NASCAR America: Scan All: Kyle Larson’s Michigan win

In the latest installment of Scan All, get an all-access look at the thrills and crashes from NASCAR’s Michigan race which saw Kyle Larson finish on top for the first time in his Sprint Cup career.

Watch NASCAR America at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN: Remembering Betty Jane France

Today’s episode of NASCAR America will memorialize the life of Betty Jane France, NASCAR’s former “First Lady” who died Monday after making many contributions (such as the NASCAR Foundation) to stock-car racing.

Mike Helton, the vice chairman of NASCAR and longtime confidant of the France family, will make a special guest appearance to share his thoughts about Betty Jane France.

Dave Briggs hosts with Dale Jarrett in Stamford, Connecticut. They are joined by Steve Letarte and Bobby Labonte from NBC Sports Charlotte.

Also on today’s show:

With Darlington and Richmond left in the regular season, drivers on the playoff bubble face their last shots to win and make the Chase for the Sprint Cup. We’ll break down their chances of breaking through in crunch time.
Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup Series champion, recalls his success at Darlington on the eve of the second annual throwback weekend at the track “Too Tough To Tame.”
In our weekly Scan All! feature, hear all the drivers’ real-time reactions during Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway.
And in My Home Track, we’ll head for California and a track where a young Kyle Larson reached an important milestone early in his career.
If you’re not near a TV, you can watch online or on the NBC Sports app 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 America: Bobby Labonte on what it takes to win at Darlington

Bobby Labonte joins the NASCAR America crew to talk about how difficult the Darlington Raceway track is ahead of the Southern 500. Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup champion, won at Darlington once in both the Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series.

NASCAR does not view Kyle Larson’s celebration as excessive

A NASCAR executive says the sanctioning body has no issues with the burnout Kyle Larson performed Sunday after scoring his first career Sprint Cup victory.

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said Monday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that the celebration was not viewed as excessive.

O’Donnell said earlier this month on “The Morning Drive’’ that series officials were seeing a jķ,  we don’t like to see” with victory celebrations that damage the winning car. He said at the time that “you’ll probably see us sooner than later put something in place that covers us for that as you kind of head into the last quarter of the season.’’

But O’Donnell didn’t have an issue with Larson’s burnout after Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway.

“I think it’s something that we’re continuing to look at, but, in this case, it was the guy’s first win, it’s been three years, he was ecstatic,’’ O’Donnell said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I think we were part of the fan group in terms of looking down and saying that was awesome to see and an awesome moment. I chalk this one up as more of that. The car passed post-race inspection. It will certainly go to the R&D Center, but I look at this one as it was a first race win and someone really out there celebrating as they should".

SMI announces $10 children’s tickets for 2017 Sprint Cup races

Families attending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Speedway Motorsports Inc. facilities next season will spend less for children’s tickets for the 13 Cup races at the company’s eight racetracks.

SMI officials announced Monday a “Fans First” initiative: For every adult ticket purchased, up to two children’s (ages 12 and under) tickets will cost $10 each in select sections.

The move follows NASCAR’s announcement last week that children 12 and under will be able to attend Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series races starting next season for free with a paying adult.

“Coming to the races should be about fun, not finances,” SMI President/CEO Marcus Smith said in a statement. “Now a parent can get his or her child through the gates for an entire weekend of NASCAR events – including pole night, a Camping World Truck or Xfinity Series race and a Cup Series race – for just $10. This is one of the best, if not THE best, family values in all professional sports.

“NASCAR fans have passed down their passion for motorsports from generation to generation for decades, and through this new Fans First initiative, we’ll continue that legacy by introducing young fans to the sport and engaging them for years to come.”

Here’s a list of the 13 Sprint Cup races that will be held at SMI’s tracks. Tickets for some races have already gone on sale:

March 5, 2017 — Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, Atlanta Motor Speedway
March 12, 2017 — Cobalt 400, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
April 9, 2017 — O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, Texas Motor Speedway
April 23, 2017 — Food City 500, Bristol Motor Speedway
May 20, 2017 — NASCAR All-Star Race, Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 28, 2017 — Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte Motor Speedway
June 25, 2017 — Toyota/Save Mart 350, Sonoma Raceway
July 8, 2017 — Quaker State 400, Kentucky Speedway
July 16, 2017 — New Hampshire 301, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Aug. 19, 2017 — Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race, Bristol Motor Speedway
Sept. 24, 2017 — New England 300, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Oct. 7, 2017 — Bank of America 500, Charlotte Motor Speedway
Nov. 5, 2017 — AAA Texas 500, Texas Motor Speedway

As for International Speedway Corporation’s pricing for children’s tickets, a company spokesman told NBC Sports: “ISC tracks have offered affordable youth pricing (on an individual facility basis) for years, and while we will continue to evaluate the marketplace and make adjustments as necessary, we are very comfortable our existing offers are competitive, attractive and deliver a fantastic event experience for families and kids alike.”

Preliminary Sprint Cup entry list for Darlington

Forty cars are entered for this weekend’s Bojangles Southern 500 Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway.

This will be Darlington’s second consecutive “Throwback Weekend,” where numerous Sprint Cup cars will carry paint themes primarily from the 1975-84 era.

With Dale Earnhardt Jr. still sidelined for a sixth consecutive race due to a concussion, Jeff Gordon will return for the fourth race to drive the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Gordon was unable to race this past Sunday at Michigan due to previous commitments.

Alex Bowman filled in at MIS for the second time for Earnhardt during his absence, having previously raced at New Hampshire.

This will be the 113th time the Sprint Cup Series has raced at the unique, egg-shaped oval in South Carolina. Carl Edwards is the defending race winner from last year’s event.

Here’s the preliminary entry list:

DIVERSITY GRADUATE KYLE LARSON SCORES FIRST SPRINT CUP WIN

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2016) – Kyle Larson won Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway to become the first graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity and the NASCAR Next programs to win at the sanctioning body’s top level.

Larson, the 24-year-old Elk Grove, California, native of Japanese-American heritage, has already won in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. His first win came in 2013 at Rockingham Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He has since won another NASCAR Camping World Truck race, as well as four NASCAR XFINITY Series races.

The win at Michigan was the latest in a long line of 'firsts' accomplished by Larson in his young career. Among the highlights:

In 2014, Larson became the first NASCAR D4D and NASCAR Next product to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole (Pocono Raceway), as well as the first to win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

In 2013, he became the first NASCAR D4D graduate to win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

Larson previously became the first NASCAR D4D competitor to win a NASCAR Touring Series championship. Driving for Rev Racing, Larson won the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East title and the Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

On Sunday, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver won the Pure Michigan 400, driving the No. 42 Chevrolet, leading a race-high 41 laps in his 99th career start.

With the win, Larson clinches a spot in NASCAR’s playoffs – the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

NASCAR Next is an industry-wide initiative designed to spotlight to best and brightest rising young stars in racing. NASCAR Drive for Diversity, operated by Rev Racing, is an academy-style development program for female and multicultural drivers and crew members who have the potential and determination to succeed at the highest levels of NASCAR. Larson raced under both banners in 2012.