“Summer’s Five Things” is a daily column for NASCAR fans to catch up on the most recent, relevant, and need-to-know news and information in the sport! While mostly focused on NASCAR, this column may also feature other interesting and exciting moments from the world of motorsports. Enjoy!
- Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, XFINITY Series On Track Today
As I said earlier this week, the good thing about mid-week racing is that the next race is never that far away.
While there isn’t a race this Friday, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series will be on track today preparing for their individual races.
Here is the schedule:
- Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Practice: 12:00PM – 12:50PM ET on NBCSN
- NASCAR XFINITY Series practice: 1:05PM – 1:55PM ET on NBCSN
- NASCAR XFINITY Series Final Practice: 3:05PM – 3:55PM ET on NBCSN
- Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying: 4:45PM ET on NBCSN
There will also be seven press conferences throughout the day, including the eventual pole winner. Though these are not schedule to be televised, NASCAR does provide a live stream.
- Haulin’ Grass …
In continued preparation for the first ever race on the ROVAL, Charlotte Motor Speedway announced the addition of more than 88,000 square feet of synthetic turf. The turf is being installed on the frontstretch in the infield in the name of driver safety, as the synthetic turf is supposed to reduce the speeds of potentially out-of-control cars better than regular grass.
This is not CMS’ first experience with the turf, either. The speedway first added the Sports Field Inc. turf in October of 2017 at the exit of Turn 4 of the oval track in their continuing setup for the ROVAL.
The racetrack began working on this just a day removed from a second test session for NASCAR drivers and teams to become acclimated to the new track layout, which saw multiple drivers crash and carrying more speed than anticipated through the backstretch chicane before additional tire barriers were placed.
The first race for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on this layout will be run on September 30th in a 109-lap, 400km race.
The NASCAR XFINITY Series will also get to make a run on it, too. Their race will be 55 laps on September 29th.
- “Grip Strip”, “Sticky Stuff” … Whatever You Want to Call It
NBC sports is reporting that the PJ1 traction compound (though it is referred to by many other names in the garage area) will be applied to the racing surface at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in anticipation of this weekend’s races.
The compound will be applied to the high lane and the low lane of the track in 12-foot sections. The middle groove will include a 12-foot section without the traction compound.
Both NHMS races last season featured the same traction compound in an effort to encourage passing on an otherwise mostly flat track.
- 4. Justin Marks Wants To Start His Own Series …
… or, at least, has an idea for one that he would like to see implemented.
https://twitter.com/JustinMarksDG/status/1019932869072965632
Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
It was likely no coincidence that this was tweeted a day after the race at Eldora Speedway, the one and only dirt track race on the NASCAR schedule, a race that received almost unanimous approval from fans and competitors alike.
Interestingly enough, the closest schedule that exists in American motorsports to what Marks is proposing, is ARCA — the Automobile Racing Club of America — which NASCAR acquired earlier this spring.
Though there aren’t any street courses in ARCA, they do race at two superspeedways, multiple short tracks, dirt tracks, intermediate tracks, and unique shaped courses like Pocono Raceway.
ARCA races at 11 tracks that aren’t on the NASCAR schedule, most of them short tracks from around the country, and a few others that are on the XFINITY Series or Truck Series schedule, but not the Cup Series.
With NASCAR acquiring ARCA, is it possible that they are currently considering a similar idea to what Marks proposed?
- Clint Bowyer Has Some Fun Ahead of New Hampshire Weekend, Comments On Pit Crew Changes
To promote the August 5th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International, Clint Bowyer visited New Era Field, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. As part of the visit, Bowyer even swapped jerseys with Brandon Beane, general manager for the Buffalo Bills and was given a tour around Buffalo Bills training camp.
As part of his afternoon, Bowyer called in to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Thursday to talk about the pit crew shakeup that has occurred at Stewart-Haas Racing.
“I think if you look at Stewart-Haas’ overall performance at any given race track, if we ever did have a weak link, I mean, it’s been documented that it’s in that area,” Bowyer said of his pit crew. “We have time to fix that. We have time to correct it whether it’s coaching or different processes.”
Bowyer expressed frustration at the performance of his pit crew last weekend at Kentucky Speedway, and, though Bowyer already has two wins this season, the team obviously felt like the need for change was important enough to swap pit crew members amongst all four of SHR’s teams and even the No. 34 team of Front Row Motorsports (SHR provides their pit crews).
Bowyer’s teammate Kevin Harvick has won five races this season, meaning that he and Bowyer have qualified themselves for the Playoffs.
SHR’s other two drivers, Aric Almirola and Kurt Busch, have not won a race this season but are still above the cutoff line with seven races left in the regular season.
Summer’s Five Things for July 20, 2018: On-Track In New Hampshire
“Summer’s Five Things” is a daily column for NASCAR fans to catch up on the most recent, relevant, and need-to-know news and information in the sport! While mostly focused on NASCAR, this column may also feature other interesting and exciting moments from the world of motorsports. Enjoy!
As I said earlier this week, the good thing about mid-week racing is that the next race is never that far away.
While there isn’t a race this Friday, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series will be on track today preparing for their individual races.
Here is the schedule:
There will also be seven press conferences throughout the day, including the eventual pole winner. Though these are not schedule to be televised, NASCAR does provide a live stream.
In continued preparation for the first ever race on the ROVAL, Charlotte Motor Speedway announced the addition of more than 88,000 square feet of synthetic turf. The turf is being installed on the frontstretch in the infield in the name of driver safety, as the synthetic turf is supposed to reduce the speeds of potentially out-of-control cars better than regular grass.
This is not CMS’ first experience with the turf, either. The speedway first added the Sports Field Inc. turf in October of 2017 at the exit of Turn 4 of the oval track in their continuing setup for the ROVAL.
The racetrack began working on this just a day removed from a second test session for NASCAR drivers and teams to become acclimated to the new track layout, which saw multiple drivers crash and carrying more speed than anticipated through the backstretch chicane before additional tire barriers were placed.
The first race for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on this layout will be run on September 30th in a 109-lap, 400km race.
The NASCAR XFINITY Series will also get to make a run on it, too. Their race will be 55 laps on September 29th.
NBC sports is reporting that the PJ1 traction compound (though it is referred to by many other names in the garage area) will be applied to the racing surface at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in anticipation of this weekend’s races.
The compound will be applied to the high lane and the low lane of the track in 12-foot sections. The middle groove will include a 12-foot section without the traction compound.
Both NHMS races last season featured the same traction compound in an effort to encourage passing on an otherwise mostly flat track.
… or, at least, has an idea for one that he would like to see implemented.
https://twitter.com/JustinMarksDG/status/1019932869072965632
Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
It was likely no coincidence that this was tweeted a day after the race at Eldora Speedway, the one and only dirt track race on the NASCAR schedule, a race that received almost unanimous approval from fans and competitors alike.
Interestingly enough, the closest schedule that exists in American motorsports to what Marks is proposing, is ARCA — the Automobile Racing Club of America — which NASCAR acquired earlier this spring.
Though there aren’t any street courses in ARCA, they do race at two superspeedways, multiple short tracks, dirt tracks, intermediate tracks, and unique shaped courses like Pocono Raceway.
ARCA races at 11 tracks that aren’t on the NASCAR schedule, most of them short tracks from around the country, and a few others that are on the XFINITY Series or Truck Series schedule, but not the Cup Series.
With NASCAR acquiring ARCA, is it possible that they are currently considering a similar idea to what Marks proposed?
To promote the August 5th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International, Clint Bowyer visited New Era Field, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. As part of the visit, Bowyer even swapped jerseys with Brandon Beane, general manager for the Buffalo Bills and was given a tour around Buffalo Bills training camp.
As part of his afternoon, Bowyer called in to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Thursday to talk about the pit crew shakeup that has occurred at Stewart-Haas Racing.
“I think if you look at Stewart-Haas’ overall performance at any given race track, if we ever did have a weak link, I mean, it’s been documented that it’s in that area,” Bowyer said of his pit crew. “We have time to fix that. We have time to correct it whether it’s coaching or different processes.”
Bowyer expressed frustration at the performance of his pit crew last weekend at Kentucky Speedway, and, though Bowyer already has two wins this season, the team obviously felt like the need for change was important enough to swap pit crew members amongst all four of SHR’s teams and even the No. 34 team of Front Row Motorsports (SHR provides their pit crews).
Bowyer’s teammate Kevin Harvick has won five races this season, meaning that he and Bowyer have qualified themselves for the Playoffs.
SHR’s other two drivers, Aric Almirola and Kurt Busch, have not won a race this season but are still above the cutoff line with seven races left in the regular season.