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Cole Custer Championship 4 Media Day (11.2.23)

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Championship 4 Media Day | Thursday, November 2, 2023

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, will be making his third Championship 4 appearance this weekend. He finished second in both of his previous attempts to win the championship, but delivered an owner’s title to SHR in 2018.

COLE CUSTER, 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang – WHAT ABOUT YOUR PIT CREW GIVES YOU CONFIDENCE IF IT COMES DOWN TO THAT LAST STOP? “Seeing our guys and just how they’ve been in the playoffs has been unreal. I think we’ve gone from a solid pit crew to being one of the best pit crews on pit road I feel like the last seven weeks or so. It’s cool to see and I think they’re confident about that. I think it’s really cool to see when they hit a good stop because they let people know it.”

WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT AND WHAT DON’T YOU WORRY ABOUT IN THIS FINALE RACE? “I think at the end of the day you can’t stress too much about all the little things. You have to just make sure you go out there and have a solid car and give yourself a shot to win it at the end. I think people can get too wrapped up in the little things, but you just have to go out there and execute the race how you want to.”

WHAT DON’T YOU WORRY ABOUT? “I think if you get the pole or if you’re P1 in practice, those little things where it’s like, ‘Oh, I want to be the fastest car every single time out there.’ You’ve just got to keep yourself in the game. If you’re in the game, you’re gonna have a good shot at the end.”

HAVE YOU RECOVERED FROM MARTINSVILLE? “Yes. That was a crazy one. I think my heart didn’t stop racing until about Monday, but it was a cool race, just chaos. I think the thing that was most crazy about is that you couldn’t control a lot of your own destiny at the end because some guys were so desperate they were gonna probably move somebody out of the way or could have caused a wreck. Obviously, there was a wreck at the last lap, but there were so many things you couldn’t control.”

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN REVERSE AND ON FIRE BEFORE? “I’ve never done that before. That was a new one for me, but you’re gonna do whatever it takes to try to get in the Championship 4. That’s a huge thing for our team and as a race car driver you want to go compete for a championship.”

HOW HAS THIS TEAM COME TOGETHER THROUGH THE YEAR? “It’s been an extremely proud year for me because I think we’ve built something. I think we started the year off and we weren’t exactly where we wanted to be, but we were a young team with a lot of young guys and I think we were able to really build it through the year and make sure to just communicate well and through that we turned ourselves into a championship competing team.”

HOW ABOUT COMING BACK AND KEEPING THAT GOING NEXT YEAR TOO? “Yeah, I think it’s huge. Being able to go and compete for another championship. I think we’ll have a great shot at it and it’s all just trying to prove that you can go and try to compete for Cup races along the way. I think we’ve proved that we can go compete for a championship and not it’s just a matter of putting it all together.”

DO YOU FEEL MORE CONFIDENT THIS TIME AROUND COMPETING FOR THIS CHAMPIONSHIP THAN WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER? “I think it just comes with experience knowing what to expect, knowing not to get too riled up through the weekend. You’re gonna be up at times and you’re gonna be down at times, but knowing that you just have to put it together that last run, and I’m confident that we’re gonna have a fast car and should be able to compete for a win there.”

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOOK AT THE VIDEO OF MARTINSVILLE LAST WEEK AND GOING BACKWARDS. DOES IT GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE OR A KICK OUT OF WATCHING IT? “I think if we can make it through that as a team we can probably do about anything. It was definitely a crazy weekend. I think we executed well as a team. I tried to rewatch it a lot, but the race actually went past the broadcast length, so when I tried to go back to the recording it wasn’t there, so that was a little bit frustrating, but it was a cool moment.”

DID YOU GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA? “I could see like the little highlight, but I couldn’t see every replay I wanted to see, I guess.”

WHAT CAN YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THE FIRST RACE HERE THIS SEASON? “I think there were just so many things as a team that we’ve done different since then with our cars and just what we’ve learned through the year, I think, we’ll be a completely different race team. We knew we had the speed in the spring, but we just needed that long run speed, so I’m confident with it. I think we’ve shown that we can compete with anybody out there in the playoffs. Excluding last weekend because we got wrecked the last lap, we’ve scored some of the most points in the playoffs, so I think there’s nobody to be scared of out there and I think we’re gonna have a fast car.”

IS THERE A FAVORITE AMONG YOU FOUR? “Not really. I think at the end of the day it’s a pretty equal playing field. We’ve all been fast through the year. We’ve all been fast through the playoffs, it’s just a matter of how that last run plays out.”

DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE TO WIN? “I would say so. It seems like it’s always the top four racing each other at the end, so I’m planning on going and winning.”

DO YOU EXPECT THE OTHER DRIVERS NOT IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP TO DEFER TO YOU GUYS? “If you have a fast car, you’re gonna go out there and try to win. In ‘17 when we just missed the championship race, we went out and won. We had a super fast car, but I think when it comes down to those really tight pressure situations those guys might give you a break.”

DO YOU FEEL THE TEAMMATES OF THOSE RUNNING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP ARE VERY AGGRESSIVE? “You might have a little bit of that, but not a ton. I don’t know if there’s too much allegiance in that way, so you keep that in mind, for sure. You’re gonna have your eye on their teammates and such, but I don’t see that being too much of a factor.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PHOENIX HOSTING THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE? “I’m confident about it. I’ve won a race here in K&N and ARCA, which is different, but at the end of the day I know how to go fast here and I know what I need in the car. I think we can go out there and compete with anybody. I’m not too worried about it.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY PLAN WITH THE 98 TEAM AS FAR AS THIS RACE GOES? “No real plan. I think it’s just one of those things we go about business as usual and trying to communicate with each other about the setups and different ideas about the weekend, but no real plan through the weekend about how things are gonna play out or anything.”

HOW MUCH DIFFERENT ARE YOU COMING INTO THIS WEEKEND THAN MAYBE YEAR’S PAST? “I think just knowing what to expect and being confident in that. We’ve had fast cars and just a matter of you’re gonna be up and you’re gonna be down at times through the weekend and just knowing how to keep your cool and keep yourself in the fight.”

WHEN DOES YOUR PLAN DEVELOP DURING THE RACE? “For our team individually, I think what he was asking was do the two teams have a plan together. We don’t really have a plan together with the 98 for strategy through the race or anything, but for our team individually our plan is we’ve talked about that all week trying to get ready and I’m fully prepared for that and I think we’ve got a great plan of how we’re gonna execute the weekend and keep our cool and I’m ready for it.”

DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING IN? WHAT’S IT LIKE AWAY FROM THE TRACK FOR YOU THIS WEEKEND? “We definitely have a good amount of family and friends coming, so it’s cool. I used to come out here and race quarter midgets from time to time, so it’s definitely not too far from home, probably 10 hours or so, but it’s gonna be a cool weekend so many family and friend here this weekend and hopefully we can put on a good show for them.”

WHAT KIND OF X FACTOR DO YOU BRING THAT MAYBE THE OTHER THREE DON’T HAVE? “I think for me, my strong suit has always been I’ve always been steady and never put a foot out of line, usually. I’ve had my moments, I’m not gonna lie, but I think for the most part I’m the guy that can go out there and make sure in a pressure situation I’m not gonna do anything stupid. I’m gonna keep myself in the game and I think that lends well to a championship race and just knowing that it’s gonna come down to that last run and you’ve got to keep yourself in the game until then.”

CAN YOU GIVE ME A SENSE OF WHAT LEADS TO THIS MOMENT? “I think for us as a team this year it’s been such a year of building. I think it’s been one of the most proud years I’ve been a part of just because we’ve turned a fairly young team at the start of the year with our personnel, and I think being able to turn what was a solid team at the start of the year to a championship-competing team and I think one of the best in the garage. So that makes me very proud from my standpoint to be a part of that and to build something like that, so it’s very, very cool to be a part of. I think everybody at SHR in the Xfinity group and the Cup group works well together and just being a part of that has been huge.”

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO DO YOUR PART TO ELEVATE THIS TEAM? “I think for us this year was just the communication. For me, it was working with my team and really understanding the setups and understanding what we need to make our cars better. I think that was a huge thing for me this year and I’m proud of how I feel I’ve made myself better this year by being able to communicate to my team and really get what I want in the race car, but I think that’s cool to be a part of and I think we should have a great shot this weekend because we’ve brought some really fast cars for the playoffs.”

WHAT IS IT YOU’RE ABLE TO DO THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING? “I think that’s part of the problem sometimes with young guys is the teams focus on ‘you just drive. Don’t focus on anything else. Just drive. Don’t worry about anything with the car.’ I think the problem with that sometimes is unfortunately you’re the idiot behind the wheel (laughing). You’re the only person that has any say of what’s actually going on out there, so if you’re not intelligent about what you’re talking about and really in tune with what’s going on with the cars, you might not be able to lead the team in the right direction. I think being able to work on that this year and truly learning what we need in our cars and what works for me and being able to lead the team in the right direction has made me really proud to be a part of that.”

HOW DID YOU GET OVER THE MOVE FROM CUP BACK TO XFINITY? “You’re definitely trying to prove something a little bit when you go down a level, but I think you just have to focus on yourself. I think, for me, behind the scenes this year I’ve proved myself that I can go run Cup and compete for wins. I know as a team that I’ve been very proud of how much I’ve gotten better this year of working with my team and getting what I want in the cars and really understanding that, and I think being able to go and compete for a championship and hopefully win a championship proves to everybody else that.”

HOW MUCH OF YOUR PREPARATION FOR THIS RACE FOCUSES ON THE THREE GUYS YOU’RE RACING AGAINST OR DO YOU JUST FOCUS ON YOUR OWN PREP MORE THAN ANYTHING? “Yeah, I don’t really care about them that much. I think it comes down to what you do with your car and you focus on yourself because I think, for us, we’ve had so much speed in the playoffs that if we bring our best stuff and have a good car and execute how we need to, I’m not really worried about anybody else. So, we’ll do that and make sure that we’re there for that last run.”

WHAT DO YOU FEEL THIS 00 TEAM DOES BEST? “I think the details and I think the matter of just really communicating what we need. I think we’re a great team that doesn’t have a lot of egos, and we’ve been able to communicate very well to get ourselves from a solid team to a championship-competing team through the year. I’m proud to be a part of that and I think how our team works together to fix problems lends well for this race.”

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING IN YOUR CAR THAT HAS A SPECIAL MEANING? “No, not really. I don’t really have anything too special in the car.”

HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE EXPECTATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHEN YOU WERE CONSIDERED A FAVORITE AT THE START? “The start of the year it was a little bit frustrating because we weren’t where we wanted to be. We were running OK, but we weren’t really having the results that we wanted, but through that we’ve really learned how to work as a team and get our cars better and what we needed to show up for the weekend and get what we needed. I’m proud to be a part of something like that where we’ve grown so much through the year and really shown that in the playoffs we’ve brought such fast cars that we haven’t needed the playoff points to go and make the Championship 4. We made up the points deficit from guys and really closed that gap and got ourselves in the Championship 4 the hard way. I’m proud to have been a part of something like that.”

HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY EXTRA SUPPORT FROM THE CUP SIDE THE LAST MONTH WITH ENGINEERING HELP OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? “It’s not because they’re not in the playoffs or anything, I think JT has been a part of the organization for a long time. He knows a lot of people over there, so they want to help us. It’s been cool to see everybody jumping on board and really helping our team out to try and get anything we can to try and make sure we bring everything we’ve got to the racetrack. People from the Cup side have been helping and everybody on the Xfinity side has been putting everything they can into it and it’s been cool to see that.”

ANY EXTRA PRESSURE BEING THE ONLY SHR GUY STILL IN THE HUNT? “I think there’s definitely some pride that we want to bring a championship back to SHR. It hasn’t been the greatest narrative the last couple of years, but we want to make sure that we change that narrative and bring back a trophy. I think it would be huge for the company and we want to go out there and make it happen.”

SUMMARIZE WHERE YOU ARE IN YOUR CAREER RIGHT NOW? “I think I’m to the point now where you’re to your max. You’re 25 years old and you’ve learned. You’ve been down. You’ve been up. You’ve learned from your mistakes and I think you’re to your best right now. I feel like I’m racing at my best right now and I feel like we’ve grinded this year and seeing how much we’ve improved has been awesome and being a part of something like that has been awesome for me, so I’m looking forward to it.”

WHERE DO YOU FEEL THIS TEAM WAS AT THE START OF THE YEAR THAT YOU NEEDED TO IMPROVE IN THE PLAYOFFS? “I just think being a young group and not having a huge notebook on recent notes for our team was a little bit tough. I’d run four years ago and the question was, ‘Can we just run setups from four years ago?’ It’s hard to say that, so we kind of had to learn the first part of the year of what we really needed and once we really communicated and figured that out, we’ve been one of the teams to beat.”

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP? “I think it’s just a matter of keeping yourself in the game until that last run. We’re gonna have a fast race car. It’s just a matter of making sure that you keep yourself in the game until that last run and then you’ve got to make it happen.”

IS IT STRESSFUL FOR YOU OR ARE YOU JUST READY FOR SATURDAY? “We’re just ready to go. I think there’s not too much stress just because we’re focused on the task at hand. Last week was stressful because there were things that were out of your control at the end of that race, but this week it’s just a matter of dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s and making sure you give yourself a good shot at it.”

HOW DO YOU PUT SOMETHING LIKE LAST WEEK BEHIND YOU AND GET READY FOR PHOENIX? “Sunday we were in the shop trying to get ready for this weekend and make sure that we had everything prepared and getting ahead of it because there are so many different things that go into this weekend that you can get behind on things and we wanted to make sure that we were ahead. We worked hard at the first part of the week getting ahead on it and I think we brought everything that we can.”

WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING WITH THE RACING ON SATURDAY? “I think the track has gotten racier and racier as it has aged and how they have the resin down right now is pretty racy, so it should be a good race. I think it’s gonna be the top four guys banging doors probably and I bet it’s gonna be an exciting race at the end.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU GO BACK AND WATCH VIDEO OF WHAT THE OTHER THREE HAVE DONE? “You look at it a little bit, but, at the end of the day, you focus on yourself. I know if we go out there with a fast car and do what we need to do, we’re gonna be able to compete for a win. You try and focus on yourself and what you need to do.”

DO YOU FEEL HAVING CUP EXPERIENCE IS AN ADVANTAGE OR NOT SO MUCH WITH ALLGAIER AND NEMECHEK HAVING THAT AS WELL? “I think we all have experience in this situation and we all have confidence in our teams. I would put my team up against any other one out there, so that’s all you can really do is go out there and make sure you execute the day how you want to and be prepared.”

THIS IS YOUR THIRD TIME IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4. HAVE YOU NOTICED OVER THOSE TIMES IF THE COMPETITORS NOT IN THE TITLE RACED YOU DIFFERENTLY? “It’s not huge. It’s one of those things where if you’re in a tight situation, you’re probably going to give a little bit to the Championship 4 guys, but at the end of the day those guys are racing for a win. If they have a fast car, they’re going to do what they’ve got to do for it. But I think in those tight situations they’re gonna give a little bit.”

WHAT ABOUT THE TEAMMATES OF THOSE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4? “You’ll keep your eye on it, but I don’t see too much of that happening. At the end of the day you just kind of focus on yourself.”

Toyota Racing – NCTS Championship 4 Quotes – Corey Heim – 11.02.23

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Official Release
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Toyota Racing – Corey Heim
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Quotes

AVONDALE, ARIZ. (November 2, 2023) – TRICON Garage driver Corey Heim was made available to media as part of the Championship 4 media day on Wednesday:

COREY HEIM, No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Can you talk about the adventure getting here and what you are building for the future?
“I feel it’s been a long journey, in a short amount of time. In the off season, I was pretty unsure with how all this would end up with TRICON Garage begin kind of a new slated team, and having a new truck and team, with my personal 11 crew, and a new spotter and everything. It was just a fresh slate for me in the offseason, there was a question mark, but in a short period of time, we were able to form a championship contending organization with my team and the 11 crew. Just super thankful for everyone at Toyota Racing and TRICON Garage, TRD, Safelite for everything they do for and cannot wait to go and contend for a championship tomorrow.”

How do you reconcile with the great year you have with a one race championship?

“Throughout the year, I’ve been a big believer in that we’ve gotten better every week, every single race we’ve improved. We got off to a little bit of a slow start for our standards with the first three or four races, but I knew that we had the pieces in places, it was just a matter of putting it all together for me. With having a championship winning crew chief and spotter, all of the variables were kind of there for me, and with the help of Toyota Racing, building up now a championship contending organization, it is definitely special to be a part of such a great team and I cannot wait to go and contend for it.”

Is this season with the consistent success similar to other experiences you have had?

“I don’t know. It is hard to say because I haven’t really run a lot of full time seasons in my career. I ran the ARCA season in 2021, and we were pretty steady throughout the year, but I think it is more about get our feet under us at the beginning of the year – everything was new to me. There was a question mark to start, but once we got our feet under us and knew what we had to do to keep improving to get to this point in our year, we really got our feet under us and started running. Just super special to be a part of.”

Is it a good thing to be the favorite?

“I’ve heard it go both ways, so I don’t know, but I think we’ve earned that label. I guess it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day until you win it. I feel like we have just been so rock solid and consistent since the spring time. We’ve done a good job of executing every week and we show up with fast Toyota Tundra TRD Pros. I feel like ever since around Martinsville when our first win happened, we kind of knew that we were capable of it, it was just a matter of executing from that point.”

How has being locked in since mid-September helped you prepare for some this moment?
“It was nice to be able to kind of spread out some of my studying and really just sit on it for a while and really understand the circumstances. I feel like with it being my first full time season and my first playoffs, being able to sit on it and understand the pressure has really helped me come here and feel a lot better about it. It would be a lot different if I got my win in Homestead, and had a week and a half to think about it, I would come a little unprepared and have a little bit of pressure on me, but to be able to sit on it and study it for six weeks and then show up and kind of know what I need to do, has been big for me.”

Do you go in with a plan?

“I think we go in with a plan every week, but with this being such a big show, the pressure is on to make sure we execute that extra little bit. Our flat track program – as far as a Gateway and Milwaukee-style race tracks – this year has been okay, we could have gotten a little bit better. We have really gone the extra mile these last couple of weeks to make sure we’ve gone back and looked at data with our Toyota Racing people and everyone at TRICON as far as the engineering department, to really make sure we’ve done everything we can to execute on this flat one-mile race track.”

How would winning a championship help with next year?

“It would mean so much. A little over a year ago, we announced our plans to start TRICON Garage with Toyota Racing. Everything was kind of up in the air as far as would it be successful? How long would it take? Within a couple of months, we were already winning races. To be able to really have a true offseason, to really think about it and build on the data that we’ve found this year would be super special to be able to go the extra mile and win more races next year. I feel like last offseason, we were just trying to get all of the variables, and just get to the race track, now we’ve got everything under us that we need – all of the equipment, all of the data – so next year will be special for sure.”

Do you expect to have to have a little bit of elbows out mentality on Friday night?

“The races that I’ve watched, these last couple of years it definitely has gotten a little crazy in the last stage. I’ve been on the good side of that this year, and the bad side of that this year. It’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and setting myself up for the most success that I can.”

What have you learned as a driver from this point last year?

“I feel like just this past year – if you would say one year ago today – I’ve made more progress in one year, than I have in my entire career. Just being able to spend time with Scott Zipadelli, a championship winning crew chief, and Tony Hirschman, a championship winning spotter – just all of the pieces were there for me, and it was just about blending that whole team and getting our feet under us. I really feel like my development has been big this year with TRICON Garage and look forward to making that better next year.”

What do you feel like you have to work on your craft to get better?

“Really just comes down to restarts in my opinion. I’m still somewhat new to the series. It is my first full-time year, so every race I can get under my belt, I feel like I learn something new. It is just a matter of getting those races, I think.”

How do you destress before a moment like this?

“I think it is just doing your job off of the race track and preparation. The more boxes I can check as far as some circumstances that would come up during the race, even before I show up for the weekend, is big for me – to make sure any sort of variable, or issue that can come up during the race, that I’m prepared for. It makes me feel a lot better. The summer stretch that we have – I think we race six weeks in a row – and some races I felt like I wasn’t prepared enough and some issues came up throughout the race that kind of threw me for a loop, but since I’ve known I’ve been locked in since Bristol, I’ve been really able to sit down and make sure I check all of those boxes.”

What was your week like leading into this?

“A lot of laps on the sim, to say the least, but I like to go back and watch the previous races, and see strategy wise, what worked out for people and what didn’t, and also with the access to the Toyota Performance Center, that we have in Mooresville, NC. I was able to talk to some other drivers. I see John Hunter (Nemechek) over there, Christopher Bell – I was able to talk to them about what their experiences are as far as other Championship 4 experiences and what they did to prepare for the race and how be mentally prepared – calm, cool and collected – for it.”

What about personally, do you have a bunch of people out watching it?

“Yeah, we definitely have a lot of friends and family out here to support me, and luckily to say, that I have a lot of supporters in my family in Pittsburgh and Chicago, and they’ve all come out. I’m excited to see them.”

How much does the simulator translate to real life for you?

“I think this year has been a big development in that with coming KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports), which is a little bit different on the sim side. It has been cool to kind of be the person that kind of tunes the set-ups in perpetration for the race. With the truck schedule the way it is, we really go to every track once – except for Kansas – so next year, I will be able to fine tune it. But to be able to be the person who does all of the tuning, I think has been a pretty big advantage.”

So, you tell them if it is working or not?

“Yeah, pretty much.”

That’s a big role.

“Yeah, it’s been good though. I feel like it’s been a pretty big part of my development in the last year, and I’ve really learned a lot about the engineering side of it. This year has been big for me, and I feel like I’ve really grown a lot.”

How much do you think restarts will factor into tomorrow night?

“Restarts will be pretty big. It’s one of the biggest characteristics of this race track, with the way you approach them, and you can see guys three, four or five wide – even from the drop of the green flag. It’s definitely not going to be easy. I feel like it’s just a matter of putting yourself in the right place at the right time.”

Who have you been able to lean on for guidance?

“Just a little bit of the people around the Toyota Performance Center is the main thing, like John Hunter (Nemechek) and Christopher Bell, to name a few. I feel like they’ve had championship experience in the past and being able to kind of pick their brains on it. They’ve got so much experience in the sport alone, but also that championship mentality, as well. They’ve won championships in their past, so to be able to kind of understand their mental side for a person that is in their first full-time year is kind of tough to understand, but by the day, I feel like I learn more and more.”

Is there anything that has been a part of this process that has surprised you?

“It’s hard to say – not really. Just being around the sport for a while, being a fan before a driver, has really given me a pretty good understanding of what it is like to be in these high-pressure situations, but also with the Truck schedule being as spread out as it is, I’ve been able to think about it more and more. I would say it’s all kind of gone to plan so far.”

Can you explain to me that fandom?

“I would say I’m a first generation kind of driver. My dad (Ray) has raced as a hobby, but never took it as a career. We were always big NASCAR fans growing up, when I was three, four, five years old. He surprised me with a quarter midget – I think it was for my fifth birthday – and raced locally in Georgia for almost 10 years in quarter midgets, and then finally moved up to Legends cars at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and it was always kind of my dream to race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and I actually got my first Truck win there too, so that was super special. Moments like those are what make me super appreciative of racing for sure.”

Which drivers did you like as a kid?

“I was always a big Denny Hamlin fan. Always a big Denny fan.”

Have you ever met him?

“Actually, never met him.”

Are you excited about 2024, knowing your plans are solidified?

“I’m super excited. Those group of guys have been super key to my success this year, especially Scott Zipadelli, Kevin Ray, David Gilliland, Johnny Gray – and everyone at Toyota Racing as well. The dedication that they’ve put into this program this year without a true offseason to kind of look everything over, and the fact that we are going to be able to do that this offseason is super exciting for me personally. To our standards, I feel like we got off to a little bit of a slow start this year, so to be able to go back and look that over is going to be super helpful for us.”

How do you pull off the top-10 streak that you’ve had?

“I think just showing up to the race track every week with all boxes checked in preparation, all of the sim work we’ve done throughout the season and being able to execute on that with Scott Zipadelli and our crew has been super big for us. Being able to prepare every week and know that we have a fast Tundra and that we are able to go out and run every race has been really big for me. Hopefully, we can build on that and get a couple of more wins next year.”

As a driver, what is your x-factor?

“I would say that I am one of the more calm drivers in the field. I really feel like I don’t make a lot of enemies out there, and I feel like I just focus on myself – and not to say that they don’t, but like Chris (Knight) just mention with the top-10 streak that we’ve had – I feel like it’s just going out there and being consistent. It sounds cliché, but that’s what it comes down to, making sure you don’t take a fifth-place truck and try to win with it and wreck. It’s just about having those consistent days. With how the final four deal works, you just have to beat the other three – so it’s kind of gloves off.”

Do you feel like that consistency makes you the favorite going into tomorrow?

“I would say no. It’s just about winning the race. The way the Playoff format works and throughout the year, it definitely pays to be consistent with Playoff points and what not, but when you come here, the points reset and it’s pretty much just whoever beats the other drivers, but the goal is to win. We have shown we are capable of that, and I don’t think it is out of the question by any means. We are plenty capable of winning the race and the championship, but consistency doesn’t really matter at this point.”

Is there a favorite?

“No, I wouldn’t say so.”

It does seem pretty even.

“Yeah, I would say so. Even the drivers that may have not quite had the success, they have the championship experience. Ben (Rhodes) has won a championship, and Grant (Enfinger) has been in it several times, and Carson (Hocevar) has had an unbelievable year. I wouldn’t say there is a clear favorite, but my confidence is in us, and I really feel like we are capable of doing it.”

Do you have a timeline on how quick you move to the Cup Series?

“I would say it’s a year-by-year thing. Next year, I’m focused on ’24, and beyond is kind of the question mark at this point. I’m just really confident in what I’ve got going for me, and the program I’m with – Toyota Racing – have always set me up for success, and always have put me in the best scenario that I could ask for. I’m confident that going forward that would be the same.”

How are you prepared to handle the pressure?

“For me, it’s going out and doing what I’ve been doing. We’ve had such a successful year as far as being in contention every single week. For us, it’s not doing anything crazy different, more off the track – just making sure we have all of our boxes checked and preparation for this race is the big thing. For the most part, we have just been so solid every single week, so it is going out and executing.”

How much of your preparation is mental?

“I would say it’s a huge part of it for sure. Mental piece is tough – I won’t deny it. I’m definitely nervous – I won’t deny it. But I feel like for me personally, it has never weighed me down. It has always made me more motivated to go out and execute. I love the pressure. I think pressure is a privilege.”

What area do you think you made the biggest improvement this year?

“Really just consistency. Really last year, the announcers talked about it every week just that we were super hit or miss. It was either feast or famine for us. This year, I’ve really done a good job, I feel like, of not taking a fifth-place truck and try to win with it, and then wrecking. It’s more about just maybe taking a fifth-place truck and finishing fourth-place with it, or more focusing on myself and maybe a potential adjustment in the truck. For me, just the consistency part of it.”

What do you feel like you need to get better at next year?

“I feel like closing races. This year, I feel like my team – TRICON Garage and Toyota Racing – has given me plenty of opportunities to win races, more than we won this year. There is a couple, here and there, that still sting to this day and I feel like drops on me. So I feel like in the offseason, and kind of looking at what I could do better to close those races out is going to be the main thing for me.”

You are in the Toyota-pipeline. What have you heard from them and your future with them?

“It’s hard to say. I feel like every year with my development with Toyota Racing, they have put me in a good position to succeed. I feel like I’ve been successful with them since I joined the program. Next year, coming back to the Truck Series, I feel like it will be no different and when I’m ready to move up, they’ll move me up.”

Can you talk about how the Xfinity races have helped you?

“I really feel like it has been great for my development. I feel like any kind of new situation that I can be put in to grow my mental side of it and my knowledge of the sport has been really good for me. I’ve done races in the GR Cup Series. I’ve done late model races, Trucks, Xfinity – you name it. Anything I can use to grow my knowledge in the sport has been good for me.”

What have you learned at Phoenix in previous races?

“Any race I can get, especially here, which I feel is a very experience-oriented track has really been big for me. My first start here was in 2019, so it has been almost four years since I made my first start here. Each and every start I’ve been able to get at a certain track has been key to my development and my growth, and I plan to use that to my advantage this weekend.”

What would it mean to you to bring a championship to TRICON Garage?

“It would mean the world to me. Those guys work their butts off, week-in and week-out. It has been a lot of early mornings and late nights for them. To be able to see the smiles on their faces after we win this thing will be really cool.”

Is your preparation the next 24 hours going to be any different?

“Pretty similar stuff. I feel like during the week and the weeks leading up to a race is the main important areas to prepare for a race, so I feel like this it is just going out and making sure I’m getting hydrated, fed and ready to go.”

What has this been like for you?

“I won’t deny – I’m definitely nervous about it. I think that is kind of a given with it being the biggest race of my life, but I’ve never let that weigh me down. I’ve always used that to my advantage. I believe if you are not nervous, you are not ready. I definitely feel like I’m ready.”

What is it like being the guy who has been on top all season and now it comes down to one race?

“Definitely gives me a lot of confidence in my team – knowing that we’ve been so good at every race track since spring time this year. Definitely gives me a lot of confidence going into this weekend. It is all reset at this point, so it is kind of hard to say where wer are going to end up, but we have a long 50-minute practice tonight and I look forward to going out and executing on it.”

Are you nervous if you unload and you are a little bit off?

“Well, that is not the goal, so hopefully we are good. I feel like we have been really good off the truck, basically every week this year, so we kind of have a little extra time to go out and try some different stuff. We are going to treat it little bit like a test and try some things, and use our teammates to our advantage to make sure we have the exact package that we need going into tomorrow night.”

Are there any tracks that are similar to Phoenix?

“Yeah, you could say similar. I feel like Phoenix is a little bit of its own animal. It’s a flat track, pretty abrasive. You could say Milwaukee, maybe Gateway in a way, but once again, Phoenix is really unique in its own – I’ve never been to a place quite like it. It’s a big variable for us, because we only race one time a year here with the Truck Series. I’ll knock the rust off and see how it goes.”

What can you take from this race one year ago?
“I feel like that race was a key for this championship race this weekend, just to be able to go back and rely on that information and knowledge that I gained from that race. I won’t get into specifics, but I feel like there was a lot of stuff on my end that I could’ve cleaned up. To take that knowledge and apply it to sim and work on that the past six or seven weeks has been key.”

Do you feel like it is your title to lose?

“I wouldn’t say so. I just feel like it gives me more confidence really, that sure enough we will be at least in contention for it. I feel like I’ve got a really good team in TRICON Garage and Toyota Racing under me to succeed. It is just about going out and executing. The statistics are great and all, but at this point it doesn’t really matter. The goal is to just go win the race and win the championship.”

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).

Past Champions, Aspiring Racers to Give Command Ahead of NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race as 75th Anniversary Tribute

By
Official Release
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“Diamond Anniversary Dignitaries” will join NASCAR and Premier Partner executives at Phoenix Raceway in special pre-race moment airing live on NBC

Daytona Beach, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2023) – Moments before the final green flag of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season flies, a distinguished group of past Cup Series champions will pair with four young racers to deliver the most famous words in motorsports ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 5.

Representing nearly every decade of NASCAR racing history are four Cup Series champions who were each named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list earlier this year: Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Bobby Labonte and Kurt Busch.

With the current Cup Series Championship 4 drivers emblematic of NASCAR’s present, four aspiring youth racers will serve as a representation of NASCAR’s future: 8-year-old Brexton Busch of Mooresville, N.C.; 7-year-old Easton Cambensy of Tucson, Ariz.; 9-year-old Giselle Hicks of Mooresville, N.C.; and 10-year-old Grayson Walcott of Chicago, Ill.

These “Diamond Anniversary Dignitaries” will deliver the command for drivers to start their engines alongside executives from NASCAR’s Premier Partners, who are serving as the official Grand Marshals for the championship race.

“The entire 75th anniversary season has been a celebration of not only where NASCAR has been, but where the sport stands today and the bright future that lies ahead,” said Pete Jung, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at NASCAR. “Seeing young racers who dream of becoming NASCAR stars side-by-side with some of the most legendary drivers in history as we prepare to crown a new Cup Series champion will be a powerful manifestation of that spirit. We hope it serves as a moment of recognition for all those who contributed to NASCAR’s rise and inspires anyone eager to join the ride from here.”

Furthering the fusion of past, present and future, in partnership with the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the first-ever NASCAR premier series championship trophy will be displayed along with the current Bill France Cup championship trophy during this anniversary tribute.

Fans watching at home can catch the special anniversary moment live on NBC prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday Nov. 5 (NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

More details about the four NASCAR Cup Series champions representing the sport’s past:

  1. Richard Petty: Richard Petty is called “The King” for good reason. A member of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame class of 2010, Petty has racked up the most wins (200), most poles (123), tied for most championships (seven), most wins in a season (27), most Daytona 500 wins (seven), most consecutive wins (10) and most starts (1,185) in NASCAR premier series history.
  2. Rusty Wallace: A member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame class of 2013, Wallace’s first NASCAR Cup race resulted in his first top-five finish: second at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1980. He came to the series full time in 1984 and won Rookie of the Year honors, embarking on a full-time Cup career in which he won the 1989 series championship and 55 total races (11th all time).
  3. Bobby Labonte: A member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame class of 2020, Labonte captured the 2000 Cup Series championship and 21 total Cup Series wins in his career. That portfolio includes three crown-jewel triumphs – a Coca-Cola 600, a Southern 500 and a Brickyard 400. He is also a 10-time winner in the Xfinity Series, claiming that tour’s championship in 1991.
  4. Kurt Busch: The first champion of the Cup Series’ Playoff era, the recently retired Busch established a long and impressive career with wins in 19 of his 22 seasons as a Cup regular. Among those 34 victories were a Daytona 500 triumph (2017) and a Coca-Cola 600 win (2010). Busch also added nine victories combined in the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series.

More details about the four youth racers representing NASCAR’s future:

  1. Brexton Busch – 8-year-old Brexton is following the racing path forged by his grandfather Tom, his uncle Kurt, a NASCAR champion, and his dad Kyle, a two-time NASCAR champion and the winningest driver in NASCAR history. The third-generation driver began his racing career in 2020 at the age of five in the Beginner Box Stock division at Millbridge Speedway and Mountain Creek Speedway. Brexton picked up his first-ever victory at Mountain Creek Speedway just a month into his career and hasn’t slowed down since, racking up the Saturday Millbridge Beginner Box championship (2022), the Mountain Creek Beginner Box championship (2022) and the Tuesday night Beginner Box Millbridge championship (2023).
  2. Easton Cambensy – 7-year-old Easton Cambensy is a second-generation race car driver from Tucson, Arizona and a current driver in the NASCAR Youth Series. At the young age of seven, he claimed his first quarter-midget track championship at his home club of Tucson QMA. He has since won two more, including the prestigious Triple Crown that includes track championships in the Junior 160, Junior Animal and Junior Honda divisions.
  3. Giselle Hicks – 9-year-old Giselle Hicks is a fourth-generation race car driver eager to carry on her family’s legacy in NASCAR. Her great grandfather is the late Glenn Wood and her dad, Michael Hicks, is a rear tire changer on Christopher Bell’s No. 20 pit crew closing out his 19th year of changing tires in the sport. This year marks Giselle’s third year in wing kart racing, in which she took home 10 wins and finished fourth in the 2023 points standings at Millbridge Speedway.
  4. Grayson Walcott – 10-year-old Grayson Walcott, of Grayson Dean Racing, is a fast-rising go-kart racer from Chicago who just completed his rookie year on the pro circuit with Pole Position Motorsports. Grayson has raced all over the United States and was nominated for Rookie of the Year in Mexico. He starred in the limited run television show on Discovery+, “Baby Drivers,” which followed his journey in the world of motorsports. Grayson made his debut as a junior sports commentator this summer at the NASCAR Chicago Street Race weekend.

About NASCAR

Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

Jack Wood | Pinnacle Racing Group Phoenix Raceway ARCA West Race Preview

By
Official Release
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Pinnacle Racing Group (PRG) | ARCA Menards Series West
Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway | Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100

Fast Facts
No. 28 Pinnacle Racing Group Team:
Driver: Jack Wood
Primary Partner(s): Chevrolet
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Shane Huffman
Spotter: Derek Kneeland
Chassis Intel: PRG Chassis No. 408
Engine: Ilmor Engineering
Driver Championship Point Standings: N/A
Team Championship Point Standings: N/A

Notes of Interest:

Season Finale: Pinnacle Racing Group (PRG) will take the checkered flag in their inaugural ARCA Menards Series season by competing in Friday morning’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.

With their participation in Friday’s ARCA West season finale, PRG will have competed in all three of ARCA’s series in 2023, including the premier ARCA Menards Series division, as well as the eight-race ARCA Menards Series East.

Welcome Aboard: For Friday’s 100-lap race, Pinnacle Racing Group welcomes NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series veteran Jack Wood behind the wheel.

He has two top-five and six top-10 finishes with an average result of 10.4 across eight ARCA Menards Series starts this season. Across 17 career ARCA Menards Series starts he has recorded three top-five and 10 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.2.

He also has two prior ARCA Starts at Phoenix, including earlier this year when he qualified second and was running inside the top-five when he got turned from behind by another competitor and was relegated to a 28th-place finish.

In addition to Friday afternoon’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100, Wood will also participate in the Truck Series season finale Friday night in the CRAFTSMAN® 150, the final Truck Series race for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Inaugural Chapter: Pinnacle Racing Group (PRG), a new Motorsports team, concludes its inaugural journey with this week’s ARCA West season finale Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.

PRG has built a solid foundation to compete in the ARCA Menards Series in its first season of competition.

Jack Wood will become the team’s fourth ARCA driver this season alongside mainstay driver Luke Fenhaus and rookies Connor Zilisch (Watkins Glen International) and Carson Kvapil (Kansas Speedway).

Zilisch (second) and Kvapil (second) delivered top-five ARCA Menards Series finishes for PRG in their respective premier ARCA Menards Series debuts, respectively.

The PRG Brand: Headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., Pinnacle Racing Group (PRG) is a professional multifaceted Motorsports team specializing in providing productive and fulfilling careers for team members while also being a leader in on-track performance and driver development primarily in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAPWS) and the ARCA Menards Series (AMS).

2023 Recap: Pinnacle Racing Group closed the curtain on its 2023 ARCA Menards Series East season with rookie Luke Fenhaus at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September.

In eight races, the team delivered two wins (Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville and Iowa Speedway), six top-five, seven top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 6.1.

Fenhaus and the No. 28 Pinnacle Racing Group team also finished second in the ARCA Menards Series East championship standings.

PRG Minute: In addition to their full-time ARCA Menards Series East program, PRG also fielded an entry in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway for teenager Landon S. Huffman.

Huffman scored his first career NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series earlier in the season – rewarding the first-year team with a checkered flag in every division it has participated in 2023.

Sponsor Intel: Chevrolet will serve as the primary marketing partner on Wood’s No. 28 Chevrolet this weekend in the Sun of the Valley.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, 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 chevrolet.com.

Calling The Shots: Guiding Wood as crew chief of the No. 28 Pinnacle Racing Group Chevrolet is veteran Shane Huffman.

Huffman joined Pinnacle Racing Group at the end of the 2022 racing season after an instrumental tenure at Bret Holmes Racing.

With over 98 combined starts as crew chief in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series and Xfinity Series, Huffman has two wins, 24 top-five and 44 top-10 finishes, including a third-place finish most recently at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway with Bret Holmes in October 2022.

In addition to NASCAR, Huffman is the 2020 premier ARCA Menards Series championship crew chief.

Phoenix will officially mark Huffman’s first career race under the ARCA West banner.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Jack Wood, please visit jackwoodracing.com, like him on Facebook (DriverJackWoodOfficial) and follow him on Instagram (@driverjackwood) and X | Twitter (@DriverJackWood).

For more on Pinnacle Racing Group, please like them on Facebook (Pinnacle Racing Group) and follow them on Instagram (@RacePRG) and Twitter (@RacePRG).

Jack Wood Quoteboard:

On Phoenix Raceway: “I’m looking forward to Phoenix Raceway this weekend. I will end up with around 100 minutes of practice. When I’ve ran the ARCA car before a truck race it has helped knock the rust off and helps me fire off better on the short run in the truck.

“I’m lucky to be able to get in the No. 28 ARCA car for Pinnacle Racing Group, I think we will have a good shot at it there and hopefully, it will be a good confidence builder going into the truck race that night.”

Race Information:

The Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 (100 laps | 100 miles) is the 12th of 12 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series West schedule. Practice begins Thursday, November 2 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will begin a short time later at 7:10 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag on Friday, November 3, 2023, shortly after 11:30 a.m. MT (2:30 p.m. ET). The event will be streamed on FloRacing. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.

Cadillac at Bahrain: Strong start on tricky circuit

By
Official Release
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No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R places third on time sheet in first day of practice

SAKHIR, Bahrain (Nov. 2, 2023) – The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R began on-track preparations for the FIA World Endurance Championship season-concluding 8 Hours of Bahrain with an impressive first day outing.

With Richard Westbrook, Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn sharing seat time, the hybrid Cadillac recorded a best lap of 1 minute, 47.690 seconds on the challenging 5.412-kilometer (3.36-mile), 15-turn Bahrain International Circuit in the second free practice session for third best of the 12 Hypercar entries.

“Good start for the team; we managed to get through most of our race prep. Also did some qualifying work, so we’re going into free practice 3 and qualifying prepared,” team manager Stephen Mitas said. “Still some work to finish off before the race, but it’s looking good.”

The No. 7 Toyota led the way at 1:46.851 under dry track conditions after sunset.

The No. 2 Cadillac team is aiming to tap into the success it experienced at the start of the season, which included top-five finishes at Sebring, Portimão and Spa-Francorchamps ahead of their podium finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Cadillac Racing is in its first season of WEC competition with the Cadillac Hypercar that features a purpose-built 5.5-liter DOHC V8 engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing propulsion team based in Michigan.

Lynn and Bamber combined to turn 22 laps in the initial free practice that was interrupted early on by a 45-minute red flag period because of strong winds that blew banners onto the track at Turn 1, prompting race control to extend the session. Heavy rain with 30 minutes remaining also impacted the lap times.

The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R recorded a best lap of 1:50.542 — .686 of a second off the session-leading time.

A one-hour free practice Friday precedes the 20-minute qualifying session under the setting sun.

Radio Le Mans will stream coverage of the final practice and qualifying in addition to the race (2 p.m. Arabian Standard Time / 7 a.m. ET Saturday). MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage, as will the FIA WEC app.

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport Confirms Return of Retzlaff and Burton for 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series

By
Official Release
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Statesville, N.C. (November 2, 2023) – Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport announced today that it has completed agreements to sign back both its drivers from this season to compete again for the team in the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series. After an impressive rookie year, Parker Retzlaff will return to pilot the No. 31 FunkAway Chevrolet, while playoff-contender Jeb Burton will once again take the wheel of the No. 27 State Water Heaters Chevrolet Camaro.

“Perseverance and vision have been the cornerstone of our team’s journey and long-term expansion,” said Jordan Anderson, President of JAR Bommarito Autosport. “The evolution from our early days to a two-car team has been nothing short of a dream come true. This year’s milestones, including our first victory at Talladega and consistent top 10 finishes, have set the bar high for 2024. We’re eager to build on the opportunity of consistency with Parker and Jeb, alongside our amazing team and partners that make this journey possible. It takes a village, and there are so many incredible people that believe in the vision to keep this growing.”

In 2023, Parker Retzlaff, with support from the challenger brand FunkAway, not only competed for Rookie of the Year honors but also showcased his growing prowess with multiple top 10 finishes, evidencing his potential in his first full-time NXS season. Parker’s commitment and talent behind the wheel have made him a promising figure for the upcoming season’s championship run. “I’m grateful for the trust and opportunity Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport has given me. This past season was a testament to our collective hard work, and with the No. 31 FunkAway Chevrolet, I’m ready to push even harder to put our team in the playoffs in 2024.”

Jeb Burton, bringing a wealth of experience and a celebrated victory at Talladega – the first for JAR – returns with the support of long-standing partners including State Water Heaters, Puryear Tank Lines, Celsius, and Rocky Boots. This win, alongside numerous top 10 performances, has further solidified Jeb’s reputation as a formidable competitor in the series. “I’m excited to return to the Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport Chevrolet Camaro in 2024. Our victory at Talladega was just the beginning. I’m looking forward to carrying our momentum into next season and I believe that we can once again be a playoff contender. Thank you to Jordan Anderson, John Bommarito, and all our partners for believing in us. We’re all looking forward to Daytona.”

“Parker and Jeb embody the spirit and determination of our team,” remarked team partner John Bommarito. “Their achievements last season, both on and off the track, exemplify the caliber of talent we’re proud to support. They work together like a team should, and represent each team partner with a level of integrity that we are beyond proud of. As we look to the future, we remain committed to fostering their skills and growing each of our partners footprint in the sport.”

As the team gears up for another competitive season, Chevrolet continues as the manufacturer of choice, powered by ECR engines, ensuring that both Parker and Jeb are equipped with top-tier machinery.

Shane Martin, Xfinity Series Program Manager for Chevrolet, expressed excitement for the upcoming season: “The dedication and performance of the JAR Bommarito Autosport team have made them exemplary representatives of the Chevrolet brand. With Parker and Jeb returning to the cockpit, we’re anticipating another year of strong results and memorable racing.”

Parker Retzlaff and Jeb Burton are set to make their first 2024 start at Daytona International Speedway on February 17th with all the action broadcast LIVE on FS1, the Fox Sports App, MRN, and Sirius XM NASCAR Ch. 90.

About Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport is a NASCAR team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson and Bommarito Automotive Group President, John Bommarito. Established in 2017 the organization is fueled by an incredible, close-knit team of employees, fans, and sponsors with a focus on integrity in the pursuit of excellence. Our goal is to embrace the journey we’re on and to never give up – whether on the track, in the pits, or in life. Every single team partner, and fan of ours, is what keeps our race cars running strong and our team performing at the highest level.

Custer retained by Stewart-Haas Racing for 2024 Xfinity Series season

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

Cole Custer will be returning as the driver of the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

The news comes as the 25-year-old Custer from Ladera Ranch, California, is set to compete for this year’s Xfinity Series driver’s championship in this weekend’s season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway after being one of four competitors to transfer to this year’s Championship 4 round on the strength of three consecutive results within the top 20 during the Round of 8.

Custer, who made his return to full-time Xfinity Series competition after spending the previous three seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series, has accumulated two victories this season: Portland International Raceway in June and the inaugural, rain-shortened Chicago Street Course in July. He has also steered the No. 00 Ford to six poles, 13 top-five results, 20 top-10 results, 490 laps led and an average-finishing result of 11.1 through 32 starts.

Custer, who made his first five career starts in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports in 2016, became a full-time Xfinity competitor in 2017 when he joined Stewart-Haas Racing to pilot the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang. Despite missing the Championship 4 cutline by a narrow margin, he achieved his first career victory in the season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway after leading a race-high 182 of 200 laps. He also accumulated a total of seven top-five results, 19 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 13.3 before settling in fifth place in the final standings.

In the following two seasons, Custer accumulated a total of eight victories, 12 poles, 31 top-five results, 50 top-10 results, 1,311 laps led, and an average-finishing result of 9.0. Despite transferring to the Championship 4 round, he ended up in the runner-up spot in the final standings during both seasons, though he managed to achieve the 2018 Xfinity owner’s title for Stewart-Haas Racing.

While Custer spent the years 2020-22 in the Cup Series for Stewart-Haas Racing, where he claimed the 2020 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title, he made a total of six starts in the Xfinity circuit between 2021-22. During the stint, he recorded a victory at Auto Club Speedway in February 2022, which was the first in NASCAR history for SS-Green Light Racing, and four results in the top 10.

Through 142 career starts in the Xfinity Series, Custer has achieved 12 victories, 18 poles, 54 top-five results, 95 top-10 results, 2,189 laps led and an average finishing result of 10.8. He has also recorded one victory in the Cup Series, two in the Craftsman Truck Series and one in the ARCA Menards Series as he aims to win his first NASCAR national touring series title in the Xfinity circuit this upcoming weekend.

With his plans for next season set, Custer’s quest to win this year’s Xfinity Series championship will occur in the 2023 season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, November 4. The finale’s broadcast time is slated to occur at 7 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Phoenix

By
Official Release
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Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.

5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 1st – Tied

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Phoenix Raceway media center on Friday, Nov. 3, following NASCAR Cup Series practice.

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Phoenix Raceway media center on Saturday, Nov. 4, following NASCAR Cup Series qualifying.

PUSHING THROUGH THE PLAYOFFS: Kyle Larson won two of the three opening round races during the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs (the Round of 16 at Darlington Raceway and the Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway). With his victory at Vegas, the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was the first to lock into this year’s Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. In the playoffs, he has the best average running position (7.62) and most laps run in the top five (1,594). Larson won the Cup Series championship in 2021 in his only year transferring to the final round (before 2023). Should he win the 2023 title, Larson would become the 18th driver to win multiple Cup Series championships.

MOVEMENT FROM MARTINSVILLE: In the second-to-last race of the season, Larson led the way for the Hendrick Motorsports quartet at Martinsville Speedway. He started from the fifth position and just missed out on stage points in the opening 130 laps. Crew chief Cliff Daniels made a strategy call on lap 325 for fuel only that helped his driver gain track position to restart from the top six. Over the closing 168-lap green-flag run, Larson maintained a position in the top 10, ultimately finishing sixth for his 17th top-10 finish of the season. The result gives Larson an average finish of 3.00 in the last three Martinsville races.

CHAMPIONSHIP 4: This weekend, the 31-year-old Larson will battle for the championship against Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney and Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron. The Elk Grove, California, driver is the only previously crowned Cup Series champion as he seeks his second claim of the sport’s ultimate title. In comparison to Larson’s championship competitors, he proves to be the most seasoned driver of the four in almost every Cup Series career statistical category with the most starts (330), poles (16), wins (23), runner-up finishes (34), top-five finishes (103), top-10s (163), stage wins (50) and laps led (7,556). When ranking the Championship 4 drivers through 35 starts this season, Larson leads the pack in laps led (1,127) and is tied with Byron for most top fives (14) and stage wins (eight). He also holds the second-most wins (four), behind Byron (six). Ranked amongst the Championship 4 through nine races in the playoffs, Larson has led the most laps (503), earned the most stage wins (five) and is tied for the most wins (two).

PUT TO THE TEST IN PHOENIX: Larson (2021) and Byron (2023) are the only drivers in the Championship 4 to have visited victory lane at Phoenix in the Cup Series. In the spring, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com driver won the pole position and led a race-high 201 laps en route to his seventh top-five finish at Phoenix. Larson has finished in the top 10 in eight of the last nine races at the Avondale, Arizona, facility. The 1-mile venue is tied with four other tracks for his most top-five finishes (seven) and is in a three-way tie for his most top 10s (11) by track. In the Next Gen era (since 2022), Larson ranks second in laps led (203) and laps run in the top five (585) at Phoenix.

IN 2023: This season, Larson has four victories (April wins at Richmond Raceway and Martinsville, a September triumph at Darlington and an October win at Las Vegas). He also won in the series’ historic return to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the All-Star Race. Larson has led the most laps of all drivers (1,127) and is in a three-way tie along with teammate Byron for the most top-five finishes this season (14). He is in a four-way tie for the fourth-most top-10 finishes (17), ranks third for the most laps run in the top five (3,778), second for most laps run in the top 10 (5,613) and has the third-best average running position (10.97).

TITLE TOWN FLASHBACK: In the 2021 Cup Series championship race, Larson won the pole position and led a race-high 107 laps. However, when a caution came out with 30 laps to go, he was running fourth among the four title-eligible drivers. When the lights were the brightest, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew delivered with a stellar four tires and fuel stop that launched Larson to the lead for what would be the last restart of the race. Larson led the final 28 laps to score the 14th championship for Hendrick Motorsports and the first for himself and Daniels (as a crew chief). The No. 5 crew chief was also part of the 2016 championship-winning No. 48 team as a race engineer for Jimmie Johnson.

FOUR TIRES FAST: Going into the last race of the season, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew has the second-fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 11.071 seconds. The team’s five-man pit crew consists of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer).

WIN A CHEVROLET COLORADO Z71: Want to drive Larson’s 2023 Chevrolet Colorado truck? One lucky winner will win his ride. Fans can donate now to enter a drawing for a chance to take home the Z71 Crew Cab 4WD package with custom features and styling. This special sweepstakes raises funding for the Kyle Larson Foundation’s “DRIVE FOR 5” campaign that supports youth, families and communities in need. The campaign is nearing its fundraising goal of $500,000. Click here to check out this sweet custom ride and enter to win today. The drawing closes on Sunday, Dec. 3, and the winner will be chosen on Monday, Dec. 11.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 27 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 17th

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

WINNING MOMENT: Chase Elliott has one win at Phoenix Raceway, which he captured in the 2020 season finale to secure his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. The five-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver started the race at the rear of the field and maneuvered his way to the front, leading a race-high 153 laps en route to the victory.

PHOENIX 411: The driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will make his 15th Phoenix Cup Series start this Sunday. In his previous 14 races at the track, he’s amassed one win, five top-five finishes and eight top-10s. Elliott has paced the field for 546 laps at the 1-mile oval, which is his second-most on active tracks and places him with the third-most laps led among current Cup drivers at the track since the start of stage racing in 2017. Additionally, the 2020 Cup champion’s average start of 5.57 at the desert oval is his second-best on active tracks with more than two starts, only trailing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (4.67).

EVERY MILE A MEMORY: In 55 Cup starts on tracks measuring 1 to 1.37 miles in length (Darlington Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Phoenix and WWT Raceway), Elliott has four wins. His first came at Dover in 2018 and was followed by his championship-winning performance at Phoenix in 2020. His two most recent victories came last season at Dover and Nashville. Accompanying his wins are 22 top-five finishes, 29 top-10s and 1,246 laps led across those starts on tracks in this range.

GUSTAFSON AT PHOENIX: On Sunday, Alan Gustafson will call his 38th Phoenix race as a Cup Series crew chief. In his previous 37 starts there, the veteran team leader has collected four wins via four different drivers (Kyle Busch in 2005, Mark Martin in 2009, Jeff Gordon in 2011 and Elliott in 2020). He is tied with Hendrick Motorsports vice president of competition Chad Knaus for the second-most victories by a crew chief at Phoenix. Gustafson has also tallied 12 top-five results, 24 top-10s and 977 laps led. In his most recent race at the track, working with fill-in driver Josh Berry, the Ormond Beach, Florida, native led the No. 9 team to a 10th-place result.

PIT STOP POWER: With one race remaining in the 2023 season, the No. 9 pit crew holds the ninth-fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 11.237 seconds. In two races this season, the over-the-wall squad had the fastest four-tire pit stop in the field, most recently laying down a time of 9.409 seconds at Texas Motor Speedway in September. The 2021 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew award-winning group is comprised of Chad Avrit (rear-tire changer), Jared Erspamer (tire carrier), John Gianninoto (fueler), Nick O’Dell (front-tire changer) and T.J. Semke (jackman).

HEADING HOME: Gianninoto will compete in front of his home-track crowd at Phoenix on Sunday. The Tucson, Arizona, native graduated with honors from Catalina Foothills High School and went on to play as an offensive lineman for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2006 – earning his first letter in 2007 and becoming a team captain in 2010. In 2012, he participated in the NFL’s Carolina Panthers training camp before signing with Hendrick Motorsports that September. Gianninoto set a Guinness World Record in 2018, teaming with Sunoco for the most vehicles refueled by an individual in one hour (148).

GET UP AND GO: NAPA Auto Parts is on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the season finale this weekend at Phoenix. The Atlanta-based company has been Elliott’s primary partner for eight of his 14 Cup starts at the desert oval, including his 2020 victory. This season marks NAPA’s 10th year partnering with the Dawsonville, Georgia, native dating back to his first season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Get a closer look at the 2023 paint scheme here.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 25 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 1st – Tied

No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Phoenix Raceway media center on Friday, Nov. 3, following NASCAR Cup Series practice.

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Phoenix Raceway media center on Saturday, Nov. 4, following NASCAR Cup Series qualifying.

CHAMP 4 BOUND: For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career, William Byron has earned a spot in the Championship 4 for the sport’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway. The No. 24 team rallied to secure enough points at Martinsville Speedway to advance through the Round of 8. Entering as the youngest competitor of the final four, Byron won the most recent race at Phoenix on March 12. The driver who won on that same date went on to win the championship in three of the prior four times, including twice by Hendrick Motorsports drivers (Jeff Gordon in 1995 and Jimmie Johnson in 2006). If Byron were to win this weekend, he would become only the sixth driver to win a championship in his first Championship 4 appearance. The 25-year-old would also be the fourth-youngest Cup champion of all time.

CAREER SEASON: Heading into the season finale for the Cup Series playoffs, Byron continues to add to his already impressive 2023 stats. After 35 races, Byron leads the series in wins (six), average finishing position (11.17) and top-10 finishes (20). He is tied for the most top-five finishes with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson (14) and is in a three-way tie along with Larson for the most stage wins (eight) this season. Byron has also led a single-season career-best 921 laps, which is the third-most in the series. In addition, he ranks second for the season in average running position (10.37), laps run in the top five (3,784) and third for laps run in the top 10 (5,387). In the playoffs, his average finish (6.33) is the fifth-best mark in the elimination-style postseason (first started in 2014).

SIMILAR IN SIZE: This Sunday’s race at Phoenix will mark Byron’s 43rd start on tracks 1 to 1.37 miles in length (Darlington Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Phoenix and WWT Raceway). In his previous 42 starts, he has collected one pole award, two wins (2023 victories at Darlington and Phoenix), nine top-five finishes, 18 top-10s and led 440 laps.

VENTURING TO THE VALLEY OF THE SUN: Heading to a track where he has found success at every level of NASCAR competition, Byron will return to Phoenix for the 12th time in his Cup career. Across his 11 Cup Series starts at the 1-mile oval, Byron’s best showing came earlier this year when he took home the victory. He has earned six top-10s and led 91 laps. His five top-10 finishes since 2020 are tied for his second-most at a track behind only Kansas Speedway with six. With three Next Gen races (since 2022) taking place at Phoenix, Byron leads all drivers with laps run in the top five (621) and ranks third in laps run in the top 10 (840). The Charlotte, North Carolina, native also has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix on his résumé, both coming in 2017. He started on the front row and finished in the top four in both races, including a win in November 2017. With that victory, he became the youngest winner ever at Phoenix in the Xfinity Series at 19 years, 11 months and 13 days. The following week he earned the Xfinity Series championship.

DYNAMIC DUO OUT WEST: In 2016, Byron was behind the wheel for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race in Arizona with crew chief Rudy Fugle atop the pit box. The duo won the pole and went on to lead 112 laps. Unfortunately, an engine failure while Byron was leading with 10 laps to go ended his night early and his chances to advance on to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway – where they ended up finding redemption and winning the next weekend.

RUDY’S PHOENIX PERFORMANCE: Going to Phoenix for the sixth time in his Cup Series crew chief career, Fugle has one win (March 2023), one top-five finish, three top-10s and 76 laps led in those previous five races. Aside from his Cup Series starts, Fugle has three Xfinity Series starts and eight Truck Series starts under his belt at the 1-mile desert oval. In those eight Truck Series races, Fugle has four pole awards and his drivers have led a total of 471 laps. While Fugle has only one Truck Series win at Phoenix, he has two runner-up results, four top-five finishes and six top-10s.

PIT ROAD PROWESS: After 35 races in the 2023 season, the No. 24 pit crew remains in the top spot with the fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 10.963 seconds. The No. 24 pit crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler). In the middle race of the Round of 8 at Homestead-Miami, the No. 24 team had the fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 9.986 seconds.

AT IT AGAIN WITH AXALTA: For the season finale, Axalta will be back onboard Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. This is Axalta’s 31st year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. The company has been a primary partner for two of Byron’s wins this year – the May victory at Darlington and the July triumph at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

48 Alex Bowman

Age: 30 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Resides: Concord, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Blake Harris

Standings: 21st

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

BEST IN THE WEST: Since the start of the 2020 season, Alex Bowman has tallied two wins in the NASCAR Cup Series at tracks on the West Coast. The first of those wins occurred at Auto Club Speedway in March 2020. In that race, Bowman won the first stage and finished second in the second stage, leading 110 laps en route to his second career Cup Series victory. The No. 48 driver scored his other West Coast win in 2022 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In that event, he won the first stage and led 16 laps, all but securing his spot in that year’s Cup Series playoffs.

COMING HOME: Bowman heads to his home state to take on Phoenix Raceway for the 17th time in his Cup Series career. The Tucson, Arizona, native has two top-10 finishes at the 1-mile facility. His best result at this track came in the 2016 fall race, where he finished sixth. In that event, he started from the pole, led a race-high and single-race career-best 194 laps and spent 272 laps inside the top two for an average running position of 1.90. The Hendrick Motorsports driver also has six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1-mile oval with a best finish of eighth (2017) and one ARCA Menards Series West start (then-known as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West) in 2011 when he led 23 laps en route to a second-place result.

SEASON SUMMARY: Bowman is completing his sixth season at Hendrick Motorsports and his third behind the wheel of the No. 48 Ally Chevy. This year, the 30-year-old driver won the pole position for the DAYTONA 500 and held the points lead in the early spring. In his first season paired with crew chief Blake Harris, Bowman earned double-digit top-10 finishes (10) for the sixth consecutive campaign.

AZ BOSS: This Sunday, Harris will sit atop the No. 48 pit box, calling the shots for the season finale at Phoenix. While Harris hails from Maypearl, Texas, this weekend holds a unique spot in his heart as both drivers he has worked with as a crew chief in the Cup Series are Arizona natives. Making his fourth start at the desert venue as the shot caller, he looks to continue his success with Bowman after nabbing a ninth-place finish in the spring.

SAVE THEM ALL: Bowman and his primary partner Ally teamed up this year to bring back the Best Friends Animal Society donation effort. This week, the duo will make charitable contributions to Love Them All Sanctuary + Rescue, which serves the local community in Scottsdale, Arizona. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and Love Them All Sanctuary + Rescue. Ally will increase its donation to $10,000 if the No. 48 team wins on Sunday.

SHINING BRIGHT IN THE DAYTIME: For the race at Phoenix, the No. 48 Ally Chevy will adorn its “day” scheme. This scheme hosts a white base with bright plum, grapefruit and seafoam stripes down the sides. Check out all the angles of the ride here. 

HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /

Hendrick Motorsports

2023All-TimePhoenix
Races351,34454
Wins10*301*13*
Poles6245*14*
Top 540*1,230*54*
Top 1065*2,110*100*
Laps Led2,34579,662*3,435*
Stage Wins18**976

*Most **Most (tie)

PLAYOFF LOWDOWN: For the second time in three years, Hendrick Motorsports has two drivers in the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. This is also the fourth straight season that the organization has had at least one driver eligible for the title in the season finale. Kyle Larson and William Byron are each set to compete for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship. This year’s playoffs have seen the organization triumph in the opening races in the Round of 16 (Larson at Darlington Raceway), the Round of 12 (Byron at Texas Motor Speedway) and the Round of 8 (Larson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway).

CHAMPIONSHIP COUNT: With 14 Cup Series championships, Hendrick Motorsports has the most titles in the sport’s top series. NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee Jimmie Johnson accounts for half of those with seven (2006-10, 2013 and 2016). NASCAR Hall of Famer and team vice chairman Jeff Gordon racked up four titles (1995, 1997-98 and 2001). NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte (1996), Chase Elliott (2020) and Larson (2021) each have one championship for the team. Nine of those titles have come in the playoff era (2004-present).

NUMERICAL NOMENCLATURE: To date, Hendrick Motorsports’ 14 titles are divided up among four car numbers: No. 48 with seven, No. 24 with four, No. 5 with two and the No. 9 with one. The four different car numbers to win a championship for one team is a Cup Series record.

CREW COUNT: A record six crew chiefs are responsible for the team’s 14 Cup Series championships. Vice president of competition Chad Knaus won seven atop the pit box, while Ray Evernham has three. Gary DeHart, Robbie Loomis, Alan Gustafson and Cliff Daniels each have one. Rudy Fugle and Daniels are after titles this season in both the driver and owner championships.

FINAL FOUR: The organization has had five drivers reach the Championship 4 in the elimination-style format that began in 2014. Gordon (2015), Johnson (2016), Elliott (2020, 2021 and 2022), Larson (2021 and 2023) and Byron (2023) have all accomplished that feat. Johnson, Elliott and Larson each won the title in their first Championship 4 appearance.

RECORD SETTERS: Hendrick Motorsports has posted a series-best 58 wins in the playoffs, which is 21 more than the closest team. Johnson has the most with 29 victories. Among the current driver lineup, Larson tops the board with eight wins, then Elliott at seven victories and Byron and Alex Bowman with one each.

GOOD SIGN: In six of the last seven occurrences where a Hendrick Motorsports driver has won at least six races, that driver has gone on to win the title (Johnson in 2007-10 and 2013 and Larson in 2021). Byron has a half dozen wins in the 2023 season.

WINNER WINNER: In 2023, Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 points-paying races. This is the third straight season and 13th season overall that the organization has won at least 10 races. The run of back-to-back-to-back years with at least 10 wins is the second longest in team history behind the team’s four straight seasons of double-digit wins from 1995 to 1998.

CARUTH HOPS IN: Rajah Caruth will be behind the wheel of the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro during Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix. Greg Ives will be serving as the crew chief for the effort. Caruth, a 21-year-old driver, has run full-time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series this year, with four top-10 finishes, including an eighth-place result in the last race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Over the last two seasons, he has made 18 starts in the Xfinity ranks.

EDGE OF SEVENTEEN: Hendrick Motorsports has made five starts in the Xfinity Series this year. Cup Series regulars Larson, Elliott, Byron and Bowman have each made at least one appearance in the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro with a combined three top-five finishes, four top-10s and one pole position. The No. 17 carries special significance to the Hendrick Motorsports family as it is the same number Ricky Hendrick drove and won with in the Truck Series. In its history, Hendrick Motorsports has earned one Xfinity Series championship (2003) and 26 race wins in the series.

BAKER’S DOZEN IN THE DESERT: The Rick Hendrick-owned organization has a series-best 13 wins among nine drivers at Phoenix. Johnson tops the board with four, followed by Gordon with two victories. Kyle Busch, Byron, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Elliott, Labonte, Larson and Mark Martin have each tallied one triumph at the 1-mile track for the team. Elliott and Larson’s wins came in the 2020 and 2021 championship races. The organization also leads the way in poles (14), top-five finishes (54), top-10s (100) and laps led (3,435) at the Arizona venue.

SPRING REWIND: In this year’s spring race at Phoenix, Hendrick Motorsports dominated the event as the team earned the win and led 265 of the 317 laps run. Byron notched the victory as he got the better of Larson in an overtime finish. Larson scored the pole position and led a race-high 201 laps. In addition, Bowman and Josh Berry (filling in for an injured Elliott) notched top-10 finishes as all four cars placed in the top 10.

NEXT GEN NUMBERS: Phoenix has hosted three races in the Next Gen era (2022-present). In those events, Byron (621) and Larson (585) rank one-two in laps run in the top five. Byron (840) and Larson (771) are also third and fourth for laps run in the top 10.

WEST SUCCESS: Of the last 17 races on the West Coast, nine have resulted in victories for the Concord, North Carolina-based team. Larson has five wins, while Byron has two and Bowman and Elliott have one each. On this year’s three-race western swing following the DAYTONA 500, Byron won two of the three races (Las Vegas and Phoenix). Larson’s win in the playoff race at Las Vegas secured his spot in the Championship 4. The team’s 44 wins on the West Coast are the most in the series.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on competing for a second championship at Phoenix Raceway: “I’m excited to go to Phoenix (Raceway) and hopefully have a good run. We were okay there last year from what I remember. We were decent on the long run and not great on the short run. In the spring, we were good on the short run and not very good on the long run, so I don’t know what we will have going on there. Regardless, we’ve had speed this season. We are in the final four, so we’ve got a shot at the championship.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s plan for championship weekend at Phoenix: “Our mindset is really to execute a good weekend. Starting with unloading on Friday, getting the car through tech and on track for practice. We really want to execute a good practice to get (Kyle) Larson’s Chevy comfortable. Of course, we want it to be fast. I think the best combination is going to be having a good car that has speed and good drivability. You’ve got to have a lot of versatility built into your car. We look to make good changes ahead of qualifying on Saturday, once we have a better idea of what is needed for race day. Our goal is to stay focused at each step along the way. Hopefully, that will set us up for a good day on Sunday.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what he values most about his team: “They’re top notch. Just a really good group. I enjoy going to work with them each week. There’s not a lot of ego. They enjoy having fun, putting in the work and showing up prepared. Ultimately, as a teammate and a competitor, that’s all I can ask for. If we are all showing up and we are as best prepared as we can be and go and give it our best effort each week, that’s all I can ask for from my side. I try to give that back to them as well. I think we all know each other well enough at this point that when we show up we are going to give it our best effort and give it our all. I don’t question that out of them and they don’t question that out of me.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the keys to performing well at Phoenix: “The corners are quite a bit different, so getting those as similar as you can is key. Having comfort and security on corner entry, with good center turn and drive off is also important. The fact that the corner entries are significantly different make it challenging, but that’s also what makes it fun and unique.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on preparing for Phoenix: “I wanted this opportunity bad and I wanted it really bad for our team. We have all worked so hard for the chance to run for a championship and we have as good of a chance as anyone. We’ve worked hard this week to get ready between going over data, film and time at the Chevy sim. We’ve done all we can to prepare here before we get to Phoenix (Raceway). Being able to have a full 50-minute practice session is nice though, so we can really work on some changes and be even more prepared for Sunday. It will be about maximizing every chance we have and I am confident that we will be at our best on Sunday.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his mindset of racing for a NASCAR Cup Series championship: “This is about capitalizing on the opportunity. The opportunity to run for a championship at the top level of motorsports in North America is what we dream of doing. I know the whole team feels the same way. We’re going to put our full effort into it and we will know that after the race Sunday, we will have put everything we have on the line. There will be no regrets. We have an amazing team, pit crew and support system back at the shop. We’re going to use every ounce of intelligence, effort and athleticism that we have to make it happen.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at his home track on the Cup Series circuit: “Phoenix Raceway is obviously super special to me since it’s my home track. I had a good run here in 2016 and just haven’t been able to find the same speed, so it’s been circled on my calendar since then. Honestly, a good run this weekend would just mean a lot in general with how this season has gone for us. Getting the ship righted for 2024 is important but we have to be mindful of our teammates and how the championship race is going. There are a lot of different variables at play this weekend. We will just have to do what we can and maximize our opportunities on Sunday.”

Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Phoenix this Sunday: “This track is a special place for Alex (Bowman) and running well is something we all strive for on any weekend, but this track in specific is one we put a lot of emphasis on. It has a lot of challenges that our team is working hard to figure out in the simulator and using our notes from our top-10 run in the spring. I think that is something that just helps our team stay focused on getting the small details right before we show up at the racetrack. Luckily, we get a full 50-minute practice session to help make any adjustments that Alex needs ahead of qualifying and the race. I feel good about our weekend and hopefully, we can contend at the end.”

ACE Championship, the all-electric racing concept, announces its rebranding as Formula G

By
Official Release
-

With a powerful new brand and format, Formula G is poised to bring affordable, accessible, and competitive green energy racing to motorsport fans around the world.

Dilbagh Gill, the former Mahindra Racing Formula E Team Principal, along with former racer Nick Heidfeld, today announced the rebranding of ACE Championship to Formula G. The visionaries behind Formula G have revealed initial details behind the world’s first dual-power, all-electric racing series, set to race as a support series in four regions across the globe starting in 2024.

While retaining the original vision of creating opportunity through affordability at all levels of the sport, Gill and his organisation have uniquely positioned Formula G as the only professional motorsports series capable of delivering a “green racing” solution to all existing formats of the sport. Formula G will compete as a support series on the same tracks, on the same weekends, as existing combustion engine, alternative fuel, and all-electric powered racing events.

Gill further divulged that Formula G has secured all contracts and suppliers necessary to begin competition. This includes the building of a brand new revolutionary open-wheel all-electric race car, the “FG-ETwin”.

Featuring the unique technical ability to be raced at reduced power by a junior driver, and then at full power by a professional driver, the FG-ETwin allows the creation of a two-race format series using a single car. This dual-power technology also reduces all costs of competition, enabling teams to run two races with the budget and crew required for a one car entry.

This innovative set-up allows for double the entertainment value for fans, while giving sponsors twice the branding opportunities, and providing exposure for both emerging and established drivers as they compete in front of larger crowds.

Formula G’s inaugural season, commencing in late 2024, will feature independent championships in four regions (these are to be announced soon), each with 10 team franchises, and 40 drivers, 20 of which will compete in the reduced-power championship “F-G2”, and 20 professional drivers competing in the full powered “F-G1 Championship”.

“When Nick Heidfeld and I created ACE, we always envisioned two series with the same teams competing around the world at its own events” said Dilbagh Gill, Founder and CEO of Formula G. “As we listened to team owners, promoters, owners of other motorsports series, and various stakeholders, it became clear that each region had its own economic and sustainability challenges and goals that we needed to address if Formula G was to become the leading support series in the fastest growing and underserved sector of motorsports. I am proud that after receiving support at every level of the sport, Formula G, by launching as a support series in multiple regions, is the first global series to create affordability and accessibility, unique by region, that will enable Formula G to attract more diversity in team owners, drivers, mechanics and engineers, while creating significantly more career opportunities on and off the track.”

“This is a championship I am extremely passionate about, and I wanted to be involved since the moment Dilbagh presented his vision” said Nick Heidfeld, legendary Formula 1 driver, and co-founder of Formula G. “As a driver, I recognise the barriers that stand in the way of the opportunity to race competitively and progress through different levels. I believe Formula G is a truly unique racing platform that breaks down many of these, and will create previously unavailable opportunities. At the same time, Formula G will also fill a green racing void that everyone in the sport, from teams, to drivers, sponsors, and promoters, and most importantly race fans around the world, have all been waiting for. I cannot wait for the first races and helping the next generations of drivers become the stars of the future.”

As a part of the rebrand, the Formula G launch website is now at www.formulag.com, and you can follow them on the following social media platforms:

Facebook: Formula G Series
Instagram: @formulagseries
LinkedIn: Formula G Series
TikTok: @formulagseries_
X: @formulagseries
YouTube: @formulagseries

More announcements regarding strategic partnerships and details of the Formula G Championship will be announced soon.

Overton Kicks Off World Of Outlaws World Finals In Style

By
Official Release
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  • Brandon Overton posted the quickest time in qualifying for Thursday’s World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models feature as part of the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte; Scott Bloomquist, the 2004 series champion, led the way in qualifying for Friday’s action
  • Sheldon Haudenschild and Brent Marks (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars) joined Jimmy Phelps and Matt Sheppard (Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds) in leading their respective series in Wednesday’s time trials
  • Fans can buy tickets, camping and pit passes for the World of Outlaws World Finals by shopping online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 1, 2023) – Brandon Overton kicked off his fourth World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models start of the season in style on Wednesday at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

Overton’s 15.091-second time in qualifying for Thursday’s first night of World of Outlaws World Finals action was tops among 74 drivers. Overton bested Mike Marlar by a scant .026 seconds to claim quick time honors.

Scott Bloomquist, the 2004 series champion, turned back the clock on Wednesday. Less than two weeks before his 60th birthday, Bloomquist posted a 15.648-second lap that held up as the fastest of all qualifying attempts for Friday’s features.

After he completed qualifying laps for Friday, Bobby Pierce clinched his first World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model championship on the strength of 14 wins and 31 top-10 finishes in the season’s first 35 races. Pierce was 13th fastest overall for Thursday’s time trials and 26th for Friday’s session.

Sheldon Haudenschild posted a scorching, 13.694-second lap to emerge quickest among all World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars drivers in qualifying for Thursday. Brent Marks was fastest in Friday’s set of time trials, lapping in 14.149 seconds to earn quick time honors.

Jimmy Phelps led the way among 45 Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified competitors for Thursday, with a 16.296-second lap in the first of two groups to tour Charlotte’s high-speed, four-tenths-mile clay oval. Matt Sheppard was quickest in qualifying for Friday’s race, lapping the track in 16.676 seconds.

Race fans from 49 states and six foreign countries have descended on The Dirt Track at Charlotte for this weekend’s festivities, with clear skies expected for the remaining three days of action. Fans can lock in single-day and three-day ticket packages, plus pit passes and camping, by shopping online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

WORLD OF OUTLAWS CASE CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT LATE MODELS
Friday’s Qualifying Group A: 1. 0-Scott Bloomquist, 00:15.648[13]; 2. 44-Chris Madden, 00:15.741[14]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr, 00:15.766[26]; 4. 7T-Drake Troutman, 00:15.785[7]; 5. 8-Brian Shirley, 00:15.799[3]; 6. 157-Mike Marlar, 00:15.832[15]; 7. 18D-Daulton Wilson, 00:15.898[29]; 8. 15K-Cody Overton, 00:15.925[4]; 9. 25-Shane Clanton, 00:15.944[36]; 10. 76-Brandon Overton, 00:15.949[16]; 11. 1T-Tyler Erb, 00:15.957[12]; 12. 174-Ethan Dotson, 00:15.999[25]; 13. 18-Chase Junghans, 00:16.022[30]; 14. 32-Bobby Pierce, 00:16.100[28]; 15. 55-Benji Hicks, 00:16.110[21]; 16. 119-Bryan Bernheisel, 00:16.145[1]; 17. 21-Robby Hensley, 00:16.178[6]; 18. 89-Logan Roberson, 00:16.190[22]; 19. 22-Chris Ferguson, 00:16.202[34]; 20. 28B-Carson Brown, 00:16.230[19]; 21. 7W-Ricky Weiss, 00:16.263[35]; 22. C4-Freddie Carpenter, 00:16.312[32]; 23. 28C-Tyler Carpenter, 00:16.380[18]; 24. 11-Gordy Gundaker, 00:16.487[31]; 25. 75-Daniel Adam, 00:16.493[5]; 26. J4-John Garvin Jr, 00:16.510[24]; 27. 54-David Breazeale, 00:16.517[27]; 28. B1-Brent Larson, 00:16.548[10]; 29. 19-Gavin Cowan, 00:16.566[11]; 30. 14W-Dustin Walker, 00:16.747[23]; 31. 06-Mike Lupfer, 00:16.815[37]; 32. 1L-Chuckie Lepsch, 00:16.854[8]; 33. 20K-Colin Knaub, 00:16.869[17]; 34. 07-Brian Ledbetter, 00:17.017[20]; 35. 5-John Eller, 00:17.017[2]; 36. 12-Joe Leavell, 00:17.017[9]; 37. 11H-Keith Jackson, 00:17.017[33].

Friday’s Qualifying Group B: 1. 17M-Dale McDowell, 00:15.696[15]; 2. 9-Nick Hoffman, 00:15.858[16]; 3. 10-Garrett Smith, 00:15.925[30]; 4. 39-Tim McCreadie, 00:15.963[18]; 5. B5-Brandon Sheppard, 00:15.982[24]; 6. 88-Trent Ivey, 00:15.997[7]; 7. 25Z-Mason Zeigler, 00:16.019[33]; 8. 97-Cade Dillard, 00:16.028[19]; 9. 00-Carson Ferguson, 00:16.042[10]; 10. 20-Jimmy Owens, 00:16.054[13]; 11. 79-Donald McIntosh, 00:16.068[1]; 12. 40B-Kyle Bronson, 00:16.078[34]; 13. 57-Zack Mitchell, 00:16.103[36]; 14. 19M-Spencer Hughes, 00:16.109[9]; 15. 28-Dennis Erb Jr, 00:16.135[12]; 16. 49-Jonathan Davenport, 00:16.141[35]; 17. 1-Hudson O’Neal, 00:16.152[20]; 18. 101-Forrest Trent, 00:16.299[14]; 19. 66C-Matt Cosner, 00:16.357[25]; 20. 25B-Mike Benedum, 00:16.379[22]; 21. 96V-Tanner English, 00:16.402[5]; 22. 11AK-Austin Kirkpatrick, 00:16.462[23]; 23. 187-David McCoy, 00:16.501[3]; 24. 8S-Kyle Strickler, 00:16.519[2]; 25. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 00:16.520[17]; 26. 4P-John Price, 00:16.531[4]; 27. 16-Ben Watkins, 00:16.593[6]; 28. 114-Jordan Koehler, 00:16.593[27]; 29. 421-Anthony Sanders, 00:16.801[8]; 30. 24-Tyler Wyant, 00:16.804[29]; 31. 22*-GR Smith, 00:16.858[32]; 32. 30-Todd Cooney, 00:17.000[11]; 33. 2-Dan Stone, 00:17.019[28]; 34. 5B-Ross Bailes, 00:17.039[26]; 35. 12R-Jack Harmon, 00:17.154[21]; 36. 214-Haiden Cowan, 00:17.254[37]; 37. 7-Dalton Jacobs, 00:17.254[31]

Thursday’s Qualifying Group A: 1. 157-Mike Marlar, 00:15.117[36]; 2. 44-Chris Madden, 00:15.139[14]; 3. 97-Cade Dillard, 00:15.190[26]; 4. 1-Hudson O’Neal, 00:15.295[28]; 5. 9-Nick Hoffman, 00:15.301[30]; 6. 1T-Tyler Erb, 00:15.311[29]; 7. 57-Zack Mitchell, 00:15.336[21]; 8. 8-Brian Shirley, 00:15.374[19]; 9. 25Z-Mason Zeigler, 00:15.382[10]; 10. 96V-Tanner English, 00:15.392[2]; 11. 40B-Kyle Bronson, 00:15.403[6]; 12. 32-Bobby Pierce, 00:15.407[13]; 13. 22-Chris Ferguson, 00:15.431[12]; 14. 7T-Drake Troutman, 00:15.482[9]; 15. 28-Dennis Erb Jr, 00:15.495[33]; 16. J4-John Garvin Jr, 00:15.505[8]; 17. B5-Brandon Sheppard, 00:15.509[23]; 18. 39-Tim McCreadie, 00:15.516[22]; 19. 66C-Matt Cosner, 00:15.537[35]; 20. 49-Jonathan Davenport, 00:15.554[7]; 21. 119-Bryan Bernheisel, 00:15.559[16]; 22. 20-Jimmy Owens, 00:15.601[20]; 23. 06-Mike Lupfer, 00:15.605[18]; 24. 28C-Tyler Carpenter, 00:15.650[11]; 25. 89-Logan Roberson, 00:15.695[34]; 26. 187-David McCoy, 00:15.709[31]; 27. 101-Forrest Trent, 00:15.716[24]; 28. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 00:15.835[17]; 29. C4-Freddie Carpenter, 00:15.881[15]; 30. 5B-Ross Bailes, 00:15.913[25]; 31. 214-Haiden Cowan, 00:15.917[27]; 32. B1-Brent Larson, 00:15.972[1]; 33. 2-Dan Stone, 00:15.991[37]; 34. 22*-GR Smith, 00:16.046[3]; 35. 11-Gordy Gundaker, 00:16.225[32]; 36. 12R-Jack Harmon, 00:18.087[5]; 37. (DQ) 15K-Cody Overton, 00:15.970[4]

Thursday’s Qualifying Group B: 1. 76-Brandon Overton, 00:15.091[4]; 2. 174-Ethan Dotson, 00:15.431[3]; 3. 17M-Dale McDowell, 00:15.491[30]; 4. 55-Benji Hicks, 00:15.495[6]; 5. 19M-Spencer Hughes, 00:15.507[16]; 6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr, 00:15.573[31]; 7. 25-Shane Clanton, 00:15.665[25]; 8. 18D-Daulton Wilson, 00:15.687[35]; 9. 79-Donald McIntosh, 00:15.691[23]; 10. 18-Chase Junghans, 00:15.726[15]; 11. 00-Carson Ferguson, 00:15.768[34]; 12. 0-Scott Bloomquist, 00:15.769[13]; 13. 19-Gavin Cowan, 00:15.771[20]; 14. 21-Robby Hensley, 00:15.794[36]; 15. 10-Garrett Smith, 00:15.818[1]; 16. 16-Ben Watkins, 00:15.929[10]; 17. 7W-Ricky Weiss, 00:15.942[9]; 18. 88-Trent Ivey, 00:15.951[32]; 19. 75-Daniel Adam, 00:15.961[5]; 20. 28B-Carson Brown, 00:15.976[7]; 21. 11AK-Austin Kirkpatrick, 00:15.992[12]; 22. 4P-John Price, 00:15.996[18]; 23. 25B-Mike Benedum, 00:16.043[14]; 24. 54-David Breazeale, 00:16.050[8]; 25. 11H-Keith Jackson, 00:16.075[22]; 26. 114-Jordan Koehler, 00:16.163[24]; 27. 7-Dalton Jacobs, 00:16.166[28]; 28. 30-Todd Cooney, 00:16.179[37]; 29. 5-John Eller, 00:16.312[19]; 30. 421-Anthony Sanders, 00:16.391[27]; 31. 14W-Dustin Walker, 00:16.396[2]; 32. 24-Tyler Wyant, 00:16.590[33]; 33. 20K-Colin Knaub, 00:16.752[26]; 34. 07-Brian Ledbetter, 00:17.024[29]; 35. 1L-Chuckie Lepsch, 00:17.218[21]; 36. 12-Joe Leavell, 00:17.218[11]; 37. (DQ) 8S-Kyle Strickler, 00:16.294[17].

WORLD OF OUTLAWS NOS ENERGY DRINK SPRINT CARS
Qualifying A – Friday: 1. 2-David Gravel, 00:14.163; 2. 21-Brian Brown, 00:14.175; 3. 9R-Chase Randall, 00:14.181; 4. 69K-Justin Henderson, 00:14.342; 5. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:14.427; 6. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 00:14.457; 7. 41-Carson Macedo, 00:14.484; 8. 26-Zeb Wise, 00:14.527; 9. 49-Brad Sweet, 00:14.648; 10. 5-Spencer Bayston, 00:14.664; 11. 2MD-Cap Henry, 00:14.693; 12. 14-Cole Macedo, 00:14.743; 13. 23-Devon Borden, 00:14.747; 14. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 00:14.785; 15. 99-Skylar Gee, 00:14.820; 16. 1T-Tanner Holmes, 00:14.842; 17. 6Z-Zane DeVault, 00:14.852; 18. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 00:14.858; 19. 42-Sye Lynch, 00:14.876; 20. 20G-Noah Gass, 00:14.977; 21. 5D-Jacob Dykstra, 00:15.173; 22. 23M-Lance Moss, 00:15.205; 23. 47-Eric Riggins Jr, 00:15.260; 24. 17H-Wout Hoffmans, 00:15.473; 25. W20-Greg Wilson, 00:15.635; 26. 7NY-Matt Farnham, 00:15.804; 27. 7N-Darin Naida, 00:16.161

Qualifying B – Friday: 1. 19-Brent Marks, 00:14.149; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:14.259; 3. 88-Austin McCarl, 00:14.275; 4. 39M-Anthony Macri, 00:14.347; 5. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg, 00:14.402; 6. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 00:14.435; 7. 83-James McFadden, 00:14.445; 8. 13-Justin Peck, 00:14.531; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 00:14.582; 10. 8-Cory Eliason, 00:14.603; 11. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:14.607; 12. 15-Donny Schatz, 00:14.617; 13. 71-Parker Price Miller, 00:14.735; 14. 1A-Jacob Allen, 00:14.746; 15. 7S-Robbie Price, 00:14.858; 16. 12-Lance Dewease, 00:14.895; 17. 77-Geoff Dodge, 00:14.962; 18. 22-Riley Goodno, 00:15.091; 19. 14T-Tim Estenson, 00:15.156; 20. 24D-Danny Sams III, 00:15.279; 21. 12S-Brent Shearer, 00:15.565; 22. 28M-Conner Morrell, 00:15.571; 23. 18R-Ryan Roberts, 00:15.583; 24. 40-George Hobaugh Jr, 00:15.757; 25. 20-Tim Buckwalter, 00:15.818; 26. (DNS) 33-Derek Hauck, 00:15.818

Qualifying A – Thursday: 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 00:13.694[12]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:13.722[27]; 3. 41-Carson Macedo, 00:13.847[16]; 4. 19-Brent Marks, 00:13.888[24]; 5. 8-Cory Eliason, 00:13.956[3]; 6. 14-Cole Macedo, 00:13.987[15]; 7. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 00:14.003[4]; 8. 69K-Justin Henderson, 00:14.023[26]; 9. 26-Zeb Wise, 00:14.036[23]; 10. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg, 00:14.056[21]; 11. 20G-Noah Gass, 00:14.064[11]; 12. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:14.066[22]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen, 00:14.077[19]; 14. 9R-Chase Randall, 00:14.113[9]; 15. 12-Lance Dewease, 00:14.162[17]; 16. 88-Austin McCarl, 00:14.189[1]; 17. 83-James McFadden, 00:14.200[18]; 18. 5-Spencer Bayston, 00:14.245[20]; 19. 7S-Robbie Price, 00:14.315[10]; 20. 42-Sye Lynch, 00:14.369[7]; 21. 18R-Ryan Roberts, 00:14.401[25]; 22. 12S-Brent Shearer, 00:14.419[6]; 23. 47-Eric Riggins Jr, 00:14.502[8]; 24. 33-Derek Hauck, 00:14.516[2]; 25. 14T-Tim Estenson, 00:14.669[5]; 26. 77-Geoff Dodge, 00:14.701[13]; 27. 17H-Wout Hoffmans, 00:15.268[14]

Qualifying B – Thursday: 1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:13.843[5]; 2. 2-David Gravel, 00:13.903[3]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet, 00:13.986[4]; 4. 18-Giovanni Scelzi, 00:13.987[6]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 00:14.069[9]; 6. 21-Brian Brown, 00:14.105[16]; 7. 13-Justin Peck, 00:14.279[14]; 8. 39M-Anthony Macri, 00:14.279[26]; 9. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 00:14.283[1]; 10. 2MD-Cap Henry, 00:14.296[10]; 11. 23-Devon Borden, 00:14.319[19]; 12. 15-Donny Schatz, 00:14.356[24]; 13. 1T-Tanner Holmes, 00:14.505[21]; 14. 28M-Conner Morrell, 00:14.548[12]; 15. 6Z-Zane DeVault, 00:14.715[8]; 16. 99-Skylar Gee, 00:14.729[18]; 17. 71-Parker Price Miller, 00:14.762[17]; 18. 20-Tim Buckwalter, 00:14.899[13]; 19. 5D-Jacob Dykstra, 00:14.963[23]; 20. W20-Greg Wilson, 00:15.004[7]; 21. 22-Riley Goodno, 00:15.015[15]; 22. 40-George Hobaugh Jr, 00:15.163[22]; 23. 7NY-Matt Farnham, 00:15.354[25]; 24. 24D-Danny Sams III, 00:15.429[20]; 25. 23M-Lance Moss, 00:15.530[2]; 26. 7N-Darin Naida, 00:15.817[11].

SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
Qualifying Group A Friday: 1. 9S-Matt Sheppard, 00:16.676[13]; 2. 88-Mat Williamson, 00:16.790[17]; 3. 83X-Tim Sears Jr, 00:16.855[21]; 4. 25-Erick Rudolph, 00:16.991[2]; 5. 54-Steve Bernard, 00:17.130[14]; 6. 26-Ryan Godown, 00:17.173[16]; 7. 33-Louden Reimert, 00:17.197[7]; 8. 2A-Mike Gular, 00:17.230[15]; 9. 99L-Larry Wight, 00:17.381[11]; 10. 111-Demetrios Drellos, 00:17.391[1]; 11. 35-Mike Mahaney, 00:17.418[22]; 12. 410-Mike Fowler, 00:17.428[9]; 13. 48T-Dave Rauscher, 00:17.464[20]; 14. 2-Jack Lehner, 00:17.470[8]; 15. 29-Matt Caprara, 00:17.513[10]; 16. JS98-Rocky Warner, 00:17.609[3]; 17. 12-Darren Smith, 00:17.680[4]; 18. 28-Michael Trautschold, 00:17.680[23]; 19. 124-Mario Clair, 00:17.687[6]; 20. 14-CG Morey, 00:17.766[5]; 21. 17-Marcus Dinkins, 00:17.795[18]; 22. 66W-Wallace Stacey, 00:17.874[19]; 23. (DNS) 8S-Rich Scagliotta, 00:17.874

Qualifying Group B Friday: 1. 98H-Jimmy Phelps, 00:16.841[17]; 2. 4*-Anthony Perrego, 00:16.948[10]; 3. 8H-Max McLaughlin, 00:16.996[2]; 4. 19-Tim Fuller, 00:17.041[13]; 5. ONE-David Hebert, 00:17.059[3]; 6. 91-Felix Roy, 00:17.070[1]; 7. 70A-Alex Payne, 00:17.178[21]; 8. 21A-Peter Britten, 00:17.256[22]; 9. 91D-Billy Decker, 00:17.292[7]; 10. 4SL-Bob Hentschel, 00:17.302[12]; 11. 84Y-Alex Yankowski, 00:17.374[16]; 12. 27J-Danny Johnson, 00:17.417[6]; 13. 215-Adam Pierson, 00:17.450[5]; 14. 5H-Chris Hile, 00:17.470[14]; 15. 5-Tyler Siri, 00:17.482[19]; 16. 92-Dexter Stacey, 00:17.580[18]; 17. 18-Ryan Macartney, 00:17.642[11]; 18. 52-Jessica Power, 00:17.745[4]; 19. 21M-Bob Mcgannon, 00:17.751[20]; 20. 66-Corbin Millar, 00:17.798[8]; 21. 11A-Kyle Armstrong, 00:17.799[15]; 22. 82-Wally Wade, 00:17.969[9].

Qualifying Group A Thursday: 1. 98H-Jimmy Phelps, 00:16.296[20]; 2. 9S-Matt Sheppard, 00:16.470[16]; 3. 19-Tim Fuller, 00:16.490[10]; 4. 26-Ryan Godown, 00:16.541[11]; 5. 91D-Billy Decker, 00:16.573[17]; 6. 21A-Peter Britten, 00:16.629[14]; 7. 2A-Mike Gular, 00:16.764[23]; 8. 111-Demetrios Drellos, 00:16.773[4]; 9. 5-Tyler Siri, 00:16.776[13]; 10. 35-Mike Mahaney, 00:16.781[3]; 11. 25-Erick Rudolph, 00:16.823[6]; 12. 91-Felix Roy, 00:16.862[7]; 13. 5H-Chris Hile, 00:16.882[12]; 14. 27J-Danny Johnson, 00:16.895[15]; 15. 48T-Dave Rauscher, 00:16.895[19]; 16. 21M-Bob Mcgannon, 00:16.973[18]; 17. 28-Michael Trautschold, 00:17.029[21]; 18. 14-CG Morey, 00:17.115[8]; 19. 11A-Kyle Armstrong, 00:17.137[1]; 20. 83X-Tim Sears Jr, 00:17.160[5]; 21. 18-Ryan Macartney, 00:17.187[9]; 22. 124-Mario Clair, 00:17.370[2]; 23. (DNS) 12-Darren Smith, 00:17.370

Qualifying Group B Thursday: 1. 88-Mat Williamson, 00:16.580[9]; 2. 70A-Alex Payne, 00:16.628[5]; 3. 84Y-Alex Yankowski, 00:16.635[17]; 4. 4SL-Bob Hentschel, 00:16.659[8]; 5. 215-Adam Pierson, 00:16.675[18]; 6. 4*-Anthony Perrego, 00:16.732[13]; 7. 8H-Max McLaughlin, 00:16.771[1]; 8. ONE-David Hebert, 00:16.795[20]; 9. 29-Matt Caprara, 00:16.838[16]; 10. 54-Steve Bernard, 00:16.927[3]; 11. 33-Louden Reimert, 00:16.991[7]; 12. 2-Jack Lehner, 00:17.017[10]; 13. JS98-Rocky Warner, 00:17.032[14]; 14. 99L-Larry Wight, 00:17.146[22]; 15. 410-Mike Fowler, 00:17.216[6]; 16. 52-Jessica Power, 00:17.219[2]; 17. 17-Marcus Dinkins, 00:17.363[12]; 18. 92-Dexter Stacey, 00:17.366[4]; 19. 66-Corbin Millar, 00:17.635[19]; 20. 82-Wally Wade, 00:17.728[11]; 21. 66W-Wallace Stacey, 00:17.734[21]; 22. (DNS) 8S-Rich Scagliotta, 00:17.734

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