checkered flag. He then comes onto pit road, with the intention of heading to victory lane, not realizing that the race isn’t over. David Green, who was currently running in second, ends up becoming the winner. When Mark Martin was competing in NASCAR, he was one of the top dogs. The fact that he did something as dumb as this is hilarious. Nobody will ever let him forget this. XD

There you have it. That was a list of people with a very high IQ, giving their impersonation of a moron. They are really good actors. If there is a bonehead moment in NASCAR that you think should be talked about, let me know in the comments, and I might make a part 2.