Brian Vickers medically cleared to race beginning in early March; granted Chase waiver

Team press release

Doctors have medically cleared Brian Vickers to return to full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup racing in early March, three months after corrective heart surgery.

Vickers will make his season debut in the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8.

MWR co-founder and two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip will drive the No. 55 in the 57^th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 22. MWR will name a substitute driver for the March 1 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway later.

“The doctors gave me a clean bill of health and said I will be better than before,” said Vickers, the 31-year-old Thomasville, N.C. native whose health issues interrupted his racing seasons in 2010 and again in 2013.

NASCAR Statement from Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President & Chief Racing Development Officer on Brian Vickers Participation in 2015 Season

   DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 21, 2015) – “With the clearance from his physicians, Brian Vickers has satisfied all necessary NASCAR requirements to resume racing on March 5. Further, NASCAR has reviewed the circumstances surrounding his situation and has determined that he will maintain Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup eligibility despite neither entering nor attempting to qualify in the first two championship events, provided he meets all other necessary eligibility requirements.”

Kevin Harvick will retain Tony Stewart's pit crew permanently

   An official with Stewart-Haas Racing on Wednesday confirmed a late-season pit crew swap made between the teams of eventual 2014 Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick and teammate and co-owner Tony Stewart has been made permanent for the start of the 2015 season.

   The move was first made early last September in time for the 10-race Chase playoff after Harvick's team had several documented struggles during the course of the season. At the time, however, the change was announced as a temporary one. 

   Stewart first mentioned the move being made permanent on Tuesday at a USO visit with troops and military families at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

   "There really wasn't that much difference in terms of their times on paper, it was within a tenth of a second. We just felt like that chemistry worked really well," Stewart told NASCAR.com.

   Harvick won three of the Chase playoff races, including the penultimate race at Phoenix, which gave him the opportunity to compete for the championship at the series finale at Homestead, Fla, which he also won.

Kenseth, Keselowski thankful for Las Vegas test

   Sprint Cup Series drivers Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch and A.J. Allmendinger took part in a Goodyear tire test Monday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in preparation for the March 8 race this season.

   The test was the first on-track test drivers had of the new changes this season, including a reduction in horsepower and a modified aero package.

   With a new ban on private testing, Kenseth and Keselowski said any chance to test on the track is a welcome one.

   “I think any track time you get is really important with the new testing rules, banning all off-season testing, which I think we all like, but you’ve really got to take advantage of the tests when you get them and try to gather as much information as you can – hopefully useful information that you can use down the road,” Kenseth said.

   “For us, we didn’t run particularly well last year and we’ve got a new nose on the Camry this year and new rules changes and aero package and all that stuff, so we’re just trying to get it sorted out and try to find a baseline and hopefully find something that drives good so we’ve got something decent when we come back here."

     Keselowski, the defending winner of both the Cup and Xfinity series races at Las Vegas, agreed.

    “More so than the changes to the car, the testing ban makes every test you do have that much more critical because you have so much less,” Keselowski said. “In that light, a lot of what testing is isn’t always developing the car, but you’re developing your people, developing your techniques. We added two or three more people to our team so we’re trying to develop them and get them up to speed, so it’s really a great time for us as a team to have a test.”

    Paul Wolfe, Keselowski’s crew chief, said the lone test before the teams head to Daytona was a productive one but didn’t answer all of his questions.

   "It’s still hard to tell (how the changes will impact us). It’ll take some different style tracks and different style tires because that’s one of the big factors for us in how our car handles," Wolfe said. "There are certain tracks and tire combinations that favor us and that we run really well with and there are others where you could say we’re not as strong. It’s hard to say, just based off this one test, if we feel like we’re where we need to be.”

Tragic accident claims life of Dover (DE) International Speedway employee

Track press release

   Dover International Speedway is mourning the loss of a dedicated employee who died yesterday from injuries sustained during a multi-vehicle collision on I-476 in Broomall, Pa.

   Jason Anderson, 33, senior director of ticket sales and operations for Dover International Speedway, died in the accident. Jason was a dedicated husband, father, employee and friend. He will be greatly missed.

   “Jason’s death is a tragic loss for all of us who considered him a close friend as well as a loss for Dover International Speedway,” said President Mike Tatoian. “He was an exemplary employee who always put customers and co-workers first. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family during this very difficult time.”

   Anderson was a member of the Dover Motorsports, Inc. team for six years, and moved to Dover, Del. after operations were ceased at Memphis Motorsports Park. He worked at the New Orleans Saints prior to joining the Dover team. He was a proud Syracuse University graduate and recently received his master’s degree in Sports Management from Ohio University.

   Memorial services will be announced when more information is available.

   You can read a news report of the accident here.

 

NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day set for Jan. 31 at Hall of Fame

   For the second straight year, the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte will open its doors for free for NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day. 

   On Saturday, Jan. 31, fans will have free access to the Hall for a full day of activities, including autographs and Q&A sessions with current drivers and NASCAR Hall of Famers. Fans will be admitted into the Hall on a first-come, first-served basis in lieu of needing a ticket. 

   However, tickets to the below autograph sessions, highlighted by 12-time Sprint NMPA Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and defending Xfinity Series champion Chase Elliott, must be secured in advance. Vouchers for these autograph sessions will be available for free on NASCARHall.com starting at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 17. Each fan can secure up to two autograph session vouchers.

Session One (9:30 a.m.)            Kyle Larson, Brendan Gaughan, Tyler Reddick

Session Two (10:30 a.m.)           Reed Sorenson, Ryan Reed, Ben Kennedy

Session Three (11:30 a.m.)         Michael Annett, Chris Buescher, Timothy Peters

Session Four (12:30 p.m.)          Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brian Scott, Tyler Young

Session Five (2 p.m.)                Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler, Erik Jones

Session Six (3 p.m.)                  AJ Allmendinger, Regan Smith, Jennifer Jo Cobb

Session Seven (4 p.m.)             Aric Almirola, Chase Elliott, Matt Crafton

   Fans in attendance will be among the first to see a series of new exhibits and facility upgrades. Artifacts from all five Class of 2015 inductees will be on display in the Hall of Honor, an exhibit that opens Friday, Jan. 30.

JR Motorsports is going truckin' with Cole Custer in 2015

Team release

    JR Motorsports will expand into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for 10 races in 2015 with driver Cole Custer, general manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller announced today. Custer, who turns 17 this month, became the youngest winner in NASCAR national touring series history last year with a truck series victory in only his seventh start. He and the No. 00 Chevrolet Silverado team will receive primary sponsorship from Haas Automation Inc., the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America.

 

   “This is a new and exciting venture for us,” said Earnhardt Miller. “We have come a long way since racing street stocks in 2002, and we are constantly evolving. Expanding into the truck series on a part-time basis is furthering our growth.  Bringing in a talent like Cole and a great partner like Haas Automation is a great way to do that. I’m proud of the direction we’re heading.”

 

   Custer is a native of Ladera Ranch, California  He surged onto the scene in 2014 with a NCWTS win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in only his seventh start, becoming the youngest driver in NASCAR national touring series history to win a race. Earlier in the year he became the youngest to win a pole, as he took the honor at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois.

 

“I’m so excited to get this season started,” said Custer. “With all that JR Motorsports has accomplished over the past few years, we know we have everything needed to go win races and compete. I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity with a better organization. I really want to thank Haas Automation, along with Kelley and Dale Jr. for putting this deal together.”  

 

   Custer’s trucks will be based out of a JR Motorsports satellite shop in Mooresville, N.C. Joe Shear, Jr. will serve as the team’s crew chief. Shear was Custer’s crew chief in 2014 when they competed in nine truck races with one win, two top-five and six top-10 finishes with two poles.  

 

   Custer’s 10-race Truck schedule begins March 28 at Martinsville, Va. In addition to Trucks, JR Motorsports will field cars in select NASCAR K&N Pro Series and Automobile Racing Club of America events in 2015 as part of Custer’s development.

 

NASCAR team owner Felix Sabates to be honored at Saturday's Ambassador's Ball

   The Allegro Foundation and its board of directors will honor NASCAR team owner Felix Sabates at its sixth annual Ambassador's Ball Saturday night at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.

   The foundation combines movement instruction with medical and educational expertise to create new techniques to teach children with disabilities and enhance their quality of life.

   The foundation is honoring Sabates, co-owner of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, for his support for the organization over the past decade. 

   Her Excellency Maguy Maccario Doyle, Ambassador to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, is expected take part in the celebration as are members of the NASCAR community.

     All proceeds from the ball go directly to Allegro’s free movement education programs for more than 700 children with disabilities throughout the Charlotte and Fort Mill, S.C., areas.