Team engineer to serve as Kyle Larson’s interim crew chief at Michigan

Chip Ganassi Racing announced Friday on Twitter that Phil Surgen will serve as the interim crew chief for Kyle Larson‘s team this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Crew chief Chad Johnston is serving a one-race suspension for a lug nut violation at Pocono.

Surgen joined the team before this season. He’s worked for various teams in the last decade, including Richard Childress Racing.

Johnston is the fourth Sprint Cup crew chief to miss a race weekend because of a lug nut violation since the rule was updated before the May 1 Talladega race.

Car owner Chip Ganassi was critical in a SiriusXM NASCAR Radio interview of the new lug nut policy and how it was taking the focus away from other areas NASCAR should dealing with.

NASCAR debuts campaign to promote diversity, inclusion and equality

NASCAR debuted a public service announcement Friday that features some of its drivers, including six-time champion Jimmie Johnson, and promotes diversity, inclusion and equality within and outside of sports.

The video can be seen here.

The video comes about two months after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed House Bill 2 into law. The law, driven by the issue of which bathroom transgender people can use, repealed local LGBT anti-discrimination laws. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this month that the league is looking at “alternatives” for the 2017 All-Star Game, which is scheduled to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, should the law not be changed.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France stated April 21 in a meeting with The Associated Press Sports Editors that “any discrimination, unintended or not … we don’t like that.”

Other drivers joining Johnson in the video are Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, Kyle Larsonand Darrell Wallace Jr. NASCAR partnered with the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) with the campaign. France is a founding member of the RISE Board of Directors. The initiative was founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.

“Discrimination has no place in our society, which is why we have partnered with RISE and Stephen Ross to help put an end to intolerance in sports,” France said in a statement. “With the help of our talented drivers who support this important message, we want to reinforce our sport’s unwavering commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion.”

Last year, NASCAR was among various sports organizations that expressed its objections to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence in March 2015. Gov. Pence signed an amended law last year.

Kurt Busch will spend off weekend at F1 race to watch Haas team

Kurt Busch will attend next weekend’s European Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan, to watch his NASCAR team owner Gene Haas’ Haas F1 team.

It’s a rare off weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and the 2004 series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 rookie-of-the-year will spend it – naturally – at a race track.

“Next week, we have an off-week from our NASCAR circuit and I’m headed over to the Middle East to watch our Formula 1 team at Baku, (Azerbaijan),” Busch said Friday at Michigan International Speedway.

“I can’t wait to hang out with ( and have the opportunity to sit next to a Formula 1 driver and see his tools that he uses; whether it’s simulation, whether it’s mapping. I’m hoping that I can discover things that I’ll be able to ask Gene. ‘Hey Gene, why don’t we have that? Let’s bring that back over to the North Carolina side and use it for the Sprint Cup teams.’

For Busch, who who won at Pocono on Monday, it’ll be a chance to see how the F1 world works at a track where no one has an advantage. The Baku race is new to the F1 schedule and will put everyone on level footing.

“It’s just an exciting time for Gene, all the way around, with the success that he had early on in F1,” Busch said.

“But now to settle-in as the season is going on and for us to deliver a win, it’s really a neat time with Gene Haas. He’s having a lot of fun in motorsports and he’s pushing harder and harder and harder.

“And I hope that there is something that I can bring back and cross-pollinate with our Sprint Cup team from F1.”

Chase Elliott fastest in Sprint Cup practice with lower downforce package

Rookie Chase Elliott was the fastest in Friday’s Sprint Cup practice at Michigan International Speedway with a lap of 201.630 mph.

He was followed by Martin Truex Jr. (201.314 mph), Carl Edwards (201.218), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (201.213) and Kevin Harvick(200.904). Twelve cars topped 200 mph in practice.

The practice featured the debut of rule changes for this weekend that NASCAR intends to employ next season.

Those changes are:

• Shortening the spoiler from 3.5 inches to 2.5 inches.
• Resizing the deck fin to match the spoiler size.
• Splitter reduced to 2 inches.
• Reduce skew generated sideforce by setting rear toe to zero.

There also is a new tire from Goodyear to match the changes. The tires were confirmed in a May 17 test at Michigan with Aric Almirola, Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson and Truex. Compared to what was run at Michigan last year, the new tire features construction changes to give the cars more grip.

John Wes Townley leads final Truck practice in Texas

FORT WORTH – The final Camping World Truck Series practice for the Rattlesnake 400 at Texas Motor Speedway was led by John Wes Townley.

While recording 28 laps in the 90-minute session, Townley put up a top speed of 179.420 mph. William Byron followed Townley at 178.950 mph. The rookie also navigated the 1.5-mile track with a session-high 51 laps.

The top five was filled out by Spencer Gallagher, Ben Rhodes, and Matt Crafton. Crafton, who has won the past two June races at Texas, was fastest in the first practice session.

Crafton recorded the best 10-lap average at 175.797 mph.

Friday’s on-track schedules at both Michigan and Texas

It will be a very busy day Friday at Michigan International Speedway and 1,200 miles away at Texas Motor Speedway.

The Sprint Cup Series and Xfinity Series will be at Michigan with one Cup practice and qualifying session, along with two Xfinity practices.

Meanwhile, deep in the heart of the Lone Star State, the Camping World Truck Series returns to action after a few weeks off with qualifying and the Rattlesnake 400 race later in the evening as part of the Verizon IndyCar Series weekend at the 1.5-mile high-speed oval.

Here’s how Friday’s schedule at both tracks shapes up (all times are Eastern):

Michigan International Speedway

Friday, June 10

8 a.m.  – 6 p.m. – Sprint Cup garage open

9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. – Xfinity garage open

11 a.m. – 12: 25 p.m. – Sprint Cup practice (Fox Sports 1, Motor Racing Network)

12:30 – 1:25 p.m. – Xfinity practice (FS1)

3 – 3:55 p.m. – Final Xfinity practice (FS1)

4:15 p.m. – Sprint Cup qualifying; three rounds/multi-car (FS1, MRN)

Texas Motor Speedway

Friday, June 10

1 p.m. – Truck garage opens

6 p.m. – Truck qualifying; two rounds/single truck (FS1 will air at 7:30 p.m.)

7:30 p.m. – Driver-crew chief meeting

8:40 p.m. – Driver introductions

9 p.m. – Rattlesnake 400; 167 laps, 250.5 miles (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

FULL SCHEDULE FOR MICHIGAN AND TEXAS

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series will race atMichigan International Speedway this week, while the NASCAR Camping World TruckSeries is at Texas Motor Speedway. Check out the full weekend schedule below.

Note: All times are ET

THURSDAY, JUNE 9:

ON TRACK: TEXAS

-- 3:30-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice (Follow live)

-- 5:30-6:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series second practice  (Follow live)

-- 7:30-8:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice (Follow live)

FRIDAY, JUNE 10: 

ON TRACK: MICHIGAN

-- 11 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice, FS1 (Follow live)

-- 12:30-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice, FS1  (Follow live)

-- 3-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series second practice, FS1 (Follow live)

-- 4:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FS1 (Follow live)

GARAGECAM (Watch live)-- 10:30 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
-- noon: NASCAR XFINITY Series

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)

-- 9:45 a.m.: AJ Allmendinger

-- 10 a.m.: Kurt Busch

-- 10:15 a.m.: Martin Truex Jr.

-- 1:30 p.m.: Brad Keselowski

-- 2:15 p.m.: Brendan Gaughan

-- 5:15 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying

ON TRACK: TEXAS

-- 6 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying (Follow live), this will air tape delayed on FS1 at 7:30 p.m. ET

-- 9 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rattlesnake 400 (167 laps, 250.5 miles), FS1 (Follow live)

SATURDAY, JUNE 11:

ON TRACK: MICHIGAN

-- 9-9:55 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series second practice, FS1 (Follow live)

-- 10 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FS1 (Follow live)

-- noon-12:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)

-- 1:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Menards 250 Presented by Valvoline (125 laps, 250 miles), FS1 (Follow live)

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live) 

-- 3:30 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR XFINITY Series race

SUNDAY, JUNE 12:

ON TRACK: MICHIGAN

-- 1 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 (200 laps, 400 miles), FS1(Follow liv

PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch live)e)

-- 4 p.m. (approx.): Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race