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Ross Chastain Launching Ag to Asphalt Campaign

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Official Release
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Like a Farmer and the Melon Man are teaming up to spotlight the agriculture industry while providing American farmers and their families with a chance to experience each race in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Homestead, FL: NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain and Like a Farmer, a podcast and video series that spotlights and celebrates Rural America, announced today the formation of the Ag to Asphalt campaign as a way to shine a light on the agriculture industry and farmers across the country.

The campaign will highlight the importance of agriculture by sharing the real stories of farmers across the country. For each race in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, the Ag to Asphalt program will identify a local family farm in each race market. Chastain will tell each farm’s unique story via a video shared on social media the week before the race. The family farmer will then be invited to the NASCAR race on behalf of Chastain and Like A Farmer as a way to show appreciation and give thanks for their work as farmers.

As an eighth-generation watermelon farmer, Chastain knows the importance of agriculture and the sacrifices farmers make daily to put food on the table for all Americans, “Using my platform to spotlight these working family farms across America is something very important to me. When we started collaborating with the Like A Farmer team, the concept of creating this Ag to Asphalt program was a natural fit. Pat and I had a great time exploring my background in agriculture on the podcast, and taking this program to all of the NASCAR Cup Series races in 2024 is going to be equally exciting and rewarding.”

The Chastain family has been involved in the agriculture industry for over a century. Chastain’s childhood growing up on the farm curated a blue-collar approach and hard-working attitude that has catapulted him to the top of NASCAR. He earned his nickname “Melon Man” through his family’s heritage in the watermelon farming industry. His signature move is to smash a watermelon on the frontstretch after each win. Although he can be found racing for Trackhouse Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, Chastain still takes time to head back to the farm and uses his platform to be a voice for the agriculture industry.

In an effort to give back to the farming community, Chastain is proud to launch the Ag to Asphalt campaign with the support of Like a Farmer for the 2024 NASCAR season. “We are thrilled to announce a partnership that not only shines a light on Rural America but helps some of our nation’s farmers take a mental break from their everyday jobs,” explains Pat Spinosa, host of the Like a Farmer podcast.

Catch Chastain in an upcoming Like a Farmer episode (https://likeafarmer.com/) on Thursday, October 26, where he sits truck-side with Spinosa reflecting on his upbringing on the farm and how it paved the path to his successful career in NASCAR. Hear him discuss the partnership and learn more about Like a Farmer’s mission to celebrate the agricultural community by sharing the stories of big names from NFL stars to country musicians who know and love Rural America.

Joining Like a Farmer and Chastain is Trackhouse Racing partner Kubota Tractor Corporation, as well as Bayer Seminis, both of which are part of the fabric of the agriculture community. The support of this campaign further illustrates the importance of farmers and the larger agricultural industry across the country.

Learn More:
Visit www.agtoasphalt.com to learn more about the program and see behind-the-scenes content featuring Chastain and many of the farms that help to feed America.

How To Register:
Spots are limited. The Ag to Asphalt program will work with presenting partner Like A Farmer to select deserving farmers from across America. Any farmer can sign up. Fill out the form on www.agtoasphalt.com with information about your farm and you will be entered to win a 2024 racing experience.

Kaulig Racing to Part Ways with Chandler Smith in 2024

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Official Release
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LEXINGTON, N.C. (October 22, 2023) – Kaulig Racing announced today that Chandler Smith will not return to the organization’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) program next season.

Smith, who is seventh in the series Playoffs standing, has earned one win, three pole awards, eight top five and 12 top-10 finishes this season. The November 4th event at Phoenix Raceway will serve as Smith’s final race with Kaulig Racing.

The 2024 driver lineup will be announced in the coming weeks.

About Kaulig Racing™

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 with Justin Haley piloting the No. 31 Camaro ZL1, and an all-star lineup featured in the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. Haley will continue to drive the No. 31 full-time in 2023, alongside AJ Allmendinger, who will drive the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. The team will continue to field three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by an all-star lineup, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by Chandler Smith. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Carson Hocevar Earns ‘Championship 4’ Berth with a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway

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Official Release
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Homestead, Fla. (Oct. 21, 2023) – Carson Hocevar earned a series-high fourth win on Saturday afternoon at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The win secured Hocevar and the No. 42 Worldwide Express team a spot in the ‘Championship 4’ at Phoenix Raceway.

“I’m so proud of everyone on this Niece Motorsports team, said Hocevar. “Our Worldwide Express Chevrolet was so fast. I was bummed yesterday when we didn’t get the pole because I knew the speed that our truck had. I’m glad that we could show that today and put ourselves into the final round of the playoffs. We’re going to do everything we can to bring that championship home.”

The win comes in Hocevar’s 76th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start. It marks Hocevar’s fourth win of the 2023 season; his other three wins coming at Texas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, and Richmond Raceway. It is the eighth win for Niece Motorsports in only its seventh full-time season.

Hocevar is the only driver to win four races this season. With the win, Hocevar secures a position in the ‘Championship 4’. The highest finishing driver, of the Championship 4, at Phoenix Raceway will be crowned the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion.

“I know how hard we’re working in the shop to prepare race trucks that are capable of winning, and we know Carson has the talent to get the job done,” said Niece Motorsports General Manager Cody Efaw. “It’s been our goal as an organization to compete for a championship this season, so we’re excited to get to Phoenix and have that opportunity.”

Hocevar and his Niece Motorsports team were happy with the No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet after Friday afternoon’s practice session. Both truck and driver showed speed, putting the No. 42 Chevrolet on the outside pole to start the 134-lap race.

Early in Stage One, Hocevar’s truck began overheating, due to debris on the grille. The No. 42 crossed the line third to end the opening stage, with Hocevar visiting pit road during the stage break for four tires, fuel and to remove the debris.

Hocevar maintained position toward the front of the pack during the second stage, until a caution with just a few laps remaining in the stage brought teams down pit road. Hocevar restarted outside of the top-10, but worked his way into ninth to finish the stage – collecting ever-important stage points in both stages.

The final stage was slowed early by two cautions, with Hocevar continuing to run in the top-10. A long green flag run brought teams down pit road for fresh tires and fuel, to make it to the end of the race. Hocevar methodically worked his way through the field, taking the lead for the first time of the day on Lap 124 on the way to the win.

The Craftsman 150 at Phoenix Raceway will air live on FS1, The Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Friday, Nov. 3 at 10:00 p.m. ET.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2023, Niece Motorsports enters its eighth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as X @NieceMotorsport.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com | www.niecemotorsports.com

About WWEX Group:
The WWEX Group of brands, which comprises Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers, offers full-service logistics expertise to more than 121,000 customers across the country. With access to industry-leading small package, truckload, less-than-truckload and managed transportation solutions, its customers benefit from enhanced visibility and value for their supply chains. The company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS Authorized Reseller® in the U.S., with an annual systemwide revenue nearing $5 billion through a network of company-owned, franchise and agent locations. A highly selective carrier portfolio, proprietary technology, unique data assets and business intelligence capabilities provide clients with unmatched options and flexibility to meet their shipping needs. To learn more about WWEX Group, visit www.wwexgroup.com.

Lawless Alan – Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 Race Recap

By
Official Release
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Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 | Homestead-Miami Speedway

Team: No. 45 AUTODockit Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Lawless Alan (Los Angeles, California) | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Lawless Alan: Twitter: @lawlessalan25 | Instagram: @lawless_alan | Facebook: /LawlessAlanRacing | Web: www.lawlessalanracing.com

Start: 23rd | Finish: 19th | Driver Point Standings: 23rd

Alan on Saturday’s Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway: “I think we had a faster truck, but we struggled to get track position,” said Lawless Alan. “I appreciate this whole team for their work on our AUTODockit Chevrolet and am looking forward to ending the season on a high note at Phoenix.”

Race Recap: Alan and the No. 45 AUTODockit team took to the track on Friday afternoon to practice and qualify at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Alan lined up 23rd to start the 134-Lap race on Saturday afternoon. Alan battled mid-pack for the majority of the race, ultimately crossing the line in 19th.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2023, Niece Motorsports enters its eighth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as X @NieceMotorsport.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com | www.niecemotorsports.com

About AUTODockit:
AUTODockit delivers fully automated boat storage. Boats are safely stored indoors in a rack and rail system, protected within a site-specific hurricane-protected structure. Vessels are placed in Rack Storage structures of unoccupied space driven by industrial automation technology. AUTODockit uses the same trusted and proven modular scalable architecture from AUTOParkit™ a market leader in Autonomous Parking Systems. AUTODockit uses all electric motors and does NOT use forklifts, overhead cranes, robotics, hydraulics, or pneumatics. Travel lanes are significantly reduced in AUTODockit sites allowing increased storage capacity and maximizing revenue.

AUTODockit provides two solutions: Coastal and Inland. AUTODockit Costal lifts boats directly from the water while AUTODockit Inland is for trailered boats.

About AUTOParkit:
AUTOParkit™ designs, manufactures, and constructs fully automated parking systems for new and existing buildings. AUTOParkit system structural steel and modular design can provide double the capacity of a traditional parking garage, providing up to 17 LEED points and drastically reducing construction time.

AUTOParkit automated systems are 40 percent less expensive to operate, safer for the user and reduces carbon emissions associated with parking by more than 80 percent. AUTOParkit’s charging pallets provided by AUTOChargit, are a fast and convenient way of charging EVs and Hybrids. AUTOChargit’s patented technology allows for shuffling charged vehicles cutting infrastructure costs by up to 80 percent.

For more information on AUTOParkit, visit www.autoparkit.com

About AUTOChargit:
AUTOChargit designs, manufactures and installs EV charging systems for automated and conventional parking applications. AUTOChargit can decrease capital expenditures by up to 75 percent by providing automated coupling and decoupling of EV charging stalls from the power source. For conventional parking applications, a single 40-AMP circuit coupled with a single AUTOChargit System can be multiplexed to four, eight, or 12 stalls. Each charging stall is individually metered for the exact tracking of electricity usage. The AUTOParkit Mobile APP provides a touchless experience for the user.

Bayley Currey – Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 Race Recap

By
Official Release
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Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 | Homestead-Miami Speedway

Team: No. 41 Unishippers Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Bayley Currey (Driftwood, Texas) | Crew Chief: Mike Hillman Jr.
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Bayley Currey: Twitter: @BayleyCurrey | Instagram: @bayleycurrey05 | Facebook: /bayleycurrey05 | Web: www.bcurrey.com/

Start: 17th | Finish: 5th | Owner Point Standings: 17th

Currey on Saturday’s Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway: “We had a fast Unishippers Chevrolet,” said Bayley Currey. “It felt good to battle for position at the front of the pack. We had a strong truck, ran a smart race and got a great finish out of it. I’m excited to close out the season on a high note in Phoenix.”

Race Recap: Currey and the No. 41 Unishippers Chevrolet lined up 17th for Saturday afternoon’s 134-Lap event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Currey wasted no time working his way through the pack, finishing just outside of the top-10 at the conclusion of Stage One. Currey and team ran a clean race, battling for position inside the top-five as the race drew to a close. The No. 41 would ultimately finish the day in fifth.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2023, Niece Motorsports enters its eighth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as X @NieceMotorsport.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com | www.niecemotorsports.com

About WWEX Group:
The WWEX Group of brands, which comprises Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers, offers full-service logistics expertise to more than 121,000 customers across the country. With access to industry-leading small package, truckload, less-than-truckload and managed transportation solutions, its customers benefit from enhanced visibility and value for their supply chains. The company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS Authorized Reseller® in the U.S., with an annual systemwide revenue nearing $5 billion through a network of company-owned, franchise and agent locations. A highly selective carrier portfolio, proprietary technology, unique data assets and business intelligence capabilities provide clients with unmatched options and flexibility to meet their shipping needs. To learn more about WWEX Group, visit www.wwexgroup.com.

Mayer clinches Championship 4 berth with late Xfinity victory at Homestead

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Two weeks after keeping his championship hopes alive by earning a walk-off victory in the Playoff’s Round of 8 finale at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, Sam Mayer will officially race for his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship after achieving a late victory in the Contender Boats 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, October 21.

The 20-year-old Mayer from Franklin, Wisconsin, led three times for 46 of 200-scheduled laps in an event where he started 13th and made his presence at the front known at the start of the second stage period while scoring a handful of stage points during the first two stage periods. Then after assuming the lead with 49 laps remaining while pole-sitter and Playoff rival Cole Custer pitted under green due to a flat tire, Mayer, who pitted with under 37 laps remaining for his final set of tires, withstood two late restarts, including the final one with 23 laps remaining, to fend off a hard-charging Riley Herbst and claim his fourth Xfinity Series victory of the 2023 season. Above all, Mayer punched his ticket into this year’s Championship 4 round as he will contend for the 2023 Xfinity Series title at Phoenix Raceway in two weeks’ time.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, October 20, Playoff contender Cole Custer secured the pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 165.604 mph in 32.608 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Playoff contender John Hunter Nemechek, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 164.704 mph in 32.786 seconds.

Prior to the event, Patrick Emerling and Ryan Ellis 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, Custer used the outside lane to rocket away from Nemechek and retain the lead through the first two turns. With the field fanning out and jostling for early spots through the backstretch, Custer proceeded to lead the first lap while Nemechek was overtaken by Justin Allgaier and Austin Hill for second and third place. Josh Berry would follow suit during the following along with rookie Sammy Smith while Custer was leading by half a second.

Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Custer retained the lead by half a second over Allgaier followed by Nemechek, Hill, and Berry while Sammy Smith, Sam Mayer, Brett Moffitt, Riley Herbst and Ryan Sieg were in the top 10. Behind, rookie Chandler Smith and Sheldon Creed were in the top 15 along with Dale Earnhardt Jr. as Kaz Grala and Daniel Hemric were a part of the battle.

Ten laps later, Custer stretched his advantage to a second over Nemechek followed by Allgaier, Hill and Sammy Smith while Mayer, Herbst, Berry, Moffitt and Creed occupied the top 10 on the track. Behind, Chandler Smith was in 13th ahead of Hemric and Earnhardt Jr. while Ryan Sieg and Grala were in the top 12. In addition, Ryan Newman was running in the top 20.

At the Lap 35 mark, Custer continued to lead by more than a second over Nemechek as Allgaier, Mayer and Creed were in the top five. Behind, Herbst occupied sixth place ahead of Moffitt, Hill, Grala and Sammy Smith while Chandler Smith, Parker Kligerman, Daniel Hemric, Earnhardt Jr. and Berry were in the top 15.

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 45, Custer, who came into the event 15 points above the top-four cutline to transfer into the Playoff’s Championship 4 round, captured his eighth Xfinity stage victory of the 2023 season. Mayer settled in second ahead of Nemechek, Creed and Moffitt while Allgaier, Herbst, Hill, Grala and Hemric were scored in the top 10. By then, Playoff contenders Chandler Smith and Sammy Smith were mired in 11th and 14th, respectively.

Under the stage break, the lead lap field led by Custer pitted. Following the pit stops, Custer retained the lead after exiting pit road ahead of Mayer, Creed, Nemechek, Allgaier and Herbst. Amid the pit stops, Brandon Jones was penalized for his crew members’ going over the wall too soon. Josh Williams was also penalized for pit interference.

The second stage period started on Lap 52 as Custer and Mayer occupied the front row. At the start, Custer and Mayer dueled for the lead for nearly a lap. Mayer would lead the following lap by a hair until Custer fought back and reassumed the top spot by Lap 54. Another few laps later, Allgaier made his way into the runner-up spot over teammate Mayer as Nemechek and Hill trailed in the top five.

At the Lap 60 mark, Custer was leading by six-tenths of a second over Allgaier followed by Mayer, Nemechek and Hill while Herbst, Kligerman, Berry, Creed and Chandler Smith were racing in the top 10.

Seven laps later, the caution flew after Dawson Cram wrecked in Turn 1 and lost his left-rear wheel in the process. During the caution period, the front-runners led by Custer remained on the track while select names that included Jeremy Clements, Derek Kraus, Brennan Poole and Kyle Sieg pitted for fresh tires.

When the race restarted on Lap 72, Custer and Nemechek briefly dueled for the lead until Nemechek muscled ahead with the lead from the inside lane. With Nemechek driving away from the field, Mayer and Custer battled for the runner-up spot followed by Allgaier and Kligerman while Hill and Herbst followed suit along with a hard-charging Kraus.

Then on Lap 78, Kraus, who pitted during the previous caution period, assumed the lead from Nemechek. Kraus would proceed to lead just past the Lap 80 by more than a second over Nemechek as Custer, Mayer and Allgaier were scored in the top five. By then, Kyle Sieg was in sixth while Hill, Kligerman, Herbst and Hemric were in the top 10. By then, Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith and Creed were in 11th, 12th and 14th while Earnhardt Jr. was in 13th.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 90, Kraus, who was making his seventh Xfinity career start, captured his first Xfinity career stage victory. Nemechek settled in second ahead of Custer, Mayer and Allgaier while Kligerman, Kyle Sieg, Herbst, Hill and Hemric were scored in the top 10. 16, 18 and 2 in 11th, 12th and 14th while Earnhardt Jr. was back in 16th.

Under the stage break, the lead lap field led by Custer returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Custer retained the lead after exiting pit road first. Amid the pit stops, Berry was penalized for speeding on pit road.

With 104 laps remaining, the final stage started as Custer and Allgaier occupied the front row. At the start, Custer and Allgaier dueled for the lead through the first two turns and they continued to battle dead even entering the backstretch. Shortly after, the caution returned after Playoff contender Chandler Smith, who was battling for a top-10 spot on the track, was hit by teammate Kraus, who was being rubbed by Brandon Jones, before Smith bounced off of Creed and spun before he was then hit by Brett Moffitt.

During the following restart with 97 laps remaining, Allgaier benefitted from restarting on the inside lane as he muscled away from Custer to inherit the lead. Amid the battles ensuing behind the leaders, Allgaier would lead the next eight laps before Custer reassumed the lead with 90 laps remaining.

Then with 81 laps remaining, Allgaier, who was running third, made a pit stop under green to address a loose left-rear wheel on his No. 7 hellowater Chevrolet Camaro. By then, Custer extended his advantage to two seconds over Mayer followed by Herbst, Nemechek and Hill while Earnhardt Jr., Sammy Smith, Creed, Hemric and Kraus were running in the top 10.

With nearly 65 laps remaining, green flag pit stops commenced as Joe Graf Jr. pitted. Richard Childress Racing’s Hill and Creed would pit under green a few laps later followed by Earnhardt Jr., Herbst, Custer, Mayer and others. As the green flag pit stops dwindled, Custer reassumed the lead with 53 laps remaining.

Four laps later, however, Custer fell off the pace while leading through the frontstretch and pitted after the right-front tire was spotted flat on the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang. Custer’s late misfortune moved Mayer into the lead while Hill, Nemechek, Herbst and Allgaier followed suit in the top five.

With 37 laps remaining, the caution returned after a wheel was spotted leaning against the outside wall on pit road. The caution occurred a few laps after Allgaier had pitted for his final set of tires. During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Mayer pitted for their final set of tires.

As the race restarted with 30 laps remaining, Mayer retained the lead ahead of Hill, Nemechek and Herbst as the field fanned out and jostled for late positions. Shortly after, the caution returned after Earnhardt Jr., who was battling within the top 10, got loose entering the backstretch, slipped up the track and bumped against his JR Motorsports’ driver Berry, which sent Berry into the outside wall before Berry went up the track in Turns 3 and 4 and scraped the wall amid a flat tire to his No. 8 Tire Pros Chevrolet Camaro.

During the following restart with 23 laps remaining, Mayer cleared Hill entering Turn 2 to retain the lead as the field behind fanned out through the backstretch. Mayer would stabilize his advantage to seven-tenths of a second over Hill as Nemechek, Herbst and Brandon Jones followed suit in the top five with 20 laps remaining.

Down to the final five laps of the event, Mayer extended his advantage to more than a second over Nemechek while Herbst, Hill and Earnhardt Jr. were scored in the top five. Behind, Hemric was in sixth while Brandon Jones, Sammy Smith, Kligerman and Joe Graf Jr. were up in the top 10.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Mayer remained as the leader by more than two-tenths of a second over Herbst. Amid Playoff contender Creed wrecking just past the backstretch, the race remained under green flag conditions. With Herbst unable to narrow the gap, Mayer was able to navigate his No. 1 Accelerate Pros Talent Chevrolet Camaro around the Homestead circuit smoothly for a final time as he returned to the frontstretch and claimed his fourth checkered flag of this season and of his career.

With the victory, Mayer, who achieved his first oval-circuit win in the Xfinity Series and came into the event 16 points below the top-four cutline, became the first Playoff contender to secure one of four vacant spots into this year’s Championship 4 round as he will officially contend for his first Xfinity Series championship. Mayer’s victory was also enough for the Chevrolet nameplate to secure this year’s manufacturer’s title and it was the seventh of the season for JR Motorsports.

“That’s unreal. We won on an oval! Whoo!” Mayer exclaimed on USA Network. “I can’t believe it. These guys, the Accelerate Pros Camaro today was just so good. It’s all about putting a full race together and I’m so proud of these guys. They kicked tail on pit road. We made it happen with these [Hendrick Motorsports] engines. Stewart-Haas [Racing] had [the race won] today, that’s for sure. It’s just really cool to be able to beat an amazing organization like that. We got to turn it on a little harder going to Phoenix.”

Herbst, who achieved his first Xfinity victory a week ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, settled in the runner-up spot while Nemechek, Hill and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished in the top five. Behind, Hemric ended up sixth while Kligerman, Brandon Jones, Sammy Smith and Joe Graf Jr. finished in the top 10. Meanwhile, Playoff contenders Custer, Allgaier and Creed, all of whom led a combined 126 laps, ended up 13th, 15th and 26th, respectively.

There were 13 lead changes for six different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 33 laps. In addition, 12 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.

Results.

1. Sam Mayer, 46 laps led

2. Riley Herbst

3. John Hunter Nemechek, seven laps led

4. Austin Hill

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

6. Daniel Hemric

7. Parker Kligerman

8. Brandon Jones

9. Sammy Smith

10. Joe Graf Jr.

11. Derek Kraus, 21 laps led, Stage 2 winner

12. Parker Retzlaff

13. Cole Custer, one lap down, 114 laps led, Stage 1 winner

14. Ryan Sieg, one lap down

15. Justin Allgaier, one lap down, eight laps led

16. Kyle Weatherman, one lap down

17. Josh Williams, one lap down

18. Jeffrey Earnhardt, one lap down

19. Brennan Poole, one lap down

20. Jeb Burton, one lap down

21. Jeremy Clements, one lap down

22. Kyle Sieg, one lap down

23. Leland Honeyman, one lap down

24. Ryan Ellis, one lap down

25. Patrick Emerling, two laps down

26. Sheldon Creed, two laps down, four laps led

27. Mason Massey, two laps down

28. Anthony Alfredo, three laps down

29. Blaine Perkins, four laps down

30. Kaz Grala, six laps down

31. Connor Mosack – OUT, Electrical

32. Josh Berry – OUT, Accident

33. Mason Maggio – OUT, Electrical

34. Chandler Smith – OUT, Engine

35. Brett Moffitt – OUT, Accident

36. Dawson Cram – OUT, Accident

37. CJ McLaughlin – OUT, Carburetor

38. Ryan Newman – OUT, Rear gear

*Bold indicates Playoff competitors

Playoff standings

1. Sam Mayer – Advanced

2. John Hunter Nemechek +44

3. Cole Custer +3

4. Austin Hill +3

5. Justin Allgaier -3

6. Sammy Smith -49

7. Chandler Smith -54

8. Sheldon Creed -65

The Round of 8 in the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs is set to conclude next Saturday, October 28, at Martinsville Speedway, which will determine the Championship 4 field. The event’s broadcast is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Chevrolet Clinches 25th Bill France Performance Cup in NASCAR Xfinity Series

By
Official Release
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Seventh Consecutive Title for Camaro SS

 DETROIT (October 21, 2023) – With two races remaining, Chevrolet has clinched the 2023 Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. JRM Motorsports’ Sam Mayer’s win in the series’ second race of the Round of Eight at Homestead-Miami Speedway delivered the Bowtie Brand the Bill France Performance Cup for a series-leading 25th time.

The Chevrolet Camaro made its debut as the automaker’s flagship vehicle in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2013, and has since earned nine titles in the series with 2023 marking its seventh consecutive title-winning season.

“It is a tremendous honor earning the Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the seventh consecutive year,” said Jim Campbell, General Motors U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports. “Thank you to the Chevrolet drivers, crew chiefs and teams for all of their hard work to contribute valuable points toward this special championship.”

Seven drivers have recorded a combined 16 wins in the Camaro SS this season, led by Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer with four wins each. Mayer’s teammate and fellow playoff contender Justin Allgaier has collected three wins. Kaulig Racing has four wins with three different drivers, including series rookie Chandler Smith (one) and Team Chevy NASCAR Cup Series drivers AJ Allmendinger (two) and Kyle Larson (one). Jordan Anderson Racing also collected its first-ever NASCAR Xfinity Series win with Jeb Burton. Team Chevy’s Sheldon Creed, Josh Berry, Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones and Parker Kligerman also contributed to the title with valuable points throughout the season.

“Thank you to all of the Chevrolet teams who work hard each and every week to make this Manufacturer Championship possible,” said Shane Martin, GM Racing Program Manager for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. “Every point matters during the season to reach this accomplishment. I’m very proud of the team effort and contributions made by everyone involved in this program, and look forward to racing for a Driver Championship.”

The end of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season saw Austin Hill take the title, leading Chevrolet to a manufacturer-leading nine playoff contenders. Now reaching the Round of Eight, five Team Chevy drivers remain in title contention with Mayer’s win at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval punching his ticket into the Championship Four and the opportunity to compete for the Chevrolet’s 22nd NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Championship title.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Toyota Racing – NXS Homestead Post-Race Report – 10.21.23

By
Official Release
-

NEMECHEK, SMITH AND GRAF JR. EARN TOP-10s at HOMESTEAD
John Hunter Nemechek stays above playoff cutline; Smith in must-win scenario

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (October 21, 2023) – At the end of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek came home with a third-place finish, keeping him 44 points above the playoff cutline heading into Martinsville next weekend. The North Carolina native earned his seventh consecutive top-10 finish and has finished in top-10 in each Homestead Xfinity Series start.

His Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammates, Sammy Smith and Joe Graf Jr., both joined him in the top-10, with Smith finishing ninth and Graf tenth. To advance to the Championship 4, Smith is in a likely must win scenario at Martinsville Speedway next Saturday. Graf completed his scheduled races in 2023 with JGR on a high note with his second top-10 in six starts with the No. 19 GR Supra.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race 31 of 33 – 300 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Sam Mayer*

2nd, Riley Herbst*

3rd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

4th, Austin Hill*

5th, Dale Earnhardt Jr.*

9th, SAMMY SMITH

10th, JOE GRAF JR.

30th, KAZ GRALA

31st, CONNOR MOSACK

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 20 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

Can you assess how your race went?

“Overall, solid day. Proud of this whole No. 20 Pye-Barker Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing team. Thanks Toyota, TRD. We are still in a really good points spot going into Martinsville. Just have to go execute – solid points day today, and that’s all you can ask for. Doesn’t matter how you get to Phoenix, just that you get there.”

What kind of challenges did you overcome today to get third?

“A lot, I feel like. We had a really fast Toyota GR Supra with Pye-Barker colors on it today. Thank you to Toyota, TRD – all of our great partners. This thing was almost as fast as Xfinity 10 G, but overall, solid day for us – we had a solid points day. With the 1 (Sam Mayer) winning, it kind of took away our chance to lock it up today. Still a solid cushion behind us going into Martinsville. We won there early this year, so hopefully we can go there and have a solid day. It doesn’t matter if we win. As long as we lock into Phoenix, that is all that matters.”

SAMMY SMITH, No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 9th

Take us through your day today.

“Yeah, it was an okay day for the No. 18 Pilot Flying J GR Supra team as we struggled a bit with balance and just needed some speed throughout the day today. I knew we had to go win either of these two races to advance, so now, have to go to Martinsville and win it – all we have to do. Do whatever it takes to win.”

JOE GRAF JR., No. 19 Wawa Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

Can you talk about what you learned today and what it means to you to achieve a top-10 finish?

“Definitely learned a lot today. I feel like we fired off too free to start the race in the short run. We were really good on the long run, but it hurt us on the short run. We needed to fire off better on restarts, so we tightened the car up, and got it better short run. I felt like we were better on the short run there at the end but gave up a little bit on the long run – just built too tight on center exit, but overall, a good day. I can’t thank the Joe Gibbs Racing guys enough and Wawa coming on board our GR Supra. I’m really happy to be here and hoping to do some more of it next year.”

About Toyota

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

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

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

Hocevar capitalizes for late Truck victory at Homestead; Championship 4 field set

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeeedwayMedia.com.

Eleven days after announcing his move to the NASCAR Cup Series for the 2024 season, Carson Hocevar will receive an opportunity to contend for this year’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship after leading the final 11 laps en route to winning the Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, October 21.

The 20-year-old Hocevar from Portage, Michigan, led the final 11 of 134 scheduled laps in an event where he started on the front row and battled within the lead pack. He also scored a handful of stage points throughout the event’s two stage periods. Then, amid a series of late battles and late pit strategies ensuing between Playoff contenders trying to race their way into this year’s Championship 4 round, Hocevar tracked and overtook Playoff rival Ben Rhodes with 11 laps remaining.

He then cruised to his fourth Craftsman Truck Series career victory of the 2023 season and raced his way into the Championship 4 round. As a result, Hocevar will square off against Corey Heim, Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes for this year’s Truck Series championship in the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway in early November.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, October 20, Playoff contender and rookie Nick Sanchez secured his fifth Truck pole position of this season after posting a pole-winning lap at 167.084 mph in 32.319 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Playoff contender Carson Hocevar, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 165.858 mph in 32.558 seconds.

Prior to the event, Spencer Davis, Trevor Bayne, Jonathan Shafer and Armani Williams dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective trucks. Brothers Tanner and Taylor Gray also dropped to the rear of the field due to missing driver introductions.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Sanchez and Hocevar dueled for the lead entering Turn 1 as the field fanned out and jostled early for positions. Through the backstretch, Sanchez managed to muscle his No. 2 Gainbridge Chevrolet Silverado RST ahead of Hocevar from the outside lane as he then maintained control of both lanes through Turns 3 and 4 before he led the first lap. By then, Ty Majeski was in second ahead of Carson Hocevar while Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger were in the top five ahead of a hard-charging Corey Heim, who started eighth.

Five laps later, Heim, who was already guaranteed a spot in this year’s Championship 4 field, made his move and assumed the lead from Sanchez. By Lap 10, Heim was leading by eight-tenths of a second over Hocevar followed by Majeski while Sanchez fell back to fourth ahead of Zane Smith and 38. In addition, Enfinger, Eckes, Stewart Friesen, Matt Crafton and Tyler Ankrum were running in the top 10 while Playoff contender Ben Rhodes was mired back in 22nd.

At the Lap 20 mark, Heim extended his advantage to more than a second over Majeski followed by Zane Smith, Hocevar and Enfinger while Sanchez, Friesen, Eckes, Crafton and Chase Purdy were in the top 10. Behind, Rhodes was mired in 24th behind teammate Hailie Deegan while Ankrum, Rajah Caruth, Bayley Currey, Dean Thompson and Jack Wood were in the top 15. Notably, Trevor Bayne was in 18th while Tanner Gray, Taylor Gray, Brad Perez and Jake Garcia occupied the top 20.

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 30, Heim captured his sixth Truck stage victory of the 2023 season. Majeski settled in second ahead of Hocevar, Zane Smith and Enfinger while Friesen, Eckes, Sanchez, Crafton and Purdy were scored in the top 10. By then, Rhodes was mired in 24th place while 26 of 34 starters were scored on the lead lap.

Under the stage break, the lead lap field led by Heim pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Heim retained the lead after exiting pit road first followed by Majeski, Hocevar, Zane Smith, Eckes, Friesen, Crafton and Enfinger. Amid the pit stops, Hailie Deegan and Nick Leitz were penalized for uncontrolled tire violations while Memphis Villarreal was penalized for a safety violation. In addition, Marco Andretti was penalized for unapproved fueling.

The second stage period started on Lap 39 as Heim and Majeski occupied the front row. At the start, Heim, who briefly dueled against Majeski for the lead, maintained the lead over Majeski and a bevy of Playoff contenders as the field behind fanned out. With Heim retaining the top spot, a three-way battle for the runner-up spot ensued between Majeski, Zane Smith and Hocevar while Eckes and Friesen tried to join the battle.

At the Lap 45 mark, Heim was leading by a second over Zane Smith followed by Hocevar, Majeski and Friesen while Eckes, Currey, Sanchez, Crafton and Enfinger were in the top 10. Behind, Rhodes was mired in 16th.

Five laps later, Heim stabilized his advantage by a second over Hocevar followed by Zane Smith, Majeski and Friesen while Eckes, Currey, Sanchez, Enfinger and Crafton were battling in the top 10. Meanwhile, Rhodes was still running in 16th behind Bayne.

Three laps later, the caution flew after Spencer Boyd stopped on the track. During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Heim returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Heim maintained the lead after exiting first ahead of Zane Smith, Eckes, Currey, Sanchez, Majeski and Friesen. Amid the pit stops, Playoff contender Enfinger was penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation.

With the race restarting with two laps remaining in the second stage period, Heim maintained the lead over Zane Smith and Currey muscled his way up to third as the field fanned out through the first two turns. Amid the battles, Heim retained the lead over a hard-charging Zane Smith once he started the final lap of the second stage period.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 60, Heim notched his seventh Truck stage victory of the 2023 season and the second of the day. Zane Smith settled in second ahead of a side-by-side duel between Currey and Sanchez while Friesen, Eckes, Majeski, Crafton, Purdy and Hocevar were scored in the top 10. By then, Rhodes was in 11th while Enfinger was mired back in 20th.

With the front-runners remaining on the track during the second stage break period, the final stage commenced with 67 laps remaining as Heim and Zane Smith occupied the front row. At the start, Zane Smith made his way into the lead over Heim as the field fanned out while jostling for late positions. A lap later, however, the caution returned after Colby Howard and Hailie Deegan wrecked on the frontstretch.

During the following restart with 60 laps remaining, Zane Smith and Heim dueled for the lead until the former maintained the top spot ahead of the field. As Smith retained the lead, Currey made his way into the runner-up spot over Heim while Hocevar, Sanchez and Majeski followed suit. Rhodes would also make his way into the top 10 while Enfinger was trying to re-enter the top 10.

Following another caution period with 56 laps remaining after Mason Maggio spun in Turn 4, the race restarted with 50 laps remaining. At the start, Heim, who restarted on the front row alongside Zane Smith, spun the tires, which allowed Smith to pull away with the lead as Hocevar made his way into the runner-up spot. Shortly after, Heim battled and reassumed the runner-up spot over Hocevar while Zane Smith was leading by seven-tenths of a second.

Then with 40 laps remaining, Heim, who had slipped to sixth, pitted his No. 11 Chateau Elan/Explore Braselton Toyota Tundra TRD Pro under green. Playoff contenders Enfinger and Eckes would also pit four laps later before Eckes was penalized for speeding on pit road, thus damaging his hopes of transferring into the Championship 4 field. Within 30 laps remaining, more Playoff names that included Sanchez, Zane Smith and Majeski pitted as Rhodes, who pitted during the previous caution period amid a gusty pit strategic call from crew chief Rich Lushes, cycled his No. 99 Campers Inn RV Ford F-150 into the lead.

With 15 laps remaining, Rhodes was leading by more than five seconds over a hard-charging Hocevar while Zane Smith was in third and trailing the lead by more than five seconds. By then, Heim and Enfinger were in the top five.

Four laps later, Hocevar, who gained massive ground on Rhodes, assumed the lead from Rhodes. Hocevar’s move placed Rhodes only two points above the top-four cutline while Zane Smith was 15 points below and mired in a “must-win” situation to advance.

Down to the final five laps of the event, Hocevar was leading by three seconds over Zane Smith’s No. 38 Ambetter Health Ford F-150 while Rhodes, Heim and Enfinger were scored in the top five. By then, Hocevar, Enfinger and Rhodes were still scored above the cutline along with Heim while Zane Smith, Sanchez, Eckes and Majeski were currently scored below the cutline.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Hocevar remained as the leader by nearly three seconds over Zane Smith. With Smith unable to generate a final lap charge as he was too far behind Hocevar, Hocevar was able to smoothly navigate his No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado RST around Homestead for a final time and cycle back to the frontstretch to claim his fourth checkered flag of his career and of the 2023 season.

With the victory, Hocevar also punched his ticket into this year’s Championship 4 round and will officially contend for his first NASCAR National Touring Series championship in the Truck circuit at Phoenix Raceway. Hocevar will compete alongside Corey Heim, Ben Rhodes and Grant Enfinger, all of whom finished in the top five and will contend for their first series title, minus Rhodes, who will contend for his second title.

“We were so fast,” Hocevar said on FS1. “It kills me [that] I can’t do a burnout. We have to take this motor to Phoenix. So good. This truck was so good. We got behind on pit stops and just lost track position, which really was unfortunate. I love winning! I love it! We just got to win at Phoenix. Even with all the setbacks, from the debris and everything, we had a shot to win and we did just that.”

“I don’t know what to think,” Rhodes said. “To be honest, the whole day was so difficult. I knew we were in for a long day. I just didn’t know it was gonna be this difficult, but what an absolute blessing to finish where we did. I can’t thank [crew chief Rich Lushes] enough for making that [pit] call. He’s really good at making these calls when it counts. I just wish we weren’t in this position so much. We’ve dealt with this pressure year over year and every time, we’ve been able to show through we get. I’m thankful for the effort by the team. What a day.”

“It feels great,” Enfinger said. “These guys deserve to be running for a championship at Phoenix. Pretty disappointed in our execution. You can’t make mistakes against these guys. We were blessed to have a second opportunity. [Crew chief] Jeff [Hensley] made some great calls on the truck. The truck was as good as it was gonna be those last two stints. That was all we had. Congratulations to all these guys. Hopefully, we can make the most of it in two weeks.”

“Definitely really excited for Phoenix,” Heim said. “I’ve been putting in a lot of hard work and studying into that race. It’s gonna be the biggest race of my career. We’ve got bigger things on the horizon here, so we’ll focus on that.”

Amid the Championship 4 field being set, Zane Smith, the reigning series champion who finished in the runner-up spot, did not transfer along with Ty Majeski, rookie Nick Sanchez and Christian Eckes.

“Just a bummer,” Smith said. “The Round of 8 was not good to us. It only takes one bad race and unfortunately, we had two. Just one spot short today.”

“We had a truck [that was] able to advance and just kept making mistakes,” Eckes said. “Just wasn’t good enough today.”

“We just missed it a little bit today,” Majeski said. “We were all over the splitter, way too hard to be able to attack on restarts, maintain our track position. Long run, we were OK. Just couldn’t get going. Proud of this No. 98 team. Wished we could’ve been competing for a championship at Phoenix, but I see my teammate Ben [Rhodes] made it, so good for ThorSport [Racing]. All hands on deck these next two weeks, trying to prepare four fast trucks to go to Phoenix and hopefully, bring home a race win and a championship.”

“To miss [the Championship 4] by one point is pretty rough,” Sanchez said. “Guess all you can do is go to Phoenix and try to win, but yeah, it’s on me.”

Following the post-race inspection process, Zane Smith was disqualified from his runner-up result for windshield support violation. Amid Smith’s disqualification, the Championship 4 field occupied by Heim, Hocevar, Enfinger and Rhodes remained unchanged, with Rhodes earning the fourth and final transfer spot in a tie-breaker over Sanchez.

There were eight lead changes for seven different leaders. The race featured five cautions for 29 laps. In addition, 15 of 34 starters finished on the lead lap.

*Notably, Chevrolet secured this year’s Craftsman Truck Series manufacturer’s title.

Results.

1. Carson Hocevar, 11 laps led

2. Ben Rhodes, 22 laps led

3. Corey Heim, 57 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

4. Grant Enfinger

5. Bayley Currey

6. Stewart Friesen

7. Matt Crafton

8. Rajah Caruth

9. Ty Majeski, one lap led

10. Chase Purdy

11. Tanner Gray, four laps led

12. Jack Wood

13. Taylor Gray

14. Trevor Bayne

15. Jake Garcia, one lap down

16. Dean Thompson, one lap down

17. Nick Sanchez, one lap down

18. Marco Andretti, one lap down

19. Lawless Alan, one lap down

20. Christian Eckes, one lap down, five laps led

21. Daniel Dye, one lap down

22. Tyler Hill, one lap down

23. Nick Leitz, one lap down

24. Brad Perez, one lap down

25. Tyler Ankrum, one lap down

26. Jonathan Shafer, two laps down

27. Mason Maggio, three laps down

28. Hailie Deegan, three laps down

29. Memphis Villarreal, three laps down

30. Colby Howard, five laps down

31. Armani Williams, 13 laps down

32. Spencer Davis – OUT, Electrical

33. Spencer Boyd – OUT, Electrical

34. Zane Smith – Disqualified 34 laps led

*Bold indicates Playoff contenders

Playoff standings standings

1. Corey Heim – Advanced

2. Carson Hocevar – Advanced

3. Grant Enfinger – Advanced

4. Ben Rhodes – Advanced

5. Nick Sanchez – Eliminated

6. Christian Eckes – Eliminated

7. Ty Majeski – Eliminated

8. Zane Smith – Eliminated

The 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season is set to conclude at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, on November 3, where a champion will be crowned. The finale’s broadcast time is slated to occur at 10 p.m. ET on FS1.

Carson Hocevar Takes the Checkered Flag at Miami; Joins, Corey Heim, Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes in Championship 4

By
Official Release
-
Carson Hocevar, driver of the #42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 21, 2023 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

By Holly Cain
NASCAR Wire Service

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Carson Hocevar secured his first NASCAR CRATSMAN Truck Series Championship 4 appearance with a victory Saturday in the Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway earning all four of his career series wins this season – the trophy Saturday most impactful among them.

Hocevar put his No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet into the lead with 11 laps remaining and held off the hard-charging Zane Smith by 2.705-seconds to claim the win over the reigning series champion, whose runner-up effort was disqualified by NASCAR after a post-race technical inspection found the defending series champion’s No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford was illegal – using an unapproved windshield support.

“We are disappointed in the disqualification,’’ Front Row Motorsports said in a statement after the NASCAR inspecition. “We will continue to work and discuss with NASCAR officials back at the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, N.C. before making any further comment.’’

The DQ moved ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes into runner-up on the afternoon helping him to advance to the Playoffs – prevailing in a tiebreaker with rookie Nick Sanchez; the polesitter who finished 17th after making contact with another truck coming to pit road for his final stop.

Regular season champion, TRICON Garage’s Corey Heim, GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger and Hocevar’s Niece Motorsports teammate Bailey Curry rounded out the top five at Homestead.

Heim, Hocevar, Enfinger and Rhodes will now race for the championship Nov. 3 at Phoenix Raceway.

Hocevar celebrated the clutch win by climbing high atop the flag stand to claim the checkered flag in person. He threw it down to the cheering fans behind the fence then climbed back down on the grandstand side to high-five fans and celebrate the biggest win of his life – to date.

“It kills me I can’t do a burn-out but we have to take this truck to Phoenix,’’ a grinning Hocevar said. “This truck was so good. We just got behind on pit stops and just lost track position which was unfortunate, but man, it’s so good to feel [like this]. I love it.

“I thought we could win today with our truck, even with all the setbacks from the debris and everything, we had a shot to win and we did just that.’’

The battle for that final Playoff position was as dramatic as the fight for the victory.

Rhodes came into this final regular season race only five points behind Sanchez for the fourth championship-eligible transfer position. He finished 24th in the opening stage and 10th in the second stage. It still left him outside looking into the Championship 4, so Rhodes’ ThorSport team opted to pit for fresh tires early and out of pit sequence. The move allowed his No. 99 ThorSport Ford to take the race lead as the other frontrunners pit later.

He held the point with 30 laps remaining only to have Hocevar and Smith chase him back down. Hocevar passed him with 11 laps remaining, Smith a lap later.

“We failed Ben today, we didn’t give him a very good truck and he bailed us out at the end there,’’ Rhodes’ crew chief Rich Lushes said. “It was the only call we had. We had to do something different than everybody else and it all worked out so I guess we’re going to [championship] again.’’

It was a heartbreaking ending for the 22-year old Sanchez, who is from nearby Miami and raced often at Homestead-Miami Speedway as he was coming up the junior ranks. He won the pole and led the opening five laps, only to see his Playoff hopes in jeopardy after a miscue approaching his final pit stop with 34 laps remaining. His No. 2 Rev Racing Chevrolet hit the back of Tanner Gray’s truck as the two were slowing to enter pit road causing noticeable damage to Sanchez’ Chevrolet.

“Obviously I lost a lot of time there and just lost time in the pits trying to fix it,’’ Sanchez said. “Just my fault, no two ways to it. I really didn’t know the 15 was pitting and didn’t slow down [enough]. So that’s on me. I apologize to my team. They’re going to support me. To miss by one-point is pretty rough, but all you can do it go to Phoenix and try to win.’

Heim led a race best 57 of the 134 laps and swept both Stage victories. His third place finish marked the series best 15th-consecutive top-10 finish of the season.

“I really thought we had them covered today, I mean we were smoking the first two stages and kind of waiting on the third stage and then it went out like a light switch so we’ll look everything over,’’ Heim said, adding, “We’ve got bigger things on the horizon so we’ll focus on that.’’

Stewart Friesen, Matt Crafton, Rajah Caruth, Ty Majeski and Chase Purdy rounded out the top 10 finishing order. Majeski joins Smith, Sanchez and Christian Eckes to be eliminated from Playoff contention.

Eckes finished 20th after what looked like a sure-bet top-10 finish was hampered by penalties and miscues on the afternoon. He was called for moving lanes on a restart and another time for speeding on his pit road exit late in the race.

“We had a truck able to advance and just kept making mistakes,’’ Eckes said. “Just wasn’t good enough today.’’

IndyCar star Marco Andretti finished 18h in his second series start in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. He’s scheduled to race at Phoenix in two weeks.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series concludes the season with the Craftsman 150 at the one-mile Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 3 (10:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race – Baptist Health Cancer Care 200
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead, Florida
Saturday, October 21, 2023
(2) Carson Hocevar (P), Chevrolet, 134.
(21) Ben Rhodes (P), Ford, 134.
(8) Corey Heim (P), Toyota, 134.
(3) Grant Enfinger (P), Chevrolet, 134.
(17) Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 134.
(9) Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 134.
(22) Matt Crafton, Ford, 134.
(13) Rajah Caruth #, Chevrolet, 134.
(4) Ty Majeski (P), Ford, 134.
(14) Chase Purdy, Chevrolet, 134.
(6) Tanner Gray, Toyota, 134.
(11) Jack Wood, Chevrolet, 134.
(12) Taylor Gray #, Toyota, 134.
(32) Trevor Bayne(i), Chevrolet, 134.
(15) Jake Garcia #, Chevrolet, 133.
(5) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 133.
(1) Nick Sanchez # (P), Chevrolet, 133.
(27) Marco Andretti, Chevrolet, 133.
(23) Lawless Alan, Chevrolet, 133.
(10) Christian Eckes (P), Chevrolet, 133.
(19) Daniel Dye #, Chevrolet, 133.
(26) Tyler Hill, Toyota, 133.
(25) Nick Leitz, Chevrolet, 133.
(18) Brad Perez(i), Chevrolet, 133.
(16) Tyler Ankrum, Toyota, 133.
(33) Jonathan Shafer, Toyota, 132.
(29) Mason Maggio, Ford, 131.
(20) Hailie Deegan, Ford, 131.
(31) Memphis Villarreal, Ford, 131.
(24) Colby Howard, Chevrolet, 129.
(34) Armani Williams, Toyota, 121.
(28) Spencer Davis, Ford, Electrical, 65.
(30) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, Electrical, 50.
(7) Zane Smith (P), Ford, 134.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 110.965 mph.

Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 48 Mins, 41 Secs. Margin of Victory: 2.705 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 5 for 29 laps.

Lead Changes: 8 among 7 drivers.

Lap Leaders: N. Sanchez # (P) 1-5;C. Heim (P) 6-33;T. Majeski (P) 34;C. Heim (P) 35-54;T. Gray 55-58;C. Heim (P) 59-67;Z. Smith (P) 68-101;B. Rhodes (P) 102-123;C. Hocevar (P) 124-134.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Corey Heim (P) 3 times for 57 laps; Zane Smith (P) 1 time for 34 laps; Ben Rhodes (P) 1 time for 22 laps; Carson Hocevar (P) 1 time for 11 laps; Nick Sanchez # (P) 1 time for 5 laps; Tanner Gray 1 time for 4 laps; Ty Majeski (P) 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 11,98,42,23,52,19,2,88,4,16

Stage #2 Top Ten: 11,41,2,52,98,88,4,42,99,24

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