Road Block: Pit road speeding could keep Chase drivers from advancing

In a playoff format where a bad finish can keep a driver from advancing and cost them a championship, NASCAR’s increased enforcement of pit road speeding could play a significant role in the Chase.

NASCAR has enforced the additional timing lines on pit road in the past seven races — since the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in late July. Speeding penalties are up 86 percent compared to the seven races before the change was made.

Drivers can recover from speeding penalties — provided they happen early enough in a race. Chris Buescher won the shortened Pocono race after he was penalized for speeding. A speeding penalty late, though, can cost a driver several spots and that could be the difference in advancing to the next round of the Chase.

With the playoffs beginning this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, here’s a look at drivers who have had the most speeding penalties on pit road this year.

Speeding penalties for all drivers with five or more infractions in 2016

(CHASE DRIVERS IN ALL CAPS)

8 – Denny Hamlin

7 – Kyle Larson

7 – Ryan Newman

6 – Austin Dillon

6 – Regan Smith

6 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

5 – Chase Elliott

5 – Jimmie Johnson

5 – Greg Biffle

5 – Michael McDowell

5 – Paul Menard

Speeding Penalties for all Chase Drivers this season

8 – Denny Hamlin

7 – Kyle Larson

6 – Austin Dillon

5 – Chase Elliott

5 – Jimmie Johnson

4 – Brad Keselowski

4 – Jamie McMurray

4 – Martin Truex Jr.

3 – Carl Edwards

3 – Kevin Harvick

3 – Tony Stewart

2 – Chris Buescher

2 – Kyle Busch

1 – Kurt Busch

1 – Matt Kenseth

1 – Joey Logano

Speeding Penalties in Last 7 races by Chase Drivers

(Since additional timing lines added on pit road)

3 – Jimmie Johnson

2 – Chase Elliott

2 – Denny Hamlin

2 – Jamie McMurray

2 – Martin Truex Jr.

1 – Chris Buescher

1 – Austin Dillon

1 – Kevin Harvick

1 – Brad Keselowski

1- Kyle Larson

1 – Joey Logano

1 – Tony Stewart

0 – Kurt Busch

0 – Kyle Busch

0 – Carl Edwards

0 – Matt Kenseth

The struggle was real — virtually — for Joey Logano in new video game

The struggle was real in a virtual way for Joey Logano, which was exactly what the Sprint Cup veteran was seeking.

In a recent night of playing NASCAR Heat Evolution, the video game released today, Logano couldn’t win as much as he tried at Martinsville Speedway in the game’s career mode.

Logano had a limited budget to optimize the parts on his car to go faster, and the game adapted to his ability, limiting him to a best of 10th at the 0.526-mile oval.

“I had a hell of a time,” Logano said with a laugh. “You had to make money to buy stuff to make the car better, and I didn’t have any money, so my car wasn’t very good. It was hard, and things like that are kind of fun to play.”

It was much different from the racing games Logano played (then in the guise of Jeff Gordon’s No. 24) as a whiz kid many years ago.

“I would stop for a lap and try to get them all ahead,” he said. “You don’t have to do that to make it a challenge.”

The key to making NASCAR Heat Evolution challenging without completely curtailing success is its adaptive AI feature, which allows the game to react to a player’s performance and customize the experience.

“As you get better at the game, it realizes that, and it adjusts automatically the strength of the competition, so that’s pretty cool,” Logano said. “Because you don’t want to finish 40th every time, but you also don’t want to win every time, too.”

Players also will have the option to customize setups and modify their cars with upgrades.

Logano is an investor in the game along with teammate Brad Keselowski, and they provided input on the development with a goal of balancing realism with rewarding entertainment value.

“It’s a fine line because you want the game to be fun, but you also want it to be challenging,” Logano said. “If you make it drive too much like a race car, not many people are going to be able to do it. You want it to be enjoyable but not so complicated that you have to be setting up your car and play it all the time to win. You want it to be challenging enough that people come back and get better, but you don’t want people to have to live it to be decent at it.”

The game, which is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, also will have an online playing feature that will permit a full field of 40 players remotely racing each other. Players can host private races or join existing events and control various factors such as laps, fuel, tire wear and number of entrants.

“I look at a video game like it’s the only way our fans are able to understand a little of what we feel because you can’t just go to your local sporting goods store and buy a race car like a baseball bat,” he said. “So the only way you can kind of get a feel for it is through video games. That’s still very different from what we do, but it’s kind of the closest thing to it.

“You can’t go drive your car down the highway at 150, or at least you’re not supposed to, so this is the best way to let fans try to experience what we feel.”

New digital video series will reenact drama of Chase with Hollywood homage

NASCAR released the first clip Tuesday in a five-part digital video series designed to promote the Chase for the Sprint Cup in real time with an action-film motif.

In the debut of the “Ready. Set. Chase!” digital video push, defending series champion Kyle Busch is chased by his peers in a scene inspired by Hollywood franchises James Bond and Jason Bourne (the clip can be viewed above). The video (featured above) is directed by Jonathan Taylor of Feel Flims, a veteran of several action films (Mission: Impossible 5, Iron Man 2, Point Break).

The clips, which can be viewed on http://www.nascar.com/TheChase, will be released within days of each cutoff race across the four rounds of the playoffs and reflect what happened on track. Drivers will be featured in firesuits and helmets, re-enacting the storylines through foot chases.

“All season long NASCAR fans have been treated to some incredible racing on the track, but even still there’s nothing quite like The Chase,” NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer Jill Gregory said in a release. “’Ready. Set. Chase!’ plays off the passion, drama and tension that underscores these next 10 weeks, while creating multiple ways for fans to engage and be part of the fun.”

NASCAR’s marketing campaign for the Chase also will include sweepstakes giveaways involving manufacturers Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota as part of a Chase Grid Game on NASCAR.com. Fans also will be engaged through several social media platforms, including custom emojis for using #TheChase and a Snapchat live story for the Oct. 8 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR drivers shake it up - and off - prior to Bristol race

Matt DiBenedetto sports a Taylor Swift wig as he is introduced to the Bristol Motor Speedway crowd on Saturday night

Saturday night's Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway was rained out and rescheduled for 1 p.m. ET Sunday.

But before the rains fell, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers upheld a longstanding Bristol tradition, with each of the 40 pilots walking out to driver introductions to a different song.

Highlights included Matt DiBenedetto coming out in a Taylor Swift blonde wig to "Shake It Off" and Kyle Busch's mic drop to FloRida's "Welcome To My House."

Here's the full list from Saturday night's pre-race:

Josh Wise- "Narrow Mouth" by The Early November

Justin Allgaier- "Click, Click, Boom" by Saliva

Jeffrey Earnhardt- "Fishin' in the Dark" by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

David Ragan- "Ain't No Going Down Till the Sun Comes Up" by Garth Brooks

Reed Sorenson- "Take A Little Ride" by Jason Aldean

Cole Whitt- "Thunderstuck" by AC DC

Greg Biffle- "Trap Queen" by Fetty Wap

Regan Smith- "State of My Head" by Shinedown

Landon Cassill- "Famous" by Kanye West

Clint Bowyer- "Born to Boogie" by Hank Williams Jr.

Brian Scott- "Jungle" by X Ambassadors

Danica Patrick- "Maneater" by Nelly Furtado

Jamie McMurray- "Kickstart My Heart" by Motley Crew

Tony Stewart- "Better Man" by Pearl Jam

Michael McDowell- "Ice Cream Truck Song" by Ice Cream Truck

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.- "Shameless" by Garth Brooks

Kevin Harvick- "Good Company" by Jake Owen

Kyle Larson- "Another Round" by Whitney Morgan & the 78's

Trevor Bayne- "Rocky Top" Tennessee's Pride of the Southland Band

Casey Mears- "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" by Beastie Boys

Paul Menard- "We Are An American Band" by Jackyl

Kasey Kahne- "Record Year" by Eric Church

Matt DiBenedetto- "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift

Aric Almirola- "The Outsiders" by Eric Church

Jimmie Johnson- "Ain't No Man" by the Avett Brothers

Ryan Newman- "Huntin, Fishin', Lovin' Every Day" by Luke Bryan

Kurt Busch- "Living on the Edge" by Aerosmith

Austin Dillon- "Country Grammar" by Nelly

Chris Buescher- "Bad Reputation" by Adelitas Way

Jeff Gordon- "Show Me What You Got" by Jay-Z

Joey Logano- "On The Road Again" by Willie Nelson

Brad Keselowski- "Tom Sawyer" by Rush

AJ Allmendinger- "Remember My Name" by Maino

Martin Truex Jr.- "Great Day to Be Alive" by Travis Tritt

Chase Elliott- "Lotta Boot Left to Fill" by Eric Church

Matt Kenseth- "Seal the Deal" by Volbeat

Ryan Blaney- "Enter Sandman" by Metallica

Kyle Busch- "Welcome to My House" by Flo Rida

Denny Hamlin- "All the Way Up" by Fat Joe

Carl Edwards- "The Weekend" by Brantley Gilbert

All NASCAR Crashes From Richmond (Fall 2016)

Sorry this is late, I missed the race Saturday so thats why. Anyways, thanks for watching and enjoy!Credit to: Darcyf1.comAll NASCAR Crashes From Richmond (Fall 2016)

Nationwide Rapid Recap: Richmond

Kyle Busch dominates, a whole busch of cautions and hometown racer Denny Hamlin takes the checkered flag. Daryl Motte has your #RapidRecap from Richmond, presented by Nationwide 88. #NASCAR #NW88JR @Nationwide88

MEXICAN NASCAR STAR DANIEL SUÁREZ STOPS BY ¡DESPIERTA AMÉRICA!

The young Mexican driver appeared on Univision's ¡Despierta América! to talk about his racing career and being considered as a favorite to win NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors leading into NASCAR's 2015 Ford Championship Weekend.