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Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum returning in 2024

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Official Release
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NASCAR Mexico Series race added to power-packed lineup on Sunday, Feb. 4

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 17, 2023) – NASCAR isn’t just returning to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2024. It’s adding more racing to a power-packed lineup.

NASCAR announced today that a NASCAR Mexico Series race on Sunday, Feb. 4, will precede its season-opening exhibition featuring the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series, the third-annual Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. That means fans can enjoy two great races in one day inside “The Greatest Stadium in the World.”

“This is a tremendous win for our fans and our sport,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President, Racing Development and Strategy. “Not only will the fans see the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series in action, they will also bear witness to the talent and skill that is found within the NASCAR Mexico Series. I can’t think of a better way to begin our 2024 season.”

NASCAR has opened its season with the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum for the past two years. Joey Logano won the inaugural event in 2022, while Martin Truex Jr. hoisted aloft the 2023 trophy beneath the Olympic cauldron in February. Now a NASCAR Mexico Series driver will also have an opportunity to celebrate a triumph inside an international stadium that’s hosted two Super Bowls, two Olympics, a World Series and countless other major events over the past 100 years.

“This is an incredible honor for the NASCAR Mexico Series and its drivers,” said Jimmy Morales, President and General Manager of the NASCAR Mexico Series. “The competition in our series is always intense, but I know our drivers will want nothing more than to become the first Mexican driver to win inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This is going to be a race we will not soon forget.”

The roots of the NASCAR Mexico Series were planted in 2004, and three years later, it became NASCAR’s first internationally sanctioned series. It competes on tracks throughout nine major cities in Mexico, providing racing fans with some of the most intense stock car racing on the planet. Current NASCAR Cup Series star and 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion Daniel Suárez began his stock car racing career in the NASCAR Mexico Series in 2008, and other NASCAR Mexico Series alumni like Max Gutierrez and Andres Perez de Lara are working their way up the NASCAR touring ladder.

The list of NASCAR Mexico Series drivers competing at the Coliseum on Feb. 4 will be announced at a later date, along with the full day’s schedule of racing and entertainment. NASCAR on FOX will once again broadcast the Busch Light Clash to set the stage for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. The NASCAR Mexico Series race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 3 in Mexico, and available pan regionally on Claro Sports and the D Motors channel on DirecTV.

A single ticket purchased is good for both races, and tickets begin at $65, with kids 12-and-under at $10. Fans who want to take their race-day experience to the next level can upgrade to the NASCAR Pre-Race Party, which includes brunch, cocktails, musical entertainment, surprise guests and more! It also includes track walk access, signing the start / finish line and exclusive on-track photo opportunities. Fans are encouraged to get their tickets now while supplies last by visiting www.nascarclash.com.

College students can experience the Busch Light Clash from the Torch Party Porch for just $40. This standing-room-only general admission section, located on the Coliseum’s peristyle steps, provides college students with up-close access to all the musical entertainment, driver introductions and racing action. College students can take advantage of this exclusive offer by visiting www.nascarclash.com/student.

NASCAR Clash Experiences will serve as the Official Travel and Experience Package Provider for the 2024 Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum, offering attendees specialized access to unique experiences such as driver interactions, VIP garage area tours, exclusive hospitality options, and much more to enrich the overall spectator experience. Experience Packages now available at nascarclashexperiences.com.

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’).

About The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a living memorial to all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I, has been a civic treasure for generations of Angelenos.  Located in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA, the Coliseum is a 77,500 capacity multi-purpose stadium which opened in 1923. Home to the USC Trojans, the legendary stadium has been named as one of the nation’s 40 best stadiums to experience college football by Sporting News, and ranked USC football at the Coliseum as the nation’s No. 3 stadium experience by StadiumJourney.com.  Following a recent renovation in 2019, the stadium is now home to a newly added seven-story suite and press tower which includes luxurious suites, loge boxes, club seats, a new press box, and the rooftop 1923 Club with a 360-degree view of the Los Angeles basin; along with several upgrades including new seating, updated technology and concession stands, additional food options for guests, and much more. 

The legacy of events and individuals hosted in nine-plus-decades reads like no other, including  the only venue to host two Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the Track and Field Competition for the Summer Olympics (Xth Olympiad in 1932, XXIIIrd Olympiad in 1984) and soon a third (XXXIVth Olympiad in 2028); home to college football’s USC Trojans since 1923 and the UCLA Bruins (1928-1981);  professional football’s Los Angeles Rams (1946-1979 and 2016-2019); appearances by U.S. Presidents Franklin D Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan; and international dignitaries such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, and Nelson Mandela, to name a few. Additionally, the Coliseum, designated a National Historic monument in 1984, has hosted some of the greatest acts in entertainment, including Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Prince, and many more. For more information please visit lacoliseum.com.

Will 2023 be the ‘The Year of Hamlin’?

By
Quinn McCullough
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Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Each year when the NASCAR Playoffs start, fans ask who will win the championship. One driver who is always in these conversations is Denny Hamlin, the driver of the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Throughout his career, Hamlin has been close to winning his first NASCAR Cup Series championship many times but has always seemed to fall short.

But, maybe this year could be different. Hamlin had a dominating performance in the final Round of 16 race at Bristol Motor Speedway last Saturday night.

After the race, however, he was booed immensely by many NASCAR fans which led to an entertaining post-race interview with NBC Sports Reporter, Marty Snider, with Hamlin telling the fans, “I beat your favorite driver!” Marty would follow up by asking him “And who would that be? Denny responded by saying, “All of them!” Once the interview was over the crowd fell silent.

https://youtu.be/Qhbb4gsS94w

It is too early to say that this year could be different for Hamlin, as the points for the Playoffs are reset following each round. But Hamlin also had a great finish at Kansas Speedway last weekend, finishing second to Tyler Reddick who drives for Hamlin’s team, 23XI Racing that he co-owns with NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Hamlin has three total wins this year including Kansas Speedway in May, Pocono Raceway in July and Bristol.

When asked on the post-race show at Bristol about his confidence in this year’s Playoffs, Hamlin said they are looking better this year and having improved finishes. And though he is doing well now, things can change quickly during the Playoffs

Cadillac at Indy: Back to the front in title chase

By
Official Release
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Cadillac V-Series.Rs finish fourth, seventh in 2-hour, 40-minute race at IMS

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 17, 2023) – From a 17-point gap to the championship lead, the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R will look to wrap up the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Prototype title Oct. 14 at the Motul Petit Le Mans.

After missing nearly all the initial practice session Friday because of a brake issue and qualifying a season-low eighth, Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims drove the hybrid Cadillac racecar to fourth place in the 2-hour, 40-minute TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R driven by Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande overcame a first-lap incident to finish seventh.

The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R takes a three-point advantage in the GTP Team/Driver Championship into the 10-hour race on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Derani, Sims and Jack Aitken also lead the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup in points.

Cadillac continues to pace the GTP Manufacturer Championship standings and will to claim its ninth manufacturer title (three in IMSA DPi, three in the Pirelli World Challenge GT, two in the SPEED World Challenge GT).

The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R took the point following a round of yellow flag pit stops and Derani kept the Cadillac, powered by the 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V-8 engine, out front for 35 minutes at the midpoint of the race on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course.

Derani was overtaken in Turn 1 with 1 hour, 3 minutes left by the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsports entry and the eventual race-winning No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsports car. Sims held his own over the final 47 minutes after a full-service stop.

Bourdais, who qualified fourth, was tagged from behind in Turn 1 of the green flag lap, spun and hit again. He continued and brought the crippled car onto pit lane under yellow for a front bodywork change assembly and right-rear tire change. He returned to pit lane five minutes later under green for tires and fuel. Van der Zande took over the wheel for the final 1 hour, 51 minutes left.

The USA Network and Peacock (in the U.S.; IMSA.TV outside the U.S.) will air the Motul Petit Le Mans on Oct. 14.

What they’re saying

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Sebastien Bourdais: “The run down to Turn 1 at the start is so long and you get a crazy amount of tow. They were all bunched to the right, so the only option was to go left. You know at that point that you’re in a three-wide situation and I was just trying to hold my position. In the process, I got turned and got hit and we had to come in for a new nose and got a drive-thru. It was a frustrating race after the team prepared hard for this race. We’ll keep at it and hope to finish on a better note at Petit.”

Renger van der Zande: “I was disappointed with our pace after the first-corner crash because it didn’t feel right. I was hanging on to it much of the time. We hopefully can improve at the upcoming test and understand a little more what the tire does and take it from there at Petit Le Mans.”

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R

Pipo Derani: “I’m proud of the whole team. After missing practice 1 and to be in position to lead the race, we fought hard to bring home a solid finish for the championship. We moved up the grid from P8 to P4 and back in the championship lead. Obviously, not the race result we were looking for when we arrived here. We always want to win, but if you can’t win you always try to get your best finish. Considering how we started the weekend, it was a very good effort. Thank you to our Whelen team, Cadillac Racing for always fighting hard.”

Alexander Sims: “Honestly, from where we started, the end was pretty good. The middle of the race it was looking pretty rosy the was the strategy played out. Ultimately, we didn’t quite have the long-run pace of the guys up front. When I got in we were fourth and we finished fourth. I didn’t have the strongest of stints and there is work to do to keep improving. Nevertheless, we go into the last race in a good position and as always in IMSA it’s pretty exciting down to the end. I’m looking forward to it.”

CORVETTE RACING AT INDIANAPOLIS: Difficult Brickyard Return

By
Official Release
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CORVETTE RACING AT INDIANAPOLIS: Difficult Brickyard Return

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 17, 2023) – Corvette Racing struggled home to a fifth-place GT Daytona (GTD) PRO class finish Sunday in its return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks.

Teammates Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor had hoped to build on their momentum from a victory in the last IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Virginia International Raceway. Unfortunately for Corvette Racing, they were powerless to challenge for a repeat win, much less a class podium finish. The positive out of the race is that the drivers, Chevrolet and the No. 3 squad remain second in GTD PRO Drivers, Manufacturers and Teams points.

Taylor qualified the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R began fifth in class but had a good run into the tight and difficult first corner to take fourth before a first-course yellow on the opening lap. Once the race went back green, Taylor’s day got better as the pole-sitting Porsche was penalized for changing lanes at the start to move the Corvette to third.

A large part of Taylor’s 50-minute stint saw him and the three other leading GTD PRO cars stuck behind a slow prototype. That hold-up allowed the Corvette to stay in touch with the leaders and Taylor to save a prodigious amount of fuel before the C8.R’s first stop of the race.

He came in with the championship-leading Lexus under the race’s second full-course yellow while the No. 79 and No. 23 entries had stopped 10 minutes earlier under green. Thanks to a speedy stop for fuel, tires and the change to Garcia, the No. 3 jumped the No. 14 Lexus in the pitlane and restarted third in class.

With no slower traffic ahead, Garcia was helpless to hold off the challengers behind him. He fell behind the faster Lexus after the restart with the two cars on the same pit strategy to the end. They both stopped with an hour left – one lap after the two other class contenders – but came out with a significant gap behind the eventual winning Mercedes and second-place Aston Martin.

Corvette Racing closes the IMSA season with the 10-hour Petit Le Mans on Saturday, Oct. 14 from Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FIFTH IN GTD PRO: “A frustrating day. We had a little bit of track position before the first stop thanks to the slow traffic and Jordan being able to save fuel. Once we went back to green and no one was holding us up, there was no chance to stay with the leaders. The only way for us to create laptime was no traffic and momentum. The others could go whenever they wanted while we struggled to stay up to speed getting through the traffic. And there was a lot of that. Even the GTDs had a pretty easy time getting by. The car was fine and ran well. We just couldn’t fight. I hope that gets better at Road Atlanta.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FIFTH IN GTD PRO: “I was very surprised at the start (to stick with the GTD PRO leaders). We got lucky with an LMP3 car holding guys up for a good portion of that stint. We were able to sit in the train and save fuel. It was going to be difficult to make a move on anyone, so we saved fuel and hoped jump those guys in the pits, which the guys did with a great stop. The car was decent. Like Antonio said, we had no power to race with anyone. It was wild out there. You could gain and lose a second or two a lap depending on when they get you and how aggressive they are.”

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

McDowell and Gilliland Finish Sixth and 16th at the Bristol Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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McDowell Misses Round of Twelve

Front Row Motorsports traveled to Bristol, Tennessee and the Bristol Motor Speedway for NASCAR’s infamous night race.

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops/Chevron Delo Ford Mustang qualified fourth for the 500-lap race. McDowell and team started strong in stage one, only pitting for right-side tires and fuel during a caution for an on track incident involving fellow competitors, Austin Cindric and A.J. Allmendinger. Rain brought out the caution again, forcing NASCAR to bring the cars down pit road. Back on track, McDowell was shuffled back to 15th after pitting for tires and fuel. He finished stage one 15th. Stage two proved the 34 team strong, gaining eight spots to finish stage two sixth. The final stage was rather quiet with McDowell riding consistently in the top ten to cross the start/finish line sixth.

Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford Mustang made up solid ground with a 16th place finish after qualifying 30th for Sunday’s event. With a long night ahead of them, Gilliland and crew made the decision to stay out during the first caution, setting the pace for the remainder of the night. Stage two provided a big jump for Gilliland, who sat 27th for the restart and quickly made up positions to sit 14th. Similar to McDowell, the 38 team had an uneventful stage three, consistently running in the teens and crossing the line 16th.

Michael McDowell, Driver No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops/Chevron Delo Ford Mustang:

“It’s disappointing not to advance, for sure, but we dug ourselves such a big hole those first two races that we were in a must-win situation. We weren’t good enough to do that tonight, but I’m still really proud of the speed that we brought and the effort that we brought. We still needed a little bit more to contend for that win, but we gave ourselves a fighting chance. Unfortunately, at the end there wasn’t enough action. Normally at Bristol you get a late-race caution and get the front row beating and banging and maybe you get an opportunity, but that just never happened. We’re learning. It’s a learning experience for us. This is only the second time we’ve been in the playoffs. We’ve had a good season. We’ve showed good speed and we’ll learn from the mistakes that we made here in this first round and we’ll keep working hard the rest of the season to try to treat it like we are in and we’re fighting for a championship because hopefully next year we will be. So, it’s a learning experience for us. It’s not what we wanted, but I’m still proud of the effort.”

THE FIRST TIME YOU MADE THE PLAYOFFS YOU WERE JUST HAPPY TO BE THERE. THIS TIME WAS A DIFFERENT FEELING, RIGHT? “The performance was there. I don’t want to downplay that, but we just didn’t execute well and we had some issues. We qualified in the second round of all three races, which you need to do if you want to advance, so we got that part down. At Darlington, we got into that crash at the end and that’s 10-15 spots. That’s all you need to make it, so a lot of things could have gone differently that would have put us in a position to advance, but it just didn’t work out. It wasn’t meant to be. We’ll learn from it and get better for the next time.”

Todd Gilliland, Driver No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford Mustang:

“We had a really solid night for where we qualified. It’s so hard to pass here so we had to rely on cautions and pit strategy. Still really proud of this team and the what we accomplished.”

The team next races Sunday at the Texas Motor Speedway. The race is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Buescher Finishes Fourth in Bristol, Punches Ticket in Round of 12 in NASCAR Playoffs

By
Official Release
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No. 17 Team Earns Eighth Top-5 of Season

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 17, 2023) – Chris Buescher and the No. 17 team punched its ticket in the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs, finishing fourth Saturday night in the Bristol Night Race.

“Yeah, it was a great day for us,” Buescher said. “Our BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang was really fast. We’re not disappointed in the car at all. Obviously, we want to win and coming off the win last time being close and seeing it was good, but we had a really good race car. We needed a touch more to go fight for that win, but I’m really proud of this group.”

Buescher – the defending race winner – was one of the fastest cars in practice on Friday, finishing second among all cars. He went on to qualify 20th, as the 500-lap race was initially delayed due to inclement weather.

Once the race got rolling, the opening 70 laps ran caution-free before the first yellow, when Buescher took two tires on the BuildSubmarines.com Ford. He restarted 16th for the next green-flag run, which ran 30 laps before a caution for rain. After a four-tire stop, Buescher restarted 20th, but began his fight forward from there, earning a 13th-place finish to end stage one.

With the track position flip, Buescher began the second stage in fifth, and never left from there, ending stage two in seventh. A solid pit stop put him back in fifth on the restart for stage three, as just two more yellows – two of six in total – split up the final 250 laps.

Buescher worked his way to fourth by lap 262, and was in that position on the race’s final restart with 131 laps remaining, before going on to cross the stripe in fourth.

“We’re on to the next round of playoffs. We’ve got some more really great tracks coming for us. We’ve got the first Ford out here tonight, so it was definitely a strong night for us. We just want a little bit more.”

Up Next

Texas Motor Speedway hosts the first race of the Round of 12 next weekend. Race coverage on Sunday is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on USA, with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Daniel Dye to compete in three NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2023

By
Official Release
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Huntersville, NC (September 17, 2023) – Daniel Dye Racing, alongside Alpha Prime Racing, is pleased to announce that Daniel Dye will pilot the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro in three NASCAR Xfinity Series events. The first event will occur this coming weekend at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, along with races at Las Vegas and Phoenix to end the year.

Champion Container, Dye’s primary truck sponsor, will continue their outstanding support as he transitions to the NASCAR Xfinity Series for three events, boasting a striking red, yellow, and white color scheme. The essential message of Race to Stop Suicide will also adorn Dye’s Camaro.

Dye, a 19-year-old competitor and native of Daytona Beach, Florida, has raced full-time for GMS Racing in his inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season in 2023.

Interestingly, this represents only the second instance in Dye’s professional career where he won’t be driving a car numbered 43; he previously raced the No. 21 for GMS Racing in a limited 2021 schedule, securing a win in the ARCA Menards Series at Berlin Raceway.

“I’m really looking forward to making my Xfinity debut with Tommy Joe Martins and everyone at Alpha Prime,” remarked Daniel Dye. “It’s a great opportunity to compete at the next level and get a feel for what the Xfinity car is like before hopefully getting more opportunities in the future.”

Champion Container has become the leading packaging container distributor in the Northeast, with seven strategic locations catering to both domestic and international customers across various industries, including chemical, food, and pharmaceutical. Their strength lies in timely deliveries via their own fleet and a vast inventory. With a knowledgeable team, they provide expert packaging guidance. Over the years, acquisitions such as Canpak Inc., AB Container, Jachts Columbia Can, Yankee Containers, and the recent addition of Harvey Lipsitz Co. in 2023, have expanded their reach and product offerings, solidifying their dedication to quality service and customer satisfaction.

Associate sponsors ONE DAYTONA, B&L Construction, DME Academy, and Kevtron Media will be displayed on the No. 44. Additional sponsorship slots remain available.

“Daniel is a really exciting prospect,” stated team owner Tommy Joe Martins. “We feel fortunate to be the team giving him his first shot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what he can do at Texas, Vegas, and Phoenix to close out the year.”

Fans can keep up with Daniel’s various racing activities by searching for his accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Daniel Dye merchandise can be found at www.shopdanieldye.com.

All three Xfinity Series races air live on the USA Network, with additional coverage from MRN, PRN, and SiriusXM.

Details pertaining to Dye’s 2024 NASCAR plans will be announced soon.

Keselowski Clinches Round of 12 Position, Finishes Eighth in Bristol

By
Official Release
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No. 6 Team Advances in NASCAR Playoffs with Solid Finish in Bristol Night Race

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 17, 2023) – Brad Keselowski clinched his position in the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs Saturday night in the Bristol Night Race, and went on to finish eighth in the Castrol Edge Ford.

“It’s good to move into the next round,” Keselowski said after the 500-lap race. “We certainly are going to have our work cut out for us, but that’s what this thing is all about. It was a good day for us for both cars. It was a good Round of 16 for us and let the Round of 12 begin.”

Intermittent rain was the storyline for the opening moments and laps as the race was initially delayed, and was stopped a pair of times for rain showers. It ultimately subsided with all 500 laps being completed in the first cutoff race of the NASCAR Playoffs.

Keselowski had a solid qualifying effort on Friday, putting the No. 6 Ford sixth on the grid. A pair of early cautions broke up the opening 125-lap stage, as Keselowski took right-side tires only under the team’s first stop of the day at lap 68. He would stay out during the next yellow some 20 laps later, and went on to finish the stage in seventh, earning stage points.

Following a brief delay for rain in the stage break, track position flipped for Keselowski as he restarted 26th to begin stage two. That stage ran all green, though, as teams had to manage a full tire run. He finished the second segment in 19th, setting up the final, 250-lap run to the checkered.

He would restart 17th, and officially clinched his Round of 12 position with 70 to go. He later battled back into the top-10, and worked to an eighth-place finish, his 14th top-10 of the season.

Up Next

Texas Motor Speedway hosts the first race of the Round of 12 next weekend. Race coverage on Sunday is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on USA, with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Denny Hamlin Advances to Round of 12 Playoffs with America’s Night Race Victory

By
Official Release
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Denny Hamlin celebrates on top of his No. 11 race car Saturday night after winning the Bass Pro Shops Night Race and advancing to the Round of 12 Cup Series Playoffs. It was Hamlin's third Night Race victory at Bristol Motor Speedway.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 16, 2023) – Denny Hamlin moved one step closer to finally claiming an elusive NASCAR Cup Series championship by winning the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races, on Saturday under the lights in front of a packed house at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Hamlin, driving the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, led the race’s final 135 laps, topped 142 circuits overall and beat Kyle Larson to the start-finish line by 2.437 seconds on his way to his third win of the season and 51st of his career.

“I can’t thank this whole FedEx team enough,” said Hamlin over the cheers and jeers of the frontstretch crowd after collecting the checkered flag. “It’s amazing how good this team has been. I can’t wait to keep going.”

The 42-year-old Virginian has won just about all the top events you can in NASCAR, from three Daytona 500s to three Southern 500s and now three Bristol Night Races. But the ultimate prize of a Cup Series title has remained just out of reach, despite eight career top-5 season finishes – including four in a row.

This year, Hamlin finally sees a path to the top.

“It’s our year,” Hamlin said. “We have it all put together. There’s nothing to stop us at this point.”

Larson, who qualified last on Friday after a tire issue despite posting the fastest practice speed, was second, followed by Stage 1 and 2 winner Christopher Bell (race-high 187 laps led) in third, Chris Buescher in fourth and Cup Series rookie Ty Gibbs (102 laps led) in fifth.

“The race went a lot better than I thought it would,” Larson said. “I feel like we had the second-best car. I just didn’t have the pace of Denny. He was really fast.”

The Bass Pro Shops Night Race concluded The Last Great Colosseum’s NASCAR weekend, which marked the first time Bristol hosted playoff rounds in all three of NASCAR’s top series.

It was also the first cutoff race of this year’s NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, with the number of championship contenders dropping from 16 to 12 following Hamlin’s victory.

Defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano was one of four drivers eliminated from title contention, along with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell and Kevin Harvick in his last Bristol appearance as a full-time driver.

“We’ve been hit or miss all year and tonight we missed by a mile,” Harvick said. “I didn’t have many expectations with as up-and-down as the year has been.”

Logano was caught up in the night’s biggest wreck, a six-car incident entering Turn 3 just after the start of the final stage on Lap 263 that began when Corey Lajoie (48 laps led) spun on the backstretch.

“It’s a little uncharacteristic for us right now and we just have to go to work and keep our heads down and stay faithful in each other, keep trusting each other that we can figure it out,” said Logano, who had started the race 12 points above the cutline for elimination. “It’s still the same team that won the championship last year. We’re a little lost at the moment, but we’ll keep fighting and try to figure some things out.”

While it was deflation for some drivers, others were elated to advance, particularly Cup Series regular season champion Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace, who entered the race seven and 19 points behind the playoff cutline, respectively.

“I love where we’re at with this team,” Wallace said. “This is a career year. We just have to keep it going. I’m wore out. We gave it our all. We know next week is a reset. Thank you to the ones who believe in me.”

Among other championship contenders, Brad Keselowski finished eighth, points leader William Byron was ninth and Tyler Reddick was 15th.

Hamlin completed the 500 laps around the .533-mile concrete oval in 2 hours, 48 minutes, 20 seconds with an average speed of 94.99 mph. Six caution flags took up 53 laps, with six drivers exchanging the lead 10 times and 10 drivers finishing on the lead lap.

The Round of 12 Playoffs begins next weekend, Sept. 24, with the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.

Bass Pro Shops Night Race
NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs
Final Results
Bristol Motor Speedway
Sept. 16, 2023

  1. Denny Hamlin
  2. Kyle Larson
  3. Christopher Bell
  4. Chris Buescher
  5. Ty Gibbs
  6. Michael McDowell
  7. Chase Elliott
  8. Brad Keselowski
  9. William Byron
  10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  11. Carson Hocevar
  12. Ryan Preece
  13. Alex Bowman
  14. Bubba Wallace
  15. Tyler Reddick
  16. Todd Gilliland
  17. Austin Dillon
  18. Aric Almirola
  19. Martin Truex Jr.
  20. Kyle Busch
  21. Daniel Suarez
  22. Ryan Blaney
  23. Ross Chastain
  24. Erik Jones
  25. Corey LaJoie
  26. JJ Yeley
  27. Chase Briscoe
  28. Harrison Burton
  29. Kevin Harvick
  30. AJ Allmendinger
  31. BJ McLeod
  32. Austin Cindric
  33. Ty Dillon
  34. Joey Logano
  35. Justin Haley
  36. Ryan Newman

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Recap: Bristol Motor Speedway II

By
Official Release
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Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

QUALIFYING: 16TH
RACE FINISH: 11TH
OWNERS POINTS: 32ND

Carson Hocevar’s Post-Race Thoughts: “We had a really fast No. 42 Sunseeker Chevy. It was a lot of fun. We were running fifth at one point and I think that’s where we finished in Stage Two. Our car was so fast. Luke (Lambert, crew chief) and this whole LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team has worked so hard. They were so excited to come here. This is Luke’s favorite race and it was huge to get a strong finish. We had a lot of speed; we were just too free there at the end. We wanted to get a top-10, but we were really close.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

QUALIFYING: 31ST
RACE FINISH: 24TH
DRIVER POINTS: 26TH

Erik Jones Post-Race Thoughts: “Just not a very good day for the No. 43 U.S. Air Force Chevy team. We just kind of struggled on balance all weekend. We had a loose wheel that just put us a couple of laps down and we caught a yellow during that. It just didn’t cycle out very good and got kind of trapped. We’ll go onto Texas (Motor Speedway). We’ve had a good past couple of weeks. It wasn’t our day today, but we’ll hopefully rebound next weekend.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (NCS) Jimmie Johnson. The club competes full-time in the NCS fielding the Nos. 42 and 43 Chevrolet Camaro entries, respectively, along with the No. 84 part-time entry for Johnson in 2023. Richard Petty “The King” serves as team ambassador.

In 2021, Gallagher acquired Richard Petty Motorsports and renamed the team to Petty GMS. With the addition of Johnson to the ownership structure in 2023, the organization rebranded to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY M.C.). With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level.

Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY M.C. operates alongside GMS Racing (GMS), which currently fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS in 2012, Gallagher and Mike Beam, team president, have shared incredible success. GMS Racing captured the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships and the 2019 and 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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