Former Daytona International Speedway president John Cooper dies

John R. Cooper, a former president of Daytona International Speedway, passed away Wednesday at 84, International Speedway Corporation announced.

Cooper served as president of Daytona from 1987 -1990. Previously, he had served as president and CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, beginning in 1979 and until he resigned in 1982.

Prior to that, Cooper was involved in the national sports programs for the Coca-Cola Company for two years.

Cooper also served as vice president of corporate development for ISC until July 1994 while also working on ISC’s Board of Directors from 1987 until April 2003, before being elected director emeritus.

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France released a statement on Cooper’s passing.

“On behalf of NASCAR and the entire France family, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the friends and family of John Cooper. John served in many motorsports roles throughout his life, including president of two of the most iconic race tracks in the world – Daytona International Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But beyond any of his exemplary career stops, there was one role that was personally even more important – dear friend. John was a cherished confidant of both my father and my grandfather. My family has relied on his counsel – both personally and professionally speaking – countless times. We are all saddened by his passing, and will miss John dearly.”

Statement from Lesa France Kennedy, CEO of ISC

“The impact that John Cooper had on the International Speedway Corporation, Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR and the motorsports industry overall cannot be overstated. In addition to being a legendary voice of executive leadership, he also was a longtime friend and confidant to the France Family, starting with his close relationship to my grandfather Bill France Sr.

“John was one of only two people who have served as president at both Daytona International Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway – and that represents only a portion of his career and achievements.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with John’s family and friends. We have lost a cherished link to our industry’s past.”

Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough to drive Southern 500 pace car

NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough, a five-time winner at Darlington Raceway, will once again be at the front of a Sprint Cup field on Sept. 4.

That’s when Yarborough will be the honorary pace car driver for the Southern 500, leading the field of 40 cars prior to the green flag for the race at the South Carolina track.

A native of Timmonsville, South Carolina, about 20 minutes south of Darlington, the three-time Cup champion earned 83 Sprint Cup wins in his career. All five of his Darlington wins came in the Southern 500.

“This is quite an honor and I’m really looking forward to being the honorary pace car driver for the Bojangles’ Southern 500,” Yarborough said in a press. “The Southern 500 is the reason I got into racing. When I saw my first one, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Darlington is a tough, ol’ race track that can give you fits. When I was racing, I wanted to win the Southern 500 more than any other race. I still get goose bumps when I drive by the race track. I just may have to run a few laps and show those young folks how it’s done.”

Yarborough last competed in 1988 and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012.

Members of the 2017 class, Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin and Richard Childress, are the grand marshals for the Sept. 4 race, which can been seen on NBC.

BEN KENNEDY PICKS UP FIRST CAREER WIN IN BRISTOL THRILLER

Ben Kennedy topped the field to win Wednesday's Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway in the No. 33 GMS Racing Chevrolet, his first career national series victory. Kennedy is the great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and the son of Lesa France Kennedy, CEO of International Speedway Corporation and Vice Chairperson of NASCAR

Right behind him was Brett Moffitt in the No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota in second place.

Rounding out the top five were Daniel Hemric in the No. 19 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford, series points leader William Byron in the No. 9 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota and Johnny Sauter in the No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet.

The race's start was delayed approximately an hour as crews worked to dry the racing surface after a bout of rain.

The next Camping World Truck Series race is at Michigan International Speedway for the Careers for Veterans 200 presented by Cooper Standard and Brad Keselowski's Checkered Flag Foundation on Aug. 27 at 1 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

This story will be updated.

WHEN JEFF MET JUNIOR: GORDON RECALLS FIRST MEETING WITH DALE JR.

RELATED: Latest updates, timeline of Dale Jr.'s recovery

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- The first time he met Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon never imagined that he would one day drive in relief for his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.

Yet here Saturday night, Gordon will do just that, suiting up for the fourth consecutive race to drive the organization's No. 88 Chevrolet in place of Earnhardt in the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Earnhardt has been sidelined since mid-July due to concussion-like symptoms and the timing of his return has yet to be determined.

Their first meeting came in the mid 1990s at North Wilkesboro Speedway when Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Earnhardt Jr.'s father, were at the top of their game. The elder Earnhardt was already a legendary figure in the sport; Gordon was on his way to becoming one.

The cheering and jeering of the Earnhardt and Gordon fans was a weekly occurrence at tracks across the country. That the two would go on to become both friends and business associates seemed unfathomable to those in the grandstands.

"I remember sitting there on pit road and Dale Sr. and he came walking by … it was the first time I ever met (Junior)," Gordon told NASCAR.com recently. "They were getting ready to qualify; I don't remember if he was driving a Late Model maybe … I don't exactly remember but I knew he'd been doing some racing and was building some momentum.

"I remember that he was very respectful. It was cool to meet him and then shortly after that see him rise as quick as he did."

Gordon "retired" from competition at the end of 2015, with four series titles and 93 career victories. The last time he visited Bristol, he was working in the television booth, just two months into his new role as a FOX NASCAR analyst.

RELATED: Remembering some of the top moments at Bristol

Now, he's back behind the wheel at a track where he notched five wins and five of 81 career poles.

Hendrick officials announced July 14 that doctors had not cleared Earnhardt Jr. to compete the following weekend at New Hampshire. Alex Bowman stepped in and finished 26th in his only start with the team.

Gordon took over the driving duties for races at Indianapolis (13th), Pocono (27th) and most recently Watkins Glen (14th).

Getting back in the car, and the No. 88 in particular, was an unusual feeling for Gordon although the 45-year-old certainly garnered his share of the spotlight throughout his career.

"I knew it was a big story," he said of the return, "but still until you’re living it and the reality of it is there, you don't know how your heart's going to beat, how your hands are going to sweat. That first time on track at Indy, I was sweating. And not just because of the heat.

"It would be different if I had been out for one week or two weeks. But I'd been out for eight months. I hadn't really driven this package. There's added pressure because of the situation, it being Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car. To me the pressure was more about the performance."

Earnhardt, who also missed two races in 2012 after suffering a concussion, is a two-time champion in NASCAR’s XFINITY Series and has 26 Sprint Cup victories. His absence from competition has seen him fall from 13th to 21st in the points standings.

His move to the XFINITY Series (then Busch Grand National) is one Gordon hasn't forgotten either. Earnhardt made one start in the series '96 and eight in '97 before going full-time the following season.

"I went to see Dale Sr. about some business and he said 'Hey come check out Dale Jr.'s car for Watkins Glen," Gordon said. "… I looked at the car and remember it wasn't fancy, wasn't some super premium piece of equipment. The shifter on it was so long. Total old school. At that point we had been making really nice transmissions, road course cars, short shifters and all those things."

Gordon said he took the opportunity for a bit of friendly ribbing.

"I gave Senior a hard time," he said. "I was like 'What's this? You're going to make him go to Watkins Glen in this? That shifter is just wrong. This car is not at all what he deserves.'"

Earnhardt wasn't swayed by the comments, according to Gordon.

"He goes, 'Oh no. I'm going to make him work for it. He's not going to have it easy; he's going to work on it himself. I'm not going give him the best equipment. He's not going to learn anything being in the best equipment. He's going to have to drive some mediocre equipment so he can learn.'

"And I thought that was pretty cool."

NASCAR on NBC podcast, Episode 35: Tony Stewart

The deep thinking happens on heavy equipment these days for Tony Stewart.

Though in his final NASCAR season, the three-time Sprint Cup champion’s pace hardly has slowed between racing a stock car, co-owning Stewart-Haas Racing and managing a myriad business portfolio that also includes dirt tracks, a racing series and a PR firm.

On a 400-acre spread near his Columbus, Indiana, hometown, Stewart’s best moments of reflection come aboard an excavator while clearing land.

“I get a lot of thinking done when I’m out working,” Stewart said on the latest episode of the NASCAR on NBC podcast. “Having a project to work on gives you the outlet to get away from things, but at the same time, when you’re in a piece of equipment by yourself,  you can think of other things that are on your mind, and it gives you time to sort it out and think of solutions to problems that you have.”

During a wide-ranging discussion taped Aug. 3 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame after the unveiling of his Coke-sponsored Southern 500 car that honors Bobby Allison, Stewart explained what life is like on a sprawling homestead that also features an 8.5-acre pond, a 1,500-gallon trout stream and a 5,600-gallon freshwater aquarium.

It’s become an occasional home to two bald eagles, and Stewart plans to begin breeding deer this fall. He has used Periscope to document the other part-time residents of his property – Camping World Truck Series driver Rico Abreu and his open-wheel team. Abreu discussed living in Stewart’s house on a previous edition of the NASCAR on NBC podcast.

“There’s no shortage of fun with us,” Stewart said, describing some epic fireworks battles with the group. “I thought Rico was going to blow up my Lamborghini and possibly burn my house down in the process. But we definitely race hard, we play hard and care a lot about each other.”

During the podcast, Stewart also discussed his decision to retire after the 2016 season from NASCAR’s premier series, which he describes as a lot of work, stress and pressure because of the demands from a 36-race slate that runs February through November.

“For the last 20 years, I’ve been on a NASCAR schedule,” he said. “Everything you do revolves around NASCAR’s schedule. I’ve loved it. If I had to go back and start over, I’d do the same thing over again. I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

“But I’m at a point in my life that I’m ready to do something different. There’s unfinished business that I have with a lot of other categories in my life that I want to go back and finish things. To do that, I’ve got to step aside from the NASCAR side.”

You can listen to the podcast by clicking below or download and subscribe to it on iTunes by clicking here. The free subscription will provide automatic downloads of new episodes to your smartphone. It also is available on Stitcher by clicking here and also can be found on Google Play, Spotify and a host of other smartphone apps.

Here are time cues for easy referencing while listening to the episode:

Wednesday schedule for Camping World Truck Series at Bristol

It’s a one-and-done show for the Camping World Truck Series this week at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The Truck series will need only today to get its job done for the UNOH 200.

Here’s the full Wednesday schedule for the series, including TV and information.

All times are Eastern.

8 a.m. – Garage opens

9:30 – 10:25 a.m. – Truck practice (Fox Sports 1)

11:30 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. – Final Truck practice (FS1)

4:45 p.m. – Qualifying; multi-round/three rounds (Fox Sports 2)

8 p.m. – Driver introductions

8:30 p.m. – UNOH 200; 200 laps, 106.6 miles (FS1, Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Results and stats for the Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio

The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course saw the second first-time winner of the season in Just Marks, who led 43 laps on the rain soaked road course.

After eight cautions, the race finished with a top five of Marks, Sam Hornish Jr., Ryan Blaney, Ty Dillon and Justin Allgaier.

Here are the results and stats for the race.