FROM KARTING AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY TO WINNING LATE MODEL RACES

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, the ties between Latinos and NASCAR are only growing. NASCAR attracts fans from all backgrounds and we see that more in the sport as time goes on.

This is evident from the race track side, where we saw Cuban-born Ralph Sanchez build his dream track of Homestead-Miami Speedway, to the driver side where we saw Mexican-born driver Daniel Suarez win his first NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship in 2017.

The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program is an essential example of the growth in diversity in our sport. We’ve seen drivers like Suarez, Bubba Wallace, and Kyle Larson succeed and run in NASCAR’s top series. At the end of the day, the goal of all the drivers in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program is to reach the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

A driver that is currently a part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program and has been making his name known in the sport is Miami’s own, Nick Sanchez. Sanchez is from Cuban descent and began racing karts at Homestead-Miami Speedway at age 12.

The 18-year-old began seeking other racing opportunities after a few years of racing karts in the state of Florida. He applied for the NASCAR Drive for Diversity legends car program and was given the opportunity to run the Bojangles Summer Shootout in 2017 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The Miami native is unlike many drivers trying to make it in the stock car racing world. Sanchez fell in love with racing on his own as his family had very little interest in racing while he was growing up.

“No influence from my family at all,” Sanchez said. “My dad works in construction and my mom is an account executive so they have nothing to do with racing. My dad has always been into classic cars and being raised around classic cars whether it is a Corvette or Cobra you just love anything with an engine, I guess that had an influence.”

Sanchez was fortunate enough to run in the 2019 NASCAR Whelen-All American Series. He picked up wins at Myrtle Beach Speedway and at the season finale at Langley Speedway in Virginia.

“It’s been an awesome season,” Sanchez said. “We’ve actually raced at about five tracks. So, we’ve had a vast majority of differences in the tracks and it definitely helps an overall driver and has helped me as a driver improve being exposed to different types of surfaces and tracks and different characteristics.”

The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program opened his doors to diversify his racing ethics. Having success running karts on road courses has transferred over to different tracks across the southern region.

“They’ve been an amazing help and without them, I wouldn’t have been exposed to the stock car world,” Sanchez said. “I’m used to road coarse karting and the Formula car aspect and I never really knew what a late model, legend car, or even K&N car was growing up and then knowing about this program and hearing from people around to eventually applying led me to this end and my new found love of NASCAR.”

His appreciation of NASCAR and gaining experience in stock cars continues assisting Sanchez to climb the ladder in racing. He hopes for the 2020 campaign that he can obtain an opportunity in one of the ARCA Menards Series.

Furthermore, this young Hispanic driver that is trying to make it in the sport is grateful for the opportunity he has been given in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program. “I’d like to thank Max Siegel for allowing me to drive his race cars and believing in me,” Sanchez said.

KYLE LARSON CLINCHES SPOT IN ROUND OF 8, JOEY LOGANO, CHASE ELLIOTT HAVE EARLY TROUBLE

Kyle Larson led 154 laps and went on to win the Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway this past Sunday. The Elk Grove, California native snapped a two-year drought since his last win and locked himself into the Round of 8 for the first time in his career.

He became the first Chip Ganassi Racing driver to reach the Round of 8 and captured his first victory at Dover where he had placed in the top-five six times in his career.

“To win a playoff race, my first playoff victory is special,” Larson said after his win. “I hope there's another win in our future, especially in the next round. We'll see what we can do. I've kept saying that I felt really close to winning here or anywhere right now. Our pit crew has been doing a better job, our team has been doing a better job. I've been doing a better job. So just gotta keep it going now.”

The 27-year-old expressed that he is worry-free heading into Talladega Superspeedway next weekend and can solely begin to focus on the next round of the playoffs. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin led the most laps of the event (218 laps) and went on to finish fifth.

The No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry driver dominated the early portions of the race. With 130 laps to go, Hamilin advised his team that he was having engine issues. Despite his concern, he was still the fastest car on the mile oval.

The runner-up Martin Truex Jr. seemed to be the second-best car toward the end of the race. After finishing first at the conclusion of Stage 2, Truex lost the lead to Larson on pit road and fell short of catching him at the end of the race.

“We were catching him at the end, got close, just unfortunate there,’’ Truex said. “We win and lose as a team and the guys will clean it up for sure. Every week is about getting most points you can, so a positive day for us.’’

The top-six finishers were made up of playoff drivers which included Hamlin, Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch. For some championship contenders there were problems early on in the race.

Joey Logano faced mechanical issues as the green flag was set to wave and didn’t even begin the race. The defending champion fell short 23 laps as he played catch up all afternoon and finished in the 34th position.

“We used the playoff points we accumulated; we just have to be perfect now,” Logano said. “We have two really good racetracks coming up, though: Talladega is arguably one of our best racetracks, and I would say Kansas is as well. We just have to be perfect from here.”

Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney finished 35th while running in the top-10 most of the day. Due to a brake issue, the team was forced to take the car to the garage. Last week's winner Chase Elliott was another driver that faced adversity during the race. With less than 10 laps into the race, the No. 24 Hooters Chevy Camaro had an engine failure. Elliott now sits 11th in the playoff standing and 22 points behind the cutline.

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the 1000Bulbs.com 500 on Sunday, Oct. 13 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. It is second race in the Round of 12. Coverage starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Here are the standings going into Dover:

AN ODE TO RALPH SANCHEZ AND AL GARCIA

From a sold-out crowd at the Grand Opening on November 3, 1995, to 18 consecutive years of the Ford Championship Weekend, we take a look at the impact that both Ralph Sanchez and Al Garcia have made on motorsports in South Florida during this year's Hispanic Heritage Month, a month dedicated to recognizing the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the country's history, heritage, and culture. If it weren’t for them, the Speedway wouldn’t be where it is today.

Sanchez, a Cuban-born businessman, came to America aboard a freedom flight from Havana to Miami. After arriving in Miami, he lived with his aunt and uncle, later residing in a Catholic orphanage until he turned 18. Sanchez earned an accounting degree from Florida Atlantic University, became a real estate salesman, before moving on to become a land developer, and then a motorsports enthusiast. He had a vision of changing the way South Florida viewed motorsports, beginning with the Grand Prix of Miami and eventually Homestead-Miami Speedway. Because of him, Homestead-Miami Speedway was a major facilitator in the revitalization of Homestead after Hurricane Andrew wiped out the town. Since then, amazing things have happened. It was Ralph who changed the way South Florida saw motorsports.

Current track president Al Garcia is an original employee of Homestead-Miami Speedway and got his start in motorsports because of Ralph. He grew up in Miami and began working for Sanchez in 1985, where his career started with the Miami Grand Prix. Through the tragedy of the hurricane, Garcia had a big hand in helping to rebuild Homestead. Since then, he has continued to give years of dedication to the track and community of Homestead. 

From the words of Al Garcia himself: “I am very proud to have known Ralph and to have worked alongside him.”

Gracias por todo, Ralph y Al!

INFIELD BEACH PARTY PASSES NOW AVAILABLE FOR FORD CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY

Fans coming to Homestead-Miami Speedway can now enjoy the same amenities as they would visiting South Beach. Access passes to Homestead-Miami Speedway’s Infield Beach Party are on sale beginning today.

NASCAR’s first ever Infield Beach Party, which is open to guests ages 18 and over, is located on a 20,000 square-foot beach located in the Speedway’s infield, inside of Turn 3. The beach sits on the spring-fed 7-acre lake that spans the width of the backstretch.

The beach includes a floating dock, palm trees and a swimming area. The Infield Beach Party is about more than just relaxing in the sand, as attendees will be treated to an exclusive experience that includes live entertainment, including an appearance by Miami’s own DJ Irie, unique food and beverage options, beach and water activities, and much more.

The Infield Beach Party will debut during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 championship race on Sunday, November 17. Access to the Infield Beach Party starts at $40.

Tickets for 2019 Ford Championship Weekend, which consists of the Ford EcoBoost 200 (NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship race), Ford EcoBoost 300 (NASCAR XFINITY Series championship race) and Ford EcoBoost 400 (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship race), are now available and can be purchased by calling (866) 409-RACE (7223) or visiting www.HomesteadMiamiSpeedway.com.

CHASE ELLIOTT WINS ANOTHER ROAD COURSE AFTER MISTAKE; ALEX BOWMAN EDGES ARIC ALMIROLA TO QUALIFY TO ROUND OF 12

There are 2,383.42 Miles 2 Miami!

Chase Elliott became the second-ever winner of the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on Sunday afternoon in Concord, North Carolina after nearly wiping himself out of the race. The Dawsonville, Georgia native captured his third win of the season and locked himself into the Round of 12 of the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs.

The 24-year-old won his third road course victory and sixth career win in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

“Oh, my gosh, what a mistake, holy moly,” said Elliott. “You talk about messing something up, right here — don’t do that. What a day. Such a fast NAPA Camaro ZL1, and honestly that was the only reason we were able to get back in it. I pretty well blew it and got the cautions at the right time and brought it home. … But I don’t think that I could have done anything more stupid, leading that race.”

Elliott was able to overcome an accident on Lap 65 after driving straight into the tire barrier. He drove his way forward from the 37th position and passed Kevin Harvick for the lead on the final restart.

Elliott’s teammate Alex Bowman finished second while clinching a spot into the Round of 12 with Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top-five. As usual, during the last race of each round, the playoff cutoff was something to keep an eye on during the Bank of America ROVAL 400.

Erik Jones's accident on Lap 23 knocked him out of the race and eliminated him from championship contention. Bowman and Ryan Newman were in a tight battle for the 12th position but with a lap to go Newman missed that backstretch chicane and ended up finishing 32nd. He finished 14th in points.

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Aric Almirola stayed on the track on the Lap 89 caution, where he couldn’t keep up with the front runners. Pitting in Lap 95, he restarted in the back of the pack and had to make up multiple positions to make it into the next round but fell short by five points.

The biggest headline of the race for the final spot in the Round of 12 was Bowman. With a few mistakes during the event and an incident with Bubba Wallace, he was able to drive his way into the second position and clinch his spot into the next round.

"Yeah, I don’t know if he was mad about the first lap, or what, but obviously that was just a mistake," Bowman said. "And then I got flipped off every single straightaway on the entire race track for three laps. I got flipped off by him for like three or four laps in a row at Richmond, so I’m just over it.”

After the race, Wallace would approach Bowman while he was sitting beside his car suffering from dehydration and douse him with water. It is the second driver in two weeks Bowman has an in-race incident.

Other notable playoff drivers like Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., William Byron, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin had solid days and advanced to the Round of 12.

The next race on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Dover 400 on Sunday, Oct. 6 at Dover International Speedway. It starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Here are the standings going into Dover:

MARTIN TRUEX JR. WINS SECOND STRAIGHT PLAYOFF RACE; ERIK JONES FAILS POST-RACE INSPECTION

Saturday night’s race under the lights at Richmond Raceway was another event to remember for Martin Truex Jr. After capturing his first playoff win of 2019 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the weekend prior, Truex went on to sweep the season races at Richmond. It became Truex’s sixth win of the 2019 campaign.

Leading 109 laps, Truex was ahead of the field with less than 100 laps to go when he was spun by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. His teammate Kyle Busch went on to take back the lead but with 24 laps to go Truex drove back to the front and passed his teammate for the win.

“Man, I don’t know what to say, I really don’t,” Truex said. “I’m speechless, just an unbelievable job by all my guys … had a heck of a race with Kyle [Busch] and Denny [Hamlin] all night long really, and we just kept plugging away at it, as we always do. We just keep digging and we never quit.”

All four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers would go on and take the top-four positions of the Federated Auto Parts 400. Unfortunately for Erik Jones and the No. 20 team, their encouraging top-five finish didn’t last long.

Shortly after the conclusion of the race, NASCAR announced the No. 20 car failed post-race inspection due to the car’s rear-wheel alignment. The penalty resulted in Jones losing his fourth-place finish and only earning a point.

“We’ve set the standard early in the year in what we expect, and teams have done a good job reacting to that,” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series director Jay Fabian said. “I think obviously as the pressure mounts and the season goes on, it doesn’t surprise me to see them pushing a little further and trying to get a little more out of their stuff, and like I say, sometimes it just crosses that line a little bit, and that’s all you need to fail.”

Other playoff drivers that had strong runs were Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, and Clint Bowyer, who all placed a top-10 finish. Notable drivers that went into Richmond on the bubble of the playoff cut-off like Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman, and Aric Almirola placed outside of the top-15.

Bowman stated post-race that his goal heading into the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL is to accumulate as many stage points as they can.

The Monster Energy Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway next Sunday for the ROVAL race. Race coverage starts at 2:30 pm EST on NBC. Coverage can also be heard on PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

Here are the standings going into Charlotte:

NASCAR HEAT 4 REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Snapshot from NASCAR Heat 4

NASCAR Heat 4 was released on September 13, 2019. After the release of the trailer, gamers were excited about the improvements. Heat 4 made major changes to further the success of the game series. Improvements included: a track map, new unlockable paint schemes, dynamic user interface, more driving control options, deeper career mode, drafting features, and track updates. Not only did they add new features they did a complete overhaul of all graphics and audio packages, as well as improved the AI.

“[NASCAR Heat] 4 is way better in a number of aspects, AI, graphics, sound, racing physics, customization of setups and settings, but falls short on consistency between classifications on cars” states racing fan, Harrison Marchese.

While the improvements outweighed the flaws, they did still make an impact on the users’ experience. Marchese went on to describe how Heat 4 differed from Heat 3 in both good and bad ways. While Heat 3 didn’t allow for much drafting, Heat 4 added many aspects to it, such as side drafting, drafting indicator, disturbance of air on the front of the car, and essentially creating a teammate when linking with another car to work together. The way users interacted with each other did affect many of the races.

The user interface also changed for Heat racers. With the improved AI experience, users can determine how they’ll treat other users, creating a more aggressive and competitive environment. The experience also gave more of a realistic feeling when racing. Now, you can feel the tracks more such as rougher tracks feeling a bit more difficult and the grooves change throughout the course of a race. Even the restarts feel more realistic as cars are packed better and not scattered as they were in Heat 3. The addition of the map on the bottom left also allowed users to be able to determine their placement in the race – this was a fan favorite. Overall the user interface was a hit.

The new game didn’t disappoint users, that’s for sure. “Things got a lot better, the changes implemented were a big help to the way the game is played” stated Heat racer, Clayton Juel. A Steam user, President John McAfee, even goes on to say “This is, without a doubt, the best NASCAR Heat game so far. Everything done with the game has been steps in the right direction.” 

Overall, NASCAR HEAT 4 was a huge success with 70% positive ratings on Steam and 93% positive reviews from Google users.

Homestead-Miami Speedway is giving away copies of NASCAR Heat 4 on both XBOX and PS4. Want to win a copy of NASCAR Heat 4? Enter Homestead-Miami Speedway’s NASCAR Heat 4 Giveaway at bit.ly/2Zblk8C