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How Streaming is Redefining Motorsport Monetization

By
SM
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Formula One racing, MotoGP, NASCAR, and other motorsports have entertained audiences for a long time. Most of its money comes from TV broadcast rights, event sponsorships, and ticket sales. Motorsport organizations, sponsors, and fans benefit from each other.

However, things are changing rapidly. Streaming platforms have changed how audiences consume sports content. Motorsport is rapidly adopting streaming to reinvent its monetization strategy.

So let us see how streaming changes motorsport monetization for good.

I. The Shift Towards Digital Platforms

A. The Streaming Revolution

Streaming platforms have been a go-to source for sports lovers for the past few years. You can watch content on demand, subscribe, and watch across various devices like phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs with streaming platforms. 

It has also become the go-to entertainment source for millions of fans especially the younger generation, who are moving away from cable subscriptions.

B. Traditional Broadcasting vs. Streaming in Motorsports

Traditional broadcasters continue to be the primary source of motorsport viewing, but streaming has several advantages:

1. Deeper Dive

No limited coverage here! You can stream practice sessions, qualifying rounds, and in-depth analysis of race weekends on streaming platforms. As a result, fans can follow their favorite drivers and teams more closely.

2. Fan in the Driver’s Seat

You get a more personalized experience with streaming. Imagine selecting a driver’s onboard camera feed, reliving key moments with on-demand replays, or interacting with other fans through live chats and polls. 

By doing this, you’ll feel more connected to the sport and engaged.

C. Factors Driving the Streaming Shift

There are several reasons why motorsport is moving towards live streaming:

1. Convenience at Your Fingertips

Streaming lets you watch races anytime, anywhere. Do you want to see a replay of last season? No problem. Are you busy on race day? You can watch it later! Fans with busy schedules will love this flexibility.

2. Accessibility for All

Streaming services can be accessed on more devices than traditional cable TV. No matter what you’re using, whether it’s your phone, tablet, laptop, or smart TV. With that, motorsport is more accessible to a wider audience.

3. Interactive Engagement

Streaming platforms don’t just offer passive viewing. They offer features like live chats and polls that engage people in real-time. Imagine discussing race strategies with your friends or voting for your favorite driver.

Fans feel more connected to the team and can enjoy a more engaging viewing experience this way.

III. Innovative Monetization Strategies in Streaming Motorsports

A. Subscription-based Models

This approach gives fans access to content for a recurring fee. Here’s how streaming platforms monetize subscriptions:

1. Tiered Pricing

You will find different subscription levels with different benefits. For example, a basic plan could offer live race coverage and a premium plan could offer behind-the-scenes footage of players and managers.

2. Exclusive Content

Create high-quality, exclusive content that gets fans to subscribe. It could include road diaries, live training sessions, or virtual tours of the team’s headquarters.

However, fans have options to stream motorsports for free. There are various websites and apps using which you can stream live motorsports and other sports for free.

But with free sports streaming comes the risk of privacy. So for that one can make use of VPNs and stay private while streaming motorsports or other sports for that matter. 

But, make sure to do some research before visiting any free sports streaming sites or downloading free sports apps. Motorsports and other sports enthusiasts can catch Sports for Free with Firesticktricks.com. 

B. Ad-supported Streaming

This model gives fans free content with integrated ads. Here’s how it works:

1. Targeted Advertising

Streaming platforms partner with relevant brands and use demographic data to deliver targeted ads. It’s good for advertisers, streamers, and fans. 

2. Sponsor Integration

Streaming platforms let sponsors easily bring sponsorships into the live stream. Sponsorship could be in the form of video ads, branded on-board camera graphics, or sponsored content videos.

IV. Leveraging Data and Analytics for Monetization

Platforms offering streaming services track everything from viewers’ viewing habits to how they interact with their content. By using this data, motorsport teams and streaming services can monetize more effectively.

A. Harnessing Viewer Data for Targeted Advertising and Sponsorship Opportunities:

1. Targeted Advertising

Advertisers can target ads based on viewer data. Imagine running ads for racing simulators or promoting team merchandise to viewers who watch technical analysis regularly. By focusing on relevant ads, it makes watching easier for fans while increasing ad revenue.

2. Sponsorship Opportunities

Having a good understanding of fan interests and tastes helps motorsport organizations attract sponsors. Imagine a tire company sponsoring content targeted at car enthusiasts or an energy drink brand trying to attract viewers with high-octane action replays.

B. Enhancing Viewer Engagement and Monetization With Personalization:

1. Personalized Recommendations

You can use data to recommend races, documentaries, and driver interviews based on your past viewing history. As a result, fans tend to return for more content. This could potentially lead to more subscriptions or ads.

2. Customization Options

Streaming platforms let you choose your favorite camera angle or create your own watchlist. With this level of control, fans might feel more connected to the sport and upgrade to premium subscriptions.

The Bottom Line

Motorsport monetization is changing thanks to the streaming revolution. Motorsport organizations, sponsors, and fans all benefit from streaming platforms because they offer global reach, targeted content, and new revenue streams. 

We’re going to see streaming play a bigger role in motorsport in the future, as technology and fan preferences evolve.

Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace Custom-Designed Legends T-Shirts with Bristol Themes Expected to be at Top of Fans Must-Have Items During Food City 500 Weekend

By
Official Release
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Get ‘em while you can as the two T-shirts will be available in limited supply

BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 12, 2024) – You can’t host an official throwback weekend without some cool retro T-shirts to commemorate the moment.

A limited number of special-edition Food City 500 Throwback T-shirts featuring NASCAR legends Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace will be available only at Bristol Motor Speedway during the race weekend and guests can obtain them in a couple of ways during the race weekend.

* Limited quantities will be sold exclusively at BMS merchandise haulers and at Speedway World inside the Bruton Smith Administration building.

* Lucky St. Patrick’s Day guests may be able to capture one that is tossed from the Food City Fan Zone Stage, especially during Kyle Petty’s 10:20 a.m. appearance and during Trackside Live at noon featuring Kenny Wallace.

Each legend, which has been involved in NASCAR racing both on the track as drivers and off the track as television hosts and entertainment dignitaries for decades, developed his own T-shirt design around a significant past moment at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Wallace created his T-shirt around his 1994 Xfinity Series victory at Bristol, the Food City 250. It was Wallace’s only victory at Bristol and he held off a host of tough customers to get the win, including Ken Schrader, David Green, Ricky Craven and Dick Trickle in the top-five. Mark Martin and Terry Labonte were among the top-10 finishers in the race.

“I grew up on tracks like Winchester and Salem and when I got to Bristol I was at home with these high banks,” Wallace said. “I loved racing at Bristol and winning that Food City 250 in 1994. I love Bristol, that’s really all there is to it, it’s such a bad-ass racetrack and I’m proud to be a part of this program.”

Petty, who had an impressive 50 career starts at Bristol during his lengthy Cup Series career, which spanned from 1979 through 2008, designed his T-shirt around the 1992 and 1993 seasons, arguably the best of his career, when he posted his personal-best Bristol finishes of a third-place in the 1993 Food City 500 and a fourth-place in the 1992 Night Race at the controls of his famed No. 42 Pontiac.

“I thought back to that time and especially since it is the Food City 500,” Petty said. “I can’t tell you how many Food City stores I’ve been in from Knoxville to Abingdon during my life. They were a huge partner with our partners and I’ve spent so much time with Steve (Smith, president and CEO of Food City) and his family over the years. We took colors from the Hot Wheels car, took colors from the Mello Yello car and from some of our other cars. We slapped ‘em on that old Pontiac and put it out there.

“Everything from the early 1990s was tacky, gaudy and in your face and that’s what we tried to come up with here and they did a great job with it. I am so happy to be a part of this especially this year with it being our 75th anniversary. Bristol has always been a fun place for us and to be a part of this with Kenny especially is pretty cool. To top it all off the Kyle Petty Ride Across America is coming through Bristol and Kenny Wallace is going to be a part of it, so it just all ties together really well.”

You will want to collect both of these limited-edition T-shirts while you can. And you will need to act fast, because they will be selling fast. And if you are into getting things autographed, both Wallace and Petty are expected to be in attendance during the race weekend.

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.

Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 CITGARD® Ford Mustang Dark Horse

By
Official Release
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Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 12, 2024) – Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 team are back from the West Coast and now have their eyes set on the famed Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Gilliland ended the West Coast Swing with a 17th place finish at the Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway, a career-best finish at the track. Gilliland added to his “laps led” stat, leading 14 laps in the event.

This past weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series debuted a new short-track package which featured a new underbody/diffuser along with a slightly bigger spoiler. This will be Gilliland’s first Bristol spring Cup Series start on the concrete configuration, he finished 8th-place at the dirt race last year.

CITGARD® returns to FRM after last partnering with the team during the 2022 NASCAR season for Gilliland’s rookie year in the Cup Series.

Track activity will begin with practice and qualifying on Saturday, March 16th at 5:00 p.m. ET. The 500-lap event will take place Sunday, March 17th at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be televised live on FOX. Fans can also listen in on the action live from Sirius XM and the Performance Racing Network.

No. 38 CITGARD Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:

“I think we’re in a really good spot heading into Bristol. Our 17th-place result doesn’t tell our whole story from our day in Phoenix. We had great strategy and got to compete within the top-five. I’m excited for what we have in store with our CITGARD Ford Mustang Dark Horse.”

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

“Phoenix showed that are ceiling is even higher. 17th isn’t the result we wanted, but I saw a lot of growth come out of Todd (Gilliland) and the team. Bristol is a place where Todd has seen success in the Truck Series, and I’m positive he can transfer that success to Cup.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Freedom Warranty to Promote Classic Car Warranties with 2024 Sponsorship of Boyd

By
Official Release
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Mooresville, NC (March 12, 2023) – The fastest-growing vehicle service contract administrator in the nation, Freedom Warranty, will highlight their classic car product with Spencer Boyd at Bristol Motor Speedway. This will be the first of several primary sponsorship placements on the No. 76 entry of Freedom Racing Enterprises in this NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

“It all started with a 6am call on race day out in Vegas in 2019,” remarked Spencer Boyd. “Freedom Warranty started sponsoring me about 5 years ago and in their first race, we won, so I’ve considered them my lucky charm since. When I look back at the winding road that brings us to today, I am beyond grateful for Chris (Miller) and the entire Freedom Warranty team for all that they have done for my career.”

The owner of Freedom Warranty, Chris Miller, is also co-owner in Freedom Racing Enterprises, the NASCAR team where Boyd races the No. 76 Chevrolet Silverado.

“The support from the fans is amazing!” exclaimed Tarah Slider, VP of Operations for Freedom Warranty. “Not a week goes by that we don’t get a NASCAR fan asking for hero cards. We love supporting Spencer. We love his enthusiasm and work ethic. He is a great representative for our company and look forward to hearing from the fans about their classic cars!”

Freedom Warranty is one of only a few warranty companies that covers classic vehicles that are at least 20 years old and manufactured after 1929. All plans include roadside assistance, rental car coverage, 24-hour helpline assistance, and warranty transferability. Visit freedomwarrantyclassic.com for more information.

“Bristol is obviously a unique race track,” continued Boyd. “There have been so many great races over the years and I’m super happy we are going twice this season.”

The Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway hosts 250 laps for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series contenders on Saturday March 16, 2024 at 8pm ET. Action can be seen live on FS1 and heard on MRN.

About Freedom Warranty
Freedom Warranty is the fastest-growing vehicle service contract administrator in the nation, offering a variety of products sold exclusively through authorized auto dealers, certified repair facilities, established lenders, and accredited insurance agencies in 28 states and the District of Columbia. Their goal is to provide a valuable service to automobile owners who want to protect their investment and shield them from unexpected repairs. By providing superior service to contract holders, they strive to provide dependable coverage with customer care that goes above and beyond. Call Freedom Warranty at 823-927-2689 for quotes or if you are an existing customer 844-307-9944 for customer assistance.

Visit Freedom Warranty at https://www.freedomwarranty.com

Food City and Kaulig Racing Extend Partnership for 2024

By
Official Release
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AJ Allmendinger to Drive the No. 16 Mtn Dew CHEETOS® Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway

 Lexington, N.C. (March 12, 2024) – Kaulig Racing and Food City will team up for the second-straight year, as the pair announces an extended partnership for the 2024 NASCAR season.

The No. 16 Camaro ZL1, driven by AJ Allmendinger, will sport both PepsiCo’s Mountain (Mtn) Dew and CHEETOS® brands when it hits the track for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Food City,” Chris Rice, Kaulig Racing team president says. “This group has always been a lot of fun to work with and have become part of our Kaulig Racing family. We’ll have plenty of Mtn Dew in our hands and ‘Cheetle’ on our fingers on the pit box to get us through 500 laps.”

Food City and Kaulig Racing first brought back the iconic Mtn Dew colors for the 2023 Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, as the soft drink was spotlighted on the No. 31 Camaro ZL1. This year, the team’s No. 16 Camaro ZL1 will feature both the Tennessee-based soft drink alongside the top-selling cheese puff brand for the Food City 500.

“Food City is proud to once again team up with our friends from Kaulig Racing and PepsiCo to sponsor AJ Allmendinger and the Kaulig Racing No. 16 Camaro ZL1 for the historic return of the Food City 500 to Bristol Motor Speedway,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer.

In addition to the partnership for the Food City 500, Kaulig Racing and Food City will team back up for the Bristol Night Race. Details regarding this partnership will be announced at a later date.
 
About Kaulig Racing:

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and added a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. In 2024, the team will once again field two, full-time entries in the NCS and continue to field three, full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

About PepsiCo:

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $91 billion in net revenue in 2023, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

About Food City:

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 154 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama.

Auto-Owners Insurance Racing: Martin Truex Jr. Bristol Advance

By
Official Release
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Martin Truex Jr.
Food City 500 at Bristol Advance
No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing

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

● Truex has two top-five finishes, four top-10s and has led a total of 287 laps in 33 career NASCAR Cup Series starts on Bristol’s concrete surface. Truex’s average Bristol finish is 20.7.

● No More Dirt: After three years of covering the half-mile concrete oval with dirt for the Bristol’s spring race, NASCAR’s top series has elected to go back to the concrete surface for both races this year at the World’s Fastest Half-Mile. Truex brought home a solid seventh-place finish in last spring’s final race on Bristol’s dirt surface.

● Toyota Up Front: With five different Toyotas each leading 50 laps or more in last Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway, it marked the first time in NASCAR history that a manufacturer had five cars leading 50 or more laps in the same race. Truex contributed 55 of those laps led as each of the four Joe Gibbs Racing entries led 50 or more laps in a single race for the first time in NASCAR’s top series. Toyotas combined to lead 298 of the 312 race laps at Phoenix.

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

● Ahead at this Stage: Truex has accumulated 61 stage wins since the beginning of the stage era in 2017. He is the only driver with 10 or more stage sweeps, with his latest sweep coming at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn last August.

● With his seventh-place finish at Phoenix last weekend, Truex heads to Bristol third in the standings with 141 points, 10 behind leader Ryan Blaney as the Cup Series heads to its first true short track of the season.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry XSE

What are your thoughts on racing at Bristol?

“Bristol hasn’t been my favorite place, but we’ve had some good runs there, too. I think we’ve been competitive there over the years. It’s a place that’s tight and things happen fast there, so you have to be on your toes. Always really excited to be a part of how great the crowd is there, and the fans love that place. Hoping we can have a strong run there for them and try to finally get a win there with our Auto-Owners Insurance Camry. We’ll see how it plays out.”

With the new body on the Toyotas, has your team been paying any particular attention to the new parts of the bodywork?

“No, not really. The team is just trying to figure it out the best and quickest they can and figure out how to have a car capable of winning. We’ve really started the season off strong and consistent. We’ve had really good speed every week, I think top-five speed in every race I feel like so far, and maybe a little closer than that last week when we were at our best. We are getting where we need to be, just need to capitalize a little more, but as far as the car – when you are in them, they all feel the same. It is just the setup and the things the guys are working on that can make such a difference. You can’t say, ‘Wow, this body is so much better than last year’s.’ Really hard to tell a big difference right now only a couple of races in. We have a lot more data points to put in the old notebook.”

How has the NextGen car changed your approach to short tracks?

“Short tracks were a challenge last year for us. It was a lot harder to pass than years past, for sure. With how the brakes are on these cars, it’s so different than it was before. Then you have the independent rear suspension and the differential and all those things go along with each other as far as what we have now. I think we made a lot of gains last year and I would like to think we have already made more this year. Bristol not being the short-track package we started using at Phoenix, it’s a bit of a different animal and we’ll see where we are at this weekend. We almost have more than the brakes and tires can even take, so it’s been tough to try and modulate that, and to try not to lock up the rear tires was a challenge. We’ll see if we can’t have a strong run with our Auto-Owners Insurance Camry and keep making gains on it.”

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

“Ever since we went to the NextGen car, everything has been closer, and you can see that in the standings, as well – it’s pretty tight. It is harder to find an advantage, it’s harder to run at the front every week consistently. Everything is tighter, closer together, less room for error, and you really have to be on top of things. Things happen fast at Bristol, so it makes for an exciting race for the fans.”

No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Martin Truex Jr.

Hometown: Mayetta, New Jersey

Crew Chief: James Small

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Car Chief: Chris Jones

Hometown: Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy

Hometown: Blockville, New York

Engineer: Jeff Curtis

Hometown: Fairfax Station, Virginia

Spotter: Drew Herring

Hometown: Benson, North Carolina

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Ryan Martin

Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Virgina

Mechanic: Todd Carmichael

Hometown: Redding, California

Interior/Tire Specialist: Tommy DiBlasi

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Engine Tuner: Beau Morton

Hometown: Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Transporter Driver: Kyle Bazzell

Hometown: Fairbury, Illinois

Transporter Driver: Eddie DeGroot

Hometown: Baldwinsville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Jackman: Caleb Dirks

Hometown: Riverside, California

Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey

Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Front Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham

Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Marquill Osborne

Hometown: Cornelius, NC

DAYTONA 24 WINNING RISI COMPETIZIONE TEAM READY FOR ANOTHER ENDURANCE BATTLE AT SEBRING

By
Official Release
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Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 No. 62:
Davide Rigon (ITA)
Daniel Serra (BRA)
James Calado (GBR)

Sebring, Florida (March 12, 2024) … After coming off a GTD Pro class victory at the recent Rolex 24 At Daytona, the Houston, Texas-based Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 team arrives in Sebring, Florida for more endurance racing. The 72nd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, March 13-16, is next on the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) calendar at historic Sebring International Raceway.

Risi Competizione, who is competing in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Championship (IMEC) GTD Pro class this year, continues with Ferrari GT factory drivers Italian Davide Rigon and Brazilian Daniel Serra for the championship. Joining the endurance duo for Sebring is fellow Daytona winner Brit James Calado.

In 2022 Serra captured the IMSA GTD Pro pole for Risi Competizione at the 3.74-mile, 17-turn Sebring, Florida road course.

All three Risi drivers have previously raced at Sebring with Serra having competed five times in four years. Last year he competed with both FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) on the Friday endurance race and with Risi Competizione in IMSA on Saturday. Serra achieved a podium (third place) on Friday and sixth place finish Saturday with Risi Competizione.

Rigon has four appearances in three years at the central Florida circuit. He also pulled a double duty in 2023, finishing fifth in FIA WEC and sixth with Risi. His best finish was fourth in 2016 with Risi.

Calado has raced at Sebring five times, two with Risi Competizione (2017, 2018) and three with FIA WEC (2019, 2022, 2023). His 2017 Risi appearance culminated in a third-place finish.

With three victories (2010, 2009, 2007) since Risi Competizione’s inaugural race in 1998 and 25 races over 19 years, the Texas-based Ferrari team has a total of nine podium finishes at the historic circuit in the track’s seven plus decades of racing.

Rigon and Serra won the IMEC series in 2022 with Risi Competizione. For 2024 additional races after Daytona and Sebring include the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, 6 Hours of Indianapolis, and Petit Le Mans 10-hours.

Risi Competizione drivers for the 2024 IMEC series are L to R: Daniel Serra and Davide Rigon

Sponsors for the 2024 season for Risi Competizione include Pennzoil, OMP Racing and the Ferrari of Ontario and Ferrari of Toronto dealerships.

The weekend schedule includes qualifying on Friday, March 16 from 12:20-12:35 p.m. ET for the GTD Pro class. The race starts at 9:40 a.m. on Saturday for a once around the clock enduro.

Television: Qualifying will be televised on Friday, March 15 from 12:20-1:25 p.m. ET on IMSA.tv and Peacock.

Flag-to-flag live broadcast coverage of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 16 on both IMSA.tv and Peacock. USA Network coverage starts at 4:00 p.m. in the U.S. All times Eastern.

Radio: IMSA Radio will have live coverage throughout the weekend on imsa.com, RadioLeMans.com and SiriusXM Radio. See imsa.com for live timing and scoring and more information.

No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Fully Focused on Conquering Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

By
Official Release
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SEBRING, Florida (March 12, 2024) – Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) returns in action for another iconic endurance event: the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team led by full season drivers, Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal, look to capitalize on the success from 2023 where Marcelli landed pole position in the GTD field. Marcelli, 2023 Pole Winner in the GTD Class, and Formal will be joined by rookie Graham Doyle, the team’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup driver, who will compete in his first 12-hour endurance race. With WTRAndretti’s continued dedication to driver development, both Formal and Doyle will complete double duty while at Sebring International Raceway as both drivers will be participating in the 2024 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America season (Formal, No. 1 WTRAndretti LST PRO; Doyle, No. 10 DEX Imaging WTRAndretti LST AM).

The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team will begin preparations with on-track action on Thursday, March 14 at 10:05 a.m. ET and qualifying set for Friday, March 15 at 12:20 p.m. ET. The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will see the green flag fly at 9:40 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 16, with Peacock providing full coverage of the 12-hours of racing with USA Network on air from 4:00 p.m.-10 p.m. ET.
Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “We continue running in GTD with the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini driven by Danny Formal, Kyle Marcelli and Graham Doyle. Kyle brought home the Pole last year in GTD and Danny will be at his best as always. This will be Graham’s second time in a GTD car and I’m looking for big improvement from him. I think we’ll get that because he’s going to be spending a lot of time in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series and he will have a lot of practice down in Sebring. We’re excited, it was a bit disappointing of what happened at Daytona, but we’ll move forward and give it our best.”

No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
Kyle Marcelli, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “In many ways, the Twelve Hours of Sebring is more difficult than the 24 hours at Daytona. Certainly, the ambient temperature and the bumpy track surface pose more challenge and demand on the drivers, crew, and race cars. Next, the pure chaos that unfolds given the amount of multi-class cars on track means that simply surviving is more difficult at a racetrack like Sebring which has 17 corners versus a place like Daytona with essentially seven corners and two long straight aways. That being said, I love the energy about this race and I’m excited and optimistic about our chances for success! I’ve finished second in the Twelve Hours of Sebring, but I’ve never won. It would be nice to check that box and I think our WTRAndretti DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán gives us a great chance to win.”

Danny Formal, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “Well, my second attempt at the Twelve Hours of Sebring is coming up. Super excited to be back with the with the team. Double duty for me this weekend – it’ll be my first time doing double duty in the Twelve Hours of Sebring. Sebring is one of my home tracks as I live in Florida now. Super excited to be back sharing the car with Kyle Marcelli and Graham Doyle. It’s been it’s been a ride so far; it’s been incredible. Obviously, we did not have the results we wanted in Daytona so we’re coming in here extremely motivated, extremely focused on getting the results of the team deserve. So, I’m super excited and ready to go.”

Graham Doyle, 2024 Endurance Co-Driver: “Looking ahead to the Twelve Hours of Sebring preparation is key. As with any endurance event, the amount of work you put in before it begins is just as important as the driving itself. Working with my teammates Danny and Kyle along with time spent on the simulator I believe we are at a point now where we are ready to contend for race wins. Using what we learned both about our new car and our team as a whole, I believe we are ready to take on this event, working towards our goal of reaching the top step of the podium.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Lamborghini Squadra Corse, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.

Ford Performance NASCAR – 2024 Bristol 1 Advance

By
Official Release
-

BRISTOL 1

Saturday, March 16 — NASCAR Craftsman Series, 8 p.m. ET (FS1)
Sunday, March 17 — NASCAR Cup Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)

The Bristol Motor Speedway spring date returns to the concrete for the first time since 2020 and will host the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and NASCAR Cup Series this weekend. A total of 21 different drivers have registered at least one of Ford’s 40 all-time Cup wins on the concrete surface.

BLANEY ON TOP

The NASCAR Cup Series season is only four weeks old, but whenever you’re at the top of the standings it’s a good thing. That’s where defending champion Ryan Blaney finds himself after a fifth-place finish on Sunday in Phoenix moved him from second to first. As a result, he holds a 10-point lead over Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. The last time Blaney found himself first in the regular-season standings was last year after a sixth-place run at World Wide Technology Raceway. That was the only week in which he held the top spot until claiming the championship a few months later.

GILLILAND LEADS MORE LAPS

Todd Gilliland continues to be among the lap leaders in the NASCAR Cup Series through four races, ranking third among all drivers and first for Ford with 88. He and his No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse have led at least one lap in three of the first four events, including 14 last weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

FROM DIRT TO CONCRETE

The last three years has seen dirt covering the half-mile oval at Bristol Motor Speedway, and even though he didn’t have a long history of experience on that surface, Joey Logano adapted quite nicely. He won the first NASCAR Cup Series race on dirt in a half-century after taking the lead away from Daniel Suarez and leading the final 61 circuits that included an overtime restart to claim the victory. Last year, he hopped in an additional ThorSport Racing entry and captured the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event by leading 138-of-150 laps.

ACTIVE WINNERS

Three current Ford drivers have at least one NASCAR Cup Series victory on the concrete of Bristol Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski has three wins (2011, ‘12, ‘20) while Joey Logano owns a pair (2014-15) and Chris Buescher has one (2022). Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch each have five victories to lead Ford all-time while David Pearson is next with four.

RYAN BLANEY: “Honestly, I didn’t really have any huge feelings towards it either way. I enjoyed the dirt race, and I thought every year it got better. The first year the track wasn’t very good. The second year it got better and then last year I thought the track was awesome. It was very racy, very slick from top to bottom. You could have options and lanes, but it’s good. I think you go back every few years and maybe in a few years you could throw dirt on it again, but I had no big feelings about it either way.”

JOSH BERRY: “I feel like that’s an event that has been missing a little bit. Obviously, I’m from Tennessee and I remember going to Bristol a lot when I was a kid and watching those races, so it’ll be fun to go back and run the concrete. I know Rodney is really excited, so that’s fun too. He loves that track, but not in dirt form.”

FIREBALL BURNS BRIGHT IN FORD DEBUT

Ford won its first NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 31, 1963 when Fireball Roberts won the Southeastern 500. What made the win so noteworthy is that it marked the debut of Roberts with Ford as a teammate of Fred Lorenzen’s at Holman-Moody. The duo put on a dominant show that day as they combined to lead 329 of 500 laps with Roberts leading 165 and Lorenzen 164. Roberts passed his new teammate with eight laps to go and won by five seconds as the race saw only one caution for nine laps. Roberts went on to win four races in 1963 while Lorenzen won six times.

ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND

The date was July 20, 1969 and while Neil Armstrong was uttering those groundbreaking words as being the first man to step foot on the moon, David Pearson was busy winning at Bristol on the first race since the track installed high banking. What made the race even more interesting is that Pearson was relieved during the race by none other than Richard Petty, who was driving a Ford that season and dropped out earlier in the event. Even more ironic is that Petty was chasing Pearson for the championship that season, one in which Pearson eventually won for the second straight time.

MAJESKI MOTIVATED

Ty Majeski comes into this weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race second in the point standings after posting a pair of stage wins and two top-10 finishes in the first three races.

Majeski led a race-high 40 laps when the series last raced two weeks ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but a pit road speeding penalty late in the event cost him a shot at winning.

He comes to Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday night’s race with one career victory at the half-mile facility in two career series starts on the concrete.

FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS

AT BRISTOL (CONCRETE ONLY)

1963 – Fireball Roberts and Fred Lorenzen

1964 – Fred Lorenzen (Sweep)

1965 – Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett

1966 – Dick Hutcherson (1)

1968 – David Pearson (Sweep)

1969 – David Pearson (2)

1970 – Donnie Allison (1)

1971 – David Pearson (1)

1988 – Bill Elliott (1)

1990 – Davey Allison (1)

1991 – Alan Kulwicki (2)

1992 – Alan Kulwicki (1)

1993 – Mark Martin (2)

1994 – Rusty Wallace (2)

1996 – Rusty Wallace (2)

1997 – Dale Jarrett (2)

1998 – Mark Martin (2)

1999 – Rusty Wallace (1)

2000 – Rusty Wallace (Sweep)

2001 – Elliott Sadler (1)

2002 – Kurt Busch (1)

2003 – Kurt Busch (Sweep)

2004 – Kurt Busch (1)

2005 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2007 – Carl Edwards (2)

2008 – Carl Edwards (2)

2014 – Carl Edwards and Joey Logano

2015 – Joey Logano (2)

2018 – Kurt Busch (2)

2020 – Brad Keselowski (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)

2022 – Chris Buescher

SUNNYD® Racing: Josh Berry Bristol Advance

By
Official Release
-

JOSH BERRY
Bristol Advance
No. 4 SUNNYD® Ford Mustang Dark Horse

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

● Josh Berry heads to his home state this weekend for Sunday’s 500-mile race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. It will be the NASCAR Cup Series debut on the high-banked, .533-mile oval’s concrete surface for the native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, located some 295 south and west of Bristol on the outskirts of Nashville. Berry does have one Cup Series start at Bristol, albeit in last year’s April race subbing for an injured Chase Elliott when the concrete surface was covered with dirt. Berry has three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts and one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start on Bristol’s concrete surface. Best of his Xfinity Series outings was a seventh-place finish in September 2022, driving for JR Motorsports. His lone Truck Series start there resulted in an 11th-place finish in September 2021, driving for the Rackley W.A.R. team.

● The first-year Stewart-Haas driver and Cup Series rookie started racing go karts in and around his native Hendersonville at age 8 before making the move to Legend cars in 2006, scoring race wins and track championships over the next three years at his hometown Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

● Berry first made a name for himself on short tracks, climbing the ranks to earn his seat in the Cup Series by dominating at the grassroots level. During his days driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr., as part of the JR Motorsports Late Model program, Berry amassed an impressive 95 victories in his 262 starts with the team, with 189 top-fives and 219 top-10s. He was also the NASCAR Weekly Series champion in 2020, finishing every race but one inside the top-10 that season.

● Rodney Childers, the veteran crew chief of the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse team, will make his 35th Bristol Cup Series start atop the pit box Sunday. He was victorious twice with retired Stewart-Haas driver Kevin Harvick, the first win coming in the September 2016 night race. In that event, Harvick drove through the field after starting 24th and went on to lead 128 of the 500 laps en route to victory. The next win came in 2020, again in the September night race, when Harvick won in dominating fashion after starting fourth and leading 226 circuits. In total, Childers’ drivers have tallied 10 top-five finishes, 16 top-10s, and 927 laps led at Bristol.

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

You’re heading to Bristol Motor Speedway in your home state of Tennessee, and you have a deep history in short-track racing. Do you feel any kind of pressure as one of the drivers to watch this weekend?

“Bristol is a short track but it’s its own animal. It’s unique in how it races when compared to a Martinsville or Richmond layout. I think for us, we are going to keep preparing the same way we have each week. We try to prepare for as many scenarios as we can each week no matter the track. I think if we qualify well and have a clean day on pit road, the finishes will come and that’s all we can really do at this point.”

What memories do you have of watching Cup Series races at Bristol when you were growing up, and does it feel surreal that you are making your first Cup Series start on the concrete surface there?

“I remember going there in my teenage years and watching races there and it honestly was always a hot commodity to go there, so hopefully we can pack the place and put on a good show. Bristol is just such an iconic venue. It will be really cool to go compete there on the concrete. When Bristol is packed, there is a ton of energy, and you can feel it inside the car, which makes it so special for me being a home-state guy. Rodney (Childers, crew chief) has had a lot of success there, too, and I know he and I are both looking forward to getting there and seeing how we do.”

Robert “Cheddar” Smith said early on the No. 4 team is “just a bunch of Late-Model guys.” Does that give you an advantage heading to a short track knowing most, if not all of you, have a background in short-track racing?

“The biggest thing that it has helped with is our communication with each other. It’s honestly felt really consistent and easy to get through all of the early stages, where teams have to learn each other’s lingo. Rodney says it often to me about this whole process that he is learning more and more about how to evolve and get better to work with me compared to someone like Kevin (Harvick). It’s really been a positive experience and we all feel like we are moving in the right direction. We just need more time to keep growing what we have started.”

You’ve talked about Las Vegas being the litmus test for the intermediate package. Do you feel like Bristol will be the first true test of the NextGen short-track package?

“Bristol is so unique that I don’t think so – Bristol is Bristol, it’s just its own animal. I think it takes a unique preparation compared to other short tracks like Martinsville and Richmond. I think there are more similarities to a place like Dover than other short tracks we will go to coming up. That doesn’t mean we won’t learn about the setup, but there won’t be a ton that I think carries over to the other short tracks we have on the schedule.”

No. 4 SUNNYD Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Josh Berry

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Billy Kuebler

Hometown: Saline, Michigan

Spotter: Eddie D’Hondt

Hometown: Levittown, New York

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard

Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Chris Capaldi

Hometown: Armada, Michigan

Tire Specialist: Zac Lupien

Hometown: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Jake Zierhoffer

Hometown: Billerica, Massachusetts

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

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