For the eighth-consecutive year, one talented child with type 1 diabetes (T1D) will win a trip to see the car he or she designed race in a real, professional motorsport, courtesy of Motorcraft, the official recommended aftermarket part for Ford vehicles, and Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers, in an exciting contest that raises funds for JDRF.

This year, the winner will attend the Brickyard 400, July 26, 2015, a NASCAR Sprint Cup race where the JDRF-themed Ford Fusion stock car will compete.

The time has come for NASCAR to act.

The ugly saga of Kurt Busch and Patricia Driscoll's relationship reached a new turning point this week when a judge issued a court order saying that Busch must stay at least 100 yards away from his ex-girlfriend Driscoll and not attempt to contact her.

Busch also was ordered to be evaluated for mental health problems related to anger and impulse control.

Stewart-Haas Racing has accomplished a lot, especially this past year. What are your expectations coming into this season?
“Really, to continue with the things that were happening last year and the improvements made in the areas that I was looking to improve them, and also to develop new relationships, obviously. With a new crew chief and a new group, we need to get to know each other sooner than later, so I’ll be putting a lot of hard work into getting our communication going as quickly as possible. But then, after that, it’s to kind of pick up where I left off with Tony Gibson and his guys who taught me so much and really helped me get much further toward the front and qualifying much better and running much better. I’m sure there will be a little bit of a learning curve, but I think we can overcome that sooner than later.”

The 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season kicks off on Saturday night with the annual Sprint Unlimited where five Ford drivers – Aric Almirola, Greg Biffle, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – will be looking to win the race for the first time.

THE FIRST TIME…Ford won the Sprint Unlimited was on Feb. 8, 1987 when Bill Elliott captured what was then known as the Busch Clash. The format that year was a single 20-lap run (50 miles) with no pit stop required. Elliott, who started on the pole in his No. 9 Coors Thunderbird after a blind draw, fell back to sixth on the start after Terry Labonte and Ricky Rudd were involved in an accident on the first lap. On the ensuing restart, Elliott steadily reeled in leader Darrell Waltrip and passed him on lap eight. Elliott led the final 13 laps and won with an average speed of 197.802 mph, a record that still stands for the event. A week later, Elliott won his second Daytona 500.

When Ryan Blaney makes his debut in the iconic No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion in the 2015 Daytona 500 and the events leading up to the Great American Race, he will be mindful of his rookie status, but will be looking for ways to get to and stay near the front of the pack.

“I’d like to say being a rookie doesn’t change your thought process but it definitely does,” said the 21-year-old Blaney. “You go through it with every new series you go into. You have to give respect to get it. That’s what I’ve always done.