NBC Inks 10-Year NASCAR Broadcast Deal

NASCAR and NBC Sports Group announced today they have reached a comprehensive agreement that grants NBCUniversal exclusive rights to the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series events, select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events and other live content beginning in 2015. Financial terms of the agreement, which runs through the 2024 season, were not disclosed.  

With this partnership, NBC’s 20 Sprint Cup race schedule includes becoming the exclusive home to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR’s final 10 races of the season, including its season-ending championship event which will return to network television in 2015 for the first time since 2009. Of NBC Sports Group’s 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, seven will be carried on NBC annually, with 13 airing on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN). Four of NBC Sports Group’s 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races will air on NBC, with 15 airing on NBCSN. 

“NBC is known for being an exceptional partner and delivering outstanding production quality and presentation of live sports, as well as its broad portfolio of broadcast and digital properties so we are thrilled with the commitment they have made to NASCAR and its future,” said NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brian France. “We know this partnership will yield great value to our entire industry, provide a premium experience to our most important stakeholders, the fans, and help us achieve a number of strategic growth objectives. Our new partnership with NBC and the recent extension by FOX validate the strength of our fan base and the many bold steps we have taken the last several years to provide fans with better, more accessible racing.”   

In addition to rights to NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series races, NBC has also obtained exclusive rights to practice and qualifying sessions for NBC’s national series events during their portion of the season, as well as rights to broadcast the NASCAR K&N Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series, the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony and NASCAR’s season-ending banquets. Further, NBC has been granted Spanish-language rights, certain video-on-demand rights and exclusive TV Everywhere rights for its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events. 

“Acquiring the rights and bringing NASCAR back to NBC comes at an important point in time for NBC Sports Network, NBC, and all of our distributors and affiliates,” said NBC Sports Group Chairman, Mark Lazarus. “We look forward to working with Brian and his management team, who have brought a renewed focus to NASCAR's intersection of sports and technology.” 

“We are excited about the cross-promotional opportunities NBC provides, especially in the timeframes right before NBC’s NASCAR schedule and during the Chase,” said NASCAR VP of Broadcasting and Productions, Steve Herbst. “We’re confident NBC will utilize its powerful Championship Season lineup, including the NHL Playoffs, Premier League, the French Open, the Kentucky Derby and other events, to build interest and excitement for NASCAR. Those opportunities, combined with the opportunity to lead into the number one show on television – NBC’s Sunday Night Football – for select Chase races, were both very attractive prospects when considering this partnership.”  

ESPN president John Skipper also commented on the new deal today, “ saying, “ESPN has enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with NASCAR.  We have tremendous respect for the France family, the drivers and all in the sport and wish them well.  We will continue to serve NASCAR fans through SportsCenter and our other news platforms as we continue to enhance our industry-leading collection of quality assets. 

“We are looking forward to the start of our Sprint Cup season and will continue with our deep commitment to the highest quality coverage.”

Calinoff Debuts "Popular Speed"

Digital Downforce is the theme of Mike Calinoff's latest project, PopularSpeed.com. 

The NASCAR spotter for Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Trevor Bayne is boasting a social media-driven, interactive website for both veteran and rookie race fans. In addition to news, editorials and exclusive photos, PopularSpeed will offer race fans an opportunity to win race tickets, pit passes and NASCAR swag through contests and giveaways on a regular basis. 

"Digital and Social Media platforms are literally changing daily," said Calinoff. "There was an opportunity to produce a different way to deliver content to the race fans, while opening up a forum for them to express themselves as well. It's going to be a lot of fun for everyone." 

Calinoff has assembled a corps of both well-recognized writers and "development journalists" to bring the fans to the nucleus of the sport. 

In an effort to give two of Twitter's most noted personalities a voice of more than 140 characters, the popular @TheOrangeCone and @nascarcasm will contribute with their unique and humorous perspectives.

Motor Racing Network Geared Up For Second Half

With the 2013 NASCAR season rolling into its second half, Motor Racing Network is keeping fans up to speed with an expanded menu of exclusive online content, and over the airwaves with its signature brand of award-winning race coverage. 

Whether it’s weekends at the track or weekdays at MotorRacingNetwork.com, MRN has evolved into one of the most complete sources of racing information with a comprehensive lineup of online programming covering NASCAR, NHRA drag racing, short-track competition, sports cars and the World of Outlaws. 

Each week begins with “MRN Motorsports Monday Presented by Spire Sports & Entertainment.”  The one-hour show, which streams from 12 to 1 p.m. (EDT), recaps the weekend’s NASCAR and GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series competition.  Co-hosts are MRN’s Woody Cain and Joey Meier, spotter for 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski. 

Tuesday’s mid-day time slot at motorracingnetwork.com features “Winged Nation,” wih co-hosts Steve Post and Kendra Jacobs; an in-depth look at the World of Outlaws with news, race results, behind-the-scenes information, interviews and feature stories with the top sprint car drivers from some of the most legendary dirt tracks in the country.

Veteran MRN producer Marty Hough teams up with Top Fuel competitor Doug Herbert to host “Straight Line” each Wednesday from 12 to 1 p.m.; a weekly pass through the National Hot Rod Association’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. 

The newest addition to MRN’s web lineup, “NASCAR Coast to Coast,” streams each Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m.  Hosted by Kyle Rickey and Buddy Long, the focus here is on the K&N Pro Series, one of NASCAR’s top developmental tours for the stars of tomorrow, and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

If you’re “hungry for history,” then Thursday is your day at MotorRacingNetwork.com.  The streaming schedule begins at 12 p.m. (EDT) with a serving of “Fast Food,” hosted by Steve Post and Woody Cain.  They’ll help NASCAR fans find the best trackside recipes. 

Once the online tailgate party is finished, “Throwback Thursday” takes the green flag at 12:30 p.m. with a classic race broadcast from the Motor Racing Network archives.  This week’s installment is the 1994 Meridian Advantage 200 Nationwide Series race from Nazareth Speedway, won by Ricky Craven. 

All MRN online content is produced by Craig Moore and available for download at www.motorracingnetwork.com upon the conclusion of each week’s live stream.  And MRN’s complete schedule of exclusive online programming is also available through AudioNow simply by dialing 1-832-999-1717 from any telephone. 

Motor Racing Network also streams live coverage of Sprint Cup Series qualifying from International Speedway Corporation-owned tracks, Pocono Raceway and Dover International Speedway.  MRN’s next webcast of Cup Series qualifying is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 2, from Pocono starting at 3 p.m. 

In addition to its comprehensive lineup of online programming, Motor Racing Network’s 2013 slate of over-the-air broadcasts features 88 live events from 34 venues.  The schedule opened with the Rolex 24 GRAND-AM race at Daytona International Speedway in late January.  It’ll conclude in December with coverage of the annual Sprint Cup Series Awards in Las Vegas. 

MRN’s next race broadcast will be the inaugural CarCash Mudsummer Classic Camping World Truck Series race from Eldora Speedway – the historic half-mile dirt oval in Rossburg, Ohio – on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. (EDT) with live streaming of qualifying races beginning at 7 p.m. at MotorRacingNetwork.com.

France Family Highlighted In ESPN.com Series

Bill France, Sr.

The story of stock car racing’s France Family, traced from humble beginnings to today’s motorsports holdings including NASCAR, a dozen pristine racetracks, multimedia and more, will be told in a five-day series on ESPN.com beginning Monday, July 22. 

With the July 28 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway set to kick off ESPN’s coverage of the final 17 races of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, the series will give readers new insight into the family that took stock car racing from dusty short tracks in the late 1940s, shaped it into a mainstream, national sport and continues to guide its fortunes today.   

ESPN.com senior writer Ed Hinton, who has covered NASCAR since the early 1970s and has interviewed and written about all three generations of the France Family that have headed the sport, spent more than a year researching, reporting and interviewing for the series.  

“The story of the France Family and NASCAR has been told in bits and pieces over the years, but no one has put it together from the beginning to today with this much documentation in a piece of long-form journalism,” said K. Lee Davis, ESPN.com motorsports editor.  

Hinton interviewed members of the family as well as surviving pioneers of the sport who were there in the early years and through much of the growth period.  

“This is a fascinating look at the dynamics of the family that has built one of the world’s largest sports,” said Davis. “And with the access Ed was able to gain, and the people he was able to talk to, it also humanizes the family and brings out stories that a broader audience may have never heard.” 

Bill France, Jr.

New and exclusive interviews with NASCAR Chairman Brian France, the grandson of NASCAR Founder William H.G. “Bill” France and the son of former NASCAR President Bill France Jr.; Brian’s sister, Lesa France Kennedy, Vice-Chairwoman of NASCAR and Chairwoman of International Speedway Corporation; and their mother, Betty Jane France, widow of Bill France Jr., bring out stories and thoughts of a family that grew up with the sport. 

NASCAR Hall of Fame drivers Richard Petty, one of the few who raced under all three generations of the family and is still active in the sport, and Bobby Allison talk about the sport’s early years, dealing with Bill France Sr. and the evolution of the family, while current NASCAR star Jeff Gordon and team owner Rick Hendrick speak in the series about their relationships with Bill France Jr. and Brian France. NASCAR President Mike Helton, the first person not a member of the France Family to hold that title, also speaks throughout the series.

More than 35 years later, legendary driver A.J. Foyt talks about a cheating scandal he was involved in during qualifying for the 1976 Daytona 500 and how the respect he had for Bill France Sr. made him change his mind about withdrawing from the race. 

Betty Jane France reveals that her late husband, often perceived as gruff, had a softer side that few saw.  

Brian France, who says “nobody’s been fired more in NASCAR than I have,” tells of one such time when, as a teenager, he was fired by his father from a job cutting grass, and Brian, Lesa Kennedy and Betty Jane France tell of a family vacation that almost ended with 12-year-old Brian lost in the wilderness of a national park. 

Brian France also addresses those who have said that nepotism, and not qualifications, got him his job, with Petty adding that Bill France Jr. faced the same talk in his early days at the helm. 

The France Family series also will include old photos and video. 

Some selected quotes from the ESPN.com France Family series:  

Brian France on nepotism: “No one says it, but you know. You can see people who don’t know my story and don’t want to look at my life … at what I’ve done and the mistakes I’ve made … and want to [think], ‘He’s running everything and it’s all been handed to him.’ I think the road has been bumpier for me than people might realize.” 

Richard Petty on Bill France Sr. and Jr.: "Big Bill was 100 percent dictator. I don't know that he took a lot of people's advice. I mean, he talked to people, but then he made up his mind and he wasn't going to change his mind. It was a one-man show. Bill Jr. was 50 percent [dictator], because he left a lot of stuff up to a lot of people. He was good about bringing in information before he made his comment …"

Betty Jane France on the France Family’s biggest gamble: "Pop [Bill France Sr.] took me around that racetrack before they put asphalt on it. They had gravel on it … I remember him saying this was going to be my future. I thought, 'Right.' I go out there and look at it now, and I think, 'Yep. It is.' "

BREAKING NEWS: Shear Resigns As Crew Chief At ThorSport Racing

Johnny Sauter is fifth in NCTS points

Crew chief Joe Shear, Jr., has left the ThorSport Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team, just one race after serving a four-event suspension for illegal fuel cell modifications discovered at Kansas Speedway in April.

Shear resigned his position Friday, just five days before the series’ first-ever dirt track race at Eldora Speedway. He and driver Johnny Sauter ranked fifth in the Truck Series championship standings, just 52 points behind ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton. Sauter was docked 25 points for the fuel cell violation at Kansas, knocking him from the series lead.

“Joe has been my crew chief for a long time and my friend for even longer,” said Sauter today. “I guess there were some disagreements over the direction of the team, and he felt like it was time for him to move on.”

Sauter declined to comment on specifics of the split, but sources close to the team say difficulty hiring qualified personnel to work at ThorSport’s Sandusky, Ohio shop, debates over the correct technological path for the team and an inability to address issues with their over-the-wall pit crew all played a role in Shear’s departure.

Truck chiefs Jesse Saunders and Dan LeMasters, who replaced Shear during his suspension, are expected to oversee the team this week at Eldora, with no word yet on a permanent replacement. Calls placed to ThorSport Racing for comment today were not immediately returned.

NASCAR Extends Overhead Camera Ban

NASCAR will continue its ban on the type of overhead camera system that failed during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

A handful of fans suffered minor abrasions and several race cars were damaged when a drive rope used to propel FOX Sports’ overhead CamCat system snapped during the running of the Coca-Cola 600, and NASCAR suspended authorization to use the camera pending an investigation. That investigation is still not complete, and a written statement from the sanctioning body today said, “the safety of our competitors and our fans remains NASCAR’s number one priority, and until total evaluation and analysis have been completed, usage of this particular technology enhancement and any similar enhancements, has been suspended.”

 

ESPN/ABC – which begins its portion of the Sprint Cup Series broadcast schedule next weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and which uses a different overheard camera system than FOX – released its own statement, accepting NASCAR’s continuation of the ban.

 

“We have an excellent working relationship with NASCAR and totally understand their position,” said Rich Feinberg, ESPN vice president of motorsports production. “We look forward to beginning our NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule at Indianapolis and televising 17 great weeks of racing.”

SportsCenter Highlights Amazing Hendrick Motorsports Employee



Hendrick Engineer Richie Parker

Hendrick Motorsports is one of the most successful racing teams in NASCAR, fielding cars for former NASCAR Sprint Cup champions Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon as well as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne.

A part of the team’s continued success is engineer Richie Parker, who works behind-the-scenes at the team’s North Carolina headquarters. Parker is one of the more inspirational members of the NASCAR garage, as ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi will report for SportsCenter Featured Sunday.

Parker is a remarkable story of success. Born without arms, his determination and talent have led him to the top of the sport, and Rinaldi’s insightful feature will air during ESPN’s flagship news and information program SportsCenter, Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2.

 Here are a few quotes from the feature, to whet your appetite:

“It’s very demanding. When we have somebody like (crew chief) Chad Knaus that comes back from the racetrack and he says he needs something next week that's gonna help him win a race, ‘no’ is never the answer.” -- Parker on the demands of being a vehicle engineer at Hendrick Motorsports. 

“Based on his resume, I knew he could do the things that I needed him to do, it was more a question of how?” -- Rex Stump, engineering manager at Hendrick, on his impressions of Parker during his initial job interview.

“I just didn’t know what to ask at that point, what to say, because I’m thinking, how are we going to get through this? How would he eat, how would he drive, how would he open doors, how would he do just the normal day to day things?” -- Lottie Parker, Richie’s mom on what she felt after doctors told her he was born without arms. 

“When we were trying to figure out how I could modify a car, I was told by a few different people, ‘Well, if there's a bus in your area, or if there are taxi cabs, then that's all you need to do. You just use that as your transportation.’  But that just wasn't me.” -- Parker on his experience getting his 1964 Chevy Impala adapted with foot steering.

 

Larson To Eldora With Clorox Backing

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced today that Clorox will sponsor driver Kyle Larson in next Wednesday’s night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.  Larson will drive the No. 30 Clorox Chevy Silverado in NASCAR’s return to dirt track racing, after forging his racing career primarily on dirt.

Larson is no stranger to victory at Eldora Speedway.  The Elk Grove, Calif. native became one of only two drivers ever to sweep the USAC Four Crown Nationals with wins in USAC Midget, Sprint Car and Silver Crown divisions in 2011.  Larson also captured victory in the USAC Midgets at Eldora in 2012.

In his only Camping World Truck start of the 2013 season, he dominated at the legendary Rockingham Speedway, leading 187 of 205 laps en route to his first-ever series victory.  In just five career Truck starts, he has one win, two Top-5 and four Top-10 finishes.

VIDEO: Stewart Unhurt In Multi-Car Sprint Car Melee

 

A 19-year old driver is was hospitalized with undisclosed back injuries after a 360 Sprint Car crash last night at New York’s Canandaigua Motorsports Park that involved NASCAR driver Tony Stewart.

Stewart attempted a three-wide pass while battling for third on a restart, triggering a multi-car crash. The car of 19-year-old Alysha Ruggles flipped wildly in the track’s first turn after climbing a competitor’s wheel, and she was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital. The speedway’s website said Ruggles had been put in a back brace, with doctors “evaluating whether further steps need to be taken.”

Stewart took blame for the crash. He was not injured.

Newman Set For Eldora Truck Race

Newman (R) will race at Eldora

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star and former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner Ryan Newman will return to the series for the first time in over two years atthe Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway on July 24.  

Newman will drive the No. 34 Oral-B/Aggressive Hydraulics/WIX Filter Silverado for Turner Scott Motorsports. He has made four previous Truck Series starts, with one victory and four Top-5 finishes. His most recent outing came at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the fall of 2011, where he started and finished fifth while competing for Turner Scott Motorsports. 

NASCAR Nationwide Series crew chief Chris Carrier will call the shots atop the pit box for Newman in the Inaugural Mudsummer Classic. 

"I can't thank everyone at Oral-B, Aggressive Hydraulics, WIX Filter and Turner Scott Motorsports enough for this unique opportunity," said Newman. "This race is going to be something really special in NASCAR's history. I've always enjoyed racing in the Truck Series and to be able to get back and race on dirt with a truck, I think everyone will be in for a special treat.  

Newman testing a truck on dirt for Turner Scott on July 8 at 311 Motor Speedway in Pine Hall, N.C., and said, “I thought everything went as planned. I know Chris and the rest of the Oral-B team will have a great truck prepared for the race at Eldora."

 

Busch Says Newman "Raced Me Poorly"

Kyle Busch commented via Twitter today, clarifying the comments he made about Ryan Newman following Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. 

Busch called Newman “the biggest stupid idiot out here” and “a big ogre” Sunday, adding “(There’s) no sense in getting in a fight with him, but I’m glad he's out of a job." He explained today that he was upset with what he considered to be rough tactics by Newman directed at him in the race. 

"I want to clarify that I was answering what I felt was two separate questions asked to me at the same time in an interview following the race in Loudon,” write Busch. “The first was about how fast Kurt was and the second was how I felt about Ryan Newman blaming me for him getting wrecked.  

“First I answered the Kurt part. He was fast... Great to see them running well... Was a shame to see him crashed... Nowhere there did I place blame on who wrecked who. I didn't see it and I still haven't seen it.  

“My second answer came from being upset over an incident I had with (Ryan Newman) on the track during the race. I answered it in the same response, but it was intended as a completely separate answer.  

“I was upset because I felt (Newman) raced me poorly, making contact and causing damage to my RF fender that affected the handling on my racecar. This isn't the first time that I've been raced poorly by (him) either, which added to my frustration. All this built up and allowed my emotions to spill over for how I felt. I'm not sorry for how I feel in those moments, but could have expressed it better and certainly my comments about someone's livelihood went too far."

Keselowski, Logano Test Their Acting Chops

Keselowski on "Sullivan and Son"

Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski and Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano are set to showcase their acting skills on the small screen. Keselowski will appear in the comedy series “Sullivan & Son” (Thursday, July 18, 10 p.m. ET/PT, TBS) while Logano plays a role in an all-new episode of the hit comedy “Lab Rats” (Monday, July 22, 9 p.m. ET/PT, Disney XD). 

Keselowski joins the cast of “Sullivan & Son” Thursday, appearing as himself. In an episode entitled “Rumspringa,” Keselowski gets into a minor fender bender with Ok Cha (Jodi Long) when he’s unable to successfully parallel park his car. The incident occurs outside Sullivan & Son (the family bar for which the show is named), and the comical skirmish is briefly brought inside.

“I never dreamed of being able to film a television show like ‘Sullivan & Son,’” said Keselowski. “The cast was great to work with and they made me feel very comfortable on camera. Everyone on the show is hilarious and I think the fans will love the episode. It was fun to step out of the fire suit and make fun of my driving skills for a little bit.” 

Logano appears on "Lab Rats"

On Monday, July 22, Logano will be a part of Disney XD’s sports-themed “Monday Night Overdrive” when he guest stars on the hit comedy series “Lab Rats.” In the episode, entitled “The Bionic 500,” Logano will appear as himself and do what he does best: drive a race car. When Donald Davenport (Hal Sparks) and his new obnoxious neighbor Pierce agree to settle their differences with a stock car race, Davenport is shocked to learn that Pierce has enlisted Logano to drive for him. 

“I grew up watching Disney when I was younger, so it was really cool to get the chance to work with Disney XD and be a part the show, especially since it’s geared towards younger audiences,” said Logano. “I’m not sure how well my acting skills will play out on the screen, but it was fun to do either way. I’ll be interested to see how it all comes out.” 

NASCAR drivers’ exposure in Hollywood pop culture projects, including film and television, continue to be on the rise. Other recent integrations include Tony Stewart on ABC’s “Last Man Standing,” Danica Patrick at Nickelodeon’s “Kids Choice Awards” and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart on “The Cleveland Show” on FOX.

STP Joins Petty, Annett At Chicagoland

One of the most successful partnerships in the history of motorsports will be reprised this weekend, when Michael Annett drives his Richard Petty Motorsports STP Ford in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition at Chicagoland Speedway.  

STP is a long-time supporter of Richard Petty and the No. 43 and will also serve as the title sponsor for the Nationwide Series event this weekend. 

Annett has six career starts at Chicago, accumulating one Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes with an average starting position of 17.7 and an average finish of 11.3.  

"I'm really looking forward to this weekend in Chicago,” said Annett. “Not only do we have STP on the car, but we're qualified for a chance to win the Dash 4 Cash bonus. It felt really good to get our first Top-5 of the season out of the way last week, and we're definitely ready for more. We had two good runs at this track last year and I can't wait to see how we can build on that this year.  

"To me, it's really cool that we'll have STP on the car this weekend. I think when everyone thinks of Richard Petty they think of STP and vice versa, so it's definitely an honor to drive the No. 43 with the STP logo on it. You have a lot of surreal moments working for Richard Petty, and I think this is definitely one of them." 

His fifth-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend was Annett's seventh career Top-5 in the Nationwide Series and earned him eligibility for the Dash 4 Cash program in Sunday’s STP 300. Annett qualified for the Dash 4 Cash program at this race last year and followed up with a strong performance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he won the $100,000 bonus for being the highest finishing regular NNS driver. He hopes for a repeat performance as the top finishing NNS driver at Chicago.

 

Major Rate Increase Sought For FOX Sports 1

Sports Business Daily reported yesterday that FOX Networks will ask cable and satellite providers to pay 80 cents per month per subscriber for the newly rebranded Fox Sports 1, with carriage fees climbing to $1.50 monthly over the life of multi-year contracts.

Affiliates currently pay approximately 23 cents per month for SPEED. FOX has already inked a new deal with Comcast Cable, but major carriers Time Warner Cable, DirecTV and Dish Network have reportedly balked at the price increase.

Fox Sports 1 – formerly known as SPEED – will televise college football and basketball, NASCAR racing, UFC mixed martial arts events and sports news programs.

Newman On Kyle: "We All Know He’s Not Very Bright.”

"He'd better be able to back it up."

Friday, Ryan Newman was informed that he will not return to Stewart Haas Racing in 2014. On lap 226 of Sunday’s Camping World RV Sales 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Newman was swept up in a three-car crash with title contenders Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth that left him with a wrecked race car and a 39^th place finish.

After a thoroughly trying week, last thing the Indiana native likely needed was a post-race bout of name-calling. But that’s exactly what he got, courtesy of Kyle Busch, who jumped to his brother’s defense by calling Newman “the biggest stupid idiot” in NASCAR.

"I really hated that Kurt got tore up," said Kyle Busch after the race. "I felt like he had the best car. I was proud of them guys but, man, (it was) just stupidity.

Newman (39) had a rough weekend

“Ryan Newman's the biggest stupid idiot out here,” continued Busch. “He's a big ogre and can do whatever he wants, because he can probably kick anybody's butt. (There’s) no sense in getting in a fight with him, but I’m glad he's out of a job."

Newman responded to Busch’s “butt kicking” comment today, saying, “I’m afraid that if I rearranged his face, I might fix it.

“We all know he’s not very bright,” continued Newman. “He’s a great talent, but not very bright. I admit to dooring Kyle down the straightaway after he blasted me into the corner. But I didn’t crash him and he didn’t crash me, so I don’t know what he’s got to be mad about. Evidently, he’s got a bone to pick for some reason.

“After his comments about me not having a ride (for next season), he has more to lose than I do,” warned Newman. “He might want to check his (mouth) before he gets too far ahead of himself.”

While saying he has no plans to retaliate against Busch on the race track, Newman offered the Joe Gibbs Racing driver some unsolicited advice.

“I really don’t care about his opinion,” he said. “But if he’s going to run his mouth, he’d better to be able to back it up.”

NASCAR Announces New Rules Initiatives

NASCAR announced today the beginning of a wide-ranging initiative that will transform its competition model in the areas of governance, rules, deterrence/penalties and officiating/inspection.  

At the direction of NASCAR President Brian France, the sanctioning body began what it called “a careful evaluation of competition” in 2012, working with the consulting firm of McKinsey & Company and long-time automotive executive Brent Dewar. A steering committee led by NASCAR President Mike Helton, O'Donnell, NASCAR Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton and NASCAR Chief Marketing Officer Steve Phelps guided four internal ‘working teams’ to create a blueprint for transforming competition in those four critical areas.  

NASCAR’s O'Donnell said one of the major tenets of the move is “to take a lot of the assets available to us and put even more money back into our R&D efforts. What that will allow us to do is get ahead of things in a much more advanced way." In an effort to accomplish that goal, rulemaking will be overseen by NASCAR’s Research and Development Department, under the guidance of Stefanyshyn. A major focus of that plan is to rewrite the rulebook with an emphasis on concrete measurements and computer-aided design specifications.

"We want the rule book to be more reflective of what teams have now with CAD drawings," explained O'Donnell. "Some of the reasoning for that is to make it more clear what parts are approved. So when you go to the track, in the event that you have a penalty… the part is clearly illustrated. If the rule book is better understood not only by the race teams but the entire industry, we feel that's a better, more transparent way to go forward.

"We want to eliminate as many gray areas as possible," he said. "But our sport is also built on innovation. We want to clearly define the areas where teams can go out and innovate, because at the end of the day, that's what our sport was founded on."

NASCAR and its working teams have developed blueprints for 11 initiatives. They include: 

Governance

·         Move rule-making from Officiating to R&D / Innovation
·         Enhance effectiveness of appeals process by redefining process and appeals board member criteria

Rules

·         Simplify rulebook and increase objectivity by replacing written rules with CAD designs
·         Enhance parts approval by formalizing submission and approval process
·         Increase consistency of rule interpretation across National Series

Penalty / Deterrence

·         Strengthen deterrence model to reduce inspection required to ensure competitive racing

Officiating / Inspection

·         Increase use of technology on pit road.
·         Maintain rigor of inspection while creating greater efficiency.
·         Improve efficiency of process by creating a race team inspection scheduling system.
·         Enhance effectiveness of inspection through data collection and trend analysis.
·         Create unified inspecting and officiating model across National Series.

A number of ideas will be implemented in time for the 2014 season, with others requiring more time. NASCAR officials said their goal to have the full scope of changes in place in time for the start of the 2015 season.

NASCAR’s Stefanyshyn also spoke of bringing NASCAR technology more in-line with that is seen on the street, saying, “We need to move in the direction the world is moving. If we don’t, we’re essentially disenfranchising ourselves" from the next generation of fans.” 

Pemberton said there could be changes made to the qualifying format in NASCAR’s three national divisions, as well. He declined to discuss specifics of that plan. 

O’Donnell stressed that the initiative remains a work in progress, saying, “We're out talking to the race teams now. We've received some real positive feedback, (but) we've still got a number of conversations to have. 

Don't Look Now, Burton Back In Chase Contention

Burton was strong in New Hampshire

Jeff Burton has always been one of the most respected drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage. Recently, however, he has not been one of the most competitive.

Prior to Sunday, Burton had managed just one Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes this season, ranking no higher than 15^th in championship points. He hasn’t visited Victory Lane since 2008, which is also the last time he qualified for NASCAR’s post-season Chase.

A third-place finish in Sunday’s Camping World RV Sales 301at New Hampshire Motor Speedway may help change all that.

The South Boston, VA native qualified ninth at The Magic Mile and ran in the Top-10 throughout the afternoon before trailing winner Brian Vickers to the checkered flag. It was easily his most impressive performance of the year, and highlighted the continuing evolution of his Caterpillar Chevrolet team.

"We are starting to learn each other," said Burton of his relationship with first-time Sprint Cup crew chief Lucas Lambert. “The system that (Competition Director) Eric Warren has been working really hard to put in is also helping. We have a lot of things going on… but the main thing is having time together and understanding each other."

Burton climbed from 21st to 17th in the championship standings Sunday, and now lurks just 25 points from a guaranteed spot in the 2013 Chase. While never one to blow his own horn, the 46-year old Richard Childress Racing driver said he should not be ignored as a possible Chase contender.



"We feel like we can still do it."

"We don't think we are out of the Chase," he said. "I know everybody else in the world does, but we don't. We feel like we can still do it. There's a lot of stuff that's going to happen between now and Richmond. It's so competitive (and) so tight."

Recent finishes indicate that he may be right. With five Top-12 finishes in his last eight starts, Burton has begun to show the kind of consistency that made him a title contender as recently as 2008. Sunday’s race was the first time he’s shown the kind of speed that results in trips to Victory Lane, but for the first time in recent memory, Burton feels confident in the direction of the RCR organization.

"We feel good about what we're doing," said Burton Sunday. "We have been running a lot better the last two months. I'm not saying we are the class of the field, but we are definitely making progress. We feel like we are starting to build on something, and we understand what we're looking for. We have a baseline to work off (for the) first time in a couple of years. We are excited about it. We understand why we are running well and think we can improve.

"If we can get on one of those streaks that I used to get on, we can make it,” said Burton. “And we intend to. I know it's a long shot, but I think we can."

He admitted that losing teammate Kevin Harvick to Stewart Haas Racing at season’s end will make RCR’s road more difficult.

"You don't lose that caliber of driver without it having an impact on your organization," said Burton. "But things happen in this sport. People make changes and need to do something different. There should be no hard feelings.  What we have to do is embrace the challenge, embrace the opportunity and go out and try to make it work.

“In (Harvick’s) absence, we're going to do stuff to fill that void,” Burton said. He also acknowledged his own role, adding, "I'm going to have to step up in some areas."

After missing NASCAR’s playoffs three times in the last four seasons, Burton remains a longshot for the 2013 Chase. But Sunday’s finish makes him part of the conversation for the first time in recent memory. And that’s a step in the right direction.