KYLE BUSCH SURPRISES FAN WITH PHONE CALL

Kyle Busch and Dale Jarrett surprise a fan with a phone call asking him how he became such a big Kyle Busch fan.

NASCAR to honor Orlando shooting victims with special decal

NASCAR will honor the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting that killed 49 people, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

An #ORLANDOUNITED decal will be placed on the A-Post of all cars in the NASCAR Xfinity and Sprint Cup Series this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. The Xfinity Series races Friday night and the Sprint Cup Series races Saturday night.

NASCAR America: Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman on Daytona hopes

Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman talk about the Paralympic event, Coke Ride Along, and their hopes for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 on NBC.

DeWalt expands sponsorship with Joe Gibbs Racing

Joe Gibbs Racing announced Thursday that DeWalt will be the primary sponsor for 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup races next season for the No. 20 team for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Matt Kenseth‘s team needed sponsorship after Dollar General announced May 23 that it was not returning to the sport.

“I’m looking forward to getting the DeWalt colors back to victory lane,” Kenseth said at Daytona International Speedway.

Car owner Joe Gibbs was asked if this meant a contract extension for Kenseth. Gibbs said: “Our plan is Matt is going to retire here.”

DeWalt also announced that it has added four races as primary sponsor for Kenseth’s No. 20 team this year — Chicago, Dover, Kansas and Homestead. DeWalt will provide primary sponsorship for six Xfinity races this season with Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Gibbs said that the organization feels “pretty confident” about filling the remaining sponsorship gaps on Kenseth’s car for next season.

Kenseth enters Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 — which can be seen on NBC — with a win and is 10th in the season standings. DeWalt is Kenseth’s sponsor this weekend and also will be on Jones’ car for Friday’s Xfinity race on NBCSN.

Thursday schedule for Daytona International Speedway

NASCAR is back at Daytona International Speedway and the weekend begins with two practice sessions for both the Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series.

Here’s when and where to watch the action on NBCSN.

All times are Eastern.

9 a.m. – 8 p.m. – Xfinity garage open

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

2 – 2:55 p.m. – Xfinity practice (NBCSN)

3 – 3:55 p.m. – Sprint Cup practice (NBCSN, Motor Racing Network)

4 – 4: 55 p.m. – Final Xfinity practice (NBCSN)

5 – 5:55 p.m. – Final Sprint Cup practice (NBCSN, MRN)

NASCAR fines John Wes Townley, Spencer Gallagher for fight

NASCAR fined John Wes Townley $15,000 and Spencer Gallagher $12,500 for their fight last weekend during the Camping World Truck Series race at Gateway Motorsports Park.

NASCAR issued the fines for the physical altercation and for being on the track during a caution period. Both drivers also were placed on probation through Dec. 31.

They made contact earlier the race, causing Townley to hit the wall. They wrecked in the final laps after a restart. After both exited their trucks, they scuffled, wrestled and threw a few punches before walking away.

Gallagher issued a public apology this week to Townley for the incident earlier in the race and his involvement in the fight. Townley has not issued a comment on the matter.

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Watch LIVE: NASCAR America at 6 p.m. ET: Previewing the Coke Zero 400

Today’s episode of NASCAR America, which airs from 6 – 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, gives you one last preview of this weekend’s action at Daytona International Speedway.

Dave Briggs hosts with Parker Kligerman from Stamford, Connecticut.

Included in today’s show:

Hear from our crew at Daytona International Speedway, including Krista Voda, Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett, Rick Allen, Steve Letarte and birthday boy Jeff Burton.
On Saturday, Tony Stewart makes his final start at Daytona as a full-time Sprint Cup driver. Stewart has never won the Daytona 500, but can tie David Pearson’s record of five July Daytona wins this weekend. We’ll look back on his summertime success.
Marty Snider is down in Daytona with the rest of the crew and he spoke with Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman as they get ready for Saturday night’s race.
The art of side-drafting has become critical to success everywhere – especially at Daytona. Parker Kligerman jumps in the simulator to break down how drivers use side-drafting to their advantage.
If you’re not near a TV, you can watch online or on the NBC Sports app via at the NASCAR stream on NBC Sports.

If you plan to stream the show on your laptop or portable device, be sure to have your username and password from your cable/satellite/telco provider handy so your subscription can be verified.

Once you enter that information, you’ll have access to the stream.

Click here at 6 p.m. ET to watch live via the stream.

NASCAR racing returns to NBC this weekend with the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. Coverage begins July 2 at 7:45 p.m. ET on NBC.