NASCAR Season Review: Dale Earnhardt Jr./Jeff Gordon/Alex Bowman

It was an odd season for Hendrick Motorsports' No. 88 Sprint Cup entry.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. started the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with a rough outing in the Daytona 500, finishing 36th.

Junior's best finish this season was second, at Atlanta, Texas, Bristol and Pocono. But after Kentucky, where be finished 13th, he was diagnosed with a concussion, and wound up missing the rest of the Sprint Cup season.

Jeff Gordon and Alex Bowman alternated rides in the No. 88 to fill in for Junior, who is expected to be back to racing by the 2017 Daytona 500.

Gordon raced eight races in the No. 88 in 2016, putting up only two Top-10s. Bowman raced 10 events in the No. 88 and put up three Top-10s.

"Thanks to the staff at Darlington for hosting our team and to NASCAR for giving us the opportunity to put a car on the track," Earnhardt said after testing at Darlington Raceway in December. "I'll do more testing in January to help knock the rust off. When it's time to go to Daytona, I’ll be ready."

Earnhardt will be 42 when he's back in a race car for the 2017 season, the final year of his five-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports. He is expected to sign another contract with the No. 88 team, but after that, his racing career is unclear.

"Dale is one of the hardest-working patients I've ever encountered," Dr. Mickey Collins, Junior's doctor thrpugh 2016, said in a Hendrick Motorsports release. "He's done everything we've asked, and we believe he is ready to compete at a professional level again and can withstand the normal forces of a race car driver. Dale has been very open with us, and we've had plenty of time for his treatment, so we feel very good about his long-term prospects and how this has been managed by everyone involved."

NASCAR Season Review: Joey Logano

Following a slow start to the 2016 season, Joey Logano made some noise at Martinsville Speedway after earning his first Coors Light Pole Award of the year -- and 15th first-place start of his career.

The Sprint All-Star Race may not have counted for points but a win is a win. Logano came on strong late, catching Kyle Larson in the closing laps to score the victory in the exhibition event that was run with a different rules package than the one that was used for most of 2016.

It wasn't long after that the Team Penske wheelman found Victory Lane again but this triumph helped get him set for the Chase. Logano topped the Michigan weekend after winning from the pole position and leading the main event for 138 of the 200 laps. His wife, Brittany, helped celebrate. The win was also a milestone moment for Roush Yates Engines, which savored its 100th premier-series victory. 

In the series' second trip to Michigan, Logano made some more magic at the 2-mile track in qualifying to make it a season sweep of pole positions at MIS.

Logano made some XFINITY Series appearances for Team Penske in the No. 22 Ford and stormed to Victory Lane twice -- Watkins Glen and Charlotte -- in just 13 races.

The Ford driver locked in a spot in the Round of 8 after winning at the always unpredictable Talladega -- his second win at the superspeedway. Logano pretty much had to win the elimination race after scoring an unfortunate 36th-place finish in the round's opener at Charlotte and he didn't disappoint. This was his second straight Chase race victory at Talladega.

Logano copied his Round of 12 performance by winning the Round of 8's elimination race, but this time in the desert at Phoenix. The win kept his championship hopes alive, advancing him to the Championship 4 -- Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch completed the title-seeking quartet.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch entered the 2016 season in a position he had never been in before in the sport's top series: The defending series champion. He also was set to return to the Daytona 500 after missing the race in 2015 due to a leg injury suffered the day before the "Great American Race." He scored a win in the second Can-Am Duel and went on to lead 19 laps en route to a third-place run in the season's opening race.

A day after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville, Busch completed the weekend sweep with a dominating win in the Sprint Cup race. Busch led 352 of 500 laps for his first premier series win at the 0.526-mile track.

A week later, Busch completed another weekend sweep -- this one of the XFINITY and Sprint Cup variety at Texas. Busch surged late to lead the final 33 laps for his second win of 2016. The win was his second at the 1.5-mile track and marked his fourth straight win in a NASCAR national series race.

There aren't too many tracks that can say they have gotten the best of Kyle Busch and up until 2016, Kansas was one of those venues. That changed in May when "Rowdy" scored his first premier series win there -- leading 69 laps -- including the final 37 for the victory. Pocono and Charlotte stand as the only premier series tracks Busch has yet to win at.

A late spring-early summer swoon produced four straight finishes of 30th-or-worse for the defending series champion. Two crashes and a blown engine occurred during this stretch but Busch would find his mojo after the June off weekend.

Busch put on a dominating show at Indianapolis for his second straight win at The Brickyard. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver led 149 of 170 laps for his fourth victory in the sport's top series in 2016. Busch completed another weekend sweep as well taking the XFINITY race a day earlier.

In his quest to defend his championship, Busch displayed tremendous consistency over the course of the 10-race Chase. Busch finished in the top eight in nine of the 10 races (a 30th-place showing at Talladega not withstanding -- in which Busch and two JGR teammates rode in the back to protect their Chase position). That consistency guided Busch into his second straight Championship 4 appearance.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Kyle and Samantha Busch-owned Kyle Busch Motorsports scored the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owners' championship. KBM has been a powerhouse in that series, contributing to the development of Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, William Byron, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Christopher Bell.

Busch came up short of back-to-back titles with a sixth-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway to finish third among the Championship 4. Busch overcame a mid-race tire issue to get back in the mix but a rash of late yellows foiled his bid to repeat as Jimmie Johnson took home his seventh title.

Info taken via NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Carl Edwards

After top-five finishes in the Daytona 500 and at Atlanta, Carl Edwards went door-to-door (literally) with Kevin Harvick at Phoenix in the fourth race of the season, losing by a mere .010 seconds, the same margin Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 over Martin Truex Jr. Edwards exited Phoenix ranked fifth in the points standings and off to a good start in his second season with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Edwards won his first of a career-high six Coors Light Pole Awards on the season in April at Texas Motor Speedway. He finished seventh at Texas for his sixth top-10 finish in the season's first seven races. He went on to win poles at Bristol (twice), Sonoma, Watkins Glen and New Hampshire to run his career total of pole wins to 22 in 13 seasons.

Edwards went from pole winner to Victory Lane at Bristol, but it wasn't that easy in a race that saw other competitors, including all three of his JGR teammates, encounter troubles that led to their demise. Edwards, meanwhile, led 276 of 500 laps at Thunder Valley to claim his first win of the season and his fourth at the fabled short track. The victory all but assured Edwards a spot in the Chase. And he, of course, celebrated with his signature backflip.

Edwards made it two wins in a row by executing a bump-and-run pass of teammate Kyle Busch on the final lap at Richmond. The finish provided goosebumps for NASCAR fans seeing as though it was the first last-lap pass for a win in the track's history. But the silence was deafening on Busch's radio afterward and the incident would come up a handful of times over the rest of the season -- most notably heading to Miami for the Championship 4.

Crashes at Talladega, Dover and Daytona contributed to a string of subpar finishes for Edwards as the season's summer months set in. However, Edwards is strong at the fuel-mileage game, and it almost paid off for him in the July race at Kentucky. With Brad Keselowski saving fuel, Edwards made up a gap of nearly six seconds in the race's final 10 laps. But Edwards couldn't quite get past the No. 2 Team Penske Ford, finishing .175 seconds behind.

Edwards was in strong contention for a win in October at Kansas, which he considers his hometown track. However, Kevin Harvick drove away from Edwards after a late restart, leading to the Joe Gibbs Racing driver's second runner-up finish at the 1.5-mile track. Edwards expressed his disappointment with another close call at Kansas, but on the bright side it was his first top-five finish of the season's second half and he advanced to the Round of 8 in the Chase.

Edwards advanced to his first Championship 4 thanks to a rain-shortened win in November at Texas. Edwards took the lead on Lap 258 of an eventual 293 and benefited from a super fast pit stop late to close the deal. The victory came on the heels of a 36th-place finish at Martinsville, so the veteran was in pretty much in need of a win to advance to the Championship 4. It was the 28th premier series victory in his career and his fourth at the 1.5-mile track in Fort Worth. And it put him in position to avenge his runner-up finish to Tony Stewart in the 2011 Chase at Homestead.

With 10 scheduled laps to go in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Edwards restarted second alongside race leader Kyle Larson. But when Joey Logano went for an inside move, Edwards went to block him and the contact between the two championship-contending cars sent Edwards' No. 19 Toyota into the inside wall and out of the race. Edwards went from Chase leader to a 34th-place finish and experienced his second near-miss at Homestead in six seasons.

√=To his credit, Edwards didn't pout or place blame on anyone else in the face of the huge disappointment at Homestead. Instead, he got out of his car and walked toward pit road, climbed up the pit box of Joey Logano's team and offered his side of the story. Logano's crew chief, Todd Gordon, called Edwards a stand-up guy for coming over and having the talk. Meanwhile, Edwards could just walk away and shake his head and wait until 2017 for another shot at that elusive first championship.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Matt Kenseth

Matt Kenseth could rival Martin Truex Jr. in the bad luck department. His No. 20 was leading at the Daytona 500 and had been for 40 laps when he wound up on the losing end of last-lap gamesmanship due to the draft. He finished 14th. Kenseth had qualified second for the race, and the bad luck began when he had to start at the back of the pack after a final-lap crash in the second qualifying race for the Daytona 500, forcing him into a back up Camry.

Bad, or at least bizarre, luck continued in the season's second race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kenseth led 47 laps and had a strong car but was black flagged after his crew chief and spotter failed to call him to serve a pass-through penalty after a disputed pit stop penalty. Not realizing his laps wouldn't be counted, Kenseth stayed out after the white cross was shown, and finishes two laps down in 19th place.

Kenseth's luck turned around at Dover in May. He escaped an 18-car pileup on Lap 356 that caught up Kevin Harvick, who had led 117 laps, and a host of others. It was Kenseth's third career win at the "Monster Mile" and the first for him in 2016.

Win No. 2 for the No. 20 came two months later at New Hampshire, where Kenseth also has three career victories. Kenseth led the final 31 laps as the Toyota family of cars led 299 of the 301 laps in the race.

Matt Kenseth's Darlington throwback paint scheme featured the iconic Tide look similar to the one on Ricky Craven's car in 2003 when he edged Kurt Busch at the track "Too Tough to Tame." Ricky Rudd and Darrell Waltrip also ran the scheme. Kenseth finished sixth in the race.

Kenseth and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates (Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards), along with fellow Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr., entered the Chase as favorites after the five drivers accounted for half of the wins in the 2016 regular season.

Kenseth's 2016 Chase was solid, with eight top 10s in the 10 races, including runner-up finishes at New Hampshire and Charlotte.

Kenseth's Chase came to an end in a wreck at Phoenix. He was leading in the closing laps before a caution came out, setting up a dramatic restart -- the first of NASCAR overtime. Contact with Alex Bowman in a battle for the lead sent the No. 20 out of sorts. Kenseth would go on to finish fifth in the final season standings, his sixth ranking of seventh or better in the last seven seasons.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Denny Hamlin

In a photo finish that was the closest ever in the Daytona 500, Denny Hamlin emerged victorious by .010 seconds over Martin Truex Jr. to win "The Great American Race." The Joe Gibbs Racing driver called the win the "biggest race of his life" as he scored Toyota's first win ever in the event and the first for JGR in 23 years at the season opener.

Pit road speeding penalties were a constant bugaboo for Hamlin and the No. 11 team all season long. The issues seemed to dissipate over the summer -- something the driver was confident would be the case in the spring.

Coming into 2016, Hamlin had yet to score a win on a road course and that nearly changed at Sonoma. Hamlin led 33 laps and caught Tony Stewart on the final lap before "Smoke" got to the back of Hamlin in the final turn in one of the best finishes of the year.

Just over a month after his runner-up finish at Sonoma, Hamlin grabbed his first victory on a road course at Watkins Glen. He led just the last 10 laps to notch his first win since the season-opening Daytona 500, and the veteran driver would keep the good times rolling heading toward the Chase.

Hamlin notched his lone Coors Light Pole Award of the season in the regular-season finale at Richmond. He would go on to win that race in an overtime finish -- leading 189 laps on the evening. Earning strong starting spots was the norm in 2016 for Hamlin as he started outside the top 12 just one time.

The rest of his JGR teammates may have driven at the back of the pack at Talladega Superspeedway but Hamlin got all he could as he looked to advance to the Round of 8. Hamlin's third-place finish left him tied with Austin Dillon for the final transfer spot into the Chase's Round of 8. Based on each driver's respective best finish in the Round of 12, Hamlin advanced. Hamlin's Chase run would end after the Round of 8.

The racing got a bit physical between Hamlin and eventual series champion Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville in the Round of 8 opener. The two drivers each have had their success at the short track and the close-quarters racing led to some fiery exchanges over the radio. Johnson passed Hamlin with 92 laps to go, scoring the race win while Hamlin placed third. The duo engaged in a humorous game of one-upmanship on Twitter in the days after the race over their Halloween costumes.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch started the 2016 season hot with a top-10 finish at Daytona followed by consecutive Coors Light Pole Awards at Atlanta and Las Vegas. He finished fourth and ninth at those races, respectively.

Busch's top-10 finishes in 12 of the season's first 14 races led to a breakthrough return to Victory Lane at Pocono for the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing team. He earned the victory with interim crew chief John Klausmeier on top of the box for the suspended Tony Gibson.

Busch's consistency was on display from a 10-race stretch of top 10s from Texas on April 9 to Sonoma on June 26. During that time, the 2004 champion also notched four top fives.

Busch also had a streak of 22 lead-lap finishes to start the season (25 if you go back to the Texas Chase race in 2015). This streak ended with a crash and a 38th-place finish for the No. 41 Chevrolet at the Bristol summer race.

Busch's win at Pocono and consistently strong performance were enough to secure the 2004 champion a berth in the 2016 Chase. Through the 26 regular-season races, Busch had 17 top 10s and was in the top 10 in points.

Busch and teammate Kevin Harvick tangled at Talladega, trading paint on the cool-down lap after the race in which Harvick finished seventh and Busch fourth. On pit road, Harvick confronted Busch, while his teammate was still in the car.

Busch's 2016 Chase ended in the Round of 8 with finishes of 22nd at Martinsville, 20th at Fort Worth, and fifth at Phoenix. This was the second straight year Busch was eliminated in the Round of 8.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR reveals new brand identity, series name and logo

The following is a press release from NASCAR.com from yesterday, December 19, 2016.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR today unveiled a new official brand identity which will replace the bar mark used by the sanctioning body since 1976. The announcement was made in conjunction with the news that Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ will be the new name of the sport's premier series beginning January 1, 2017.

The new brand mark and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series mark, which prominently features the iconic Monster Energy logo, together represent a new era in NASCAR and were first shared today across NASCAR social and digital media channels.

The NASCAR brand identity has been in development since early 2016 as part of a broader effort to refresh the NASCAR brand. It was designed to pay tribute to the storied history of NASCAR, incorporating elements of all four previous marks since the company’s inaugural season of 1948.

"Our new NASCAR mark is modern, timeless, and embraces the heritage of our sport," said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "It was important for us to recognize our history and implement a piece of each previous mark in the new design. Our goal was to evolve the sport's visual identity to make it concise, relevant and functional, while respecting and maintaining the unique qualities of the original mark."

The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points race will be the 59th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 26 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Tickets are available at NASCAR.com/tickets.

NASCAR Season Review: Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick was fast enough to qualify ninth for the season-opening Daytona 500, but his machine didn't pass post-qualifying inspection. "Simple mistake on our part," crew chief Rodney Childers explained. No matter. Harvick drove through the field on Sunday to finish fourth.

Leading 139 of 313 laps, Harvick won for the fifth time in the past six Phoenix events, doing so in thrilling fashion by beating Carl Edwards to the line by 0.010 seconds.

A post-race inspection failure at Indianapolis resulted in crew chief Rodney Childers being suspended for the series' next race at Pocono.

Harvick's No. 4 exhibited such speed throughout the year that it was easy to forget he entered August with just one victory. That changed at Bristol when he won the Bristol Night Race -- on a Sunday afternoon after a rain postponement -- for his second victory that also served to prime the No. 4 team before the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

One week after a public dressing down of his pit crew over the radio at Darlington, Harvick rolled into Richmond with two new members on his over-the-wall crew -- the front tire changer and front tire carrier. The transition yielded quicker stops, and a more pleasant driver.

One week after a weird Chicagoland race in which Harvick was trapped a lap down, his chances of advancing in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup were … not bad, but certainly not as comfortable as he would have liked. No worries. As he's done time and time again in this format, Harvick and his team rose to the occasion with a clutch victory at New Hampshire to advance into the Round of 12.

Harvick inched closer to his third consecutive year racing for the championship in Miami when he won at Kansas in October. The victory ensured the Stewart-Haas Racing driver would advance to the Round of 8, where his best track, Phoenix, awaited.

Harvick has had his share of incidents over the years, and the Talladega Chase race added another to the list. Close racing at the event's conclusion appeared to lead to a miscommunication with Harvick and Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch, which led to Busch swiping Harvick's car on the cool-down lap. Harvick responded on pit lane post-race by delivering a jab into Busch's car while the driver was unbuckling.

It didn't take long for Harvick to be back in the headlines with a conflict. Two weeks after he and Kurt Busch tangled at Talladega, he faced criticism at Texas from Austin Dillon after contact sent Dillon's car careening into the outside wall and spoiling his good day. "He didn't like that the silver spoon kid was outrunning him," Dillon quipped -- a reference to a conflict between the two in 2013, that included some choice words from Harvick, for which he later apologized. If it matters (it didn't to the No. 3 camp), Harvick owned up to the incident and apologized.

In what might go down as the biggest upset in the postseason, Harvick -- who entered the penultimate race at Phoenix having won five of the past six races at the track, and finishing second in the other -- did NOT win in the desert. He finished fourth, a pretty good showing under any circumstance, but it wasn't great on this day. With two spots available in the Championship 4 for Miami, Harvick fell just short as Joey Logano won the race and Kyle Busch finished second, sending those drivers to the title round -- to join Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson in the final.

For the first time since 2014, when the Chase changed to an elimination-style format, Harvick was not one of the four drivers competing for the title. But he had one of his best showings of the season regardless, starting on the pole, leading 79 laps and finishing third. It could portend yet another strong year in 2017 when SHR makes the manufacturer transition to Ford.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Johnny Sauter

Johnny Sauter wasted no time trying to qualify for the first-ever Camping World Truck Series Chase by winning the 2016 season opener at Daytona. Sauter edged ahead of the field on the final lap -- and just in time before the caution flag flew for a wreck that included Christopher Bell barrel-rolling through Turn 1. Bell was OK after the 'Big One,' and Sauter had his 11th win in the series and first for GMS Racing.

Sauter's first and only pole win of the season came in June at Texas Motor Speedway when he posted a fast lap of 180.024 mph at the 1.5-mile track. Sauter was competitive throughout the race, spending 117 of the 167 laps running in third place or better. Sauter, who led nine laps, ultimately finished third, behind race winner William Byron and Matt Crafton.

After advancing past the Round of 8 with top-10 finishes at New Hampshire, Las Vegas and Talladega, Sauter kicked off the Round of 6 with a victory at Martinsville. Sauter held off Chase Elliott to finish ahead by .316 seconds and take the checkered flag. Sauter rebounded from a last-place finish at Martinsville in the spring to lead 50 of the 200 laps in the fall and punched his ticket to the Championship 4.

One week after winning at Martinsville, Sauter took the checkered flag at Texas. Sauter passed Matt Crafton with two laps to go and held on for a .836-second victory, his second in a row in the Chase and the third of his career at Texas. Sauter started 16th and led only six of the 147 laps, but it was enough to capture the 13th Truck Series win of his career.

Sauter started further back in the field than any of the other Championship 4 contenders on Nov. 18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but with less than 25 laps to go, the driver of the No. 21 GMS Chevrolet passed Matt Crafton and never let go. William Byron won the race, but Sauter completed his quest for the championship by finishing third. It was the Wisconsin native's first title in a NASCAR national series.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

Kyle and Kurt Busch team up for ROC Nations Cup in Miami

Kyle Busch will team up with his older brother Kurt Busch for the 2017 Race of Champions Nations Cup event on January 21-22, 2017.

“It's really cool to be included in the 2017 Race of Champions," Kyle Busch said. "You look at the list of drivers and their backgrounds and it's pretty impressive. I love to race anything I can, so I’m really excited to be heading to Miami and getting behind the wheel of some different types of vehicles in order to compete against the best guys in the world.”

Kurt Busch previously raced in the event in 2014.

Indy 500 winners Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay will race for Team USA IndyCar while Travis Pastrana and Scott Speed will join forces for Team USA Rally X.

The event will take place at Marlins Park in Miami, Florida, which is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins.

Drivers already confirmed for ROC Miami:

Sebastian Vettel, four-time Formula 1 world champion
Tom Kristensen, nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner
Petter Solberg, double FIA World Rallycross Champion
Juan Pablo Montoya, 2015 Indianapolis 500 winner
Ryan Hunter-Reay, 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner
Tony Kanaan, 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner
Felipe Massa, 11-time Formula 1 grand prix winner
Kurt Busch, 2004 NASCAR Cup champion
Travis Pastrana, action sports legend
Scott Speed, double Global Rallycross Champion
Alexander Rossi, 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner
Gabby Chaves, 2015 IndyCar Rookie of the Year
David Coulthard, 13-time Formula 1 grand prix winner
Jenson Button, 2009 Formula 1 world champion
Kyle Busch, 2015 NASCAR Cup champion

NASCAR Season Review: Daniel Suarez

Daniel Suarez started 2016 on a high note, earning the Coors Light Pole Award at Auto Club Speedway -- the fifth race of the season. By the end of the 150-lapper, Suarez was five-for-five in top-10 finishes.

After several close finishes, the Joe Gibbs Racing wheelman finally drove his No. 19 to Victory Lane for the first time in the XFINITY Series at Michigan. The win made NASCAR history with Suarez becoming the first Mexican-born driver to win in a national series race. The win also secured him a spot in the series first Chase -- where he would vie against 12 of his peers for the 2016 championship.

Four months later, Suarez found Victory Lane again, but this time at Dover during the second race in the Chase. And he didn't just win, he completely dominated the event, topping the board for a whopping 123 laps -- out of the 200 laps run that day. The win granted him an automatic berth into the next round of the playoffs -- the Round of 8.

Suarez was the man to beat at Miami after earning the Coors Light Pole Award -- his third of the season -- and he didn't disappoint, leading a race-high 133 laps. The Mexican-born driver outraced fellow championship drivers Erik Jones, Elliott Sadler and Justin Allgaier for the title. He made some more history as he became the first Latin American driver to win a NASCAR national series championship.

NASCAR Season Review: Chris Buescher

Chris Buescher was one of two Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2016 -- a first in the sport’s history -- and made some significant steps forward in his young career. The 2015 XFINITY Series champion had some high-water marks to hang his helmet on as he moves into 2017 with a new team.

After a slow start to the season, Buescher landed his first top 20 of the year at Dover International Speedway in May, finishing 18th after starting 30th. The above-average result at the "Monster Mile" was his first finish in the top 20 since his first career Sprint Cup Series start at Auto Club Speedway in 2015.

The landscape of Buescher’s season changed dramatically when the then-Front Row Motorsports driver fortuitously won at Pocono Raceway after the race was called due to wet, foggy conditions. Thirty-first in points at the time, the next several races became a "Will he or won’t he" of making it into the top 30 in points, one of the requirements to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Heading into the regular season finale and cutoff before the Chase, Buescher was still on the line at 30th overall, before a 24th-place finish at the Virginia track helped the rookie officially clinch a berth into NASCAR’s postseason.

The Round of 16 was hard on Buescher, as he failed to finish higher than 23rd in any race and was one of the first four drivers eliminated from the Chase. He did manage to finish 16th at Charlotte the following week, however, his best result the rest of the way.

After the conclusion of the 2016 season, JTG Daugherty Racing announced that it would be expanding to two full-time teams in 2017, leasing Buescher and the Charter from Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 16 car for the upcoming season.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart started 2016 sidelined by a serious back injury, but was back at the track to give his Stewart-Haas Racing team some guidance for several races including the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Tony Stewart returned to the No. 14 Chevrolet after missing the first eight races of the 2016 season, starting in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway on April 24.

Always a threat at road courses, Stewart reached Victory Lane at Sonoma Raceway on June 26 with a thrilling final turn pass of Denny Hamlin for the win. After receiving a waiver from NASCAR, he was eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup provided he scored a win and reached the top 30 in points.

Tony Stewart clinched a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs with two races left in the regular season. His final race at Richmond -- site of the regular-season finale -- ended in a crash after contact with former teammate Ryan Newman.

Stewart joined two Stewart-Haas Racing teammates competing for the championship: Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Chevrolet and Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Chevrolet.

After Jimmie Johnson won at Homestead to claim his record-tying seventh Sprint Cup championship, Johnson gave his helmet from the race to Stewart.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Austin Dillon

Austin Dillon entered his third full-time season in NASCAR's premier series with two top-fives and nine top-10s to his young name. During his impressive junior year in the big leagues, Dillon more than doubled his top-10 total, earning 13 top-10 finishes with four of those landing in the top five.

While Dillon wasn't able to notch his first premier series win in 2016, he did earn two XFINITY Series victories. The first came in March at Auto Club Speedway, when he infamously "dabbed" following his last-lap pass for the win after Kyle Busch and Daniel Suarez's fuel cells dwindled. The second win came at Bristol in August, when he led four laps en route to his eighth XFINITY Series victory.

One of Dillon's most notable races of the season came in May's GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. After starting the race second, Dillon drove his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to a third-place result, the best finish of his premier series career.

So much for an off weekend: Dillon certainly kept busy in series' final in-season off weekend when he proposed to girlfriend and former NFL cheerleader Whitney Ward during a vacation to the Bahamas. Dillon tweeted out a photo of the engagement on Aug. 10 with the caption "That's gold."

Backed by his consistency in the regular season, Dillon made NASCAR's 16-team Chase for the first time in his career. Dillon, who would finish 14th in the final premier series standings, never dropped below 14th in the standings for the entire season.

As the field dwindled from 16 to 12 drivers, Dillon came on strong and squeezed into the Round of 12. An eighth-place showing at the elimination race at Dover allowed the RCR driver to advance past Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray, Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher. Dillon didn't advance to the Round of 8 based on losing a tiebreaker to Denny Hamlin.

Dillon's two premier series poles in 2016 surpassed his entire career total, as he had only earned one (2014 at Daytona) prior to this season. The 26-year-old posted a 188.482 mph lap to notch the top position at Auto Club Speedway in March, powering his No. 3 Chevrolet 192.301 mph lap to earn his second at Texas Motor Speedway shortly after he was eliminated from the Chase. The Texas race also sparked some tensions between Dillon and former RCR driver Kevin Harvick.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Jamie McMurray

The goal for Jamie McMurray was simple in 2016: Make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Again. The 2015 trip to the postseason was the first of McMurray's career, and the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates driver got on track early in 2016 with some impressive speed. His second-place start at Atlanta, the second race of the year, would be his best of the season.

Although McMurray would ultimately succeed in making the Chase, his numbers dipped a bit from 2015 -- that includes his number of top-five finishes for the season. After notching four in 2015, he had two in '16. His best finish, fourth, came at Talladega, which is also the site of McMurray's most recent win in 2013.

One of the more memorable wrecks of the year occurred in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway in July, and McMurray was at the front end of it. A restart past the midway point saw McMurray and Jimmie Johnson collide and trigger an 18-car incident. The two had a private conversation about it in the garage, and came to one conclusion -- just hard racing on a restrictor-plate track.

McMurray had been around 13th or 14th in the standings for most of the regular season, and entered Richmond as a heavy favorite to advance to the postseason. He cruised to a seventh-place finish after starting fourth to enter the playoffs with momentum.

Three races into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, McMurray had his title hopes evaporate, along with his opportunity to advance from the Round of 16 to the Round of 12. Ten spots were available to 14 drivers heading into the round's finale at Dover. McMurray entered the race five points behind teammate Kyle Larson for the final transfer spot, but a blown engine relegated the No. 1 team to a last-place finish.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski punched his ticket to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup early in the season, leading 24 laps to win the third race of 2016 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Talladega Superspeedway ace picked up his fourth win at the Alabama track at the series' first visit to the venue in 2016, leading 46 laps to outlast rival Kyle Busch.

A solid early season run continued at Pocono Raceway, where the Team Penske driver earned one of his two Coors Light Pole Awards on the season en route to a third-place finish. He was second in the other trip to the "Tricky Triangle" later in the season.

A few weeks later, Keselowski won at Daytona International Speedway for the first time in his career, cementing his status as the series' current master of restrictor-plate racing. Team Penske teammate Joey Logano came to Victory Lane to congratulate him.

Keselowski put together his only back-to-back wins of the year, victorious at Kentucky Speedway the following week. Plus, he managed to not cut his hand opening the Victory Lane champagne -- unlike his last Kentucky win.

The series' second stop at Michigan International Speedway marked the beginning of a seven-race top-10 streak for Keselowski. The third-place finisher showed good sportsmanship as well, congratulating race winner Kyle Larson on his first career victory.

After smooth sailing in the Chase's Round of 16, Keselowski ran into major trouble in the Round of 12 at Kansas Speedway. The No. 2 Ford Fusion mixed it up with Denny Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota, and this was the end result after a wild ride through the grass. He finished 38th.

The Talladega luck ran dry the following weekend for Keselowski, who despite leading a race-high 90 laps, was eliminated after an engine issue relegated him to a second-straight 38th-place finish. He was runner-up the following week at Martinsville Speedway in the Round of 8 opener.

The Team Penske driver popped the question to longtime girlfriend Paige White in December, capping off a nice 2016 year. The pair have a daughter, Scarlett, who is 18 months old.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Martin Truex, Jr.

Martin Truex Jr. nearly opened the season with the biggest win of his career -- in the closest finish in Daytona 500 history. Denny Hamlin edged Truex by 0.010 seconds to the line for the victory. The strong performance in a crown jewel event of the sport would be a notable theme throughout the year for Truex.

With the spring came several more near misses for Truex and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team. Bad luck and being snakebit -- another theme that would be constant in 2016 -- hit Truex at Texas and Kansas, two races where he led the most laps. However, Truex was about to cash in very big around the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Truex had a performance for the ages in the Coca-Cola 600 over Memorial Day weekend. Truex led all but eight laps -- 392 out of 400 -- as he won one of the biggest races on the NASCAR calendar. Truex led 588 miles -- the most ever in a single race in the sport's history. The driver also showed plenty of emotion in Victory Lane when talking about the importance of girlfriend Sherry Pollex in his life.

In the midst of his strong year, Truex inked a two-year contract extension with Furniture Row Racing that runs through the 2018 season. In addition, Truex will be welcoming a teammate into the fold with Erik Jones set to drive the No. 77 Toyota. The technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing has had a big impact for the organization.

September was the Triumph of Truex and he kicked it off with a late surge at Darlington for the victory -- leading 28 of the final 29 laps. The win marked the second-straight year that the Coca-Cola 600 and Bojangles' Southern 500 were won by the same driver. Carl Edwards accomplished that in 2015.

Truex struck gold early in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup by winning the opening race of the Round of 16 at Chicagoland. Just like at Darlington, Truex and the 78 team came to life late, nailed a late pit stop and he bested Ryan Blaney on a NASCAR overtime finish for the win and a locked-in spot in the Round of 12.

Truex was already locked into the Round of 12, but padded his win total at Dover. The victory was a career-best fourth of the season for Truex -- giving him seven for his career and boosting Furniture Row's total to six wins. The Dover race saw Truex win at what is essentially the New Jersey native's home track for the second time in his Sprint Cup career.

Truex's championship dreams went sour due to an engine failure 41 laps into the Round of 12 finale at Talladega. The 40th-place finish took Truex out of the elimination-style Chase format, despite being one of the top drivers all season long. As it was said earlier, the 78 team's bad luck seemed to come and go all season and this was just the worst time for it to happen.

While Truex didn't make it back to the Championship 4 as he had in 2015, the 2016 season was still a big one for the veteran driver. He nabbed his career-best fifth pole award of the season in October at Martinsville. Truex's other top accomplishments in 2016 include winning four races, leading 1809 laps and making his 400th premier series start (at Kansas in October).

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Kyle Larson

Returning to the track after a disappointing 2015 season, Kyle Larson started off 2016 strong with a seventh-place finish in the Daytona 500.

Larson locked in his fourth XFINITY Series career win at Pocono, which was also the first XFINITY event at the 2.5-mile track. His son, Owen, joined him in Victory Lane.

The 24-year-old wheelman visited Victory Lane one month later but this time at Eldora Speedway for the Camping World Truck Series event. This marked Larson's second win in the series and first at the Tony Stewart-owned track.

It wasn't until August, however, that the Chip Ganassi Racing driver picked up his first win in the Sprint Cup Series after several close calls throughout his three full-time seasons in NASCAR's premier series. The Michigan victory secured him a Chase berth for the first time in his career.

Larson geared up for his first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup appearance at the Chicago opener and entered the postseason with three straight top-three finishes. Despite qualifying 10th, he had to start from the rear due to a transmission change and finished in 18th.

The 2014 Sunoco Rookie of the Year winner's Chase hopes ended due to a variety of issues in the Round of 16 elimination race at Dover. Tony Stewart, Chris Buescher and teammate Jamie McMurray failed to advance to the Round of 12 as well.

Larson went to Victory Lane for the fourth time in a NASCAR national series race in 2016 at Texas Motor Speedway for the XFINITY Series 200-lapper. His girlfriend, Katelyn Sweet, and son, Owen, joined him in postrace celebrations.

In the final race of the season, Larson proved a real threat to the Championship 4 drivers as he led at Miami for a race-high 132 laps. However, he was unable to lock in win No. 2 and walked away runner-up to 2016's champion, Jimmie Johnson.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.

NASCAR Season Review: Jimmie Johnson

The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season ended on a high note for everyone at Hendrick Motorsports as Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet SS team claimed their seventh series championship.

After qualifying 14th for the finale at Homestead, and having to start in the rear, Johnson took advantage of late-race pit stops and cautions to work his way up to the top spot to win yet another Sprint Cup title, tying him with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most in a career.

"I had this crazy weird calmness through the last couple of weeks and then even through the race amongst all the chaos we dealt with," Johnson said. "The fact that we ran behind those guys all night long -- fifth, sixth, wherever we ran -- there was just some calmness that was in me."

The No. 48 Lowe's team aided Johnson in claiming five wins, 11 top-five finishes, 16 top-10s and one pole award throughout the 36-race season. Johnson won at Atlanta, Fontana, Charlotte (in October), Martinsville (in October) and the season finale at Homestead.

"I don't know where that calmness came from," Johnson acknowledged. "I mean, I want to say that the dedication of the #se7en to (Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick's late son) little Ricky, there's something in all of that. But there was just something really interesting and different about my calmness and the relaxed nature that I had in the car. I didn't know what the outcome would be, but I was very content and peaceful with whatever was coming my way, and then it ended up being the greatest thing in the world. So it's just wild."

Johnson's Oct. 9 win at Charlotte Motor Speedway propelled him into the Round of 8 while his Oct. 30 win solidified his berth in the Championship 4 at Homestead. Then finally, Sunday's win at Homestead added a seventh championship trophy to the driver's collection.

NASCAR Season Review: Chase Elliott

Chase Elliott put on what could be called the best Sprint Cup Series rookie season since Denny Hamlin in 2006.

Chase Elliott started the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season by winning the Daytona 500 pole, and ended it with a Rookie of the Year title.

Just days after celebrating his 21st birthday, Elliott was awarded the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title at the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers 2016 Awards Luncheon.

"I'm just so proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for everything they do," Elliott said. "The Nos. 5 and 24 shops, those guys worked so hard throughout this season to give us the best race cars they could give so very proud of that. I truthfully feel at home after we have a year under our belts and racing with these guys, racing in the Cup Series, racing with the No. 24 team, I feel at home, which I think goes a long way."

Elliott, with crew chief Alan Gustafson and the rest of the No. 24 Chevrolet SS team, led an impressive rookie campaign that resulted in a 10th-place finish in the season standings.

The driver logged 10 top-five finishes, 17 top-10s and led a total of 358 laps throughout the 36-race season.

The 21-year-old also claimed two pole positions at Daytona International Speedway in February and Talladega Superspeedway in May.

Elliott also became the second driver to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as a rookie (Denny Hamlin did it first in 2006.

Jake Griffin to race USAC at Duquoin in Junior Kepper 55

QUINCY, IL (December 15, 2016) -- Jake Griffin will be behind the wheel of the #3J Jake Neuman Racing USAC Midget for the “JUNIOR KNEPPER 55” in Du Quoin

USAC Indoor Race in Du Quoin, IL. On December 17 th at the Southern Illinois Center. This will mark the 169 th time that USAC Midget racing has occurred in an indoor arena.

Jake Griffin has had numerous starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a notable finish of 4 th at Eldora Speedway in July this year. Griffin has raced extensively in the dirt late models and open-wheeled modifieds in the Midwest.

“I am really excited to have another opportunity to race in this indoor USAC Midget race and want to thank Jake Neuman Racing, Jefferson’s Restaurant, and Outdoor Power for this opportunity” said Griffin.

Griffin also plans on running the famous “CHILI BOWL” in January 2017.

Richard Petty Motorsports changes team structure

The following is a NASCAR.com staff report from yesterday, December 16, 2016.

Richard Petty Motorsports announced Friday that it will field one car next season in NASCAR's premier series with hopes of returning to a two-car stable in 2018.

The Richard Petty-owned operation plans to focus its efforts on its flagship No. 43 Ford driven by Aric Almirola next year. Brian Moffitt, the organization's CEO, indicated in a statement Friday that the team plans to lease one of its two charters it has in NASCAR's top division.

"At the conclusion of the 2016 season, we evaluated how to best improve our on-track product. We feel that it's in the best interest of our partners and for Richard Petty Motorsports to focus our resources on the No. 43 Ford Fusion and Aric in 2017. A concentrated effort on one team will position us for improvement while giving us adequate time to re-establish our two-car team in 2018. For the interim, we will lease one of our two charters."

The realignment temporarily shutters the No. 44 Ford team most recently driven by Brian Scott, who retired from full-time competition at season's end.

Almirola has been with the Petty organization since 2012. He scored his first premier series victory in July 2014 at Daytona International Speedway, landing the No. 43 team its first win since 1999 and punching the ticket for RPM's only appearance in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs.

The Mooresville, North Carolina-based team began producing its own chassis before last season, then endured a significant performance dropoff in 2016. Almirola tumbled from 17th to 26th in the series' final standings, and Scott managed only a 31st-place result overall in his only season with the team. Almirola and Scott posted just one top-10 finish each in the 36-race campaign.

Friday's announcement follows two competition changes for RPM in the second half of last season. On Aug. 31, the organization replaced Sammy Johns, its director of operations, with Philippe Lopez and Scott McDougall to oversee competition duties. The organization also made a crew chief change for the No. 43 team on Sept. 13, replacing Trent Owens with Drew Blickensderfer for the final 10 races of the season.

2017 USAC West Coast Sprint Car schedule has 18 dates at 7 tracks

By LANCE JENNINGS
USAC Media - USACRacing.com 

Heading to their ninth season, the cars and stars of the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series are set for eighteen nights of action at seven racetracks. Opening with the two-day “Outlaw Showdown” at Las Vegas on March 9th, the traditional 360s will close out the schedule with Ventura’s two-day (non-points) “Turkey Night Grand Prix” on November 23rd.

The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host the season openers on March 9th and 10th. Co-sanctioned with the USAC SouthWest Sprints, the “Outlaw Showdown” is held during NASCAR weekend and also features the World of Outlaws Sprints. Last March, Indiana’s Bryan Clauson earned his second $2,500 jackpot at the 1/2-mile oval in front of a packed grandstand. The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is located twelve miles north of downtown Las Vegas, Nevada off Interstate 15 at Exit 54 (Speedway Blvd). For more information, visit www.lvms.com/dirt or call (702) 644-4444.

Tulare’s Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway will host four dates on the schedule. Promoted by Steve Faria, the lightning fast 1/3-mile oval will showcase the USAC 360s and World of Outlaw Sprints on March 17th and 18th. The popular “Peter Murphy Classic” will be held on April 22nd and the “Chris and Brian Faria Memorial” is scheduled for May 20th. Last season, D.J. Johnson led all drivers with two victories at the Tulare County Fairgrounds. Other wins were claimed by Austin Liggett, Ryan Bernal, and Troy Rutherford. The Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare, California and for more details, visit www.tularethunderbowl.com or call 559.688.0909.

The USAC West Coast Sprints will make three appearances at Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds. Promoted by Bubby Morse, the 3/8-mile oval will host the March 25th, April 29th, and June 17th dates. Last year, Richard Vander Weerd scored two Hanford wins and Brody Roa claimed the June checkered flags on his way to the championship. Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds is located at 801 South 10th Avenue in Hanford, California and for more information, visit www.racekingspeedway.com or call 559.651.1990.

Located at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, Ventura Raceway has four events on the calendar. Promoted by Jim Naylor, “The Best Little Dirt Track in America” will host the June 3rd and July 8th races along with the non-point “77th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix” on November 22nd and 23rd. The November finale will also showcase the USAC National and Western States Midgets. Lahttp://USACRacing.comst season, Tristan Guardino and “The Human Highlight Reel” Geoff Ensign claimed victory at the seaside 1/5-mile oval. Ventura Raceway is located at 10 West Harbor Boulevard in Ventura, California and for more details, visit www.venturaraceway.com or call 805.648.RACE.

The traditional 360 Sprints will clash at Santa Maria Raceway for three nights on the schedule. Promoted by Mike Kappmeyer, “The West’s Best Short Track” hosts the June 10th “Ron Otto Memorial,” the August 12th “Bud Stanfield Memorial,” and the “Championship Night” on October 7th. Last year, Brody Roa and Jace Vander Weerd scored wins at Central Coast 1/3-mile clay oval. Santa Maria Raceway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo, California and for more information, visit www.santamariaraceway.com or call 805.922.2232.

 On Friday, July 28th, the traditional 360s will make their only appearance at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway. Promoted by John Prentice, the 1/4-mile oval at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds is a fan favorite. Last August, Jace Vander Weerd stormed to his second win of the campaign. Ocean Speedway is located at 2601 E. Lake Avenue in Watsonville, California and for more details, visit www.racepmg.com or call 831.662.9466 (WINN).

The following night, Saturday, July 29th, the USAC West Coast Sprints will make their first visit to Petaluma Speedway. .Promoted by Rick Faeth, “The Fastest 3/8-mile Dirt Oval in Northern California” has become a popular stop for the USAC/CRA 410 Sprints during “California Sprint Week.” Petaluma Speedway is located at 100 Fairgrounds Drive in Petaluma, California and for more information, visit www.petaluma-speedway.com or call 707.763.7223.

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2017 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Mar 9: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, NV)

Mar 10: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, NV)

Mar 17: Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare, CA)

Mar 18: Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare, CA)

Mar 25: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds (Hanford, CA)

Apr 22: Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare, CA)

Apr 29: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds (Hanford, CA)

May 20: Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare, CA)

Jun 3: Ventura Raceway (Ventura, CA)

Jun 10: Santa Maria Raceway (Santa Maria, CA)

Jun 17: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds (Hanford, CA)

Jul 8: Ventura Raceway (Ventura, CA)

Jul 28: Ocean Speedway (Watsonville, CA)

Jul 29: Petaluma Speedway (Petaluma, CA)

Aug 12: Santa Maria Raceway (Santa Maria, CA)

Oct 7: Santa Maria Raceway (Santa Maria, CA)

Nov 22: (SE) Ventura Raceway (Ventura, CA)

Nov 23: (SE) Ventura Raceway (Ventura, CA)

---------------------------------

(SE) represents a non-points, special event

Cassill Returns, Ragan Rejoins Front Row Motorsports for 2017

STATESVILLE, N.C. (Dec. 16, 2016) – Front Row Motorsports will have two familiar faces behind the wheels of its racecars in 2017. Landon Cassill will return to the team and drive the No. 34 Ford after an impressive first season with the team in 2016. David Ragan, who drove for the Statesville-based organization from 2012 to 2015 and earned its first win, will rejoin the team to drive the No. 38 Ford.

​The team will continue its technical alliance with Roush Fenway Racing and its engine program with Roush Yates Engines.

The 27-year-old Cassill earned seven top-20 finishes in his first season with Front Row. One of the series’ steadiest and most reliable competitors, he completed 98 percent of the laps run and was the only premier series driver in 2016 to finish the season with just a single DNF (Did Not Finish). The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native will enter his eighth year competing in NASCAR’s premier series.

Ragan is a 10-year veteran of the series who made history for Front Row Motorsports in 2013 when he charged through the front of the field on the final lap to win at Talladega Superspeedway, sending owner Bob Jenkins and his team to Victory Lane for the first time. The 30-year-old Unadilla, Ga., native owns two premier series wins, 15 top-five and 36 top-10 finishes, and two poles.

“These are two hard-working guys, both in the car and away from the car working with our partners,” Jenkins said. “We went out and got Landon last season because we knew he was talented and we wanted him in our racecar, and now we’re really happy he will be back another year.

“And we’re really excited to have David back. He’s a big part of Front Row’s history, bringing us our first win. He’s got a lot of experience in his career – things that you can’t teach – that will be big assets to us and our partners.”

Despite a combined 17 years of experience, 2017 will be the first time Ragan and Cassill will be teammates.

“I’m really looking forward to working with David,” Cassill said. “I’ve raced alongside him for years and respect him as a competitor. He has a ton of experience with different teams and manufacturers that will make him a great teammate. I’m really proud of what our team accomplished in 2016 in our first year together, and I’m really excited to go and build on that.”

“It’s a nice homecoming, coming back to Front Row Motorsports,” Ragan said. “I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Bob Jenkins, how he put together his team and grew it the right way over the years. We’ve celebrated some pretty big highlights together, and now we need to go make more.

“Landon was a great addition to the team last year,” Ragan said of his new teammate. “He’s a smart driver with a lot of good experience, and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

The team’s 2017 partnerships will be announced soon. Get more information about Front Row Motorsports and follow updates about the team at teamfrm.com, on Twitter at @Team_FRM and on Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

- Front Row Motorsports

One crew member reinstated, one suspended by NASCAR

The following is a staff report from NASCAR.com from December 6, 2016.

NASCAR reinstated crew member Michael Casto on Tuesday after he successfully completed NASCAR's Road to Recovery Program.

Casto was a crew member with Stewart-Haas Racing's No. 4 team and driver Kevin Harvick when he was suspended after the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, the August Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.

Ryan D. Hess, a crew member with BK Racing, was placed on indefinite suspension on Tuesday by the sanctioning body.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, cleared to resume NASCAR competition2

via Kenny Bruce - NASCAR.com..

NASCAR premier series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. has received medical clearance to resume his racing career, Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday.

Earnhardt Jr., 42, was sidelined for the final 18 races of the 2016 season after suffering a concussion.

On Wednesday, he participated in an on-track testing session at Darlington Raceway under the supervision of Charlotte neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty.

Earnhardt was cleared by Dr. Micky Collins, medical director of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program in Pittsburgh. Collins, who consulted with Dr. Petty following Wednesday's on-track activity, has overseen Earnhardt's rehabilitation program and also treated him for a similar injury in 2012.

"I expected things to go really well yesterday, and that’s exactly what happened," Earnhardt said of an afternoon spent behind the wheel at the 1.366-mile South Carolina track. "Actually getting in a race car was an important final step, and it gives me a ton of confidence going into 2017."

Earnhardt completed 185 laps in his No. 88 Chevrolet during the course of the nearly five-hour session. Crew chief Greg Ives was on hand to oversee his driver’s efforts as well.

Earnhardt, recently voted the series most popular driver for the 14th consecutive season, said he expects to do more testing in January "to help knock the rust off."

"When it's time to go to Daytona, I'll be ready," the winner of 26 premier series races said.

The 2017 racing season officially gets underway with the 59th running of the Daytona 500, scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 26 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Earnhardt will not compete in the annual non-points, season-opening race, The Clash at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 18, 8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Instead, HMS officials said Alex Bowman, who filled in for Earnhardt in 10 of the final 18 races of 2016, will drive the team's No. 88 entry.

Bowman won the pole at Phoenix in November, his first in the series.

"Everyone agreed that he more than earned (the opportunity)," Earnhardt said, "and (sponsor) Nationwide was 100 percent on board."

It's possible Earnhardt could participate in up to two additional tests – Hendrick Motorsports is one of four teams expected to take part in a Goodyear tire test scheduled for Jan. 10-11 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the season's first organizational test is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 31/Feb. 1 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Collins called Earnhardt "one of the hardest-working patients I've ever encountered."

"He's done everything we've asked, and we believe he is ready to compete at a professional level again and can withstand the normal forces of a race car driver," Collins said. "Dale has been very open with us, and we've had plenty of time for his treatment, so we feel very good about his long-term prospects and how this has been managed by everyone involved."

Team owner Rick Hendrick said he's proud of Earnhardt "for listening to his body and standing up to take responsibility for his health.

"He's worked extremely hard and set a terrific example for others," Hendrick said. "It's great news as we go into the offseason, and we can't wait to see him back on the race track at Daytona."

In addition to Bowman, four-time series champion Jeff Gordon also drove for the team in eight starts during Earnhardt's absence.

Earnhardt was 13th in points with six top-five finishes before being sidelined prior to the July race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and wound up 32nd in the final standings. The 2012 injury forced him to miss two races; he finished 12th in points that season.

Spencer Gallagher moving up to XFINITY with GMS Racing

The following is a GMS Racing press release via NASCAR.com from December 1, 2016.

Statesville, N.C. (December 1, 2016) – Statesville-based GMS Racing (GMS) announced that, beginning in 2017, the team will compete full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) with driver Spencer Gallagher. The Las Vegas native will continue to the pilot the No. 23, a number that he has raced since 2006 in honor of former NASCAR driver TJ Clark and his son, Spencer Clark.

Gallagher began racing at the age of 12 in Legends Cars at the Las Vegas Bullring to kick off his climb through the racing circuit. Gallagher has been with GMS since 2014, first competing in the ARCA Racing Series and most recently the NCWTS. Over three seasons and 58 starts, Gallagher earned three top-fives, 15 top-10 finishes, and two pole awards. 

The 27-year-old made his NXS debut this past season, earning a best finish of eighth place at Daytona International Speedway in July. The team debuted the GMS Chevrolet Camaro at Phoenix International Speedway with a goal of building the program in preparation of running a full-time season in 2017. 

"I am really excited about running full-time in the XFINITY Series," said Gallagher. "I made my XFINITY debut this year and we learned a lot as an organization. Though I have raced against some of these drivers, I know the competition is going to be much more competitive so I need to be focused and on my "A" game all year.  For next year my plan is to continue and grow this program, be consistent and make the Chase."

Additional details regarding sponsorship and crew chief will be announced at a later date. 

Field. format set for 'The Clash' at Daytona

The Following is a release from NASCAR.com via Daytona International Speedway from November 30, 2016.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Recently crowned seven-time NASCAR premier series champion Jimmie Johnson will join a star-studded elite field as NASCAR kicks off its 2017 season with The Clash at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.

The annual season-opening event will be broadcast live on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The 75-lap race again will be split into two segments with a competition caution at Lap 25 separating the segments.

"What better way to kick off the 2017 season than the sport's brightest stars under the lights at Daytona International Speedway," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. "Coming off a thrilling season finale at Homestead-Miami, we're looking forward to continuing that momentum into Daytona. With bragging rights and no points on the line, The Clash will set the tone for what should be a season full of great racing and tough competition."

"We're bringing back The Clash at Daytona," said Chip Wile, Daytona International Speedway president. "The Clash was a race name that has always been popular among both the competitors and race fans. We're looking forward to bringing it back and building on the rich history of this thrilling and always unpredictable event that kicks off the NASCAR season."

The eligible drivers include 2016 Coors Light Pole Award winners, former Clash race winners and former Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full-time in 2016. All 16 drivers from the 2016 Chase are also eligible.

Eligible drivers are:

2016 Coors Light Pole Awards winners (14)
· Greg Biffle, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Carl Edwards, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr.

Former Clash Race Winners (2)
· Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart

Former DAYTONA 500 Coors Light Pole Award winners (1)
· Danica Patrick

2016 Chase drivers (3)
· Chris Buescher, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray

NASCAR reveals multi-year partnership with Monster Energy for premier-series entitlement

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR and Monster Energy announced yesterday a multi-year agreement for the premier series entitlement as well as the prestigious annual NASCAR All-Star Race. Monster Energy, which will begin its tenure as naming rights partner on Jan. 1, 2017, will become only the third company to serve as the entitlement sponsor in NASCAR premier series history, following RJ Reynolds and Sprint/Nextel.

As part of the agreement, the brand also becomes the Official Energy Drink of NASCAR.

"Monster Energy is a brand built on excitement and enthusiasm, qualities that align with NASCAR," said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO. "This sponsorship position is the most unique in all of sports and entertainment, and we are thrilled to have a partner that will help us further elevate the series. Today's announcement is the culmination of a thorough search, one that resulted in the right partner at this important time in our sport’s history."

NASCAR premier series races long have been a bucket-list destination for sports fans throughout the country, and starting next season, Monster Energy will elevate the event experience to an even higher level. As part of the agreement, Monster Energy will engage with fans in creative, innovative ways at all race tracks where the premier series will race.

"Monster Energy has an established and versatile history in motorsports, and we’re thrilled to take this historic next step," said Rodney Sacks, Monster Beverage Chairman and CEO. "We feel strongly that our brand is a perfect fit for this sport and its star athletes. We look forward to interacting with the millions of passionate NASCAR fans week-in, week out."