NASCAR issues a handful of rule updates before Daytona

   NASCAR issued a handful of rules updates in its rulebook on Monday as the sport prepares for the kickoff of the 2015 season. Among the changes issued:

•    Only drivers licensed and approved for competition in the Sprint Cup Series will be eligible to participate in NASCAR-approved tire manufacturer tests.

•     The tire test at Atlanta, originally scheduled for March 2-3, has been canceled. The open test for teams remains on Thursday, Feb. 26.

•    Any crew member that interferes with another crew's pit stop, whether it causes the other team to incur a penalty or not, may be penalized.

NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick to be inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame

   Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and the Hendrick Automotive Group, is among three new inductees to the National Corvette Museum's Corvette Hall of Fame. 

   Herb Fishel will be inducted in the category of racing; Hendrick in the Enthusiast category; and Russ McLean in the category of GM/Chevrolet. The honor is bestowed by the museum for contributions to the past, present and future of Corvette.

   The 2015 Corvette Hall of Fame recipients will be inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame during a ceremony class will be inducted on Friday, Sept. 4, during the museum's 21st anniversary celebration.

   “I can’t tell you how excited I am to be selected for the Corvette Hall of Fame. My love for Corvettes goes back to when I was a teenager, and it was the love for the car that got me into racing and the automobile business," Hendrick said. "To be honored at a place where so many of the Corvette greats are honored - it’s just humbling. I never dreamed that I’d be recognized in such a way.”

   Hendrick owns a large collection of Corvettes that includes many of the first and lasts in models and generations. His most recent addition is the VIN 1 Z06 Stingray Corvette that he paid $1 million for at auction in support of the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Statement by IndyCar Series on cancellation of its 2015 season opener in Brazil

STATEMENT FROM INDYCAR ON BRASÍLIA EVENT

   INDIANAPOLIS - Today's announcement by BAND that the March 8 INDYCAR race in Brasília was cancelled was both unexpected and disappointing. INDYCAR had received every indication that the race was already a success: Two-thirds of the seats available for the event had already been sold; a title sponsor for the event (ITAIPAVA) was announced yesterday; hospitality was sold out; and track construction was progressing and scheduled to be complete in time for the event. 

 

   Although we have not received formal confirmation from our partners in Brazil regarding the cancellation, economically INDYCAR is protected and the paddock is protected from such action.

Chase Elliott to take over Jeff Gordon's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ride beginning in 2016

Team release

   CONCORD - Chase Elliott, who became the youngest national series champion in NASCAR history last season, will join Hendrick Motorsports as a full-time Sprint Cup driver beginning in 2016. Elliott’s No. 24 Chevrolet SS team will be led by crew chief Alan Gustafson, who has earned 19 wins, 18 pole positions, 98 top-five finishes and 165 top-10s at the elite Cup level.

   “Chase brings the kind of intangibles that make him the total package as a driver,” said Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, who announced the news this morning during the team’s season kickoff employee event. “Not only is he a special talent inside the race car, but there’s a natural combination of competitiveness, work ethic and smarts that you rarely see. Chase’s personality and demeanor make him popular with fans, teammates and sponsors. He’s a great fit for our organization on many levels, and we feel he and Alan will be a successful combination. There’s a lot to be excited about.”

   In preparation for 2016, Elliott, 19, will make his Sprint Cup debut later this year as part of a five-race schedule with primary sponsorship from NAPA AUTO PARTS. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native will be paired with veteran crew chief Kenny Francis during the limited campaign.

   Driving the No. 25 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS fielded by Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott will be entered in 2015 Cup events March 29 at Martinsville Speedway, April 25 at Richmond International Raceway, May 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Sept. 6 at Darlington Raceway.

   “Chase has been a fantastic ambassador for NAPA,” said Gaylord Spencer, senior vice president of marketing for NAPA AUTO PARTS, which also is primary sponsor of Elliott’s JR Motorsports team in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. “As he embarks on this important next step in his career, we’re proud to support him across both series in 2015 and look forward to an exciting year on and off the track. The NAPA Family is behind Chase 100 percent.”

   At the age of 18 years, 11 months and 18 days, Elliott became the youngest champion in any NASCAR national touring series when he won the 2014 XFINITY Series title. The first racer in NASCAR history to win a championship and rookie of the year honors in the same season, he also was voted by fans as the series’ most popular driver.

   Elliott’s 2014 season included three wins, two pole positions and 26 top-10 finishes in 33 races. His first victory (Texas Motor Speedway) came in his sixth career series start and made him the second-youngest winner in XFINITY Series history (behind Joey Logano). He completed 99.6 percent of the 6,063 total laps run and became the first driver since 2010 to clinch the championship before the season finale.

   Elliott and father Bill are only the fifth father-son duo to win NASCAR national series championships. They are members of an elite group that includes Lee and Richard Petty, Ned and Dale Jarrett, David and Larry Pearson, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Bill Elliott, the 1988 Sprint Cup Series champion, will be enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame tomorrow evening.

   “So many people have been behind me, and the first thing I want to do is thank them,” said Chase Elliott, who will run the full 2015 XFINITY Series schedule as the defending champion. “My parents especially have believed in me every step of the way, and I know this wouldn’t be possible without all the sacrifices they’ve made to focus on my racing career. This is such a big week for our family.

   “I’m also extremely grateful to Mr. Hendrick and my teammates at both Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports for believing in me. NAPA has been a huge supporter, and I’m honored to represent them on and off the track. Of course the fans have been amazing to me, and I’m so appreciative of that. I know how rare this opportunity is and will work as hard as I can to make everyone proud.”

   Hendrick Motorsports will announce sponsorship for Elliott’s 2016 Sprint Cup season at a later date.

GoDaddy pulls Super Bowl ad featuring puppies and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick

   After an outcry from animal rescue activists, GoDaddy.com, a privately held internet domain registrar and web hosting company, decided Tuesday night to pull its planned Super Bowl commercial which features puppies and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. 

   The company sponsors Patrick's No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series. 

   The ad, which debuted Tuesday on the "Today" show, is entitled "Lost Dog" and shows a puppy that falls out of a truck and then eventually finds its way back home. Upon arrival the puppy discovers its owner used GoDaddy to set up a Web site to sell the dog to a new owner. Patrick drives the van which carries the puppy to its new owner. 

   The company released the following statement on Tuesday night: 

   "This morning we previewed GoDaddy’s Super Bowl spot on a popular talk show, and shortly after a controversy started to swirl about 'Buddy,' our puppy, being sold online. The responses were emotional and direct. Many people urged us not to run the ad.

   "We’ve made a tremendous amount of progress over the past two years, advancing the GoDaddy brand as a company that cares a great deal about small business and is in their corner to help them succeed. People increasingly know who we are, what we do and who we do it for.  At the end of the day, our purpose at GoDaddy is to help small businesses around the world build a successful online presence. We hoped our ad would increase awareness of that cause. However, we underestimated the emotional response. And we heard that loud and clear. 

   "The net result? We are pulling the ad from the Super Bowl. You’ll still see us in the Big Game this year, and we hope it makes you laugh. Finally, rest assured, Buddy came to us from a reputable and loving breeder in California. He’s now part of the GoDaddy family as our Chief Companion Officer and he lives permanently with one of our longtime employees."

   The original ad has since been removed from YouTube.

   A petition started on Change.org asking GoDaddy to pull the ad received over 42,000 signatures before the company made its decision Tuesday night.

Start times for all 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races

2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule and race start times

Feb. 14 – Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, 8 p.m. ET (Fox)
Feb. 19 – Budweiser Duel at Daytona, 7 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1)
Feb. 22 – Daytona 500, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Mar. 1 – QuikTrip Folds of Honor 500, Atlanta, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Mar. 8 – Kobalt 400, Las Vegas, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox)
Mar. 15 – CampingWorld.com 500, Phoenix, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox)
Mar. 22 – Auto Club 400, Auto Club Speedway, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox)
Mar. 29 – STP 500, Martinsville Speedway, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Apr. 11 – Duck Commander 500, Texas Motor Speedway, 7:30 p.m. ET (Fox)
Apr. 19 – Food City 500, Bristol Motor Speedway, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Apr. 25 – Toyota Owners 400, Richmond, 7 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1)
May 3 – Talladega 500, Talladega Superspeedway, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
May 9 – Kansas Speedway, 7:30 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1)
May 15 – Sprint Showdown, Charlotte, 7 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1)
May 16 – Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte, 7 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1)
May 24 – Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte Motor Speedway, 6 p.m. ET (Fox)
May 31 – Dover International Speedway, 1 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1)
June 7 – Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400, Pocono, 1 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1)
June 14 – Quicken Loans 400, Michigan, 1 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1)
June 28 – Toyota/SaveMart 350, Sonomam Calif., 3 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1)
July 5 – Coke Zero 400, Daytona, 7:45 p.m. ET (NBC)
July 11 – Quaker State 400, Kentucky, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC SportsNetwork)
July 19 – New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 1:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
July 26 – Brickyard 400, Indianapolis, 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Aug. 2 – Pennsylvania 400, Pocono, 1:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Aug. 9 – Cheez-It 355 at the Glen, Watkins Glen, 2 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Aug. 16 – Pure Michigan 400, Michigan, 2:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Aug. 22 – Irwin Tools Night Race, Bristol, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Sept. 6 – Bojangles’ Southern 500, Darlington, 7 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sept. 12 – Federated Auto Parts 400, Richmond, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Sept. 20 – MyAFIBStory.com 400, Chicagoland, 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Sept. 27 – Sylvania 300, New Hampshire, 2 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Oct. 4 – AAA 400, Dover, 2:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Oct. 10 – Bank of America 500, Charlotte, 7 p.m. ET (NBC)
Oct. 18 – Hollywood Casino 400, Kansas Speedway, 2:15 p.m. ET (NBC)
Oct. 25 – GEICO 500, Talladega, 2:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Nov. 1 – Goody’s 500, Martinsville Speedway, 1:15 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Nov. 8 – AAA Texas 500, Texas Motor Speedway, 2 p.m. ET (NBC)
Nov. 15 – Quicken Loans 500, Phoenix Raceway, 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
Nov. 22 – Ford Ecoboost 400, Homestead, 3 p.m. ET (NBC)

NASCAR bans flaring of fenders and side skirts during races

   NASCAR announced Monday teams will no longer be able to bend or manipulate fenders or side skirts during pit stops and if a team is caught doing so, it will be directed back to pit road to correct the issue and lose their track position. Additional penalties could also be imposed.

   Teams repeatedly turned to the practice to help gain an aerodynamic advantage last season.

    Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, said NASCAR needed to police the practice because NASCAR had no way to account for the added aerodynamic advantage in testing.

   “We know that when we go to the Goodyear tire test, the cars aren't tested (with changed fenders), so that is not something that is modeled (in our simulations) in any way shape or form,” he said. “To be correct with the entire garage area and our venders and suppliers, and other people that we work with, it is best to regulate that and keep it in the box if we can.”

   NASCAR was aware of the issue last season but did not want to make a rules change while the championship Chase was underway.