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Laia Sanz and Fraser McConnell to race for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team in Season 4

8 February 2024, London: Laia Sanz and Fraser McConnell will be the driver line-up for the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team (ASXE) in Extreme E Season 4.

ASXE finished the 2023 Extreme E campaign in second place overall, narrowly missing out on the championship to Rosberg X Racing.

Sanz has been part of the team ever since Extreme E’s maiden season in 2021. She recently finished the Dakar Rally with a career-best result.

Sanz claimed two victories last term alongside Mattias Ekström and has scored a total of nine podiums for ASXE. Her speed behind the wheel illustrates the rapid improvement the Spaniard has demonstrated year-after-year in Extreme E, where she has established herself as one of the series’ fastest racers. Sanz also has proven pedigree on two wheels, as a 14-time trial world champion and a six-time enduro world champion.

Laia Sanz, ASXE driver, said: “I am really happy to continue racing for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team and I am really looking forward to starting working with Fraser because I am sure he will bring a lot to us. The team has grown a lot throughout this time and we have grown together.

“Last year we did a great job, even though we narrowly missed the title, and I am looking forward to continuing down this path. Today we feel like a family, we work really well together, always in sync, and I think it is very positive to continue to keep on improving. For me personally, I am really happy to continue in this team and I am eager to start the season. I think it is the best place to continue learning and fighting for victories.”

McConnell joins ASXE for the 2024 campaign after competing with X44 Vida Carbon Racing in Extreme E Season 3, where the Jamaican claimed two wins for Sir Lewis Hamilton’s outfit. He debuted in Extreme E in 2022 for JBXE after a stint as the series’ Championship Driver.

A proven off-road racer, McConnell was crowned ARX Rallycross champion in 2019 and finished fourth in the FIA World Rallycross RX2 Series. From there, he jumped to the RallyX Nordic Supercar Championship, where he was the runner-up both in 2020 and 2021. In 2022 he made his first appearance in Nitro Rallycross and was its European runner-up. For 2023, he combined his duties for X44 with the Nitro Rallycross calendar, taking victories in the series.

Fraser McConnell, ASXE driver, said: “I am so honoured to be selected as the male driver for the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team this year and I cannot wait to get started at the first event in Saudi Arabia. Receiving the call from Carlos asking me to join the team was such a surreal moment for me because growing up I was such a big fan and still to this day he is such an inspiration. He is also still such a fierce competitor so having that energy within the team is definitely going to help us win races and I am sure I will be able to learn many things from him.

“I am also very much looking forward to teaming up with Laia who has been so fast over the last few seasons and I can feel that we will be a very strong driver pairing and aim to win the championship together.”

ASXE will also receive a further boost by partnering up with Red Bull for the forthcoming season. Carlos Sainz Snr. and Red Bull’s relationship is a longstanding and successful one, and marks the latter’s first official involvement as part of the all-electric off-road racing series.

Carlos Sainz Snr., ASXE advisor, said: “I would like to welcome Fraser to the team. He is a young and ambitious driver. He has the speed and the right attitude to grow even further. I think he will be a very good fit for the team and I am sure he will push to give us plenty of things to be happy about.

“Of course, I am very happy to have Laia again in the car. She is a really talented driver and she has developed a lot through these years, and she is especially eager to go for it after her great Dakar Rally and how close we were last season to winning the title.

“Last but not least, a racing team needs people and companies that believe in it, and for this, I would like to thank ACCIONA for its continuous support through the years and also to give the warmest welcome to Red Bull, who joins the project this year. We have an exciting season ahead and we will go for it.”

Joan Orús, Team Principal at ASXE, added: “We are really happy to welcome Fraser to the team. His youth and his will to succeed will help us achieve our goals for this season. Of course, having Laia for a fourth season in a row is a luxury. Her experience and her improvement are impressive, as she has shown recently in the Dakar Rally or as we could see throughout 2023 when she established herself as maybe the fastest female driver in Extreme E.

“With the solid presence of ACCIONA and the arrival of Red Bull to the team, we have the baseline we need to do a great year.”

Extreme E’s fourth season will start in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 17-18 February.

You can watch all the action from the 2024 Extreme E campaign across ITV and STV in the UK, while outside of the UK please visit here for broadcaster details.

To learn more about Extreme E, visit – www.Extreme-E.com

Ball Park® Buns & Rolls Teams Up with Stefan Parsons for NASCAR Excitement

Second Generation Driver Ready to Hit the High Banks at Daytona

ABINGDON, Va. (February 7, 2024): Get ready for a sizzling collaboration as Bimbo Bakeries USA’s Ball Park® Buns & Rolls announces they will partner with NASCAR driver Stefan Parsons and Henderson Motorsports for the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on February 16th.

Parsons, the son of former NASCAR Cup Series race winner and current NASCAR on FOX analyst Phil Parsons and nephew of NASCAR Hall-of-Famer, 1973 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, and 1975 Daytona 500 winner the late Benny Parsons, was named the driver of the No. 75 Chevrolet for Henderson Motorsports earlier this year.

“I appreciate Bimbo Bakeries USA, Ball Park Buns & Rolls, and Entemmans Little Bites jumping on board with us for Daytona,” says Parsons. “This partnership is great for all of us here at Henderson Motorsports. To have such a well-known and respected brand like Bimbo Bakeries partnered with Food Country USA is fantastic for the program we’re building. We’ve been working hard this offseason to make 2024 Henderson Motorsports’ 50th anniversary the best season yet. I’m excited to roll into Daytona with them and hopefully return some of the favor by competing for the win.”

Founded in 1945, Bimbo Bakeries USA bakes some of America’s favorite bread, bagels, buns, English muffins, and sweet baked goods brands.

“Bimbo Bakeries USA is thrilled to kick off our partnership with Stefan Parsons and the Henderson Motorsports team,” said Taylor Burgess, Brand Manager for Bimbo Bakeries. “We are looking forward to seeing our Ball Park Buns & Rolls and Little Bites brand on the track at the Daytona Speedway and hope Stefan will bring us into victory lane!”

Bimbo Bakeries USA’s Ball Park® Buns & Rolls can be found at Food Country USA stories. Food Country USA has been family-owned and operated since 1914. They remain an independently owned and operated grocery store chain with 10 locations in Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

In addition, RFID Solutions which specializes in providing high-quality, easy-to-use, enterprise-ready, RAIN RFID systems to the global RFID market and www.PopSells.com, the world’s largest online, full-service, for-sale-by-owner marketplace for recreational vehicles and boats will support Parsons and Henderson Motorsports in the season-opening Fresh From Florida 250.

Parsons and Henderson Motorsports No. 75 Ball Park® Buns & Rolls Chevrolet Silverado will hit the track for practice at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 15th, followed by the action on Friday with qualifying at 3:00 p.m. and the race at 7:30 p.m. The race will be televised live on FS1 and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Stefan Parsons’ Henderson Motorsports No. 75 Bimbo Bakeries USA’s Ball Park® Buns & Rolls Chevrolet Silverado.

NHRA SUMMIT RACING SERIES TO HOLD FIRST E.T. FINALS IN EASTERN CANADA AT NAPIERVILLE DRAGWAY

INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 7, 2024) – The NHRA announced today that the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the world’s largest motorsports program when it comes to racer participation, will hold its first Eastern Canadian E.T. Finals in 2024, with the race taking place Sept. 6-8 at Napierville Dragway in Quebec.

The NHRA Eastern Canada Summit E.T. Finals Championship adds an eighth Summit Racing Series E.T. Finals to the 2024 schedule, with the first Eastern Canada bracket champions in NHRA history set to be crowned this year.

“Summit Racing’s support of the E.T. bracket series will give Canadian racers an opportunity to compete at higher levels here at home,” said NHRA Canadian representative Glenn Grow. “By making the bracket racing foundation stronger it will allow Canadians to build a powerful racing future in all NHRA classes.”

The event will also help further build the grassroots racing program throughout the growing NHRA Member Track Network in Eastern Canada. The E.T. Finals will be a championship-level event mirroring the seven NHRA Divisional E.T. Finals currently contested across the United States.

Classes set to compete at the event include Super Pro, Pro E.T., Sportsman, Motorcycle/Sled and Jr. Street. The winners in Canada will also receive a double-tier championship-style Wally, along with a custom championship jacket and purse.

“We’re thrilled to introduce the Summit Racing Series E.T. finals to the Eastern Canada area for the first time. It’s an exciting new opportunity that further shows the growth of grassroots racing in Canada and the strong influence of our member tracks in the area,” NHRA Sportsman Racing Manager Sara Walker said.

“We’re also proud to see Summit Racing’s continued support of this program and its initiatives, especially as we bring more racers and participants into the Summit Racing Series. It’s an exciting time and we look forward to continued growth in Canada with the introduction of this race.”

For more information on the NHRA Summit Racing Series, visit https://www.nhra.com/sportsman.


About Summit Racing Equipment

Summit Racing Equipment has been the World’s Speed Shop® for over 50 years! Summit Racing is the world’s largest e-commerce, mail order, and retailer of performance automotive parts and accessories. Summit Racing offers a huge selection of parts in stock from over 1,500 manufacturers for all forms of racing, street performance, off-roading, restoration, tools, and yes, diesel. It also offers fast ground service shipping to most areas of the country and same-day shipping on in-stock items. Summit Racing has the industry’s top-rated customer service and a full-time technical department to answer your questions. With headquarters in Tallmadge, Ohio, Summit operates distribution and retail stores in Tallmadge, Sparks, NV, McDonough, GA, and Arlington, TX.

Summit Racing Equipment
www.summitracing.com
1-800-230-3030

About NHRA

Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 21 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

FANS GET FIRED UP FOR UPCOMING AMBETTER HEALTH 400 WITH CHASE ELLIOTT AT THE WORLD OF COCA-COLA

HAMPTON, Ga. (Feb. 7, 2024) – Race fans in Atlanta are ready for the green flag to fly in the Feb. 25 Ambetter Health 400 after an exciting race month kickoff event at the World of Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola Racing Family driver and Georgia native Chase Elliott joined the fun as fans enjoyed a close-up look at a Coca-Cola Racing show car as well as the Ambetter Health 400 pace car and race winner’s trophy, took a virtual spin around Atlanta Motor Speedway in racing simulators, and participated in a Q&A session with NASCAR’s most popular driver.

With just 18 days until the NASCAR Cup Series hits the track in Atlanta for the Ambetter Health 400, Elliott told the crowd he’s looking forward to chasing his second career victory at his home track.

“It means a lot to be from here. I live here and I love the area,” said Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. “So it’s just a really big deal to win [at AMS].”

The hometown hero also enjoyed a VIP tour of the World of Coca-Cola. Seeing the exhibits for the first time, Elliott said learning about the origins of the iconic beverage was a great experience.

“I’d never been here before so it’s really cool,” said Elliott. “Obviously I’m still kind of a new member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family as of last year so it’s really neat to come and experience something that’s been a part of my family for a long time. My dad was a member of the racing family when I was a kid… so this was a pretty easy transition for me. To come and learn more about the history of the company was really cool.”

After today’s fun, Elliott’s focus now shifts to the competition ahead; first with the season-opening Daytona 500 and then back in Atlanta for the Ambetter Health 400 to begin his pursuit of a second NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2024.

“If you’re consistently putting yourself in contention, those opportunities (to win) are going to be there and that’s where my head’s at this year,” said Elliott. “That’s where my head’s at this year; just trying to get in that mix and be amongst that group of guys that have opportunities to win every week. That’s my main goal.”

Tickets and camping accommodations for the Feb. 23-25 Ambetter Health 400 weekend are available now, including the Chase Elliott Ticket Package. For $75 this bundle includes a grandstand ticket to the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, Feb. 25; an exclusive fan Q&A with Elliott on race weekend; and a donation in your name to the Chase Elliott Foundation.

Fans can learn more at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

About the Ambetter Health 400 weekend:

Atlanta’s spring NASCAR weekend is headlined by the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, with intense, superspeedway pack racing and high stakes with a spot in the NASCAR playoffs on the line.

The race weekend also features the tenth year of Atlanta’s same-day NASCAR doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. The thrills of the Fr8 208 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race and the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race all happen in one action-packed day that race fans look forward to every year.

More information on the Feb. 23-25, 2024, Ambetter Health 400 weekend and ticket availability can be found online at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

Follow Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Keep track of all of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter, Instagram, and become a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Atlanta Motor Speedway mobile app.

REIGNING DAYTONA 500 CHAMPION RICKY STENHOUSE JR. DEFENDS TURF WITH A BOOST FROM KROGER RACING SPONSORS

HARRISBURG, N.C. (February 7, 2024) – Winning the DAYTONA 500 was quite a boost for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s NASCAR Cup Series career. Thanks to “Boost by Kroger Plus”, Cottonelle® and more key Kroger Racing sponsors, the DAYTONA 500 CHAMPION gets a shot at defending his title at Daytona International Speedway on February 18th live on FOX.

“First off, thanks to ‘Boost by Kroger Plus’, Cottonelle and all of our supporters for believing in us as they co-promote in our race markets,” said Stenhouse Jr., who will wheel the No. 47 Boost by Kroger Plus/Cottonelle Camaro in the DAYTONA 500. “You can only dream about winning the DAYTONA 500 until it comes true and it’s wild. Now that we’ve done it, we’re heading back as the reigning champion, and looking forward to doing it again. It was the best way I have found to start the season and it’s something I can get used to.”

Boost by Kroger Plus will again done Stenhouse Jr.’s hood, increasing awareness around how customers nationwide can save on groceries, fuel and delivery. New members can join “Boost by Kroger Plus” FREE for a 30-day trial or sign up for as little as $7.99 per month. Customers can visit Kroger.com/Boost to start a free trial now.

“Boost by Kroger Plus is the industry’s most affordable delivery membership program, making fresh grocery delivery accessible to more customers while helping them save up to $1,000 per year on fuel and grocery delivery,” said Tom Duncan, Vice President of Marketing for Kroger. “Customers want convenience and value, and they can find both when combining their membership with our weekly deals available on Kroger.com or the Kroger app. New deals are available every Wednesday along with more than $500 in savings available every week in digital coupons.”

While there may not be Kroger stores in Florida, there is Kroger Delivery, an online, next-day delivery service, that offers customers a personalized, digital shopping experience with zero-compromise on convenience, value and selection.

Placed orders arrive in climate-controlled vehicles and are delivered directly to customers’ doors by a friendly Kroger Delivery associate. Daytona Beach customers can enjoy additional savings, like the limited time offer of $47 off a $150+ order in celebration of the #47 car.

“It’s always great when our fans have an opportunity to save thanks to Kroger,” said Stenhouse Jr.

Looking ahead, “Boost by Kroger Plus” will also be Stenhouse Jr.’s primary sponsor on the No. 47 Camaro at Texas Motor Speedway (4/14), Talladega Superspeedway (4/21) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (9/8). First the focus is on winning the DAYTONA 500 with “Boost by Kroger Plus” and Cottonelle.

“The pressure is high,” said Stenhouse Jr. “The DAYTONA 500 is a race that’s not won in the beginning but can be lost in the beginning. It’s all about trying to eliminate mistakes. You kind of run the race backwards. You try and set yourself up for the end. You are doing that the whole race. Once you make that last pit stop, the intensity ramps up. It’s you versus everyone else out on the racetrack. You are trying to get to the front, you are trying to lead laps and you are trying to make the blocks at the right time. It can be stressful, but it’s intense.”

As the level of intensity increases for the DAYTONA 500, remember you can save even more with “Boost by Kroger Plus,” the membership that can save customers up to $1,000 per year on fuel, grocery delivery, and exclusive member offers. Eligible customers can now try the Boost membership with a free 30-day trial and subscribe on a monthly basis for as little as $7.99. Visit Kroger.com/Boost now to start your FREE 30-day trial!

Live coverage of the DAYTONA 500 on FOX, MRN and SIRIUSXM NASCAR Radio kicks off at 2:30 PM ET on Sunday, February 18th.

The SuperMotocross League Partners with Ryan Villopoto’s Lucid Manufacturing to Offer Fans Official Pro Replica Jerseys

Industry-Wide Collaborative Effort to Benefit Athletes, Teams, and Fans

ELLENTON, Fla. (February 7, 2024) – The SuperMotocross League (SMX) and Lucid Manufacturing are excited to announce a new partnership that will make pro replica jerseys available to the public for the very first time via a new, official online store (SMXJerseys.com) or in person at each of the 31 rounds of the SuperMotocross World Championship.

Michael Leib, Lucid Manufacturing CEO: “Official replica jerseys are a staple of every major sports league and professional sports team but has been challenging in SMX to bring to market due to the sheer number of licensees needing to be involved in the process. The industry-wide collaboration of this initiative will pave the way in standardizing the pro replica jersey business for SMX athletes, teams and gear companies moving forward as they will all share in this new revenue stream.“

“Just like at a football game, imagine going to a Supercross race and seeing fans all over the stadium wearing their favorite athlete’s jersey”, stated 9-time AMA Champion, and Lucid Manufacturing Principal, Ryan Villopoto. “This partnership will be a win-win for the fans, but also for the athletes and teams as they will share in this new revenue stream and be able to also capitalize on this expanded branding opportunity.”

Replica jerseys will be manufactured at Lucid Manufacturing’s Temecula, California based facility which is currently set up to produce upwards of 7,000 pieces per month with further expansion capabilities if needed. Using an easy-to-use, on-demand e-commerce ordering process, SMX can now offer fans an entirely new way to connect with their favorite athletes all around the world. Each jersey is custom made and available in a wide variety of sizes including youth.

The SMXJerseys.com website is now live and accepting orders for over 20 riders with more coming online soon. Official replica jerseys will also be sold at select rounds of the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship.

“We are excited to see SMX become the first to offer fans the most desired collectible item in our sport globally,” added Villopoto. “This is going to be amazing to watch grow over the coming years and I’m thankful to see the industry come together for the overall betterment of the sport. This has been a long-desired item from the fanbase and a huge void within the industry.”

Having pro replica jerseys available for purchase creates another avenue with which to engage with SMX fans from all around the world while also further increasing the branding of the sport, its teams, athletes, and gear companies.

All 28 rounds of the SMX World Championship series, inclusive of 17 Supercross races and 11 Pro Motocross races, are currently on sale to the general public at SupercrossLIVE.com and promotocross.com. Dates and venues for the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs and Final will be announced soon.

For information about the SuperMotocross World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Instagram: @supermotocross
Facebook: @supermotocross
Twitter: @supermotocross
YouTube: @supermotocross

About the SuperMotocross World Championship:

The SuperMotocross World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the SuperMotocross World Championship combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 31-event series that culminates in a season-ending two round playoff and SuperMotocross World Championship Final.

Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

About Feld Motor Sports, Inc.:

Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the SuperMotocross World Championship. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc.

Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.

About MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.:

MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. manages and produces the world’s most prestigious motocross series – the AMA Pro Motocross Championship and the SuperMotocross World Championship. The industry leader in off road powersport event production and management, its mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. organizes events for thousands of action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators.

Visit www.mxsportsproracing.com for more information.

About Lucid Manufacturing:

LUCID is a Motocross gear manufacturing company located in Temecula, California. We offer our services to all gear brands and currently work with 7+ gear companies for domestically sourced race jerseys, for custom gear orders and on-demand fulfillment. LUCID is ran and operated by Michael Leib, Ryan Villopoto, Ricky, and Nestor Dominguez. Our team has over 15 years of experience manufacturing motocross gear and our goal is to bridge the gap in our industry to be able to source motocross gear domestically.

Kaz Grala Preparing for Busy 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Season

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Preseason Media Availability | Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Kaz Grala, driver of the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang, participated in a NASCAR teleconference earlier today to talk about his 2024 season in which he will compete in 25 races for RWR and the upcoming Daytona 500 with Front Row Motorsports.

KAZ GRALA, No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE OFFSEASON AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST IN 2024? “It’s been a busy offseason for me, for sure. Of course, switching teams, switching series, switching manufacturers, there’s been a lot to get used to on the Ford side and just getting to know everybody over at Rick Ware Racing, where the bulk of my season will be this year. I’ll have at least 25 races with those guys over there and coming up in the Daytona 500 that one is gonna be with Front Row Motorsports, so I’ve had some different groups to kind of get to know, start working with and we’ve been working on interiors of race cars for a month-and-a-half now, so a lot of time spent sitting in race cars indoors so far, but I’m definitely ready to get those things outside and get them on a track. We started that last week in L.A. with Rick Ware Racing, but it should be fun to get to sit in that No. 36 car at Daytona too.”

IT SOUNDS LIKE FIVE OR SIX CARS TRYING FOR THOSE FOUR SPOTS AT DAYTONA. HOW DO YOU FEEL HAVING TO GET IN THAT WAY? “With the five that we know of so far, I feel good about our chances there for sure. This will, of course, be my third time going to the 500 as an open car, and I know what that stress is like. Every time I’ve done it I’ve said I really hope next time it’s in a charter and every time I keep coming back for more in an open entry. That definitely has got to be the most stressful week of the year in racing when you’re in that position, so I know from experience that the race can be made. I feel confident that I know how to get there. I’ve done it before. So far, I’m 2-for-2, but I also know that anything can happen because at least one if not both of those times I did make it I was actually in a position where I wasn’t gonna make it because I got wrecked or I got a speeding penalty. I have not had the smoothest Duels before and they’ve ended up falling in my favor at the end because of crazy circumstances, so I’ve been on the right end of that, but I know that it’s possible to be on the wrong end of that, too. I think all that we need to focus on is Front Row Motorsports bringing as fast of a Mustang as they can so that we cross our fingers and hope that we lock in on Wednesday night, but if we don’t, then I feel like we’ve got a really good chance to make it in through the Duels. Front Row Motorsports has always raced really well on superspeedways. We’ll have some Ford allies out there with us, so I do feel good about our chances. I think on paper we absolutely should be one of those top four Open cars that makes the race, but you can never get comfortable. You know that anything can happen, so you just have to execute everything perfectly. That’s what it takes.”

ARE YOU TRYING TO FILL OUT THE REST OF THE CUP SCHEDULE OR JUST FOCUS ON WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW? “I would say, honestly, it’s not something I’m actively pursuing – to try to fill in those other ones. I’m definitely just focused on what I have. If something crazy were to happen and I were to win Daytona or win Atlanta or something that put me in a points position to where I essentially had to fill in those other races, then I think the work would start towards scrambling, trying to figure out how to make that happen. I think, assuming everything goes normally, then I don’t think that’s something I’m actively working on or will be working on. I’ll just be focused on racing week to week, but if things come together, if things go well and something falls into my lap, I’ve got an opportunity to add this race or add that race, then I’ll certainly do it. If I can end up piecing the whole schedule together, that would be fantastic, but that’s not something I’m actively working on right now.”

IS THERE ANYTHING FROM THE CLASH WEEKEND YOU CAN TAKE INTO THE REGULAR SEASON? “Yeah, I think so. Of course, it didn’t go all that well for us on the 15 team. We ended up missing the race, but we did miss it by just over a tenth, which when you really think about it is so little. The field was so tight and we were in the mix. We were in that cluster of lap times. We were just on the wrong end of it to be above the cut line, so I feel like that encouraged me that we’re close and we’ve got that opportunity to be there. We’re, of course, aligned with RFK Racing and RFK hasn’t historically the last three years been the best at the Clash. They haven’t gotten that one quite figured out, but you look at their season last year overall, how many places that they clearly do have an excellent recipe for – there were so many races they had both cars in the top five and there were a bunch of races they won. So, when I look at that, we were right there with the RFK cars on pace at the Clash and two of us didn’t make it and two of us did make it, but on a weekend where the RFK cars are really good or the guys to beat, then I look at that as an opportunity where maybe us being just one step behind them means that we’re quite a bit up the field from where we were at the Clash. I feel like there’s a lot of great potential there. I think the people at Rick Ware Racing and the new tools, the new processes definitely have the potential to run well. It’s all so new that I don’t know that we’ll be able to plug it in and just go run up front in the first 10 races, that may be ambitious, but I think over the course of the year and certainly over the course of the next few years where the team is going and what their plans are, I think absolutely will work. I’m excited to be a part of that so far and definitely look forward to what that could look like at some point this year when things really start clicking and firing on all cylinders. I think we can do a lot.”

HOW MUCH TIME HAS YOU SPENT AT FRONT ROW TO GET PREPARED FOR THE 500? “I’ve been over there three or four times already and spent quite a bit of time with those guys. I’m going back on Monday with my spotter and my crew chief. We’re gonna sit down and watch a lot of film from last year to kind of go over spotting style, go over strategy, and go over approach. I feel like I’ve definitely gotten some good time over there and I’ve been kind of bouncing back and forth between there and Rick Ware Racing, so I feel like I’ve been in a race shop for the majority of my day the past three or four weeks. That’s just the way I like it. I’ve had seasons of my career where they’re really sparse and I’ve only got a couple of races and don’t really have anywhere to go, don’t really have a home base, so it’s been really nice being welcomed into these two organizations and knowing that I’ll have as much of a schedule as I will because I’ve run a few Cup races before – seven in total going into this year or so. To get the chance to run 26, that’s a big difference, a big deal to me because I’ll really be able to get to learn and understand these Next Gen cars far more than I have already and get to know the tracks in these cars, get to know the competitors. I think that’s so important. The Cup Series, people talk about how big of a jump it is and they’re absolutely right. It’s not simple to get into and it’s not simple to be successful in, so the more of a routine I can get and get used to it, certainly the better off I’ll be because those guys don’t miss a beat. If you’re coming in for a one-off or a two-off schedule, that’s hard to go up against these guys, so I feel like I’ve at least got enough races to get in a good routine and get really gelling with the teams. I think that’s gonna be key this year.”

HOW DO YOU LOOK AT YOUR JOURNEY TO THIS POINT AND HOW YOU WORKED THROUGH ALL THE ADVERSITY TO GET TO THIS POINT? “There have definitely been a lot of times over the last few years that I’ve wondered if I will actually keep racing or be able to keep racing. This is what I want to do with my life and this is what I always dreamed of doing and envisioned myself doing, but there were plenty of times I didn’t know if that was actually going to be possible or if I had raced my last race in NASCAR because often times when I would take a checkered flag, I didn’t actually have my next race on the schedule set in stone yet. It’s been tough and it has not been a straightforward road for me personally, but I feel like I just kept my head down. I kept networking within teams. I kept pushing for sponsors and over the past few years I’ve been really fortunate to get a great handful of partners that have allowed me to race more often than I was before, and I think that’s been really important. As I touched on before, if your schedule isn’t consistent, you’re going into the races at such a disadvantage to everybody else, whether that’s Cup, Xfinity, Trucks, you’re still racing against guys that run with that team, that crew chief, that spotter every race and if you don’t, then you know that you’re starting behind the eight-ball when you unload at the track that weekend. The more consistent my schedule has gotten, I feel like the better I’ve gotten and that’s been super important as well towards me being able to prove what I’m capable of and I still feel like I’m a long way away from having proven what I believe that I’m capable of, so it’s all part of the journey and part of the process. I don’t feel like I’m at the end of it by any stretch. I’m somewhere in the middle. I guess time will tell at what point in the middle I’m at, but, hopefully, I can prove over the next year or two that I’ve got the staying power to be here and make a career. That’s the goal is to be in the Cup Series full time, to be in a chartered car full time and to make a living here for my entire career. That’s the goal. I think this year is an excellent step in that right direction for where I want to be. It’s gonna be up to me and up to the team to be able to make the most of that and really showcase what we’re capable of and what we’re able to do, but, as I said, I think we’ve got a lot of the right pieces in place. It’s hard going up against Hendrick, Penske, Stewart-Haas, Joe Gibbs Racing. Cup is the real deal. There are no gimmes at all out there and especially this year I feel like the field has gotten even a little bit deeper. It really truly stretches all the way from front to back as being competitive, high budgets, great teams, great drivers, so everybody you beat, if you beat one guy, you’ve accomplished something. It is that tight of a field, so I feel like we’ve got our work cut out for us certainly, but I think that we’re up for the challenge.”

A LOT OF DRIVERS NEVER GET TO THIS POINT. WHY DO YOU FEEL YOU DID? “I think honestly it’s probably attributed to what I give as advice to people that ask me how to make it. I’ve had plenty of younger drivers ask me that in the past, whether it’s in DMs or in person at a short track event or something. I personally think that a lot of young racers in this sport, myself included at the time, would focus on what happens on track and that is the end all, be all. When you’re in Legend cars, it really feels like every race is gonna make or break your career. Rick Hendrick is gonna be calling if you win this Concord Motor Speedway Legend car race today. That’s the mindset you get in and that’s important because you have to develop that competitive nature and desire to win and, of course, being good on track. That is absolutely important, but as soon as you start moving up through late models or once you get to ARCA, Trucks, the off track side of this sport becomes as important if not more important because if you don’t have the business acumen to be able to put these sponsorships together, you never get to get in the car to show people what you can do. You may be the best driver in the world, but if you can’t sit in one of those cars, no one will ever be able to know. I feel like the off track marketability, being able to talk to the sponsors, being able to understand what a sponsor wants – it’s not about pitching them on how many wins you have or how many top fives you have because your wins and top fives don’t translate to them selling whatever it is their product is. You need to be able to understand, ‘OK, what can I bring to the table that helps this company based on exactly what their product is, what their marketing objectives are.’ How do I plan to help them with that. I feel like generally my ability to talk to sponsors and there have been times I’ve only had five races of sponsorship going into the year and last year I hit 33 races of sponsorship. It’s not always the easiest thing and it’s not a sure fire, ‘Oh, I know how to do that, so I’m gonna have millions and millions of dollars in sponsorship.’ It’s not that simple, but I think that is absolutely a big piece of it is being able to manage the off track relationship that team leadership as well at the shop and being able to break down your feedback of the car and steer the team in the right direction for what to develop next and how to improve. There’s a lot to this sport that is outside of just how fast can you make it through this corner in a race car. I feel like that’s what’s been able to keep me in the game as long as I have been and keep me grinding is I’ve gotten just enough to always get me to the next race a little bit, and I’ve been able to grow that and now here I am in a really exciting spot for this year and hopefully with a great opportunity ahead of me.”

YOU HAVE A SMOKEY BURNOUT PICTURE BEHIND YOU. WHAT IS IT AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A VISUAL REFERENCE OF SUCCESS? “That’s my Daytona Truck win and that was on the front straightaway. So far, that’s my only win in the national series. I think the picture serves as a reminder that wins at this level are not easy to come by. You certainly shouldn’t ever take any one for granted. I feel like since then I haven’t been in as many positions to win as I’d like to be, and that’s still a work in progress of course. My goal is to get into Victory Lane in the Xfinity Series, get into Victory Lane in the Cup Series some day. Those are tall orders, but I think it’s all part of this process of trying to put yourself in the best possible place, what’s gonna be best for your career two years from now, five years from now. When you’re trying to figure out what you’re going to race for the year, what team you’re gonna go with, what series you’re gonna be in, you have to look years in advance as to what the potential is there. It’s not about, ‘Oh, where is the best team this year.’ You have to really look at the big picture and the big picture is that – winning more races, and I hope I’m in the right place to where I can make that a reality a handful of years down the road, wherever that may be, whatever that my look like, but I’m hoping every year that I’ll end up being on the right track to being able to accomplish some more of that because there is certainly no better feeling than winning.”

Interstate Batteries Returns for 33rd Year with Joe Gibbs Racing

‘Team Interstate’ Adds Crown Jewel Race to its 2024 Schedule as it continues with Sponsorships Across JGR’s Entire NASCAR Cup Series Lineup

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 7, 2024) – Interstate Batteries, one of the most tenured team sponsors in NASCAR history, begins its 33rd season as the founding sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) when the NASCAR Cup Series kicks off its points-paying season with the Feb. 18 Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The brand’s iconic green livery will not only continue to have a major presence across all four of JGR’s NASCAR Cup Series entries in 2024, but will now see its schedule add a “Crown Jewel” race in NASCAR’s top series.

Interstate Batteries will have 11 primary sponsorships in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024, a similar number of schemes to last year’s expanded presence amongst all four JGR Toyota Camry XSEs. Along with another appearance in the Daytona 500, Interstate’s colors will have co-primary sponsorships at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May, and the Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry for JGR, kicks off the Team Interstate effort as a co-primary sponsor in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 as the Championship 4 driver from 2023 looks to bring home his first Harley J. Earl trophy. Interstate Batteries returned to the Daytona 500 last year for the first time since 2007, riding along with then-rookie Ty Gibbs.

The Daytona 500 will always hold a special place in the respective histories of Interstate Batteries and JGR, as they won their first race together 31 years ago, in the 1993 Daytona 500, with driver Dale Jarrett.

Bell and Gibbs will run the majority of Interstate Batteries’ races, with veteran Denny Hamlin in Interstate colors for two races and Martin Truex Jr., carrying a primary Interstate Batteries sponsorship for one race. Hamlin, a winner of 51 NASCAR Cup Series races, will drive the No. 11 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry XSE in the March 26 race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, as well as the NASCAR Cup Series first-ever race at Iowa Speedway in Newton on June 16. Truex, the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion, will again pilot the No. 19 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry July 23 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

“From the very beginning, our partnership with Joe (Gibbs) and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing has made us feel like we are a part of their family,” said Norm Miller, Chairman Emeritus, Interstate Batteries. “We are very excited to not only return for our 33rd season together, but to add yet another ‘Crown Jewel’ event to our schedule with the NASCAR Championship Weekend as we return to the Daytona 500 for the second year in a row. Our Daytona 500 win back in 1993 with Dale Jarrett will be a day I’ll never forget and we are hoping, now 31 years later, Christopher and the entire 20 team get us back to victory lane in NASCAR’s biggest race.”

After racing at Daytona, Bell returns to Interstate Batteries colors March 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he finished in the runner-up spot in October in a thrilling playoff-race finish with Kyle Larson. The six-time Cup Series race winner will next be in his Interstate Batteries livery back in Daytona for the annual summer night race on Aug. 24. Bell, who has appeared in the Championship 4 the past two seasons, will hope to make it back for a third year in a row when Interstate Batteries is co-primary sponsor for the season finale at Phoenix.

Gibbs kicks off his slate of Interstate Batteries races with an April 14 visit to the backyard of Interstate’s Dallas headquarters, Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, and as co-primary in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte on May 26, June 30 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, and the Oct. 13 return to the Charlotte Roval.

“We saw a lot of excitement among the Interstate system last season when the partnership expanded to all four JGR drivers and teams,” said Lain Hancock, President & CEO, Interstate Batteries. “We are thrilled to be able to add the NASCAR Championship Weekend in Phoenix to go along with our other marquee races, the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600, as we look forward to another successful year for Team Interstate.”

Interstate Batteries helped launch JGR in 1992. In the 32 years that have followed, JGR has scored 200 Cup Series victories – a number that includes four Daytona 500s – and five Cup Series championships. All of JGR’s firsts – win (Jarrett, 1992 Daytona 500), pole (Bobby Labonte, April 21, 1995, at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia) and championship (Labonte, 2000 Cup Series title) have come with Interstate Batteries as the primary sponsor. When all of JGR’s successes are added up across each NASCAR series in which it competes, its race victories total more than doubles to 413 (200 in the Cup Series, 193 in the Xfinity Series and 20 in the ARCA Menards Series) with 12 total championships (five in Cup, six in Xfinity and one in ARCA).

“We wouldn’t be where we are as a race team without the support from our founding partner Interstate Batteries for the past 32 race seasons,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “To think we are entering our 33rd racing season together speaks to how special our partnership has been and the relationships we’ve built with everyone at Interstate Batteries. I’ll be forever grateful to Norm and Tommy Miller, who gave us a chance when we didn’t have a building, cars or even employees. We are blessed to continue to work with great people like Lain (Hancock) and his entire team. There are few partnerships that have stood the test of time like Joe Gibbs Racing and Interstate Batteries have.”

Gibbs, along with three of the drivers who have raced for JGR since its inception in 1992, have been inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Jarrett was ushered into the Hall in 2014 while Gibbs, Labonte and Tony Stewart were enshrined together as part of the Class of 2020.

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four NASCAR Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Xfinity Series teams, and a driver development program. JGR is based in Huntersville, North Carolina, and owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Joe Gibbs, who also earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was named as one of the NFL’s top-10 coaches of all-time with a winning career that included three Super Bowl Championships as head coach of the Washington franchise. JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning five Cup Series championships and six Xfinity Series owners’ championships, along with more than 350 NASCAR races, including four Brickyard 400s and four Daytona 500s.

About Interstate Batteries

For more than 70 years, Interstate Batteries® has powered people down roads, trails and waterways and businesses to succeed. Best known for its starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries, this product has been under car hoods since 1952, each one backed by the company’s service, quality and value. Interstate All Battery Center® provides portable power in both retail and commercial markets. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Interstate Batteries is an industry leader in recycling efforts, as well as a global leader in safe lead handling practices. Guided by a set of common values, the company’s purpose is to glorify God and enrich lives while delivering the most trustworthy source of power to the world. For more information, visit www.InterstateBatteries.com.

SiriusXM and Toyota extend sponsorship agreement for 2024 NASCAR season

PLANO, Texas (February 7, 2024) – SiriusXM and Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) are pleased to announce that SiriusXM will return as the primary sponsor for multiple NASCAR Cup Series races this year with Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (23XI).

“We are very proud of our long-standing relationship with Toyota and are excited to be back with Toyota Racing for the 2024 NASCAR season. We look forward to seeing the new SiriusXM colors and logo on Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 and Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota Camry’s this season,” said John Zavisa, Senior Vice President of Automotive Partnerships, SiriusXM.

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year and 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Ty Gibbs will fly the SiriusXM colors for the first time in his young career in 2024. The 21-year-old will run the SiriusXM livery at the spring races at Bristol Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway.

“Great to have SiriusXM on board for two races during the 2024 season,” said Gibbs. “I know they have a great relationship with Toyota and hopefully we can get them a victory this year.”

Tyler Reddick will continue his relationship with SiriusXM for the second straight season. Reddick was exceptional in his races in SiriusXM colors in 2023, earning two top-five finishes in three starts – including a second-place finish at Bristol in March. This year, the California-native will again have SiriusXM as the primary sponsor on his Toyota Camry XSE for three races – the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway in March, along with June events at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, just outside of St. Louis, and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“I’m really excited to have SiriusXM back on the race car this year,” said Reddick. “Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time on SiriusXM talking to all sorts of different hosts, like my weekly visits with Larry McReynolds and Danielle Trotta. I’ve got to know a lot of people from SiriusXM really well over the years. It’s really cool to have them on the car, and look forward to trying to find victory lane with them this year.”

These sponsorships highlight the long-standing Toyota relationship with SiriusXM in NASCAR which began in 2007, and SiriusXM has been a standard feature in all Toyota models sold in the Continental U.S. since 2019. Toyota customers receive a three-month subscription to the SiriusXM Platinum Plan, which delivers SiriusXM’s full lineup of exclusive and curated content, plus access to SiriusXM outside the vehicles on the SXM App and on connected devices and speakers, with the purchase of their vehicle.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America (more than 49,000 in the U.S.).

Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).

About Sirius XM Holdings Inc.

SiriusXM is the leading audio entertainment company in North America with a portfolio of audio businesses including its flagship subscription entertainment service SiriusXM; the ad-supported and premium music streaming services of Pandora; an expansive podcast network; and a suite of business and advertising solutions. Reaching a combined monthly audience of approximately 150 million listeners, SiriusXM offers a broad range of content for listeners everywhere they tune in with a diverse mix of live, on-demand, and curated programming across music, talk, news, and sports. For more about SiriusXM, please go to: www.siriusxm.com.

Rajah Caruth Named Driver of Spire Motorsports No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado

HendrickCars.com to Support Effort in 10 NCTS Races in 2024

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 7, 2024) – Today, Spire Motorsports announced it will field the No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado in a full-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) effort in 2024 and has named rising star Rajah Caruth as the driver.

HENDRICKCARS.COM will be showcased as the team’s primary sponsor for 10 races beginning with the season-opening Fresh from Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Veteran crew chief Chad Walter will call the team’s effort from atop the pit box.

“We’ve talked about seminal moments for Spire Motorsports in the past, and I think this is another one of those moments,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “Rajah Caruth is an exceptional young man. He’s a very talented driver with a bright future. He’s obviously young in his career but he’s mature beyond his years. You hear people talk about an ‘it’ factor and when you talk to him and get to know him, it’s pretty obvious he has ‘it.’ We’re exceptionally fortunate to be able to bring Rajah into the mix and pair him with Chad Walter. Those guys worked together last season so to be able to keep them together should go a long way in terms of chemistry and being competitive. Outside of that, this is just a good situation for everyone. It’s as simple as that.”

Caruth raced full time in the NCTS in 2023, earning four top-10 finishes and coming home 16th in the division’s season-ending point standings. He is an alumnus of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program and currently a senior at Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University.

“HendrickCars.com is the digital home for everything our company offers, including vehicles, career opportunities, service locations, and more,” said Gary Davis, executive vice president, Hendrick Automotive Group. “We are thrilled for Rajah to get this opportunity. He’s a bright and talented individual who will represent HENDRICKCARS.COM very well.”

The 21-year-old Washington D.C. native also raced part time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series over the past two seasons and tied his career/series best 12th-place finish last fall at Martinsville Speedway. Caruth, was named the 2021 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award recipient in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, an award based on a driver’s final Weekly Series national standing and on-track performance, sportsmanship and community service.

“I’m usually a pretty stoic guy, emotionally, but it’s hard not to tear up a little bit thinking about this opportunity,” said Caruth. “There was a lot of uncertainty over the winter in almost every sense of the word. I just feel really blessed to be able to drive for Spire Motorsports and to be able to have Chad (Walter) come with me. I’m flattered to have the support of HENDRICKCARS.COM and, of course Mr. H and the whole Hendrick family. It’s a dream to be here and to have a full season and to have a place where I can grow is pretty special. I’m ready to get back to work and continue what we’ve done over the last few months. Huge thanks to Spire, Chevrolet, General Motors and everyone who supports me and my family for making this happen. I can’t wait for Daytona, Hopefully, I can make everybody proud.”

Walter has over two decades of experience and began his career with Hendrick Motorsports in 1996. The Albion, New York native has also served in engineering and crew chief roles for some the NASCAR’s most distinguished teams including Dale Earnhardt Inc., Penske Racing, Richard Childress Racing and Michael Waltrip 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.

He comes to Spire Motorsports with Caruth after spending last season in the same role with GMS Racing.

“Personally, that kid, Rajah, has changed my life,” commented Walter. “I don’t know of anyone else who I’d want to work harder for, or have wanted to work harder for, over the last 15 years of my career. He’s so uplifting in so many ways. He works hard and he wants to get better. I’ve worked with some really good drivers in my past, but Rajah really stands out. He goes about things the right way and his passion for this has really made an impact on me. I jumped at the opportunity to work with him again. It’s kind of a crazy business we work in but when I found out that this could come to fruition – that we could do this again together – there was no other option for me.”

The Fresh from Florida 250 from Daytona International Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Friday, February 16, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The first of 23 NCTS races on the 2024 schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

About HENDRICKCARS.COM
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 protection programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.

About Hendrick Automotive Group …
Representing 131 franchises and 25 manufacturer nameplates from the Carolinas to California, Hendrick Automotive Group is the largest privately held automotive retail organization in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company employs more than 10,000 people in its 95 dealership locations, 21 collision centers and four accessories distributor installers in 13 states. For more information, please visit HENDRICKCARS.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.

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.