Latest news with #BuschSeries
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
O'Reilly Auto Parts will take over as title sponsor for NASCAR's second-tier series
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — O'Reilly Auto Parts will take over as the title sponsor for NASCAR's second-tier national series when the Xfinity Series is renamed next season. The multiyear partnership announced Monday is a sponsorship package that includes promotional opportunities and brand integrations with The CW Network, which is the exclusive broadcast partner for that series. The renaming will take effect on Jan. 1. 'Partnering with NASCAR and The CW at this level enables us to further deepen our connection to one of the most loyal fanbases in all of sports,' said Hugo Sanchez, O'Reilly Auto Parts vice president of advertising and marketing. 'This agreement builds on our long-term involvement in NASCAR and our dedication to the fans who love cars as much as we do.' O'Reilly Auto Parts becomes the fourth title sponsor in the series' history. It was launched as the Busch Series in 1982, had a seven-year run with Nationwide Insurance and Xfinity has been the title sponsor the last 11 years. 'Like the great sport of NASCAR, O'Reilly Auto Parts was born in America and built on the hard work and drive of passionate people,' NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell said. 'This new partnership allows us to continue to fuel that passion for the next generation of NASCAR's stars and fans while celebrating the journey we've been on together for decades.' O'Reilly Auto Parts was founded in Springfield, Missouri, in 1957 as a single store and today is an automotive parts powerhouse with more than 6,400 locations across 48 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada. For several years it was the title sponsor of NASCAR races at Daytona, Texas and Mid-Ohio. 'Our company is rooted in the same values that define NASCAR — teamwork, enthusiasm and dedication,' O'Reilly Auto Parts President Brent Kirby said. 'You'll see those in action when our customers walk through our doors. We know they need fast service, and Team O'Reilly will get them the parts they need quickly, with excellent customer service. We welcome all fans to stop by our stores and see how our team can help keep them running.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP auto racing:
Newsweek
21-06-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Dale Jr. Defends Road Courses After NASCAR Legend's Remarks
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty rejected road courses after the race weekend in Mexico, saying they don't qualify as real NASCAR races. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has defended the street circuits, pointing out that they weren't important in Petty's era but stated how different the sport is today. Petty's remarks arrived after Shane van Gisbergen won the Cup Series race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit in Mexico City. Despite being 30th in the standings, van Gisbergen secured a place in the playoffs as a result of his victory. Petty called out this policy of 'if you win, you're in' and admitted that road courses are not NASCAR. Newsweek Sports reported his comments last week. He said: "The way they got this thing fixed, where if you win, you're in. That can't be right. You got somebody that's 30th in points that's going to make the playoffs. Hey man, what happened to the guy that 15th, or 16th, or 18th [that's] been running good [and] finished good everywhere? NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty (R) talks with Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA 400 Drive for... NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty (R) talks with Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway on June 3, 2017 in Dover, Delaware. More"You're making a championship situation by winning a road course, which is not really NASCAR to begin with. From that standpoint, I think they're going to have to jockey around and change some of this kind of stuff." Dale Jr. has responded to Petty's comments by stating that road courses hold more importance today than they did during Petty's era in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Back in those days, drivers focused primarily on oval tracks, but today, they are expected to master all kinds of race tracks. He said on the Dale Jr. Download podcast: "I agree with Richard. Road course racing isn't been road course racing in NASCAR since the '50s." He added: "Being a road course racer wasn't important. "If you wanted to get to NASCAR, you raced a short track somewhere locally. You ran stock cars, you ran late model stock, you ran the Busch Series or the Sportsman cars back in the '80s. You raced full-bodied cars around ovals. That was the route. "That was yesterday's NASCAR, and that's what Richard Petty is talking about. But we're in a different time. Today's NASCAR is all-encompassing. It is road courses, short tracks, superspeedway." Dale Jr. revealed that he was at peace with NASCAR adding more road courses. He said: "I agree with Richard Petty. NASCAR stock car racing is predominantly an oval-based series. Always has been. We have removed some ovals, we've removed some tracks, added some road courses. I'm fine with that because I do like the idea that our drivers need to be great at all things. If you're going to be a champion, you now have to be as good at a road course as you are at an oval. Back when I started driving, you didn't. You could f***ing suck at the road course as long as you were good everywhere else."
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Jesse Love Conquers Fuel Save and Late Cautions to Win in NASCAR's Return to Rockingham
NASCAR Xfinity Series, formerly the Busch Series, returned to Rockingham Speedway, or The Rock, after 21 years to the delight of fans Saturday night, as Jesse Love survived late race shakeups to take his second victory of the year and first career Xfinity Series victory not on a superspeedway. "These fans are amazing, what an incredible race track this is right up my alley," Love said from the frontstretch. "It's hammer down and you have to be in the gas good today." Love last pitted with 90 laps to go, in the final 60 laps after the 11th caution, Love was chasing Ryan Sieg, who pitted 10 laps before him, and hanging back knowing that his No. 10 Richard Childress Racing car had a higher chance of making it to the end. For the fifth time this year, the end of the race came out of regulation with a green-white-checkered finish. With 18 laps remaining, Love was setting up Sieg to pass him on the inside when Daniel Dye went around collecting Kasey Kahne. This was the second spin that caught Kasey Kahne in his NASCAR return after being retired from the sport for eight years. William Sawillich collected the retired driver along with Katherine Legge in her first Xfinity Series start of the year, to bring out the first yellow of the race back in stage one. Sieg held the lead based on when the yellow came out, according to timing and scoring. On the restart, with 12 to go, Sieg started up front when he misfired low on fuel and could not maintain speed under the caution. On the restart, Sammy Smith took the lead from Love as Love fell back to third. The No. 16 failed to fire and collected eight cars in the middle of the pack, including Justin Allgaier, Sieg, Nick Sanchez, and Carson Kvapil. Love was told he was 13 laps to the good with six laps remaining. Smith controlled the next restart, and with three laps remaining in regulation, a final caution came out as multiple cars started to run out of fuel, spin, and finally cause enough potential damage for the 14th caution of the race to be thrown. With the amount of cleanup and speedy dry that needed to be placed as the sun began to set over Rockingham, the race was red-flagged for the second time, and after a five-minute stoppage, went back green. On the restart, Love pushed Smith to the lead, and then out of the way to reclaim the lead. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car Sign in to access your portfolio
NBC Sports
18-04-2025
- Climate
- NBC Sports
How to watch Saturday's Xfinity race at Rockingham: Start time, TV info and weather
The Xfinity Series will race at Rockingham Speedway for the first time in over 21 years Saturday. The gap is so long that 'The Rock' was slightly longer when Jamie McMurray won in the most recent race in the Xfinity Series (then called the Busch Series) on Feb. 21, 2004. After the track went dormant for nearly a decade, Rockingham now welcomes the return of NASCAR as a 0.94-mile oval. McMurray's win — the last of four consecutive at Rockingham from 2002-04 in the series — came during his second year in the Cup Series. The are no Cup regulars entered in Saturday's race, but Indy 500 veteran Katherine Legge will be starting her first Xfinity race since 2023. Details for Saturday's Xfinity race at Bristol Motor Speedway (All times Eastern) START: The race will begin shortly after 5 p.m. PRERACE: The Xfinity garage will open at 6:30 a.m. ... Qualifying will begin at 11:30 a.m. ... Driver introductions are at 3:25 p.m. DISTANCE: The race is 250 laps (235 miles) on the 0.94-mile oval. STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 60. Stage 2 ends at Lap 120. ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 40 cars entered at Rockingham TV/RADIO: The CW Network will broadcast the race starting at 4 p.m. ... Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have radio coverage. FORECAST: Wunderground — Overcast with a stray shower or possible thunderstorm and a high of 83 degrees with winds west to southwest at 5-10 mph. It's expected to be 82 degrees with a 15% chance of rain at the green flag of the Xfinity race. LAST TIME: Jamie McMuray led the final 21 laps to beat Martin Truex Jr. by 0.411 seconds on Feb. 21, 2004.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Todd Bodine Says It's Time for Change in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Todd Bodine says that even though the truck series is healthy, the business model for it needs to change within the next five years. 'We need to refine what we're doing and try to figure out how to save money,' Bodine says. 'There's a lot of local short-track teams that would love to be involved more heavily in the truck series, but a guy that has a local plumbing business can afford to race short tracks and he can maybe run a couple of truck races, but that's all he can do.' The 61-year-old Chemung, New York, native who now is an analyst on Fox Sports truck telecasts, notes people always want more money in the race purses. However, 'as in any sport, it does have to grow and refine as we go.' Bodine notes the series is different now than when it began, because initially it was comprised of drivers who were at the end of their careers such as himself, Ron Hornaday, Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague. 'We'd already had success,' Bodine says. 'We'd been in the Cup Series, Xfinity or Busch Series. We were there (truck series) because we wanted to race and have fun. We wanted to do it as long as we could, and the truck series afforded us that opportunity.' Today, it's different because most of the series drivers are at the beginning of their careers. 'They're trying to make a name for themselves,' Bodine says. 'Look at the guys that have come out of the truck series in the last five, six, even 10 years. We've got champions in the Cup Series and guys winning races in the Cup Series and Xfinity Series. It's just crazy to see these good drivers coming out of the truck series. We've got 10 or 12 drivers that are just outstanding, that probably will move to Xfinity or get their opportunity in the Cup Series.' Bodine cited Cup Series rookie Carson Hocevar as one who 'bulldozed his way through the truck series and got right into the Cup Series.' 'These kids come through the truck series to try to learn race craft, the right and wrong things to do with their trucks in traffic, out of traffic, drafting, all these things that they didn't grow up learning on short tracks,' Bodine says. 'It's a different era, different world, different mentality. It's just as good as it was back then. It's just a little different.'
