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Ericsson Climbs to Top Late as Sebring Test Finishes

By
Official Release
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Sebring, FL - during the 2024 Test at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida. (Photo by Joe Skibinski | IMS Photo)

SEBRING, Fla. (Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024) – It appears Marcus Ericsson is settling in nicely at Andretti Global.

2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Ericsson led the second day of NTT INDYCAR SERIES testing Feb. 27 at Sebring International Raceway, turning a top lap of 51.9512 seconds in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda. Ericsson joins Andretti Global this season after racing the last four seasons for Chip Ganassi Racing.

His time on the bumpy, 1.67-mile circuit at Sebring was the quickest overall in two days of testing this week as every NTT INDYCAR SERIES team prepared for the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on Sunday, March 10 (noon ET, NBC, Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network). Ericsson won the St. Petersburg race last year.

“Today is very important, especially when you’re in a new team,” Ericsson said. “It’s been a lot of learning processes, learning the people, learning the car. Everything is new, obviously. We don’t get a lot of tests these days. So, we need to maximize that.

“We just had a really good day. So, that’s positive, and we’re feeling excited about going to St. Pete.”

Two-time series champion Will Power was second quickest at 52.0076 in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet. Like Ericsson, Power turned his top lap in the final 15 minutes of the session.

Pato O’Ward was third with his best afternoon lap of 52.0104 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. O’Ward showed remarkable consistency today, leading the morning session at 52.0158.

Felix Rosenqvist ended up fourth at 52.0305 in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda. Rosenqvist, like fellow Swede Ericsson, has switched teams this season, shifting from Arrow McLaren to Meyer Shank Racing.

Graham Rahal rounded out the top five at 52.0598 in the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda.

Each of the top five drivers Tuesday posted times quicker than the best overall lap Monday, 52.0883 by reigning series champion Alex Palou in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou ended up sixth on the overall speed chart.

Twelve drivers combined to turn 698 laps Tuesday. A total of 27 drivers tested over the two days at the historic circuit, turning a total of 2,115 laps. Sebring’s rough, bumpy surface consisting of concrete and asphalt is a good simulation of street course tracks like those at St. Petersburg.

“Basically, what you’re looking for is just different types of patches, concrete, asphalt, bumpy,” O’Ward said. “That’s what you get in a street course with the years that go by. Some surfaces get rougher, some of them get redone, so you really don’t know what to expect until you get there, but you expect to get a little bit of everything.”

A driver gaining extra attention today was sports car veteran Colin Braun, who was behind the wheel of the No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing Honda. It was the first test in an INDYCAR SERIES car for Texas native Braun, 35, a three-time IMSA season champion and overall winner of the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona with Indianapolis 500 winners Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud and current NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie Tom Blomqvist.

Braun and Jack Harvey tested this week for DCR, the only team yet to name its driver lineup for this season. Braun ended up .1597 of a second quicker than Harvey, who drove DCR’s No. 18 Honda on Monday. Braun’s best lap was just .9657 of a second off the top overall test time turned by Ericsson, impressive for his first day in an INDYCAR SERIES car.

“My first day in (INDYCAR SERIES machinery), certainly a blast jumping in the deep end,” Braun said. “A lot to learn, but it was great having Jack Harvey here helping out, and these guys did a really good job of walking me down the path and letting me learn step by step. It was fun.

“Made progress all day. It felt like it went pretty smooth on my end. Still a lot to learn, but it’s a great group of guys to learn from and work with. So, a big thank you to Honda and Dale Coyne for giving me a chance here. A lot of fun.”

NASCAR reveals 2024 spring Atlanta penalty report

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

NASCAR released its penalty report following this past weekend’s triple-header feature at Atlanta Motor Speedway which includes two Cup Series teams from the same organization hit with an early points swing.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Nos. 10 and 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse teams piloted by Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece, respectively, have each been docked 35 driver/owner points as a result of violating Section 14.5.6.1.a. of NASCAR’s Rule Book that highlights the specification compliance of roof rail deflectors.

The news comes after NASCAR confiscated the roof rail deflectors of both Gragson and Preece’s entries following Friday’s pre-race inspection and before the Cup Series’ Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday.

During the event, Preece finished 16th while Gragson, who was involved in a 16-car pileup on the second lap, retired in 36th.

In addition, Joey Logano, a two-time Cup Series champion, was fined $10,000 for a competition infraction that involved failing to meet SFI-approved specifications with his protective gloves, where his left glove was discovered to be modified with webbings between his thumb and index finger, which would provide an aerodynamic advantage by creating drag and deflecting air from coming inside the car.

Logano, who initially posted the second-fastest qualifying speed and was set to start alongside pole-sitter Michael McDowell on the front row, was instead forced to drop to the rear of the field and serve a pass-through penalty at the start of the main event. Despite rallying to lead 27 laps, Logano ended up 28th after getting collected in a multi-car wreck with Chris Buescher and Denny Hamlin prior to the second stage’s conclusion.

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Seth Chavka, crew chief for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 “all-star” Toyota Supra entry that was piloted by Ryan Truex, was fined $5,000 due to a single lug nut discovered to be unsecured on Truex’s entry following the series’ RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta on Saturday. During the event, Truex finished ninth after he initially was in contention for the victory during an overtime shootout.

In addition, Jason Miller, crew chief of the No. 14 SS Green Light Racing Chevrolet team piloted by JJ Yeley, was issued a two-race suspension, beginning for the next two upcoming weekends, for violating Section 4.4.D of the Xfinity Series’ Rule Book that highlights NASCAR member code of conduct. Miller was seen engaging in a physical confrontation with Kyle Weatherman following Saturday’s event. Their argument stems from where Weatherman sent Yeley for a spin entering Turn 1 nearing the Lap 60 mark. Yeley ended up 24th while Weatherman finished 17th.

There were no penalties or fines issued from Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series’ FR8 208 event at Atlanta.

NASCAR is set to resume to action for its third triple-header feature of the 2024 season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The action commences with the Truck Series’ Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 on Friday, March 1, which will air at 9 p.m. ET on FS1 followed by the Xfinity Series’ The LiUNA! that will occur on Saturday, March 2, at 5 p.m. ET on FS1. The Cup Series’ Pennzoil 400 will conclude the weekend by occurring on Sunday, March 3, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Reser’s Fine Foods Racing: Martin Truex Jr. Las Vegas Advance

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Official Release
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Martin Truex Jr.
Las Vegas Advance
No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Las Vegas 400 (Round 3 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 3
● Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Truex has two wins, seven top-five finishes, 15 top-10s and has led a total of 313 laps in 24 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas. Truex’s average Las Vegas finish is a strong 10.0. Truex’s average finish is tied for second among active drivers with Joey Logano. Kyle Busch is the leader among active drivers with a 9.4 average.

● Truex notched his most recent Las Vegas victory in September 2019, when he led 32 laps. It was his second win on the 1.5-mile oval and first at Las Vegas since joining Joe Gibbs Racing.

● After two superspeedway races to start the season, Truex certainly is looking forward to getting to the first downforce track of 2024 in the 1.5-mile oval at Las Vegas – a place that has treated him well over the years. At similar tracks last year, Truex posted five top-10 finishes – at Las Vegas, Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

● Family owned and operated, Reser’s has been a proud sponsor of good times at racetracks, picnics, and barbecues since 1950 with a family of brands that includes Reser’s American Classics, Main St. Bistro, and more. Reser’s operates 14 facilities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada and actively supports the communities it serves. Visit resers.com to learn more.

● With his 12th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend, Truex heads to Las Vegas 10th in the standings with 60 points, 17 points out of the lead, as the Cup Series heads to Las Vegas to begin this year’s abbreviated two-race Western Swing. The series heads to Phoenix Raceway next week.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry XSE

What are you expecting at Las Vegas this weekend with your No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods Camry XSE?

“I expect it to be a great race out in Vegas. I love going out there and it’s a great racetrack. Vegas is a great track that’s wide and you can run all over. We saw a lot of guys run high there the last couple of years and we’ve also gotten better as a team at being able to get through the bumps and move around. Looking forward to having Reser’s Fine Foods on our car for the first time at Vegas. I’ve won there before and I’m always confident we can go out there and run up front and have a shot to get Reser’s to victory lane.”

Does “Sin City” still live up to its name when you race out there?

“Not really. Honestly, for us on a two-day weekend, it’s all business. I don’t even leave the track when we go there. It’s not like the banquet – that was fun. When we go to racetracks, it’s all business for everyone. It’s just too serious. There is too much on the line and the commitment level and the focus it takes is higher than it has ever been.”

How has the level of parity changed in the Cup Series?

“I think it has changed a lot since I’ve been here. I think the last few years with the NextGen car has been the biggest change, I would say. It has constantly evolved since I’ve come into the sport as far as trying to tighten things up, but the NextGen car just has taken it to a new level. You are talking about everybody having the same parts and pieces – that’s never been a part of this sport. That’s definitely been the game changer.”

Talk about tire strategy at Las Vegas, and how late-race cautions affect your strategy.

“It’s an interesting place, it’s fast and high-speed and has tire falloff but, for whatever reason, it’s a place that has unique asphalt, and when the tires cool off, you can fire off and run one or two fast laps. These days, with these cars, if you can get that clean air and get those two to three car lengths out in front of guys who are on better tires behind you, and guys in between you and the four-tire guys, you have a huge advantage for a few laps. It’s all about what the other guy does. You can be the only guy on two tires and you are a sitting duck, but if you have four to five guys behind you on two tires, you have a bit of a buffer and so it just depends on what goes on around you.”

No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods 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

Kaulig Racing Weekly Preview | Las Vegas Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Kaulig Racing Weekly Preview | Las Vegas Motor Speedway

 Race Details

Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, March 3 at 3:30PM EST
FOX | PRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

  • Kaulig Racing has made eight NCS starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and has earned two top 10s and led 16 laps.
  • So far in the 2024 NCS season, the team has earned one top 10 and three top-20 finishes.
  • The team led nine laps in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.

DEREK KRAUS

 ”I’m really excited to make my first Cup Series start with Kaulig Racing, the team that I also made my Xfinity Series debut with! I’m thankful to Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice for believing in me, as well as Western States Flooring, a partner that has supported me throughout my career. I can’t wait to get to work with Travis Mack’s group and see what we can do in Las Vegas.” – Derek Kraus on Las Vegas Motor Speedway  

No. 16 Western States Flooring Camaro ZL1

  • Derek Kraus will make his NCS debut this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Kraus has made eight NXS starts with Kaulig Racing, and has earned three top-10 finishes and 21-laps led.

DANIEL HEMRIC

 ”I’ve said for many years that Las Vegas feels like a second home now. It’s really special to have South Point Hotel Casino and Spa back on the Cup car after a five-year hiatus in the series. They have done so much for me in my career since 2017, so returning to the top level of racing with them feels like having family at the racetrack. Las Vegas is a track that has always been a good one for me. I think this No. 31 team is excited for our first, true mile-and-a-half event to show the work that we’ve put in throughout the off-season. I’m looking forward to seeing where we shake out once we unload and hopefully having a solid weekend.” – Daniel Hemric on Las Vegas Motor Speedway  

No. 31 South Point Camaro ZL1

  • Daniel Hemric has made three NCS starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, earning a top 20 and three top-25 finishes.
  • Hemric has made 11 NXS starts at Las Vegas, and has earned a runner-up finish, four top five and eight top-10 finishes.
  • So far in the 2024 NCS season, Hemric has finished in the top 20 on the lead lap at every race.

Race Details

Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The LiUNA!
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Saturday, March 2 at 5:00PM EST
FS1 | PRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

  • Kaulig Racing has made 30 NXS starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and earned one win with AJ Allmendinger in 2021.
  • Kaulig Racing has led 274 laps, earned three pole awards, six top five, 21 top-10 finishes and has an average finish of 10.6.

JOSH WILLIAMS

“Las Vegas is a really fun mile-and-a-half track. It’s super smooth on one end and really rough on the other. The racing really fans out. You can run multiple grooves there and make some good passes. I’ve run well there in years past, and so has Kaulig Racing, so I’m looking forward to getting there this weekend.” – Josh Williams on Las Vegas Motor Speedway  

No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

  • Williams has made 11 NXS starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • His best finish at the track is 13th.

AJ ALLMENDINGER

“Las Vegas has been a really good racetrack for us at Kaulig Racing. We were able to win the race in 2021 and sit on the poles in 2022. Chandler [Smith] was really fast there last year in the No. 16 and sat on the pole. It’s probably one of our better mile-and-a-half tracks and we’ve worked hard over the off season to get more speed at places like this. It’s one of the tracks early in the season that I am looking forward to most to see where we are.” – AJ Allmendinger on Las Vegas Motor Speedway  

No. 16 Action Industries Chevrolet Camaro

  • AJ Allmendinger has made four NXS starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Allmendinger has led 103 laps, earned one win, two pole awards and three top-10 finishes.
  • So far in the 2024 NXS season, Allmendinger has led 11 laps and earned one top-10 finish.

SHANE van GISBERGEN

“I’m looking forward to getting to Las Vegas and back behind the wheel of our Focused Health Chevrolet. Atlanta was wild but coming home in third and with a straight car was an awesome feeling. We get about 20 min of practice on Friday in Las Vegas, so it will be good to learn and get a feel for the track before the race on Saturday. I appreciate Focused Health coming on board with us this weekend and hopefully we can get another good finish for them on Saturday afternoon.” – Shane van Gisbergen on Las Vegas Motor Speedway  

No. 97 Focused Health Chevrolet Camaro

  • Shane van Gisbergen will make his first-career NXS start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend.
  • With his third-place finish in Atlanta, Van Gisbergen was the highest finishing Sunoco Racing rookie for the second week in a row.
  • Van Gisbergen currently sits ninth in the driver standings, just four points back of eighth heading into the weekend.

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.

HaasTooling.com Racing: Ryan Preece Las Vegas Advance

By
Official Release
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RYAN PREECE
Las Vegas Advance
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Las Vegas 400 (Round 3 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 3
● Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● After a pair of superspeedway-style races to start the NASCAR Cup Series’ regular season, Ryan Preece is ready for a return to normalcy at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sunday’s Las Vegas 400 will mark Preece’s ninth career Cup Series start on the 1.5-mile oval. The driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing posted a career-best Las Vegas finish of 15th in March 2021, which came on the heels of his previous best of 19th in September 2020. In his first two outings at the track with Stewart-Haas in 2023, he posted finishes of 23rd in March and 26th in October.

● Preece overcame an incident-filled race during last Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway to bring home a 16th-place finish, exceeding his previous best Atlanta finish of 24th achieved last July. In a display of resilience reminiscent of his performance in the season-opening Daytona 500, Preece confronted early adversity once again. He was collected in a multicar incident on just the second lap, emerging with significant damage to the nose of his racecar. Preece pitted for repairs and returned to the race and soldiered to the finish, avoiding numerous accidents along the way to score the best result for Stewart-Haas.

● In two NASCAR Xfinity Series outings at Las Vegas, Preece has a best finish of sixth in September 2018 while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. In his lone NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the track in March 2022, Preece started fifth, finished fourth, and led three laps driving a David Gilliland Racing entry.

● Back with Preece and the No. 41 Ford Mustang at Las Vegas is HaasTooling.com, the cutting tool division of Haas Automation. HaasTooling.com allows CNC machinists to purchase high-quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. Haas Automation, founded in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers, rotaries and indexers, and automation solutions.

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang

Will Las Vegas be the first true test of where teams stack up in relation to one another?

“With the new Mustang Dark Horse body, I think many teams in the Ford camp have been waiting for this weekend. At Daytona and Atlanta, it’s really about pure speed and not necessarily about the downforce or handling side of it. Going into Vegas, I think we’re all really optimistic based on some of the information that we’ve been provided through wind tunnel tests and CFD. We’re all excited about seeing what the Ford Mustang Dark Horse can prove.”

You’ve spent some time in the simulator in preparation for Las Vegas. Has that shown you anything new in relation to how the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse will race at Las Vegas?

“I think the simulator is a great tool that we all use. There are some things that are unknown, but it has shown us the difference in capabilities that this car has versus the old car. The pure speed that it has will provide us with the ability to go out there and compete for wins, top-fives and top-10s. That is something that we’re all optimistic about, and we’re certainly ready to get rolling into the mile-and-a-half tracks this year.”

What does it take to have a good day at Las Vegas?

“Speed. You can’t drive a slow car fast. That’s something that I feel like we’ve all been working toward by communicating with the crew chiefs about what we need out of the car, and the crew chiefs communicating to the aero department on what we need in order to optimize everything to get the car to go faster on mile-and-a-half tracks. This is what the two-and-half months of work during the off-season has been building toward. When we left Phoenix last year and began working toward 2024, we circled all the mile-and-a-half tracks and said, ‘If we’re going to compete this year, we need to be better here.’”

When your car isn’t right, what do you do behind the wheel to get the best finish possible?

“I think it’s really about understanding what you have that day. You’re not going to take a 15th- or 10th-place car and win with it. It’s about understanding the situation, not overstepping those boundaries, and making sure that you get the best day possible out of it.”

What kind of a Las Vegas person are you – the kind who hits the blackjack table and finds a good restaurant each night, or are you the kind who tries to find quiet places while keeping your body clock on East Coast time?

“I think I’m a little bit of both. I’m somebody who likes the quiet, so when I do find a blackjack table or a roulette table, it’s pretty empty for the most part. I do enjoy playing your typical casino games. I’m a racecar driver, so I gamble every day of my life. It’s no different when I go to Vegas and decide to visit a casino to see if I can make some money.”

Most drivers don’t bring their motorcoach to Las Vegas and instead stay in a hotel on The Strip. But that also gets them out of their routine, where things are sometimes forgotten because it’s kind of rare to not live at the track for a weekend. What do you do to stay in your routine, and do you have a funny story about being caught out of your routine?

“I’m wired to stay in my routine. Every day to me is a new day. When I look at my clock and it’s 7 Vegas time, sometimes I think to myself it’s 10 at home, or whatever time it is. Going to the West Coast doesn’t necessarily change my schedule because I’m a structured person, but I live my days one day at a time, just like Vin Diesel lives his life a quarter mile at a time. I enjoy going out there. It’s definitely a busy and happening place. I’d say that, ever since we left Phoenix last year, going to Vegas has been circled on my calendar, on (crew chief) Chad Johnston’s calendar, and on many other Ford teams’ calendars. We’re hoping that this Mustang Dark Horse body fixes a lot of things that we felt like we were fighting las year, and we’re working toward making it happen.”

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Ryan Preece

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Crew Chief: Chad Johnston

Hometown: Cayuga, Indiana

Car Chief: Jeremy West

Hometown: Gardena, California

Engineer: Marc Hendricksen

Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

Spotter: Tony Raines

Hometown: LaPorte, Indiana

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Devin Lester

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Rear Tire Changer: Kevin Teaf

Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons

Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Jack Man: Kapil Fletcher

Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Fuel Man: Dwayne Moore

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Road Crew Members

Front End Mechanic: Joe Zanolini

Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

Interior Mechanic: Robert Dalby

Hometown: Anaheim, California

Tire Specialist: Matt Ridgeway

Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia

Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife

Hometown: Orange County, California

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues

Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer

Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

Spire Motorsports Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube Race Advance

By
Official Release
-

Spire Motorsports at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: In 16 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), Spire Motorsports has logged one top-15 and five top-25 finishes with seven different drivers. Corey LaJoie, driver of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 USANA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 earned the organization’s lone top 15 after finishing 15th on March 6, 2022 in the Pennzoil 400. The Mooresville, N.C., team fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS with LaJoie, and fellow drivers Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.

Flag-to-Flag Coverage: The Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube from Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be televised live on FOX Sunday, March 3, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The third of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube will mark Corey LaJoie’s 13th NCS start at LVMS.
  • USANA, a leader in global nutrition, and the Official Supplement Provider for Spire Motorsports will serve as the primary sponsor for LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube.
  • USANA (NYSE:USNA) prides itself on providing consumers the highest-quality nutritional products in the world. From its award-winning supplements to its innovative Celavive skincare and Active Nutrition lines, USANA has proven for more than 30 years why it’s a company you can trust. How about giving us a try? Shop at USANA.com or learn more about USANA’s sustainability efforts here.
  • In 12 previous starts at 1.5-mile Las Vegas oval, LaJoie has logged five top-20 finishes, including a series/venue-best 15th-place effort in March 2022. He’s completed 2,881 of 3,221 (89.4 percent) of the laps contested over that stretch and earned a 24.8 average finish. In the NCS most recent visit to LVMS, LaJoie started 28th and finished 19th.
  • Last season, the third-generation racer earned two top-20 finishes at LVMS. He came home 20th last March and 19th last October.
  • LaJoie heads into this weekend with his best-career start to a NCS season. The 2024 season marks the first year the 32-year-old has recorded back-to-back top-15 finishes. The Concord, N.C., native is currently 12th in the NCS championship point standings following the first two races of the season. LaJoie finished fourth in the Daytona 500 and overcame late-race damage last weekend to finish 13th at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Corey LaJoie Quotes:
Talk about your start to the year.
“I think it’s super-important to start the year out strong, especially to get through the west-coast swing in as good of a points position as possible. Jeff Dickerson’s favorite thing to say is ‘get out ahead of it early.’ We want to try and build ourselves a little bit of a points cushion between our team and the guys who might catch you throughout the course of the year. If you start the year strong, like we have, and we continue that, it’s going to be tough for some of those guys to catch us.”

“I’m always excited to go to Las Vegas. I’ve had some really good runs there the last couple years. That’s going to be a true barometer of where we stack up as a team with downforce and horsepower. I think we have a lot of the tools we need to bring a really good USANA Chevrolet Camaro to the race track this weekend. I’m excited to go out there and see how we stack up at the first true intermediate track of the season.”
Are you relieved to get Daytona and Atlanta out of the way? Those two tracks are variables and now you can focus on the bulk of the season.
“You’re much less in control of your own destiny at those places. You are, but you aren’t. Someone else’s mistake can take you out of the race. No different than Vegas, with the crazy restarts, but I feel like you’re in control of your destiny a little bit more at Vegas than the first two. The angst is the same no matter what racetrack you go to. You want to perform and you want to do the best you can for your partners, team and fans. I don’t know if I’m excited or happy to get those two out of the way, I just know there are 34 more races where we need to try and make a notch in the win column.”
Are you a fan of mile-and-a-half racing?
“Those tracks have become one of the strengths of our team, which is a little surprising because I’m more of a short-track guy at heart. We’ve had some really good runs at Vegas and Charlotte and some other places like that. Ryan Sparks has a pretty good knack for setting a car up at mile-and-a-halves so hopefully we’ll see that this weekend, as well.”

Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Zane Smith will make his first NCS and eighth (sixth NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and one Xfinity Series) career start at LVMS on Sunday. Last year, Smith finished second in the NCTS race after starting seventh.
  • Sunday marks his third NCS start for Spire Motorsports and 12th NCS career start.
  • Smith ranks first in points (29) amongst the three NCS Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates.
  • Las Vegas Motor Speedway is 289 miles from Smith’s hometown of Huntington Beach, Calif. Smith spent many weekends during his childhood racing at the Bullring at LVMS.
  • Smith will carry the No. 71 primary sponsor, Focused Health, for 400 miles this Sunday. The blue and orange paint scheme represents a health insurance agency that assists consumers and employers in navigating the myriad of health insurance options in the government programs space.
  • Focused Health is a National Health Insurance agency founded by industry veterans with over 60 years combined industry experience. Primarily focused on the government programs space, Focused Health partners with payors and employers to deliver health insurance solutions for individuals and families. For more information visit AtFocusedHealth.com.
  • Smith will return for a part-time schedule in the NCTS, joining forces with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing to run a four-race campaign in the No. 91 Chevrolet Silverado, starting this Friday in the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 presented by Westgate.
  • Last weekend, Smith finished 35th in the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Smith started the race 29th and charged to the front of the field in stage one. He raced his way to fourth by Lap 65. After hitting the wall on Lap 74, Smith came to pit road with a mechanical issue and his race came to an end.

Zane Smith Quotes
Are you excited to get back and race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
“I’m very eager to get back to Las Vegas and race there. I classify Las Vegas as my home track so it is always a special weekend. Especially because this will be my first start in the Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, so it is bittersweet. I always dreamed of racing in the Cup Series at that track.”
How did you feel leaving Atlanta and what are you looking to capitalize on this weekend in Las Vegas?
“I was disappointed with how our race ended on Sunday at Atlanta. My City of Refuge Chevy Camaro was super-fast and unfortunately, I made some contact with the wall. This No. 71 Spire Motorsports team is special and I know we will have another fast Focused Health Chevy Camaro this weekend in Las Vegas. I’m looking forward to getting on the track and seeing what this team can accomplish together.”

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Carson Hocevar will make his second career NCS start at LVMS in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube where Premier Security Solutions will be featured as the No. 77 team’s primary sponsor for the second consecutive week. Premier Security will serve as the primary partner aboard Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for 10 races in 2024.
  • Last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hocevar started 35th and finished 19th in the Ambetter Health 400. The NCS Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year contender lost a lap early but raced his way inside the top 10 during the event’s third stage. Despite being involved in a Lap-250 incident, the 21-year-old driver soldiered home to top-20 finish.
  • From the famous bricks of Saginaw Street in Flint, Mich., to industrial, residential, and commercial sites across North America, Premier Security Solutions has built an unmatched standard of security. Today, Premier has taken steps to advance technology and utilize new tools to combat theft and become an anti-crime organization. Premier’s Global Security Operations Center is a state-of-the-art facility, working around the clock to protect assets, corporations, schools, and families.
  • Premier deploys more than 1,000 guards around the country and protects homes, families, executive-level leaders, and major corporations. Premier’s team of retired law enforcement professionals protects more than 50 school buildings and high net-worth families, delivering an unparalleled level of service. Premier prides itself on a standard of service ensuring its customers receive the protection and peace of mind they deserve.
  • Premier Security is a long-time supporter of Hocevar’s career. The Flint, Mich.-headquartered organization has been prominently featured alongside Hocevar dating to his time racing short tracks in the pavement late model ranks.
  • The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender has raced at LVMS four times in the NCTS. He’s complied a 16.5 average finish and completed 533 of 536 laps contested (99.4 percent).
  • The Portage, Mich., driver logged four NCTS wins in 2023 and finished fourth in the division’s championship point standings.
  • Hocevar will greet fans and participate in a question-and-answer session in the LVMS Midway at the NASCAR Fan Zone Stage Sunday at 9:45 a.m. local time.
  • Hocevar will be featured on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET following each race to discuss his NCS rookie season.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
You had to overcome a few obstacles while racing in Atlanta, how did you keep your composure and patience to finish with a top 20?
“My team helped and just being reminded that there’s so much race left where anything can happen.”
You’ve had two superspeedway races to begin the year, how do you feel heading into Vegas this week as a different track set up?
“I feel good heading to Vegas, excited to start working on our mile-and-a-half package and I’m excited to see where we stack up with all our off-season work and preparation.”
Do you have any personal goals for the weekend?
“I just want to have a solid, smooth day and be able to continue to work week by week with the 77 team.”

From the Top of the Box

Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports competition director and crew chief for driver Corey LaJoie and the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro in the NCS.
  • Sparks, a Winston-Salem, N.C., native, has been paired with LaJoie since 2020.
  • Combined, Sparks and LaJoie have earned four top-five and seven top-10 finishes, including a pair of top four in the 2024 Daytona 500.

Stephen Doran – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Stephen Doran begins his first full season as a Cup Series crew chief leading Zane Smith and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team during the 2024 season.
  • In 2006, Doran got his start in NASCAR at Petty Enterprises.
  • Prior to his arrival at Spire Motorsports, Doran worked at Stewart-Haas Racing as an engineer, most recently on the No. 4 car driven by Kevin Harvick.

Luke Lambert – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Luke Lambert is the crew chief for Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 team with 2024 NCS Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Hocevar
  • The 2005 North Carolina State graduate has led the competition efforts for some of the sport’s most notable names including Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Chris Buescher.
  • In 2014, Lambert led Newman to a berth in the Championship 4, and ultimately a runner-up finish in the NCS championship point standings.

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

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 20, 2023, when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in the Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Nor-Cal Equipment Rentals Renews Sponsorship with Spencer Boyd

By
Official Release
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Mooresville, NC (February 27, 2024) – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Spencer Boyd announced today that Nor-Cal Equipment Rentals has renewed their sponsorship for 2024 which will include a primary paint scheme at the Las Vegas race. Nor-Cal Equipment Rentals will be recognized as an anchor partner in Freedom Racing Enterprises first year of full-time competition.

“Nor-Cal (Equipment Rentals) does things differently in their industry which contributes to their success,” boasts Boyd of his partner. “Their creativity and out of the box thinking is amazing. I’m honored to be able to call them a partner.”

The Sacramento, CA based company is virally known for their online videos highlighting their equipment that include inspiration from Star Wars and even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Nor-Cal Equipment services all of Northern California and also parts of Nevada and Oregon.

The President of Nor-Cal Equipment Rentals, Tom Butts spoke of the partnership with Boyd, “I love how involved Spencer and his team allow me to be. I wanted the branding to be a nod to Dale Sr. so they got the paint scheme, fire suit, crew uniforms, and helmet all paying homage to NASCAR’s perennial most popular driver.”

Nor-Cal Equipment Rentals was established in 2004 and has been responsible for providing outstanding service and equipment ever since. Their specialty is in contractor and homeowner equipment rentals and sales. Customers value their commitment to providing the absolute best in customer service and reliable equipment, using brands you know and trust.

The driver of the Nor-Cal Equipment Rentals Chevrolet Silverado spoke further, “Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the entire city of Las Vegas always welcomes NASCAR with open arms. Not only do our fans come from all over the west coast to this race but they come from all over the world. It’s a unique track in that regard. The team over at Nor-Cal Equipment Rentals deserves the world-wide attention this race brings so our Freedom Racing Enterprises crew will bring a truck worthy of the Vegas stage.”

The Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 presented by Westgate Resorts on March 1,2024 will air live on FS1 at 9pm ET. The race can also be heard on MRN Radio.

Hendrick Motorsports to enter 10 Xfinity Series races in 2024

By
Official Release
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HENDRICKCARS.COM RETURNS TO SPONSOR NO. 17 CHEVROLET

CONCORD, N.C. (Feb. 27, 2024) – In 2024, Hendrick Motorsports will enter 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series races with primary sponsorship from HendrickCars.com. Each of the organization’s four NASCAR Cup Series drivers will compete in the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro this season, along with a special appearance by popular road racing veteran Boris Said.

The schedule will kick off March 9 at Phoenix Raceway with the first of four starts for 2024 DAYTONA 500 champion William Byron and crew chief Brandon McSwain, the lead engineer on the No. 24 Cup Series team. The remaining six races for the No. 17 team will be called by 2014 Xfinity Series champion crew chief Greg Ives, who has 15 NASCAR national series wins.

The No. 17 HendrickCars.com team made four Xfinity Series starts in 2022 and six in 2023. In 10 combined appearances, it has accumulated three pole positions, six top-five finishes and seven top-10s, including three second-place results.

“The No. 17 is a big part of our story, and it would be special to see it win – and win often – during our 40th anniversary season,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group. “The sponsorship has been a big success for HendrickCars.com and our dealerships, and we’re pleased to add more races and take it to another level in 2024. It’s victory lane or bust.”

The No. 17 car number has a rich history with Hendrick Motorsports. NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip drove it to nine wins for the team from 1987 to 1990, including in the 1989 DAYTONA 500. The car number was also driven by Ricky Hendrick in various races, including in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2000 and 2001. The HendrickCars.com paint scheme will again be based on the No. 17 truck driven by Hendrick during his 2001 rookie season.

HendrickCars.com is Hendrick Automotive Group’s online destination for new and pre-owned vehicle shopping, locating centers for service and collision repair, exploring career opportunities, and learning about vehicle investment protection. It also sponsors Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team, NHRA champion Greg Anderson and other racing efforts at the grassroots level.

NO. 17 CHEVROLET – 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series SCHEDULE

March 9, Phoenix Raceway (William Byron)
March 23, Circuit of The Americas (Kyle Larson)
May 11, Darlington Raceway (William Byron)
May 25, Charlotte Motor Speedway (Chase Elliott)
June 8, Sonoma Raceway (Boris Said)
June 22, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Alex Bowman)
July 6, Chicago Street Course (Kyle Larson)
July 13, Pocono Raceway (William Byron)
Aug. 31, Darlington Raceway (Chase Elliott)
Sept. 14, Watkins Glen International (William Byron)

ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history. At the sport’s premier level, the organization holds the all-time records in every major statistical category, including championships (14), points-paying race victories (302) and laps led (nearly 80,000). It has earned at least one race win in a record 40 different seasons, including an active streak of 39 in a row (1986-2024). Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024, the team fields four full-time Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. Headquartered on more than 100 acres in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs approximately 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.

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 94 dealership locations, 21 collision centers and four accessories distributor installers in 13 states. For more information, please visit HendrickCars.com.

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.

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

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Official Release
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COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST

Las Vegas NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

  • Event: The LiUNA! (Round 3 of 33)
  • Date: Saturday, March 2
  • Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
  • Layout: 1.5-mile oval
  • Time/TV/Radio: 5 p.m. EST on FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

  • Cole Custer, the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, heads to Saturday’s The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ready to conquer the first true intermediate track on the 2024 schedule. After back-to-back superspeedway-style races to kick off the season, Custer couldn’t be happier to head to the 1.5-mile oval in the desert. Luck was not on Custer’s side during the previous two stops on the tour where potential race-winning performances were ruined late in each race – Feb. 19 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, where he finished 13th, and last Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he finished 16th. At Daytona, the Ladera Ranch, California native was racing toward the front of the pack with his teammate Riley Herbst when a multicar accident collected him and forced him to pit road. At Atlanta, he was racing in the top-10 when he ran out of fuel coming to three laps to go in the race. He’s hoping to turn his luck around as he and the team roll the dice at Las Vegas this weekend.
  • Returning to Custer’s No. 00 SHR Mustang in 2024 is Production Alliance Group (PAG). Tustin, California-based PAG is a premium live-event and creative development company. Its creative works can been seen at concerts, award shows, sporting events, and corporate events. From the lights to the sound and everything in-between, PAG is the creativity and execution behind it all. Coincidentally, it was in victory lane after the 2019 Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, that the PAG-SHR relationship began. Custer first met company president and CEO Dale Sahlin there, the two kept in touch, and PAG ultimately decided to increase its presence within NASCAR via SHR’s Xfinity Series program.
  • Saturday’s The LiUNA! will mark Custer’s eighth Xfinity Series start at Las Vegas and his 16th overall. He has seven NASCAR Cup Series starts at the track and a lone Craftsman Truck Series start. In his seven previous Xfinity Series starts at the track, he’s never finished outside the top-12, and he qualified on the pole for three consecutive races prior to his return to the Xfinity Series last season – September 2018, and the March and September races in 2019 – all of which resulted in top-10 finishes. His best finish at Las Vegas is third, earned in September 2018 and in his most recent outing there in October. Custer’s Truck Series outing at Las Vegas in October 2016 resulted in a third-place finish from the third starting position driving the No. 00 entry for JR Motorsports.
  • Prior to Saturday’s race, Custer will stop at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Performance Institute in Las Vegas, where he’ll join a training session with up-and-coming fighter Merab Dvalishvili, who is coming off a massive win at UFC 298 in Anaheim, California. His teammate Herbst participated in a similar training session in 2022, and now Custer will learn how the UFC athletes train and invite Dvalishvili out to the track to see him race. It’s the latest of Custer’s sports crossover events. Since he was crowned the 2023 Xfinity Series champion Nov. 4 at Phoenix Raceway, the 26-year-old driver has attended Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes National Hockey League games, and a New Orleans Saints National Football League game to promote the Xfinity Series and his championship.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

  • Riley Herbst is heading home for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The newly minted 25-year-old Monster Energy driver grew up in the Entertainment Capital of the World before moving to North Carolina at the age of 17. The Herbst family name is well known in Las Vegas motorsports circles due to its competitiveness in another form of racing particularly popular in the Desert Southwest. His grandfather Jerry, uncles Tim and Ed, and father Troy are all Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame inductees as championship-winning off-road racers. While Herbst has been continuing to pursue his dream of racing fulltime in the NASCAR Cup Series like his West Coast childhood heroes, he’s made appearances in the off-road racing world – in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Baja 1000 events. In his most recent Baja 1000 last November, Herbst drove the second and middle leg of the journey and ended up sharing the victory in the Trophy Truck Spec class with his Terrible Herbst Motorsports co-drivers Troy Herbst and James Dean.
  • Herbst is looking to defend his first career Xfinity Series victory at Las Vegas last October as he heads back to his hometown this weekend. He qualified eighth for that race but was sent to the rear of the starting grid for unapproved adjustments made to his Ford Mustang prior to the race. From there, a determined Herbst mounted a charge toward the front, finishing Stage 1 in 10th-place, then passing teammate Cole Custer on the final lap of Stage 2 on his way to his second career stage win. Herbst then dominated the final stage, leading 102 of the final 111 laps and taking the checkered flag 14.959 seconds ahead of runner-up John Hunter Nemechek. Herbst’s margin of victory was the third largest in the Xfinity Series since Ford driver Jeff Burton bested Michael Waltrip by 10.493 seconds in the October 2002 race on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway oval. Herbst’s margin of victory was also the largest by a first-time Xfinity Series winner since Mike McLaughlin beat Mike Wallace by 23.280 seconds in the June 1995 race at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
  • Saturday’s race will be Herbst’s 10th career Xfinity Series start at Las Vegas. He has four top-10s in his nine previous starts at the 1.5-mile oval, including his first Xfinity Series win last October at his hometown track. He also finished eighth in last year’s March race, preceded by back-to-back ninth-place outings in September 2019 and February 2020. In addition, the No. 98 team has now won three races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With Chase Briscoe behind the wheel, the No. 98 team swept both Xfinity Series races there in 2020. Briscoe started second, led a race-high 89 laps, and beat runner-up Austin Cindric by 2.874 seconds in the February race. He backed up that victory in September by qualifying on the pole, leading a race-high 164 laps, and beating runner-up Noah Gragson by 1.370 seconds.
  • Herbst looked to be on his way to victory lane once again last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After qualifying fourth for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, he immediately shot to second at the start. He finished second in the first stage and third in the second stage. With three laps to go in the race and gambling on fuel along with a majority of the field, Herbst was attempting to make a move on leader Jesse Love. But the Monster Energy driver, as well as his teammate Custer, both ran out of fuel and were forced to pit. Herbst returned to the track one lap down and salvaged a 15th-place finish.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang

The last time the series raced at Las Vegas, SHR dominated the race with you winning Stage 1 and your teammate Riley Herbst taking home his first career win. What are your expectations for this weekend after the speed you’ve shown at the end of last season and so far this year?

“Vegas is definitely a track that both of the SHR Xfinity Series teams has had circled on their calendar after last year. We were just so strong there in October, and our cars were super fast. I’m really looking forward to heading back there this weekend and really getting the season going. After the success that Riley (Herbst, teammate) had there last year and the speed that we had, it’s one that I personally am really looking forward to. Our mile-and-a-half package was so strong last season, so we’re hoping to see that again this weekend.”

Las Vegas is the first true intermediate track on the 2024 schedule. How have you prepared for intermediate tracks this season after they were a strong point for the team in 2023?

“I think overall at the intermediate tracks, we know as a team that we have a really good package. So it’s all about going over the details we had last year and being just a little, tiny bit better. Sure, you don’t want to overthink it. You’re always going to try and make things better and better every time you go. I think we have a really good chance this weekend. We should be able to just cross all of the ‘T’s’ and dot all of the ‘I’s’ and have a fast car at Vegas.”

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

You’re heading back home and to the site of your first career Xfinity Series victory in your most recent race there. How are you feeling heading to a track where you not only scored that long-awaited win, but also dominated?

“I’m pumped. Not only am I going home, but I’m also going to a track that means the world to me. I started my racing career just next to the big track at the Las Vegas Bullring. That win last October meant everything. I had waited so long for it and, honestly, it just made it that much more meaningful to get it at my home track. There’s definitely confidence going into this race, not only from me, but from the entire No. 98 Monster Energy team. We’ve had speed at every race since then, and I know we can go out and contend for the win again. We still have to do everything right, but I’m confident in this team.”

Does it add any extra pressure to you knowing that you’re the defending winner at Las Vegas?

“Yes and no. We put pressure on ourselves every week to go out and win, and to us this is just another race weekend to get to victory lane. With that said, I know people are going to be watching and seeing what we do this weekend just because of how fast we were last year. We can only do the best that we can do, but obviously we’ve had a strong intermediate program the past few years, especially in 2023. Obviously, you hope to see that same success but nothing is guaranteed. I’m excited to go home, though, and see what we’ve got this year. Like I’ve said before, I’ve never been so excited for a season and intermediate tracks like Vegas are where the season really gets started.”

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ Partners with Protection Brand D3O®

By
Official Release
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STATESVILLE, N.C. (February 27, 2024) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB today announced a partnership with D3O®, (pronounced Dee – three- oh) the world’s leading protection brand. D3O develops unique products used to protect against impact and dampen vibration. The iconic orange D3O material is used by global brands in sports, electronics, motorcycle, mountain bike, defense, law enforcement and industrial workwear.

D3O has recently been working in Formula 1 to enhance driver performance by optimizing the energy management properties of cars for multiple teams including the US team, Moneygram Haas. The partnership with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is D3O’s first foray into NASCAR.

“We are excited to partner with D3O to know that we are providing the best possible solutions for our athletes and engineering projects around impact protection,” said Joey Cohen, VP of Race Operations. “D3O has a strong belief in pushing the limits of what is possible and innovating to a higher standard. These values align very well with our race team and how we look to take those principles and apply them on the racetrack. LEGACY M.C. knows that D3O will continuously provide the CLUB with the edge we are looking for in NASCAR when it comes to the products and solutions they offer. We are excited to welcome them to the sport as a CLUB technology partner.”

D3O’s patented orange material available in many different forms is engineered for specific markets and applications and serves to protect athletes at all levels of the sport with low-profile impact protection that doesn’t compromise performance.

“Our new partnership with LEGACY M.C. marks D3O’s inaugural venture into NASCAR.” Said Richard Harfoot, Head of Motorsport at D3O. “LEGACY M.C. is utilizing our unique material to protect its drivers in an innovative way. By providing unrivalled protection against impact and vibration, D3O gives drivers a subconscious advantage by removing fear, allowing them to perform without distraction. We are excited about how D3O can support the LEGACY M.C. team this season and beyond”

“Gaining a technology partner like D3O is a huge advantage for the CLUB – especially when it comes to athlete safety,” said Jimmie Johnson, LEGACY M.C. co-owner. “Anytime we can bring cutting-edge technology like this into our sport is smart. Our engineering group is looking forward to this partnership and association.”

The first official outing for D3O in the LEGACY M.C. team was at Daytona International Speedway, with the ultimate test of D3O’s technology set to come at the Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17th.

ABOUT D3O: D3O is the world’s leading protection company. In a world hell-bent on harm, D3O’s iconic orange material protects people and the things they value against impact, vibration, and fatigue. Trusted by global brands that include Formula 1, NASCAR, Harley Davidson, US Department of Defense, and NASA, D3O pushes the limits of engineering so people leading active lifestyles can push the limits of possible.

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

SOCIAL MEDIA: To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, X, and Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

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