SOMEWHERE ABOVE THE CLOUDS – At a height higher than Mount Everest,Ricky Stenhouse jr.sits comfortably in a leather seat on a CE-680A charter plane, a giant Daytona 500 ring on his right hand, a Rolex watch given to the race winner on his left wrist, and his wife across the aisle.
It's a long way from the long nights on the road, traveling from track to track with his father and later alone as he tried to make a career of driving sprint cars.
In the hurricane 48 hours since his No. 17 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet crossedthe finish line to win the Daytona 500, Stenhouse had been on the way. Now that the plane is returning to Concord, North Carolina from Chicago, Stenhouse has time to reflect on his journey to victory in NASCAR's greatest race.
"When people climb Mount Everest, they get up there and take it in," Stenhouse told NBC Sports. "You can't be up there very long, but you're taking every moment you can. ... That is a great achievement. That's how I feel.”
After Stenhouse received his ring, watch and race winner's jacket and stuck his right foot and both hands in wet cement for permanent display among the Daytona 500 champions, Stenhouse traveled to Disney on Monday as part of the winner's promotional tour World.
He returned home that night, got about three hours of sleep, and flew to Chicago the next morning for a media tour and a chance to take a look at the street course NASCAR will race there July 1-2. Wednesday he was in the race shop. On Thursday he was in New York City for more performances and rang the opening bell at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square.
Stenhouse never imagined doing these things when he was trying to follow his father into racing. Among the memories that Stenhouse particularly highlights are the times between his father's races. One of Stenhouse's main duties was scraping mud off his father's car before the next event.
"I had the most important job," says Stenhouse, 35, smiling, thinking back to his younger self. “I kept the car so clean. At the end of the night I was dirty, I mean dirty from head to toe, but the car was clean.”
He thinks about all the nights he was out with his father, going to the next race or returning home. On many of these nocturnal journeys the boy slept. Still, traveling with dad to the next race was always special for Stenhouse.
When he first started racing, the goal was simply to drive sprint cars. As he became more successful, Stenhouse gained attention and was hired by Tony Stewart in 2007 to drive for his sprint car team.
"Moving to Indy, racing for Tony... that's where I really thought I was going to race sprint cars in Indiana, and I waslovingit,” says Stenhouse. “2007 was one of the funnest times I've had racing.
“Then suddenly there's an opportunity that you can't pass up and you end up in NASCAR, and here we fly to the circuits, appear on big TV shows and big press, and represent the largest motorsports entity in the country. ... It's wild how everything is developing."
In 2008 he moved to the ARCA Menards Series. After a season in stock cars, Stenhouse drove seven Xfinity races for what was then Roush Fenway Racing. His 2010 rookie season was as well known for its struggles and wrecked cars as it was for any success, but he overcame that and won Xfinity titles in 2011 and 2012.
After Stenhouse returned home from Florida Monday night, he pulled out his two Xfinity championship rings to compare to his Daytona 500 ring.
"Man, I thought those were big," he said to himself, comparing how small the championship rings were to his Daytona 500 ring.
Still, it's a nice collection. His Daytona 500 ring will go well with the Harley J. Trophy he earned for winning that race. The original, which can be carried by four to six people, remains at Daytona International Speedway. Stenhouse receives a version of the trophy that comes in a case that you can wheel from place to place. It is located in the plane's rear cargo hold while Stenhouse enjoys its performance.
If it wasn't for his dirt racing buddies, he might not have seen all of these events this weekKyle LarsonAndChristoph Bell, both of whom later went to Victory Lane to congratulate their friend.
Larson pushed Stenhouse ahead on the backstretch just before the caution that set off the first of two overtime restarts.
"I was screaming in my helmet as I was helping him get him to the front," Larson said after the race. "I was hoping it would stay green. I or he would probably have won. I'm really happy for him and his team and (Crew Chief) Mike Kelley. I can't wait to get changed and give him a big hug because he's one of my awesome buddies."
On the final lap, Larson got a big run. He later said he wanted to remain committed to Stenhouse and move to the opposite stretch, but the run was so great that Larson went in the middle to bypass Stenhouse. Larson's run faltered. Bell pinned Stenhouse to the floorJoey Loganoled the outside line.
Bell's jab gave Stenhouse the lead before the warning for a multi-car crash behind him was issued.
The fact that it was friends he was riding with on those final laps meant even more to Stenhouse.
"I look at Christopher and Kyle and obviously, apart from the Daytona 500, they've accomplished more in the Cup Series than I have," Stenhouse told NBC Sports.
"I feel like I almost look at them like children. I remember being in the Nationwide Series and Cup Series and talking to Kyle and Christopher when they were racing dirt cars. I was sort of a parts owner in a dirt car when Christopher was fighting for a win. I went and spoke to him. He was super shy, hardly spoke. I said, 'Hey man, you're gonna get where I am. No problem.” Apparently he did.
"Looking at that, I felt like Tony Stewart kind of did that for me. It was cool that we all fought for the win. Both played important roles, Kyle pushed me to the front, I lost half the lead on the last lap and Christopher pushed me back to the front.”
And helped Stenhouse complete this journey into the clouds.
2. End overtime?
Last Sunday's Daytona 500 marked the fifth time in the past six years that the race had gone into overtime.
Since 2020, eight out of 14 speedway-style races have been extended beyond the planned distance.
With the sport that has had a season that sawAlex BowmannAndKurt Buschsuspend race —Busch says he's still not ready to return to any form of racing- Due to injuries at other tracks, does it make sense to continue to work overtime at speedways in Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta?
Fortunately, no Cup driver has been injured at the Daytona 500 since thenRyan Newmannsuffered a head injury during an overtime race in 2020.
Since the#NascarThe overtime era began in 2004, there were only six "real" Daytona 500s.
There were 12 years when the distance of the Great American Race exceeded 500 miles.
The 2023 Daytona 500 set a record 530 miles and was the fifth overtime in six years.pic.twitter.com/KGj9PtFUXp
– Nate Ryan (@nateryan)February 21, 2023
There's no doubt that it can be disappointing for fans to see a race finish under caution after the checkered flag has been set up, especially at a marquee event like the Daytona 500. But nobody seems to be upset these daysDale Earnhardt won his only Daytona 500 under caution in 1998.
It's time to examine whether overtime is justified in Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta because of the likelihood of accidents and the possibility of drivers being injured.
Eleven of the 17 cars that failed to finish last weekend's Daytona 500 were eliminated through overtime accidents. Nineteen of the 40 cars in the race were involved in an accident past the scheduled race distance.
Nobody was hurt in these accidents, but it's easy to forget that there are people in these cars who have been hit.
Kyle Larson, who was eliminated in a last-lap crash last weekend, called his impact "a huge success."
Larson continued, "It was definitely one of the bigger [hits] I've ever had, but luckily the car held up and all my safety gear was fine and I'm fine."
Daytona 500 lengths since GWC policy was introduced in the Cup (July 2004):
2023: 530 miles
2022: 503
2021: 500
2020: 523
2019: 518
2018: 518
2017: 500
2016: 500
2015: 508
2014: 500
2013: 500
2012: 505
2011: 520
2010: 520
2009: 380 (Regen)
2008: 500
2007: 505
2006: 508
2005: 508https://t.co/PYzjfwD48b– Nate Ryan (@nateryan)February 21, 2023
For Larson to say this incident was among the bigger hits he's had is something considering his car flew into the fence at the end of the 2013 Xfinity race at Daytona.
Perhaps a compromise for those who enjoy overtime is to finish it at Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta and save it for the other races. It would not be unusual to have different rules for different tracks.
Until this yearDrivers were not allowed to choose which track to restart at Daytona and Talladega, while they could do so at other tracks. Also,NASCAR will not have stage breaks during cup road course raceswhile maintaining the breaks for all other events.
The bottom line is that NASCAR needs to consider the safety element. Sometimes it's better to finish a race as planned - even if it's cautious - than to extend it beyond the planned distance and risk injuring your competitors.
3. More data
Kyle Larson said he wore a mouthguard accelerometer at last weekend's Daytona 500, marking the first time he's worn the device in a cup race.
While an on-vehicle accident recorder measures the impact of an accident on a car, a mouthguard accelerometer measures the impact of an accident on the driver.
Though other racing series use accelerometers located in a driver's ear, John Patalak, NASCAR vice president and safety engineer, says a mouthguard accelerometer provides better information because a person's palate is "extremely well coupled to their skull."
NASCAR is collaborating on driver's mouthguard accelerometerdr Joel Douglas Stitzel, Jr., professor of biomedical engineeringat Wake Forest University School of Medicine. His research interest is concussion in sport.
Riders don't have to use the device, but more are open to it as the mouthguard is compacted and there's less concern that it will interfere with a rider's speech while talking to the team over the radio.
"They look more comfortable now," Larson said of his decision to have them at Daytona. "I've never worn this before, but it didn't look that comfortable.
“I want to see the data and see how it matches the vehicle data. I also want to run it in my dirt wrecks to see how they compare to these wrecks.”
4. Study time
Among all the learnersAustin Dillondone this season, he also reads more at the suggestion of former driver Josh Wise, who coaches Chevrolet drivers mentally and physically.
Dillon said he read Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth.
"Talent doesn't always equal success because it's all about how quickly you learn things," said Dillon. “Grit is sustained over a long period of time and people stick with things and hone things in and don't give up on a goal. That word grit is a keyword for me this year.”
Dillon finished third at the Clash at the Coliseum and ran forward late in the Daytona 500 before being caught in a crash. The series heads to Auto Club Speedway this weekend. Dillon finished second to Kyle Larson in last year's race there.
5. Stripes
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. became the 20th different cup winner of a points race since last year - when the next-generation car debuted.
Among them are those without gaining points in the new carBrad Keselowski(he won a qualifying race at Daytona last year),Martin Truex jr.(won this year's Clash exhibition race) andRyan Blaney(won All-Star Race last year)
Stenhouse broke a seven-race streak with a driver who had previously won in the next-gen car. The last driver to win his first points race of the next-gen era wasChris Buescherat last year's Bristol night race.
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FAQs
Who are the current announcers for NASCAR? ›
In 2023, FOX Sports' 23rd consecutive season of NASCAR coverage which features its 20thDaytona 500, the FOX NASCAR booth is led by esteemed play-by-play announcer Mike Joy and former driver Clint Bowyer.
Who runs good at Auto Club Speedway? ›| Driver | Races | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurt Busch | 2 |
| 2 | Erik Jones | 2 |
| 3 | Aric Almirola | 2 |
| 4 | Jimmie Johnson | 1 |
- Jeff Burton – 2016–present.
- Steve Letarte – 2016–present.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. – ...
- Dale Jarrett – 2016–present (select Xfinity Series races, did portions of the Cup race at Darlington in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021)
- Kyle Petty – 2016–present (select Xfinity Series races, practice/qualifying sessions)
Veteran motorsports reporter Jamie Little joined FOX NASCAR in 2015 to cover pit road for the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Who are the announcers for NASCAR 2022? ›- Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Rick Allen Return for Fifth Consecutive Year.
- Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett and Brad Daugherty to Anchor Studio Coverage with Marty Snider Serving as Pre- and Post-Race Host.
Salary Ranges for Race Announcers
The middle 67% of Race Announcers makes between $30,960 and $48,910, with the top 67% making $86,780.
Auto Club Speedway President Dave Allen said Saturday that the track, in the midst of preparing for its final race on the classic 2-mile oval on Feb. 26, will not be on the 2024 NASCAR schedule. Planning continues for a new half-mile short track located on the current site, along with additional property enhancements.
What is the fastest lap in the Auto Club Speedway? ›| D-shaped oval (1997–2024) | |
|---|---|
| Race lap record | 0:30.900 (380.431 km/h (236.389 mph)) ( Greg Moore, Reynard 97I, 1997, CART) |
| Interior Road Course (2001–2024) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.550 miles (2.494 km) |
Dave Allen, the president of Auto Club Speedway, was asked about the status of the track conversion on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio's “Tradin' Paint” Friday.
Who are the NASCAR announcers today for NBC? ›Rick Allen serves as the lead race announcer for NBC Sports' NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series race coverage, alongside analysts Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Who does the NASCAR song on NBC? ›
“The music that Keith Urban recorded for these spots provides such a great vibe and energy to our NBC Sports NASCAR season-opening campaign in Nashville,” said Jeff Behnke, Vice President, NASCAR Production, NBC Sports.
Who sings before NASCAR races on NBC? ›Thunder (NASCAR Theme) - song and lyrics by David Robidoux | Spotify.
Who is the only female NASCAR driver? ›Shawna Robinson has competed in all three of NASCAR's national series, getting her start in the XFINITY Series in 1991. Robinson has run eight Sprint Cup races, 61 XFINITY races and three Camping World Truck Series races since the start of her career.
Which NASCAR team has a female tire changer? ›...
| Brehanna Daniels | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | NASCAR tire changer |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Tia Norfleet | |
|---|---|
| Born | Shauntia Latrice Norfleet May 1, 1986 Suffolk, Virginia, United States |
Get to know the Dillons more on their reality show, Life in the Fast Line, airing Thursday nights at 9:00 p.m. on USA Network.
Who is replacing Kevin Harvick? ›The most cited name was Ross Chastain. The star driver is entering the final year of his contract with Trackhouse Racing.
How come NASCAR is not on NBC? ›Most of the sports programming from NBC Sports Network shifted over to USA Network after NBC Sports Network ceased operations at the end of 2021, and that was true for NASCAR as well.
How much does a pit crew guy make in NASCAR? ›The salaries of Nascar Pit Crew People in the US range from $21,020 to $63,330 , with a median salary of $37,850 . The middle 60% of Nascar Pit Crew People makes $37,850, with the top 80% making $63,330.
Do NASCAR pit crews get paid? ›So there you have it! Now you know that NASCAR pit crew members are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world, earning an average salary of $200,000 per year. If you're thinking about becoming a pit crew member yourself, be sure to get plenty of experience so you can command a higher salary.
How much does a NASCAR tire man make? ›
Tire changers draw around $80,000 on an annual basis. One who is more adept in understanding the engineering of the car can earn well over $100,000. The jackman and the fueler find themselves on the higher side of the pay grade and make anything between $250,000 and $300,000 annually.
What is going to happen to Auto Club Speedway? ›LOS ANGELES — Auto Club Speedway will not host a NASCAR race next year because of plans to convert the 2-mile speedway into a short track. It will mark only the second time the Cup Series has not raced at the Southern California track since first competing there in 1997.
Are they tearing down Auto Club Speedway? ›Plans are being made for most of the property now occupied by Auto Club Speedway in Fontana to be converted into a huge area for commercial development, but the speedway would still continue to be utilized for auto racing, according to San Bernardino County officials.
What is happening to Auto Club Speedway? ›Since 1997 NASCAR's Southern California presence has been through Fontana's Auto Club Speedway once known as California Speedway. The track will get an overhaul; it will be shortened from its current two miles, though to what length and what configuration has yet to be determined.
What is the smallest NASCAR speedway? ›At . 526 miles in length, Martinsville Speedway is the shortest track on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. Because of its small size, tight corners and unique shape – described most often as a paperclip – Martinsville offers some of the most exciting and close-quarters racing in the sport.
What is the hardest NASCAR track? ›Darlington, South Carolina
With its distinctive egg-shaped design, Darlington Raceway is considered the toughest track in NASCAR.
- Pocono Raceway. 1 of 5. "The Tricky Triangle," as Pocono Raceway is affectionately known as, has been hosting Sprint Cup Series races since 1974. ...
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 2 of 5. ...
- Watkins Glen and Sonoma. 3 of 5. ...
- Kentucky Speedway. 5 of 5.
Auto Club Speedway will not host NASCAR races in 2024 due to reconfiguration. Auto Club Speedway president Dave Allen told reporters on Saturday that the track will not host any NASCAR races in 2024 as it undergoes a major reconfiguration from its current two-mile oval layout to a new, half-mile short track layout.
How fast is Auto Club Speedway? ›Auto Club Speedway (Road Course) Notes: The sports car road course in the Auto Club Speedway has an impressive average speed of 92 mph, with top speeds around 150 mph in the oval section of the track. The NASCAR oval is banked in all its trajectory and is oriented counterclockwise as most NASCAR tracks.
How old is Auto Club Speedway? ›NASCAR has undergone significant evolution just since the time Auto Club (née California Speedway) was a glimmer in the eye of Roger Penske, who broke ground at the facility in 1994.
What happened to the NASCAR announcer? ›
Former NASCAR driver and current FOX analyst Clint Bowyer was involved in a crash that killed a woman earlier this month in Missouri. According to a Lake Ozark (Missouri) Police Department crash report obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the accident happened on June 5 near Osage Beach, Missouri.
Is Clint Bowyer still announcing NASCAR? ›Bio. Veteran driver Clint Bowyer serves as an analyst for FOX Sports' coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series alongside play-by-play announcer Mike Joy and a rotation of prominent guest analysts for the 2023 season. Bowyer joined FOX NASCAR fulltime in 2021 as an analyst alongside Joy and Jeff Gordon.
Who sings the NASCAR opening song 2022? ›Currently Thunder by David Robidoux.
Who sings and plays guitar at the beginning of Nascar? ›...
| Marcus King | |
|---|---|
| Labels | Fantasy Records |
| Spouse(s) | Briley Hussey, 2023 |
| Website | marcuskingband.com |
- 1 – Richard Petty. It is very hard to compare the drivers from distinct eras and eventually pick a single winner.
- 2 – Dale Earnhardt. ...
- 3 – David Pearson. ...
- 4 – Jimmy Johnson. ...
- 5 – Cale Yarborough. ...
- 6 – Jeff Gordon. ...
- 7 – Rusty Wallace. ...
- 8 – Darrell Waltrip. ...
Danica Patrick, arguably NASCAR's most prominent female driver, competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for five years (as well as part-time in two others).
Has a girl ever won a NASCAR race? ›As of October 1, 2018, Shawna Robinson and Hailie Deegan remain the only women to have won a race in one of NASCAR's touring series, Robinson winning three times between 1988 and 1989 in the now-defunct Dash Series and Deegan winning in the K&N Pro Series West between 2018 and 2019.
Who is the fastest tire changer in NASCAR? ›NASCAR's fastest pit stop ever
Kyle Busch's crew set the record for the fastest four-tire pit stop in NASCAR Cup Series history at Kansas Speedway needing just 8.96 seconds. Talk about quick service.
As we celebrate Women's History Month, I am reminded of a real trailblazer in the world of drag racing. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Nellie Goins was the first African American woman driver in the funny car racing category. I first found out about her when I was doing research on women race car drivers.
How much does a tire changer make on a NASCAR team? ›The front and rear tire changers and tire carriers are all compensated the same for their work on a car. Each member of the tire changing team makes $1,500 per race in base salary or $80,000 at the end of the year. They can get up to an additional $300 for winning.
What NASCAR driver is getting divorced? ›
NASCAR driver Kurt Busch and his wife of five years Ashley Busch have split. "I am heartbroken to confirm that my wife Ashley and I are working to dissolve our marriage.
Who is the highest paid driver in NASCAR? ›Ironically, he was speaking in reference to the sport's highest paid driver: Kyle Busch. Busch, whose longtime partnership with M&M's came to an end at the end of the 2022 season, has the highest salary among all Cup Series drivers, according to Salary Sport.
Do Nascar drivers listen to music? ›Do NASCAR Drivers Listen To Music During Races? In NASCAR, drivers do not listen to music while they drive. The sport of NASCAR requires the absolute focus of drivers, who want to win the race while keeping each other safe.
Who is replacing Jeff Gordon on Fox? ›Stewart replaces Jeff Gordon, who left his position in the booth to become the Vice Chairman at Hendrick Motorsports. “Tony brings Hall-of-Fame credentials and one of the most informative and entertaining voices in motor sports,” said Brad Zager, FOX Sports President of Production & Operations and Executive Producer.
Who is calling NASCAR for Fox? ›CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick joins the FOX NASCAR broadcast booth full-time to call NASCAR Cup Series races following retirement, beginning with the 2024 season, announced today by Brad Zager, President, Production & Operations/Executive Producer, FOX Sports.
Who says Boogity Boogity Boogity in NASCAR? ›The story behind the 'boogity:' DW explains his famous phrase's origins. BRISTOL, Tenn. — After a heavy, emotion-intense press conference where Darrell Waltrip announced his retirement from broadcasting at season's end, there was a desire for some much-needed levity.
Will Clint Bowyer be back on Fox in 2023? ›Meanwhile, Bowyer himself will be returning to the cockpit in 2023. He will run three events in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) Series, which is co-owned by Stewart, George Pyne and Sandy Montag. “When I first retired [at the end of the 2020 Nascar season], I was burnt out,” Bowyer said.
Is NASCAR leaving Fox? ›With 14 Cup Series races in the books, we are nearing the end of Fox's portion of the 2022 broadcast schedule. Just two more races remain before the switch to NBC, and both of those races are set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1.
Why is Jeff Gordon not announcing? ›He stepped down from his booth duties and opted to become the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, making him the second-ranking member of the team to chairman and majority owner Rick Hendrick. Hendrick has long said that Gordon will be the man who takes over his spot at the helm of the organization once he retires.
Is Kevin Harvick retiring in 2023? ›Kevin Harvick announced Thursday that he will retire after the 2023 NASCAR season, bringing an end to a Hall of Fame-caliber career after two-plus decades at the sport's top level. Harvick enters what's scheduled to be his final full-time season as a 60-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Who is replacing Kyle Busch? ›
Ty Gibbs is officially moving to the Cup Series. Joe Gibbs Racing announced Tuesday that Gibbs would replace Kyle Busch in the team's four-driver Cup Series lineup.
Did Harvick get suspended? ›Harvick's streak was at 42 races when he was suspended for his actions in the Martinsville Speedway Truck Series race, which took place the day before the Cup Series event.
Does Fox own NASCAR? ›...
| NASCAR on Fox | |
|---|---|
| Distributor | Fox Corporation |
| Release | |
In June 2021, CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus reiterated that viewers shouldn't expect for the network to bid on any NASCAR broadcasting rights in the foreseeable future, due to in large part to its heavy commitment to golf.
Who talks to the driver in NASCAR? ›The crew chief moderates communication between the driver and pit crew and coordinates pit stops with the driver. Additionally, the crew chief may monitor lap times, track fuel usage and watch tire wear, all critical factors typically discussed with the driver during the race.
Who is the NASCAR driver that has autism? ›Finding Armani
Armani was diagnosed at two years old, and like other children on the spectrum, he was non-verbal during his first few years of life. “He could say 'Mom', he could say 'Dad', but he didn't say much else,” said Armani's father, Del Williams.
There are some phrases that no stock car fan will ever forget, including the customary "Gentlemen, start your engines" at the beginning of every race, Darrell Waltrip's trademark "Boogity, boogity, boogity!" at the drop of the green flag, and NASCAR's recent policy of "Boys, have at it."
Who is the only African-American NASCAR driver? ›Wendell Scott's story includes a legacy of being first and an unrelenting drive to finish. He was the first African-American driver and team owner in NASCAR to compete on its highest level.