Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s mother has passed away
- Brenda Jackson, the mother of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, has passed away at the age of 65 following a battle with cancer
- Jackson worked for JR Motorsports, an XFINITY Series team co-owned by Dale Jr. and Kelley, for 15 years, joining the organization as an accounting specialist in 2004
- Jackson and Dale Earnhardt Sr. were married in 1972 but eventually separated; Earnhardt passed away in a crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500
- Jackson was re-married in 1985 to a firefighter named Willie Jackson; the couple was married for 33 years
- She is survived by her husband, two children, a stepdaughter, six grandchildren, and two brothers
Additional info: JR Motorsports announcement … Story from The Associated Press via USAToday.com … Story from NASCAR.com
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JR Hildebrand’s Indy 500 announcement signals the return of “Bump Day”
- J.R. Hildebrand is returning to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing to compete in the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500
- Hildebrand will be driving the No. 48 Chevrolet in honor of the legendary Dan Gurney
- Hildebrand has not been in an NTT IndyCar Series race since the 2018 Indianapolis 500
- Hildebrand will join teammate Sage Karam; both drivers will have sponsorship from Salesforce
- With the 31-year-old Hildebrand confirmed as the 34th driver on the Indy 500 entry list, “Bump Day” is now guaranteed for the 33-car field
- Two additional driver confirmations are expected: a third car/driver for Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and Juncos Racing’s No. 32 Chevrolet
Additional info: Story from BeyondTheFlag.com’s Asher Fair … J.R. Hildebrand story … Story from IndyStar.com’s Jim Ayello
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Josh Williams gains primary sponsor for Talladega XFINITY race
- Star brite — a manufacturer of waxes, polishers, cleaners, etc in the marine industry — will serve as the primary sponsor for DGM Racing driver Josh Williams in this weekend’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Talladega Superspeedway
- This will be the company’s first race as the full, primary sponsor on Williams’ car
- Williams has qualified for seven of the eight races this season, missing the April 12th event at Richmond Raceway after qualifying was rained out
- Williams’ highest finish so far this season was a 14th-place run at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30th; he currently sits 21st in points
Additional info: Story from SpeedSport.com’s Jacob Seelman … Josh Williams’ career statistics … About Star brite
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Pit Viper Sunglasses is sponsoring Vinnie Miller’s XFINITY Series ride this weekend
- Pit Viper Sunglasses will serve as the primary sponsor on Vinnie Miller’s No. 78 BJ McLeod Motorsports Toyota in this Saturday’s MoneyLion 300 at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR XFINITY Series
- Pit Viper previously had a personal services agreement with Miller, a partnership that evolved after the 21-year-old driver began utilizing the company’s products for personal use
- Miller has competed in all eight NXS races for BJ McLeod Motorsports this season, with a best finish of 23rd at ISM Raceway
- The race will be broadcast live on FS1 beginning at 1:30PM ET
Additional info: Official team announcement … About Pit Viper Sunglasses … Vinnie Miller career statistics
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Tickets on sale for prestigious late model race at Martinsville Speedway
- Tickets are now on sale for the October 5th ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR’s biggest Late Model Stock Car race
- The race features a $100,000 purse and is the final race of the Virginia Triple Crown, a three-race series at South Boston Speedway, Langley Speedway and Martinsville Speedway
- Tickets are $30 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under
- Tickets can be purchased at MartinsvilleSpeedway.com or by calling 877.RACE.TIX
- C.E. Falk III took home the checkered flag in the 2018 ValleyStar Credit Union 300
Additional info: Track announcement … Purchase tickets … 2018 race recap
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