Truex Jr. Holds off Busch, Rides Carousel to Sonoma's Victory Lane

Martin Truex Jr celebrates his Sonoma victory (Google Images)

Martin Truex Jr scored his second consecutive win in the Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. This checkered flag is his fourth win in the last eight races, tying him with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch for the most victories this year.

The duo have already won half the races so far this year; a staggering statistic in what has been an incredibly dominant year for JGR.

Featuring a new (technically old) layout, Sonoma opened up the long, sweeping left-hand turn known as the Carousel for NASCAR competition for the first time since 1997 to celebrate the California course's 50th anniversary. Many thought this would throw a kink in team's plans, leading to closer competition and more action. But, no matter the layout, Truex and his crew chief Cole Pearn showed that they have Sonoma figured out.

The field paces through the Carousel before the green flag
(Google Images) 

Busch finished second to Truex for the seventh time in his cup career. With three-lap fresher tires, the Las Vegas driver made up an eight second deficit during the race's final 24 lap run, but once he had to use up a little too much of his equipment to make up that time, so once he got within two seconds of the No. 19 car, his progress stalled.

“I just dug down deep and tried to be smooth and hit my marks,” said Truex. “Luckily I began with a big enough gap where I could get away and not feel too much pressure.

“It was definitely a battle going on, as far as the race there at the end for us on tires. It felt terrible the last 20 laps. The last 10 it just felt like it was on ice — just no grip anywhere. I’m really proud of all these guys and everyone on this team and everyone back at JGR.

“What a season we’ve turned this into. This is great, man, unbelievable. Hopefully, we can keep it going.”

Hoping that Busch and Truex might make a bit of contact going for the win, Ryan Blaney finished a very distant third. Matt DiBenedetto drove the race of his life to come from just inside the top 20 to a career-best fourth place in a special Darrell Waltrip tribute scheme to honor the stock car legend's final race in the broadcast booth for Fox. Stage 2 winner Denny Hamlin came home fifth.

“Yeah, any time I had to lean on the left rear, I just didn’t have the drive that I needed,” Busch said. “Actually tried to hold on to it, trying to save it. I knew that was going to be our problem — that had been our problem all day long. You get closer, you’re like, ‘OK, I can get him, I better go, pounce on him fast, so then he doesn’t have the time to pick up the pace.’

Matt DiBenedetto drove his DW tribute scheme to a
career-best fourth place finish (Google Images)

“But it didn’t work. He was obviously saving a lot. I knew he was going to be saving a lot, have enough to be able to most likely hold us off. I was right. I still tried everything I could to get there and ran real hard. … Sucks to finish second to a teammate, but it’s good for the company. Overall Martin is really, really good here. I’m just pumped that I actually ran good here.”

Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman claimed the sixth and seventh respectively. Erik Jones, who started from the rear of the field after his team made repairs to the left rear quarter of his car post-qualifying, was eighth in the fourth JGR Toyota. Aric Almirola and polesitter Kyle Larson rounded out the top 10. Like DiBenedetto, this was also a career best finish for Larson at Sonoma Raceway.

The race ran caution-free, except for the two stage breaks. Front-row starter William Byron grabbed the lead from polesitter Larson on the first lap and drove to an easy victory in Stage 1. However, after leading every lap in that initial stage, the sophomore driver lost track position after pitting during the stage break and finished 19th.

NASCAR heads to the windy city this weekend for a triple-header at Chicagoland Speedway. The Camping World 400 will go green on Sunday, June 30 at 3:15 p.m ET on NCBSN, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Melon Man Makes Good: Chastain Scores Redemptive, Playoff-Clinching Win at Gateway

Ross Chastain and Niece Motorsports claimed another victory at
Gateway on Saturday night (Google Images)

The Melon Man Challenge has officially been conquered.

One week after having their win stripped at Iowa Speedway, Ross Chastain and Niece Motorsports headed to World Wide Technologies Raceway at Gateway on a mission. As the journeyman driver put it on the Fox pre-race show, "we're gonna stop 'em again and keep the hammer down."

That's exactly what they did Saturday night at Gateway, claiming a dramatic playoff-clinching victory in the CarShield 200.

Chastain's crew chief Phil Gould opted to take no tires on the team's final pit stop, leaving the Alva, Fla. native to hold off Todd Gilliland, Stewart Friesen, and several other drivers with much faster trucks and much fresher tires.

Chastain celebrates his Gateway win (Google Images)

''Phil Gould, Lonnie Rush they believed in me,'' Chastain said following his second (or third, if you ask the team) victory of the season. ''I didn't want to take tires and then it was up to me to freakin' hold them off, I don't know how.''

In victory lane, before answering any questions, Chastain made his way past FS1's Hermie Sadler and pointed to his truck's front splitter, as his crew erupted into cheers, a clear reference to their disqualification following their Iowa victory.

"These guys went home, and we were mad," he told Sadler. "We felt like we had one taken from us... I'm going to take that money home, and they're not taking it from us this time." Chastain then grabbed the suitcase with the $50,000 bonus from Gander Outdoors for winning the third Triple Truck Challenge event and handed it off to a crewman.

The race was also a good one for Todd Gilliland. Thought by many to be on the hot seat at Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM), Gilliland brought his No. 4 Toyota Tundra home in second place. Dirt track ace Stewart Friesen was third, KBM part-timer Chandler Smith finished fourth, and Iowa winner Brett Moffitt drove across the line in fifth.

While the race was relatively clean, there were some tense moments for Chastain in the closing laps. On lap 147, Sheldon Creed and Harrison Burton got together in turn four. Burton got into the third turn a little wide, causing him to slide up into Creed. Burton's Tunrda then slid across the nose of Creed's Silverado and into the outside wall.

The No. 45 Niece Motorsports team pose in victory lane
with the Mike Mittler Memorial Trophy (Google Images)

When asked if he was nervous about the ensuing restart, Chastain said he was more than a little bit worried about keeping the lead.

“Of course, scared to death, that’s the last thing I wanted to see,” he explained. “Buzzed my tires like crazy on the restart and got to thank Todd (Gilliland) for pushing me and not wrecking me. Other guys earlier, when you fade to block, they try to wreck you.

"Other than that, man, execution on these guy's part. We didn’t have the fastest truck today, but we executed, and we believed in each other. Man, that feels really good.”

The Gander Outdoors Truck Series heads to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend for the Camping World 225. Coverage begins at 8:30 pm ET Friday night on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Nascar Radio.

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity! Thank for the Memories, D.W.!

Darrell Waltrip (C) will call his final NASCAR race for Fox alongside
Mike Joy (L) and Jeff Gordon (R) this Sunday at Sonoma (Google Images)

Sunday's race at Sonoma will mark the end of an era for NASCAR.

When the checkered flag falls, the champagne is sprayed, and the photos taken, the traveling circus that is the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series will fold up their tents, load their haulers, and head back east to prepare for Chicagoland Speedway.

However, when the lights go out in the Fox Sports broadcast booth, it will mark the final cup race for 3-time champion Darrell Waltrip as a broadcaster, closing the curtain on a NASCAR career that spans 50 years.

Many of us, myself included, grew up with Waltrip in the booth for Fox, alongside Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds, and Jeff Gordon. Whether you loved his folksy, homespun, matter-of-fact broadcasting style, or if the mere mention of "boogity, boogity, boogity" made you cringe on Sunday afternoon, one thing is certain: our sport was much better for having ol' D.W. as a part of it for as long as he was, and his absence will leave a big hole that will be very hard, if not impossible, to fill.

Many would lump Waltrip in the same category as John Madden, Dick Vitale, and Chris Collinsworth — a former athlete/coach-turned-broadcaster whose style of commentary left fans either wanting more or wishing they'd muted their television sets. This polarity among the fan base was something Waltrip also faced during his career behind the wheel. So, by the time he got behind the microphone, he handled his critics the same way he did as a driver.

You can't please everybody, so why try.

Waltrip does the Ickey Shuffle after winning
the 1989 Daytona 500 (Google Images)

Waltrip has always been himself. He's long been someone who would tell you what he thought, whether you asked him his opinion or not.

Early in his career, he once told reporters that Richard Petty needed the prescription for his windshield changed so he could see better. A brash, young racer from Kentucky calling out NASCAR's "King"? D.W. liked to stir the pot from the very beginning, and this gift of gab earned him the nickname "Jaws" on the racetrack.

He was cocky, he was confident, but he had the moves and the talent to back it up. Waltrip amassed three championships, 84 wins, and over 23,000 laps led when he hung up his helmet. That's very rarefied air.

But time catches up to us all, and after several seasons of sub-par performance, Waltrip made the decision to hang up his helmet following the 2000 campaign and 30 years behind the wheel. Not long after, Fox - fresh off signing their new NASCAR television contract - approached him about climbing into the booth with Joy and McReynolds, saying that they wanted Waltrip to be to their NASCAR telecasts what Madden had become to NFL broadcasts. This would allow him the best way to remain a part of the sport he loved so much.

The trio's first race was the 2001 Daytona 500, which would turn out to be a very significant, emotionally charged event for Waltrip.

The field came off turn four for the final time, like so many races before; D.W. cheering his brother Michael to his first Cup Series win ("You got him, Mikey! You got him, man, you got him! You got it, you got it, you got it!! Mikeeeey!!"). But, Earnhardt, Sr had wrecked behind the leaders; an accident that we would later learn had taken The Intimidator from us. The broadcast cut to an ecstatic Waltrip who, through the tears of joy for his brother's first win, looked anxiously towards the accident scene, concerned for his friend.

The words, "This is great. I just hope Dale's ok. I guess he's alright, isn't he?" are now seared into the memory of anyone watching that day.

But, Waltrip is also a man of great faith. So, one week after that tragedy, he and his wife Stevie led the fans in prayer before the race at Rockingham. While this moment can go unnoticed, it illustrates how D.W. served as a rudder to help guide the sport and its fans through one of its lowest points.

During his 19 years in the booth, his voice provided a comfortable familiarity that will be sorely missed. He also provided a level of genuine excitement and love for NASCAR that will be hard to replace.

D.W. waves the green flag at Bristol earlier this year
(Google Images)

Do we really want more straight-laced, button-down color commentators? Or do we want the Tony Romos and Dale Earnhardt Jrs of professional sports to find their way to the booth, offer their opinions, and bring the same level of excitement they had on the field of play to each and every telecast?

Like Waltrip, Dale Jr was a polarizing figure during his career. Many loved him because of his father. Others loved him because he didn't try to be his father. Still others saw him as an entitled, silver spoon-fed kid who only ascended to the sport's highest ranks because he's an Earnhardt.

Next Sunday's race at Chicago will mark one year since Junior excitedly screamed "slide job!" as Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson bounced off each other, fighting for the lead on the last lap. Whether you like Dale Jr or not, that call will go down as one of the best in the history of the sport. That energy; that sincere passion for our sport is what our broadcasters need, and whether you liked him or not, that's what Waltrip brought each and every week.

His trademark call of, "Boogity, boogity, boogity! Let's go racing, boys!" was annoying to plenty of people, but to others it was a call to arms; to gather around the television and settle in for another exciting afternoon of NASCAR action. Waltrip himself has said that he wanted to be different than other broadcasters. He wanted to do something to get the fans at home energized for what they were about to watch. The fact that today, parents post videos on social media of their child reciting that same three-boogity call along with Waltrip each week is proof that he's done just as much to engage with fans and grow the sport from the booth as he did from the driver's seat.

So, as D.W. brings his hall of fame career to a close, we wish him the best and all we can do is say thank you. We'll miss you in the booth at Daytona next year, but  we'll always remember the laughs, the excitement, and all the great memories you gave us on and off the track.

NASCAR Overreacted by Suspending Sauter

Johnny Sauter was suspended from Saturday's race at Gateway (Google Images)

The sport of NASCAR was built on hard racing. Fierce competition, forged from the melding of man and machine in the crucible of an asphalt oval.

Drivers wheeling their high-octane chariots, battling inches apart for hundreds of miles has come to define what fans expect to see each week. They have also come to expect that, along the way, tempers will be tested and feelings will get hurt.

Take last weekend's M&M's 200 at Iowa Speedway, for example.

Hattori Racing's Austin Hill and ThorSport Racing's Johnny Sauter had a run-in at Texas Motor Speedway the week before Iowa. Hill got loose under Sauter, sending the 2016 series champ's No 13 into the wall. This all seemed harmless enough at the time.

During Saturday's race at Iowa, Sauter gave Hill a (possibly retaliatory) tap going into turn one, moving Hill's No. 16 up the track a bit. Again, this seemed to be a harmless racing incident. But, as the field circled around to turn three, Hill found his way back to Sauter's bumper and sent him tailgate-first into the outside wall. None too pleased, Sauter sped up as the field slowed for the yellow flag, caught up to Hill, and wrecked him back.

Austin Hill (16) puts Johnny Sauter (13) in the wall
(NASCAR.com)

NASCAR parked Sauter for the remainder of the event, which led fans and media alike to speculate what other penalties might await the Wisconsin native, and just how severe would they be?

Should the sanctioning body suspend him? Would he be fined and given a warning? Could this incident end his championship hopes?

Well, we got our answer on Tuesday afternoon when NASCAR announced it would suspend Sauter for this Saturday's Gateway 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. However, he will still be eligible to compete for the 2019 championship.

Something had to be done to send a message to Sauter, and the rest of the field, to deter this from happening again, but suspending him for a week is a major overreaction. NASCAR has been promoting their "boys, have at it" style of officiating for about a decade now and there's no evidence here that what Sauter did on Saturday was anything other than boys having at it, policing themselves.

As mentioned above, when drivers spend months on end racing at close quarters, fighting for stage points and the playoff berth that comes with each checkered flag, tempers will boil over now and again. And that's ok. That's what has made NASCAR the most popular form of motorsport in America — the strong personalities of our drivers and the fireworks that ensue when those personalities clash.

NASCAR needs this type of excitement.

Many fans are drawing comparisons between the Sauter/Hill incident and the Kyle Busch/Ron Hornaday altercation from Texas in 2011 and the final chapter of the Matt Kenseth/Joey Logano feud from Martinsville in 2015. The former altercation resulted in Busch being benched from the rest of the weekend's activities at Texas (both the Xfinity and Cup races) and the latter resulted in Kenseth sitting our the final two races of the season. However, these incidents are vastly different from what took place at Iowa Speedway.

Johnny Sauter (13) gets payback against Austin Hill (16)
(Google Images)

At Texas, Busch (a part-time truck series driver) hooked Hornaday (a series regular in the middle of a championship battle) into the wall, head on, at a much higher rate of speed than Sauter did when he turned Hill around. Likewise, Logano was leading the race at Martinsville, as well as the point standings with three races left in the year. Kenseth's car was wrecked and multiple laps down when he payed Logano back.

The beauty of short tracks is that the competition is much tighter than larger speedways because the cars and trucks travel at a much slower speed. When Sauter turned Hill, their trucks weren't traveling nearly as fast as when Hill turned Sauter moments before. Many fans seemed to want Sauter hung from a cross, bu they'd also be the first ones to complain that the sport and it's drivers are too"vanilla." No one's life was in danger here and neither truck was near track safety workers. This was a simple case of short track tempers flaring up. It happens on a weekly basis at short tracks around the country — a driver who felt he was done wrong, looking for payback.

Both the Busch and Kenseth scenarios had major championship implications, and the Texas truck wreck also saw Hornaday turned at high speed and a very violent angle.

Similarly, in 2008, Michael Waltrip drove Casey Mears down the frontstrech at Richmond Raceway and into the turn one wall after Mears cut him off coming out of turn four. Waltrip was parked for the remainder of the race, but not suspended.

Oh, and let's not forget  Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart at Dover in 2007. After both drivers wrecked, Busch sped down pit road and pulled alongside Stewart's car as it sat in his pit stall, almost striking one of Stewart's crewmen. Busch was parked for the rest of the race, assessed a 100 point penalty, and a $100,000 fine, but despite almost hitting a pit crew member, he was also not suspended.

Part-time ThorSport driver Myatt Snyder will fill in for
Sauter at Gateway this weekend (Google Images)

If NASCAR wanted to send a message to Sauter for this much lesser offense, they could have done so in the same manner.

Yes, a points penalty would be almost meaningless, since the No. 13 team qualified for the playoffs with a win at Dover. But the regular season champion receives a handful of bonus points heading into the playoffs. Taking points from Sauter, coupled with the points his team lost after they were parked at Iowa, would have made that goal much harder to attain. A hefty monetary fine would have also done the trick, as the purses at the truck level aren't nearly as substantial as those in cup.

Truck teams can also have a much harder time attracting and keeping sponsors than their bigger budget cup colleagues. When Sauter was released by GMS Racing during the off-season, ThorSport picked him up just a few weeks before the 2019 season opener at Daytona with sponsorship from Tenda Equine and Pet Care Products. Whether the team and the sponsor support what Sauter did or not, Tenda probably isn't thrilled at the idea of having a replacement driver in their truck this week, instead of the one they've built a program around since February. There's a chance that this penalty could have more of a ripple effect than initially intended.

Not to mention, the fans will also pay a price. Let's say I pull for Johnny Sauter. I've saved my money to spend the day at Gateway with my family; paid for gas, tickets, concessions, and now I won't get to see my favorite driver race due to an incident that happened one week prior. Any Sauter fan in that scenario would be acrimonious.

It is completely unfair to penalize sponsors and fans for something they had nothing to do with.

Speaking of sponsors, Marcus Lemonis, Chairman and CEO of Camping World and Gander Outdoors, really overstepped his bounds by chiming in on Twitter about Sauter's actions:

Totally unacceptable behavior. Run hard, turn hard, push the limit but find the clear line between right and wrong. It was crossed. Not my call and it’s good that it’s not. #gandertrucks #respect @USATODAY @FOXSports @NASCAR_Trucks @NASCAR @NASCARONFOX https://t.co/H5tQ0rnkL7

— Marcus Lemonis (@marcuslemonis) June 17, 2019

Lemonis' Camping World and Gander Outdoors brands have sponsored the truck series since Craftsman left as title sponsor after the 2008 season. He should be allowed to offer his opinions on the direction that the series goes. However, for the CEO of a series title sponsor to offer such a terse statement with regard to a competitor in that series is incredibly inappropriate, and to tag media outlets like USA Today and Fox Sports makes it even worse. It also makes you wonder what, if anything, Lemonis said to NASCAR officials privately.

Based on CNBC's "The Profit", Lemonis is fairly opinionated. But when it comes to NASCAR, he should offer his opinions on competition behind closed doors to the sanctioning body, not broadcast them publicly on his personal social media channels.

Being an old school, hard nosed racer, obviously Sauter wants to be with his No. 13 team at Gateway this weekend. But since he can't, he came up with a pretty good alternative.

Once a racer, always a racer:

Change of plans...Dells Raceway Park Saturday night Dick Trickle 99! Ya know a Real Racer #DickTrickle #SupportYourLocalShortTrack pic.twitter.com/SIxEDeUIbv

— Johnny Sauter (@JohnnySauter) June 18, 2019

Moffitt Declared Iowa Winner After Landmark NASCAR Ruling

Ross Chastain (44) and Brett Moffitt (24) battle at Iowa Speedway
(Google Images)

NASCAR's Gander Outdoor Truck Series has long been a fan favorite for featuring tough trucks and tough racing. Oftentimes, the "Tailgate Brigade" puts on the best race of the weekend.

The June 16 M&M's 200 at Iowa Speedway was no exception, however in addition to the tough racing on the track, the event also featured some tough decisions and after the race.

The race was highlighted by fan favorite Ross Chastain's clean sweep of both stages, as well as the race win. The Florida native also led the final 141 laps of the event. Known as "The Melon Man", Chastain

After declaring for truck points two weeks ago ahead of the Texas race, this win put Chastain and Niece Motorsports within 14 points of making the top 20 in the standings and guaranteeing them a spot in the playoffs. It also locked up the Triple Truck Challenge prize of $50,000, a big deal for a team with a much smaller budget than perennial contenders like Kyle Busch Motorsports, ThorSport, and GMS Racing.

Chastain celebrates what he thought was his second
truck series win of 2019 (Google Images)

However, the victory celebration was short-lived, as NASCAR officials found the front of Chastain's truck to be lower than the minimum height requirements mandated by the rule book. Per a new rule instituted before this season, if a race-winning vehicle is found to be illegal following a thorough tear down and inspection after the event, that team will be disqualified and forfeit all of the benefits that came with the win, and the second place driver will be declared the victor.

Truck series managing director Brad Moran said the No. 44 was too low when it was measured with NASCAR's height sticks, which have color-coded markers to denote proper height.

"The height sticks have warning yellows in them and reds and it was right off of all of them, so unfortunately it was extremely low," Moran said.

So, much to the disappointment of the No. 44 team, and many fans across NASCAR Nation, Chastain was disqualified as the race winner and was forced to surrender the trophy, prize money, and invaluable points he'd earned over the course of the day.

This meant that runner-up Brett Moffitt, who was already changed into street clothes, had a few beers, and traveled halfway to the airport when his No. 24 GMS Racing team called, had to head back to Iowa Speedway to collect the winner's hardware.

A native of the Hawkeye State, Moffitt was visibly upset at day's end. His team had already accumulated five top-five finishes in the first ten races of the season, so there's no doubt not being able to cash in on a victory yet was beginning to get frustrating. But when he was informed Chastain had been disqualified, he told reporters "I went from drinking my sorrows away to being happy."

After Chastain was disqualified, Moffitt was declared the
winner of the M&M's 200 (Google Images)

The defending truck series champion, Moffitt is now also the first driver to win a NASCAR race without leading a lap.

"I think, for the integrity of the sport, it's the right thing to do," Moffitt said of NASCAR's new, stricter penalties. "Obviously I came out on the good end of it. If I was in Ross's shoes, I wouldn't be too thrilled about it."

Following the No. 44 truck's disqualification, one thing is still certain: Chastain, his team, and his newfound legion of fans will only view this incident as a speed bump on the road to a bigger goal. Niece Motorsports has already announced they will appeal NASCAR's ruling, as is a team's right.

“Both of our Chevrolets passed opening- and pre-race inspections,” team owner Al Niece said in a statement. “We believe that the No. 44 truck sustained minor damage during the event, which left the truck too low, following the race.”

After Chastain's breakthrough Xfinity Series win at Las Vegas last fall made a 2019 title run in that division almost a certainty, only to have that chance get taken away due to a sponsor's shady business practices, it will be hard to find a fan who won't be pulling for Ross Chastain to win the 2019 Gander Outdoor Truck Series title.

Chastain has shown an uncanny ability to rebound like few other drivers in this sport. Whichever way the team's appeal goes, and it's hard to believe NASCAR will overturn their decision, it will be very interesting to watch this Niece Motorsports group as the #MelonManChallenge continues this Saturday night at Gateway.

Chastain Set to Tackle #MelonManChallenge

Ross Chastain celebrates his Gander Outdoor Truck Series win in Kansas
(Google Images)

Ross Chastain may be the busiest driver in NASCAR this year, but on Tuesday afternoon, he proved he's also one of the gutsiest.

After scoring his first Gander Outdoors Truck Series win with Niece Motorsports at Kansas Speedway on May 10, and scoring top ten finishes in each of the series' seven other events in 2019, Chastain announced on June 4 that he has decided to change course and run for a truck series championship. This isn't totally unheard of, as the sanctioning body does allow drivers to make this switch mid-season and declare for points in another series.

When you look at Chastain's truck stats so far this year, it seems like a no-brainer to make the switch. Following his Kansas victory, the watermelon farmer-turned race car driver would've been second in the standings and locked into the playoffs. However, none of that matters now.

The major stipulation that comes with declaring for another series in the middle of a campaign is that you must start from square one and build your way back up. So the consistency, the win, the playoff berth — none of those things can count towards Chastain's title fight because they happened before he switched from Xfinity to Truck Series points. As a side note, Chastain sat in thirteenth place in the Xfinity Series standings following the Pocono Green 250; just one spot outside of the playoff cut line.

Chastain celebrates his (and his team's) first truck series win
in a shower of confetti (Google Images)

“After much consideration and many conversations, I’ve decided to pursue championship points in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, effective immediately,” Chastain said in a press release.

“I know this is the best decision for me at this time and am thankful for everyone who has and will continue to support me moving forward into 2019 and beyond.”

While Chastain might not be running for a title in the NASCAR's AAA division anymore, he acknowledged that he would still honor the commitments he made earlier this season to compete in the Xfinity Series.

“I’m thankful to everyone at Johnny Davis Motorsports and Kaulig Racing for their efforts this year,” said Chastain.  “I will continue to run races for each organization where sponsorship for 2019 has been solidified," he added.

Dubbed the #MelonManChallenge on social media by Fox Sports reporter Alan Cavanna, Chastain now has a ton of supporters in his corner as he tries to do the impossible.

Team owner Al Niece said via a press release that, while his team faces an uphill battle, he knows they are up to the task and will give it their all.

“I know it won’t be easy, but I believe this team is capable of making the playoffs and competing for a championship with Ross,” said Niece. “Ross, Phil, Cody and every single employee at this team have worked incredibly hard to continue to advance this program.  We are proud to bring trucks capable of winning to the race track.  It takes a lot of work to get there, and we don’t take it lightly.  We’re ready to see what the next eight races bring.”

Smoke Rises to NASCAR Hall of Fame, Leads 2020 Inductee Class

NASCAR's 2020 Hall of Fame Class (Google Images)

After three championships and 49 wins, Tony Stewart will join the NASCAR Hall of Fame after just one year on the ballot.

The 2020 class, which will be inducted this coming January, is the most closely connected group yet to be given NASCAR's highest honor. Joining Stewart are car owner Joe Gibbs, for whom Stewart won two championships, Bobby Labonte, Stewart's former teammate and winner of the 2000 Cup Series title for Gibbs, legendary crew chief and engine builder Waddell Wilson, who worked with Stewart early in his NASCAR career, and 19-time Cup Series winner Buddy Baker, who wheeled the Wilson-prepared "Gray Ghost" Oldsmobile to victory in the 1980 Daytona 500.

Tony Stewart  (Google Images)

Perhaps not surprisingly, Stewart earned the highest percentage of votes this year, with 88 percent of the ballots. Both Gibbs and Wilson received 72 percent, Baker earned 70 percent, and Labonte came in at 67 percent.

Baker joins his father, 46-time premier series winner Buck Baker, in the Hall. The elder Baker was elected as a member of the 2013 class. Labonte will also join his older brother Terry, two-time cup champion and member of the class of 2016.

Over the course of his legendary career, Tony Stewart was able to win three NASCAR Cup Series championships Two of those came behind the wheel of his famous No. 20 Home Depot car (2002, 2005) and the third came while wheeling the No. 14 Chevy as an owner/driver for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in an epic battle with Carl Edwards that saw Stewart grab the 2011 title in a tiebreaker.

Joe Gibbs (Google Images)

An Indiana native, "Smoke" was also able to win the 2005 and 2007 editions of the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While he was able to win Daytona's July race four times, he was never able to claim NASCAR's biggest prize, the Daytona 500. However, he was able to win the Great American Race in 2017 as an owner when Kurt Busch drove to victory lane for SHR.

Now a member of both the NFL and NASCAR halls of fame, Joe Gibbs has an impressive nine championships as a car owner between the Cup and Xfinity series', including four at NASCAR's highest level.

The three-time Super Bowl champion coach of the Washington Redskins has also won the Daytona 500 three times, including the 2019 race that saw Denny Hamlin score an emotional win for JGR after the loss of Gibbs' son J.D. just weeks before.

Buddy Baker (L) and Waddell Wilson (R)
(Google Images)

One of NASCAR's pioneer's, Waddell Wilson was dual threat in the garage. Serving as both a crew chief and engine builder for some of the sport's biggest teams and drivers. The three-time Daytona 500 champion crew chief and three-time series champion engine builder worked for teams such as Holman Moody, Harry Ranier Racing, and Hendrick Motorsports. His driver included the likes of Bobby Allison, Mario Andretti, Buddy Baker, Geoff Bodine, A. J. Foyt, Junior Johnson, Fred Lorenzen, Cale Yarborough, and Ricky Rudd.

After years of  hopeful anticipation from fans, Buddy Baker will now take his place in NASCAR's Hall of Fame. Know as the sport's "Gentle Giant," Baker won some of stock car racing's biggest events. He won the 1970 Southern 500, was a three-time winner of the World 600 at Charlotte, and drove Wilson's "Gray Ghost" to victory in the 1980 Daytona 500. Baker was also the first driver to eclipse the 200 mph mark in a stock car during a test at Talladega Superspeedway, clocking in at 200.447 mph.

Bobby Labonte (Google Images)

Baker was also known for his work outside of the race car, serving as a broadcaster for CBS and TBS, as well as his work as a host on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The final name elected to the Hall was Bobby Labonte. The third member of the Joe Gibbs Racing trio to be selected this year, Labonte won 21 times at NASCAR's top level. Each of these wins came behind the wheel of the green and black No. 18 Interstate Batteries car for Gibbs, as well as the 2000 Cup Series championship. Labonte also won the 1991 Busch (now Xfinity) Series points championship, driving for his own team.

He and his older brother Terry (Hall of Fame Class of 2016) are one of only two pairs of brothers to win Cup Series championships. Kurt and Kyle Busch are the other duo.

Edsel Ford was also announced as the recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

The Class of 2020 Induction Weekend will take place January 30, 2020 through February 1, 2020 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte. The Class of 2020 is the Hall's 11th class, with the inductees growing to 55 members.