Latest news with #RichardPetty
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Richard Petty Doesn't Sugarcoat Feelings on Playoff Format After Shane van Gisbergen Win in Mexico
Richard Petty Doesn't Sugarcoat Feelings on Playoff Format After Shane van Gisbergen Win in Mexico originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Sunday's race in Mexico had an interesting connection to Richard Petty. The last time the NASCAR Cup Series held an international points-paying race back in 1958 in Toronto, a 20-year-old Petty made his debut. Advertisement A day after the historic race south of the border, which saw Shane van Gisbergen earn his second career Cup win and lock himself into the playoffs, The King was asked by a fan on Facebook how he felt about a driver 30th in the points automatically qualifying for the championship just because he can win on a road course? 'The way they got this thing fixed, if you win and you're in, that can't be right,' Petty said. 'From the standpoint that you got somebody, like I say, that's 30th in the points that's going to make the playoffs. Hey man, what happened to the guy that's 15th or 16th or 18th? You know what I mean? Richard Petty on the red carpet before the 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Kinser-Imagn Images 'Been running good, finished good everywhere. You're making a championship situation by winning a road course, which is not really NASCAR to begin with. So from that standpoint, I think they're going to have to jockey around and change some of this kind of stuff.' Advertisement Petty's feelings are not uncommon in NASCAR circles. There are plenty of fans who long for the old days of a season-long points system that rewards consistency or 'finishing good everywhere' as the 87-year-old Hall of Famer suggested. But his comments on road courses not really being NASCAR couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, NASCAR's second-ever sanctioned race during the inaugural 1949 season was run on a road course – a 4.150-mile circuit right on Daytona Beach. Since then, there have been plenty of road courses added along the way. Sunday's race in Mexico City was just the latest in a trend of adding tracks with right and left turns. Including Mexico City, six of the last 10 new tracks to host a Cup race were road courses. Advertisement Related: Richard Petty Calls Out Fox's Coverage and Says What Fans Have Been Saying for Years This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Washington Post
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Daddy's coming home with pole position. Denny Hamlin celebrates new son with top spot at Pocono
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?
Associated Press
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Daddy's coming home with pole position. Denny Hamlin celebrates new son with top spot at Pocono
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — 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? Hamlin laughed when he said Pocono officials told him the requirement was, 'either retire or die.' At 44 years old, Hamlin — who just welcomed a son with fiancee Jordan Fish — should have the prime of his life ahead. As for retirement? What, and miss out on all the fun? Even without a Cup championship on his resume, Hamlin remains a dominant force in the sport and he showed again Saturday why he's the driver to beat on the 2 1/2-mile tri-oval track. Hamlin skipped last week's race in Mexico City following his son's birth and returned without missing a beat, turning a lap of 172.599 mph to take the top spot in Sunday's race. 'Truthfully, I'm on a run,' Hamlin said. 'I don't know how else to say it.' Yes, life is good for Hamlin, especially after the couple welcomed their third child, Jameson Drew Hamlin, on June 11. Hamlin shared in a social media post that the baby was delivered at 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was measured at 22 3/4 inches. The name has special meaning: The three-time Daytona 500 champion's given name is James Dennis Alan Hamlin. So his son's name is for James' son and the JD theme is for two men (JD Gibbs and James Dean) who helped launch his career path into NASCAR. Hamlin said a difficult labor and the logistical issues of traveling on short notice to Mexico forced him to miss the race. 'If we were racing at Darlington,' he said, 'I would have been there on race day.' The layoff didn't affect Hamlin. He earned his third NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and 57th of his career on June 8 at Michigan International Speedway and jumped right back into the top spot at Pocono. Maybe some unexpected rest this week helped Hamlin crush it in the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. 'He's slept through the night the last three nights in a row. So it's been really, really great,' Hamlin said. If anything keeps Hamlin stirring at night, it's the acrimonious legal fight with NASCAR that continues to drag in court. A federal judge urged NASCAR and two of its teams to settle their lawsuit that spilled over into tense arguments during a hearing this week. 23XI Racing, which is owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan, is fighting with NASCAR along with Front Row Motorsports. The two teams say the series is a monopoly, but NASCAR has struck back with a countersuit of its own. Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney representing the teams, said he was open to a settlement. Hamlin said Saturday at Pocono he also was open to a settlement, but said no offer of one had been made on their side and wouldn't be at least until there is a mediation attempt. Kessler said NASCAR was uninterested in a settlement. 'I have stated publicly cooler heads will prevail,' Hamlin said. 'I can tell you this, this is not on our end that needs cooler heads. I think the difference is they're saying different things on their side. We're prepared to go all the way.' Hamlin is going to try and go all the way and win at Pocono with his fifth pole in 36 races at the track. Hamlin is the 5-1 betting favorite to win Sunday, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. 'It's a track that no matter the car we drive or the tires or the aero package, none of that really matters,' Hamlin said. 'You still make speed at this racetrack the same way no matter what car you are driving. I think it's been one of the few tracks I haven't had to change my approach to it depending on the car that I'm driving. I think that's why the success has been sustained.' The rest of the lineup Chris Buescher starts second at Pocono and Carson Hocevar — embroiled in a feud with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who has vowed retaliation for recent wrecks — is third. John Hunter Nemechek is fourth and Cole Custer fifth. Led by Hamlin, Toyota had six of the top-10 starting spots. Pocono sellout Pocono Raceway continued its renaissance with a third straight sellout crowd set for Sunday. The track sold out all frontstretch seating, premium seating, suites, infield camping and the grandstand camping area. It also is the fifth consecutive year that the entire infield camping inventory has been sold out. Pocono President Ben May said the track sold around 50,000 grandstand tickets, around 2,000 suite seats and 3,300 camping spots. NASCAR traditionally ran two NASCAR weekends at the track until 2022. The sellout streak started the next year and it was the first since 2010. 'When you look at this weekend, it's sold out. It's fantastic,' three-time Cup champion Joey Logano said. NASCAR expressed at least a cursory interest in adding to its recent string of offbeat race locations — everywhere from Mexico City to a temporary track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — and floated the idea of holding a race inside a Philadelphia stadium, Franklin Field. The site is traditionally home to the Penn Relays and college football. May said he wasn't necessarily concerned another race within driving distance of the mountains — about 100 miles away — would affect Pocono. 'When you get into center city and Philly proper, it's a stick-and-ball town,' May said. 'I'm very comfortable with Pocono's position on the schedule for a long time.' ___ AP auto racing:
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Daddy's coming home with pole position. Denny Hamlin celebrates new son with top spot at Pocono
Denny Hamlin (11) and Chase Briscoe (19) battle for position during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Denny Hamlin (11) and Chase Briscoe (19) battle for position during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — 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? Advertisement Hamlin laughed when he said Pocono officials told him the requirement was, 'either retire or die.' At 44 years old, Hamlin — who just welcomed a son with fiancee Jordan Fish — should have the prime of his life ahead. As for retirement? What, and miss out on all the fun? Even without a Cup championship on his resume, Hamlin remains a dominant force in the sport and he showed again Saturday why he's the driver to beat on the 2 1/2-mile tri-oval track. Hamlin skipped last week's race in Mexico City following his son's birth and returned without missing a beat, turning a lap of 172.599 mph to take the top spot in Sunday's race. Advertisement 'Truthfully, I'm on a run,' Hamlin said. 'I don't know how else to say it.' Yes, life is good for Hamlin, especially after the couple welcomed their third child, Jameson Drew Hamlin, on June 11. Hamlin shared in a social media post that the baby was delivered at 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was measured at 22 3/4 inches. The name has special meaning: The three-time Daytona 500 champion's given name is James Dennis Alan Hamlin. So his son's name is for James' son and the JD theme is for two men (JD Gibbs and James Dean) who helped launch his career path into NASCAR. Hamlin said a difficult labor and the logistical issues of traveling on short notice to Mexico forced him to miss the race. 'If we were racing at Darlington,' he said, 'I would have been there on race day.' Advertisement The layoff didn't affect Hamlin. He earned his third NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and 57th of his career on June 8 at Michigan International Speedway and jumped right back into the top spot at Pocono. Maybe some unexpected rest this week helped Hamlin crush it in the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. 'He's slept through the night the last three nights in a row. So it's been really, really great,' Hamlin said. If anything keeps Hamlin stirring at night, it's the acrimonious legal fight with NASCAR that continues to drag in court. A federal judge urged NASCAR and two of its teams to settle their lawsuit that spilled over into tense arguments during a hearing this week. 23XI Racing, which is owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan, is fighting with NASCAR along with Front Row Motorsports. The two teams say the series is a monopoly, but NASCAR has struck back with a countersuit of its own. Advertisement Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney representing the teams, said he was open to a settlement. Hamlin said Saturday at Pocono he also was open to a settlement, but said no offer of one had been made on their side and wouldn't be at least until there is a mediation attempt. Kessler said NASCAR was uninterested in a settlement. 'I have stated publicly cooler heads will prevail,' Hamlin said. 'I can tell you this, this is not on our end that needs cooler heads. I think the difference is they're saying different things on their side. We're prepared to go all the way.' Hamlin is going to try and go all the way and win at Pocono with his fifth pole in 36 races at the track. Hamlin is the 5-1 betting favorite to win Sunday, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Advertisement 'It's a track that no matter the car we drive or the tires or the aero package, none of that really matters,' Hamlin said. 'You still make speed at this racetrack the same way no matter what car you are driving. I think it's been one of the few tracks I haven't had to change my approach to it depending on the car that I'm driving. I think that's why the success has been sustained.' The rest of the lineup Chris Buescher starts second at Pocono and Carson Hocevar — embroiled in a feud with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who has vowed retaliation for recent wrecks — is third. John Hunter Nemechek is fourth and Cole Custer fifth. Led by Hamlin, Toyota had six of the top-10 starting spots. Advertisement Pocono sellout Pocono Raceway continued its renaissance with a third straight sellout crowd set for Sunday. The track sold out all frontstretch seating, premium seating, suites, infield camping and the grandstand camping area. It also is the fifth consecutive year that the entire infield camping inventory has been sold out. Pocono President Ben May said the track sold around 50,000 grandstand tickets, around 2,000 suite seats and 3,300 camping spots. NASCAR traditionally ran two NASCAR weekends at the track until 2022. The sellout streak started the next year and it was the first since 2010. 'When you look at this weekend, it's sold out. It's fantastic,' three-time Cup champion Joey Logano said. Advertisement NASCAR expressed at least a cursory interest in adding to its recent string of offbeat race locations — everywhere from Mexico City to a temporary track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — and floated the idea of holding a race inside a Philadelphia stadium, Franklin Field. The site is traditionally home to the Penn Relays and college football. May said he wasn't necessarily concerned another race within driving distance of the mountains — about 100 miles away — would affect Pocono. 'When you get into center city and Philly proper, it's a stick-and-ball town,' May said. 'I'm very comfortable with Pocono's position on the schedule for a long time.' ___ AP auto racing:
Newsweek
21-06-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Dale Jr. Defends Road Courses After NASCAR Legend's Remarks
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty rejected road courses after the race weekend in Mexico, saying they don't qualify as real NASCAR races. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has defended the street circuits, pointing out that they weren't important in Petty's era but stated how different the sport is today. Petty's remarks arrived after Shane van Gisbergen won the Cup Series race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit in Mexico City. Despite being 30th in the standings, van Gisbergen secured a place in the playoffs as a result of his victory. Petty called out this policy of 'if you win, you're in' and admitted that road courses are not NASCAR. Newsweek Sports reported his comments last week. He said: "The way they got this thing fixed, where if you win, you're in. That can't be right. You got somebody that's 30th in points that's going to make the playoffs. Hey man, what happened to the guy that 15th, or 16th, or 18th [that's] been running good [and] finished good everywhere? NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty (R) talks with Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA 400 Drive for... NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty (R) talks with Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway on June 3, 2017 in Dover, Delaware. More"You're making a championship situation by winning a road course, which is not really NASCAR to begin with. From that standpoint, I think they're going to have to jockey around and change some of this kind of stuff." Dale Jr. has responded to Petty's comments by stating that road courses hold more importance today than they did during Petty's era in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Back in those days, drivers focused primarily on oval tracks, but today, they are expected to master all kinds of race tracks. He said on the Dale Jr. Download podcast: "I agree with Richard. Road course racing isn't been road course racing in NASCAR since the '50s." He added: "Being a road course racer wasn't important. "If you wanted to get to NASCAR, you raced a short track somewhere locally. You ran stock cars, you ran late model stock, you ran the Busch Series or the Sportsman cars back in the '80s. You raced full-bodied cars around ovals. That was the route. "That was yesterday's NASCAR, and that's what Richard Petty is talking about. But we're in a different time. Today's NASCAR is all-encompassing. It is road courses, short tracks, superspeedway." Dale Jr. revealed that he was at peace with NASCAR adding more road courses. He said: "I agree with Richard Petty. NASCAR stock car racing is predominantly an oval-based series. Always has been. We have removed some ovals, we've removed some tracks, added some road courses. I'm fine with that because I do like the idea that our drivers need to be great at all things. If you're going to be a champion, you now have to be as good at a road course as you are at an oval. Back when I started driving, you didn't. You could f***ing suck at the road course as long as you were good everywhere else."
