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Weekend schedule for Bristol Motor Speedway

By
Angie Campbell
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Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Direct Toyota, and Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 Valvoline/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet, lead the field during the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16, 2023 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

The NASCAR Cup Series and the Craftsman Truck Series head to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend while the Xfinity Series enjoys a week off from competition.

Expect Cup Series qualifying to be intense as 78% of the Cup races at Bristol have been won by drivers starting 10th or better. Busch Light Pole Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday, March 16 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Kyle Busch will have a busy weekend as he will also compete in the Truck Series event on Saturday, driving the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet entry as a prelude to the Cup Series race on Sunday. Busch holds the Truck Series qualifying record at Bristol (91.919 mph on 08/21/2014), has won the most poles (4), the most top-fives (7) and has the most wins (5).

NASCAR Press Pass will be available post-practice and qualifying.

All times are Eastern.

Saturday, March 16
3 p.m.: Truck Series Practice – FS1/SiriusXM
Group 1: 15 Minutes – Group 2: 15 Minutes
3:40 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – FS1/SiriusXM
All Entries: Single Vehicle/2 Laps (Impound)

5 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – FS1/PRN/SiriusXM
Group A: 20 Minutes – Group B: 20 Minutes
5:50 p.m.: Qualifying FS1/PRN/SiriusXM
Group A & B: Single Vehicle/2 Laps/2 Rounds (Impound)

8 p.m.: Weather Guard Truck Race – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
Distance: 133.25 miles (250 Laps)
Stages end on Laps 65, 130, 250
Purse: $761,274

Sunday, March 17
3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Food City 500 – FOX/PRN/SiriusXM
Distance: 266.5 miles (500 laps)
Stages end on Laps 125, 250, 500
Purse: $8,182,531

CARUTH CARRIES MOMENTUM INTO WEATHER GUARD TRUCK RACE AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

By
Official Release
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Rajah Caruth is one of the favorites to win Saturday night's WEATHER GUARD Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 14, 2024) – Rajah Caruth became NASCAR’s most recent major headliner two weeks ago in Las Vegas, scoring a victory and becoming the third black driver in the sport’s history to win a national series race. The popular rising star in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series received a reported 600 congratulatory texts from friends, teammates and family members.

With his dominating win in the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 presented by Westgate Resorts, Caruth led 38 laps at the controls of his blue and white No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevy, including the final 21, to finish .851 of a second in front of second-place finisher Tyler Ankrum.

Corey Heim, Taylor Gray and Cup Series regular Christopher Bell completed the top-five.

He admitted that hanging on in the 21 closing laps was a thrill ride and he focused on remaining calm the entire time.

“I was trying to not get excited and thinking about what we would need in case of a caution, what adjustments I would need for a short run, being in the game was my mindset in the final laps,” Caruth said. “For your first win you always hear people say you’ll feel like something’s going to go wrong, and that was true, I was hearing things hit the crush panels, my right front tire felt a little weird and I thought I felt a different vibration. Fortunately it all worked out and we will try to repeat this weekend.”

Caruth, 21, a native of Washington D.C., joins current Cup Series star Bubba Wallace, driver of the No. 23 XI Racing Toyota and NASCAR legend Wendell Scott as the sport’s only black winners. Wallace is a two-time Cup Series winner with his most recent victory coming at Kansas Speedway in 2022, while Scott won the 1965 race in Jacksonville, Fla. Scott had a career-best finish of fifth at Bristol, coming in 1965.

Caruth got his start racing on SIMs through iRacing and virtual races and became the first driver in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program not to already have experience on an actual racetrack. He eventually started racing Legends cars on the asphalt in 2019 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Caruth had an extra week to absorb and fully process his victory and he said during that time he observed something totally different.

“One of the biggest things I’ve taken away is what that win meant to other people,”’ Caruth said. “It’s important to think how it affects you and everyone in your inner circle, like everybody at the shop and my family. Personally, I had some time off last week and think about it, but the coolest thing was seeing how it affected everyone around me.”

Caruth now will turn his attention to trying to score a victory at the .533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway in Saturday night’s WEATHER GUARD Truck Race (8 p.m., FS1, MRN Radio). The 250-lap race on the all-concrete high-banks will be Caruth’s fourth Truck start at Bristol. He also has one Xfinity race under his belt at Bristol and two ARCA Menards Series races, where he finished sixth in 2021 and fourth in 2022.

In Caruth’s three previous Truck starts at Bristol he finished 34th in his first run in 2022, 11th on the Bristol Dirt in 2023 and a career-best sixth after starting fifth last September.

Caruth will need to be on his game to hold off a host of tough challengers, who have all shown they have the skills to contend for victories at Bristol, including defending series champ Ben Rhodes, UNOH 200 winner Corey Heim, Nick Sanchez, Christian Eckes, veteran driver Grant Enfinger, Ty Dillon and moonlighting Cup stars Kyle Busch and Zane Smith, among others.

“Bristol is a place I feel really good at and walk in there with a little pep in my step,” Caruth said. “It’s such a fun racetrack and I will knock on wood cause everything I’ve drove at Bristol in the past I was able to make good speed so we hope that continues on Saturday. My confidence level doesn’t mean too much cause I like to keep everything at even-keel as possible, and Bristol is a fun track and it’s fun every time we go there.”

The Bristol race weekend also will feature action in the NASCAR Cup Series with the tradition-rich Food City 500 on Sunday afternoon, March 17 (3:30 p.m., FOX and PRN Radio) with current champ Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Daytona 500 winner William Byron, Joey Logano, Atlanta winner Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin leading the way.

Bush’s Beans Practice and Bush’s Beans Qualifying for both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will set the starting lineups for each race on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. for Trucks and 5 p.m. for Cup. Bush’s Beans Practice and Bush’s Beans Qualifying will be televised on FS1.

To purchase tickets for the WEATHER GUARD® Truck Race or the Food City 500, please visit the BMS website, or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158. For a limited-time tickets can also be purchased at your neighborhood Food City store.

About Bristol Motor Speedway
Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race, and from 2021-2023 converted to a temporary dirt track each spring to take the Cup Series back to its racing roots. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States.

RCR Race Preview: Bristol Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway… In 185 NASCAR Cup Series starts on the pavement configuration at Bristol Motor Speedway, RCR has scored nine wins, including Dale Earnhardt’s seven wins at the track (both races in 1985 and 1987, plus victories in 1988, 1994 and 1999). Kevin Harvick won in 2005, and Jeff Burton found Victory Lane for the organization in 2008. RCR has racked up 35 top-five and 71 top-10 finishes.

Successful Team Owner… Team owner Richard Childress made 19 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway as a driver. His best finish came in the 1978 Southeastern 500 (spring race) where he placed sixth after qualifying fourth. Childress racked up seven top-10 finishes at the 0.533-mile oval and completed 75.17 percent of the total possible laps in those races.

Catch the Action…The Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, March 17 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Bristol Motor Speedway… In 20 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Dillon earned his career-best third-place finish in April 2023 on the track’s dirt configuration. He has three top-10 finishes in NASCAR Cup Series competition at the track. The 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion has nine Xfinity Series starts at the half-mile track with a win in 2016. He has also made three NASCAR Truck Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Winner, Winner… Dillon has won at Bristol Motor Speedway on both the paved and dirt configurations. In addition to winning a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Tennessee track in August 2016 (paved), Dillon was among the first drivers to compete on the track’s dirt surface in 2021. He won two features and a heat race in dominating fashion in a 604 Crate Late Model for Corey Hedgecock Racing.

BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Team Up with Dillon… Dillon and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team will be supported by BREZTRI AEROSPHERE®, an AstraZeneca product, at Bristol Motor Speedway. This partnership is about more than just racing. You can learn more about Austin Dillon and his family’s personal connection to the brand at Breztri.com. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and Biopharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.

Meet Austin Dillon… Fans traveling to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend have several chances to meet the driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet. Dillon is scheduled to make an appearance at the Food City Fan Stage on behalf of Coca-Cola for a Q&A session on Sunday at noon. Additionally, Dillon is scheduled to appear at 12:20 p.m. at the RCR Merchandise Hauler to greet race fans. Stop by and pick up new RCR gear.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:

What are your thoughts on Bristol Motor Speedway?

“A race at Bristol Motor Speedway is always a lot of fun, especially when you are battling it out for 500 laps. It helps to get your car better handling if you can move around and try different lanes on the Bristol concrete, which has helped drivers make long green flag runs. A good pit road setup is also very important, so not having any speeding penalties and getting on and off the pit road without any problems can help you have a smoother race.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 FICO Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Bristol Motor Speedway… Kyle Busch will make his 35th Bristol Motor Speedway NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend (pavement races). The driver of the FICO Chevrolet leads all active drivers with eight Bristol victories: 2007 (spring), 2009 (both races), 2010 (fall), 2011 (spring), 2017 (fall), 2018 (spring) and 2019 (spring). Busch has the most top-five finishes at Bristol among active drivers (14) and leads all current drivers in laps led at Bristol (2,593). He has won two pole positions at Bristol in Cup Series competition, capturing the top starting position in the 2013 and 2018 spring races. Busch has nine NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and five victories in the NASCAR Truck Series, giving the Las Vegas, Nev., native 22 wins at Bristol across all three NASCAR national series.

The NASCAR Hat Trick, Twice… In 2010, Busch made history at Bristol Motor Speedway, becoming the first driver to win all three NASCAR national series races in the same weekend. Seven years later in 2017, Busch repeated the accomplishment – again at the Last Great Colosseum – when he secured victories in the Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series races.

Welcome FICO… FICO, Richard Childress Racing and Kyle Busch are teaming up to raise awareness about the need for financial education. For the millions of NASCAR fans across the country, knowledge about money, financial planning, how credit works and the importance of building good financial habit are critical life skills. FICO, RCR and Kyle Busch want to share information and resources so that everyone in the NASCAR community can achieve their financial goals, such as paying for education, buying a home, or running a business.

FICO is a leading analytics software firm best known for its gold standard FICO® Score. Learn more about the FICO, RCR and Kyle Busch partnership, here: https://www.fico.com/en/newsroom/fico-and-richard-childress-racing-kick-financial-and-credit-education-partnership-nascar.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

What makes Bristol Motor Speedway such a tough track to win on?

“I think the toughness at Bristol is the amount of banking and the load that you see throughout the entirety of the race. There’s no time to relax. You’re really on top of it for the entire race. That’s what wears on you the most, plus the repetitious nature of these short tracks of down the straightway into the corner, down the straightaway into the corner and it never seems to stop. It makes it fun for a lot of guys and challenging for others.”

Do you feel like the days of rubbing and racing at Bristol will ever return?

“I think so. We’ve gone through so many iterations of racetrack whether it’s been the old concrete, the new concrete, and then the ground concrete, the spray down on the bottom, and then dirt. There’s been so many different ways that they’ve tried to have races there. Obviously when it comes down to the end and a race win is on the line and there’s somebody in the way, you’ve got to make it happen.”

Do you think drivers will be more aggressive in the Bristol spring race versus the September Playoff race?

“No, I don’t think so. I don’t think you’ll really see much of a different race, actually. We’re all trying to go out there and get the best possible finish that we can. We want those stage points and we want those stage wins in order to get those Playoff points. I think you’ll see a lot of the same things that we typically see with different strategies playing out: guys taking two tires, some staying out trying to maximize track position and get out front. Those are all the keys of what’s going to make a race at Bristol.”

GMG Racing’s James Sofronas Secures Third Straight IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Victory in Season-Opening Race at Sebring

By
Official Release
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  • Sofronas Follows 2023 Year-End Sweep at Circuit of The Americas with Pro-Am Victory in Season-Opening IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup Race in His No. 14 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
  • Kyle Washington Fights to a Fifth Place Masters Class Finish in Career Sebring Debut in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

SEBRING, Florida (March 14, 2024) – James Sofronas made a triumphant return to Sebring International Raceway while his close friend and GMG Racing teammate Kyle Washington made a grand career debut on the legendary 3.74-mile airport circuit in Thursday’s season-opening IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America race.

Picking up where he left off after a sweep of 2023’s year-end Carrera Cup doubleheader at Circuit of The Americas, Sofronas secured his third-straight Pro-Am class victory in his No. 14 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in his first race at Sebring in six years.

Washington has been competing regularly in a variety of single-make Porsche and GT racing series for the last four years but remarkably had never made a race start at Sebring until today. He steadily improved in his No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup throughout the fast 40-minute race to charge from ninth at the start to a top-five Masters Class finish.

Sofronas took the green flag from third on the grid but immediately challenged the two competitors in front. He raced side-by-side for a time on the opening lap with the Pro-Am class polesitter and prevailed to take the lead by the end of lap one.

Sofronas ultimately led all 17 race laps run but had to overcome a restart and pressure from second place finisher Marco Cirone throughout the race. He crossed the finish line a scant 0.179 of a second ahead of Cirone.

“We missed the testing here the last week or two, so I had to play catch-up,” Sofronas said. “I was behind the eight ball most of the week, and then in qualifying I just got a solid lap in and then just used a lot of my experience. There may have been some faster guys but I think a lot of my decisions were right on. Marco and I had a battle to the end and that was a lot of fun. He raced me clean, I’ve watched him race before, and it was great to battle with a strong competitor.”

Washington’s race was spent fighting among the Pro-Am back markers and in the thick of the Masters Class field while also having to learn Sebring’s notoriously tricky and bumpy circuit.

“I’m just happy this new car doesn’t have one scratch on it,” Washington said. “When you look at the carnage of what happened in front of me, how there’s no scratches on that new car is unbelievable. I went off twice just to save my car, and you can point fingers, but if you’re out of the race, that doesn’t matter. So, sometimes you have to take one for the team. There’s some aggressive corners here if people want it to be, but I have a new car that I didn’t want to scratch in the first race of the year.”

Not one to hang back, Washington takes Sebring’s “Respect the Bumps” tagline even further. He is more like “Love the Bumps.”

“I actually like the bumps, being a desert rat and loving off road stuff,” Washington said. “The bumps probably favor me. The high speed, no horizon turns are challenging for me but I think we’re getting better at them. There’s a lot of timing corners here. Turn 1, there’s really no markers for turn in, and when you add other people next to you it’s a real butt pucker. We’ve got another kick at the can tomorrow.”

A West Coast team in operation year round, GMG did indeed skip the pre-season Carrera Cup test earlier this month at Sebring, but Sofronas, Washington and the entire team really had no off season. All were in action throughout the winter in races and test days at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs. Sofronas and GMG are completing a new headquarters operation there that will have a grand opening this summer.

“I did yet another race at Thermal a couple of weeks ago for some fine tuning and it is such a great place for us to practice and really get some off season testing in,” Sofronas said. “It helps that we’re building a shop there and I’m there all the time, so I may as well get some seat time. It helped me prepare for today’s race that was different from the COTA races. We had so many yellows at COTA, but this race was one caution and then we settled in. I was playing it conservative, not making any mistakes, easy in and fast out as I coach my clients.”

Washington is one of GMG’s top driver clients and Sofronas was proud of his Sebring debut.

“Kyle’s been great, he finished top five,” Sofronas said. “I threw down an EBOOST before the race and it gave me all the energy I needed. Coming out on top was very rewarding, so we’ll celebrate and do it again tomorrow.”

Sofronas has been racing in partnership with Mobil 1 for 30 years and was proud to get the leading brand – which is the longtime sponsor of this weekend’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring – to Victory Lane on the company’s 50th Anniversary. The winning No. 14 GMG Porsche features a special Mobil 1 Golden Anniversary livery.

“Even before GMG was founded, I was honored to have the incredible support from Mobil 1 for several decades,” Sofronas said. “The opportunity to work with them here at a race where several of us are running special gold liveries and logos to celebrate the milestone anniversary is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. We look forward to continuing with them for many years to come and can’t thank Mobil 1 enough for the ongoing partnership.”

Friday’s final 40-minute Carrera Cup race of the Sebring opener is a sprint into the night that starts at 7:15 p.m. and ends at 7:55 p.m. EDT.

About GMG Racing: Founded in 2001, GMG Racing quickly established itself as North America’s premier performance tuning facility. What began as a small 1,200 sq. ft. shop, maintaining two race cars, has grown into a 30,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art performance tuning, racing and service facility located in Santa Ana, California in Orange County and with a trackside motorsports facility at 28,000 sq. ft. currently being built at The Thermal Club. The staff, attention to detail, and passion are what make GMG the choice of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. GMG, in its early years, was located directly across the street from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). This close proximity allowed GMG to build a strong relationship with the legendary racing brand which has helped us support our customers to the highest level possible. From club racing to Sebring, Daytona and Spa, GMG can take you as far as you want to go. More information can be found at www.gmgracing.com.

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Teams Bring Early-Season IMSA GT Daytona (GTD) Championship Leads to the 12 Hours of Sebring

By
Official Release
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Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams have early-season leads across six different IMSA GT Daytona (GTD) championships heading into this weekend’s 72nd edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway. Winward Racing’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD victory and a top performance by Korthoff Preston Motorsports in the first round of the 2024 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) in January’s season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona are at the foundation of the strong early-season championship leads. Rolex 24-winning drivers Russell Ward, Philip Ellis and Indy Dontje co-drive the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Sebring while IMEC GTD co-leaders Mike Skeen, Mikael Grenier and Kenton Koch compete in Saturday’s 12-hour race in the No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. A third Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer entry at Sebring is the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT of Salih Yoluç, Rui Andrade and Scott Andrews.

With the team’s full season Mercedes-AMG GT4 driver Daniel Morad joining Ward, Ellis and Dontje at Daytona, Winward Racing put in a convincing performance for its second Rolex 24 victory in the last four years to go along with 2021’s maiden triumph. The Winward No. 57 ran up front for the majority of the twice-around-the-clock classic for a race-high 383 laps led out the 731 circuits completed in the GTD class.

Winward now hopes to bring that winning Daytona momentum to Sebring where they have been fast since they debuted at the track in 2021 but have yet to put together a strong result at the finish.

Reigning IMEC GTD champions, the No. 32 Korthoff Preston team and drivers battled in the lead pack for the majority of the Daytona race and led a total of 36 GTD laps. The team was ultimately just a tick off the front runners in the final fight to the finish, but they backed up their fifth-place result at the checkered flag by winning Daytona’s opening round of the IMEC in the GTD class.

The Korthoff Preston team and drivers head into round two of the five race IMEC championship at Sebring tied for first place in the GTD standings with 13 points.

Winward’s overall WeatherTech Championship GTD Rolex 24 win in turn brings the No. 57 team and drivers to Sebring leading the championship standings with 364 points, 24 ahead of the nearest challenger. Winward’s strong run at Daytona also ranks the No. 57 a close second in the IMEC standings, just one point behind Korthoff Preston and the other co-leader, 13 – 12.

Mercedes-AMG left Daytona with the biggest championship leads following some post-race performance infraction penalties assessed to the manufacturer that had provisionally finished second and third in GTD. Mercedes-AMG leads the WeatherTech Championship GTD manufacturer championship standings with 371 points, a full 43 tallies ahead of the nearest competitor ahead of Saturday’s race. Mercedes-AMG also has an equally solid five-point lead in the IMEC GTD championship, 18 – 13, over the second-place challenger.

Another race-leading performance at Daytona was turned in by the debuting Rolex 24 and Sebring 12 Hour team Lone Star Racing. The No. 80 Lone Star squad led five laps and charged from the back of the field to the front three times to be in a position to contend for a podium spot in the race’s final hour.

Unfortunately, an untimely late caution derailed Lone Star’s chances when they were forced to enter a closed pit lane for emergency service and were assessed pit procedure penalties. The team recovered as best they could in the race’s final minutes for an eighth-place finish.

Winward’s great weekend at the Daytona opener also included a close second-place finish in Friday’s season-opening IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race. Morad was in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 and catching the race leader on the final lap but settled for the runner-up result 1.936 seconds behind the winner. Morad co-drives again at Sebring with Russell Ward’s father Bryce Ward, who ran in the top-10 throughout his race-opening stint in Daytona.

The Daytona opener also saw the debut of Mercedes-AMG GT4 standouts Michai Stephens and Jesse Webb who scored a top-10 Pilot Challenge GS-class finish in the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4. They look to improve on that result at Sebring where Stephens and Webb won a GT4 America race in a Mercedes-AMG GT4 last year.

A third Mercedes-AMG GT4 entry comes from Thaze Competition and co-drivers Marc Miller and the debuting Josh Green in the No. 78 Thaze Competition Mercedes-AMG GT4. Miller and the team finished third in the Thaze’s GT4 debut last year at Detroit and Green fits right in with that fast-out-of-the gate approach. Green qualified an impressive fourth overall in the Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class Thursday that set the field for Friday’s two-hour race that starts at 3:15 p.m. EDT.

The weekend’s featured 12 Hours of Sebring IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race is scheduled to start at 9:40 a.m. EDT this Saturday, March 16. The race can be seen live in its entirety on NBC’s Peacock streaming network beginning at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Broader coverage to the finish begins on the USA Network starting at 4 p.m. EDT and straight through the checkered flag at 9:40 p.m. EDT into post-race interviews until 10 p.m. EDT.

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This will be our third time at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and we haven’t actually finished the race yet. We’ve set ourselves up so good for the championship, winning Daytona, and now just want to finish the Sebring race. We did some testing here earlier, and the car was really quick. Honestly, the track suits the Mercedes-AMG GT3. We’ve always been fast there and led a lot of laps in the last two years that we’ve done it. We’ve come in here without a lot of experience in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and have done quite well. We’re always trying to chase that victory, that winning high. From my experience in IMSA, it’s all about the preparation. If you’ve prepared the car well, you come in with a lot of confidence and then it’s usually an easy race. Speed wise, over the past two years, it was an easy race. We know we have a good package, and we are well prepared for this event. I’m hoping we can get this one on our list of victories.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I don’t think you can prepare so much for Sebring. I think it’s more about experience, so the last two years were the best preparation we could have. Testing, of course, is always nice if you get to test at Sebring but it doesn’t really prepare you for the race, for the traffic and what comes at you, especially in the last two hours of the race. Compared to last year, we’ve all matured a lot more from the experience that we’ve gained, and our main focus is to finish the race. The biggest mistake we made in the last two years is taking too much risk where we didn’t have to, early on in the race. We always had a really good car, and a really good team and a really good driver lineup that put us out in front. We were either a bit too naïve or maybe even a bit too cocky making moves we shouldn’t have done early on in the race. That usually costs us a good result in the end. Both years we could have fought for the podium, if not the win, in GTD, and that is the goal this year.”

Mike Skeen, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We had a great run at Daytona. No major mistakes, and the team did an awesome job. We’ve always had a great pit crew that executes well, and I think we’ll have a strong car at Sebring again. We did get a test in between the Rolex 24 and the 12 hour, and we’re pretty excited about how the car is performing. We’re learning a bit more every time out about the new Michelin tire and we should be strong. Most of the crew has endurance experience, and obviously all of the drivers do, so we understand that realm. The team has really done a fantastic job to make that their strength. Even the shorter races are endurance races, too. They’ve done a great job, and we seem to do really well every time in the endurance stuff. We won the Michelin Endurance championship last year, we are co-leading it now, and hopefully we can keep that up. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is always a very consistent car. It helps to have consistency every lap and having a lot of confidence in the car over bumps. That makes for a stable platform that you can get everything out of and fight hard all day long.”

Kenton Koch, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was good to get the endurance cup win at Daytona. We were really hoping for better than that, obviously, and this year we have a little bit of a different mindset on how we are approaching the races. Rather than trying to optimize the endurance cup points, we are going to try to optimize the strategy to get the result at the end. One strategy can hinder the end goal, and at Daytona we just kind of lucked into being in the right place at the right time. If that happens again at Sebring, great, but hopefully we get the win. It was good to come test here a few weeks ago, especially with the new compound of the new Michelin tire.”

Scott Andrews, Driver – No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “After a successful yet seemingly anticlimactic Rolex 24 At Daytona, I’m really looking forward to seeing what the Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 can do around Sebring. AJ Petersen and the team always prepare an amazing car. We definitely have a lineup of drivers and crew to do the job. We just have to make sure we do everything to the best of our ability, and we will see where we end up. It’s a difficult track mechanically for the cars and physically for the drivers, but we are looking forward to the challenge.”

BRISTOL ‘KING’S HAT’ TRIBUTE IN BLACK AND PETTY BLUE TO HONOR KING RICHARD AND PETTY FAMILY’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY

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Official Release
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Bristol Motor Speedway President and General Manager Jerry Caldwell (left) and longtime BMS employee Gail Hulse, who is set to retire after this season, unveiled the Bristol King's Hat Tribute monument Thursday afternoon in the BMS Fan FUNZONE.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 14, 2024) – This season all 28 tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit are paying tribute to the King, Richard Petty, and his legendary family in their milestone 75th anniversary season in the sport by erecting special Petty hat monuments positioned prominently in their fan zone areas.

Bristol Motor Speedway’s Petty hat is black with Petty blue, just like the ones he wore during so many visits to the northeast Tennessee track over the years. The hat statue is made of concrete and fiberglass and is approximately six-foot tall and weighs 1,000 pounds. The design on the hat pays homage to his affinity for Petty blue and also is adorned with the three stars of Tennessee, which has a double-meaning for Petty at Bristol, since he earned three of his record 200 Cup Series victories at the challenging high-banked short track.

“It’s always special to be recognized and this does take it to the very top,” Petty said about the creative honor. “This is really for the fans to enjoy something unique to our family, our history, and our contributions to the tracks and NASCAR. It took a lot of people, time, and effort to make this happen and our family is honored by that.”

The hats are meticulously hand-crafted by TivoliToo, Inc., the same company that designed and built the Charles Schulz Peanuts® character tribute in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. Brother and sister duo, Randi and Hart Johnson have personally worked with each track to bring the creative vision to life. All one of a kind and thoughtfully designed, the hope is that these special statues will become landmarks for fans to visit and pay tribute to the Petty legacy for many years to come.

“My dad’s cowboy hat is iconic and is a part of who Richard Petty is,” said Kyle Petty. “If you see that hat, you know it’s Richard Petty. It’s been his signature look for as long as any race fan can remember. This is a great way to celebrate our family’s heritage and a fun way for fans to honor and learn about our history within the sport. We can’t thank LEGACY M.C., and all the tracks enough for working together to bring this to life.”

Fans are encouraged to use #PETTY75 when they post photos socially. Fans can go to www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com to find the locations for each hat.

During the Food City 500 weekend, March 16-17, The King’s Hat will be on display in the Bristol Motor Speedway Fan FUNZONE throughout the weekend.

“There is only one King in the sport of NASCAR Cup Series racing and this tribute is perfect to honor Richard Petty and his family for all they have done and meant to this community over the years,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “We decided on black because it seems he always has a black hat on when he visits with us here in Tennessee and also because Bristol is the home to the famed Night Race. The Tennessee Tri-Star is also a nice addition to the design as it aligns perfectly with the three Cup victories Petty earned at Bristol. We look forward to our guests enjoying their time with the monument and of course taking a lot of social media photos with it.”

The Bristol race weekend will feature action in the NASCAR Cup Series with the tradition-rich Food City 500 on Sunday afternoon, March 17 (3:30 p.m., FOX and PRN Radio) with current champ Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Daytona 500 winner William Byron, Joey Logano, Atlanta winner Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin leading the way.

Saturday afternoon’s (March 16) Bush’s Beans Practice and Bush’s Beans Qualifying for both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will set the starting lineups for each race and precede Saturday night’s WEATHER GUARD® Truck Race. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series stars Ben Rhodes, Grant Enfinger, Nick Sanchez, Las Vegas winner Rajah Caruth, Corey Heim, Ty Dillon and Christian Eckes, among others, are scheduled to take the green flag at 8 p.m. ET for the 250-lap thriller (FS1, MRN Radio).

To purchase tickets for the Food City 500 or the WEATHER GUARD® Truck Race, please visit the BMS website, or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.

About Bristol Motor Speedway
Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race, and from 2021-2023 converted to a temporary dirt track each spring to take the Cup Series back to its racing roots. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States.

Spire Motorsports Weather Guard Truck Race Advance

By
Official Release
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In four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS), including both pavement and dirt surfaces, Spire Motorsports has notched one top-10 and three top-15 finishes. Chase Elliott drove the team’s No. 7 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado to a seventh-place finish in the 2022 Truck Race on Dirt at BMS. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NCTS. 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.

The Weather Guard Truck Race from Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Saturday, March 16, beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The fourth of 23 NCTS races on the 2024 schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Kyle Busch – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Kyle Busch will be making his third of five NCTS starts for Spire Motorsports in Saturday night’s Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. This will be his first NCTS start at Bristol since he led a race-high 109 laps en route to victory in August of 2017.
  • Across NASCAR’s top three series, Busch has accumulated 22 victories at “The Last Great Colosseum,” including five in the NCTS. In August of 2010, Busch made history when he won the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol, becoming the only driver to sweep all three of NASCAR’s top-three series at one track on the same weekend. He repeated the feat at Bristol in August of 2017.
  • The 38-year-old driver opened his 2024 Truck Series campaign at Atlanta Motor Speedway by picking up his series-record extending 65th career victory in his Spire Motorsports debut. It was his first Truck Series victory for a team other than his own since Kyle Busch Motorsports originated in 2010. Most recently, Busch started fourth and led 13 laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before being relegated to a 15th-place finish after the team received a safety violation late in the race and he was forced to complete a pass-thru penalty on pit road.
  • The Las Vegas native will get behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevrolet for two additional races in 2024: Texas Motor Speedway (4/12) and Darlington Raceway (5/10).
  • Group 1001 will serve as the primary sponsor on Busch’s Chevy Silverado this weekend. Group 1001 is a collective that empowers companies to create positive growth. Our insurance and annuities are easy to understand and accessible to all. Our online investing platform gives individuals control over their savings. Our technology and innovation help companies succeed. And our strategic partnerships bring people together through education and sports. Group 1001 comprises the following brands: Delaware Life, Gainbridge®, Clear Spring Health, Clear Spring Property and Casualty Group, Clear Spring Life and Annuity Company, and RVI Group.
  • In addition to being the winningest driver in NCTS history, he also leads the series all-time with an average finish of 6.4 and ranks second in laps led (7,833).
  • ‘Rowdy’ has won 37.8% (65/172) of the Truck Series races he has entered going into the 2024 season and has finished first or second in 56.9% (98/172). Over his last 31 Truck Series starts he has posted an average finish of 2.9, while registering 16 wins and nine runner-up finishes.
  • With his win at Atlanta, he extended his series-best streak of winning at least one race to 12 consecutive NCTS seasons (2013-2024).
  • Busch will be pulling double duty this weekend, as he heads into his second season behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Kyle Busch Quotes
It’s been a few years since you’ve raced a truck at Bristol. Are you looking forward to it?
“With having the dirt on Bristol for the first race of the year the last few seasons and the pavement race moving into the Truck Series playoffs, it’s been a while since I’ve raced there in the truck, so I’m looking forward to Saturday with (Brian) Pattie and my No. 7 Group 1001 team. Obviously, I have a lot of fond memories of running a truck at Bristol with being able to start the weekend sweep back in 2010 with the truck win and then being able to repeat it the last time I was in the truck race back in 2017. It won’t be a triple this weekend, but my goal is to go sweep the weekend and add to the Bristol trophy collection.”

Rajah Caruth – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Rajah Caruth heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday’s Weather Guard Truck Race with momentum on his side after picking up his first NCTS victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. HENDRICKCARS.COM will serve as the primary sponsor for Caruth and Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado throughout the 2024 season.
  • Caruth earned his first pole position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and went on to lead 38 of 134 laps, securing the win by 0.851 seconds.
  • After 30 NCTS starts, Caruth joins NASCAR Hall of Famer, Wendell Scott and current NASCAR Cup Series regular Bubba Wallace as the third African American to win a NASCAR National Touring Series race. Caruth currently sits fourth in the NCTS driver standings, three races into the 2024 campaign.
  • HENDRICKCARS.COM is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop thousands of new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protections programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.
  • The Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University senior has finished all 370 laps contested this season and boasts three consecutive top-10 finishes. His current average finish in 2024 is fourth place.
  • Fans can meet Caruth on Saturday, March 16 at 1 p.m. for a question-and-answer session at the Food City Fan Zone Stage.
  • The Washington, D.C., native has two previous NCTS starts at the famed half-mile oval and one start in the NXS. He also secured an 11th-place finish in the 2023 NCTS race on the dirt track at Bristol. Caruth looks to improve on his best track finish of sixth place in Saturday night’s 250-lap race.

Rajah Caruth Quotes
Coming off your first ever NCTS win at Vegas, what’s your outlook heading into Friday night’s race at Bristol?
“Going into Bristol, there’s not any different of an outlook than before. I feel excited because I truly enjoy racing at that place – after all, it’s the opening track from Cars. Overall though no different prep. It’s just any other race.”
What did it mean to you to win on the 50th anniversary of Wendell Scott’s first NASCAR start?
“It’s pretty special because of the relationship I’ve developed with the Scott family. It’s great to add to their legacy but in that same vein, I’m ready to start my own.”
You’ve had a fantastic start to the year. How do you keep momentum high and not lose focus?
“I think it just comes down to doing the same thing each and every week, with minor adjustments as necessary. The success I feel comes in the process and consistency, not in big swings or big moments. One step, one punch, one round at a time.”

Chase Purdy – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Chase Purdy will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado in Saturday’s NCTS Weather Guard Truck Race at BMS.
  • In three NCTS starts at “Thunder Valley”, Purdy has logged a 15.3 average start and 22nd-place average finish, including a venue-best eighth-place finish in 2023.
  • The Weather Guard Truck Race will mark Purdy’s 79th NCTS career start and his fourth as a Spire Motorsports driver. Purdy comes into the fourth event of the season 18th in the NCTS championship point standings.
  • Purdy is looking to bounce back and take a step forward in the Weather Guard Truck Race. After a 15th- place finish at Atlanta, and a 16th-place finish at Las Vegas, Purdy is looking to take the confidence learned from Bristol 2023 and bring it to 2024 for another top-10 finish.
  • Purdy’s crew chief Jason Trinchere earned the checkered flag in the in the 2021 Food City 300 NXS race with driver AJ Allmendinger.

Chase Purdy Quotes
What does it take well to run well at Bristol?
“In years prior to run well there, you have to stay on the apron and wrap all the way around on both ends. Discipline is key, and trusting your team and plan will help you succeed at the end of the race.”

After last year’s run on the concrete, what can you take away and apply to this weekend’s race?
“I believe being able to use last year’s notes is going to be extremely beneficial. Same truck with the same set up, we should be able to know a lot of what to expect and know what we can get out of the truck.”

What have you learned over the first three races that you’re able to take away and apply moving forward?
“I think for me, it’s just been about continuing to build and make not only myself better but as a team get better and overcome some early adversity we have faced. I believe in this Bama Buggies group and I’m looking forward to getting to Bristol.”

From the Top of the Box

Brian Pattie – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado

  • Brian Pattie earned two victories last year, both with Kyle Busch. The duo started off the 2024 campaign with a victory at Atlanta last weekend.
  • In addition to his three NCTS triumphs with Busch, he also won with Ron Fellows at Watkins Glen International in 1999.
  • Pattie was atop the pit box for six wins across 14 seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series and has 11 career victories as a crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
  • Jack Wood qualified seventh but was relegated to a 36th-place finish after getting caught up in an early accident last year in Pattie’s lone start on the pavement at Bristol in the Truck Series. His best result across 28 cup starts at Bristol was fourth with Clint Bowyer in 2012 and equaled by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2018.

Chad Walter – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado

  • Chad Walter has over two decades of experience and began his career with Hendrick Motorsports in 1996.
  • He comes to Spire Motorsports with Caruth after spending last season in the same role with GMS Racing.
  • Some of his most notable accomplishments include a pair of Daytona 500 victories (2001 & 2003) with Michael Waltrip, along with Cup Series wins with Steve Park and Terry Labonte.

Jason Trinchere – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado

  • Jason Trinchere earned his Bachelor of Science from Penn State University and began his professional career in 2005 as the race engineer for the iconic No. 75 Spears Manufacturing NCTS team, owned by series’ pioneers Wayne and Connie Spears.
  • Notable accomplishments include Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 wins with both Ganassi Racing and Penske Racing. He was a key member of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Championship team with driver Joey Logano.
  • He comes to Spire Motorsports from Kaulig Racing where he began as an engineer before being promoted to crew chief in 2021, ultimately serving in that capacity for all three of the organization’s NXS teams.

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 May 20, 2023, when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in the Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Monster Mile legends Richard Petty, Jimmie Johnson to make multiple appearances Sunday, April 28 as part of celebration surrounding the Petty Family’s 75th Anniversary in NASCAR

By
Official Release
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  • LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Fan Suite, hat statue, Monster Monument appearances among opportunities to see NASCAR Hall of Famers.
  • Johnson, Dover’s all-time wins leader, to compete in Würth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race.
  • Visit DoverMotorSpeedway.com to order NASCAR tickets and keep up with all track announcements.

DOVER, Del. (March 14, 2024) – The yearlong celebration of the Petty Family’s 75th anniversary in NASCAR comes to Dover Motor Speedway this spring with multiple opportunities for fans to see and personally meet NASCAR legends Richard Petty, Dale Inman and Jimmie Johnson, the Monster Mile’s all-time leader in victories.

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY M.C.) and co-owned by Johnson, is partnering with NASCAR tracks across the country to produce one-of-a-kind sculptures featuring “The King’s” famous cowboy hat. Richard serves as LEGACY M.C.’s Club Ambassador.

The design of each hat is unique to each facility and honors Petty’s family racing legacy, which began when Richard’s father Lee entered the June 1949 race in Charlotte – the first event sanctioned by NASCAR.

“It’s always special to be recognized and this does take it to the very top,” Petty said. “This is really for the fans to enjoy something unique to our family, our history, and our contributions to the tracks and NASCAR. It took a lot of people, time, and effort to make this happen and our family is honored by that.”

Richard made an early mark at the Monster Mile in 1969, winning Dover’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race, the Mason-Dixon 300, by six laps, an event he later called “NASCAR’s invasion of the North.” Richard won seven NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover, with the last coming in 1984 for his 199th career victory.

Inman was Richard’s crew chief for three decades, 198 race wins and seven NASCAR Cup Series titles. Inman earned his eighth title with Terry Labonte in 1984 and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012.

Richard’s son Kyle’s last NASCAR Cup Series victory came in the Monster Mile’s debut weekend with a concrete surface in 1995 while Kyle’s son Adam made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Dover in 1999.

Meanwhile, 11-time Monster Mile winner Jimmie Johnson will make his first Dover Motor Speedway Cup Series start since 2020 in the Würth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, April 28 (2 p.m., FS1).

The newly inducted NASCAR Hall-of-Famer and seven-time NASCAR champion is driving the No. 84 Toyota part-time for LEGACY M.C. this season.

Johnson’s 83rd and final Cup Series victory to date came at Dover in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism on June 4, 2017.

“Across more than half a century of action, Richard Petty, his crew chief Dale Inman and Jimmie Johnson are some of the Monster Mile’s top performers,” said Mike Tatoian, Dover Motor Speedway’s president and general manager. “We are thrilled that these racing legends will be at Dover this spring and hope our fans take advantage of these unique opportunities to see these Hall of Famers and honor the Petty family’s NASCAR legacy.”

See below for more details on the April 26-28 Petty 75 weekend events and offers:

SUNDAY, APRIL 28

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB FAN SUITE: A limited-capacity suite for 48 fans honoring one of NASCAR’s cornerstone families for their 75th Anniversary season. Includes the following amenities:

  • Meet & greets with Petty, Johnson and Inman.
  • Petty and Inman: NASCAR Hall of Famers who won 188 races and seven championships together as a driver and crew chief, respectively.
  • Johnson: Driver of the No. 84 Dollar Tree / Family Dollar Toyota for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.
  • Includes the opportunity for a selfie with Petty, Inman and Johnson and an autograph from each.
  • Limited-edition, numbered, “Petty 75” ballcap
  • Pre-Race Track Pass access, including an exclusive viewing area on the frontstretch for pre-race driver introductions.
  • VIP parking outside Turn 4.
  • A portion of the proceeds benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp and Speedway Children’s Charities, Dover Motor Speedway chapter.
  • For more information, visit https://www.dovermotorspeedway.com/events/wurth-400/premium/.

ALL WEEKEND

“THE KING’S HAT”: The six-foot tall, 1,000-pound fiberglass and concrete statue, to be placed near the Monster Monument, features a collection of photos of Richard and Kyle at Dover, including from Richard’s 199th career NASCAR Cup Series victory in May 1984.

The hats are hand-crafted by TivoliToo, Inc., the same company that designed and built the Charles Schulz Peanuts® character tribute in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.

Fans are encouraged to use #PETTY75 when they visit Dover’s statue and post photos socially. Visit www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com for more information.

SUNDAY, APRIL 28

MONSTER MONUMENT APPEARANCES: Johnson, Petty and Inman are scheduled to appear at the famous 46-foot Monster Monument at Victory Plaza.

  • Johnson, 11:45 a.m.
  • Petty and Inman, Noon

The Monster Mile’s full 2024 race schedule includes:

  • Friday, April 26: General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race (5 p.m., FS2)
  • Saturday, April 27: A-GAME 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race (1:30 p.m., FS1, PRN, SiriusXM)
  • Sunday, April 28: Würth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race (2 p.m., FS1, PRN, SiriusXM)

Visit DoverMotorSpeedway.com to register for the Speedway’s email list to receive updates and announcements.

The Würth 400 is the Monster Mile’s 106th NASCAR Cup Series race. 2024 marks 55 consecutive years that Dover Motor Speedway has hosted a NASCAR Cup Series event. The Monster Mile is one of only 10 tracks in the country to host 100 or more NASCAR Cup Series races.

FOLLOW US:
Keep track of all of Dover Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook, X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok (@MonsterMile). Keep up with all the latest information on DoverMotorSpeedway.com and our mobile app.

INDYCAR Set for Historic, Innovative Showcase at The Thermal Club

By
Official Release
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$1 Million Challenge Rules To Feature Unique Format in Nationally Televised Spectacle

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, March 14, 2024) – One of the most unique race weekends in the history of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will take place March 22-24 at the picturesque The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California.

Located at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, just down the road from the world’s premier entertainment market of Los Angeles, The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge event weekend includes a crucial two-day Open Test, group qualifying sessions, two heat races and a 12-car “all-star” race with $1.756 million at stake – the largest purse for an INDYCAR SERIES race outside of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES non-points paying The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge is the first non-championship INDYCAR SERIES race since the Nikon Indy 300 in 2008 at Surfers Paradise, Australia.

The Thermal Club also is opening its gates to a few thousand guests as it hosts a public event for the first time. Spectators will include members of The Thermal Club – a private, world-class facility featuring an expansive 490-acre property known as the ultimate destination for driving-minded celebrities, corporate executives and motorsports enthusiasts.

“This will be an incredible new event for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles said. “The unique format and record-setting purse will bring extra energy and drama to a competition set against a scenic and compelling backdrop. We can’t wait for viewers across the country to tune in on NBC and look forward to an amazing weekend with Tim Rogers and his team at The Thermal Club.”

At a draw party, Thursday, March 21, The Thermal Club members will be paired with the 27 full-time teams scheduled to test and compete Friday, March 22-Sunday, March 24. Members will be embedded with their respective teams with immersive integration, including – but not limited to – team meetings, driver question-and-answer sessions, racecraft instruction and tips, and use of premium, authentic race team gear. A previously announced sharing of total prize money between paired members and drivers who finish in the top five will not occur but will not impact the purse total for drivers and teams.

Announced earlier, the total driver and team portion of prize money for The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge:

Total: $1.756 million (Largest purse in INDYCAR SERIES history outside of Indy 500)

  • First Place: $500,000
  • Second Place: $350,000
  • Third Place: $250,000
  • Fourth Place: $100,000
  • Fifth Place: $50,000
  • Sixth through 27th Place: $23,000 each

“The Thermal Club will be a phenomenal setting for the paddock, and a record purse only adds to how special this weekend will be,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “It is a unique and challenging knockout format that will test the drivers and teams in new ways and bring out the best of both. The facility was a perfect backdrop for the Open Test last year, and we look forward to adding this layer of excitement and competition.”

The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge Qualifying

The Thursday, March 21 draw party also will include a random draw to divide the field into two groups. Each group for qualifying, which starts at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, March 23, receives a 12-minute qualifying session on the 17-turn, 3.067-mile layout to determine the starting order of their respective heat race the following day.

For the first time in a NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying session, push-to-pass will be available to the drivers, with each driver receiving 40 seconds.

Timing of the session begins at the declaration of the green flag, with timing stopping at the first red flag condition for each group but not for subsequent red conditions.

The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge Heat Races

Two NTT INDYCAR SERIES heat races at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, March 24 will determine the 12-car field for The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge. It is the first time since 2013 (Iowa Speedway) that heat racing has been featured in the INDYCAR SERIES.

Each heat race will consist of 10 laps or be timed at 20 minutes. Laps under full course yellow will not count; however, the race clock will continue. A lap is deemed complete when the leader crosses the start-finish line. The cars’ position on track will be determined by the last timeline crossed on track at the moment of the full course yellow condition.

A new set of Firestone Firehawk tires will be allotted for the heat races. Pit stops for emergency service only will be allowed. Tires used during qualifying will be the only approved replacement tire(s) and must be approved by INDYCAR. A car making an adjustment not deemed emergency in nature will be disqualified.

As in qualifying, cars will receive 40 seconds of push-to-pass in each race.

The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge

The top six advancing cars from each heat race will make up the 12-car field for The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge. The pole position and odd number starting positions are determined by the heat race winner, with the fastest time from qualifications occupying the pole and the remainder of that heat race line up in positions 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11.

The final will consist of 20 laps divided into two 10-lap sprint segments with a 10-minute “halftime” break following the completion of Lap 10.

During the break, all cars will return to their pit boxes and only allowed to:

  • Add Shell 100% Renewable Race Fuel
  • Adjust front and rear wing angles and wickers
  • Adjust tire pressure
  • Attend to the driver

All rules from the heat races will apply except:

  • A time limit shall not apply.
  • 40 seconds of push-to-pass will be reset after the “halftime” break.
  • During the second 10-lap segment, should a full course yellow occur, the cars’ actual position on track will determine the restart lineup.
  • Tires used during the heat race will be the replacement tire for the final, if needed and approved by INDYCAR.

Additional rules of The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge:

03142024-Thermal-Event

Peacock will provide coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test from The Thermal Club from noon-2 p.m. ET and 5-8 p.m. Friday, March 22. The INDYCAR Radio Network will supplement Peacock with Open Test coverage from noon-2 p.m. ET and 4-6 p.m. Saturday, March 23, followed by coverage of The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge qualifying beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Coverage of The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge begins at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, March 24 on NBC broadcast television, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Bass Pro Shops Racing: Noah Gragson Bristol Advance

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Official Release
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NOAH GRAGSON
Bristol Advance
No. 10 Bass Pro Shops/Ranger Boats/Tracker Boats & ATVs Ford Mustang

Event Overview

● Event: Food City 500 (Round 5 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 17
● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: .533-mile, concrete oval
● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/266.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● With three finishes of 12th or better in the four NASCAR Cup Series races run this season, Noah Gragson is rolling. The driver of the No. 10 Bass Pro Shops/Ranger Boats/Tracker Boats & ATVS Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing has an average finish of 15.8, with his only blemish being a 36th-place result in the year’s second race at Atlanta Motor Speedway when he was collected in a multicar accident on just the second lap. In his 39 career Cup Series starts prior to this season, Gragson has never had such a stretch of front-running consistency. Now, the 25-year-old Las Vegas native turns his attention to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s Food City 500, where he will make his first Cup Series start on the concrete-clad, .533-mile oval.

● Gragson has raced a NASCAR Cup Series stock car at Bristol, it just hasn’t been on the concrete. His only two Cup Series starts at the East Tennessee short track came when it was covered in 23,000 cubic yards of red clay. Count Gragson among the crowd happy to see the return of Bristol’s gleaming white concrete. In two starts in the Food City Dirt Race in 2022 and 2023, Gragson finished 27th and 33rd, respectively.

● Despite that limited experience, Gragson is very familiar with Bristol’s high banks and short straights. He has six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Bristol with an average finish of 7.8. Two wins and two other top-10s helped aid that number.

● Gragson finished ninth in his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol in April 2019. When he returned to the track a little more than year later, Gragson left a winner. After starting ninth in the Cheddar’s 300, Gragson took the lead on lap 46 and paced the field for the next 46 laps. There were other strong contenders, most notably Justin Allgaier, who led a race-high 156 laps. In fact, the race came down to a battle between Gragson and Allgaier, who were teammates at JR Motorsports. On lap 296, Gragson got by Allgaier, who then slipped up into the wall to bring out the caution. That set up a green-white-checkered finish where Gragson held on to the lead, beating his now teammate at Stewart-Haas, Chase Briscoe, to the line by .328 of a second.

● Gragson’s second NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Bristol came in his last Xfinity Series start at the track. In the 2022 Food City 300 – the cutoff race for the NASCAR Playoffs – Gragson again started ninth and again his main rival was Allgaier. This time Allgaier led a race-high 148 laps, but a late-race speeding penalty doomed his race and handed the lead to Gragson on lap 276. However, earning the victory was no walk in the park, as Gragson had to hold off a hard-charging Brandon Jones over the last 20 laps, with Gragson besting Jones by just .145 of a second. It was Gragson’s third straight Xfinity Series victory, a run that would continue the very next week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where he won his fourth consecutive race.

● Gragson has two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Bristol. He finished 15th in 2017 and then bettered that performance with a ninth-place drive in 2018, when he led seven laps.

● Gragson first experienced Bristol in the NASCAR K&N Series East. He made two starts in this developmental division, debuting in 2016 when he finished 12th. He returned in 2018 for his second K&N Series race at Bristol, and with three more years of racing experience under his belt, Gragson won the pole and led the first 54 laps before finishing third.

Noah Gragson, Driver of the No. 10 Bass Pro Shops/Ranger Boats/Tracker Boats & ATVs Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Are you happy to see the spring Bristol race return to concrete, or are you one of the guys who enjoyed the dirt race?

“I am definitely pumped up to have the concrete race because I was not ever a very good dirt guy. I ran alright at Eldora in the Truck Series, but Cup at Bristol in the dirt, I always struggled, so that was always a tough one. I kind of figured I would finish close to last, so anything better was a successful day, which isn’t a very good mindset to have at all. But now that we have concrete Bristol back, I’m extremely excited.”

You’ve never raced a Cup car on the concrete at Bristol, so you’re a Cup rookie in regard to Cup racing at Bristol. How challenging is that and what have you been doing to prepare for it?

“I’ve spent a lot of time in the sim getting ready for Bristol. I like that track a lot. I feel like I know where I need to be around that track, at least in an Xfinity car and a Truck. Going there in a Cup car, it’s going to take constant learning and being aware all day and seeing how we can improve from the start of practice, qualifying, the race, and then, hopefully, when we go back there for the night race in the fall we can be even better and fire off with more confidence. But we’re going into it pretty open-minded right now.”

We’ve talked about how different the current Cup car is to an Xfinity Series car, but with six Xfinity Series starts at Bristol – two of which ended in victory lane – do you feel you have a good handle on the racetrack despite not having Cup experience at Bristol?

“I think having a good game plan and preparation is good, but you don’t fully know what your car is going to handle like until you get there and see how the grip levels of the traction compound are going to be. Is it going to be faster to run around the bottom? Will the race move up? Those are kind of unknowns until you see just how the rubber’s being laid down. The preparation’s there to have a solid idea of what we’re going to need to have or need to do.”

Bristol is a tough place, period. It’s an even tougher place to win. How satisfying was your first Bristol win in June 2020, which came during COVID?

“It was definitely different during COVID. It felt a little eerie, just because that place has so many grandstands and you’re surrounded by it, so when you don’t have anyone there, it’s a little awkward. But at the same time, it was still really special. I think the coolest part about winning at Bristol is driving up on top of the building to victory lane, and the trophy’s pretty cool – you get a sword, so that’s awesome. Then to do it in 2022 again, with fans there, it was super cool, the whole place just cheering your name and cheering you on. I always like to do a burnout up that driveway up onto the second floor, up on top of that building. That’s always super cool.”

Do you feel like you’ve conquered something when you win at Bristol?

“Yeah, it was the coolest track as a little kid, probably the most unique track that we go to. I feel like every driver probably has that on their bucket list of, ‘Man, I want to win there one day.’ There’s nothing like it.”

How important is patience at Bristol, but when do you also have to determine when enough is enough and assert yourself so you’re not getting taken advantage of out there on the racetrack?

“You have to be disciplined at Bristol, but I don’t know if you necessarily have to be patient. You have to go from the get-go and make as much lap time as possible because, if you get stuck or can’t make a pass, the leaders are coming and they’re not slowing down for anything. You’ve got to be on your game from lap one all the way to the checkered flag.”

You first saw Bristol back in 2016 when you competed in a NASCAR K&N East race. Was that an eyes-wide-open moment?

“I don’t want to say I was scared, but I was just nervous because I didn’t know what to think. It was definitely intimidating because you’re like, ‘Oh, man, this place looks pretty fast.’ You don’t really know when you’re a 15-, 16-, 17-year-old kid going there, but after having reps of doing it, I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable. But I remember my first laps on the racetrack and I remember looking around and wondering how did I just manage to get around this track with the amount of throttle I was carrying. It’s definitely a daunting racetrack and there are some big moments. I feel like Bristol probably has the highest sensation of speed of any track, even though we’re probably going the slowest of any track. It feels like you’re going the fastest because things happen so fast and you’re around other cars and you’re constantly up close to other cars, or you’re side-by-side with other cars, two-, three-wide. It gets pretty intense. You think, man, I don’t think this thing is going to grip up and it does. It’s a pretty wild feeling.”

No. 10 Bass Pro Shops/Ranger Boats/Tracker Boats & ATVs 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

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