Martin Truex Jr.
Texas Advance
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Round 9 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 14
● Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Where we Stand: The New Jersey native heads to Texas second in the driver standings with 295 points, 14 points behind new leader Kyle Larson. All four Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) entries are currently inside the top-11 in points heading to the ninth race of the season, with Denny Hamlin third, Ty Gibbs seventh, and Christopher Bell 11th.

● Aiming for First: Truex has yet to bring home a Cup Series win at Texas in his 34 career starts. Truex has come close, however, bringing home a pair of runner-up finishes there – in the fall of his championship 2017 season with Furniture Row Racing and the fall 2020 race with JGR.

● Up Front: Truex led a race-high 228 laps two weekends ago at Richmond (Va.) Raceway and sits second in laps led in NASCAR’s top series. All four JGR Toyota Camry XSE drivers are among the leaders in total laps led on the season. Larson’s 454 laps led tops the list for the Cup Series, followed by Hamlin at 358 and Truex with 352. Gibbs with 195, and Bell with 119, are also among the top-10 in laps led.

● Truex has five top-five finishes, 17 top-10s and has led a total of 689 laps in 34 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Texas. Truex’s average Texas finish is 14.6.

● Looking for 35: Truex’s win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon last July was his most recent Cup Series win, the 34th of his career, tying him with 2004 Cup Series champion Kurt Busch for 25th on the all-time Cup Series win list.

● Ahead at this Stage: Truex has accumulated 62 stage wins since the beginning of the stage era in 2017. He is the only driver with 10 or more stage sweeps, with his latest sweep coming at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn last August. Truex scored his first stage win of the season two weekends ago at Richmond, leading the field across the line at the end of Stage 2.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE

Texas is a place where you’ve been good, but you’re still trying to find that first win. What is it going to take?

“It’s been a few different things over the years. It’s always been a good track for us. In 2022, we were leading and we blew a tire. It’s been one of those places where we have been snakebit a lot. We’ve had some good runs, we’ve had some struggles at times since they repaved it. Just one of those things, but I feel confident going there with what we have that we’ll run well, especially how we ran there the last couple of years. It’s been tough, we’ve gotten a lot of poles there and led a lot of laps but we just haven’t been able to win there. We just have to go there and I think we have a great shot to win with our Bass Pro Shops Camry.”

Where do you feel like you are as a team so far this season?

“I feel good about where we are at. We’ve had a top-three to top-five car every week, every race, with the exception of Martinsville last week. We haven’t quite capitalized on that over the course of some of these races, some of it in our control and other stuff that just hasn’t worked out. We’ve been really consistent. We’ve been working on cleaning up some mistakes in several areas, I know the guys have been busting their tails working on pit stops. If we can clean that up a bit and they can get some confidence and get consistently fast – our cars are great and the team is doing a great job – and clicking and working hard, and hopefully we can get our first win of the season here really soon. We have had some fast cars at a lot of these places.”

There’s a lot of variety in the schedule now – you go from short tracks, to dirt, to concrete, to road courses, and this week to a 1.5-mile oval. How do you take on the challenge of the variety of tracks you go to in the Cup Series?

“I feel like the schedule nowadays is all over the place with all the road courses we have, it’s just that every week is so different and you have to do your homework and study and think back to last year and past races just to remind ourselves. We have really short practices now, so you don’t get a lot of time to get dialed in and get comfortable, and not getting in that rhythm and just getting the car dialed in. We don’t have a lot of time and we need to show up and be ready to go. For the most part, I’ve been doing to these tracks for quite a while now and you lean on that past experience a lot, especially at a place like Texas this week, where I have raced a lot of times over the years.”

Is the competition as close as it’s ever been?

“Ever since we went to the NextGen car, everything has been closer, and you can see that in the standings, as well – it’s pretty tight. It is harder to find an advantage, it’s harder to run at the front every week consistently. Everything is tighter, closer together, less room for error, and you really have to be on top of things. Qualifying is a big deal now with track position at a premium. You want to run up front and hope for good things to happen.”

No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Martin Truex Jr.

Hometown: Mayetta, New Jersey

Crew Chief: James Small

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Car Chief: Chris Jones

Hometown: Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy

Hometown: Blockville, New York

Engineer: Jeff Curtis

Hometown: Fairfax Station, Virginia

Spotter: Drew Herring

Hometown: Benson, North Carolina

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Ryan Martin

Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Virgina

Mechanic: Todd Carmichael

Hometown: Redding, California

Interior/Tire Specialist: Tommy DiBlasi

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Engine Tuner: Beau Morton

Hometown: Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Transporter Driver: Kyle Bazzell

Hometown: Fairbury, Illinois

Transporter Driver: Eddie DeGroot

Hometown: Baldwinsville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Jackman: Caleb Dirks

Hometown: Riverside, California

Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey

Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Front Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham

Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Marquill Osborne

Hometown: Cornelius, NC

NOAH GRAGSON
Texas Advance
No. 10 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Round 9 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 14
● Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Six weeks have passed since the last time the NASCAR Cup Series raced on a 1.5-mile oval. It was March 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Noah Gragson drove his No. 10 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing to a season-best sixth-place finish. With another 1.5-mile oval next up on the Cup Series docket with the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Gragson is looking forward to racing in the Lone Star State and scoring another strong result.

● Gragson has only one NASCAR Cup Series start at Texas. It came in September 2022 when the Las Vegas native drove to a 21st-place finish for Kaulig Racing. It was just Gragson’s 13th career Cup Series start. Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 will mark Gragson’s 48th career Cup Series start. He’s slated to make his milestone 50th career Cup Series start April 28 at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.

● While Gragson’s NASCAR Cup Series experience at Texas is limited, his overall experience at the D-shaped oval is not. He has eight career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts there and four career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts.

● In those eight NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Texas, Gragson scored four top-fives, hitting his stride in his fourth start at the track. After finishing 13th, 30th and 30th in his first three starts, Gragson roared to a strong second-place finish in October 2020, rising from his ninth-place starting spot to lead three times for a race-high 43 laps before coming up .445 of a second short to winner Harrison Burton. Gragson went on to score three more top-10 finishes in his last four Xfinity Series starts at Texas, going out on top in his final start at the track in September 2022. Gragson started second and took the lead on lap one. He wound up leading three times for a race-high 85 laps, including the final 12, to take the victory by 1.238 seconds over runner-up Austin Hill. The lone finish outside of the top-10 during that four-race stretch came in May 2022 when Gragson won the pole and proceeded to lead twice for 32 laps before getting collected in a six-car accident on lap 124 of the 167-lap race that left him 36th.

● In his four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Texas, Gragson never finished outside the top-10. He debuted in strong fashion in June 2017 by winning the pole and leading twice for 13 laps before finishing seventh. It ended up being Gragson’s best Truck Series result at Texas as he tallied three consecutive 10th-place finishes in his last three Truck Series starts (November 2017, June 2018 and November 2018).

● For the second straight week, Overstock.com adorns Gragson’s No. 10 Ford Mustang. 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.

Noah Gragson, Driver of the No. 10 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

The risk versus reward factor is higher at Texas because the speeds are so much higher. Can you explain how fast things happen at Texas and how quickly you need to think and make moves on the track?

“Texas is challenging just because you’re pretty much wide open from the exit of turn two all the way through (turns) three and four, down the front straightaway until you get to turn one. There are two different corners at Texas, and that’s a big challenge on getting your car handling right. Turns three and four are more banked, and turns one and two are more flat and wide. It’s a tough, challenging racetrack, and it’s always pretty hot and slick there, too. It’s easy to get up out of the groove and spin out through one and two. You definitely have to be on your game from the get-go.”

Texas is the exact opposite of a short track, which is where the NASCAR Cup Series has raced the past two weekends. But would you like to see the kind of tire fall-off we’ve seen at the short tracks to where the race would have more comers and goers, or does that get a little bit dicey considering the speeds you’re running at Texas?

“Texas is super smooth just because it’s been repaved within the last 10 years, so it would be hard to make the tires wear out there. But it’s gripped up, it’s fine, you’re going fast around that place, and I like the challenge of that.”

What are the tricky parts of Texas and what do you have to do every time you make a lap?

“You can go to the bottom and run your right-sides in the resin, or you can run all four in the traction compound, but if you slip up, there’s only one groove in that traction compound. If you try to get a little bit higher on your arc into the corner, it could be a disaster and you can spin out and lose all grip. It’s like you hit ice. That’s a big challenge there.”

Texas is another track where you’ve enjoyed considerable success in NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In fact, you won in your last Xfinity Series start there and you never finished outside the top-10 in four career Truck starts at Texas. What has allowed you to have so much success at Texas?

“I don’t have a clue. I felt like it was always my worst track. The first time I went there, we got the pole, which was awesome, and I told myself in the Truck that I had to be wide open if I wanted a shot at the pole, and I held it wide open until I got past the checkered flag. I guess it’s just about being disciplined getting it to the line each lap. It’s a handful around that place.”

Texas’ victory lane is pretty over the top with flames, confetti, cowboy hats and six-shooters. Has it been one of your favorite places to celebrate a win?

“Yeah, it’s a fun victory lane to celebrate, by far. There are always a lot of people, they have cool trophies, cowboy hats, and they have flames shooting off the top of the backdrop. It’s a good time, but it’s always hot in Texas and it feels like it’s 200 degrees in a sauna in victory lane there just because they have the fire going the whole time. I remember when we won the Xfinity race and I’m like, ‘Please just tell them to shut off the flames because it’s so damn hot and I’m worn out.’”

What’s your favorite barbecue joint in Texas?

“I like going to Hard Eight BBQ. I could eat lunch and dinner there every day when I’m in town. I love that place. I get brisket, I get the bacon wrapped jalapeno, and I also do a jalapeno creamed corn, and that’s all I need. For me, it’s the only place that really has it all for me, and I’m not really a big barbecue guy. But for whatever reason, when we land in Texas, I’m going to Hard Eight in Dallas.”

No. 10 Overstock.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Noah Gragson

Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer

Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Jerry Cook

Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: James Kimbrough

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Andy Houston

Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White

Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard

Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotten

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener

Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Chris Trickett

Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Beau Whitley

Hometown: Carmel, Indiana

Tire Specialist: Jacob Cooksey

Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller

Hometown: Monroe, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Steve Casper

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy

Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

Texas Event Info:
Date: Sunday, April 14
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Format: 267 Laps, 400.5 miles, Stages: 80-85-102
TV: FS1
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 10:35 a.m. ET, Practice (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 11:20 a.m., Qualifying (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3:30 p.m. ET, Race (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

• Texas Motor Speedway hosts its lone race date of the season this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series embarks on the ninth race of 2024.
• Jack Roush has 18 wins all-time at Texas, including nine in Cup.

6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Partner: BuildSubmarines.com

‘Month of the Military Child,’ an initiative run through Brad’s Checkered Flag Foundation, continues this weekend in Texas. Levi and Max Johnson will ride along on the No. 6 on the passenger side name rail as part of the campaign meant to recognize a military child’s name during each race in April.

17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fifth Third Bank

• Mammoth Energy Services will ride along on Buescher’s No. 17 this weekend as part of the ‘Fueled by Fifth Third’ program. Mammoth is an integrated, growth-oriented energy services company focused on providing products and services to enable the exploration and development of North American onshore unconventional oil and natural gas reserves as well as the construction and repair of the electric grid for private utilities, public investor-owned utilities, and co-operative utilities through its infrastructure services businesses.
• Mammoth’s suite of services and products include: well completion services, infrastructure services, natural sand and proppant services, drilling services and other energy services. For more information, please visit www.mammothenergy.com.

Keselowski at Texas
Starts: 28
Wins: —
Top-10s: 13
Poles: 2 (2015, 2022)

• Keselowski makes his 29th Cup Series start at Texas this weekend. He has a 15.8 average finish at the 1.5-mile track with 13 top-10s, and two runner-up results in 2012 and 2015.
• He’s coming off five-straight top-10 finishes in Fort Worth, including a P7 last fall after starting third.
• Despite no victories at TMS, Keselowski has led 685 laps at the track, fourth-most of any track in his career.
• Keselowski earned the pole in 2022 and went on to lead 31 laps, one of two Texas poles in his Cup career (2015).
• He’s also qualified inside the top-10 in six-straight Texas races with an overall average starting position of 13.2.
• He made an additional 23 combined starts at Texas in the Xfinity and Truck Series with two NXS victories in 2013 and 2015.

Buescher at Texas
Starts: 14
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

• Buescher makes his 15th Cup start at his home track of Texas this weekend. He’s coming off a 14th-place finish last fall, his career best at Texas.
• He’s coming off three-consecutive career best qualifying efforts, after starting P2 last fall. The year prior he qualified 13th, and started 10th in 2021.
• Buescher also made five Xfinity starts at Texas with a best finish of ninth (2015).

RFK Historically at Texas
Cup Wins: 9 (Jeff Burton, 1997; Mark Martin, 1998; Matt Kenseth, 2002, 2011; Greg Biffle, 2005, 2012; Carl Edwards, 2008, 2008)

• Dream Season: RFK won both the first NCS (Jeff Burton) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (Mark Martin) races at Texas in 1997. Burton began the afternoon from the fifth position and led 60 laps en route to the inaugural victory.
• Houston, We Don’t Have a Problem: RFK has earned nine NCS victories at Texas, dating back to the inaugural event in 1997. Former drivers Burton, Martin, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth have captured the checkered flag in the Lone Star State.
• J.R.’s ’08 Sweep: Edwards swept the 2008 NCS races for RFK at Texas, leading 335 laps in the two events.
• 9 a.m. in Dallas: RFK has started 154 NCS races at Texas, recording a total of nine victories, 38 top-five finishes, 61 top-10 finishes, an average finish of 16.0 and has led 2,557 laps. Biffle earned RFK’s most recent victory at Texas in the April 2012 event.
• North Dallas Forty: RFK has earned eight victories, 26 top-five finishes, 47 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 13th at Texas in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. RFK won three of the first four races at the 1.5-mile oval.
• Jack Roush: TMS Hall of Famer: Based on the strength of RFK’s numerous accomplishments at Texas, team owner Jack Roush was inducted into the Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
• Tale of the Tape: RFK has started 305 races all-time at Texas Motor Speedway, recording 18 wins, 76 top-fives and 135 top-10s. RFK Fords have captured 10 poles at the 1.5-mile track and led 3500+ laps while turning more than 112,000 miles.

RFK Texas Wins

1997 Burton Cup

1997 Martin NXS

1998 Martin Cup

1999 Martin NXS

2000 Martin NXS

2000 Biffle Truck

2002 Kenseth Cup

2005-1 Biffle Cup

2005-2 Edwards Cup

2007-1 Kenseth NXS

2008-1 Edwards Cup

2008-2 Edwards Cup

2010-2 Edwards NXS

2011-1 Edwards NXS

2011-2 Bayne NXS

2011-1 Kenseth Cup

2012-1 Biffle Cup

2012-1 Stenhouse NXS

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Martinsville: Buescher led the RFK contingent with a top-15 finish at Martinsville last weekend, his third-straight top-15 at ‘The Paperclip.’ Keselowski finished 24th.

Points Standings (17: 13th, 6: 18th): Buescher dropped one position to P13, while Keselowski is 18th entering the ninth race of the season.

STATESVILLE, N.C. (April 9, 2024) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB today announced a partnership with OLIPOP, the world’s first functional beverage that combines a classic soda taste with the benefits of plant-based fiber, prebiotics, and other botanical ingredients to support gut health. OLIPOP is a new kind of soda with only 2-5 grams of sugar, and 9 grams of fiber per can.

The partnership with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB will prominently feature the OLIPOP on the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek for eight key events throughout the 2024 season beginning at Texas Motor Speedway on April 14.

“Partnering with OLIPOP is a win-win for everyone,” said Nemechek. “The business-to-business opportunities on the No. 42 makes so much sense and I am a huge fan of this product. I’m really health-conscious and OLIPOP comes in so many flavors so there are a bunch of options. It’s nice to know I can enjoy a beverage like this that is actually good for you at the same time.”

OLIPOP, renowned for its innovative approach to soda, offers a diverse range of flavors, from nostalgic Vintage Cola and Classic Root Beer to unique Strawberry Vanilla, Watermelon Lime, and more. OLIPOP sales have even surpassed major soda brands including Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Canada Dry at a leading national retailer. This illustrates not only the shift in consumers’ evolving preferences towards health-conscious choices, but also the way OLIPOP is changing the traditional soda category on a larger scale.

Co-founders Ben Goodwin and David Lester share a vision of a healthier, more flavorful tastier future, by borrowing the best from soda, but swapping the sugar and chemical additives for all-natural ingredients.

“We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB,” said Steven Vigilante, VP of Growth. “John Hunter Nemechek is a rising star in the sport, and we felt that he was the perfect entry point for OLIPOP into the world of NASCAR. OLIPOP is thrilled to join this community and bring a healthier soda alternative into the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, as we see the synergy with John Hunter’s commitment to a healthier lifestyle as an athlete and with his audience and partners.”

The first official outing for OLIPOP on the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE will be this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

ABOUT OLIPOP: Launched in 2018, OLIPOP created the first healthy alternative to soda with only 2-5 grams of sugar and 9 grams of fiber. OLIPOP, now the fastest growing functional beverage, was formulated by CEO, Ben Goodwin, and a team of leading scientists to capture the nostalgic soda flavors you want, but with the benefits of plant-based fiber, prebiotics, and other botanical ingredients to support digestive health. OLIPOP is available in a variety of flavors including classic options like Vintage Cola, Classic Root Beer and Lemon Lime and innovative flavors like Strawberry Vanilla, Banana Cream, and Tropical Punch. OLIPOP is non-GMO, paleo, vegan, and gluten-free and is available online at www.drinkolipop.com as well as almost 30,000 grocers nationwide, including Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, Kroger and more.

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. LEGACY M.C. also competes in the Extreme E Series. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as Club Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

LaJoie to Showcase Schluter Livery in Four NASCAR Cup Series Races in 2024

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 9, 2024) – Schluter®-Systems, a key partner for Corey LaJoie and Spire Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) efforts over the last several seasons, will return to the primary position on the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for four races in 2024, beginning with this weekend’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.

In addition to this weekend’s 267-lap contest at the mile-and-a-half Fort Worth oval, Schluter Systems will also be showcased aboard LaJoie’s Chevy Camaro at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (June 23), Charlotte Motor Speedway (10/13) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (10/27).

“As we mark our eighth year with Corey Lajoie, the journey continues to be an exhilarating ride,” said Dee DeGooyer, Chief Sales Officer, Schluter Systems, N.A. “We have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Corey’s success and are grateful for the culture at Spire Motorsports that’s provided such an exceptional experience for our customer base. Our partnership and the synergy of our brands exemplifies collaboration and teamwork and we look forward to accelerating our shared success on and off the track again this year.”

LaJoie continues to be a Cup Series mainstay, logging 244 starts over eight seasons in NASCAR’s premier series. His resume includes four top-five five and nine top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place finish in the 2024 Daytona 500.

In eight NCS events in 2024, LaJoie has logged one top-five and two top-15 finishes. The Concord, N.C. racer has 10 previous NCS starts at Texas Motor Speedway and earned a venue-best 14th-place finish in September 2022.

“I’m ready to jump into the No. 7 Schluter Systems Chevrolet Camaro at Texas Motor Speedway with our new 2024 scheme,” said LaJoie. “It’s been a blessing to have the orange gang as a part of my career in the Cup Series for eight years. We both have experienced tremendous growth the better part of this decade on the track and off. I’m thankful to have them onboard for another year.”

The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 from Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Sunday, April 14, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The ninth of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NASCAR RaceDay’s pre-race coverage on FS1 will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EDT.

About Schluter®-Systems …
Schluter Systems provides innovative, easy to use installation systems to support the durability, integrity and design of tile installations. With over 8,000 products within its growing portfolio, Schluter Systems is continuously improving the landscape of the tile industry. Their educational workshops and intuitive approach to product design supports Schluter’s position as an industry leader in quality and service. Schluter Systems services North America with multiple Training, Distribution and Manufacturing facilities in Plattsburgh, NY, Montreal, QC, Reno, NV, and Fort Worth, TX. For more information, visit www.schluter.com.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2024, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Corey LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The team will also field the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth will drive the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Chevrolets in the No. 77.

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on March 1, 2024, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.