Bowyer, Special Operations Warrior Foundation Hoping For Million Dollar Donation

Living Essentials, LLC -- distributor of 5-hour ENERGY shots -- announced today that if Clint Bowyer’s No. 15 Cherry 5-hour ENERGY Toyota wins Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Michigan International Speedway, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) will receive a $1,000,000 donation.  Living Essentials has already committed to donate five cents from the sale of every bottle of the limited edition, specially marked Cherry flavored 5-hour ENERGY shot sold in the United States between May 1, 2015 and July 31, 2015 to SOWF. 

Living Essentials will provide a guaranteed minimum donation of $200,000 to SOWF in relation to the Cherry bottle promotion. 

“In the second year of the program, we want to do something extraordinary to build excitement around our promotion with Cherry 5-hour ENERGY and SOWF,” said Melissa Skabich, Living Essentials’ communications director.  “Michigan International Speedway is in our backyard, NASCAR fans are passionate about causes that support the military, and the stars aligned perfectly for us to further support this wonderful organization.”

SOWF supports the military's special operations forces and their families through college scholarships, family services, and financial stipends.  To promote SOWF, Bowyer drove a special red, white and blue Cherry 5-hour ENERGY Toyota Camry for several races this season.  Sunday’s race is the final one that features the patriotic Cherry paint scheme.    

“We’re a very small and not well-known organization, so support on this scale from the makers of 5-hour ENERGY and driver Clint Bowyer gives us tremendous exposure and allows us to honor the sacrifices of fallen warriors by sending their dependents to college,” said Edie Rosenthal, Special Operations Warrior Foundation’s deputy executive director.  “Last year’s donation of $279,061.60 had a profound impact on SOWF, which saw a 99% increase of website visits, and an 11% jump in new visitors to the site from the same time period last year. We also saw an increase in private donations totaling nearly $250,000, which we attribute to the advertising, special events and publicity from the campaign.” 

Bowyer, who historically performs very well at Michigan International Speedway, is more than ready for a trip to the winner’s circle on Sunday.  “Pulling out a victory for SOWF would be an achievement of a lifetime,” he said.  “I couldn’t name an organization more worthy of this $1,000,000 donation.” 

The $1,000,000 will be paid in 20 equal annual installments of $50,000 to SOWF, without interest.

FOR REAL: Phoenix Renamed "Jeff Gordon Raceway"

Phoenix International Raceway President Bryan R. Sperber announced today that the speedway will officially be renamed Jeff Gordon Raceway on Nov. 15, 2015 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500. The race is the semifinal race for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and will be Gordon’s last Sprint Cup Series race at the track as a full-time competitor.

“Jeff has had an amazing career in NASCAR, both as a tremendously successful competitor and as an incredible ambassador for the sport,” Sperber said. “When we thought about how to recognize his accomplishments for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500, we knew we had to put together a celebration that was bigger than anything we’ve done in the past. It doesn’t get bigger than renaming the race track and Jeff Gordon is a person who is truly deserving of that honor.”

The renaming of the track will be a way for all PIR fans to celebrate the importance Gordon had on the track, the fans and the sport as a whole. It is the first time that a track has been renamed for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

“It’s an honor to have the track named after me, even if only for a day,” said Gordon. “What a cool gesture by Bryan Sperber, his staff and ISC. I’ve had some great moments at Phoenix International Raceway, and this will just add to the many great memories I have of racing in Phoenix.”

PIR will also release a series of five individual trading cards featuring Gordon’s image and key moments throughout his 24-year career at PIR. A limited number of each card will be randomly distributed to ticket holders both with their ticket mailing and at the gates each day during the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 race weekend. Fans will have the opportunity to trade with each other at locations on the Fan Midway throughout the weekend in order to collect the complete set.

Leading up to the race, PIR will present 24 Moments of Greatness on its social media channels highlighting some of the track’s and fans’ favorite moments with Jeff Gordon.

In addition, the event will be commemorated with an official logo displayed throughout the track, and fans will be able to purchase apparel online and on race weekend through a partnership with Fanatics, the market leader for licensed sports retail.

Gordon has four career wins at PIR, including three in NASCAR-sanctioned races. Each of his wins represented a significant moment to the track’s history. On Nov. 6, 1999, he raced to victory in the inaugural Xfinity Series race at Phoenix, before tying the legendary Dale Earnhardt with his 76th career Sprint Cup Series win on April 21, 2007. Forever etching his name into PIR history, Gordon kicked off the repaving of the track by digging the first piece of pavement following his win on Feb. 27, 2011. His 23 top-10 finishes at Phoenix is a track record, and he will tie Mark Martin for the record for most Sprint Cup Series starts at PIR in November when he makes his 34th start.

In January of 2015, Gordon announced that the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season would be his last. The four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion will join the FOX broadcast team full-time in 2016 as race analyst.

Tickets for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 start at $25 and are available online at PhoenixRaceway.com, by phone at 866-408-RACE (7223) or at the PIR box office. The green flag for the semifinal race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will fall at 2:30 p.m. EST.

NASCAR HOF Debuting Two New Exhibits

Just in time for summer vacation, the NASCAR Hall of Fame has hundreds of new high octane reasons to visit. Beginning June 17, the venue will welcome two new exhibits including “From the Garage: Street Rides of NASCAR Stars” in the Great Hall along with a revamped Heritage Speedway on the fourth floor. 

“From the Garage: Street Rides of NASCAR Stars” puts you in the driver’s seat of the hot wheels that the sport’s icons drive every day. For 38 weeks a year, these top contenders in NASCAR’s premier series battle it out in high powered race cars designed and built by top engineers to perform at maximum velocity. While these impressive machines propel drivers to victory, what do these stars choose to drive when they’re not on the track? “From the Garage” explores what some of the sport’s most well-known names have tucked behind their garage doors and what drew them to each of these one-of-a-kind vehicles. The full lineup includes: 

-    Clint Bowyer: 2007 Harley Davidson Jack Daniels-Themed “Bobber” Motorcycle
-    Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 2001 CS-R Corvette Rolex 24 at Daytona Tribute
-    Joey Logano: “Rat Rod” Pickup Truck
-    Darrell Waltrip: 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 W30
-    Greg Biffle: 2005 Ford GT
-    Ray Evernham: 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II Dan Gurney Special
-    David Ragan: 1960 Ford Fairlane Mayberry Police Car
-    Mike Helton: 2005 London Taxi Company TXII

Meanwhile, the brand new Heritage Speedway will add more than 200 artifacts that walk you through NASCAR’s storied past decade by decade. From dirt and asphalt short tracks to superspeedways across the nation, drivers have showcased their talents over the course of seven eras of motorsports. In this exhibit, guests will find iconic moments illustrated through artifacts that capture the personality of the legends who paved the way for today’s drivers along with unexpected memorabilia and relics that pay homage to the sport’s deep-seated roots. Items range from Bobby Allison’s 1988 uniform that he wore at the Daytona 500 when he beat his son Davey to Dale Earnhardt’s money bag from his spectacular come-from-behind win in 2000 at the Winston 500 in Talladega.

“Both of these exhibits provide new perspectives and continue our promise to regularly update and refresh exhibits as we celebrate our fifth anniversary,” says NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley. “We’re excited to welcome hundreds of new artifacts that give fans unprecedented and exclusive access to the memorable moments and celebrated personalities of NASCAR. I think guests will walk away learning lots of new things they never knew about the sport and their favorite drivers after exploring these two exhibits.”

“From the Garage” will be on display through the end of the year, while Heritage Speedway is a revamp of a permanent exhibit (the first time in five years this area has received all new artifacts). Tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame can be purchased by calling (877) 231-2010 or at nascarhall.com. Admission is $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors and military, $12.95 for children 5-12 and free for children younger than 5. Memberships are available starting at $125. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is open daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Updates are available at facebook.com/nascarhall or by following @NASCARHall on Twitter.

Visser Seeking Sponsor, Manufacturer For 2016 Season

In the aftermath of Sunday’s victory at Pocono Raceway, Furniture Row Racing owner Barney Visser said he hopes to retain driver Martin Truex, Jr., beyond 2015, but could need a sponsor and a new manufacturer to do so.

Speaking Wednesday on SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s Sirius XM Speedway with Dave Moody, Visser said he is unhappy with the level of support his team receives from Chevrolet.

“There just doesn’t seem to be any money out of General Motors and probably never will be for us,” said Visser, who has fielded Chevrolets in NASCAR competition since chartering Furniture Row Racing a decade ago. “Something’s got to give. We’ll see where it goes.”

With Chevrolet lending a bulk of its support to the multi-car Hendrick, Childress and Stewart Haas Racing operations, FRR has been left of the loop, despite ranking second in championship points earned this season and qualifying for the 2015 Chase. Both Ford and Toyota have expressed interest in expanding their Sprint Cup rosters, and could lend manufacturer support to the Colorado-based team next season. A manufacturer change would mark the end of FRR’s current technological partnership with Richard Childress Racing.

  

Truex stands second in points

Visser said he is also seeking a major sponsor for the No. 78 Chevrolet, after backing the team through his Furniture Row and Denver Mattress brands since entering the sport in 2005.

“I’ll put a shameless plug in,” he said. “We need help with this car. (Sprint Cup racing) is is a little out of our budget, but we refuse to back down. We’re looking for sponsorship (and) hopefully, the right sponsors are going to step up. We need to get some of that in place to negotiate the kind of contract (for Truex) that we’d both like to see.”

He also admitted that he does not want contract negotiations to detract from the team’s current performance.

“When Kurt (Busch) made the announcement (that he would leave FRR for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014), everything fell apart and we wound up finishing 10th in points,” Visser said. “I just hate to screw around with anything right now (with) negotiations, or anything that might upset the apple cart.

“But we’ll get it done. We’ll get in and get started on this stuff. We’re locked on Martin. We’re as happy with him as he is with us, and we want to get something done.”

Truex said last week that he would like to remain with the team, adding, “I feel like this is the kind of situation I've looked for my whole career. The guys have done such a great job and they're so good at what they're doing. We have such a great group. I feel like this team is special."

Baldwin Partners With RacingRewards.com

Tommy Baldwin Racing has announced a new partnership with Racing-Rewards.com, beginning this weekend with Alex Bowman's No. 7 Racing-Rewards.com Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway.

"We are excited to showcase the Racing Rewards program on the No. 7 car this weekend at Michigan," said team owner Tommy Baldwin. "This is such a great opportunity for NASCAR fans to earn rewards for things they are already doing. Racing Rewards fans can look forward to some great things in the coming months, and we are glad to be a part of it." 

Racing Rewards is an opportunity for fans to earn prizes without any need to buy into the program. Through social media, fans earn points for liking, sharing, hashtagging and even pinning NASCAR related accounts. 

It's free and easy for NASCAR fans to sign up, simply visit Racing-Rewards.com and registration takes just a minute. Upon linking your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, Pinterest and YouTube accounts fans will begin earning points for activities they already do on a daily basis.

Racing Rewards has already given out pit passes, race tickets and autographed merchandise from fan favorite drivers. Toy State has also joined in the Racing Rewards program and will have cars available in the prize area of the Racing Rewards website.

Fans who act now and use the code "Rewards500" will receive an extra 500 points upon registering a new Racing Rewards account. This is a limited time offer; reward code expires at midnight on Sunday. 

Sam Bass Recovering After Latest Bout With Sepsis

Get well soon, Sam!

Sam Bass, NASCAR's first officially licensed artist, continues to recover from surgery for complications resulting from another severe blood infection.  A life long Type 1 diabetic, Bass was hospitalized twice in 2014 and spent 10 weeks in treatment as a result of sepsis, a severe blood disorder that often results in loss of limbs or even death. 

"I tremendously appreciate the prayers and continued support of everyone during this extremely difficult time," Bass said. 

The artist expects to be released from the hospital in the middle of the week.

Bass' battle with sepsis began in February 2014.  Complications with the severe blood infection resulted in multiple surgeries for the NASCAR artist and led to a long road to recovery.  Able to return to the track just three months later, Bass suffered another setback in October 2014, when a less severe infection returned to his bloodstream. 

Now familiar with the warning signs, Bass was able to get the medical attention he needed before this latest bout with infection escalated.  After undergoing surgery last Wednesday, Bass expects to be released from the hospital midweek, to continue recovery at home.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery go out to Sam from all of us here at GodfatherMotorsports.com.

Appeals Panel Rescinds No. 48 Team Penalty

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel ruled today on the appeal of a P1 penalty issued on May 27, 2015 to Hendrick Motorsports relative to the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet team at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The penalty concerns Section 12.5.3.1 in the 2015 NASCAR rule book, which reads:

Warnings and P1 penalty options:

.b: Multiple warnings issued to the same team member or team will result in one or more P1 penalties.

.c: If the same team receives two warnings during the same event, or two warnings during two consecutive events, whether the events are championship or non-championship, then this may result in one or more … P1 penalties at NASCAR’s discretion.

The original penalty assessed was the last choice in the pit selection process for the next event.

Upon hearing the testimony, the National Motorsports Appeals Panel ruled that warnings are indeed not appealable, and that NASCAR acted correctly in issuing a P1 penalty after the second warning.

The panel also ruled that a preponderance of evidence showed that the No. 48 car’s side skirt violation which led to the initial warning did occur. There was conflicting evidence, however, about the violation which led to the second warning.

Since only one of the two violations were proven by a preponderance of the evidence, the panel elected to rescind the P1 penalty.

The Appeals panel consisted of Old Dominion Raceway owner Richard Gore, former Gaylord Communications Group president David Hall and former International Race of Champions president Jay Signore.

Kyle Busch Returns To XFINITY Series This Weekend

Kyle Busch returns to the NASCAR XFINITY Series this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, at the wheel of the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing.

The race will mark Busch’s first XFINITY start since sustaining injuries in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. A compound fracture of his right lower leg and a broken left foot forced Busch from the cockpit for 11 weeks. He returned to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series four weeks ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch will make his 298th XFINITY Series start at a track where he has one career win, six Top-5 and six Top-10 finishes. He last visited MIS Victory Lane in 2004.

His future XFINITY Series schedule has yet to be announced.

Truex's Win Triggers Emotional Victory Celebration

As Martin Truex, Jr. celebrated in Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway Sunday, he was joined by a steady stream of fellow drivers, rival crew members and well-wishers, offering their congratulations on a victory in the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 that may have been the most popular in the NASCAR garage since Dale Earnhardt, Sr.’s emotional Daytona 500 win.

Truex dominated the day on Pocono’s “Tricky Triangle,” leading 97 of 160 laps en route to a celebration that included a lengthy, tear-filled embrace with longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex, who has battled Stage Three Ovarian Cancer with a yearlong regimen of surgery and chemotherapy.

The victory snapped Truex’s personal, 69-race winless skid, and was the second for Furniture Row Racing owner Barney Visser, who ignored conventional wisdom a decade ago by headquartering his team in Denver, Colo. The team’s first victory – with driver Regan Smith in the 2011 Southern 500 at Darlington – seemed light years away Sunday, but after leading the most laps in each of the previous three races, it was clear that FRR’s next trip to Victory Lane was not a question of `if,’ but `when.’

“We've had a great season,” said Truex, whose previous Sprint Cup Series wins came at Dover in 2007 and Sonoma in 2013. “Throughout my career, I’ve gotten used to disappointment. I’ve learned to deal with days where it didn’t go your way, even though you didn’t do anything wrong. We have had everything it has taken to win races (this year), but we just hadn’t got it done. This team deserves to win and I’ve known that all year long.” 

Truex was dominant on four late-race restarts Sunday, leaping away to large leads while his pursuers struggled to get up to speed. “The difference was one real good (restart),” he admitted. “Joey Logano gave me a good shot. I just tried to mix it up so they weren’t sure what I was going to do next.  I think we picked the right gear ratio for restarts here, and that is critical."

Truex opened a 2.75-second lead with 12 laps to go, and cruised to a comfortable margin of victory that had even his fellow competitors expressing happiness.

"If you’re going to lose to somebody today, that’s a great person to lose to,” said runner-up Kevin Harvick afterward. “You look at everything -- personally and professionally – that Martin and Sherry have dealt with and you have to be happy for them. To see them have that bright spot is something I think the whole garage will support and be happy with.”

“He’s been through a lot of stuff, both inside the car and outside the car,” said longtime friend Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who stormed Victory Lane to douse Truex with an impromptu Diet Mountain Dew shower. “He’s been able to get into a good opportunity with good people. He’s got a team that believes in him. They’ve come a long way over the last several years.”

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” said Truex amidst the post-race chaos. “It takes time to heal things, especially with what Sherry and I went through. But this makes you forget all about it. I feel blessed to be with this group of guys. I’m just proud to drive cars for them and proud that Sherry is here, healthy. She is as excited as I am and everything is going well for her.”

"Oh, my God," admitted Pollex of their yearlong battle. "We have been through so much."

A year ago, the daughter of former NASCAR Busch Series team owner Greg Pollex lost her ovaries, spleen, appendix, fallopian tubes and part of her stomach to the surgeon’s knife, before yielding her hair and 25 pounds to the ravages of weekly chemotherapy. While her cancer is now in remission, Pollex still undergoes monthly chemotherapy treatments, including the day following Truex’s Pocono victory.

"I didn't want to get too excited the last two laps because we've been so close so many times this year,” she said. “Last year was tough, with my diagnosis and the car not running well. (But) this year, they started off with a bang. Everything has gone his way and the cars have been so good. He's been so close.”

Ironically, it was Pollex who delivered a critical pep-talk following a 2013 season that saw Truex lose his ride with Michael Waltrip Racing when sponsor NAPA Auto Parts departed in the aftermath of an on-track scandal that cost a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

“We knew it was going to take a lot of work,” he said. “We knew it was going to be a tough road. I felt really fortunate that there was a great ride open with the 78 (team). Then Sherry’s situation happened and it was like, `All right, this is when you show people what you’re made of.’

“She showed me what she was made of (fighting cancer),” he said. And I was like, `Wow, if she can do that, I can do this.’”

Skinner Set For Goodwood Return

Former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Mike Skinner will return to the Goodwood Festival of Speed for the fifth time, looking to improve the record he set in 2014 with a Toyota Tundra truck that previously competed in the NCWTS. 

Skinner and business partner Andrew Franzone will return to Goodwood with two trucks, both carrying Skinner’s familiar No. 5. Franzone will make an exhibition run in the truck Skinner used to set a new class speed record in 2014, with Skinner campaigning a second entry truck showcasing partnerships with Textron Aviation, Cessna, Beechcraft, Remington, Venus Over Manhattan, Sentinel, Maui Jim, Justin Boots, Charlie 1 Horse Hat Company, C&R Racing and Racecar Solutions. 

Additionally, a special decal for Hope For The Warriors will showcase the charitable organization that both Skinner and Franzone support. 

In 2014, Skinner broke the record for a NASCAR-style stock car to win the Early Rally Cars division, shattering a record formerly held by Rusty Wallace to complete the 1.16-mile hill climb in just 50.75-seconds. Prepared by Skinner and his two sons, Jamie and Dustin, this year’s truck was purchased from Bill Davis and was originally driven by Johnny Benson during his 2008 NCWTS championship run.

"The Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of my favorite events," Skinner said.  "It's so iconic, and it brings together the best drivers and cars from all forms of motorsports.  By itself, it's a very special event to be a part of, but the way that we do it makes it even more special to me.  My sons come along and work as mechanics on our trucks, and we have a group of partners that have become close friends to Angie and me. It's like a big family.  To be able to represent not only those companies, but also NASCAR as a whole, makes me very proud.  We've spent a lot of time over the last 12 months building a bad ass truck, and we hope to go out there and improve on the record we set last year.

"Andrew Franzone has been so great coming on board and backing this effort as our team owner," Skinner said.  "To have his support on this deal for the second year in a row has been a lot of fun.”

Hosted by Lord March at the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, England, the 23rd annual event on June 25-28 will feature every kind of car imaginable from the 1800s through today and will attract some of the most accomplished drivers in motorsports. This year’s event will also feature competition-used NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars from Richard Childress Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing, as well as show cars from Joe Gibbs Racing and JR Motorsports.  Richard Petty will also showcase his famous Plymouth Superbird. 

Follow @MStheGunslinger on Twitter, or @SkinnerRoundUp on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram for news and updates throughout the event.

Daytona RISING Preparing For Coke Zero 400

After several busy months of construction related to its $400 million DAYTONA Rising project, Daytona International Speedway is now shifting gears to prepare for the upcoming Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola. Fans attending the event will have an opportunity to preview some of the new amenities being created by historic renovation project.

Approximately 40,000 new seats will be available near the west end of the Speedway along with 10,000 seats near the east end. Fans can also access new concessions and restrooms, escalators and vertical transportation options and several new “neighborhood” areas.

Construction will accelerate again following the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola.

Upcoming projects include final installation of elevators and escalators, completion of east-end seating areas and installation of temporary infrastructure.

Childers Signs Contract Extension With SHR

Stewart-Haas Racing has signed crew chief Rodney Childers to a multiyear contract extension, maintaining the successful pairing with 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick. 

In his inaugural season as crew chief for Harvick and the No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s team in 2014, Childers oversaw an outfit that won five races, scored eight poles and led 2,137 laps en route to the championship. The Childers-led squad became only the third Sprint Cup team to lead more than 2,000 laps in a single year since 2000, and of the 24 track qualifying records set during the 2014 season, the No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s team accounted for six of them. No other team had more than four. 

Childers and Harvick haven’t let up in 2015. They have a commanding lead in the championship point standings 13 races into the season thanks to two wins, nine top-two finishes and 12 top-10 finishes. They’ve also led 1,123 laps this season, or 25.99 percent of the laps available. The next closest driver in laps led this season is Harvick’s SHR teammate Kurt Busch, who has led 659 laps in his No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS. 

“Rodney Childers and Kevin Harvick set a new standard of excellence in 2014 that they’ve carried into this season. Keeping Rodney and Kevin together was a high priority, and we’re obviously very happy to have the two of them at Stewart-Haas Racing for many years to come,” said Tony Stewart, co-owner of SHR with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. 

“I’ve always believed in investing in exceptional, individual leaders and then providing the resources necessary for them to pave their own path and deliver results. Rodney’s results speak for themselves, and we’re glad to have him helping this organization shape its future,” Haas said. 

"I knew when I came to Stewart-Haas Racing that this was a special opportunity,” Childers said. “Kevin’s skills have always been evident, and his hunger and desire to be the absolute best he can be in every practice, qualifying session and race motivates our entire team. We have great leadership at Stewart-Haas Racing along with a deep commitment toward success, excellent people and strong partners. If you want to win, this is where you want to be, and I’m happy to be here for a long time.” 

Schwarzenegger To Drive Pace Car At Sonoma

Actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will drive a 2016 Toyota Mirai pace car to kick off the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 28. 

Schwarzenegger, whose new film Terminator Genisys from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions will be released on July 1, will lead the field of 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock cars around the twists and turns of Sonoma Raceway to kick off the 110-lap feature. He will pilot a 2016 Toyota Mirai, a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle that emits only water from its exhaust. It will be the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle used as a pace car in Sonoma. 

As Governor, Schwarzenegger championed and established California's Hydrogen Highway, the nation's first network of hydrogen fueling stations.

"I can't wait to drive the pace car at Sonoma,” said Schwarzenegger. “It will be an honor to lead these fantastic athletes and champions around the raceway, and on top of it, I get to drive a car that is both powerful and green."

This will mark the first time Schwarzenegger has served as an Official Pace Car Driver at a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event.  He will also be recognized during pre-race ceremonies and greet each NASCAR driver on stage during driver introductions.

Tickets are still available for this year’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, which will also mark Jeff Gordon’s final race in Sonoma as a full-time driver. For ticket information, visit www.RaceSonoma.com/NASCAR or call 800-870-7223.

“TERMINATOR GENISYS” opens in theaters on July 1, 2015.

Gordon Pledges To Match Kick-It Fund Raising Effort

In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Jeff Gordon has personally committed to matching all funds raised -- up to $100,000 -- through Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation Kick-It events held during the month of September.

Kick-It, a program and partner of JGCF, is a national volunteer-driven effort focused solely on raising money for children's cancer research through kickball games and peer-to-peer fundraising events. Participants use their network to raise funds and events have been held in schools, stadiums, backyards and parks all over the country and as far away as Australia. Kick-It is committed to directing every possible dollar to research. To locate or organize an event in your community, visit www.kick-it.org/jeffgordon.

"Kick-It is about people joining together to help in finding a cure for childhood cancer," said Gordon. "I am committed to finding a cure and the way to get there is through research. By matching funds raised through Kick-It games played this September, I hope to encourage others to join in the fight and spread awareness in their own communities."

Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation will host the 3rd Annual Charlotte Kick-It kickball tournament at CMC-NorthEast Stadium, home of the Kannapolis Intimidators, on Sunday September 13th from 3 - 8 pm. Lowe's will support the event as a Field Sponsor. Proceeds raised will benefit childhood cancer research at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, NC.  

To register a team, visit http://www.kick-it.org/games/2015/09/charlotte-kicks-it. For sponsorship opportunities contact Amy Davis at adavis@jgiracing.com .

Five Penalties Announced By NASCAR

Roush Fenway Racing driver Trevor Bayne has received a penalty for his actions during the May 31 race After the No. 6 car was involved in an on-track incident, the driver walked across the racing surface before he was attended to by the track safety crew, in violation of Sections 12.1, 12.8 b and 10.4.2.1 in the 2015 NASCAR rule book. Bayne has been fined $20,000 and placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31.

Jennifer Jo Cobb, driver of the No. 10 truck, has received a penalty for similar actions during the May 29 race. After her No. 10 truck was involved in an on-track incident, Cobb walked across the racing surface before being attended to by the track safety crew. Cobb has been fined $5,000 and placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31.

The No. 4 Stewart Haas Racing Sprint Cup Series team has been assessed a P1 level penalty for receiving written warnings in two consecutive events (Section 12.5.3.1b,c NASCAR rule book). The team received a warning for having to go through pre-race inspection more than three times at Charlotte Motor Speedway two weeks ago, while the car’s exhaust pipe was found to not be in conformance to rule book specifications during opening day inspection last weekend at Dover. The team will receive the last choice in the pit selection process for this weekend’s event at Pocono Raceway.

The No. 97 NASCAR XFINITY Series team has been penalized for an infraction occurring during practice on May 29, receiving a P3 level penalty for violating Sections 12.1 and 20.17.2.1b NASCAR rule book. The car had an improperly attached weight that fell out of the car. Crew chief John Monsam has been fined $15,000, suspended from the next championship point race, and placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31. Car chief David Jones has been suspended from the next championship point race and placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31. Driver Peyton Sellers and owner Victor Obaika lose 15 series championship driver and owner points, respectively.

The No. 33 NASCAR XFINITY Series entry car was found to be too low in the rear during post-race inspection on May 30. This is a P2 level penalty assessed for violating Sections 12.1 and 20.17.3.2.2b NASCAR rule book. Crew chief Nick Harrison has been fined $7,500 and placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31. Car owner Richard Childress loses 10 series championship owner points.

MRN's "Winged Nation" To Air On MAVTV

Motor Racing Network’s “Winged Nation,” the award-winning weekly webcast heard exclusively at MRN.com, will soon be seen beginning Saturday, June 6 – on MAVTV Motorsports Network.

“Winged Nation” is a weekly review of winged Sprint Car competition from around the country featuring the World of Outlaws, All Star Circuit of Champions and the Lucas Oil Series.  The show is hosted by Steve Post and Kendra Jacobs, and is in its fifth year as a cornerstone to MRN’s lineup of exclusive weekly web content.

The agreement with MAVTV was announced today.

“If you are in the media business, you have to be in the multi-media business,” said MRN President and Executive Producer David Hyatt.  “We’ve been ‘The Voice of NASCAR’ for 46 years and now, our new partnership with MAVTV is a natural extension of the dynamic digital presence that’s evolved within the network and at MRN.com in recent years.”

The “radio-on-television” show that will be produced for MAVTV will mirror the weekly webcast of “Winged Nation,” featuring Post and Jacobs as studio hosts interviewing newsmakers from the sprint car world.

Motor Racing Network will produce 13 episodes of “Winged Nation” for MAVTV, each 30 minutes in length. The series premiere on June 6 will air at 9:30 a.m. (EDT).  Featured guest will be 2014 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson, an accomplished sprint car driver who has graduated to NASCAR’s top tier.

“The growth we’ve seen at MRN since the creation of our Digital Department a few years ago has been remarkable,” said Director of New Media Tony Rizzuti.  “We’ve had triple-digit growth in streaming numbers, with millions of ‘uniques’ per year and massive social media engagement.  To now add television production to that list is a testament to the quality and versatility of our broadcast staff.”

In January of this year, Post and Jacobs were named Media Members of the Year in the North American Sprint Car Poll for the third straight year.  “Winged Nation” is streamed live each Tuesday from 12 to 1 p.m. (EDT) at MRN.com and also is available on iTunes, TuneIn and iHeartRadio.

The “radio-on-television” show that will be produced for MAVTV is the latest component of MRN’s digital strategy that includes live audio of NASCAR races, video streaming of daily programming, and comprehensive motor sports content at www.MRN.com and on the free MRN App.

“Joining forces with MRN is a wonderful opportunity for MAVTV,” said Bob Patison, president of MAVTV.  “Anytime we can offer more in-depth motor sports programming to our viewers, the better.  MRN is a great partner and is very good at what they do, so this partnership will benefit race fans across the country.”

If you don’t have MAVTV, you can request it by contacting your cable or satellite provider.

In addition to exclusive radio coverage of 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, MRN will broadcast 21 XFINITY Series events and all 23 races in the Camping World Truck Series. The network’s 2015 slate will conclude in December with live coverage of the Sprint Cup Series Awards in Las Vegas.

Pocono Clarifies Re-Entry Policy

Brandon Igdalsky

Pocono Raceway CEO Brandon Igdalsky issued a written statement today to further explain the track’s new policy restricting the ability of fans to exit and re-enter the speedway.

Pocono’s Fan Fair – an area that includes merchandise vendors, hospitality chalets, special events and driver appearances throughout race weekend – has been designated a ticketed area for 2015. Fans will be required to hold race tickets, camping or RV guest passes to enter the Fan Fair on Friday and Saturday, with Sunday admission restricted to Sprint Cup Series ticket holders. In addition, fans’ ability to exit and re-enter the facility will now be restricted for the first time.

In his statement today, Igdalsky cited the speedway’s updated policy, which reads in part, “For the safety and security of our fans, re-entry back into Pocono Raceway is restricted.

“The key word to understand here is restricted,” said Igdalsky. “This is not a zero-tolerance policy.

“There will be situations and circumstances which will arise which will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the Gate Supervisors. If you have a situation during race weekend where you need to exit the ticketed areas, our friendly Gate Supervisors will be there to discuss it with you.

“We know many questions and circumstance will arise and, again, this is why the language of the updated re-entry policy says “restricted” and not “prohibited.” We will be handling every situation on a case-by-case basis.”

Igdalsky said the new policy comes after a series of meetings with the United States Department of Homeland Security and other local and national agencies.

“Their insight and suggestions lead to us instituting an update to our existing re-entry policy,” he said. “Although there is no imminent threat to Pocono Raceway, given the times we live in and the fact so many individuals attend our outdoor sporting events, this policy has been updated to ensure all fans will be safe.”

Virtually all major professional sports -- NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA – restrict fans’ ability to exit and re-enter their facilities. Most major college sports conferences exercise similar policies. Pocono Raceway is believed to be the first NASCAR venue to implement such a policy.

“This policy is not meant to penalize you, our fan,” Igdalsky said. “Rather, it is meant to provide you a safe environment to enjoy the great racing action and the whole Pocono Experience. We firmly believe this policy update will not hurt your experience at our venue. It is in place to ensure fans can come to Pocono Raceway, enjoy all the activities and return home safely.”

Darlington Hosts NASCAR Test June 10

Fans who want to experience the sights and sounds of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series roaring around Darlington Raceway before the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend might want to pay a visit to the famed South Carolina track on Wednesday, June 10.

On that day, Darlington Raceway is hosting an open NASCAR test session from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. The test is free and open to the public, giving fans the opportunity to see NASCAR’s stars race around the high banks of the track Too Tough To Tame.

“This is a great free opportunity for fans to watch NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams race around our famed oval for the first time in nearly 14 months,” track President Chip Wile said. “This will be the only time the teams and drivers will be able to see Darlington before the series returns on Labor Day weekend.”

“With the Bojangles’ Southern 500 being the second-to-last race before the Chase cutoff, I’m sure the teams will be looking for a little something extra to get to Gatorade Victory Lane and potentially secure a Chase berth before time runs out,” Wile continued.

Ten NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race teams are scheduled to participate in the test session.

Drivers currently scheduled to take part are Aric Almirola, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. Darlington Raceway will open two sections of the Colvin Grandstands, on the backstretch of the track, for fans to watch the test throughout the day. Fans need to use the Gate 3 entrance to the track off of Highway 151. The parking lot is located next to the track’s administration building.

Fans can also get their picture taken with Darlington’s new Chevy SS pace car, which will be located next to the ticket office. The Darlington gift shop and stock car museum will be open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. that day. An adult admission price for the museum will be just $3 for that day only.

Random Thoughts From Dover And Beyond

Jimmie Johnson is the Master of the Monster.

The Lowe’s Chevrolet driver capitalized on three late caution flags – including a green-white-checkered flag finish – to outrun point leader Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson to claim his fourth victory of 2015 in the “FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks” at Dover International Speedway.The win made Johnson the fifth driver in NASCAR history to win 10 or more races at the same track, joining Hall Of Famers Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt and David Pearson.

“The top five cars were so equal you couldn’t pass,” said Johnson afterward. “My team did a great job of getting me a couple spots on pit stops. I was just hopeful I could put pressure on the car in front of me and they’d make a mistake and I could get by. (It was) an all-or-nothing situation. You need clean air. With control of the restarts and having lane selection, that was huge. Once we had our opportunity, we took advantage of it.

“74 race wins, 10 here – you can’t dream that (big).”

Based on his four wins to date, Johnson will now start the 2015 Chase with a minimum of 12 bonus points in his quest for a seventh Sprint Cup Series title.

No Cigar For Truex: For the third consecutive week, Martin Truex, Jr. led the most laps at Dover, before fading to sixth at the finish after getting bottled-up behind Kasey Kahne on the race’s final restart. The Furniture Row Racing driver has now led a total of 357 laps in the last three races – 95 at Charlotte and 131 at both Kansas and Dover – en route to his 12^th Top-10 finish in 13 starts.

“I was inside (Kahne) and he ran me down on the apron," said a disappointed Truex afterward. "I either had to let off or wreck all of us.”

Historic Meeting: NASCAR met with a group of Sprint Cup Series drivers Saturday night at Dover to discuss a variety of topics, including competition, tires and safety concerns. Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick Greg Biffle and Denny Hamlin have all confirmed taking part in the meeting, which according to Earnhardt, came at the request of the sanctioning body.

"NASCAR asked us to do that so we could get together and have a better ability to communicate,” said Earnhardt. “All the drivers voted for the guys they wanted on this council.”

Major topics of conversation reportedly included the 2016 rules package, Goodyear tire testing and the continuing addition of SAFER barriers to various NASCAR speedways.

“We always talk among ourselves,” said Hamlin, “but (the) line of communication to NASCAR has never been this open before. I feel like we're going to make our sport better."

NASCAR senior vice president and chief communications officer Brett Jewkes downplayed the significance of meeting with drivers as a group for the first time, saying, "NASCAR meets with drivers frequently on a wide range of topics. As part of our ongoing commitment to foster dialogue between all stakeholders, we have met formally with drivers on several occasions this season, including here at Dover. We'll meet with them again later in the season as normal course of business. The meetings have been productive and we find the dialogue very valuable."

Cobb steps out...

Not Getting The Message: Trevor Bayne and Jennifer Jo Cobb were summoned to the NASCAR transporter after exiting their respective vehicles before the arrival of safety crews at Dover last weekend. Cobb climbed from her crashed Camping World Truck to gesture at eventual winner Tyler Reddick after they tangled early in Friday’s race, stepping well onto the racing surface to express her unhappiness. Bayne was involved in a crash with Michael Annett and Justin Allgaier on Lap 176 of Sunday’s Sprint Cup event, and also climbed from his car before Safety Teams arrived on scene.

"I completely forgot," said Cobb after her excursion. "The fact that I forgot is such a shame because the reason it is in place stems from a tragedy that none of us should forget. It was a huge error in judgment on my part. I was just mad."

"We've been very clear on what we expect," said Sprint Cup Series Director Richard Buck.

Penalties (big ones, likely) are expected on Tuesday of this week.

Long's car was totalled

How Difficult Can This Be? Carl Long lost a race car Friday when a piece of tungsten ballast fell from the Obaika Racing machine of Peyton Sellers and penetrated Long’s radiator, causing his throttle to hang open and sending him hard into the wall. Long was unhurt, and Sellers’ crew chief, John Monsam apologized profusely for the incident.

“I cannot apologize enough,” said the veteran pit boss. “(It was) an error on our part. There's no excuse for it. All we can be right now is very grateful that Carl did not get hurt."

Long’s crash was the second of this type in the last three weeks. Jamie Dick suffered an even scarier incident at Iowa Speedway recently, when an errant block of tungsten slammed through the windshield of his car and OFF HIS HELMET! Dick miraculously escaped injury, but his car was effectively destroyed.

Long accepted Monsam’s apology Friday, and even said some very nice things about underfunded teams not being able to afford experienced pit help. But with all due respect to the offending parties, tightening bolts and securing ballast does not require a degree in engineering.

It’s “Lefty loosie, righty tighty,” and if you haven’t got enough help to tighten those pesky bolts, you probably shouldn’t be at the race track.

Cancelled Due To Idiocy: A European Formula 3 Series race at Monza was effectively scrubbed Sunday, due to lousy driving. After a series of shunts during Saturday practice, drivers were warned to clean-up their acts. Sunday’s main event began with a pair of additional wrecks, including one that saw Canadian driver Lance Stroll barrel-roll his Open Wheel entry after heavy contact with another car. Officials then red-flagged the race and tossed the whole lot off the race course, saying they didn’t want to see anyone killed.

We're gonna need a minute.

Hurry Up And Wait: The Verizon IndyCar Series had issues of its own this weekend, hosting the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s opener went to Carlos Munoz, who earned his first IndyCar Series victory, topping Marco Andretti and Simon Pagenaud in a balky, caution-filled affair. Sunday’s race took the green flag under chilly, rainy skies, prompting a seemingly endless string of on-track skirmishes that reminded NASCAR fans why racing in the rain ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Sadly, the race also highlighted IndyCar’s inability to clean-up a debris-littered race track in a timely fashion. After Team Penske teammates Will Power and Helio Castroneves crashed on lap 65 of 70, the field rolled around and around (and around) behind the Safety Car. An already small crowd of soggy race fans began heading for the exits, while TV viewers defected to the nearest “Family Guy” re-run. After an interminable wait, race officials finally decided to make the race a timed affair, allowing Bourdais to defend his lead for a whopping 2 minutes, 50 seconds before unfurling a merciful checkered flag.

Call Them Like You See Them: Kyle Busch’s bid for a Top-5 finish at Dover came to a crashing end when he and Brian Scott tangled with just a handful of laps remaining Sunday. NASCAR On FOX analyst (and NASCAR Hall Of Famer) Darrell Waltrip surmised that something must have broken on Busch’s car, stating that the M&Ms Toyota driver, “just drove right into (Scott).”

After the race, Scott took full blame for the crash, saying via Twitter, “I apologize to @KyleBusch, his sponsors, his team, his fans and all of JGR. 100% my fault, I didn't know he was underneath me until 2 late.”

Sunday’s 36^th-place finish comprised a major setback for Busch, who needs an average finish of 16^th a win and in the final 15 races of the regular season to qualify for the Chase. He was 11^th last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

"It's just a shame,” he said. “This isn't what we need. We weren't going to win today, but it doesn't help when you finish 40th."