SHOW #387 – We hear from Jeff Gordon, plus two Top 10 lists, News of the Week, our Fantasy Racing finishing order, and a bunch more, wow we talk a lot about not much. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Toby Christie
( Roughly 48:00 mins)
NASCAR Sees Most Watched Finale, Record Online, Social, and Merchandise Numbers
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NASCAR Season Concludes with Most-Watched Finale Since 2005, Digital and Social Consumption Records and Growth in Merchandise Sales
Viewership for Finale Peaked at Nearly 12.4 Million Average Viewers
Banner Year across Digital and Social Media Highlighted by 4.1 Billion Social Media Impressions and 1.1 Billion Page Views
NASCAR Next Alumni Sweep Sunoco Rookie of the Year Awards across Three National Series for Second Consecutive Year
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2015) – The sport fittingly crowned a first-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch, in what was a transformational season that saw the championship format produce a series of records, milestones and firsts on and off the track.
The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Race on NBC and NBCSN was the most-watched finale since 2005 – peaking with nearly 12.4 million average viewers. This concluded a successful first season of the largest and most lucrative television partnerships in NASCAR history with FOX and NBC.
A record number of fans consumed NASCAR through digital and social media in 2015. NASCAR amassed 4.1 billion social media impressions, 1.1 billion page views – up more than 20 percent from 2014 – and a 34 percent year-over-year increase in its mobile audience.
In addition, driver merchandise sales at tracks increased more than 20 percent since the Fanatics Trackside Superstore launched in July.
NASCAR Next, a program that identifies and nurtures young drivers, produced the Sunoco Rookie of the Year winner in all three national series: Brett Moffitt in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; Daniel Suárez, a NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate, in the NASCAR XFINITY Series; and Erik Jones in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
“We had unprecedented collaboration with stakeholders this season and saw many positive results in our effort to innovate, better serve our fans and grow the sport,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “We will continue to work tirelessly this offseason to further improve the fan experience at every turn and look forward to kicking off next season at the Daytona 500 where fans will experience the unveiling of the world’s first motorsports stadium.”
NASCAR today also announced the top five selling drivers for the 2015 season at the Fanatics Trackside Superstore. Dale Earnhardt Jr. topped the list at No. 1, followed by Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and newly crowned champion Kyle Busch rounded out the list at No. 5.
Other milestones, records and firsts achieved during the 2015 season include:
Competition:
· Jeff Gordon broke Ricky Rudd’s Iron Man record with his 789th consecutive start on September 27. He joined the likes of legends Cal Ripken, Jr. and Brett Favre who hold records for most consecutive games played in baseball and football, respectively.
· For the first time since 1993, two different drivers, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch, won three consecutive races in a single season.
Sponsorships:
· New or renewed NASCAR Official Partnerships with nearly a dozen brands this season, including: 3M, Fanatics, Ingersoll Rand, Microsoft, Sherwin Williams, Sun Edison, Universal Technical Institute, and K&N Filters as the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series™.
· In 2015, nearly 1 in 2 Fortune 100 companies relied on NASCAR to build their brands.
· Partnerships with Fortune 500 technology companies grew by 66% over last two years.
Merchandise:
· In partnership with Fanatics, NASCAR created a centralized location for merchandise at each track, which led to the average transaction growing by 75 percent.
· The three tracks that saw the most significant sales growth were Homestead-Miami Speedway (+100%), Phoenix International Raceway (+66%) and Talladega Superspeedway (+62%).
Diversity:
· In addition to the aforementioned diversity breakthroughs on the track, NASCAR partnered with RISE, a recently formed non-profit to promote diversity and equality through sports. NASCAR Chairman Brian France was named to the Board of Directors and will help steer the initiative alongside the commissioners of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, and other top sports executives.
· Roush Fenway Racing pit crew member Mike Russell became the first African American Drive for Diversity graduate to win a national series championship.
Technology:
· For the first time, cars featured a digital dashboard instead of analog gauges. The new technology will be mandatory for all NASCAR Sprint Cup vehicles in 2016.
· Air Titan 2.0 track-drying technology helped save numerous races and improved the race experience for fans, teams and partners.
· State-of-the-art pit road technology was seamlessly implemented this season to increase the accuracy and safety of pit road officiating.
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series post-race inspections from the NASCAR R&D Center were streamed live to fans across the world.
Entertainment Marketing:
· Nearly 230 million viewers watched NASCAR drivers appear in 77 primetime shows, including American Idol on FOX, The Soup on E!, Real Housewives on Bravo and Penn Zero on Disney XD.
· More than 120 celebrities appeared at races this season, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kid Rock, Vince Vaughn, David Spade and Adam Sandler.
· Originally produced TV and digital projects, with more than 150 appearances by NASCAR drivers, tracks and partners, generated 50 million viewers.
Tracks:
· NASCAR announced multi-year sanctioning agreements with tracks for the first time. The landmark five-year agreements will provide fans more time to plan and tracks more time to promote, sell sponsorships and build the fan experience.
· Throwback weekend at Darlington celebrated the storied history of NASCAR with unprecedented industry support including 32 retro paint schemes, by honoring 14 NASCAR Hall of Famers and through a variety of 1970s-themed food and entertainment.
2015 NASCAR Champion’s Week From Las Vegas Schedule
onWednesday – Friday, Dec. 2 – 4
· Champion’s Week Live at The LINQ Promenade: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week fan experience will be anchored in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip – Champion’s Week Live at The LINQ Promenade, the ultimate NASCAR fan headquarters. Open from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. each day, fans can purchase merchandise of The Challenger 16 at the NASCAR Superstore, get their photo taken with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series trophy and view The Challenger 16 cars on display. For a full list of activities, fans and media can visit http://www.nascar.com/championsweek.
Wednesday, Dec. 2
· Fanfest Presented by Las Vegas Motor Speedway: A fan-favorite event, the seventh annual LVMS Fanfest will begin at 2 p.m. at the Fremont Street Experience. This event is free to the public and will consist of a red carpet walk by the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Challengers, followed by a special “game show format” event. Select fans may be chosen to participate in an onstage game with the drivers for a chance to win two tickets to the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards held two nights later at Wynn Las Vegas.
Thursday, Dec. 3
· NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon: The annual awards luncheon and industry gathering will take place from 11 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. in the Encore Ballroom at Wynn Las Vegas, where several team and individual awards will be presented. Hosted by FOX Sports personality Mike Joy, the event will be live-streamed on http://www.NASCAR.com/presspass.
· NASCAR Victory Lap Fueled by Sunoco: Fans can catch their favorite driver during pre-race introductions hosted by FOX Sports reporter Jamie Little at 2:45 p.m. The green flag on the Victory Lap will fly at 3:30 p.m. when the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers parade down Las Vegas Boulevard in their race cars. NASCAR Victory Lap will start in front of the Miracle Mile Shops and finish at The LINQ. For a full list of where each driver will participate in burnouts, fans can visit The LINQ Promenade earlier in the week. The event will be simulcast live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and http://www.NASCAR.com/lap.
· NASCAR After The Lap sponsored by Ford and Sprint: A must-see event, NASCAR After The Lap sponsored by Ford and Sprint will take place from 5 – 6:30 p.m. at The Pearl Theater inside Palms Casino Resort. All 16 Chase Challengers will appear on stage and give fans behind-the-scenes info about their lives on and off the track. The event will be simulcast live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and http://www.NASCAR.com/lap.
Friday, Dec. 4
· Championship Year in Review: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio host Claire B. Lang will be joined live from 1-3 p.m. by the championship winning driver, owner, crew chief and other crew members in an exclusive two-hour retrospective on their championship-winning season.
· 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards: This black-tie celebration will be held at Wynn Las Vegas, where the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion driver and owner and the other Chase drivers will be honored. Live coverage will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. NBCSN will also begin coverage at 8 p.m. ET from the red carpet, followed by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards broadcast at 9 p.m. ET.
· Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide Reveal: The Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide will be given to an outstanding volunteer who has made a profound impact on children in his or her community. The NASCAR Foundation will announce the national award winner during this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards and donate $100,000 to the winner’s chosen charity. Fans can cast their vote for the 2015 Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award winner by visiting http://www.NASCAR.com/award before 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 3.
Denny Hamlin Undergoes Scheduled Offseason Knee Surgery
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Driver of No. 11 FedEx Toyota Expected to Return for Start of 2016 NASCAR Season
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 30, 2015) – Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), had successful surgery on his right knee this afternoon. Hamlin is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2016 NASCAR season in February.
The scheduled offseason surgery was to repair the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee which he tore while playing basketball in early September. The surgery was performed by Dr. Patrick Connor of OrthoCarolina.
Stewart-Haas Racing Announces 2016 Crew Chief Lineup
onNew Appointments to Competition Department
Crew Chiefs Officially Named for 2016 Season
KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (Nov. 30, 2015) – Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has made new appointments within its competition department as the championship-winning race team wastes no time preparing for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
· Michael Bugarewicz has been promoted from race engineer on the No. 4 team to crew chief for the No. 14 team of Tony Stewart. The 33-year-old from Lehighton, Pennsylvania, replaces Chad Johnston, who has left SHR to pursue a new opportunity. Bugarewicz joined SHR in 2014 where in his role as race engineer, he helped Kevin Harvick secure his first Sprint Cup championship. Bugarewicz began his NASCAR career in 2005 at Roush-Fenway Racing in the engineering department, assisting a variety of teams as a race engineer in the Camping World Truck Series, Xfinity Series and Sprint Cup Series. Before coming to SHR, Bugarewicz was the race engineer on Roush-Fenway’s No. 17 team, where he worked with Matt Kenseth (2011-2012) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2013). Bugarewicz graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering (2004) and a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering (2005).
· Billy Scott has been named crew chief for the No. 10 team of Danica Patrick. The 38-year-old from Land O’ Lakes, Florida, comes to SHR from Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) where since 2014 he was the crew chief for the No. 55 team, which featured drivers David Ragan, Brian Vickers and Michael Waltrip, among others. He also served as crew chief for MWR’s No. 15 team and driver Clint Bowyer from June 2015 through the end of the season. Prior to that role, Scott was a race engineer working under crew chief Rodney Childers, who joined SHR in 2014 and promptly led Harvick to the Sprint Cup championship. Scott came to MWR in 2008 after working in a variety of racing disciplines, including NASCAR, sports cars and sprint cars. It was during his work in the Truck Series in 2003 when Scott decided to focus on engineering. He attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 2005.
· Daniel Knost has been promoted to a senior leadership position within SHR. As manager of vehicle dynamics, Knost will oversee a number of the organization’s technical efforts, with a specific focus on track simulation and racecar performance. The 36-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, has been a crew chief at SHR for two years, spending 2014 with the No. 41 team of Kurt Busch and 2015 with the No. 10 team of Patrick. Knost joined SHR in 2008 when it was Haas-CNC Racing after earning Master of Science and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). Knost graduated from North Carolina State University in Raleigh in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.
· Childers remains as crew chief for the No. 4 team of Harvick and Tony Gibson remains as crew chief for the No. 41 team of Busch.
“We made these changes after thoroughly evaluating our program to ensure that all four of our teams are consistently strong and competitive,” said Greg Zipadelli, vice president of competition, SHR. “In this business, you can’t rest and you can never be satisfied. You have to constantly improve. We feel these personnel changes enhance our strengths and shore up areas where we needed to be better.”
“We have great people at Stewart-Haas Racing and these changes prove that,” said Stewart, co-owner of SHR with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. “We were able to promote from within while also adding new talent.
“Change isn’t easy, and that’s particularly true when it comes to my relationship with Chad Johnston. He served as my crew chief during two very difficult seasons. He was always supportive and he’s become like a brother to me. I think very highly of Chad and wish him nothing but the best in his new opportunity.”
“We’ve come a long way in our seven years at Stewart-Haas Racing, but there is always more to do and more to achieve,” added Haas, founder of Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. “Bigger, Better, Faster, Lighter is what we strive for in the machining industry and it’s what we strive for in motorsports. These new appointments seamlessly marry our engineering expertise with our collective racing experience.”
The Final Lap Weekly 