logo
Daddy's coming home with pole position. Denny Hamlin celebrates new son with top spot at Pocono

Daddy's coming home with pole position. Denny Hamlin celebrates new son with top spot at Pocono

Washington Post22-06-2025
LONG POND, Pa. — Pocono Raceway paints its signature black rocks outside the garage in gold lettering with a last name and race car number highlighted to honor some of NASCAR's greats. Jimmie Johnson has one. So does Richard Petty, among others.
So where's the celebratory boulder for Denny Hamlin, who holds the track record with seven wins and saw another victory thrown out in 2022 because of a disqualification?
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

NASCAR Friday Brickyard schedule at Indianapolis
NASCAR Friday Brickyard schedule at Indianapolis

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

NASCAR Friday Brickyard schedule at Indianapolis

Indianapolis Motor Speedway will open its NASCAR Brickyard 400 weekend with nearly two hours of practice Friday. The Xfinity Series will be on track for a 50-minute session beginning at 12:05 p.m. ET on the 2.5-mile oval. The Cup Series will begin turning laps on the IMS asphalt at 1:50 p.m. ET. This will be the 29th edition of the Brickyard 400 weekend, which returned last year after a three-year hiatus while NASCAR raced on the IMS road course. Bubba Wallace holds final playoff spot with 5 races left in NASCAR Cup regular season Bubba Wallace leads Ryan Preece by 16 points for the final playoff spot. Dustin Long, Indianapolis Brickyard 400 Friday schedule (All Times Eastern) Friday, July 25 Garage open 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. — Xfinity Series 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. — Cup Series Track activity 12:05 - 12:55 p.m. — Xfinity practice (CW App) 1:05 - 1:55 p.m. — Cup practice (truTV) Weather Friday: Scattered afternoon thunderstorms with possible gusty winds and small hail. High of 91 degrees with winds from the west to southwest at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 40% in the afternoon.

NASCAR Friday Brickyard schedule at Indianapolis
NASCAR Friday Brickyard schedule at Indianapolis

NBC Sports

timean hour ago

  • NBC Sports

NASCAR Friday Brickyard schedule at Indianapolis

Indianapolis Motor Speedway will open its NASCAR Brickyard 400 weekend with nearly two hours of practice Friday. The Xfinity Series will be on track for a 50-minute session beginning at 12:05 p.m. ET on the 2.5-mile oval. The Cup Series will begin turning laps on the IMS asphalt at 1:50 p.m. ET. This will be the 29th edition of the Brickyard 400 weekend, which returned last year after a three-year hiatus while NASCAR raced on the IMS road course. Dustin Long, Indianapolis Brickyard 400 Friday schedule (All Times Eastern) Friday, July 25 Garage open 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. — Xfinity Series 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. — Cup Series Track activity 12:05 - 12:55 p.m. — Xfinity practice (CW App) 1:05 - 1:55 p.m. — Cup practice (truTV) Weather Friday: Scattered afternoon thunderstorms with possible gusty winds and small hail. High of 91 degrees with winds from the west to southwest at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 40% in the afternoon.

CW Sports Goes Bananas With NASCAR And Baseball Crossover
CW Sports Goes Bananas With NASCAR And Baseball Crossover

Forbes

time2 hours ago

  • Forbes

CW Sports Goes Bananas With NASCAR And Baseball Crossover

KANSAS CITY, KS - MAY 06: Split, the mascot of the Savannah Bananas dances before the start of a ... More banana ball game against the the Kansas City Monarchs at Legends Field on Friday, May 6, 2022 in Kansas City, KS. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) While most of the attention in NASCAR broadcasting this season has gone to the Cup Series—with all eyes on Amazon Prime's flashy debut—a different kind of network has quietly been using the NASCAR Xfinity Series to rewrite the rules of sports television. And frankly, it's doing it with a lot more guts, and just the right amount of bananas. Enter The CW. Yes, that CW—the one that grew out of the smoldering remains of the WB and UPN in 2006. For years, it was a haven for capes, teenage angst, and endless spin-offs from the DC Comics multiverse. The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow—they all had a home there. It wasn't exactly a profitable few years for the network, so The CW's new owners at Nexstar decided it was time to chart a new course. Gone were superheroes and teenage dramas. They were replaced by unscripted programs, game shows, and—perhaps most surprisingly—a full-on charge into the world of live sports. But not just any sports. The CW Sports didn't pick up NFL rights or chase March Madness. No, they went rogue, became a disruptor of sorts. They signed deals with LIV Golf. Then WWE's NXT. Then the AVP (beach volleyball), the PBA (bowling), and most recently, professional bull riding. If there's a sport too wild, weird, or off-brand for the legacy networks, chances are The CW is giving it a primetime slot. Signing NASCAR's Xfinity series last year made perfect sense for the network. It was a smart move. The Xfinity Series audience is loyal and deeply engaged—just the kind of fanbase a network with big sports ambitions could rally around. A Savannah Bananas and CW-themed No. 99 Chevrolet, driven by Matt DiBenedetto, will be on-track ... More during the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 26. But then came a twist a few months after the deal was announced. Originally set to begin broadcasting NASCAR Xfinity Series races starting in 2025, The CW didn't wait. They jumped the green flag, taking over race coverage in September 2024. Next up on The CW? Baseball. But not the kind of baseball that gently hums Take Me Out to the Ballgame. This is Banana Ball—the high-octane, choreographed, TikTok-dominating, foul-ball-caught-by-a-fan-is-an-out baseball circus that's selling out stadiums and redefining what a 'game' actually is. Think Harlem Globetrotters meet Jackass, played in cleats. And NASCAR fans will be getting a glimpse of it Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The CW and the Savannah Bananas have partnered with Viking Motorsports to bring the spirit of Banana Ball to the track. The No. 99 Chevrolet, driven by Matt DiBenedetto, will carry a full Savannah Bananas and CW-themed livery in Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway—a high-speed billboard for the team's live broadcast debut the very next day. Since their inception in 2016 the Savannah Bananas have turned baseball on its head. With choreographed dances, celebratory antics, flaming bats (yes, literal flaming bats), and a firm commitment to entertaining the crowd first and worrying about the score later, the Bananas have become a cultural phenomenon. With over 9.8 million followers on TikTok, they've surpassed every team in MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL, and yes even NASCAR, in social reach. And every game at their home field, Savannah's historic Grayson Stadium, has sold out since day one. Just the kind of chaos The CW seems built for. "These guys are fun, and we consider ourselves that way," said Mike Perman, Senior Vice President of CW Sports. 'We're trying to grow the network from a sports perspective and reach younger demos. We just felt like this would align—it would be something fun.' Perman said the Bananas were a perfect match for a network with a strategy built around bold, unconventional moves. 'We had heard ESPN was about to do a deal, and we figured if they're looking, we should move fast. Our president Brad Schwartz has always leaned into creative risks, and Banana Ball just fits that mold.' WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 13, 2024: The Savannah Bananas perform after a game against the Firefighters ... More at Nationals Park on July 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) And it's more than just a gimmick. Perman emphasized that, while the Bananas bring energy and antics, it's still competitive sport. 'The players are really good athletes. The games still matter. The rules may be different, but they still have to perform. It's not just a show—it's competition with a twist.' Perman also confirmed that this isn't just a one-off. 'We've done cross-promotions before with WWE talent at NASCAR races, and we're doing the same here. Matt DiBenedetto will throw out the ceremonial first banana at the game in Philly on Sunday. We even turned our logo yellow this week—we're calling it Banana Palooza.' Sunday, the Bananas make their broadcast television debut live from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. A sold-out crowd of more than 40,000 will be on hand as the Bananas take on the Texas Tailgaters. DiBenedetto, fresh off Saturday's race, will trade his firesuit for a jersey and throw out the ceremonial first pitch—connecting the dots between motorsport mayhem and baseball bedlam. What began as a midseason NASCAR promotion might just be the blueprint for how The CW plans to tie its sports properties together and continue being the disruptor. One flaming bat, one painted racecar, and one national broadcast at a time.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store