TULLY’S COFFEE AND PAPA JOHN’S TO FEATURE NEW BRANDED LOCATIONS AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Motorsports Stadium Will Now Provide Dedicated Spaces For Casual Dining, Quick-Service Restaurant Brands

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. December 02, 2015 – Daytona International Speedway (DIS) announced today that Tully’s Coffee and Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) will establish new branded locations at the Speedway as part of the amenities associated with the $400 million DAYTONA Rising redevelopment project. The new locations, each measuring 650 square feet, will be featured on the concourse levels and include customized branding and activation for each company.

“For the first time ever, we’re thrilled to offer dedicated locations for our restaurant partners,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “These leading brands will provide elevated dining options for fans at our new motorsports stadium.”

Papa John’s, the world’s third-largest pizza delivery company, will feature four locations within the stadium. The branded locations will be operated by the local Papa John’s franchisee group, QS America, LLC.

“We at Papa John’s are honored to be a part of DAYTONA Rising, an incredibly important redevelopment project and one of Florida’s most iconic sites,” David Steenekamp, President of the Papa John’s franchisee group, QS America, LLC. “Soon motorsport fans at the Daytona International Speedway will be able to cheer on their favorite driver and enjoy the Papa John’s pizzas they know and love.”

In addition to its new location at DIS, Tully’s Coffee, a leading specialty coffee retailer and wholesaler, will become the official coffee of the “World Center of Racing.”

“DAYTONA Rising represents one of the finest sports and entertainment projects in the world,” said Michael J. Avenatti, Chairman of Global Baristas, parent company of Tully’s Coffee. “We are honored and thrilled to be a part of it and look forward to providing our premium coffees to hundreds of thousands of fans in the years to come.”
The new locations will debut in January 2016 during the Rolex 24 At Daytona Weekend.

 

 

KEVIN HARVICK ENDS SEASON STRONG FOR CHEVROLET; JEFF GORDON FINISHED IN SIXTH PLACE

Chevy SS Drivers Finish 2-3-4 in Year-End Point Standings

HOMESTEAD, Fla. November 23, 2015 – Piloting the No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, Kevin Harvick led the way for Team Chevy in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season-finale at Homestead-Miami

Defending Sprint Cup Champion Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Budweiser/Jimmy JohnÕs Chevrolet SS, races to a second place finish, Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Axalta Chevrolet SS finishes in sixth place, and Martin Truex, Jr., driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision finishes in twelfth place Sunday, November 22, 2015 in the final race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. This Chevrolet drivers finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th (respectively) in the Chase of the Cup Championship. (Photo by Harold Hinson/HHP for Chevy Racing)

Speedway.  Harvick ended the last race of the year with a runner-up finish, and was second in the year-end NSCS point standings.  In 2015, Harvick captured three wins, 23 top-five’s, and 27 top-10 finishes.

With less than 10 laps remaining, Harvick was able to move from fourth to second on the final restart, but ended up just a little more than 1.5-seconds shy of winning a second consecutive title.

“We were just struggling all night with our Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevy,” said Harvick, following the race. “We had a lot of trouble getting up off the corner and putting the power down. And the longer the run went, the looser that we would get up off the corner. We just want to thank everybody: Hendrick Engines, SHR, Outback, Mobil 1, Hunt Brothers, Chevrolet and everybody who is a part of this car and who has been supportive of us over the last two years. It’s been a great couple of years and I’m looking forward to next year. So, it’s fun to be able to run like this. You always want to win, but I’ve learned not to get greedy. After last year, I felt like we had everything go our way; and tonight, it didn’t go our way.”

Four-time series champion, Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS, finished in sixth-place in the race, and third in the 2015 standings. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet SS, was 12th in the race and took a career-best fourth place finish in the championship order.

Our own Photo-Journalist Haydee Quiñones working at the Jeff Gordon pits.

“To drive for one of the best car owners, if not the best; and to drive the best race cars and work with the best people, is why I have the wins and championships that I have,” said Gordon, following his final race as a full-time driver in a 23-year, 797-race career. “And that’s why we did what we did here today in the final race, in battling for a championship.”

Kyle Larson earned a fifth-place finish in the season-ending race in his No. 42 Target Plaid Chevrolet SS, which marked his second top-five finish of the season.

Kurt Busch drove his No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS to an eighth-place finish at Homestead; and six-time NSCS champion, Jimmie Johnson, was ninth to round out the top-10 finishers for Chevrolet in the season-finale.

In the race, Brad Keselowski (Ford) finished third and Joey Logano (Ford) was fourth.

In the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the Final 4 finished as follows:

1st = Kyle Busch (Toyota)

2nd = Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet)

3rd = Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet)

4th = Martin Truex, Jr., (Chevrolet)

The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season gets underway with the Daytona 500 on February 21.

 

 

CHEVROLET CELEBRATES VETERAN BOWTIE BRAND DRIVER JEFF GORDON

DETROIT – November 20, 2015 – Jeff Gordon, who has driven the No. 24 Chevrolet for 796 consecutive races from 1992-2015, is about to close out his full-time career as a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  Gordon, a four-time series champion, enters the final race of the season with an opportunity to claim his fifth title.  Gordon ends his full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, having driven for only one car owner, Rick Hendrick at Hendrick Motorsports, and only one manufacturer, Chevrolet.  Among Gordon’s career highlights driving the No. 24 Chevrolet are:

• Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001)
• 93 career Cup victories; third on the all-time list
• 81 career Cup pole positions; third on the all-time list
• Three-time Daytona 500 winner (1997, 1999, 2005)
• Five-time Brickyard 400 winner (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2014)
• Three-time champion of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (1995, 1997, 2001)
• NASCAR record nine road course victories
• NASCAR record 12 restrictor plate victories

Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports:

“Jeff has been the unequivocal example of a Chevrolet race car driver.   Over 23 years, he earned 93 overall victories including three Daytona 500 wins, five Brickyard 400 wins and four NASCAR Sprint Cup Championships.  Jeff is a true champion, Chevrolet dealer and a key member of the Chevrolet family.”

“Jeff Gordon continues to be a great ambassador for NASCAR and Chevrolet.”

Pat Suhy, Group Manager – NASCAR Programs:

“I think first of all and it will be said many times he has been a great ambassador to the sport.  I think he attracted a new generation of fans and broadened the reach of NASCAR in terms of West Coast awareness and enthusiasm for it.

“On the competition side he has meant a lot to Chevrolet, he has been a great ambassador for the brand.  But on the racetrack he’s done so much for us with four championships and 93 race wins.  The points he collected for us have helped lead us to 18 manufacturer championships during his career.  The race wins and the championships mean a lot to us.  The manufactures championships mean a lot to us.

“He’s been an innovator.  Recently, he and Alan Gustafson (crew chief) have shown that you can teach an old dog new tricks.  They continue to try to use the latest technology and the tools that we offer.  We keep pushing the boundaries of technology and they keep joining us and helping us push it even further.  Which makes it good not only for them, but for all Chevy teams.  We certainly appreciate everything he has done for us over the years.”

Alba Colon, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Program Manager:

“To talk about what is GREAT about NASCAR is synonymous with talking about Jeff Gordon.  This generation has been honored to see Jeff Gordon race and to witnessing how great he is.  At the same time, we at Chevrolet have been privileged to count Jeff Gordon as an ambassador for our brand.  He represents what our brand is about, true American values, the real heartbeat of America.   He has always been passionate about our vehicles, about our brand.  All his 93 great wins have all been behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.  It can’t get better than that.

“Thanks to Jeff for all the great years of racing a Chevrolet.  I know our relationship is one that will last forever.  We salute you in your last career race and celebrate your new ventures”.

 

 

ROGER PENSKE’S No. 22 FORD TEAM ARE OWNER CHAMPIONS FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT SEASON / XFINITY

Nov. 20, 2015 – Roger Penske joined a select group of champions when his No. 22 Ford team clinched the 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series owners championship in Texas, becoming just the fourth car owner in NASCAR XFINITY Series history to win three or more car owner championships. He joins Richard Childress (four), Joe Gibbs (four) and William Baumgardner (three) as owners who have achieved the feat.

Penske is the second NXS car owner in series history to win three consecutive car owner championships (2013 – 2015) joining William Baumgardner (1995 – 1997). The difference between the two owners is Baumgardner won his three titles with a single driver each season; while Penske has won each title with multiple drivers behind the wheel. This season’s No. 22 lineup included Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Alex Tagliani.

A total of nine owners have won multiple car owner championships in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. This is Roger Penske’s fourth championship in the last six seasons in the NASCAR XFINITY Series – he has won the last three car owner titles and also the 2010 driver championship with Brad Keselowski.

This weekend, Ryan Blaney will strap into the No. 22 Ford and attempt to cap off this championship season with another win. The High Point, N.C. native has made 12 starts this season posting two wins (Iowa and Kentucky), eight top fives, nine top 10s and an average finish of 10.0. Blaney has made two career NXS starts at Homestead, posting one top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 6.0.

The Team Penske No. 22 Ford team has posted an average finish of 5.9 in 2015 – the best among full-time teams.

 

 

CRAFTON TO BECOME TRUCK SERIES ALL-TIME STARTS LEADER / NCWTS

Nov. 19, 2015 – Already etching his name among the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series greats like Ron Hornaday Jr., Jack Sprague, Todd Bodine and Mike Skinner with his two championships, Matt Crafton will become the high-octane circuit’s all-time starts leader (361) when he presses down the gas pedal for Friday’s Ford EcoBoost 200.

Crafton – a veteran of 15 full-time NCWTS seasons – tied Hornaday’s total of 360 starts last week at Phoenix where he wrecked going for the win and subsequently finished 23rd, crushing his hopes of a third consecutive championship.

In addition to his two career NCWTS titles, Crafton owns 10 wins, 88 top fives (fifth all-time) and 209 top-10 finishes (second all-time). His 65,743.3 miles driven are enough to travel across the continental United States more than 24 times.

The No. 88 ThorSport Racing driver has set career highs with five wins and three Keystone Light Pole Awards this season.

Crafton made his first NCWTS start at Auto Club Speedway on Oct. 28, 2000 and finished ninth.

 

 

SUAREZ ON CUSP OF BECOMING FIRST HISPANIC XFINITY SERIES SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Nov. 19, 2015 – South Beach welcomes Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Daniel Suárez, as the Drive for Diversity and NASCAR Next alumni strolls into Homestead-Miami Speedway looking to finish his NASCAR XFINITY Series debut season on a high note as the first Hispanic Sunoco Rookie of the Year winner in the series.

Suárez leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by 40 points over second-place Darrell Wallace Jr. with one race remaining.

In 32 starts this season, Suárez has posted three poles, eight top fives, and 17 top 10s. This will be his series debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The way the Sunoco Rookie of the Year is decided is of the 33 races, only the top 17 are counted in the rookie standings race. In order to be eligible for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award, a driver must attempt to qualify in at least eight events out of the first 20. Then during the final weekend of the season, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year panel meets and rewards favorable conduct in the following categories: Conduct with NASCAR officials in the garage and pit areas; conduct and awareness on track; personal appearance and relationship with the media. The panel rates each driver, with scoring ranging from a maximum of 10 to a minimum of 1. Total points will be averaged from each panel member’s ballot. The points derived from the panel will be added to the entry, competition, and bonus points after the final race of the season to determine the overall Sunoco Rookie of the Year winner.

 

 

FORD ECOBOOST 300 TO SET STAGE FOR CROWNING OF XFINITY SERIES CHAMPION

Nov. 19, 2015 – Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher has held the NASCAR XFINITY Series points lead for the last 23 races of the 2015 season, and he has just one race left – Saturday’s Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (2:45 p.m. ET on NBC) – to capture his first career NASCAR national series title.

To clinch the NASCAR XFINITY Series driver championship in Miami no matter what any other competitor does, Buescher will have to finish 13th or better without leading a lap, 14th or better while leading at least one lap, or 15th or better while leading the most laps.

Buescher’s title run is a culmination of team work and relentless consistency. He is currently 18 points ahead of second-place Chase Elliott and 22 points up on third place Ty Dillon. In 32 starts Buescher has posted two wins (Iowa and Dover), 11 top fives, and 20 top 10s. His average finish this season is 8.3 and his season-to-date driver rating is 98.7.

Buescher rolls into Miami knowing he has one start under his belt at the 1.5-mile speedway he can build off of this weekend. Last season, Buescher made his HMS series debut, starting 10th and driving to a fifth-place finish.

Buescher will also have the backing of one the most successful organizations in the NXS at Homestead-Miami Speedway – Roush Fenway Racing – which is tied with Joe Gibbs Racing and NEMCO Motorsports for the series lead in wins at HMS with three each.

Buescher has an average finish of 8.4 on 1.5-mile tracks this season, second best among championship contenders behind Ty Dillon’s 6.9.

Source: NASCAR

 

CHASE SPOILERS GALORE AT HOMESTEAD

Nov. 19, 2015 – Although the Championship 4 will be the only drivers racing for a championship, 39 others will compete for the win in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Six drivers outside of the Championship 4 have won at Homestead and will try to visit Victory Lane there again: Greg Biffle (3 wins), Tony Stewart (3), Carl Edwards (2), Denny Hamlin (2), Kurt Busch (1) and Matt Kenseth (1).

Among drivers who haven’t won at Homestead in the past, look out for series wins leader Joey Logano, and NASCAR’s all-time intermediate-track wins leader Jimmie Johnson. Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne could all be dangerous with their Hendrick Motorsports team showing speed lately by winning the last three races.

Edwards (110.2) and Kenseth …  (108.9) own the top-two Homestead driver ratings.

MARTIN TRUEX JR. IS HOMESTEAD’S HIDDEN HEAVYWEIGHT

Nov. 19, 2015 – Martin Truex Jr. might be the Holly Holm to Kevin Harvick’s Ronda Rousey in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Martin Truex Jr.

Considered the Cinderella of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season due to his struggles last year and the fact he’s the only driver for Furniture Row Racing, based far from NASCAR’s North Carolina hotbed in Denver, Colorado, Truex might actually be the driver to beat at Homestead.

In 10 starts at the Miami oval, the No. 78 Chevrolet driver has no wins, three top fives (30%), seven top 10s (70%) and a 10.0 average finish (second among active drivers). What sets him apart from the rest of the Championship 4 at Homestead is his loop data success. He tops the Championship 4 drivers in Homestead average running position (9.0, second among active drivers), driver rating (106.6, third) and average Green Flag speed (162.357 mph, first).

A Truex championship would make him the first title-winner from New Jersey and just the second from the Northeast (Bill Rexford, New York).

Additionally, Truex would be the first driver from a one-car team to win an NSCS championship since Alan Kulwicki achieved the feat in 1992.

Truex would also join Bobby Labonte, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick as the fourth driver to earn a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series championship.

 

 

UNBREAKABLE: KYLE BUSCH AIMS TO FINISH CHAMPIONSHIP RUN NINE MONTHS AFTER DAYTONA ACCIDENT

Nov, 19, 2015 – Kyle Busch’s season has been so improbable, even M. Night Shyamalan couldn’t make it up.

A mere nine months after breaking his right leg and fracturing his left foot in an accident at Daytona, Busch will race for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Busch had cooled off since winning four-of-five races including three in a row earlier in the season, but started to heat up again as the only driver to log a top-five finish in all three Eliminator Round races.

Of the Championship 4 drivers, Kyle Busch has had the least success at Homestead. In 10 starts at the South Florida track he has no wins, one top five (10.0%) and three top 10s (30.0%). Busch owns three finishes worse than 30th at Homestead, including a 39th-place finish there last year. In fact, his 23.1 Homestead average finish ranks 25th among active drivers.

If Busch finishes ahead of Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Martin Truex Jr., he’ll become the first driver to ever pilot a Toyota to a NSCS title, giving the manufacturer a driver’s championship in all three national series. Coincidentally, Busch won Toyota its first NSCS race at Atlanta in 2008.

Busch would also join Bobby Labonte, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick as the fourth driver to earn a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series championship.