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.

Check out the 2015 Budweiser Speedweeks at Daytona schedule

2015 Budweiser Speedweeks schedule

Thursday, Feb. 12
4-6 p.m. ARCA practice

Friday, Feb. 13
9:30-10:30 a.m. ARCA practice
3:30 p.m. ARCA qualifying
5-5:55 p.m. Sprint Unlimited practice
6:30-7:25 p.m. Final Sprint Unlimited practice

Saturday, Feb. 14
10:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m. Sprint Cup practice
1:30-3:25 p.m. Sprint Cup practice
4:15 p.m. ARCA race
8:15 p.m. Sprint Unlimited race

Sunday, Feb. 15
1:30 p.m. Sprint Cup qualifying

Wednesday, Feb. 18
2-2:45 p.m. Sprint Cup practice
3:15-3:55 p.m. Sprint Cup practice

Thursday, Feb. 19
Noon-1:25 p.m. Sprint Cup practice
1:30-2:25 p.m. Truck series practice
3:30-4:55 p.m. Final Truck series practice
7 p.m. Duel 150-mile Sprint Cup qualifying races

Friday, Feb. 20
11 a.m.-12:25 p.m. Sprint Cup practice
12:30-1:55 p.m. Xfinity Series practice
2-3:25 p.m. Sprint Cup practice
3:30-4:25 p.m. Final Xfinity Series practice
4:45 p.m. Truck qualifying
7:30 p.m. Truck series race

Saturday, Feb. 21
10:30-11:55 a.m. Final Sprint Cup practice
12:15 p.m. Xfinity Series qualifying
3:30 p.m. Xfinity Series race

Sunday, Feb. 22
1 p.m. 2015 Daytona 500 



*-All times Eastern
*-Schedule subject to change 

Dover (DE) Police complete investigation of Kurt Busch; AG will decide on charges

Statement from the Dover (Del.) Police Department:

"The Dover Police Department completed the investigation of Kurt Busch a few weeks ago and has since forwarded their findings along with all evidence and statements to the Kent County Attorney General’s Office.  Their office will review the findings of investigation and make a decision whether Mr. Busch will be charged or not."

On Nov. 7, police in Dover, Del., announced they were investigating an allegation of domestic assault involving NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kurt Busch.

In its statement, the Dover Police Department said it was made aware of the allegation on Nov. 5 but incident allegedly took place over the most recent Dover NASCAR race weekend, which was Sept. 26-28.

The alleged victim is Patricia Driscoll, Busch’s ex-girlfriend and president of the Armed Forces Foundation. She has also sought an order of protection from a Delaware court, a case which is still ongoing.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/11/07/5299133/kurt-busch-under-investigation.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/11/07/5299133/kurt-busch-under-investigation.html#storylink=cpy

Daniel Knost will return as Danica Patrick's crew chief this season

   Daniel Knost has lost his 'interim' crew chief title.

   Stewart-Haas Racing officials confirmed on Monday that Knost will serve as Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick's crew chief during the 2015 season.

   Last fall, Patrick's crew chief, Tony Gibson, moved to Kurt Busch's No. 41 team to replace Knost while Knost joined Patrick's No. 10 team. At the time, SHR said Knost's move would be on an interim basis as the organization took some time to determine the best permanent solution. 

   During an appearance at the Go Daddy Bowl on Sunday night in Mobile, Ala., Patrick said Knost was likely just one change on her team. 

   "We worked together a little bit at the end of last season. I think that was a really good thing to do in preparation for 2015," Patrick told AlabamaLive.com. "Everybody at Stewart-Haas has been working very hard to make sure that every team is as good from top to bottom as possible, and we'll probably have some changes for next year within the team, but it's like I said, you never know what you can have until you dare to try something different."

   In three races at the end of the 2014 season working with Knost, Patrick finished 36th, 22nd and 18th.   

RCR loses court fight to prevent Matt McCall from joining Chip Ganassi Racing

   The North Carolina Business Court, a court which hears cases involving complex commercial and corporate law disputes, has denied an attempt by Richard Childress Racing to obtain a temporary restraining order to prevent former employee Matt McCall from joining Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

   McCall, who was a team engineer on Sprint Cup driver Ryan Newman's team this past season, is slated to become crew chief for driver Jamie McMurray beginning with the 2015 season.

   In its order issued on Dec. 19, the court ruled, "the Court finds that Plaintiff (RCR) has not
presented sufficient evidence to show that it is likely that it will succeed on the merits of its claims, that Plaintiff will suffer irreparable harm if a temporary restraining order is not entered, or that the issuance of a temporary restraining order is necessary to protect Plaintiff’s rights during the pendency of the litigation."

   In the case, RCR claimed that even though McCall was employed as a team engineer, he “routinely performed the tasks of the crew chief.” When no crew chief position was available in the Cup series with the organization, McCall notified RCR he was resigning at the conclusion of the 2014 season. Days later, McCall accepted the crew chief position with Ganassi.

   RCR claimed McCall’s contract included a clause that he could not work for a competitor in a similar capacity for 12 months and sought a temporary restraining order preventing him from working immediately at Ganassi.

   You can read the court's full opinion here.