Richard Childress Racing Announces Key Competition Personnel Changes Ahead of Nashville Superspeedway Race

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June 25, 2024

Andy Petree Announces his Retirement: Keith Rodden Named Interim Competition Director

WELCOME, N.C. (June 25, 2024) – Long-time Richard Childress Racing competition executive Andy Petree has announced his retirement from the 55-year-old race team. Keith Rodden has been appointed interim competition director of RCR.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Richard Childress for the impact he has had on my career, as well as the wonderful memories and on-track success we have enjoyed together,” said Petree. “Although my day-to-day involvement with RCR is changing, I will always be a fan and supporter of everyone in Welcome, North Carolina. I wish RCR the best for the rest of this season and beyond.”

A 35-year veteran of the motorsports industry, Petree first joined Richard Childress Racing in 1993 as the crew chief for the famous No. 3 Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt. With Petree’s help, Earnhardt earned his sixth and seventh championships in 1993 and 1994. The pair also secured 15 wins, seven poles, 56 top-five and 47 top-10 finishes together.

Petree most recently led RCR’s competition team as executive vice president. In that role, he guided the organization to 26 race wins (nine in the NASCAR Cup Series and 17 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series) and helped RCR earn the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2019. Under Petree’s leadership, RCR made seven NASCAR Cup Series Playoff appearances from 2017-2023. He was also instrumental in overseeing the development of the Next Gen Chevy.

“Andy Petree has been a tremendous supporter of RCR for many years and we wish him success in the future,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Our organization won two championships with Andy during his first stint at RCR, and we have made the NASCAR Playoffs and won races with him during his most recent tenure. I am grateful for his contributions to the team, leadership and friendship over the years. Keith Rodden has big shoes to fill as interim competition director, but I know his passion for motorsports and dedication will help drive RCR forward during a key time for our organization.”

Rodden, a veteran crew chief and race engineer, will take on a larger role across the organization to help maximize the capabilities of RCR’s Chevys and provide leadership, coordination and support.

The changes are effective immediately.

For more information and all that is going on at RCR, visit rcrracing.com.

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has celebrated over 50 years of racing and earned more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2024 NASCAR Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch (No. 8 Chevrolet) and 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet). RCR fields a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series program with Jesse Love (No. 2 Chevrolet) and Austin Hill (No. 21 Chevrolet).

Toyota Racing – NCS Quotes – JGR Press Conference – 06.25.24

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Official Release

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June 25, 2024

Toyota Racing – Joe Gibbs Racing Press Conference
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (June 25, 2024) – Future Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing owner and founder Joe Gibbs and the crew chief of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team, James Small, were made available to the media as they announced Briscoe’s contract to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing beginning with the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
JOE GIBBS, owner and founder, Joe Gibbs Racing
JAMES SMALL, crew chief, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
JOHNNY MORRIS, founder, majority owner and CEO, Bass Pro Shops

Johnny, can you provide some thoughts for us?

Morris: “Good afternoon and thanks for inviting me to this call. I just want to start off by (pause), Martin (Truex) can be somewhat modest sometimes, but the other evening, he sent me a text that was a picture of him on the back of a boat in the North Atlantic and he said, ‘I’m waiting for a good tuna bite.’ Well, a few minutes later, we get another picture and he’s standing up fighting this fish and then one of his buddies sends this picture, and maybe you guys have seen it, if you haven’t, you ought to ask Martin about it. He catches this giant fish, and he caught it on stand-up tackle, which is quite a feat. And I was just thinking, if Martin, he’s getting pretty old, but if he can still catch a fish like that, he can still win another championship. That’s the main thing I was thinking about is good luck to Martin and team on getting this championship this year. And I have to start with a thank you to Martin Truex Jr. As many years now, I think 21 now, that we’ve been aligned together in racing. Have had a lot of unbelievable, happy, fun times. And all that time, Martin has just been a champion every way you measure it. Just how he represents our brand and gets after racing on the track. I just want to thank you Martin. And for the last six or seven years for our relationship that we’ve been there with Joe Gibbs Racing. And Joe, you, and your team. Everyone that’s part of your racing family, your personal family, extended racing family. They’re great folks. And when Martin made his announcement, I think Joe started to look around a little, but recently introduced myself to Chase (Briscoe) and we had a chance to get acquainted. You guys know Chase’s record in racing as a young man. What I didn’t realize is his upbringing and how he started off, kind of reminded me of a country music singer, Chris Jansen, that pursued his career and lived out of his car for a year out of Nashville following his passion. I think how we started Bass Pro Shops out the back of my dad’s liquor store and America is the land of opportunity. Chase, we’re very excited Joe (Gibbs) picked you to be the driver of the 19 car. We’re all proud, grateful and excited we get to keep racing with the team. It’s very inspirational. Very grateful and excited today, and I say that for everyone in our company and from our customers. We’re excited to keep saluting the outdoors and have fun doing it. We wish everyone the very best and are excited about the future.”

Gibbs: “We appreciate, gosh, to have a relationship like this that’ll continue on the 19 car with one of the most iconic companies in America that everyone just admires. It’s a huge deal for us and the relationship too. The thing about Bass Pro, it’s a relationship. When you get a chance to know Johnny (Morris, founder, majority owner and CEO, Bass Pro Shops) and JP (John Paul Morris). The things that Johnny, he really feels passionate about are family, and then of course, is America. The reason I share these things is that they’ll show up on our car, which is a thrill for us. He cares about America, but all of those that have sacrificed for America. Johnny is very big on veterans. It shows up on our race car. And then of course, the outdoors. So, for all of those reasons, I think that logo the guys and I are wearing is one of the most iconic logos in America. People recognize it. I see teenagers running around with the hat on. Johnny, his family and team have built a fantastic company. We’re just thrilled to be a part of it and that will continue to be a huge deal for us. The other thing I was going to say about Martin (Truex). Johnny touched on it there. Martin will be an ambassador for us for the years going forward. We’re still talking about the things he’ll do for us. And so that’s going to be exciting. If we can get him off a boat or a deer blind some place, we’ll have a chance. I told him ‘do you really think you can fish every day?’ So, this will be interesting. I think we can get him back for a few things. So that’s going to be big deal.”

Coach, can you share an opening statement on this announcement?

Gibbs: “So we have Chase (Briscoe) and that’s exciting for us. Marissa (Briscoe, Chase’s wife) is here, and our star is here running around, Brooks (Briscoe, Chase’s son). If he’s here, we need to get him up here in a few minutes. And then we’re waiting on some twins, I think. Here’s the deal that I thought really rang true on Chase. When you’re doing this, it’s a really huge deal for us. Our company, the people that work for us. It becomes a huge decision. We went through this for months and we talked to I don’t know how many people that could potentially come to our car. And so, what really hit all of us with Chase and his background. You can go back and look at Xfinity, he won nine races that year (2020). And some of the other things he’s done, he’s already won in Cup. But to hear him sit and talk about his background and the sacrifices he made to race. I think that hit Johnny (Morris). I think Chase is a big outdoors guy. He has a fishpond in the back of his house there, so they shared a lot there too. I think his story and how much he’s sacrificed to do what he does was really impressive. I know it impressed Johnny and JP and did me. But also, we have to win, and we came down to the end, we think Chase can win. That’s where we are and it’s a thrill for us to have him come onboard and he’ll take over the 19 car after this year. Now the emphasis for the rest of this year, we think we can win a championship with this car. I know James (Small) feels that way. We’re going to do everything we can to try to win a championship and let Martin go out on top. For that car, nothing much has gone our way, but that car is sitting there as the first in points behind those who have won. We’re in a good spot there.”

Chase, how do you feel now that this is finally official?

Briscoe: “I think it’s the worst kept secret in the sport for a while now. Christopher (Bell) I guess just couldn’t hold it in any longer. But yeah, super exciting to come to an organization where I feel like it matches my values and just the culture over here is different than wherever I’ve been before. It starts at the top with Joe, Dave (Alpern, president, Joe Gibbs Racing), Heather Gibbs (co-owner, Joe Gibbs Racing) and everybody. It’s been fun for a couple weeks now to learn that side of them and see what makes them as successful as they are. That’s the thing I’m excited about to come over next year and try to just add to that in any capacity I can. Obviously, they have amazing race cars, amazing people over here and then to do it, with what Joe was saying, with an iconic brand like Bass Pro Shops. I’m an outdoorsman myself. I love hunting and fishing. Literally, my son and I fish almost every single day. When I met Johnny for the first time, I was trying to figure out where I can get some of those bass in the aquarium as the bass in my house are not that big. Hopefully I can continue to get Johnny to maybe give me some bass. It’s going to be an incredible opportunity for me, the opportunity of a lifetime. Like Joe was saying, all the sacrifices I’ve had to go through during my career to finally come here and hopefully show what I can do. It’s obviously big shoes to fill. Martin is an incredible race car driver, first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in my opinion. When he came over here, I think he had two wins, before he went to Furniture Row and Joe Gibbs, and that’s kind of the same situation I’m in right now, so hopefully I can have the same type of career as Martin where this was the skyrocket for him and hopefully be here for a really long time.”

James, what are your thoughts once Chase is added to the No. 19 team?

Small: “Yeah, we’re all super excited on the team. We’ve been in-limbo the past few years trying to work out which way he (Martin Truex Jr.) was going to go, but now, this just allows us to build for the future. Chase (Briscoe) is an amazing talent. I actually didn’t know him until last week, and then spent an hour with him and we had a really good chat. I think our goals both have a lot to prove. So yeah, very excited and looking forward to next season and prove what we can do to everybody.”

Coach, what were the criteria you wanted in the next driver and how many drivers did you evaluate?

Gibbs: “When it comes to picking talent, you know and you come from a football background with the draft and everything, the most important thing we do is our people and the people you have on your team. For us really here, it always starts with character. You’re always looking at what type of person you’re getting. And the thing that is different about our sport is that these guys have to represent companies and they represent us. You kind of see the drivers, and I’ve always really respected the drivers in NASCAR because you just don’t find people getting in trouble. It’s a very high standard, so that’s what we always start with and you’re looking at, because it’s so important and you just think about Bass Pro Shops and the fact that Chase (Briscoe) will be representing them. That’s such a big deal for us and so, our drivers, we feel like character and then of course that comes with us is we have to win. None of our sponsors say to us, ‘we’re good with running in the back.’ You have to compete; we want to win. And so, then it starts into the talent. I think it’s never easy and it’s complicated when we pick people or somebody like this to take over for us on our race team. Huge deal for us. I think, knowing, Christopher (Bell) was able to help me a little bit with Chase. I think he slept on Christopher’s couch, he was knocking on doors for three years. When you hear his story, there’s a miracle in there that really happened for him to get a chance for that Xfinity (Series) year. I actually met already with that person, and he told me this story, and it’s a crazy deal, he walked out of the store and Chase’s dad was there and started a conversation, which is crazy. I think it’s a good example of God putting his hand out. So, I think it’s the most important thing we do, is the people who work on our team and certainly felt Chase fit that for us.

What made you think James Small is the right fit moving forward?

Gibbs: “It’s obvious – we are not changing the crew chief, so relax, James (Small)? (laughter). Our team there – if you take a look at what we’ve done – if you take a look at this year, that car has overcome all kinds of adversity. It was again last week – and to fight all the way back, last week, and to wind up ninth is a perfect example. We’ve kind of been doing that all year. We’ve been the dominate car too at times, and things just didn’t go well at the end of the race, so we are sitting there in points – last year we won the regular season – I just think our team there, if we have a few things go our way, I think we could win the championship this year. We all feel that way. We are excited about that. I know that is hugely important to all of our sponsors there including, Johnny (Morris, founder, majority owner and CEO, Bass Pro Shops) and Bass Pro. It’s a huge deal for us. We mention Interstate (Batteries) and Reser’s being on that car, that is a huge deal for us. I think we’ve got everything it takes there to win a championship, so that is our goal.”

Coach, how important is it to find a driver that shares your faith?

Gibbs: “I don’t think we’ve here ever asked somebody, what is your faith? We’ve never done that. We want to hire – we start with character and what kind of person, and all of that. I do think it kind of comes out, in a process of doing something like this, because we go in real depth with every part of it. I think we are looking for high-character people, and certainly, we think that Chase (Briscoe) fits that. I think in our world – you’re going to go through highs and lows here, like you won’t believe. That is the thing about sports – sports will test you. You will try to get a feeling of how they are going to hold up, just like Martin (Truex) and the way he has fought in that car with everything that has gone against us this year. Two weeks ago, we ended up 17th and we came back from everything that could happen to a car, and again this week. That is what you are looking for. You are looking for people that will fight. I think their background says a lot about them, and I think Chase’s background says that he will fight.”

How will you balance his love for dirt racing?

Gibbs: “Now why did you have to bring that up? (laughter) Let me say this. I can tell you where we are. It is important to Christopher (Bell), and all of our drivers. So, what we have developed here, if someone wants to run a race outside of our Cup stuff, they just come to us. They go to the crew chief first, then they go to our competition guys – Michael (Guttilla, chief operating officer, Joe Gibbs Racing) – then we all talk it over. It has a lot to do with the car, the race track and whatever, and then we make a decision and go forward. In our Xfinity car, Christopher jumped in there last week. There will be times that they can definitely – we will just use common sense, so that is kind of what we have developed a plan going forward, because I know it’s important to them.”

Chase, can you walk us through the timeline to this opportunity?

Briscoe: “It really started the day that Tony (Stewart) told us all. He kind of asked us at the end, when he told all of the drivers, ‘do you have any questions?’ and I said, ‘what does this mean about us being able to talk to other people?’. He said, ‘you guys are free to do what you want.’. So really in the conference room, I just started texting all of the team presidents that I knew, and Dave (Alpern, president, Joe Gibbs Racing) was one of them, and just said ‘hey, Stewart-Haas told us today that we were free to do whatever we want, and would love the opportunity to talk to you guys if there is any potential there.’. I think the SHR (Stewart-Haas Racing) announcement got done on Tuesday, I want to say. Wednesday night, Dave called me and asked if I wanted to go to breakfast on Thursday, and I think I was signed by Tuesday. It was a super quick thing – it was like four or five days, but yeah, it was literally sitting in the conference room at SHR.

James, can you expand on saying you and Chase have something to prove?

Small: “I think maybe a little bit the way that I got this job originally – working with Martin (Truex) – he’s a legend. You know what I mean? And coming into that. I feel like maybe think that – and he’s awesome and everything – but we really believe in ourselves as a team, and we know we can do it without him, so it was just touching on that. We can do it by ourselves, and Chase (Briscoe) is the absolute perfect driver to do that with.”

Chase, how do you feel you fit into the culture at Joe Gibbs Racing?

Briscoe: “I think just how Joe (Gibbs, owner and founder, Joe Gibbs Racing) is as a person. It starts at the top. The faith part of it was big, and obviously they want to do everything they can to win, but I feel like they do it the right way here. Out of all the teams that I met with; Joe was the only team that never said what can you bring. They just wanted me for me, and that meant a lot to me personally. They felt that strongly about me in the car and the other teams – Joe was the one that called me two-to-three times a day and reassure me how bad they wanted me in the car. That just made a difference for me personally, because it honestly helped my confidence in the race car – just knowing that he believed in me that much – and I haven’t even driven a race over here yet, so from that stand point, that was really important to me. And the culture and the faith side of it, how Joe is and even when we’ve been flying all over the place – he prays before we take off – and just things like that, that mean a lot to me personally. I definitely felt like from a culture standpoint it was a great fit. I just felt like what I believe in and how I try to go about everything, it was a perfect fit.”

Can you elaborate on your friendship with Christopher Bell?

Briscoe: “Yeah if it wasn’t for Christopher, I don’t know if I’d be in NASCAR period. You know, I think Jeff Gluck (writer, The Athletic) did a story a couple years ago. Christopher was obviously with Toyota and I’ve known Christopher since I was probably 12-years-old I want to say. We started racing online together and formed this friendship and lived together for a little bit. Back on 2015 I want to say it was, he called me and said Roush-Fenway Racing had offered him a deal for a development driver and he wasn’t going to take it, so I got the name from him and walked in the front door of Roush-Fenway and said ‘I need to talk to this guy.’ Somehow got a meeting, and that was the whole meeting that started me getting an opportunity in motorsports. And then, same thing, with this, Christopher texted me the week of SHR (Stewart-Haas Racing) shutting down and he said ‘Hey, I think Martin might not be coming back. You need to be wearing them out over there.’ So I mean, without Christopher, he’s been a huge part of my career.”

Does taking over the No. 19 ease the pressure you’re going to face next year?

Briscoe: “I mean, I think there’s pressure to perform coming over here (Joe Gibbs Racing) in the first place, doesn’t matter who’s driving it, whether it’s Martin or whoever. This car is capable of winning. So, that’s the one thing with this opportunity as well is if I don’t win, my career’s over, so I have to go win and prove my worth. Yeah, I don’t think it changes with who you’re replacing. I think it’s kind of ironic, I was a diehard Tony Stewart fan and I’m doing the reverse Tony Stewart, going from SHR to Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing) versus Gibbs to SHR. Yeah, I don’t think it matters who you’re replacing. But it is nice to know the car is fully capable, right? Martin’s won championships and in contention to win and won the regular season last year. So yeah, I think as a driver, you think you can get the job done and it doesn’t matter who you’re replacing, but it’s nice to know you’re coming into a situation that’s obviously proven.”

Gibbs: “There is one other thing I wanted to emphasis. It is a total team around here, and a big part of our team is Toyota. I just want everyone to know – we talk about making decisions like this – Toyota is a huge part of it. Tyler (Gibbs, GM, TRD, U.S.A.) is here today, representing Toyota. It is Jack Hollis (executive vice president and chief operating officer, Toyota Motor North America). It is David Wilson (president, TRD U.S.A.). it’s the whole team over there. Toyota wants to win. They are very competitive, and they also care about our race team for sure. It is a total team effort there. I want to emphasis that. They are a part of every decision we make. It is hugely important for us. We’ve got a partnership with them that is going on 16 years. One of the things about partnerships – when you go through things like racing – you’ve got highs and you’ve got lows. With Toyota, we’ve been through both. Once you learn, you develop a real strong relationship, and anytime we’ve been in a downturn for any reason, it always been together – we are just going to work, and we are going to find a way to get out of this. We appreciate Toyota so much. They have a huge influence with Johnny (Morris, founder, majority owner and CEO, Bass Pro Shops) too. They’ve done some interesting things with him and the other thing I wanted to emphasis. Heather (Gibbs, co-owner) is here today, taking on a huge role with our ownership now. Most of you are getting a chance to know her. Then of course, Michael (Guttilla, chief operating officer, Joe Gibbs Racing) coming on board to help us with our competition. Dave (Alpern, president, Joe Gibbs Racing) – not help us, but direct our competition – has been asset for us. As you know, we went through some tough losses here, and he has been a part of that and then Eric (Schaffer, chief commercial officer, Joe Gibbs Racing) sitting in here today too. He came on board through our reorganization after Coy (Gibbs) went home. Dave as you know, and come to recognize, he’s been here ever since the first nut and bolt has been put on. It is a thrill for me when I go through the shop and see people that have been here – we actually gave 30 years awards. It is awesome. I love that. Tim (Carmichael, chief financial officer, Joe Gibbs Racing) is here too. He’s been such a supporter of all of us from a financial stand point. He’s brilliant, and always keeps us in – I’ve got a tendency to sometimes go and spend the stuff – and he’s there to kind of reel us back in, so from our whole team and everybody else at Joe Gibbs Racing – it is a total team effort here. Just appreciate it, and I want to thank all of you for being here today. It’s a huge deal for us. Thank you for being here and being a part of it.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Understanding the Benefits of Motorcycle Clubs and Communities

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SM

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June 25, 2024

harley-davidson-02tt7EvQKhw-unsplash — Photo by Harley-Davidson on Unsplash

For over a century, motorcycle clubs have thrived as a unique social phenomenon. More than just groups of people who ride motorcycles, they represent a deep-rooted passion for the open road, a love for machines, and a strong sense of community.

Camaraderie and Social Connections

The image of a lone rider speeding down a highway is often linked with motorcycling. However, joining a motorcycle club breaks this solitary stereotype. Clubs offer a welcoming space for riders to connect with others who share their passion. This creates a sense of belonging and camaraderie that goes beyond just riding together.

Club members become friends, sharing experiences, stories, and laughter. Whether you’re an experienced rider or just starting out, the club provides a supportive network where you can feel accepted and understood.

The social circle you build within a motorcycle club extends beyond a shared interest in motorcycles. Members come from all walks of life, with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

This creates opportunities to expand your social network and meet people you might not have otherwise encountered. From accountants and doctors to mechanics and artists, the diversity within motorcycle clubs fosters a sense of community that transcends social boundaries.

Shared Adventures and Increased Skills

Motorcycle clubs offer a great way to enhance your riding experience. Group rides, a key activity of these clubs, let you explore new routes and destinations you might not have discovered on your own. According to a lawyer specialized in handling motorcycle accident cases, riding with a group adds safety and security, making the experience more enjoyable for motorcycle riders. Having experienced riders by your side can give you peace of mind, especially on unfamiliar roads.

Besides group rides, motorcycle clubs connect you with a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Experienced members can provide valuable tips and techniques to help you become a better rider.

Whether you want to improve your cornering skills, learn preventive maintenance, or troubleshoot a mechanical issue, there’s always someone in the club who can help. Many clubs also organize workshops and seminars on various motorcycle-related topics, further enriching your riding skills and knowledge.

A Network You Can Count On

Motorcycle clubs often provide access to valuable resources that can benefit you as a rider. Members may be eligible for discounts on parts, accessories, and gear through club partnerships with dealerships or manufacturers. This translates to significant savings on maintaining and upgrading your motorcycle.

Another key benefit is the network of support that comes with being part of a club. If you encounter mechanical issues on the road, club members can offer assistance or even roadside assistance in some cases. This sense of security and support is invaluable, especially when riding long distances.

The knowledge base within a motorcycle club is a valuable resource. Experienced members can help you troubleshoot problems, suggest solutions, and guide you when facing mechanical challenges. This collaborative spirit fosters self-reliance and empowers members to confidently address issues with their motorcycles.

Riding for a Cause

Motorcycle clubs go beyond leisure riding and socializing. Many are actively engaged in community service, giving back through charity rides and fundraising events. Getting involved in these activities lets you merge your love for motorcycles with a greater purpose, supporting worthy causes and making a positive impact in your community.

Additionally, motorcycle clubs often work to counter negative stereotypes associated with motorcyclists. By participating in community events and promoting responsible riding, clubs aim to highlight the positive aspects of the motorcycle community. This helps improve respect and inclusivity for all riders on the road.

Beyond community service, motorcycle clubs often have a strong sense of shared values that bind members together. These values might include respect for the road, responsibility towards fellow riders, and a commitment to safety. Upholding these values fosters a sense of camaraderie and ensures everyone has a positive experience within the club.

Finding Your Place

The benefits offered by motorcycle clubs are diverse and undeniable. However, it’s crucial to find a club that matches your personality, riding preferences, and interests. Different clubs vary in commitment levels, riding styles (such as cruisers, sport bikes, or adventure touring), and social activities. Take your time to research local clubs, attend their events, and interact with members to find a group that feels right for you.

Joining a motorcycle club opens up a world of opportunities. It’s an opportunity to form lasting friendships, discover new routes, improve your riding abilities, and contribute to a positive community. If you’re a motorcycle enthusiast seeking to expand your horizons and connect with like-minded individuals, consider joining a club. The adventure of the open road, the camaraderie of fellow riders, and a sense of belonging await you.

Taking the First Step

There are several ways to find a motorcycle club that aligns with your interests. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Online Resources: Numerous websites and online forums cater to the motorcycle community. These platforms often have directories of motorcycle clubs across the country.
Social Media: Many motorcycle clubs have a presence on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Utilize these platforms to research local clubs and connect with their members.
Motorcycle Events: Attending motorcycle rallies, shows, or swap meets is a great way to connect with club representatives and learn more about their organizations.
Dealerships and Repair Shops: Local dealerships and repair shops frequented by riders often have knowledge of active motorcycle clubs in the area.

Once you’ve identified a few potential clubs, reach out to them and inquire about their activities, membership requirements, and general atmosphere. Attend a club meeting or event to get a firsthand feel for the group dynamic and see if it’s a good fit for you.

Joining a motorcycle club can be a transformative experience, enriching your life as a rider in countless ways. The sense of camaraderie, the shared adventures, and the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful community are just some of the many reasons why motorcycle clubs continue to thrive and attract passionate riders from all walks of life. So, buckle up, hit the gas, and get ready to discover the world of motorcycle clubs – a world filled with friendship, adventure, and the endless thrill of the open road.

Overstock.com Racing: Josh Berry Nashville Advance

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Official Release

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June 25, 2024

JOSH BERRY
Nashville Advance
No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: Ally 400 (Round 19 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 30
● Location: Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway
● Layout: 1.333-mile, concrete oval
● Laps/Miles: 300 laps/399.9 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stages 1: 90 laps / Stage 2: 95 laps / Final Stage: 115 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● If there was one race Berry is looking forward to most of all during the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, it’s Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. Berry hails from nearby Hendersonville, Tennessee, and will make his Cup Series debut on the 1.333-mile, concrete oval. He’s competed three times there in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving a JR Motorsports entry to finishes of fourth in his first outing in June 2021, and fifth in his most recent in June 2023. Berry drove through the field for those top-five finishes, having started 22nd in the 2021 race and 23rd in the 2023 race. Berry’s June 2022 Xfinity Series outing resulted in a 23rd-place finish from the ninth starting position.

● Berry arrives at his home racetrack riding the momentum of a seventh-place finish two weekends ago at Iowa Speedway in Newton and third last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. The latter result equaled his season-best of third first achieved May 12 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Berry started Sunday’s race at New Hampshire 10th after Saturday qualifying was rained out and the grid set per the NASCAR rule book. He made steady forward progress in the opening two stages, which he finished fifth and eighth, respectively. Inclement weather then brought out the red flag with 77 laps remaining, and when the race was restarted, competitors took to the track on wet-weather tires the rest of the way. Berry restarted 20th and again maneuvered his No. 4 Ford Dark Horse to the front, taking the checkered flag behind race-winner Christopher Bell and his second-place-finishing Stewart-Haas teammate Chase Briscoe.

● With nine Cup Series races left in the regular season, Berry is ranked 19th in the driver standings, 48 points shy of the 16th and final playoff position. He also continues to lead the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, 35 markers ahead of second-place Carson Hocevar.

● On Thursday, Berry will make his Late Model debut on the 5/8-mile track at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Berry tested the No. 4 Late Model for Dylan Fetcho Racing last Wednesday, getting himself acclimated to the new track. His affinity for Late-Model racing was fostered during his days driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr., as part of the JR Motorsports Late Model program. Berry amassed an impressive 95 victories in his 262 starts with the team, with 189 top-fives and 219 top-10s. He was also the NASCAR Weekly Series champion in 2020, finishing every race but one inside the top-10 that season.

● Veteran crew chief Rodney Childers makes his fourth Nashville start atop the pit box in the Cup Series this weekend. The 48-year-old shot-caller has tallied one top-five result, two top-10s, an average starting position of 12.3 and an average finish of 13 with former No. 4 Stewart-Haas driver Kevin Harvick behind the wheel. Harvick completed all but one lap (99.9 percent) across those three previous appearances. Last year, Harvick was running fourth on lap 239 when a flat tire forced him to pit out of sequence and sent him back in the field. He finished 24th. Childers’ and Harvick’s best Nashville result came in June 2021, a fifth-place finish from the 12th starting position.

● Overstock.com adorns Berry’s No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in Music City. The partnership amplifies the recent relaunch of Overstock.com, home of crazy good deals that offer quality and style for less. Overstock.com is for the savvy shopper who loves the thrill of the hunt and it includes product categories customers know and love, like patio furniture, home furniture and area rugs, while reintroducing jewelry, watches and health-and-beauty products.

Josh Berry, Driver of the No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Nashville is your home track, and this Sunday will be the first time you’ll be racing there in NASCAR’s premier series. Talk about how significant this race is to you and how special it will be Sunday when you take the green flag knowing that your love of racing started there.

“I am really excited to get there, in general. I remember growing up and watching races there as a kid, and to get to be the driver on track instead of the kid in the stands is a really cool feeling. I am sure I will see some friends and family that I haven’t seen in a while, which makes it special, too, because they were the ones to support me when I was chasing this dream. So to see them as a Cup Series driver means a lot to me. I think for the race, this will be a good opportunity for us to run well. I have had success there before and run well there, and the No. 4 team and Kevin (Harvick) did well there recently so I think we can be competitive.”

Thursday evening, you will make your debut at the 5/8-mile track at the Nashville Fairgrounds. How important is it for you to run those extracurricular races, and how does that help you on Sundays?

“It’s obviously fun to go compete, and any day you get to spend behind the wheel of a race car is a good day. For me, that race means a little bit more than other Late-Model races I have run because that is the place I grew up racing, so to be able to go back and compete there on the big track and cross it off my racing bucket list is just a really cool opportunity for me.”

How do you savor those bigger races and big moments in your racing career?

“I think it will be a lot of reflecting on those moments when I was racing as a kid and looking back and remembering those fun stories we all have from our childhood. Racing with my family and watching racing there was always fun, so to be in the race and being able to make it a full-circle moment is something really unique and means a lot to me. I am going to see a lot of people I haven’t seen in years, and I will be taking my family there this time to create new memories, so it’s all just really cool. I keep saying that, but I am just really looking forward to enjoying this week of racing back home.”

No. 4 Overstock.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Josh Berry

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Billy Kuebler

Hometown: Saline, Michigan

Spotter: Eddie D’Hondt

Hometown: Levittown, New York

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Mason Flynt

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Chris Capaldi

Hometown: Armada, Michigan

Tire Specialist: Zac Lupien

Hometown: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Jake Zierhoffer

Hometown: Billerica, Massachusetts

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

Stewart-Haas Racing: Nashville NXS Advance (Cole Custer | Riley Herbst)

By

Official Release

-

June 25, 2024

COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST
Nashville NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

Event: Tennessee Lottery 250 (Round 17 of 33)
Date: Saturday, June 29
Location: Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway
Layout: 1.333-mile, concrete oval
Time/TV/Radio: 5 p.m. EDT on USA/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

The last time Cole Custer visited Nashville, he was celebrating his 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series title during the annual NASCAR Champion’s Week celebration in December. This weekend, he returns to the Country Music Capital of the World as the Xfinity Series points leader looking for his first win of the 2024 season in Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. With 13 top-10 finishes this season, including each of the last four races, Custer is showing signs he’s closing in on that elusive victory. In last Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speeday in Loudon, Custer was the driver to beat. He started from the pole after Friday qualifying was cancelled due to weather. Then, starting Saturday’s race on wet-weather tires, he led the field five times for a race-high 114 laps, his first laps led at New Hampshire in the Xfinity Series. In the closing laps, Custer was in the lead by a more than two-second margin over second-place Christopher Bell before the race’s final caution that closed up the field. In the previous 50 laps, Custer managed to hold onto the lead through four restarts, but on the fifth and final one, Bell was able to get around Custer, going three-wide with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Sheldon Creed. Custer fought valiantly before ultimately finishing third.
This Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 will mark Custer’s second Xfinity Series start at Nashville. In his first start last June, he earned a ninth-place finish after qualifying on the pole. He has two starts outside of the Xfinity Series at the 1.333-mile, concrete oval, both coming in the NASCAR Cup Series in June of 2021 and 2022, which resulted in finishes of 30th and 26th, respectively.
Nashville proved to be kind to Custer in the series’ most recent race last June. The native of Ladera Ranch, California appeared to be on his way to his second victory of the season after scoring his third pole of the season. He led the opening 13 laps and finished second in each of the opening two stages. He went on to lead three more times for a total of 32 laps. In the final stage, he was racing for the lead with A.J. Allmendinger when he dropped back to ninth as a result of pit strategy and late-race restarts that did not go his way.
Win and you’re in. That’s the mentality when it comes to racing for a coveted spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. With 10 races left before the playoffs kick off Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Custer is sitting in a solid spot to make the 12-driver postseason field. As the regular-season driver championship leader with a 15-point lead over second-place Chandler Smith and a 205-point advantage over the top-12 playoff cutline, the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion is confident he can point his way into the playoffs. Still, the driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse would not only like to secure his spot with a race win, but also earn the regular-season championship that not only comes with a trophy but an additional 15 playoff points.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

Riley Herbst has his eyes set on Music City as he heads to Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. As a native of Las Vegas, Herbst should feel right at home in Nashville. The capital of Tennessee may be best known as Music City, but its bright lights and lively nightlife have earned it another nickname – “Nashvegas.” The fact that Nashville’s 1.333-mile, concrete oval is an intermediate-style track makes Herbst feel even more at home. His history at intermediates is strong. His first career Xfinity Series victory came on the 1.5-mile oval of his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway last October, and prior to that his best career Xfinity Series results came at intermediates – a pair of second-place finishes, in February 2020 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and July 2020 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. He’s since added runner-up finishes in June 2023 at Nashville, October 2023 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, this past April 20 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, and two weekends ago at Iowa Speedway in Newton. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse heads to Nashville riding the momentum of his runner-up finish at Iowa, followed by last weekend’s hard-fought eighth-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, where he started fourth, finished third in the opening stage, then showed his perseverance in the final stage by fighting his way back into the top-10 after pit road issues dropped him back in the field. It was his third top-10 in the last four races.
Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 will mark Herbst’s fourth race at Nashville, having finished inside the top-10 in his previous three starts. Herbst’s best finish at the track came last year, when he started fifth for the scheduled 188-lap race and finished second, just 1.323 seconds behind race-winner A.J. Allmendinger. During the 2022 race at the track located some 40 minutes east of downtown Nashville, Herbst won his second career pole and finished third behind race-winner Justin Allgaier and runner-up Trevor Bayne. In his first start at the track in June 2021, he rallied for a solid top-10 finish from the 20th starting position.
Not only will Herbst race on Saturday, he’ll also hop behind the wheel of the No. 15 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing in Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville. It will mark his third Cup Series start of 2024 and his seventh overall. He’s earned two top-10s in seven starts – a career-best of ninth last October at the 2.66-mile, behemoth Talladega oval, and 10th in his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2023 Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He became just the fourth driver to score a top-10 in all three of his NASCAR national series debuts. While five of his prior Cup Series starts have come on superspeedway-style tracks, he made his first start on an intermediate on May 5 with Rick Ware Racing at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, where he finished 35th.
Monday marked one year since Herbst began working with crew chief Davin Restivo, who first climbed atop the pit box for the No. 98 team last June at Nashville. Herbst had been working with Richard Boswell as his crew chief since his arrival at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2021, while Restivo was an engineer for the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Cup Series team and the crew chief for Aric Almirola’s June 2023 Xfinity Series win at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, just two weeks prior to moving to the No. 98 team. In their first weekend together, Herbst and Restivo collaborated on the second-place finish at Nashville. While bad luck found them in the following weeks, they made steady progress and ultimately earned Herbst’s first career Xfinity Series win in October at Las Vegas. Though not part of the 2023 Xfinity Series playoff field, the No. 98 team earned more points than any other team during the Round of 8.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Last year at Nashville, you were strong out of the gate by being fast in practice and winning the pole. You’ve shown speed this year and already have won two poles this season, not including your front row starts from rained out qualifying session. What are your expectations for this weekend?

“I think we’ll be fast. This track is one that has a lot of speed in it and I hope we can capitalize on it. While I only have one start there in the Xfinity Series, we had a strong run last season. We probably could’ve gone for the win had our pit strategy not been off, but it’s just one of those instances where we have to put a perfect race together in order to find victory lane. We’ve been so close. Riley (Herbst, teammate) did well there in his prior three starts, so I’m definitely going to be leaning on him, still. I think the Stewart-Haas Racing Xfinity Series program will have a good run at Nashville as long as we can stay out of trouble. This program has won two poles in the three races run there, so we’re not lacking in speed. Hopefully we can put it all together on Saturday.”

You’re sitting in a good place to make the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs with the points lead over Chandler Smith and sitting 205 points to the good of the cutline with 10 regular-season races to go. How much pressure would it take off to get a win this weekend in Nashville?

“It would take a lot of the pressure off. Right now, we’re focused on winning, but points racing is always in the back of your mind. You can’t just forget about it, because you don’t want to point your way out of the playoffs, either. Ultimately, a win would put everything to rest and put some ease in our minds. We could race for more race wins and stage wins at that point. We have to balance it all at this point, though. In a perfect scenario, we would’ve won by now, but that’s not the reality. I’m confident that this team can get it done again, though. Hopefully we can do it this weekend at Nashville.”

Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

You should feel right at home in “Nashvegas” this weekend after growing up under the neon lights of Las Vegas. How excited are you to get back to Nashville Superspeedway after finishing second last year and third the previous year?

“I’m pumped to head back to Nashville again. The city itself is so much fun, but so is the racing at the superspeedway. I don’t know how to describe it, but the track works with my style of racing. This is a race that I had circled on the calendar for this summer after three very strong years at Nashville. That first year we ended up 10th, then in 2022 we finished third, and last year we were second. We keep trending upwards at Nashville, and hopefully that proves to continue to be true this weekend. A win there would be so cool, especially with the double-duty weekend. It can be a difficult track, for sure, due to how slick it can get in the summer heat, but you just have to put together a great race and be there at the end. No mistakes, fast pit stops, and speed in the racecar. Hopefully, we can see all of that this weekend.”

This weekend will mark your third start of the 2024 season in the NASCAR Cup Series. How do these select starts not only help you in the Xfinity Series, but also help you in furthering your career and experience?

“Honestly, the cars are so different now that you can’t really carry anything over between the two series, other than just getting more seat time. Back in the day, it used to help a lot because the cars were similar, minus the higher horsepower in the Cup Series. Now with the NextGen cars, it’s just a lot different. The cars are nowhere near the same. Still, these are not only chances for me to learn a track but to showcase what I could do in those cars. Kansas didn’t go how we wanted, but it was also a good chance for me to learn how to drive a NextGen car on something other than a superspeedway. It was a new challenge for me, and honestly as the race went on, I was able to show more speed. By that point, though, we were already a couple of laps down, so the results didn’t show. My dream is to race on Sundays, so I’m thankful to Rick Ware Racing and Monster Energy for a chance to get these select starts this season to continue to develop and learn the NextGen car.”

Chase Briscoe joins Joe Gibbs Racing on multi-year Cup Series basis, beginning in 2025

By

Andrew Kim

-

June 25, 2024

Briscoe Bruce Nuttleman — Photo by Bruce Nuttleman for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Chase Briscoe will etch a new beginning to his racing career for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season by joining forces with Joe Gibbs Racing on a multi-year basis to pilot the No. 19 Toyota Camry XSE entry.

Briscoe, a native of Mitchell, Indiana, who is currently campaigning in his fourth full-time season in the Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing, will be replacing 2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. who announced his retirement from full-time NASCAR competition at this season’s conclusion 11 days ago during a press conference at Iowa Speedway.

Bass Pro Shops will continue to sponsor the No. 19 Toyota entry that is set to be piloted by Briscoe, beginning with the 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2025. James Small, an eight-time Cup Series race-winning crew chief, will retain his role atop the No. 19 pit box.

“I’m excited for this opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing and Bass Pro Shops,” Briscoe said. “From a competition standpoint, [Joe Gibbs Racing] is the place to be if you want to go win races week in and week out and to race for the championship every year.

“I am blessed that [Bass Pro Shops founder] Johnny Morris and Bass Pro are on board to help us carry on the legacy of the 19 car. For me personally, being an avid outdoorsman, there’s a lot of pride in now being a part of the Bass Pro brand and I’m extremely grateful for this partnership. Getting to meet Johnny, I feel like I share a lot of the same values as him and Coach [Gibbs], and I’m ready to get to work and prove that they have made a great choice putting me in this car.”

The news of Briscoe joining Joe Gibbs Racing comes in light of his future teammate Christopher Bell accidentally spilling the news of Briscoe’s addition when asked about the shift of driver leadership within the organization during this past Friday’s press conference at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Once Bell realized he mentioned the name Chase taking over the vacant car, he instantly became silent and lowered the microphone while trying to fight off a guilty smile. Despite attempting to resume his statement, he stumbled through his words and shared more laughter with the media.

Ironically, Bell swept this past weekend’s Xfinity and Cup Series events at New Hampshire while Briscoe, who joked but brushed off the early leaked news, finished in the runner-up spot to Bell in the Cup event. In addition, Bell formally introduced Briscoe as the driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing entry during Tuesday’s press conference that included team owner Joe Gibbs and Small.

Briscoe’s addition to Joe Gibbs Racing also comes as his current organization, Stewart-Haas Racing, announced its plans to cease operations after the 2024 season. The announcement was made in late May and left Briscoe and his current teammates (Josh Berry, Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece) free to pursue other opportunities for the 2025 season.

Briscoe, who grew up competing in sprint cars and racing on dirt, made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series division at the start of the 2021 season, where he replaced the retiring Clint Bowyer in the No. 14 Ford entry for Stewart-Haas Racing after spending the previous two seasons winning 10 races in the Xfinity Series.

After claiming the 2021 Rookie-of-the-Year title, Briscoe captured his first Cup career victory at Phoenix Raceway four races into the 2022 season. In doing so, he became the 200th competitor overall to win in NASCAR’s premier series. The Phoenix victory also automatically guaranteed Briscoe a spot into the 2022 Cup Series Playoffs, where he would transfer as far as the Round of 8 before settling in ninth place in the final standings.

Through 126 current starts in the Cup Series, Briscoe has accumulated one victory, two poles, 12 top-five results, 27 top-10 results with 494 laps led, and an average-finishing result of 18.7. He has also notched 11 career victories in the Xfinity Series and two in the Craftsman Truck Series. He achieved the Rookie-of-the-Year title in both divisions and contended for the 2020 Xfinity title as a Championship 4 finalist, where he ended up in fourth place in the final standings. He is also the 2016 ARCA Menards Series champion.

Currently, Briscoe trails the top-16 cutline to make the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs by 25 points as he has recorded two top-five results and six top-10 results through the first 18 scheduled events. His current average-finishing result is 16.3.

For the 2025 season, Briscoe is set to become the fourth competitor overall to pilot the No. 19 Toyota entry for Joe Gibbs Racing, an entry that has been piloted to Victory Lane 20 times in the Cup Series: five from Carl Edwards and 15 by Martin Truex Jr.

Photo by Simon Scoggins for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“We are extremely excited about the future of our 19 team with Chase [Briscoe] behind the wheel and the partnership with Johnny [Morris], J.P. [Morris] and everyone at Bass Pro Shops,” Joe Gibbs added. “I talk about it often, but one of the great things about our sport is the relationships you have the opportunity to build around your teams and certainly we are just so thankful to have that with everyone at Bass Pro Shops. We obviously do a lot of research before selecting our drivers and through the process everything kept pointing us back to Chase. With James’ [Small] leadership, Chase behind the wheel, and the support from Bass Pro, and of course Toyota, we couldn’t be more excited about the future of our 19 team.”

With his future plans set, Chase Briscoe’s 2024 Cup Series season, which will mark his fourth and last driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, continues with the upcoming Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. The event is scheduled for this upcoming Sunday, June 30, and will air at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

What went down in the NASCAR Cup Series USA Today 301 at New Hampshire

By

SM Staff

-

June 25, 2024

GettyImages-2158916425 — Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Rheem Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Cup Series USA Today 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 23, 2024 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

After a two-hour-plus rain delay due to rain, Christopher Bell swept the NASCAR race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday in the USA Today 301. Driving the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 20 Rheem Toyota, the 29-year-old Oklahoman led a race-high of 149 of the 305 laps and beat Chase Briscoe to the finish line by 1.104 seconds in overtime.

“I love this place. It is absolutely amazing,” Bell said. “This place, I don’t know, it has been special to me since we came here for that late model race back in, I think, 2015. This one was different though. Rain tires, the track was really slippery, it was just so much fun out there in those adverse conditions, the track was changing around so much. That was one a lot of fun, and I’m really happy for our partners – Rheem, Toyota, DEWALT. We have Watts on the car again. I think we’ve won every time they have been on the car. Just a really cool weekend.”

This was Bell’s third win of the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) season and the ninth of his NCS career.

Race Notes

After the extended rain delay, NASCAR elected to go with the wet weather tires to finish the race.
The average speed was 84.832 mph.
The margin of Victory was 1.104 seconds.
There were 14 caution flags for 85 laps, with six lead changes among five drivers. (Bell, Elliott, Gilliland, Hamlin, and Reddick)

What went down behind Bell

Briscoe and the No. 14 Zep Ford Mustang Dark Horse team finished second after running outside of the top 20 before the rain. This was Briscoe’s second top-five and sixth top-10 of the season.

“The rain definitely helped us,” said Briscoe. “If it wasn’t for the rain we were going to literally run 24th probably. We had a couple of good restarts and the guys did a good job of understanding the rain balance. I think we learned a lot when we did it at Richmond. We needed a good turnaround day, and it definitely didn’t start that way, but I am glad that it ended up that way for sure.”

Josh Berry and the No. 4 Miner Docks Doors & More Ford Mustang Dark Horse team finished third and also benefitted from the rain. This was Berry’s second top-five and fourth top-10 of the season. “We were 20th when it was raining and then we threw some rain tires on it and did what I knew we could do and moved all the way up there. That was a lot of fun honestly,” said Berry.

Kyle Larson, driving the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1, finished fourth and captured his eighth top-five finish of the 2024 season.

Chris Buescher and the No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse team finished fifth. “Loudon has not been our best track,” Buscher said, “definitely not mine specifically. There was no quit in this Fastnal group today. It was awesome to come home with a top five. We were really good in the rain when it was wet.”

23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick was leading the race when the initial rain fell and ended up finishing in sixth place.

“It was a real shame we couldn’t find victory lane today in our SiriusXM Toyota Camry, but for us to take a risk and have a potential to win the race if it continued to rain and to turn that into a top-10 finish is good for our team. We will take the sixth place finish, and move on from it and get ready for the next one, but it was certainly an interesting day and a wild experience,” said Reddick

John Hunter Nemechek battled back from two laps down to finish in eighth place. “I’ll take eighth after the day we had,” Nemechek said. “I think we were stuck in 31st or 32nd pretty much all day, so solid finish for us and something that we needed. Hopefully, we can build some momentum off of this.”

Martin Truex Jr., who might have competed in his last race at New Hamshire, overcame a pit stop issue and an on-track incident to finish in ninth place.

“Definitely a tough day,” Truex explained. “We had a speed in our Reser’s Camry. It is a shame the way things worked out, but definitely happy to get a top-10. It has been a rough four weeks, so we needed a good finish. We had good stage points, and we needed a good finish; so glad that we got it, but it hurts to have a tough day here, probably being my last one.” said Truex.

Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 team started on the pole but finished 18th after an accident with Logano just before the red flag on lap 201. The Hendrick Motorsports teammates are now tied for the series standings.

Joey Logano had top-five finishes in the first two segments but finished 32nd after being involved in a multi-car incident with Elliott at the start of the final stage.

“Unfortunate end to our day after the speed we showed in the first two stages,” a disappointed Logano said. “I thought we had something to contend for the win but just didn’t pan out that way.”

Alex Bowman had engine woes on his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet early and finished 36th.

What’s Next

The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Nashville Superspeedway for the Ally 400 on Sunday, June 30, at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Red Bud 400 Up Next for ASA STARS National Tour

By

Official Release

-

June 25, 2024

(Anderson, IN) – One of pavement super late model racing’s Crown Jewel Events up next for the ASA STARS National Tour.

The 58th Annual Red Bud 400 – one of the longest-running annual events in short track history, is set for Saturday, July 20 at Anderson Speedway. The 2024 version will once again mark the return of the iconic ASA Brand to the Red Bud 400, with the ASA STARS National Tour set to sanction the 400 lap, 100 mile race.

“We’re very excited to welcome the ASA Brand back to Anderson Speedway again this year!” commented Rick Dawson, the owner / promoter of Anderson Speedway. “Along with the Little 500 Sprint Car Race Memorial Day Weekend, The Red Bud 400 is a historic annual event for the track, and the city of Anderson, IN.”

“This race (The Red Bud 400) was around a year before ASA even started,” Dawson revealed. Dawson purchased Anderson Speedway from ASA Founder Rex Robbins in 1996, and in fact worked for ASA prior to the speedway purchase.

“Rex was a partner with Joe Helpling and a group of owners of the track before he ever started ASA,” Dawson continued. “The first Red Bud Race was held in 1967, one year before ASA was founded.”

The legendary Iggy Katona won the first Red Bud Race, and the list of drivers who have won the 400 lap grind on the Anderson quarter mile is a who’s-who of the very best short track racers of the era. This year’s edition will be no different, with drivers from 10 or more states and Canada are expected to be on hand.

Rex and Becky Robbins first promoted sprint car races under the ASA Banner, before launching the stock car series in 1973. The track hosted an ASA 50th Anniversary ASA Racers Reunion last summer, bringing back some of the biggest names from the series.

On track activities for the 58th Annual Red Bud 400 will kick off on Friday, July 14th with inspection and practice for the ASA STARS National Tour. Go Fas Pole Qualifying is scheduled for late Saturday afternoon, July 19th, with the Red Bud 400 set to go green at 8:00PM Eastern Time.

Long awaited first Carrera Cup victory for Sedgwick and PT Autosport

By

Official Release

-

June 25, 2024

Sedgwick scores his first Porsche Carrera Cup North America win from pole at Watkins Glen

WATKINS GLEN, NY (25 June 2024) – PT Autosport with JDX Racing and Alex Sedgwick finally checked Porsche Carrera Cup North America “victory” off their to-do list, scoring the win from pole in Saturday’s second of two 40-minute races at Watkins Glen International – part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen.

Series sophomore Sedgwick captured his first series win from pole after a race-long battle with series points leader Loek Hartog. The 25-year-old Warwickshire, UK native kept his No. 98 PT Autosport/JDX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car out in front despite hot and slippery conditions to capture that long-awaited win.

Sedgwick began the weekend in Thursday’s first practice, under blazing sun and humid conditions. He promptly set the quickest lap time by two-tenths of a second but was pipped for the top spot with only 10 minutes remaining in the session. The afternoon practice was delayed an hour due to heavy thunderstorms, as Sedgwick paced first in rain tires, then on slicks as the track dried. At the checkered flag, he was again P2, just two tenths of a second off points leader Hartog.

In Friday morning qualifying, Sedgwick went straight to the top of the speed charts in his opening laps. Pitting for tires mid-session, he laid down a stellar lap at 1:48.592 to start third in race one – and on pole for race two.

Sedgwick took the green in race one Friday afternoon and stuck behind pole sitter, looking to take second position through the Turn 1 right hander, then taking another look in Turn 3. But Sedgwick had Michael Cooper in his mirrors, and Cooper took advantage of Sedgwick’s move to make a pass, putting Sedgwick back in fourth.

His woes continued as a competitor ahead brake checked Sedgwick, causing him to lock up his tires and sliding him back into sixth position. Sedgwick settled in, looking for the drivers ahead to make a mistake. A full course yellow with 15 minutes remaining stalled the action, with the race going back to green with just over seven minutes left. Taking a look in Turn 1, Sedgwick had to slip back into the draft. With a car off in Turn 5, the yellow flew again, ending the race under caution, with Sedgwick a disappointed sixth.

“I got a decent start and then everyone just stacked up, said Sedgwick. “My car seemed to really struggle in the aero wash of the cars ahead, much more than I’d ever experienced before. Cooper was able to get around the outside of me, but he was slower. I tried to get by, driving into my normal brake marker in the corner, and he slowed much earlier than he had before. I had to brake hard to avoid him and locked up the rear, so I really had nothing after that. Definitely a disappointing day, after the speed we’d had for the first two days.”

Under hot sun and track temperatures over 110F, Sedgwick took the green from pole position Saturday morning. With a solid jump at the start, Sedgwick held off the cars behind through the first two corners – but cars behind were not so fortunate, as an eight-car incident mid-field brought out the yellow flag.

With 20 minutes remaining, Sedgwick timed the restart perfectly, gaining ground in Turn 1. But as the race progressed, he began to deal with an increasingly slick racetrack and a surging Hartog, balancing hitting his marks and making consistent lap times with anticipating Hartog’s next move. He did that to perfection, staying in front to the checkered flag.

When asked about his emotions as he took the hard-fought first win, Sedgwick didn’t hesitate with his answer.

“The biggest emotion right now is relief,” said Sedgwick. “I’m so happy to finally get this done – huge thanks to PT Autosport for getting me here, and to JDX Racing for giving me a great car and all tools I needed. It was a wild day. It got crazy there for a while, with a restart ahead of Hartog to deal with. We obviously didn’t get any racing for half the race, but I got that good jump and kept the gap over Hartog. He pushed me super hard race, it was a difficult race – it was hard to maintain the pace and keep the tires under me in the heat since this is such a high-load track. We pushed hard to the end, so I’m super happy to come away with my second first win (Sedgwick lost a win in Miami due to a penalty that the team unsuccessfully contested).”

For team principal Jason Myer, the win validated the belief that both PT Autosport and JDX Racing had in Sedgwick’s potential.

“This win has been a long time coming for Alex,” said Myers. “He had a couple close ones last season, and this season he’s come really close – so close that he led every lap after qualifying on pole and finished first in Miami, only to have it relegated by what we feel was not the right call. Finally, having this first win felt like a real victory that couldn’t be taken away and is likely only the beginning of what will be a very strong second half of the season for Alex. I’ve been very impressed with Alex’s climb through the points this season against some very talented drivers brought in from Europe. I’ve believed in him since we took him to the Porsche Together-Fest at Indy in 2022, when we brought an older 991.2 GT3 Cup and he set pole by half a second against a very experienced field of 991s and 992s. We are really looking forward to the rest of the season and seeing Alex thrive. Thanks so much to our partners for continuing to support our efforts.”

PT Autosport would like to thank partners STEAM Sports Foundation, Classic Car Club Manhattan and New Jersey Motorsports Park, as well as JDX Racing partners Byers/Porsche Columbus, and Renier Construction.

Next up for PT Autosport and the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will be the doubleheader in support of the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America August 2-4. The races will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.tv, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.

About PT Autosport — Discover Unique Talent. Develop Champions.

PT Autosport, based at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, campaigns rising star Alex Sedgwick (UK) in the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America series with JDX Racing, 2022 Aspiring Driver Shootout winner Henry Drury (UK) in the Toyota GR Cup North America series with Precision Racing LA, and 2023 Aspiring Driver Shootout winner Brenna Schubert (USA) in select SPEC-MX5 races for the 2024 season.

PT Autosport is dedicated to providing merit-based motorsport industry opportunities for diverse individuals with high integrity, grit, and coach-ability, achieved through a development program for young aspiring drivers, engineers, mechanics, and other professionals. The first step of this process is applying for the annual Aspiring Driver Shootout, in which aspiring drivers aged 18-23 can compete for a team racing partnership with the team.

A rigorous evaluation process of applicants determines the final competitors for the driver shootout. The winner earns financial support of up to $250,000 ($50,000 guaranteed) to pursue their racing career. The review process also provides the team the chance to identify unique talent for other roles in motorsport, including race engineers, mechanics, and professionals.

PT Autosport is building a community that fosters the development of young talent to find a place where they can make an impact in the motorsport community as a career.

PT Autosport social media

Instagram: @pt_autosport
TikTok: @ptautosport
Twitter: @PtAutosport
Facebook: PT Autosport

Ford Performance NASCAR – 2024 Nashville Advance

By

Official Release

-

June 25, 2024

NASHVILLE

Friday, June 28 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 8 p.m. ET (FS2)
Saturday, June 29 — NASCAR Xfinity Series, 5 p.m. ET (USA)
Sunday, June 30 — NASCAR Cup Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

The NASCAR summer stretch rolls on with Nashville Speedway hosting all three major touring series on the same weekend for the fourth straight season. The last time all three series were together came a month ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but since then the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has competed only once and returns to action after a three-week break.

LOGANO LIKES NASHVILLE

Joey Logano has shown flashes of speed in the first three Nashville races, posting a pair of top-10 finishes. But where he’s really shined is in qualifying, where he has started no worse than fourth. He qualified third in the debut event in 2021 before finishing 10th and was second one year later when he ultimately led four times for 28 laps and came home ninth. Last year, he posted the fourth-fastest speed in qualifying and ended up 19th, making his average starting position 3.0 and finishing position 12.7.

BERRY FINDING HIS GROOVE

Josh Berry has hit his stride with Stewart-Haas Racing and with eight races remaining in the regular season is making a late push for a playoff berth. Berry, who enters this weekend’s race at Nashville Superspeedway 73 points below the cut line, has caught fire the last six weeks. It started with a third-place run at Darlington Raceway last month and continued at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a 10th-place effort in the Coca-Cola 600. He’s had back-to-back top-10 runs in Iowa (seventh) and New Hampshire (third), giving him four top-10 runs in the last six events which has moved him up four spots in the overall standings.

PLAYOFF SCENARIO

Three Ford drivers have clinched spots in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs after winning earlier this season. Brad Keselowski (Darlington), Austin Cindric (Gateway) and Ryan Blaney (Iowa) all have secured their spots, but there are a few other Ford Performance teammates looking to join them. Currently, Chris Buescher and Joey Logano are holding down the final two berths based on points. Buescher is 50 points above the cut line while Logano is 13 with eight races remaining in the regular season.

BRAD KESELOWSKI: “Nashville is an interesting track for us because we have been so good on that type of track this year in 2024. We have a great opportunity to go there and compete for a win, so I am pretty pumped about it. It is a race that we certainly have circled with both of our RFK cars and we can’t wait to get there.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC: “Nashville is a pretty interesting race track. It is a unique size and has been pretty wild the last few years. I always like racing under the lights. I think that is always fun for the race fans. It is a fun town to be in as well. It has been cool to see how that event has grown into our schedule year after year. I am looking forward to getting back there and having a good run.”

NOAH GRAGSON: “Nashville is a super fun track. It is all concrete and the biggest concrete track we go to which makes it a lot of fun and also very challenging with how the rubber gets laid down. I will be running an Xfinity car there in addition to the Cup car, so I am super excited about that place. I have kind of struggled there in the past but I want to get as many laps as I can, which is why I am doing the Xfinity race. Hopefully, that pays off and helps us for the Cup race.”

FORD NASHVILLE WINNERS

Ford is still looking for its first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Nashville Superspeedway, but three drivers have won at the facility in other series. Brad Keselowski (2008 and 2010) and Joey Logano (2009) went to Victory Lane in the NASCAR Xfinity Series while Ryan Preece captured back-to-back Ford victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2021-22.

CUSTER EXTENDS SERIES POINTS LEAD

Cole Custer’s third-place finish on Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway allowed him to extend his lead in the NASCAR Xfinity Series point standings to 15 over Chandler Smith. Custer, who registered his fourth pole of the season, has now rattled off top-10 finishes in 13 of the last 14 events, including four straight going into this weekend’s race at Nashville Superspeedway. Last season, Custer sat on the pole and finished ninth in his only series start on the middle Tennessee track.

FORD WINS NASCAR DEBUT AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

The first race held at Nashville Superspeedway for one of NASCAR’s top three touring series came on April 14, 2001 when Ford’s Greg Biffle won the Pepsi 300 in what was then known as the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series, now NASCAR Xfinity Series. Ford dominated the race up front as Biffle, Jason Keller and Jeff Green combined to lead 200-of-225 laps. Biffle, who was out front for a race-high 133 circuits, beat Keller to the checkered flag by just over a half-second as Ford finished first and second.

FOUR RACES TO GO IN REGULAR SEASON

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has had three weeks off and as the action shifts to Nashville Superspeedway there is a lot to race for with only four races remaining in the regular season. Ford’s Ty Majeski and defending series champion Ben Rhodes are currently in playoff positions as they sit fifth and eighth, respectively. Three-time champion Matt Crafton finds himself 46 points below the cut line in 13th place while Jake Garcia (-69) and Layne Riggs (-76) are 15th and 16th overall. The top 10 drivers will make the playoffs and compete in a seven-race battle to determine this year’s champion.

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS

AT NASHVILLE

2001 – Greg Biffle

2002 – Scott Riggs (1)

2003 – Scott Riggs (2)

2006 – Carl Edwards (2)

2007 – Carl Edwards (Sweep)

2011 – Carl Edwards (Sweep)

FORD NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT NASHVILLE

2003 – Carl Edwards

2007 – Travis Kvapil

2021 – Ryan Preece

2022 – Ryan Preece

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Ford Performance NASCAR – 2024 Nashville Advance

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