Latest news with #ShellPennzoilFord
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
NASCAR Sets Sight On International Drivers as Commissioner Speaks Out On Expansion
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps has spoken about his hopes of attracting Brazilian drivers to the sport with the possibility of the country hosting a race in the future. As one of NASCAR's four international series alongside Canada, Mexico, and the Euro Series, Brazil has hosted the NASCAR Brasil Series since 2012, and Phelps is keen to see some of the drivers from the series join either the Craftsman Truck, Xfinity, or Cup Series. During an interview with Phelps explained: "We have a driver who is from Mexico, Daniel Suarez, and that's a great victory for us. Not through our driver development program, [but] we also have Shane Van Gisbergen from New Zealand [who] used to race in Australia. Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, and Erik Jones, driver of the #43 Dollar Tree Toyota, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 01, 2025... Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, and Erik Jones, driver of the #43 Dollar Tree Toyota, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 01, 2025 in Lebanon, Tennessee. More"We'd like to have drivers from all over the world coming to race with us, in our three national categories, but in particular in our main category, like what Daniel and SVG are doing." He added: "We'd like to have a Brazilian come out of NASCAR Brazil, come and race with us full-time, and, you know, compete for wins and championships. So we're excited about this prospect, I was very impressed with the number of drivers I saw and how fast they were and their abilities, and we're excited about this happening in the future." Phelps was promoted to the newly formed role of NASCAR Commissioner in March. He commented at the time of the announcement: "I'm honored to take this next step in helping to guide NASCAR, the sport I've loved since my father took me to my first race at 5 years old, continue to grow and welcome new fans, competitors and partners that together create some of the most extraordinary moments in sports. "I cannot thank the France family enough for their unwavering commitment to our fans, their steady leadership, and most importantly, their stewardship of stock-car racing since its inception nearly eight decades ago. This sport is truly one of the great American business stories and I'm privileged to continue as part of that legacy – and especially its bright future. "We are thrilled to name Steve Phelps as NASCAR's first Commissioner. His leadership, professionalism and well-earned respect from across the sports industry speak to his unique value for the sport," said NASCAR Chairman & CEO Jim France added. "With more than 50 years of expertise between them, both Steve Phelps and Steve O'Donnell bring tremendous expertise, stability and a commitment to the bold racing innovations that will continue to serve fans, teams and stakeholders for many years to come."
Newsweek
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Logano 'P***ed Off' After Bell Gave Him 'No Option' In NASCAR All-Star Race
Team Penske driver Joey Logano missed out on the $1 million prize in the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway after seeing his lead slip away. Logano shared his frustrations after being edged out by Christopher Bell, who went on to celebrate on Victory Lane, while speaking to the media after the race. He explained: "I'm glad you had a blast. I'm p***ed off right now. Just dang it, we had the fastest car. The Shell-Pennzoil Mustang was so fast. I'm trying to choose my words correctly on the caution situation. "Obviously I got bit by it, so I am the one frustrated. I felt like the falloff wasn't too bad as the sun went down, and yeah, six cars or so stayed out with us. Thought maybe we could hold him off, but [Bell] had a good enough restart, cleared too many of them too fast. I couldn't get away in time. It took me six, seven laps to get my car up and rolling again. Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina."I did all I could do to hold him off and he got under me and released the brake and gave me no option. Kind of just ran me up into the wall, and if I could've got to him, he was going around after a move like that, I just couldn't get back to him. Just too much to try to make up with the tire deficit." The 34-year-old added: "Just frustrated after you lead so many laps and the car is so fast and you don't win, it hurts quite a bit. ... Yeah, I'm all about no gimmicks with the caution. I am all about that. Me and Marcus Smith aren't seeing eye to eye right now, OK? I've got to have a word with him. "It's all you've got. I was hoping I could just fight him long enough to where the advantage would go away a little bit, but it just never did. I did as best I can blocking my butt off, but once he got under me just released the brake and gave me no option to either fence it and wreck or run up in the marbles and spin out like what happened to Heim in the Truck race. I get it. "We're racing for a million bucks, but things carry over all the time, but it just stings. I'm upset because we had the best car. We had the best car by a long shot and we didn't win. I don't know. A lot of things are running through my mind I probably shouldn't say." NASCAR All-Star Race results
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Joey Logano Slams Chipper Jones After Talladega Meltdown: 'Maybe He's Just Trying to Stay Relevant'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano has retaliated after comments from Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones. This comes after a number of social media posts from the latter. Starting after the Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend, the No. 22 Ford driver faced Bubba Wallace during the latter stages of Stage 2 alongside his Team Penske teammate Austin Cindric. Cindric managed to lose the Stage win to Wallace, leading to an irate call over the radio. "Way to go, Austin. Way to go, dumb (expletive). Way to (expletive) go. What a stupid (expletive). He just handed it to him. Gave a Toyota a stage win. Nice job. Way to go. What a (expletive)," Logano shouted through his microphone. To make matters worse, after finishing fifth in the race, Logano was disqualified after his car failed its post-race inspection. Cindric, on the other hand, finished his race weekend in first place. Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on April 05, 2025 in Darlington, South Carolina. Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on April 05, 2025 in Darlington, South Carolina.A message from Jones followed: "Congrats to Austin Cindric on his Talladega win," the post said. "Good teammates are hard to come by, boss! Remember that one of urs MFed u on national TV, when in actuality, u did everything possible to keep from wrecking. "Hate to be #dueces in the 'team' meeting on Monday. Some people are 'hooray for our team as long as I'm the star,' as every team has them. Hendrick, RCR, JGR, Penske, etc. Sometimes karma is glorious. Enjoy this one! In case anyone is confused, lemme be clear... Joey Logano." Logano originally responded to this post on-air. "Has Chipper Jones ever driven a race car at Talladega? That would be my first question. I'm pretty certain he hasn't," he said. "That's like me saying something about baseball, I know nothing about baseball, that's like me saying something he did in baseball was wrong, it doesn't matter." He continued: "You care about what people say, their opinion, if you know them, and they know you. Everyone is going to have their opinion if you know them, and they know you, and they understand the scenario and the situation. "Everyone is going to have their opinion on how they see things from the outside. Nobody else, Chipper Jones, no race fans, nobody is in the room when we come up with how we race at superspeedways, except the drivers, the team principals at Team Penske, and the crew chiefs, that is it. "That's the only opinion that matters. The only one. "So everybody can go off and talk about whatever they want; they don't know the situation, they don't know everything that goes into it, so it doesn't matter what they say. So that's probably why I never saw it, or really care about it, even after you told me about it. "Chipper Jones seems like a cool dude, and he's done a lot, and he's a popular baseball player, but he's not a racecar driver, and I know he wasn't in the room with us when we set the way how things are supposed to go. "You would think someone who has been in professional sports and has been in a meeting like that would probably take a step back and say, 'Man, there's probably more to the story than what there is', I'm surprised that it went that way, but maybe he's just bored." The driver has now once again discussed the comments, this time on NBC Sports. "I'm surprised that a professional athlete would act in that manner because he's been through it. "I am very careful to form an opinion on an athlete by their emotions or the way they play the game because I know from being in that position, when there's that much on the line in a competitive environment, you act a certain way because you're out there to win. And then you got to be able to shut that off. "I would have assumed him being the athlete he is and was, that he would understand that and not mouth off on social media like somebody that's never played the sport before. It's surprising to me. All I can think is he's trying to be relevant still or something like that."
