TC Daily Pit Stop: NASCAR Announces Pocono Penalties; Jimmie Johnson to Have Father on Spotter Stand; Hendrick Driving Indy Pace Car; Avenue Sports Fund Acquired Minority Stake in Trackhouse
TC Daily Pit Stop: Thursday, July 18, 2024
NASCAR Issues Two Indefinite Suspensions for Substance Abuse Policy Violations
While the post-Pocono Raceway weekend penalty report did not include any sanctions against Corey LaJoie, who made contact with Kyle Busch entering Turn 1 on Lap 121 to trigger a seven-car accident in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400, the sanctioning body did announce two indefinite suspensions for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Cordell Cahill and RJ Otto were the two gentlemen flagged for violating sections 4.1 and 10.1.A of the NASCAR Rule Book Member Code of Conduct, which are behavioral violations tied to the NASCAR substance abuse policy.
Also on the weekly penalty report issued by NASCAR was a $2,500 fine for Niece Motorsports crew chief Phil Gould, who was assigned to the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado at Pocono Raceway. Following a top-five finish by Ross Chastain, the truck was found to have an unsecured lug nut in post-race inspection, which led to the fine for Gould in this week’s penalty report.
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Avenue Sports Fund Acquires ‘Significant’ Minority Stake in Trackhouse Entertainment Group
Trackhouse Entertainment Group has announced a new investment partner, Avenue Sports Fund, which has acquired a “significant minority stake,” in the parent company of the Trackhouse Racing team. Trackhouse revealed the news in a Wednesday morning press release.
According to Trackhouse, the investment from Avenue Sports Fund will support the Trackhouse Racing team’s continued success in NASCAR, MotoGP, and beyond. The beyond could mean Trackhouse has aspirations of expanding into more forms of motorsport.
“We are excited to partner with Justin Marks and his organization as they continue to compete aggressively in the NASCAR Cup Series and MotoGP series and potentially in new motorsports in the future,” said Marc Lasry, Avenue Capital’s Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder. “NASCAR has long held its position as the most popular racing series in North America, and MotoGP is now one of the most popular motorsports in the world with millions of cumulative race attendees and a substantial digital audience – all compelling attributes for an investment by Avenue Sports.”
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Rick Hendrick to Pace the Field for Brickyard 400 in Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Rick Hendrick was set to have the honor of being a pace car driver for a NASCAR Cup Series race for the first time in his NASCAR Hall of Fame career at Martinsville Speedway in April. However, Hendrick underwent an unexpected surgery on his knee, which ended his hopes of pacing the field in the race where Hendrick Motorsports celebrated its 40th Anniversary of the team’s first-ever win.
While it took Hendrick 40 years of being a NASCAR team owner before he finally got the call to serve as a pace car driver, it didn’t take long for him to get the second call. Hendrick has been named the honorary pace car driver for Sunday’s Brickyard 400, a race that will honor the 30th anniversary of the inaugural Brickyard 400, which was won by Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team.
“Time goes by fast,” Hendrick said in a press release from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I can’t believe it’s been four decades since we started Hendrick Motorsports and 30 years since Jeff (Gordon) won the inaugural Brickyard 400. I’ll never forget the excitement around that event and the thrill of winning a race at Indianapolis.
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True Value Returns as IROC Partner; Drivers Announced for IROC Exhibition at Lime Rock Park
IROC (International Race of Champions) announced on Wednesday afternoon that they have partnered with True Value, which, as many recall, served as the title sponsor for the IROC Series for decades. True Value will now serve as the primary sponsorship partner for the upcoming IROC exhibition event at Lime Rock Park, scheduled for July 19-20.
“True Value and IROC are synonymous brands across racing and hardware, so it is truly incredible to be an integral part of an iconic event,” True Value CEO Chris Kempa said in a press release. “Our partnership brought joy, enthusiasm, and a deep connection to community to our stores, as we all rallied behind champions of their sport. We are thrilled to not only welcome the return of these legends, but to continue to serve as part of their legacy.”
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Martinsville Speedway Hosting 100-Lap IMSA MX-5 Cup Race in October
On Wednesday afternoon, Martinsville Speedway made the formal announcement that the race track will play host to a 100-lap exhibition IMSA Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup event around the 0.526-mile paperclip oval on October 26.
This will be the first-ever oval race for the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Series.
October’s exhibition event will likely draw attention from NASCAR National Series racers, who will want to compete in it, and it opens up a lot of opportunities as to what may or may not be possible for the Mazda MX-5 Cup Series in the future.
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Gary Johnson, Father of Jimmie Johnson, to Serve as Additional Spotter for Son in Brickyard 400
They always say that NASCAR is about family. Jimmie Johnson and the Johnson family are taking things a step further this weekend.
Gary Johnson, the father of the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion driver, is listed on the team roster for the No. 84 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team and will serve as an additional spotter for his son this weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The elder Johnson, 71, will join his son’s primary spotter Earl Barban in calling the race on Sunday.
This will not mark the first time that Johnson’s father has teamed with Barban atop the spotter’s stand. The duo worked together with Johnson in the 2022 Indianapolis 500, a race where Johnson led two laps and performed admirably before a crash in the closing laps ended his day and resulted in a 28th-place finish.
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Spinning Circles At IRP, Previewing the Circle City 200
There’s always something special about racing in the state of Indiana, and the ARCA Menards Series gets their first chance of the season to do that this Friday, as they head to the famed Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for the Circle City 200.
This week’s race is a special one, not only will this be a combination race for the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series East, but this also marks the 600th race in the series history. Set to run for the 200 laps is a field stacked with a lot of good names.
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Erik Jones, Carson Hocevar Among Early Entries for Battle at Berlin in August
Berlin Raceway unveiled a first look at the TEKTON 250 Battle at Berlin entry list on Tuesday evening. The $40,000-to-win event for UARA National scheduled for August 7 has already drawn entries from nearly 30 drivers, including Erik Jones and Carson Hocevar.
Both Jones and Hocevar took part in Money in the Bank at Berlin earlier this year. Jones finished third behind Bubba Pollard and Blake Rowe, while Hocevar finished sixth after leading 69 laps.
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