All posts by David Morgan

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor After running full-time with one driver over the past two seasons and scoring back-to-back championships, JR Motorsports will have multiple drivers climbing behind the wheel of its No. 9 Chevrolet in 2019. On Tuesday, the first piece of that puzzle was unveiled as the team announced that ARCA standout Zane Smith will be running a total of eight NASCAR Xfinity Series races, starting with the March 2nd race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “I’m super pumped to be a part of JR Motorsports with the No.Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup season will roar to life with a Sunday doubleheader on February 10 at Daytona to signal the start of Speedweeks. Once again this year, Cup Series qualifying and the Advance Auto Parts Clash exhibition race will kick off a week of action leading up to the 61st annual Daytona 500 the following Sunday. On Thursday, the sanctioning body released the eligibility requirements and drivers that have met those requirements for the two-segment, 75-lap event. This year’s eligible drivers will conformRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor John Hunter Nemechek has a new home for the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, moving over to GMS Racing to take over the No. 23 Chevrolet and compete for Rookie of the Year. The 21-year old Mooresville, North Carolina native looked to be on his way to another year with Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2019 season before the team decided to put Ross Chastain in the driver’s seat instead, leaving Nemechek on the outside looking in. Enter GMS, who had a seat available for theRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Days after announcing his official departure from Stewart-Haas Racing, Kurt Busch has landed a ride with Chip Ganassi Racing for the upcoming 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, taking over the No. 1 Chevrolet. In his 20th season in NASCAR’s top division, Busch will be bringing Monster Energy on board as a primary sponsor and he will team up with Kyle Larson in the team’s two-car stable. “I am tremendously proud to be joining Chip Ganassi Racing and the prestigious group of alumni,” said Busch.Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Matt Tifft is moving up to the big leagues in 2019 as Front Row Motorsports announced Tuesday that he would be joining the organization’s three-car effort in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, piloting the team’s No. 36 entry full-time. The 22-year old native of Hinckley, Ohio will be joined by David Ragan and Michael McDowell in the team’s other two Ford Mustangs. “Today is a huge moment in my career, announcing my move to the Cup series,” said Tifft. “This has been a dream ofRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The nighttime was definitely not the right time for Kevin Harvick in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. As one of the favorites coming into the season finale, Harvick, who struggled to find speed in practice, was back to his dominant self in the early stages of the race, but as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, so did his chances at a second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title. “We had a daytime race car,” Harvick said. “When it got dark,Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor HOMESTEAD, Fla. – If there was a sentimental favorite to win the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship, Martin Truex, Jr. and Furniture Row Racing were that favorite. With the impending closure of the team at the end of the season, it would have been a storybook finish to see Truex, crew chief Cole Pearn, owner Barney Visser and the entire organization raise the trophy for the second year in a row before riding off into the sunset and into the annals of NASCAR history.Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor HOMESTEAD, Fla. – After 17 seasons together, Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway was the closing of a chapter in Jimmie Johnson’s career as it marked the final race that he and crew chief Chad Knaus would be paired up and the final time that Lowe’s would serve as the primary sponsor on the No. 48 Chevrolet. To commemorate the end of an era, Johnson’s car was decked out in the same Lowe’s paint scheme he sported back during his rookie season, his uniform matched the one heRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Sixteen drivers entered the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with a shot at the championship, but now we are down to the best of the best. Press conferences with some good-natured ribbing have been held, the drivers have had the opportunity to dial their cars in throughout practice and qualifying over the last few days and now all that’s left is to race it out and see how things shake out by the time the checkered flag falls. Before Kyle Busch, KevinRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Tyler Reddick may be departing JR Motorsports over the offseason, but he certainly will be leaving them a hell of a parting gift after scoring the win in Saturday’s Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to take home the NASCAR Xfinity Series title. The championship marks the third title for JR Motorsports in the last five years, following William Byron’s championship last season and Chase Elliott’s title in 2014. After starting fourth, Reddick finished the first stage in third and the second stageRead More