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Kyle Busch To Wheel Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevy Silverado

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Official Release
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Five-Race Schedule on Tap for Two-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champ

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 20, 2024) – Two-time NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Champion Kyle Busch will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado in five NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) races in 2024, beginning with Saturday’s FR8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In addition to this weekend’s 130-lap tilt at the ultra-fast 1.54-mile quad oval, Busch – the NCTS all-time wins leader – will handle the team’s driving chores at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (3/1), Bristol Motor Speedway (3/16), Texas Motor Speedway (4/12) and Darlington Raceway (5/10).

Busch is the full-time driver of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NCS.

Group 1001 will serve as the No. 7 Chevy’s primary sponsor this weekend and again next Friday night at Busch’s home track in Las Vegas.

Prior to the 2024 season, Spire Motorsports purchased the assets of Kyle Busch Motorsports, including its race shop and chassis business Rowdy Manufacturing.

“Even before I was an owner, I always enjoyed racing in the Truck Series, so I’m thankful to Jeff (Dickerson), T.J. (Puchyr) and everyone at Spire Motorsports for the opportunity to compete in the five races that I’m allowed to do each season,” said Busch. “A lot of the employees from KBM transitioned over to Spire, and I’ll be working with (Brian) Pattie and the same group that I had last year, so while it’ll be a little bittersweet not having a KBM decal on the front of the truck and a 51 on the side, I know that I’ll be getting in the best equipment in the series. Once I’m behind the wheel, it’ll look and feel like home and just like always, my only goal will be to add more banners in the shop!”

Busch is one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR’s modern history. The Las Vegas native advanced to the Championship 4 for the NCS in five consecutive seasons from 2015-2019 and has won some of NASCAR’s most prestigious races, including the Brickyard 400 (2015 and 2016), Southern 500 (2008) and Coca-Cola 600 (2018). Busch enters the 2024 season with 63 wins in NASCAR’s premier series and is one of only two active multi-time champions.

In addition to his two NCS titles, he won the 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) championship and is the all-time wins leader in that series (102) as well as the NCTS (64). Busch also ranks first all-time among Truck Series drivers with an average finish of 6.4 and second all-time with 7,787 laps led.

Busch has made 55 starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series. In 28 races in NCS competition, the 38-year-old father of two has logged two wins, nine top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. His resume includes three NXS wins in 14 starts, 10 top fives and 11 top 10s. In 13 NCTS races at the iconic Hampton., Ga., venue, Busch has compiled six wins, nine top-five and 10 top-10 showings.

“We’re very fortunate and thankful to have great partners like Group 1001 who allow us to be creative and put the best talent behind the wheel while we chase a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series owner’s championship,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “Kyle Busch is a generational talent and I’ve been fortunate enough to witness so many of his accomplishments first-hand. It means a lot to everyone at Spire Motorsports, including everyone who stayed after the sale, to have Kyle in our truck this season. And, it means a great deal to me personally, for us to make this happen.”

The FR8 208 from Atlanta Motor Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Saturday, Feb. 24, beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The second of 23 NCTS races on the 2024 schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

About Group 1001 …
Group 1001 is a collective that empowers companies to create positive growth. Our insurance and annuities are easy to understand and accessible to all. Our online investing platform gives individuals control over their savings. Our technology and innovation help companies succeed. And our strategic partnerships bring people together through education and sports.

As of September 30, 2023, Group 1001 had combined assets under management of $59.8 billion. It comprises the following brands: Delaware Life, Gainbridge®, Clear Spring Health, Clear Spring Property and Casualty Group, Clear Spring Life and Annuity Company, and RVI Group.

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.

Black Rifle Coffee/Ranger Boats Racing: Noah Gragson Atlanta Advance

By
Official Release
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NOAH GRAGSON
Atlanta Advance
No. 10 Black Rifle Coffee/Ranger Boats Ford Mustang

Event Overview

● Event: Ambetter Health 400 (Round 2 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 25
● Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia
● Layout: 1.54-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 260 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Even though Noah Gragson is still new to Stewart-Haas Racing and the Ambetter Health 400 NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway marks just his third race with the team, he brings a dose of familiarity to the Georgia track. Gragson’s No. 10 Ford Mustang carries a similar paint scheme to the one he ran for the majority of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career, where he was a 13-time race winner and perennial championship contender. Black Rifle Coffee, Ranger Boats, TrueTimber and Winchester Repeating Arms adorn Gragson’s car for the second straight race after debuting with him in the Daytona 500, where Gragson led five laps on the way to a ninth-place finish.

● Atlanta Motor Speedway has been around since 1960, but the Atlanta track Gragson and his NASCAR Cup Series brethren will compete on this Sunday is only two years old. The 1.54-mile oval was reconfigured after the final race of the 2021 season. The banking was increased from 24 degrees to 28 degrees and the track was narrowed from 55-feet wide to 40-feet wide, and it was all covered in fresh asphalt. The goal of the reconstruction was to recreate the kind of pack-style racing seen at the behemoth, 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and the even bigger 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Drivers competed on the new layout for the first time in March 2022 and the Ambetter Health 400 will be the fifth Cup Series race on the revamped track.

● The Ambetter Health 400 will mark Gragson’s fifth NASCAR Cup Series start at Atlanta, with all of his prior starts coming on the updated configuration. The driver of the No. 10 Black Rifle Coffee/Ranger Boats Ford Mustang earned his best Atlanta finish in his third Atlanta start – 12th in March 2023.

● Gragson has experience on the old and new versions of Atlanta. He has six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track, the last two of which came in 2022, the first year of the reconfiguration. He finished among the top-10 in all but one of his Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta and his best finish was a second-place drive in June 2020.

● Gragson also has two Atlanta starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He finished 14th in his first Truck Series start at the track in 2017 and then earned a second-place finish when he returned to Atlanta in 2018, leading the first 43 laps.

Noah Gragson, Driver of the No. 10 Black Rifle Coffee/Ranger Boats Ford Mustang

How much does racing at Atlanta emulate what you just experienced at Daytona?

“It’s hard to tell what we’re going to have at Atlanta. Handling definitely comes into play more so than at Daytona. Still, at Daytona, you have handling issues if you get held on the bottom. It just seems like everything happens a little bit faster at Atlanta. The straightaways are shorter, so you don’t have the time to mount your runs. It’s different than the superspeedways. There’s a lot more pushing on the straightaways at Daytona and Talladega. At Atlanta, you can’t really get locked up for the whole straightaway and get away. Everybody’s super tight together. It’s a mix between an intermediate track and Daytona and Talladega. It’s a little bit of a different form of racing.”

Is competing at Atlanta mentally taxing?

“Atlanta is mentally taxing. You’re still having the same thought processes that you do with superspeedway racing, but it’s just faster. You’re mentally drained after Atlanta.”

Single-car qualifying is all the track time you’ll have at Atlanta prior to Sunday’s race. How do you prepare for the race when you know so little about how your car will perform?

“I think qualifying at Atlanta is a lot more sketchy than at Daytona and Talladega. It’s the same format where you don’t have any practice time. It’s way more sketchy to go out there and hold it wide open, and the track seems like it’s always a little bit dirty during those qualifying sessions. It bit some guys last year in the first Atlanta race, running the top on their out lap, they get loose or what-not. Drew (Blickensderfer, crew chief) and the team say that it’s going to be really secure during qualifying and probably a little more sketchy during the race, for whatever the reason. That’s kind of the opposite of what I’ve had in the past. I feel like it’s really sketchy during qualifying and it drives better in the race. Stewart-Haas sat on the pole there last year. They always bring fast Ford Mustangs for these superspeedway qualifying efforts, so I’m excited for it.”

Are you wide open every lap at Atlanta?

“You’re wide open in qualifying. In the race, you’re working the throttle more. At Daytona and Talladega, you’re more pacing the throttle to save fuel, where at Atlanta, you’re lifting out of the gas because you’ll get tight or loose behind guys and you have to really play with the timing on your throttle for when you get runs up to guys. You’re playing with the throttle because of handling.”

What do you need in your racecar to be fast at Atlanta?

“You’ve got to be fast and you can’t be too draggy. It’s bitten me in the past where we started the race tight and I couldn’t make any passes, and then we kept on freeing the car up, loosening it up, and probably got past the neutral point in the balance and got too loose and I ended up wrecking. But the freer we got it, the faster I went. So it’s a fine line of what’s enough, and that’s what I’m trying to figure out, what’s too much, what’s enough, but you definitely have to be handling good to be able to tug on the wheel and keep the thing wide open.”

Daytona and Talladega races are known to be a crapshoot, where there are so many things out of your control. Is that also the case at Atlanta, or are you still able to make a little bit of your own luck at Atlanta?

“It’s probably the same as far as making your own luck and getting to the front. You can work your way up to the front, you just really don’t want to get stuck in the back. With green-flag pit stops, the commitment line starts early and they start taking pit-road speed into turn three and you run the apron all the way through (turns) three and four during green-flag pit stops. That makes it a little bit different and it bites some guys, but for me, I take the same mindset going into Atlanta as I do Daytona and Talladega.”

Stewart-Haas Racing had an off year in 2023 and the organization is expecting a turnaround in 2024. Do you feel added pressure to perform?

“We use it as motivation. We all want to be leaders. We all want to be the best teammates possible, and we all want to work together to be a part of this deal. It takes everyone’s effort, and if we can be better than we were yesterday, that’s how we’re going to be successful in the long run.”

What are your expectations for this year?

“This is an incredible opportunity. At the same time, you know there’s going to be challenges along the way. There’s going be adversity. There’s going be good runs and bad runs, but it’s how you react to it and how you keep on moving forward each and every race. It’s easy when you’re winning, and I’ve kind of learned that over the past couple of years. When we were in the Xfinity Series, we literally could do no wrong, but the flip side of winning all those races was that I kind of lost my grounding in a sense of, ‘Hey, I’ve got to keep on working at this.’ It’s not always going to come as easy as it did in my final year in Xfinity. It was somewhat of a rude awakening in 2023. Obviously, we didn’t unload with race-winning speed, ever, so that was a big challenge. I’ve done a lot of self-reflecting and soul searching over the past handful of months and trying to become the best leader possible. I think that’s what in 20 years when I look back I feel like, man, if I was the best leader for my team and the best piece of the puzzle for my team and did the best job, I’ll be satisfied with myself.”

You’re still able to connect with partners, and that’s on display again this week with Black Rifle Coffee, Ranger Boats, TrueTimber and Winchester Repeating Arms on your racecar. How important as these partnerships?

“We have a lot of great support. It’s just relationships and being able to bring value to a partner and say, ‘Hey, what’s our plan here? How do we achieve it and go above and beyond?’ I can confidently say that we do go above and beyond and we’ve got a lot of great partners that allow us to do this. It’s great to be back with Black Rifle Coffee and TrueTimber and to also start a relationship with Ranger Boats and Winchester. It’s really special to be able to introduce them on a familiar scheme that we’ve had over the past handful of years in the Xfinity Series.”

No. 10 Black Rifle Coffee/Ranger Boats Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Noah Gragson

Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer

Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Jerry Cook

Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: James Kimbrough

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Andy Houston

Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White

Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard

Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotten

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener

Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Chris Trickett

Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Beau Whitley

Hometown: Carmel, Indiana

Tire Specialist: Jacob Cooksey

Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller

Hometown: Monroe, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: John Casper

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy

Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

The Lemon Law: Your Key to Protecting Vehicle Investments

By
SM
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Photo by ixography on Unsplash

When a person buys a defective car brand-new off the lot, they want help. Nobody wants to spend a large sum to be stuck with a “lemon”. Lemon laws vary by state. However, most laws of this type require the manufacturer to replace or repurchase a car with substantial defects. The buyer must meet certain requirements before the law goes into effect, though.  

History

Lemon laws were introduced in the early 1980s. Legislators enacted these laws after consumers complained about buying new cars with major defects. The laws varied by state but shared similar provisions regarding refunds or replacements for seriously defective new products. They shifted more power to consumers who had previously had little recourse under warranty law alone if they purchased a defective product. Lemon laws have now existed in the majority of states for over 30 years and continue to evolve and expand. A person who believes they bought a bad car in New Jersey should review the NJ lemon law. They should then consult an attorney to help resolve the matter.

Key Provisions

Lemon laws have three key elements. First, they designate what constitutes a lemon, usually based on the number of repair attempts or days out of service. Second, they describe the consumer’s rights, typically a refund or replacement vehicle, and remedies like recovering legal fees. Finally, they define the obligations of manufacturers, often requiring them to operate informal dispute settlement programs. Lemon laws generally apply only to defects that substantially impair the use, value, or safety of vehicles within their first couple of years.

While Lemon Laws are designed to protect consumers from being stuck with defective vehicles, successfully pursuing a claim often depends on meeting specific legal requirements and maintaining proper documentation. Keeping detailed records of repair attempts, communications with the manufacturer, and periods when the vehicle was out of service can help support a claim and improve the likelihood of a favorable outcome. Consumers who want to better understand their rights and available remedies may find educational resources from legal professionals, including RockPoint Law, useful when evaluating their options.

State Laws

While almost all states have some type of lemon law, specifics differ among states. For example, the number of days a vehicle must be out of service or repair attempts allowed before qualifying as a lemon ranges from 15 days and three attempts in Delaware to 30 days and five attempts in Indiana. Some state laws provide greater consumer protections than others regarding refund amounts, replacement options, time limits, and more. A few states have lemon laws that apply to used vehicles as well.

Federal Law

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is the federal lemon law enacted in 1975. Under this law, manufacturers are accountable for defective vehicles. They must provide a full refund or replacement vehicle if they cannot repair a defective product after a reasonable number of attempts. While state lemon laws often provide advantages like better-defined standards and processes, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act offers its consumer protections. For example, it applies to vehicles even up to 10 years old or with 100,000 miles, significantly expanding eligibility compared to most state laws.

Using Lemon Laws

Usually, consumers must first submit their vehicles for manufacturer-approved repairs before qualifying under lemon laws. It is critical to keep detailed records of all repair attempts, days out of service, loaner vehicles provided, and correspondence. If the defect persists and meets the applicable legal thresholds after multiple repair attempts, these records, along with a formal demand letter to the manufacturer, can help initiate the lemon law claim process. At this stage, consulting an experienced New York lemon law lawyer (or one elsewhere) can be beneficial, as they can help evaluate the strength of the claim, ensure all documentation is in order, and guide consumers through the next steps of the process.

Lemon laws give consumers important protections and legal options if they end up with seriously defective vehicles that cannot reasonably be fixed. Though specifics vary among federal and state statutes, all lemon laws aim to hold auto manufacturers accountable and provide remedies for paying customers who receive unacceptable products. For vehicles that qualify as lemons, these laws mandate remedies such as refunds or replacement cars, to the great relief of frustrated owners.

RCR NXS Race Recap: Daytona International Speedway

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Official Release
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Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Capture Pole Position and Stage Win Before Being Collected in Multi-Car Accident at Daytona International Speedway

Finish: 20th
Start: 1st
Points: 11th

“I had a fast Whelen Chevrolet tonight at Daytona International Speedway. To sit on the pole, lead the most laps, and win my first stage in my first NASCAR Xfinity Series race are all things to be proud of. I was able to learn how to lead the line from the beginning. We lost our track position when we pitted during the first stage break, which put me back in the field and unfortunately in a position to get caught up in an accident that did a lot of damage to the body of my Camaro. The plan after being farther back in the field was to be super aggressive and get to the front as quickly as possible. I felt like we were doing that until the accident with the No. 20 car. My Richard Childress Racing team worked on the car every chance they got without going a lap down. Even with the damage, my car was still fast. I’m proud of the effort my team showed, and I know we will be strong all season. Congratulations to the No. 21 team on their win. That’s big for our program.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Claim Third Consecutive Win in Season Opener at Daytona International Speedway

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

“Three-peat! Do you know how hard it is to win at Daytona? My Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet was extremely fast tonight. When I got caught up in the first accident that also hurt my teammate, Jesse Love, I wasn’t sure how bad the damage actually was. The No. 21 crew did an excellent job of making the repairs without losing a lap and I was able to drive back to the front immediately after. I don’t know what was going on with me on pit road today though. I sped on pit road and slid through the box, which put us back in the field once again. I about did it earlier on the first stop, too. My Richard Childress Racing guys kept telling me to dig deep and remember that I’m really good at these superspeedway tracks. Winning, especially at Daytona, is a great way to start the season. We are going to celebrate this one and then shift our attention to Atlanta Motor Speedway to see if we can go back-to-back there this weekend. I appreciate all of the fans for sticking it out through the rain and the late start time. Hopefully, we put on a good show for you to watch.” -Austin Hill

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – DAYTONA 500

By
Official Release
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DAYTONA 500
Daytona Beach, Florida – February 19, 2024
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY – NASCAR 101

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG

START: 6TH STAGE ONE: 15TH STAGE TWO: 2ND FINISH: 22ND POINTS: 11TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang, was in contention to etch his name in DAYTONA 500 history as a two-time champion in the closing laps of Sunday’s 66th running of the Great American Race until chaos struck on the final lap. Cindric, the 2022 DAYTONA 500 winner, rolled off the grid from the sixth position and remained a force throughout the opening 65-lap segment alongside his Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, but as varying pit sequences played out, Cindric finished Stage 1 in the 15th position. Under the Stage break, Cindric headed to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel in advance of the Lap 71 restart. As the field went three-wide early in second segment and the momentum of the lanes fluctuated, the No. 2 shuffled positions, rejoining the top 10 just 20 laps into Stage 2. The 25-year-old racer returned to pit road for a swift fuel-only pit stop before ultimately taking the race lead on Lap 118. Cindric, in a side-by-side battle with Kyle Busch for the sprint to the Stage end, finished the segment second to teammate Blaney after the hard-charging driver powered around the No. 2 Ford Mustang on the final lap. Pleased with the handling of the car, Cindric visited the Discount Tire pit crew once again for new tires and fuel ahead of the restart. Cindric maneuvered his way back to the front of the pack as the action intensified, vying for the race lead until getting collected in a last-lap accident that relegated the Team Penske driver to a 22nd-place finish.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “A really unfortunate end. We had a shot to win the DAYTONA 500 in the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang. We were really in great position with the outside lane breaking up and kind of one-on-one with the 24 with the whole pack behind, so you can’t really ask for anything else other than that out of myself and the team. It just sucks a little bit.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/PEAK FORD MUSTANG

START: 32ND STAGE ONE: 32ND STAGE TWO: 1ST FINISH: 30TH POINTS: 23RD

RACE RUNDOWN: Despite starting at the tail end of the field for the 66th running of the DAYTONA 500, Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Menards/PEAK team were in contention for the race win until a multi-car incident with eight laps to go dashed their hopes Monday night. After crew chief Jonathan Hassler’s strategy call to not pit following the first caution of the day on lap five, Blaney took the ensuing green flag from the inside of row one as he and the No. 20 – who also stayed out during the caution – controlled the pace of the field while trying to conserve fuel during the first long, green flag run of Stage 1. The Team Penske Fords all hit pit road together under green on lap 40 for fuel but were not able to keep pace with the lead pack as Blaney was scored 32nd at the conclusion of the opening stage. Following a four-tire stop prior to the start of Stage 2, Blaney charged to the front of the field using the third lane on the outside and was scored sixth in the running order by lap 75. A fuel-only stop on lap 115 under green saw Blaney cycle back to third before cutting to the inside of the No. 2 in turn four on the final lap of Stage 2 to pick up his first stage win of the season. Blaney took the green flag for the final stage from the outside of row two but faded to the tail end of the lead pack during the initial run. With 20 laps to go, Blaney and a host of Ford teammates hit pit road for fuel only as the Menards/PEAK Mustang cycled back to ninth in the running order with 16 laps remaining. Blaney and teammate Joey Logano led a hard-charging third lane with under 10 to go as the field was committed to running three-wide, but contact in the middle lane sent the No. 6 up the track and set off a multi-car incident in turn three, collecting Blaney and ending his night eight laps short of the checkered flag in Daytona.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “You’re kind of always watching when you’re in there and especially if you’re on [the top lane] you can kind of watch and see how well their pushes are and it just looked like the 48 kind of got the 24 out of shape and just happened to get the 6 in the right-rear and unfortunately we were in the top lane. It’s an early end to our night, but we were up there in it and just wasn’t our weekend.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START: 1ST STAGE ONE: 11TH STAGE TWO: 21ST FINISH: 32ND POINTS: 30TH

RACE RUNDOWN: After claiming Team Penske’s first-ever DAYTONA 500 pole award Wednesday night, Joey Logano and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang led the field to green in Monday afternoon’s 66th running of The Great American Race. Logano led his first of a race-high – and DAYTONA 500 career-best – 45 laps prior to a green flag pit stop for fuel only on lap 40 that saw the No. 22 battle back through the field for an 11th-place finish in Stage 1. Following a four-tire stop and a round of adjustments at the stage break, Logano lined up to restart 11th before forming a third lane on the outside that worked its way to the front of the field. Logano was one of several cars to hit pit road under green on lap 111 for fuel only and led the group off pit road from the first pit stall. After cycling back to seventh in the running order after green flag stops were complete, Logano was shuffled out of the lead pack and ultimately settled for a 21st-place finish in Stage 2. Logano lined up 13th to begin the final stage and worked all three lanes as momentum shifted constantly, allowing him to move back into the top-10 with 50 laps to go. The Shell-Pennzoil Mustang was back out front with 38 to go before the Fords hit pit road for their final fuel stops of the night as Logano found himself battling for the lead in the outside lane with under 20 laps remaining. With teammate Ryan Blaney pushing Logano to the front with eight laps to go, contact in the lane below the pair of teammates sent the No. 6 up the track and into the left rear of Logano, setting off a multi-car incident in turn three that brought an end to Logano’s bid for a second DAYTONA 500 title.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “That’s very much how speedway racing is. It’s part of it. You’re pushing and shoving there at the end. We had the cars that could take it and were doing really well. I had Blaney behind me. I thought, ‘Man, if I could pick one, that’s the one I want. I’m in a great position here’ and just had to find the right opportunity to slip the 1 again because the 6 wasn’t working with us, so I felt if I could keep the 12 with me I’m going to be in a decent spot, but it just didn’t work out. The car was so fast. The car was the fastest car on the track. I could lead a line. Whenever we weren’t saving fuel she was a rocket ship. It’s just how this game works. The wreck always starts in the front and you hope you’re in front of it. Second place isn’t far enough ahead.”

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, February 25. Coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Stewart-Haas Racing: United Rentals 300 from Daytona

By
Official Release
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STEWART-HAAS RACING
United Rentals 300
Date: Feb. 19, 2024
Event: United Rentals 300 (Round 1 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: 120 laps, broken into three stages (30 laps/30 laps/60 laps)
Race Winner: Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Jesse Love of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Riley Herbst (Started 11th, Finished 6th / Running, completed 120 of 120 laps)
● Cole Custer (Started 17th, Finished 13th / Running, completed 120 of 120 laps)

SHR Points:

● Riley Herbst (3rd with 35 points, 24 out of first)

● Cole Custer (9th with 31 points, 28 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Herbst earned his fifth top-10 in 10 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Daytona.

● Herbst finished seventh in Stage 2 to earn four bonus points.

● Herbst led twice for eight laps to increase his laps-led total at Daytona to 35.

● Custer earned his fifth top-15 in nine career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Daytona.

● Custer finished fourth in Stage 2 to earn seven bonus points.

● Custer led once for six laps to increase his laps-led total at Daytona to 16.

Race Notes:

● Austin Hill won the United Rentals 300 to score his seventh career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory and his third at Daytona. His margin over second-place Sheldon Creed was .591 of a second.

● There were nine caution periods for a total of 44 laps.

● Twenty-two of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Hill leaves Daytona as the championship leader with an 11-point advantage over second-place Creed.

Sound Bites:

“You can look at any restart today in the 500 and everybody gives the leader the right, the edge, because that is what they earned as the leader. I did the same thing I’ve done my whole life restarting on the front row and gave the leader the opportunity to fire first. I saw his nose pick up and I went off that. We raced for I think a whole lap and a half and then there was a caution and NASCAR called that I laid back to my teammate on the restart.” – Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

“We were leading the line and somebody hit me in the back and I got turned in the fence. It’s just a product of everybody pushing and sometimes you just get pushed wrong. But before that, I feel like it was pretty impressive how the Fords worked together. That green-flag pit stop was one of the best ones I’ve ever seen us work together and still keep the lead. It was definitely a good day for the Fords and showed a lot of promise. We just have to keep it going. I think these superspeedways you never know what’s gonna happen, but we did everything we could all day.” – Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race begins at 5 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Toyota Racing – NXS Daytona Post-Race Report – 02.19.24

By
Official Release
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CREED STRONG IN JGR DEBUT
Sheldon Creed second, Chandler Smith fifth in season opener at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 19, 2024) – Sheldon Creed nearly delivered a victory in his Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) debut as the California-native finished second to begin the NASCAR Xfinity Series season in the rain-delayed event at Daytona International Speedway on Monday night.

Chandler Smith also began the season strong with a fifth-place run, while John Hunter Nemechek completed the 800-mile day with another seventh-place finish, matching his run in the Daytona 500 earlier in the evening. Ryan Truex and Sage Karam also had their Toyota GR Supras towards the front of the field in the latter stages of the race, only to be caught up in late-race incidents.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Daytona International Speedway
Race 1 of 33 – 300 miles, 120 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Austin Hill *

2nd, SHELDON CREED

3rd, Jordan Anderson*

4th, Parker Retzlaff*

5th, CHANDLER SMITH

7th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

21st, RYAN TRUEX

28th, SAGE KARAM

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 2nd

Can you take us through your day and that finish?

“Yeah, I mean first off, track position was really hard to get all night. Just tried to be smart and not get in any of the crashes. I had to miss a couple of them there that were really close. Just happy to get through that solidly. I didn’t need to lose my pusher there, think that was (Ryan) Sieg behind me there. I feel like if I could’ve just kept him hooked up there, I would’ve had a shot at Austin (Hill) there. Overall, a great start with Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota. Everyone that’s been supporting us this offseason, yeah, a great start. Stage points and to start with a top three finish, is a lot of momentum going for our team so happy with that.”

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 81 Mobil 1 Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

Can you sum up your race today?

“Yeah, I don’t really know where to start. I feel like track position was really hard to come by. We kind of put ourselves in a hole with qualifying, starting in 19th or wherever we did. Nevertheless, we were able to identify that early on and I was able to communicate that with Jabo (Jeff Meendering, crew chief) and come up with a different race strategy than what we planned on coming in with, and we were able to get track position and maintain it for the majority of the night. Had a pretty solid Mobil 1 GR Supra. Wasn’t as fast as Xfinity 10G, but it was just enough where we could keep it up front all night and control the lanes. It was way too close, but it’s all God’s timing and looking forward to Atlanta this week.”

SAGE KARAM, No. 26 CRC Brakleen Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 28th

Can you talk about what happened out there?

“Obviously, was hoping for a different result than how that ended. We had a really strong race, all race long. We were racing inside the top-10, and the top-five late. The Sam Hunt Racing team did a great job this long weekend. I feel bad that this is how this weekend ended, because I know everyone put in a lot of work. We were here for a long time, but I can’t thank everyone from Sam Hunt Racing, Toyota, CRC enough for everything they’ve done for me this weekend. Just late in the race there, the pushes are getting bigger and bigger, and unfortunately, after races like that everyone is just jammed up. I got pushed pretty good, I’m sure the guy behind me is getting pushed pretty good. I got pushed into the 00 (Cole Custer) and he got loose, and got in the wall, and then when he got in the wall, he clipped me. That is just how it is sometimes with these plate race. I had a lot of fun and I learned a lot. All-in-all, it was a good day until it wasn’t.”

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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – NXS Post-Race Quotes

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
United Rentals 300 | Monday, February 19, 2024

UNOFFICIAL FORD FINISHING RESULTS

6th – Riley Herbst
13th – Cole Custer
14th – Blaine Perkins
22nd – Ryan Sieg
33rd – Frankie Muniz
37th – Hailie Deegan

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Obviously, we want better, but I feel like that was pretty impressive how the Fords worked together. That green flag pit stop was one of the best ones I’ve ever seen us work together and still keep the lead. It was definitely a good day for the Fords and showed a lot of promise. We just have to keep it going. I think these superspeedways you never know what’s gonna happen, but we did everything we could all day.”

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU GOT HIT? “I need to see a replay, but I was just going straight. We were leading the line and somebody hit me in the back and I got turned in the fence. It’s just a product of everybody pushing and sometimes you just get pushed wrong.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT HAPPENED ON THE RESTART? “You can look at any restart today in the 500 and everybody gives the leader the right, the edge, because that is what they earned as the leader. I did the same thing I have done my whole life restarting on the front row and gave the leader the opportunity to fire first. I saw his nose pick up and I went off that. We raced for I think a whole lap and a half and then there was a caution and NASCAR called that I laid back to my teammate on the restart.”

IS THIS SOMETHING YOU WILL GO TALK TO NASCAR ABOUT TO SEE WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY? “I already got called to the hauler. A bad choice of vocabulary they said, so I am going to go see them in the hauler now.”

RYAN SIEG, No. 39 Sci Aps/Scrap University Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WAS THERE A MOVE YOU’D LIKE TO TAKE BACK ON THE FINAL RESTART? “No, I did everything I could. I blocked and pushed and did everything I could. I pushed Sheldon as far as I could and trying to get past the 21. He was the class of the field, so I did all I could do. I have no regrets. I did everything I could, so we’ll just move on to Atlanta.”

HAILIE DEEGAN, No. 15 Klutch Vodka Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WALK US THROUGH THE ACCIDENT FROM YOUR VIEWPOINT: “I saw two guys in front of me start wrecking. I started checking up. I was playing it cautions at the beginning of the race and tried to hang back but I got hit on the entry to the corner. As soon as I was checking up I thought the guys behind me would check up because they were further back but then I got hit on entry of turn one and as soon as that happened it started my momentum back up. I tried to get it slowed down but couldn’t in time. It is what it is.”

HOW FRUSTRATING IS IT AFTER THIS LONG WEEKEND? “It is so frustrating because I feel like at Daytona I have tried so many different strategies and none of them work out. It is very frustrating. I don’t know. Maybe one time we will get lucky here.”

FRANKIE MUNIZ, No. 35 Ford Performance Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT HAPPENED? “After that last cycle of pit stops, after the stage break, we decided to go back to the back. We wanted to just keep riding around a little bit to get some experience. Our whole thing was just be there at the end, so we were trying to be as safe as possible. There was a bunch of pretty fast cars behind us, so I was just staying on the inside letting them go by and before I knew it I just saw a bunch of smoke and tons of cars going all over the place. I thought I picked the right side to go through, but I just happened to go in the grass and the grass is still so wet from all the rain, so I just lost the rear and ran into someone. It’s bad luck, really, because that’s what getting through something like that is – you get lucky if you make it. Unfortunate because we were literally trying to be cautious. Even the whole first run we were chilling where we were and just kind of getting comfortable. I just did my first real pit stop ever. I had hoped to do more than that to get more experience, so it is unfortunate. Joey Gase Motorsports worked really hard. Obviously, they’re trying to teach me really quick. I”ve got so much to learn, but unfortunately we’re done early and by the looks of it it’s gonna be another crash-filled race and if we could have just finished we probably would have had a really good finish, but it is what it is. I hate the term ‘that’s racing.’ It’s my least favorite term in the history of life, but it is especially here. We didn’t do anything wrong, we just got caught up in whatever happened.”

All Three RFK Cars Collected in Multi-Car Incidents in Daytona 500

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Official Release
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Chris Buescher Finishes Organization-Highest 18th Following Multiple Crashes in Closing Laps

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2024) – RFK Racing was on the wrong end of the big one in the Daytona 500, as all three Fords were collected in multi-car incidents. As a result, Chris Buescher was credited with an 18th-place finish, David Ragan finished 20th, and Brad Keselowski 33rd in the ‘Great American Race.’

The 66th running of the Daytona 500 was pushed to Monday due to heavy rain in the Daytona Beach area most of Saturday, and all of Sunday. Keselowski began the day from the 16th position with Buescher in 19th, and Ragan in 40th.

The race opened with a strange opening stage of 65 laps, dominated by fuel strategies and various packs throughout the field. RFK’s three Fords finished 20th (Keselowski), 22nd (Buescher) and 26th (Ragan) at the end of the 65-lap stage.

Stage two ran caution-free with Keselowski crossing the stripe 12th, Buescher 10th – earning stage points – and Ragan in 25th in the BuildSubmarines.com Ford.

From there, Keselowski and Ragan methodically worked their way to the front as the No. 60 led once for a pair of laps, and Keselowski led the race two different times for a handful of laps. Keselowski ran third with 20 to go with Ragan just in front.

Then, as the laps continued to wind down, Keselowski was P2 with eight to go, and was hooked in the right rear, resulting in a massive crash that collected 23 different cars. That incident ended Keselowski’s quest for a Daytona 500.

“I don’t know,” Keselowski said after the incident. “I got hit in the back, so I couldn’t really tell you. It’s a shame. I was kind of making a move for the lead with eight laps to go in the Daytona 500 and I’m here talking to you. It’s just one of those deals. We were mixed up in the middle of the soup most of the race. We executed really well in the final stage and put ourselves in position, but that’s just the way Daytona goes.”

Buescher unfortunately sustained heavy damage to his Fastenal Ford in the same crash, which ultimately proved to be too costly for him to remain competitive in the final restart and closing laps.

“We had a fast Fastenal Ford Mustang and I am excited about that heading into next week,” Buescher added. “That is about where my excitement ends on the day. The crash, that sucks, there is no way around that. That definitely ruined our ultimate result. It was a really strange race. One of the most frustrating races I have been a part of in a long time. Tons of fuel saving and it was all about the pit stop, one pit stop for every stage and then some massive blocks by single cars that weren’t up to speed. It is a lot different than the last go around. I didn’t have as much fun as I hoped to but we will be good for next weekend.”

Ragan did skirt through that crash mostly unscathed, giving him a chance on the final restart. After restarting outside the top-10, he unfortunately was collected in a crash that occurred coming to the white flag, which ultimately ended the race under yellow.

Up Next
Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts race two on the NASCAR Cup Series season next weekend. Race coverage Sunday is set for 2:30 p.m. ET (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, entering its 37th season in 2024, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.

Rick Ware Racing: Daytona 500 Race Report

By
Official Release
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RICK WARE RACING
66th Running of the Daytona 500
Date: Feb. 19, 2024
Event: 66th Running of the Daytona 500 (Round 1 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (65 laps/65 laps/70 laps)
Race Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

RWR Finish:

● Riley Herbst (Started 36th, Finished 24th / Running, completed 199 of 200 laps)
● Justin Haley (Started 22nd, Finished 26th / Running, completed 199 of 200 laps)

RWR Points:

● Justin Haley (27th with 12 points)
● Note: Herbst is a fulltime driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and is not eligible for points in the NASCAR Cup Series.

RWR Notes:

● This was Herbst’s second career start in the Daytona 500. His best Daytona 500 finish remains 10th, earned last year.
● This was Haley’s fourth career start in the Daytona 500. His best Daytona 500 finish remains 13th, earned in 2020.

Race Notes:

● William Byron won the Daytona 500 to score his 11th career NASCAR Cup Series victory and his second at Daytona.

● There were five caution periods for a total of 20 laps.

● Twenty of the 40 drivers in the Daytona 500 finished on the lead lap.

● Byron leaves Daytona as the championship leader with a four-point advantage over second-place Alex Bowman.

Sound Bites:

“Obviously, we would’ve loved to have had a better finish for the No. 15 Monster Energy Zero Sugar team, but Daytona is such an unpredictable race, and you never know what’s going to happen in those last laps. We did our best to stay out of trouble and probably would’ve been in a good position if we didn’t have to spend some extra time on pit road early on. I’m proud of the team. They stuck with me and if there had been another caution at the end, I think we could’ve had something for them.” – Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 15 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Ford Mustang

“Our No. 51 team did great working through the adversity that comes with a race at Daytona. It was good to get up front and work with our Ford teammates. That was something I was really looking forward to and it was nice to be able to show early on that we’re capable of being there. We’ve got some things to clean up on pit road, but that’s expected with a new team. I feel good about what we did overall.”– Justin Haley, driver of the No. 51 Tree Top/Fraternal Order of Eagles/Jacob Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, Feb. 25 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race begins at 3 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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