“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!
- Conor Daly loses sponsorship after father admits to using racial slur in the 1980s
Verizon IndyCar Series driver is set to make his NASCAR debut this weekend in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Road America, but will be without his sponsor Lilly Diabetes.
Lilly Diabetes decided to pull their sponsorship of Daly’s No. 6 car for this weekend’s race after it surfaced that his father Derek had used a racial slur in a radio interview in the 1980s.
Daly wasn’t born until 1991.
Lilly Diabetes’ statement:
“Our sponsorship in Saturday’s race is intended to raise awareness of treatment options and resources for people living with diabetes. Unfortunately, the comments that surfaced this week by Derek Daly distract from this focus, so we have made the decision that Lilly Diabetes will no longer run the No. 6 at Road America this weekend.
“We remain committed to our mission of supporting people with diabetes.”
Derek Daly has served as a freelance racing analyst and has driven in USAC, CART, and Formula One over the course of his career. He acknowledged having used the racial slur but stated that the word had a different meaning in Ireland, where he is originally from, and wasn’t using it in the context that it has in the United States.
Daly is competing for Roush Fenway Racing and is still expected to race this weekend. Lilly Diabetes will remain on the cars driven by Ryan Reed and Ty Majeski.
Daly lost his ride with AJ Foyt Enterprises in the IndyCar Series earlier this season after competing on the television series “The Amazing Race”. He has competed in four of the 14 IndyCar Series races this season, with a best result of 13th in Toronto. He ran full-time in the series in 2016 and 2017.
- Timothy Peters filling in for Spencer Gallagher (who was filling in for Dalton Sargeant)
In what seems to be a continuous game of musical chairs for GMS Racing, Timothy Peters has now been named as the driver of the No. 25 truck for GMS Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
Spencer Gallagher was originally supposed to drive this weekend, but re-injured his shoulder while working out on Thursday. He was serving as a fill-in for Dalton Sargeant after GMS Racing announced that Sargeant would not be racing for them the rest of the season due to an “unfortunate circumstance”.
Gallagher has also needed replacement drivers this season, but in the XFINITY Series. Gallagher was suspended from NASCAR competition on May 2nd for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy, and six drivers have driven his No. 23 car since then. Bill Elliott will become the seventh this weekend in Road America.
Gallagher was re-instated on July 4th.
Peters has 239 starts in the Truck Series, with 10 victories to his credit. He has not raced full time in the series since 2016 and his last victory was at ISM Raceway in November of 2015. He finished seventh at Martinsville in his only start of 2018.
- Rain tires approved for Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
In what has become standard for all road courses in NASCAR, Goodyear will have rain tires on hand for teams during the weekend of the first race for the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.
Despite the fact that the track layout is that of a road course, the configuration will include a large portion of the high-speed oval that NASCAR typically runs. The ROVAL layout is 17 turns and 2.28 miles, with the lower speed portions of the track running through the infield.
The last time these “wet weather tires” were used was by the XFINITY Series teams at Watkins Glen International on August 4th.
The ROVAL race will come at the very end of the first round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on September 30th.
- Rainy conditions for XFINITY Series practice sessions on Friday
The NASCAR XFINITY Series had two practice sessions on Friday, their only two sessions of the weekend.
With rain on the track during the first practice session, only two drivers — Tyler Reddick and Conor Daly — took laps. Reddick reportedly slid into the sand pit off of turn 12 while making a lap.
The second practice saw a little more action.
Road racing aces Justin Marks and James Davison led the final practice session, followed by Austin Cindric. Justin Allgaier, who finished third last week in Bristol, and Matt Tifft rounded out the top five.
Reddick again had issues in the final practice session, making contact with JD Motorsports driver Katherine Legge after reportedly losing his brakes.
This will be Legge’s second career NASCAR start after racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course two weeks ago. The 38-year-old driver has made starts in CART, IndyCar, and IMSA, among many others.
The red flag was thrown twice during the session, with incidents involving Jeremy Clements and Ty Majeski. Neither driver sustained significant damage, though Clements had to be towed back to the garage following a flat tire.
NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice 1
NASCAR XFINITY Series Final Practice
- On-track schedule for Saturday
Even with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series enjoying their final off week of the season, the XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series are both on track this weekend.
The XFINITY Series is racing at Road America in Wisconsin while the Truck Series is competing at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.
Here is what is scheduled for today:
XFINITY Series
- Qualifying: 12:35PM ET on NBCSN
- Johnsonville 180: 3:00PM ET on NBCSN
Camping World Truck Series
- First practice: 9:30AM – 10:25AM ET (not televised)
- Final practice: 11:35AM – 12:55PM ET (not televised)
- Qualifying: 6:00PM ET on FS2
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You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
Summer’s Five Things: What You Need To Know For August 25, 2018
“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!
Verizon IndyCar Series driver is set to make his NASCAR debut this weekend in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Road America, but will be without his sponsor Lilly Diabetes.
Lilly Diabetes decided to pull their sponsorship of Daly’s No. 6 car for this weekend’s race after it surfaced that his father Derek had used a racial slur in a radio interview in the 1980s.
Daly wasn’t born until 1991.
Lilly Diabetes’ statement:
Derek Daly has served as a freelance racing analyst and has driven in USAC, CART, and Formula One over the course of his career. He acknowledged having used the racial slur but stated that the word had a different meaning in Ireland, where he is originally from, and wasn’t using it in the context that it has in the United States.
Daly is competing for Roush Fenway Racing and is still expected to race this weekend. Lilly Diabetes will remain on the cars driven by Ryan Reed and Ty Majeski.
Daly lost his ride with AJ Foyt Enterprises in the IndyCar Series earlier this season after competing on the television series “The Amazing Race”. He has competed in four of the 14 IndyCar Series races this season, with a best result of 13th in Toronto. He ran full-time in the series in 2016 and 2017.
In what seems to be a continuous game of musical chairs for GMS Racing, Timothy Peters has now been named as the driver of the No. 25 truck for GMS Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
Spencer Gallagher was originally supposed to drive this weekend, but re-injured his shoulder while working out on Thursday. He was serving as a fill-in for Dalton Sargeant after GMS Racing announced that Sargeant would not be racing for them the rest of the season due to an “unfortunate circumstance”.
Gallagher has also needed replacement drivers this season, but in the XFINITY Series. Gallagher was suspended from NASCAR competition on May 2nd for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy, and six drivers have driven his No. 23 car since then. Bill Elliott will become the seventh this weekend in Road America.
Gallagher was re-instated on July 4th.
Peters has 239 starts in the Truck Series, with 10 victories to his credit. He has not raced full time in the series since 2016 and his last victory was at ISM Raceway in November of 2015. He finished seventh at Martinsville in his only start of 2018.
In what has become standard for all road courses in NASCAR, Goodyear will have rain tires on hand for teams during the weekend of the first race for the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.
Despite the fact that the track layout is that of a road course, the configuration will include a large portion of the high-speed oval that NASCAR typically runs. The ROVAL layout is 17 turns and 2.28 miles, with the lower speed portions of the track running through the infield.
The last time these “wet weather tires” were used was by the XFINITY Series teams at Watkins Glen International on August 4th.
The ROVAL race will come at the very end of the first round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on September 30th.
The NASCAR XFINITY Series had two practice sessions on Friday, their only two sessions of the weekend.
With rain on the track during the first practice session, only two drivers — Tyler Reddick and Conor Daly — took laps. Reddick reportedly slid into the sand pit off of turn 12 while making a lap.
The second practice saw a little more action.
Road racing aces Justin Marks and James Davison led the final practice session, followed by Austin Cindric. Justin Allgaier, who finished third last week in Bristol, and Matt Tifft rounded out the top five.
Reddick again had issues in the final practice session, making contact with JD Motorsports driver Katherine Legge after reportedly losing his brakes.
This will be Legge’s second career NASCAR start after racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course two weeks ago. The 38-year-old driver has made starts in CART, IndyCar, and IMSA, among many others.
The red flag was thrown twice during the session, with incidents involving Jeremy Clements and Ty Majeski. Neither driver sustained significant damage, though Clements had to be towed back to the garage following a flat tire.
NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice 1
NASCAR XFINITY Series Final Practice
Even with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series enjoying their final off week of the season, the XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series are both on track this weekend.
The XFINITY Series is racing at Road America in Wisconsin while the Truck Series is competing at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.
Here is what is scheduled for today:
XFINITY Series
Camping World Truck Series
~~
If you would like to receive “Five Things” in your inbox, or just connect with me, you may send me an e-mail at [email protected].
You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram.