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Stewart-Haas Racing: RAPTOR King of Tough 250 from Atlanta

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Official Release
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STEWART-HAAS RACING
RAPTOR King of Tough 250

Date: Feb. 24, 2024
Event: RAPTOR King of Tough 250 (Round 2 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 163 laps, broken into three stages (40 laps/40 laps/83 laps)
Note: Race extended six laps past its scheduled 163-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Jesse Love of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Jesse Love of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Riley Herbst (Started 4th, Finished 15th / Running, completed 168 of 169 laps)
● Cole Custer (Started 11th, Finished 16th / Running, completed 168 of 169 laps)

SHR Points:

● Riley Herbst (3rd with 74 points, 28 out of first)
● Cole Custer (12th with 56 points, 46 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Herbst earned his second straight top-15 of the season and his fifth top-15 in eight career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta.
● Herbst finished second in Stage 1 to earn nine bonus points and third in Stage 2 to earn eight more bonus points.
● Custer finished seventh in Stage 2 to earn four bonus points.

Race Notes:

● Austin Hill won the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 to score his eighth career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his second of the season, and his third at Atlanta. His margin over second-place Chandler Smith was .106 of a second.

● There were four caution periods for a total of 23 laps.
● Only 14 of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Hill remains the championship leader after Atlanta with a 17-point advantage over second-place Sheldon Creed.

Sound Bites:

“Not a good ending. We thought we were good on fuel, but obviously that wasn’t the case. That’s how the fuel mileage game goes though, sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t. Our No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang was fast all day, so it’s a bummer. At the end, it looked like we had a shot at the win. We’ll take it and head to Vegas next week.” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

“I felt like it was a solid day. We had put ourselves in a good position, but we just missed it by a little bit on the fuel mileage. That final stage turned out to be a big fuel mileage race. Just needed that little bit more and a few more laps of fuel. So we had ourselves set up to get a solid finish, but it just didn’t work out the way we wanted. We’ll move on to Vegas.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the The LiUNA! on Saturday, March 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race begins at 5 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Streamlining Your Finances: The Benefits of Accounts Payable Outsourcing Services

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SM
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‍In the ever-evolving world of business, companies constantly like accountor.ca/accounting-services-in-canada/accounts-payable-outsourcing-services.html seek ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. One avenue gaining popularity is outsourcing, specifically in the realm of accounts payable. By outsourcing this critical function, businesses can achieve numerous benefits, including improved efficiency, cost savings, improved accuracy, and enhanced visibility. 

Efficiency Gains: Automating Accounts Payable Processes to Reduce Manual Work and Errors

The quest for efficiency is a never-ending one in the business world. Companies continually strive to streamline processes, eliminate redundancy, and reduce manual work. One area where efficiency can be significantly improved is in the accounts payable department. By automating accounts payable processes, companies can reduce the time and manual effort involved in managing invoices, payments, and reconciliations.

The use of accounts payable outsourcing services provides an efficient solution for businesses. These services leverage technology to automate the accounts payable process, transforming it from a manual, time-consuming task to a streamlined, efficient operation. Automated accounts payable systems can drastically reduce the number of errors in the payment process. This is achieved by eliminating the need for manual data entry, which is often the source of errors in accounts payable.

Furthermore, automating accounts payable processes can free up valuable time for your staff. Rather than spending hours on manual data entry and reconciliation, your team can focus on more strategic tasks. This not only improves overall productivity but also enhances job satisfaction among your staff. In this way, accounts payable outsourcing services offer a win-win solution for businesses seeking efficiency gains.

Cost Savings: Lowering Administrative Costs Associated with Accounts Payable Management

Another major benefit of accounts payable outsourcing services is cost savings. Managing accounts payable in-house can be a costly endeavor. It involves hiring and training staff, investing in software and hardware, and dedicating valuable time to routine tasks. By outsourcing this function, businesses can significantly lower these administrative costs.

One of the immediate cost savings comes from reduced personnel costs. By outsourcing accounts payable, businesses can eliminate the need for a dedicated in-house team. This means lower payroll costs and no need for ongoing training and development. Additionally, outsourcing can also save costs associated with office space and equipment.

Besides personnel costs, companies can also save on technology investments. Modern accounts payable systems require sophisticated software that can be costly to purchase and maintain. However, by outsourcing, businesses can leverage the service provider’s technology, leading to significant cost savings. Furthermore, outsourcing providers are responsible for system updates and maintenance, adding to the cost savings.

Moreover, accounts payable outsourcing services can deliver cost savings by improving process efficiency. Faster processing times and fewer errors mean less time and resources spent on rectifying mistakes. By reducing the time spent on manual tasks, businesses can free up resources for more strategic initiatives, leading to overall cost savings.

Improved Accuracy: Minimizing Billing Discrepancies and Ensuring Timely Payments

Accuracy is another critical aspect of accounts payable management. Errors in invoicing and payments can lead to costly penalties and damage relationships with suppliers. By outsourcing accounts payable processes, businesses can significantly improve accuracy and minimize billing discrepancies.

Outsourcing providers specialize in accounts payable and have the expertise and technology to ensure high levels of accuracy. Their systems are designed to flag potential errors and discrepancies, allowing for timely corrections. This not only reduces the risk of overpayments or duplicate payments but also ensures compliance with payment terms and conditions.

Timely payments are another important aspect of accuracy in accounts payable. Late payments can result in penalties and interest charges, which can add up over time. Moreover, prompt payment helps maintain good relationships with suppliers, which is critical for business success. Accounts payable outsourcing services can help ensure that all payments are made on time, reducing the risk of late payment penalties and preserving supplier relationships.

Enhanced Visibility: Gaining Insights into Cash Flow and Expenditure Patterns for Better Financial Planning

Finally, accounts payable outsourcing services can provide businesses with enhanced visibility into their financial operations. By consolidating all accounts payable data in one place, these services offer a comprehensive view of cash flow and expenditure patterns. This can be invaluable for financial planning and decision-making.

Outsourcing providers offer detailed reports and analytics that can provide insights into spending trends, supplier performance, and payment patterns. This information can help businesses identify opportunities for cost savings, negotiate better terms with suppliers, and improve cash flow management.

Moreover, by having a clear picture of their financial obligations, businesses can better plan for future expenditures and investments. This can help avoid cash flow problems and ensure that the company’s financial health is maintained. In this way, accounts payable outsourcing services can contribute to more informed and effective financial planning.

In conclusion, accounts payable outsourcing services offer numerous benefits for businesses. From efficiency gains to cost savings, improved accuracy, and enhanced visibility, these services can transform your accounts payable function into a strategic asset. Consider accounts payable outsourcing services for your business and experience the benefits for yourself.

Austin Hill saves enough fuel to win second straight NASCAR Xfinity race

By
Official Release
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(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

HAMPTON, Ga. — Sunoco rookie Jesse Love led almost all the laps, but in the end, it was his Richard Childress Racing teammate, Austin Hill, who had Saturday’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 fall into his lap.

For Hill, who won last week’s NASCAR Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, it was the continuation of a serendipitous start to 2024. Hill is the first driver since Tony Stewart in 2008 to win the first two events of an Xfinity season.

The victory was Hill’s third in the last four races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and the eighth of his career.

But victory for the driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet came at the expense of Love, who started from the pole, swept the first two stages and led 157 of 169 laps. Love ran out of fuel at the start of a two-lap overtime, as Hill grabbed the lead for the first time and held off eventual runner-up Chandler Smith by 0.106 seconds.

The bottom line? Running behind the leaders in a single-file line, Hill was able to save more fuel than his teammate at the front of the pack. Hill had enough in his tank to stave off Smith who had pitted for fuel under caution on Lap 164.

“I was really thinking we were down and out,” Hill said. “I was thinking the 2 (Love) was going to go get ‘em, and hey, if I can’t win, let my teammate win. We were riding there in fourth or fifth—whatever it was—I was saving fuel…”

On the overtime restart on Lap 168, Hill’s car stumbled when he shifted from third to fourth gear.

“The 81 (Smith) hit me really hard, and that woke it back up, and I had enough fuel to complete the lap. But I’ve got to take this moment to congratulate, Jesse Love, my teammate. He ran an awesome race. To be a rookie and to lead that many laps, he should be sitting in Victory Lane right now.”

The coup de grace for Love came when the Ford of Ryan Sieg ran out of fuel on Lap 161 of a scheduled 163 and stopped on the track in Turn 4. The caution extended the race by six laps and allowed a dozen cars to pit before the overtime restart.

Among those who took advantage of the fuel stop was New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, who finished third in his second Xfinity Series start.

“It’s almost comical,” Love said. “Man, I’m just so damn proud of everybody on this Whelen car. It just wasn’t meant to be. Obviously, as a Christian, I’m not going to allow myself to question why we were under caution so long or what happened.

“I always try to take responsibility for everything, so I as a driver I should have saved more fuel. Man, I just didn’t want anybody to catch me off-guard. I thought I saved a ton. Man, that overtime or that caution just lasted forever.

“No matter what, I’m really proud of our guys. We had a great showing. Led a lot of laps man. It just wasn’t in store for us today.”

Van Gisbergen was delighted to be on the other side of the fuel equation.

“Pretty awesome,” he said. “Great job by (crew chief) Bruce (Schlicker) on the box there to pit us. I had so much fun. Just learning about it and running in the pack. Yeah, to be P3 in the second race in the WeatherTech Chevy is pretty awesome. I’m stoked.

“It’s just good to get a result and have a clean car, especially after last week (at Daytona) when I got involved in so much stuff. So, to have a clean race, not make too many mistakes, and complete every lap, we learned a lot. It was awesome.”

Riley Herbst, Love’s foremost challenger over the closing laps was among the first to run out of fuel—from the second position on Lap 160. Cole Custer hit empty almost simultaneously, then Sieg, causing the fateful caution.

The gas shortage throughout the field scrambled the finishing order, leaving Sheldon Creed fourth and Parker Retzlaff fifth. Jeremy Clements, Anthony Alfredo, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Ryan Truex and Sammy Smith completed the top 10.

Note: Love is the first driver since Christopher Bell in 2017 to lead more than 100 laps in his first two Xfinity Series starts combined. Bell led 152 of 250 laps in his second start at Iowa. Love led 34 laps in his series debut last Monday at Daytona, giving him a total of 191 for the two races.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – RAPTOR King of Tough 250
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, Georgia
Saturday, February 24, 2024

(2) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 169.
(12) Chandler Smith, Toyota, 169.
(13) Shane Van Gisbergen #, Chevrolet, 169.
(10) Sheldon Creed, Toyota, 169.
(24) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 169.
(23) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 169.
(15) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 169.
(22) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Toyota, 169.
(8) Ryan Truex, Toyota, 169.
(14) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 169.
(6) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 169.
(1) Jesse Love #, Chevrolet, 169.
(7) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 169.
(18) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 169.
(4) Riley Herbst, Ford, 168.
(11) Cole Custer, Ford, 168.
(17) Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 168.
(21) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 168.
(5) Parker Kligerman, Chevrolet, 168.
(30) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 167.
(35) Leland Honeyman #, Chevrolet, 167.
(20) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 167.
(25) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 167.
(36) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet, 167.
(34) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 167.
(31) Nick Leitz(i), Chevrolet, 167.
(19) Hailie Deegan #, Ford, 167.
(9) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 167.
(33) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 166.
(28) Blaine Perkins, Ford, 166.
(29) Dawson Cram #, Chevrolet, 166.
(3) John Hunter Nemechek(i), Toyota, 165.
(37) Patrick Emerling, Chevrolet, 165.
(32) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 165.
(27) CJ McLaughlin, Ford, 164.
(26) Kyle Sieg, Ford, 164.
(16) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 159.
(38) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, Steering, 98.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 135.474 mph.

Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 55 Mins, 16 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.106 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 4 for 23 laps.

Lead Changes: 11 among 5 drivers.

Lap Leaders: J. Love # 1-42;K. Sieg 43;J. Love # 44-47;P. Kligerman 48;J. Love # 49-83;A. Allmendinger 84-89;J. Love # 90;A. Allmendinger 91;J. Love # 92;A. Allmendinger 93;J. Love # 94-167;A. Hill 168-169.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Jesse Love # 6 times for 157 laps; AJ Allmendinger 3 times for 8 laps; Austin Hill 1 time for 2 laps; Kyle Sieg 1 time for 1 lap; Parker Kligerman 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 2,98,1,19,48,16,7,18,39,8

Stage #2 Top Ten: 2,7,98,19,8,81,00,21,16,18

Austin Hill snatches dramatic Xfinity victory at Atlanta in overtime

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

In an event dominated by rookie Jesse Love, teammate Austin Hill captured the final spotlight by claiming a dramatic, overtime victory in the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, February 24, for his second consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series victory to commence the 2024 season.

The 29-year-old Hill from Winston, Georgia, led the final two of 168 over-scheduled laps in an event where he was poised for a potential top-10 result while teammate Jesse Love dominated the event from pole position and had won the event’s two-stage periods. Following a caution period with two laps remaining that sent the event into overtime and with fuel becoming a concern for a multitude of front-runners, Love’s dominant quest to victory came to a halt at the start of overtime as he stumbled to keep up to pace. Love’s misfortune parted the seas for Hill to move into the lead. From there, Hill was able to fend off Chandler Smith for two laps to grab his second consecutive Xfinity victory to commence the 2024 season.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, February 23, rookie Jesse Love notched his second consecutive pole position of the 2024 season after posting a pole-winning lap at 173.935 mph in 31.874 seconds. Joining him on the front row was teammate Austin Hill, winner of this year’s season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, after he clocked in the second-fastest qualifying lap at 173.706 mph in 31.916 seconds.

Prior to the event, the following names that included Brandon Jones, Patrick Emerling, Jeb Burton, Parker Retzlaff, Joey Gase, Ryan Ellis and Brennan Poole dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective entries.

When the green flag waved and the race started, teammates Love and Hill dueled for the lead for a full lap in front of two tight-packed lanes until Love managed to lead the first lap by a hair. By the conclusion of the second lap, Love had both lanes to his control with the lead while Riley Herbst was battling Hill for the runner-up spot.

By the fourth lap, Josh Williams had fallen off the pace due to a flat tire on his Kaulig Racing entry. Amid Williams’ issues, the race remained under green flag conditions as Love also retained the lead followed by Herbst, Sam Mayer, Ryan Truex and John Hunter Nemechek while Chandler Smith, Sheldon Creed, Hill, Parker Kligerman and Sammy Smith occupied the top 10 by the fifth lap mark.

Through the first 15 scheduled laps, Love continued to lead in front of a long single-file line of competitors that included Herbst, Mayer, Truex and Nemechek while Hill, Kligerman, AJ Allmendinger, Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier trailed in the top 10.

Fifteen laps later, Love retained the lead ahead of Herbst, Mayer, Kligerman and Truex in the draft while Allmendinger, Allgaier, Creed, Sammy Smith and Ryan Sieg were running in the top 10.

When the first sage period concluded on Lap 40, Love, who has led every lap thus far, captured his second Xfinity stage victory of the 2024 season. Herbst settled in second while Mayer, Truex, Kligerman, Allmendinger, Allgaier, Creed, Ryan Sieg and Sammy Sith were scored in the top 10.

Under the stage break, a majority of the field led by Love pitted. During the pit stops, Brandon Jones was penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation while Poole was also penalized due to his crew members being over the pit box too soon.

The second stage period started on Lap 47 as Love and Kligerman occupied the front row. At the start, Love and Kligerman dueled for the lead through the first two turns until Love muscled the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro ahead with the lead with drafting help from Allgaier. Kligerman, however, would spend the next two laps battling dead even with Love for the top spot until Love muscled back ahead by the Lap 50 mark.

Nearing the Lap 60 mark, the caution flew after JJ Yeley spun off the front nose of Kyle Weatherman exiting the frontstretch and entering the first turn. During the caution period, some drivers, including Shane van Gisbergen, Brandon Jones, Allmendinger and Kyle Sieg pitted while the rest led by Love remained on the track.

During the next restart on Lap 63, Love battled against teammate Hill for nearly a lap until he muscled ahead from the outside lane as he was pursued by Allgaier and Herbst while Hill remained as the lead competitor on the inside lane. As the laps progressed, Nemechek made contact with the outside wall in Turn 3 and Hill drifted outside the top 10 while he continued to run the inside lane. Amid the events, Love continued to lead the race.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 80, Love captured his second consecutive stage victory of the 2024 Xfinity season. Allgaier settled in second while Herbst, Truex, Sammy Smith, Chandler Smith, Cole Custer, Hill, Allmendinger and Creed were scored in the top 10.

During the stage break, nearly the entire field led by Love pitted while Jeb Burton remained on the track. Shortly after, Burton would surrender the lead to pit, which gave the lead to Allmendinger, who only pitted for fuel.

With 76 laps remaining, the final stage commenced as Allmendinger and Love occupied the front row. At the start, Allmendinger and Love dueled for the lead in front of two packed lanes. Allmendinger and Love would then swap the lead during the next seven laps before Love assumed control of both lanes with the top spot with 67 laps remaining.

With 50 laps remaining, Love was leading ahead of Allmendinger, Herbst, Truex and Kligerman while Hill, Brandon Jones, Custer, Mayer and Sammy Smith occupied the top 10 in front of Allgaier, van Gisbergen, Chandler Smith, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Ryan Sieg, Creed, Retzlaff, Anthony Alfredo, Leland Honeyman and Ryan Ellis.

Fifteen laps later and with the majority of the field running in a long single-file line towards the outside lane, Love continued to lead ahead of Herbst, Truex, Kligerman and teammate Hill. By then, Allmendinger, who was stuck on the inside lane, had slipped within the top 15.

Another 15 laps later, Love retained the lead as part of a 15-car breakaway followed by Herbst, Truex, Kligerman and Hill.

Down to the final 10 laps of the event and with the leaders approaching lapped traffic, Love maintained the lead in front of Herbst while Truex, Kligerman and Hill remained in the top five, though fuel was becoming a concern for the front-runners.

Then with three laps remaining, Custer, who was running in the top 10, fell off the pace through the frontstretch after he ran out of fuel. Teammate Herbst then met the same fate entering Turns 1 and 2, but the event remained under green flag conditions. With two laps remaining, however, the caution flew after Ryan Sieg came to a stop on the backstretch due to running out of fuel.

During the caution period, some including Brandon Jones, Chandler Smith, van Gisbergen, Allmendinger, Creed, Retzlaff, Jeremy Clements and Alfredo pitted while the rest led by Love remained on the track. With the event sent into overtime, disaster struck for Allgaier, who was running toward the front but was forced to pit after he ran out of fuel prior to the start.

At the start of overtime, Love along with Kligerman and Allmendinger fell off the pace after all three ran out of fuel through the frontstretch. With Love stumbling on gas, Austin Hill shoved Ryan Truex out of his path to assume the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch followed by a hard-charging Chandler Smith while Shane van Gisbergen followed suit in third.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Hill remained as the leader by a narrow margin over Chandler Smith and van Gisbergen. With Smith unable to gain enough momentum amid the draft to mount a final lap charge, Hill was able to maintain control of both lanes and cycle his way back to the frontstretch to claim his second consecutive checkered flag of the 2024 season.

With the victory, Hill notched his eighth career win in the Xfinity Series, his sixth on a superspeedway venue and his third victory in his previous four starts at Atlanta, his home track. Hill also became the first competitor to win the first two events on the schedule since Tony Stewart made the last accomplishment in 2008.

“I just gotta thank my guys, everyone on this No. 21 Bennett Chevrolet,” Hill said on FS1. “We all worked through it. I was really thinking we were down and out. I was thinking [Love] was going to go get ‘em, and hey, if I can’t win, let my teammate win. We were riding there in fourth or fifth, whatever it was. I was saving fuel. We came to the restart zone and I’m like sloshing it around and we go through the gears. When I went to shift from third to fourth [gear], I actually stumbled and [Chandler Smith] hit me really hard, and that woke it back up, and I had enough fuel to complete the lap.

“But I’ve got to take this moment to congratulate, Jesse Love, my teammate. He ran an awesome race. To be a rookie and to lead that many laps, he should be sitting in Victory Lane right now. The No. 2 team did a hell of a job. So awesome to win here at my home track again for the third time. Man, what a race. I thought we were down and out. I really did. I thought we were just gonna run second or third and here we are in Victory Lane.”

Chandler Smith settled in the runner-up spot followed by Shane van Gisbergen, who achieved his first top-three result in the Xfinity circuit. Sheldon Creed came home in fourth place followed by Retzlaff while Jeremy Clements, Alfredo, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Ryan Truex and Sammy Smith finished in the top 10.

Jesse Love, who led a race-high 157 laps, ended up in 12th place ahead of Allmendinger after he came up two laps shy on his dry tank of fuel.

There were 11 lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured four cautions for 23 laps.

Following the second event of the 2024 Xfinity Series season, Austin Hill continues to lead the regular-season standings by 17 points over Sheldon Creed, 28 over Riley Herbst, 30 over both Chandler Smtih and Jesse Love, and 36 over Parker Retzlaff.

Results.

1. Austin Hill, two laps led

2. Chandler Smith

3. Shane van Gisbergen

4. Sheldon Creed

5. Parker Retzlaff

6. Jeremy Clements

7. Anthony Alfredo

8. Jeffrey Earnhardt

9. Ryan Truex

10. Sammy Smith

11. Sam Mayer

12. Jesse Love, 157 laps, Stage 1 & 2 winner

13. AJ Allmendinger, eight laps led

14. Brandon Jones

15. Riley Herbst

16. Cole Custer

17. Kyle Weatherman

18. BJ McLeod

19. Parker Kligerman, one lap led

20. Brennan Poole, one lap down

21. Leland Honeyman, one lap down

22. Ryan Sieg, one lap down

23. Jeb Burton, one lap down

24. JJ Yeley, one lap down

25. Ryan Ellis, one lap down

26. Nick Leitz, one lap down

27. Hailie Deegan, one lap down

28. Justin Allgaier, one lap down

29. Joey Gase, two laps down

30. Blaine Perkins, two laps down

31. Dawson Cram, two laps down

32. John Hunter Nemechek, three laps down

33. Patrick Emerling, three laps down

34. Garrett Smithley, three laps down

35. CJ McLaughlin, four laps down

36. Kyle Sieg, four laps down, one lap led

37. Josh Williams, nine laps down

38. Jordan Anderson – OUT, Steering

Next on the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is The LiUNA! At Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, March 2, at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

RCR NXS Race Recap: Atlanta Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
-

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Dominate at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Rookie Driver Wins Pole, Two Stage Wins and Leads 157 Laps Before Late-Race Caution Relegates Team to 12th-Place Finish

Finish: 12th
Start: 1st
Points: 5th

“Congratulations to Austin Hill and the No. 21 bunch. We had a great run today in the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet. We just ran out of fuel at the end of the race. I’m not going to question reality on why the caution was so long at the end of the race and if we could have made it if that didn’t happen, or if I could have saved a little bit more fuel while leading the race. I was trying hard to save fuel throughout the final stage, but I did not want to get taken advantage of with 16 laps to go when I wasn’t expecting it. I tried to stay aggressive and, obviously, there was no way we were going to pit at the end of the race. On the restart, once I got to third gear the engine died, and then I got it to go again and then it died again. It’s frustrating, but we had a really fast Whelen Camaro. I want to thank everybody at RCR and ECR for bringing really fast cars. It was a short week and my guys worked their guts out. We are going to be very motivated this week.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Earn Back-to-Back NASCAR Xfinity Series Wins with Dramatic Late-Race Win at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Hill Leads NASCAR Xfinity Series Point Standings

Finish: 1st
Start: 2nd
Points: 1st

“I was thinking that we were down and out. I was thinking that the No. 2 Chevrolet would win and I thought ‘hey, if I can’t win, let my teammate win, that’s great for RCR.’. We were riding there in fourth or fifth position and I was saving fuel. My crew chief, Andy Street, and my spotter, Derek Kneeland, were talking on the radio about how much fuel to save. We came to the restart and I was sloshing it around. We got through the gears and when I went to shift from third to fourth gear, I actually stumbled and the No. 81 car hit me really hard and woke it back up. I had enough fuel to complete the lap. My teammate ran an awesome race. To be a rookie and lead that many laps – he should be sitting here in Victory Lane right now. He just ran out of fuel. When you’re leading the line you can’t save as much fuel as I could, and that’s ultimately what did him in. It’s so awesome to win here at my home track again. It’s our third win here, and it’s the 50th Anniversary of Bennett Transportation & Logistics. I can’t thank Bennett enough. It’s their home track too – their headquarters are only 15 minutes down the road. Man, what a race. Thank you to all of my guys on the No. 21 team, everyone at RCR and ECR and Chevrolet. It feels good to be in Victory Lane.” -Austin Hill

Kyle Busch continues Truck Series mastery with win at Atlanta

By
Official Release
-
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

HAMPTON, Ga. — When Kyle Busch sold his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team to Spire Motorsports, he didn’t surrender his prowess behind the wheel.

Driving the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in his first start of 2024, Busch inherited the lead from Grant Enfinger on Lap 129 of 135 and held off Ty Majeski and Corey Heim over the final five laps to win his seventh race at Atlanta Motor Speedway and the 65th of his career, extending his own series record.

Enfinger was out front for 21 consecutive laps before one of his tires began losing pressure, forcing him to the pits after Busch, Majeski, Heim, Taylor Gray and Nick Sanchez, last week’s winner at Daytona, sped past.

Busch crossed the finish line 0.187 seconds ahead of Majeski, who edged Heim for the runner-up position by 0.009 seconds. Gray and Sanchez came home fourth and fifth, respectively.

“I actually got a run on the 9 truck (Enfinger) down the backstretch,” Busch said of the pass for the win. “He must have been going flat down the backstretch and slowing down because it gave me—it sucked me up right to him. Then he got loose in the corner. I got loose in the corner. We all checked up trying not to crash.

“Thankfully, we didn’t. I thought that was a big moment. But then we got the lead right there, and after that, it was about trying to protect it. Majeski was a bit of a wing man today. Appreciate him—and the history we’ve had together growing up racing late models with him a lot in Wisconsin and around those parts.

“That was a lot of fun. Great to get Chevrolet to Victory Lane.”

The race was the first of five events Busch will run for Spire Motorsports this year, after selling Kyle Busch Motorsports to the organization late in the 2023 season. Busch now has 230 victories across all three of NASCAR’s national series (63 NASCAR Cup, 102 Xfinity and 65 CRAFTSMAN Truck).

Coming through the final corner Busch effectively blocked Majeski’s only potential path to victory.

“I had a run, and I got to Kyle’s bumper,” Majeski said. “I knew he was going to cover the bottom. My only shot was to try and fade right, get to his quarter panel. That was the only shot that I had.

“Overall, super proud of the day. The truck was a little ill-handling in the beginning. (Crew chief) Joe Shear made some great calls, tightened me up a little bit so we could go racing.”

Tyler Ankrum led a race-high 46 laps but got shuffled back in the bottom lane after Enfinger passed him for the top spot in Lap 108. Busch, who won Stage 2, was out front for 33 laps and Enfinger 23. Ankrum finished seventh behind Kaden Honeycutt in sixth.

Christian Eckes led 20 laps and won the first stage but suffered brake issues that prevented him from stopping in his pit box during the Stage 1 break. Eckes retired after 50 laps in 33rd place.

There were 20 lead changes among seven drivers and seven cautions for 37 laps.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race – Fr8 208
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, Georgia
Saturday, February 24, 2024

(7) Kyle Busch(i), Chevrolet, 135.
(3) Ty Majeski, Ford, 135.
(19) Corey Heim, Toyota, 135.
(31) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 135.
(18) Nick Sanchez, Chevrolet, 135.
(25) Kaden Honeycutt, Chevrolet, 135.
(2) Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, 135.
(12) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 135.
(1) Daniel Dye, Chevrolet, 135.
(23) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 135.
(24) Bret Holmes, Chevrolet, 135.
(29) Lawless Alan, Ford, 135.
(8) Matt Crafton, Ford, 135.
(17) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 135.
(9) Chase Purdy, Chevrolet, 135.
(11) Jake Garcia, Ford, 135.
(15) Colby Howard, Toyota, 135.
(27) Timmy Hill, Toyota, 135.
(22) Tanner Gray, Toyota, 135.
(30) Mason Massey, Chevrolet, 135.
(32) Keith McGee, Ford, 134.
(33) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 134.
(16) Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 133.
(26) Mason Maggio, Ford, 133.
(6) Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 133.
(28) Thad Moffitt #, Chevrolet, 132.
(21) Matt Mills, Chevrolet, 132.
(14) Ben Rhodes, Ford, 130.
(10) Conner Jones #, Ford, 129.
(20) Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, Damage, 96.
(4) Jack Wood, Chevrolet, Accident, 57.
(5) Christian Eckes, Chevrolet, Brakes, 50.
(13) Layne Riggs #, Ford, 133.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 111.425 mph.

Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 51 Mins, 57 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.187 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 7 for 37 laps.

Lead Changes: 20 among 7 drivers.

Lap Leaders: D. Dye 0;T. Majeski 1;T. Ankrum 2;K. Busch(i) 3-4;T. Ankrum 5-6;K. Busch(i) 7-10;C. Eckes 11-21;T. Majeski 22-23;C. Eckes 24-32;T. Ankrum 33-42;K. Busch(i) 43-62;M. Mills 63-68;T. Ankrum 69;G. Enfinger 70;T. Ankrum 71-99;D. Thompson 100-103;T. Ankrum 104-105;G. Enfinger 106;T. Ankrum 107;G. Enfinger 108-128;K. Busch(i) 129-135.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Tyler Ankrum 7 times for 46 laps; Kyle Busch(i) 4 times for 33 laps; Grant Enfinger 3 times for 23 laps; Christian Eckes 2 times for 20 laps; Matt Mills 1 time for 6 laps; Dean Thompson 1 time for 4 laps; Ty Majeski 2 times for 3 laps.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 19,18,9,98,99,13,7,91,43,41

Stage #2 Top Ten: 7,18,9,15,11,2,98,71,17,41

Victory for Silver Hare at Sebring Season Opener

By
Official Release
-

Connor Zilisch Leads from Pole to Checkered Flag; Top-10 for Boris Said Jr., Connor Mosack Soldiers to 11th Despite Struggles with Rear-End Issue

Overview:
Date: Feb. 24, 2024
Event: Sebring SpeedTour (Round 1 of 12)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series
Location: Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway
Layout: 3.74-mile, 17-turn road course
Format: 27 laps or75 minutes
Weather: Sunny, upper-60s
Winner: Connor Zilisch of Silver Hare Racing

Silver Hare Racing:

● Connor Zilisch – Started 1st, Finished 1st (Running, completed 27/27 laps)
● Boris Said Jr. – Started 16th, Finished 9th (Running, completed 27/27 laps)
● Connor Mosack – Started 4th, Finished 11th (Running, completed 27/27 laps

Noteworthy:

● Saturday’s victory marked the third time in the last four races that Connor Zilisch qualified on the pole and led every lap. He first accomplished the feat Sept. 23 at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis, and at the very next race Oct. 8 at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, the home track for High Point, North Carolina-based Silver Hare Racing. Zilisch and Silver Hare Racing were the winningest driver-team combination in TA2 last year with five victories.

Connor Zilisch, Driver, No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:

“It was a lot harder than it probably looked. I’m super thankful to everyone at Silver Hare Racing. This is a brand new Howe Racing chassis that they built together, and to come out here in the first race with this car and to get a win is really special to me, and I’m sure it’s special to all these guys who worked really hard on this car all offseason long. Just super proud of this team. Unfortunately I can’t be here all year to work with this team, but I’m confident that Connor Mosack and Boris Said Jr., will do a good job keeping this team up front. Just thankful to Maurice and Laura Hull for everything they’ve done for me, made this possible, and continuing to make a lot of my racing happen. Just glad I could be here and get my first win of the season in the Trans Am Series.”

Boris Said Jr., Driver, No. 75 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:

“The first TA2 race of the season went pretty good. Started a bit toward the back but worked our way up, made some good passes, learned some stuff, so I’m excited for Atlanta. Connor (Zilisch) did a great job winning the race, the team did well overall, I’d say. The car was really, really good. I think I used a little too much of the rear tire in the last five laps, it was all gone. But the car was pretty good for the race and I was pretty patient, but the middle of the race was when I used the restarts to make up some more spots, and toward the end, everyone got a little strung out. Given more time, I feel like I could’ve gotten even more spots.”

Connor Mosack, Driver, No. 77 Silver Hare Racing/PRG Chevrolet Camaro:

“Started P4 there and just had nothing to work with on the start. I felt like there was some issue with the back of the car and it just seemed to get worse as the tires wore. Just had trouble finding grip from lap one and immediately started falling back. I was hoping it was maybe just low tire pressure at first. I feel like it got a little better once the tires came up, but about then, the tires were wearing and it was going back the other way on speed. There were some areas on the track where we could still be pretty fast and stay with guys, but it just made it tough to pass with how I had to go through each corner. It was definitely a frustrating day, a long day, I feel like we about wrecked about 15 or 20 times. The car’s good, we just had some sort of issue, so we’ll get it figured out by Road Atlanta and be ready for the next race.”

Laura Hull, Co-Owner, Silver Hare Racing:

“First off, I couldn’t be more proud of the entire team. The guys worked diligently all winter building new cars. Each car ran every lap during testing, qualifying and the race, so we can’t ask for anything more than that. I’m extremely proud, as I know they are. Connor Zilisch – wow – there’s just not a whole lot more that I can say. He’s such a joy to be around and he encourages those around him, he’s so positive. Just the skill that he has and the way he helps others is so genuine. Very proud to have the pole, the fastest lap, to lead every lap and, of course, to get the win. Connor Mosack did an extraordinary job, coming to a brand new team, brand new cars, getting things under way. I know there are many successes they’re going to have. We know he’s capable of wins and we know that’s coming. Boris Said Jr. – what a delight. This young man is quiet but he’s determined, he’s focused, he studies the data. For him to come to a new team and new car, as well, and to get a top-10, you just can’t ask for a lot more than that, either. The future looks very bright for the entire season for Silver Hare Racing. Congrats to our competitors, this is such a strong, competitive field, and Maurice and I look forward to what the rest of the season is going to bring.”

Next Up:

Round two of the 2024 Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series is the Road Atlanta SpeedTour March 21-23 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The weekend kicks off with a pair of TA2 test sessions Thursday afternoon, March 21. Official TA2 practice begins at 11:25 a.m. EDT Friday, March 22, followed by qualifying at 2:30 p.m. Start time for Saturday’s 40-lap, 75-minute race around the 2.54-mile, 11-turn Road Atlanta circuit is 12:45 p.m. Series partner MAVTV will provide live television coverage augmented via live video stream on the Trans Am channel on YouTube.

About Silver Hare Racing:

Silver Hare Racing is a fulltime competitor in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s newly renamed Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series. The multicar team has won the TA2 Masters class championship three times (2018, 2019 and 2020) with driver and team co-owner Maurice Hull. Under the leadership of Hull’s wife, co-owner and team manager Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing provides a variety of services that includes private testing and arrive-and-drive programs. The team offers six professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing and operates from a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. For more information, visit SilverHareRacing.com.

Toyota Racing – NXS Atlanta Post-Race Report – 02.24.24

By
Official Release
-

FOUR TOYOTA TOP-10’S IN ATLANTA
Chandler Smith, Sheldon Creed start their seasons with consecutive top-five finishes

ATLANTA (February 24, 2024) – Chandler Smith came just one spot short of winning at his home track this evening in NASCAR Xfinity Series action at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Talking Rock, Georgia-native backed up his fifth place run at Daytona with a runner-up finish in a green-white-checkered ending. His teammate, Sheldon Creed, also delivered back-to-back top-five runs to start the season with a fourth-place finish. Joe Gibbs Racing added a third Supra inside the top-10 with Ryan Truex finishing in ninth.

Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) and Jeffrey Earnhardt also had a strong run with an eighth-place finish. For SHR, it is their best finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, while for Earnhardt, it was his best run since a seventh-place finish for SHR at Nashville Superspeedway in June 2022.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap|
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Race 2 of 33 – 251.02 miles, 163 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Austin Hill*
2nd, CHANDLER SMITH
3rd, Shane van Gisbergen*
4th, SHELDON CREED
5th, Parker Retzlaff*
8th, JEFFREY EARNHARDT
9th, RYAN TRUEX
32nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 81 QuickTie Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

What’s your big takeaway from today’s race and seeing the pit strategy pay off at the end, even if it may have been frustrating at the time?

“I wasn’t really frustrated in the moment there. I did second guess it for a minute there as I thought I had saved a lot of fuel and didn’t think a lot of guys were going to take the gamble and come down. But I don’t know if we just ran more caution laps than what everyone was anticipating at first. My crew chief, Jeff Meendering, did an amazing job making the last-minute pit call there. Looks like we dragged everyone else down pit road with us when we went. So, no, I’m really happy with how our results were coming out of here with the No. 81 QuickTie Products Toyota GR Supra, which was as fast as Xfinity 10G internet today. So, looking forward to going to Las Vegas with two top-fives on superspeedways.”

What’s it mean for you to get a good result here in Atlanta and two Georgia drivers finishing 1-2?

“Yeah, that’s pretty cool. I didn’t even think about that – Georgia guys one, two. Yeah, I’m excited with two top-fives to start the season on superspeedways brings huge momentum for this QuickTie GR Supra team. Looking forward to going to Las Vegas and seeing what we can do there.”

SHELDON CREED, No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

Talk us through your race today and what you were experiencing out there.

“The racing was really bad, to be honest. We were all funneling to the top and you can’t make a move by yourself, just no horsepower. We’re going to Michigan and Indianapolis with these packages, so hope we reconsider and don’t go like that. A great way to salvage our day on some misfortune of others. I don’t know (pause), we got a fourth there. That’s pretty good from where we were running coming to the last caution and the green-white checkered.”

JEFFREY EARNHARDT, No. 26 ForeverLawn Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

Ran in the lead pack all night and ended up with a strong top-10 finish. How was your race?

“First off, just glad to be back in a Toyota. It’s impressive what this team has accomplished over the years. I ran with these guys two years ago, and heck, I was impressed – saying they were a top-10 team then, and you see what they did at Daytona. Then we come here and back it up – that’s really impressive. Hats off to these guys for the hard work they put in. Sam (Hunt) for the team he has built. It takes a good leader to build a team this great and he’s definitely just that. Can’t thank these guys enough. I’ve got to thank ForeverLawn. They’ve had my back for a long time. It’s pretty awesome to keep them. The people they are, the people surrounding me – you can’t say enough about it. You wish you could get every sponsor to be like them. Can’t thank them enough. We’ve got so many great partners that have been with us for a long time – just happy to get them a good run tonight.”

RYAN TRUEX, No. 19 Toyota Outfitters Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 9th

Strong run all night, and still ended up in the top-10 despite running out of fuel. Can you talk us through your race?

“We did everything right. Coming to two to go, a caution came out and it killed us. I was running second about to come to the white, right where I wanted to be with enough fuel and we rode around under caution. I lined up to the 2 (Jesse Love) to push him, and as soon as I got to him, he ran out of fuel and killed our lane. I got freight trained. Sheldon (Creed) got to my bumper coming to the checkered – we were actually rolling the top pretty well, and then I ran out of gas coming into (turn) three. It wouldn’t have mattered either way. We did everything we could – we ran inside the top-five the entire race and nothing to show for it is kind of a bummer.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

TeamSLR: Trans Am Race Report from Sebring – Barry Boes Scores Pro-Am Victory!

By
Official Release
-

Barry Boes Debuts With Victorious Race Within the TA2 Race;
Rookie Gavan Boschele Drives to 16th; Early Accident Foils Bid for Thomas Ellis

Overview:
Date: Feb. 24, 2024
Event: Sebring SpeedTour (Round 1 of 12)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series
Location: Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway
Layout: 3.74-mile, 17-turn road course
Format: 27 laps or75 minutes
Weather: Sunny, upper-60s
Winner: Connor Zilisch of Silver Hare Racing

TeamSLR:

● Barry Boes – Started 22nd, Finished 13th (Running, completed 27/27 laps
● Gavan Boschele – Started 12th, Finished 16th (Running, completed 27/27 laps)
● Thomas Ellis – Started 24th, Finished 34th (Accident, completed 10/27 laps)

Noteworthy:

● Sixth-year TA2 driver Barry Boes’ 13th-place finish bested the 14 cars in the 38-car TA2 field that are competing for the season-long Pro-Am championship.

● Austin Green of Peterson Racing, the 2023 TA2 Rookie of the Year, came home fifth Saturday to become the top-finishing M1Racecars entry.

Gavan Boschele, Driver No. 28 SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro:

“We started 12th and I kind of messed up on the first lap, got caught up starting too far back. That’s the main thing, you’ve got start up front. I got shuffled back and locked up the brakes and kind of drove through, and I ended up getting a penalty for that. So that put me all the way in the back and we ended up fighting our way back to 16th. Not the greatest, but I’m still learning everything and we’ll come back stronger. I have a lot of takeaways from this just to build on, racecraft and everything else. Can’t thank all the M1Racecars guys enough and we’ll come back strong at Road Atlanta.”

Barry Boes, Driver No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang:

“This feels absolutely incredible. It’s amazing that I’m here today. Accio means ‘to summon,’ and I summoned a victory today and it feels fantastic. Keith (Prociuk, third-place-finishing Pro-Am driver) and I often qualify near each other, and he races really well and I figured I’d follow him up to the front as much as I could. And when he got hung up at the initial start, it gave me an opportunity and it feels fantastic.”

Thomas Ellis, Driver No. 8 Averitt Express/SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang:

“It was my first weekend back in a few years. We struggled all weekend to try to get some pace in the car. I went into the race looking for momentum, just to find a little bit of pace, then lay back. There was no winning race on the first corner, it was just a matter of waiting for the first caution. We got that first caution pretty soon after I picked off a couple of cars. Then, unfortunately, in turn 10 on the restart, I just got punted off the track. It broke something in the back of the car and I couldn’t continue. In the bigger picture, I feel really good now after getting all the nooks and crannies out this weekend following the long layoff. The next weekend I get into the car, I feel like I’ll have a lot more momentum moving forward. I’ll feel a lot better about what I’ll be able to do in qualifying, which will be important to not have to deal with all the crazies at the back of the field.”

Next Up:

Round two of the 2024 Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series is the Road Atlanta SpeedTour March 21-23 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The weekend kicks off with a pair of TA2 test sessions Thursday afternoon, March 21. Official TA2 practice begins at 11:25 a.m. EDT Friday, March 22, followed by qualifying at 2:30 p.m. Start time for Saturday’s 40-lap, 75-minute race around the 2.54-mile, 11-turn Road Atlanta circuit is 12:45 p.m. Series partner MAVTV will provide live television coverage augmented via live video stream on the Trans Am channel on YouTube.

About TeamSLR:

TeamSLR (Scott Lagasse Racing) competes fulltime in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s newly renamed Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series in a multifaceted effort that includes dedicated entries in the TA2 division, customer programs, driver coaching and car construction. Its history dates back to 1985 and covers a wide spectrum of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA, SCCA, ARCA and ASA. TeamSLR is a family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr., The father-and-son duo have combined to win more than 120 races and seven championships across a variety of series and styles of racecars, from paved ovals to road courses to dirt tracks. For more information, please visit us online at www.TeamSLR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.

Kyle Busch scores first Truck victory with Spire Motorsports at Atlanta

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

For the first time in nearly 15 years, Kyle Busch motored his way to Victory Lane in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in equipment not related to him and used the draft to capture a dramatic victory in the Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 24.

The two-time Cup Series champion from Las Vegas, Nevada, led four times for 33 of 135 scheduled laps in an event where he started seventh and made his presence at the front known in the early stages. After finishing in the top 10 after the first stage’s conclusion, Busch, who would capture the second stage victory, overtook Grant Enfinger for the lead with seven laps remaining. He also had to fend off late charges from Ty Majeski, Corey Heim and Taylor Gray to achieve his first victory as a Spire Motorsports competitor and his 65th Truck Series career victory.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Feb. 23, Daniel Dye notched his first career pole position after a lap at 174.246 mph in 31.817 seconds. Joining him on the front row was teammate Tyler Ankrum, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 173.467 mph in 31.960 seconds.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Ankrum gained an early advantage on the inside lane as he muscled into the lead followed by Ty Majeski and teammate Christian Eckes while Dye fell back to fourth in front of teammate Jack Wood, all while Connor Jones scraped the outside wall and fell off the pace while the event remained under green flag conditions. With Kyle Busch joining the battle, Majeski would lead the first lap by a hair over Ankrum before the latter jumped ahead to lead the next lap. Not long after, Busch and Ankrum would take turns swapping the lead amid a side-by-side battle in front of the pack fanned out to two tight-packed lanes.

Just past the Lap 10 mark, Eckes moved into the lead over Busch as Ankrum, Majeski and Dye were in the top five. Behind, rookie Layne Riggs, Jake Garcia, Chase Purdy, Jack Wood and Bayley Currey were in the top 10 ahead of Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, Nick Sanchez, Ben Rhodes and Matt Crafton while Tanner Gray, Corey Heim, Dean Thompson, Colby Howard and Taylor Gray occupied the top 20.

On Lap 15, the event’s first caution flag flew after Keith McGee, who was lapped by the field, spun in Turn 3. During the caution period, some including Sanchez, Heim, Thompson, Friesen, Ty Dillon and Connor Jones pitted while the rest led by Eckes remained on the track.

When the event restarted under green on Lap 21, Eckes and Majeski dueled for the lead, with the latter leading the next two laps before Eckes reassumed the top spot.

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 30, Eckes captured his first stage victory of the 2024 Truck Series season. Teammate Ankrum settled in second followed by Riggs, Enfinger and Majeski while Rhodes, Garcia, Busch, Wood and Dye settled in the top 10.

Under the stage break, a majority of the field led by Eckes pitted while the rest led by Ankrum remained on the track. During the pit stops, Eckes, who had radioed issues involving his brakes earlier, zipped by his pit stall while having issues to brake his entry. He would pit again to have the braking issues addressed, which took him out of contention for the race victory.

The second stage period started on Lap 36 as Ankrum led the field back to the green. Ankrum would maintain the top spot for the next six laps before Busch carved his way back to the front.

Nearing the Lap 50 mark, the caution flew after Thad Moffitt tried to move in front of Garcia when he got turned across the outside wall on the backstretch, which Moffitt then veered back to the left and into the side of Garcia as Riggs sustained damage to his entry after he was hit by Garcia while Moffitt spun, all occurring in Turn 3.

With the event restarting with six laps remaining in the second stage period, Busch maintained the lead over Ankrum and the field. He would maintain the lead for the next four laps just as the caution returned when Jack Wood spun across the frontstretch’s grass and damaged his front nose. Wood’s incident was enough for the second stage period scheduled to conclude on Lap 60 to conclude under caution as Busch captured the stage victory followed by Ankrum, Enfinger, Tanner Gray, Heim, Sanchez, Majeski, Caruth, Taylor Gray and Bayley Currey.

During the stage break, a majority of the field led by Busch pitted while the rest led by Mills remained on the track.

With 69 laps remaining, the final stage commenced under green as Thompson and Matt Mills occupied the front row. At the start, Mills and Thompson dueled for the lead exiting the frontstretch until Thompson muscled away from the field on the inside lane through the backstretch, which Mills then reclaimed the lead as the field navigated back to the frontstretch. During the following lap, Rhodes, who made contact with the outside wall, made a pit stop under green flag to address a flat right-front tire as Mills maintained the lead ahead of Thompson while Purdy was trying to gain an advantage from the inside lane followed by Ankrum.

A few laps later and as the field fanned out to three lanes, Ankrum navigated his way back into the lead, where he would then be challenged by Enfinger for the top spot amid the draft. Meanwhile, Mills and Thompson remained in the top five along with Taylor Gray while Heim was trying to fight his way into the top five along with Purdy.

With less than 60 laps remaining, Friesen pitted under green after scraping the outside wall on the backstretch. Caruth, who was running within the top 10, would fall off the pace due to a flat tire on his truck, but the caution would fly with 57 laps remaining due to debris reported on the frontstretch. During the pit stops, the entire field led by Ankrum pitted. Amid the pit services, Sanchez, Caruth and Timmy Hill were penalized for speeding on pit road while Matt Mills was also penalized for running over equipment. In addition, Enfinger had to reverse his truck on pit road to get it full of fuel.

With the event restarting with 50 laps remaining, Ankrum received a push from Heim to muscle ahead with the lead on the outside lane followed by Kyle Busch, Currey and the field. Ankrum would retain the lead amid the draft and in front of two packed lanes during the proceeding laps while Heim settled in second followed by Busch, Currey and Taylor Gray. Shortly after, Mills fell off the pace after cutting a right-front tire from scraping the wall earlier and he pitted under green. The caution, however, returned with 42 laps remaining due to debris being reported in Turn 4. By then, Currey pitted to address his roof hatch being displaced.

During the following restart with 36 laps remaining, Ankrum and Thompson battled dead even for the lead through the first two turns until Majeski shoved Thompson into the lead from the inside lane while Ankrum briefly lost his momentum and drafting boost from Heim on the outside lane. Then just as Majeski attempted to make a move on Thompson, the caution returned due to debris being reported on the frontstretch.

With the event restarting with 31 laps remaining under green, Thompson was shoved out of the draft by Majeski on the outside lane. This resulted in Thompson backsliding as Ankrum moved back into the lead followed by Busch while Majeski was left battling Enfinger, Sanchez and Heim for third place amid two tight-packed lanes.

Not long after, a tight battle for the lead ignited between Ankrum and Enfinger, with Busch settling behind Ankrum while Enfinger had Sanchez drafting him on the inside lane. Following their brief duel, Enfinger moved into the lead with 29 laps remaining. He would retain the lead with 25 laps remaining over Busch, Majeski, Heim, Taylor Gray and Sanchez while Ankrum, who transitioned to the inside lane, was backsliding towards the top-10 mark.

With 20 laps remaining and with the majority of the field running in a long single-file line towards the outside wall, Enfinger was leading followed by Busch, Majeski, Heim and Taylor Gray while Sanchez, Honeycutt, Ankrum, Caruth and Daniel Dye were running in the top 10 ahead of Purdy, Thompson, Holmes, Dillon, Rhodes, Lawless Alan, Garcia, Crafton, Howard and Mason Massey, all of whom occupied the top 20.

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Enfinger retained the lead followed by Busch, Majeski, Heim and Taylor Gray while Rhodes, who tried to make a move on the inside lane, was shuffled back to 11th place. Shortly after, Rhodes made contact with the outside wall entering Turn 3, which forced him to pit while the event remained under green flag conditions.

Then three laps later and as the leader navigated through lapped traffic, Busch dived to the left and overtook Enfinger for the lead entering Turns 1 and 2. He was followed by Majeski, Heim, Taylor Gray and the rest of the field while Enfinger was falling off the pace due to a flat tire on his truck, an issue that would result in Enfinger pitting under green, while Busch maintained the lead over a hard-charging Majeski.

With five laps remaining, Busch was still leading ahead of a slight four-truck breakaway that included Maejski, Heim and Taylor Gray while Sanchez and Honeycutt led another drafting group of competitors trying to close in.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Busch remained as the leader ahead of Majeski, Heim and Gray while Sanchez was trying to close in from fifth place. With Majeski, Heim and Taylor Gray unable to gain any advantage for a final circuit, Busch was able to maintain the lead and cycle his way back to the frontstretch victorious as he claimed the checkered flag by a tenth of a second over Majeski.

With the victory, Busch, who remains as the all-time wins leader in the Truck Series with 65 victories, achieved his seventh series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway and his first since 2021. The victory was also Busch’s first driving for Spire Motorsports, the team that purchased Kyle Busch Motorsports at the conclusion of the 2023 season, and the 19th season overall where Busch has achieved at least one victory in the Truck Series. In addition, Spire Motorsports achieved its third career victory in the Truck circuit.

Busch is scheduled to return as the driver of the No. 7 entry for Spire Motorsports for the upcoming Truck Series events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway, both in March, followed by Texas Motor Speedway in April and at Darlington Raceway in May.

HAMPTON, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 24: Kyle Busch, driver of the #7 Group 1001 Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 24, 2024 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images).

“You’re relying on help, right?” Busch said on FS1. “You got to have guys behind you that are willing to work with you. Majeski was that guy today for me. There at the end, we had a bunch of Spire [Motorsports] teammates out there that were great to work with, too. Thanks to Chevrolet, appreciate Spire, Group1001, everybody that’s been a part of this organization from the very start to what we have today. It’s a lot of fun.”

Majeski, who led three laps, settled in the runner-up spot followed by Heim, Taylor Gray and Sanchez while Honeycutt, Ankrum, Caruth, Daniel Dye and Thompson settled in the top 10 on the track.

*Following the post-race inspection process, rookie Layne Riggs was disqualified due to his Front Row Motorsports entry not having windshield fasteners tightened for the entire event.

There were 20 lead changes for seven different leaders. The race featured seven cautions for 37 laps. In total, 20 of the 33 starters finished on the lead lap.

Following the second event of the 2024 Truck Series season, Tyler Ankrum continues to lead the regular-season standings by 10 points over Ty Majeski, 12 over Nick Sanchez, 15 over Corey Heim and 24 over Rajah Caruth.

Results.

1. Kyle Busch, 33 laps led, Stage 2 winner

2. Ty Majeski, three laps led

3. Corey Heim

4. Taylor Gray

5. Nick Sanchez

6. Kaden Honeycutt

7. Tyler Ankrum, 46 laps led

8. Rajah Caruth

9. Daniel Dye

10. Dean Thompson, four laps led

11. Bret Holmes

12. Lawless Alan

13. Matt Crafton

14. Ty Dillon

15. Chase Purdy

16. Jake Garcia

17. Colby Howard

18. Timmy Hill

19. Tanner Gray

20. Mason Massey

21. Keith McGee, one lap down

22. Spencer Boyd, one lap down

23. Stewart Friesen, two laps down

24. Mason Maggio, two laps down

25. Grant Enfinger, two laps down, 23 laps led

26. Thad Moffitt, three laps down

27. Matt Mills, three laps down, six laps led

28. Ben Rhodes, five laps down

29. Connor Jones, six laps down

30. Bayley Currey – OUT, Damage

31. Jack Wood – OUT, Accident

32. Christian Eckes – OUT, Brakes, 20 laps led, Stage 1 winner

33. Layne Riggs – Disqualified

Next on the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule is Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200. The event is scheduled to occur next Friday, March 1, at 9 p.m. ET on FS1.

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