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Brandon Jones returning to JR Motorsports for 2024 Xfinity Series season

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Jeff Clemons for SpeedwayMedia.com.

JR Motorsports confirmed that Brandon Jones and Menards will be remaining with the organzation’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro entry for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

The announcement comes as the 26-year-old Jones from Atlanta, Georgia, is currently campaigning in his eighth full-time season in the Xfinity circuit and first with JRM. It also comes as Jones is coming off his best-recorded finish thus far this season in the form of a runner-up result at Kansas Speedway.

“Competing for race wins and series championships alongside John Menard and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a driver’s dream come true, especially since both have worked together with great success before,” Jones said in a released statement. “The partnership between the two organizations is top-notch and I am excited for the opportuning to continue that success.”

This season, Jones has recorded three top-five results, seven top-10 results, 48 laps led and an average-finishing result of 17.2 through the first 26 events of the 2023 Xfinity Series schedule. Despite not making the 2023 Xfinity Playoffs, the Atlanta native, who is currently ranked in 14th place in the driver’s standings, remains in contention for race wins for the final seven events on the schedule, beginning this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Jones, who made his first five career starts in the Xfinity Series in 2015 before competing on a full-time basis for Richard Childress Racing in 2016, is a five-time Xfinity race winner, all of which occurred while competing for Joe Gibbs Racing from 2019-20 and 2022. His latest victory to date occurred at Martinsville Speedway in April 2022.

In addition to winning five Xfinity races, Jones has recorded eight poles, 39 top-five results, 108 top-10 results, 876 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.3 through 262 series starts. His best points result to his Xfinity career is a sixth-place result in the 2020 Xfinity driver’s standings in a season where he also claimed a career-high three victories. The Atlanta native also has one Craftsman Truck Series victory and eight ARCA Menards Series victories to his resume.

The confirmation of Jones’ return to JR Motorsports for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season completes another missing puzzle to JRM’s lineup for next season. Three days earlier, Sam Mayer, a two-time Xfinity winner this season, confirmed his return to the organization for next season. The remainder of JRM’s driver lineup for next season remains undetermined.

With his plans for next season set, Jones’ next scheduled Xfinity Series event is Bristol Motor Speedway that will occur on Friday, September 15, at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Daniel Hemric Returns to NASCAR Cup Series with Kaulig Racing

By
Official Release
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Daniel Hemric to Pilot No. 31 Camaro ZL1 in 2024

 LEXINGTON, N.C. (September 15, 2023) – Kaulig Racing announced today that Daniel Hemric is set to return to the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) to pilot the team’s No. 31 Camaro ZL1.

Hemric, the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) champion, is currently finishing his second, full-time NXS season with Kaulig Racing and currently competing for the 2023 championship. Hemric previously competed in the NCS full-time in 2019 with Richard Childress Racing, earning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors that same year.

“This is a big day, and it means so much to my family and me,” said Hemric. “It’s truly special to have an opportunity to do something big with a group of people that want it just as bad as you. It takes heart, and each and every person at Kaulig Racing has it. I’m looking forward to finishing out this season strong and getting right back to work in the off season with everyone at Kaulig Racing.”

Hemric joined Kaulig Racing in 2022 to compete for back-to-back NXS titles and made select NCS starts for the team during the 2022 season. Across 47-total NCS starts, Hemric has earned one pole award, one top five, three top-10 finishes and led a total of 22 laps.

“They say that tough times don’t last, but tough people do,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “That rings true with Daniel Hemric. Throughout all the ups and downs the past couple of years, Daniel continues to believe in the Kaulig Racing culture. Over the last few months, we have been asking ourselves, ‘What can make us a better race team?’ We truly believe Daniel can and will continue to make Kaulig Racing better as an organization.”

Hemric, the only previous NXS champion in the 2023 playoffs, maintains the qualities team owner, Matt Kaulig looks for in a driver both on and off the track. In 2019, Hemric and his wife, Kenzie, established the Daniel Hemric Be the Change Scholarship with the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation. This scholarship is awarded to a student from Cabarrus or Rowan County that qualifies for financial aid and has chosen a field of study in motorsports, welding, or mechanical engineering. In 2022, Kaulig Giving and Matt Kaulig increased the Hemric scholarship endowment, providing the opportunity to award a second scholarship to a student in need for the first time.

“Daniel’s grit and determination both on and off track are what make him such an integral part of our Kaulig Racing family,” said team owner, Matt Kaulig. “Daniel’s competitive edge is what drives him, and his focus on giving back is what grounds him. That’s what has earned him the respect and admiration from his peers at Kaulig Racing, and we will continue to grow with him.”

Hemric will continue to compete for the 2023 NXS championship, as the round of 12 kicks off at Bristol Motor Speedway. 2024 partnership information will be announced at a later date.
 
About Kaulig Racing™

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

Bristol to host two NASCAR weekend events on concrete for 2024 season

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Christian Gardner for SpeedwayMedia.com.

For the first time since 2020, Bristol Motor Speedway will return to hosting two NASCAR weekend events on its concrete surface for the 2024 season.

The announcement means that the Bristol Dirt event, which occurred in the spring for the last three seasons, including this year, and reignited NASCAR’s return to dirt racing in over five decades, will be discontinued from further use.

As a result, the Bristol spring event will mark NASCAR’s first time competing on the 0.533-mile track’s concrete surface in the spring for the 2024 season since 1993. The event will also return to run 500 miles with Food City to remain as the event’s title sponsor.

“As the motorsports world focuses on America’s Night Race tomorrow, we are thrilled to announce Bristol Motor Speedway will host the return of the Food City 500 on the concrete high-banks of the World’s Fastest Half Mile in the spring of 2024,” Jerry Caldwell, President and General Manager of Bristol Motor Speedway, said in a statement. “We will revive a logo reminiscent of the first Food City 500s in the early ’90s and resurrect the track’s vintage trademark look and feel of the era. We’re looking forward to a great weekend of racing and what’s to come in 2024.”

During the spring Bristol’s transition from concrete to dirt in 2021, Joey Logano won the NASCAR Cup Series’ first dirt event on the 0.533-mile circuit following an overtime shootout. By then, it marked the series’ first dirt event since seven-time champion Richard Petty won at Raleigh’s North Carolina State Fairgrounds in September 1970. The Bristol Dirt event would return in 2022 with Kyle Busch winning following a last-lap overtake on both Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe before Christopher Bell won this year’s event after fending off a late charge from Reddick.

Photo by Chad Wells for SpeedwayMedia.com.

During the Cup Series’ three-year run at the Bristol Dirt layout, the Craftsman Truck Series also competed on the surface, with Martin Truex Jr., Ben Rhodes and Joey Logano winning from 2021 to 2023, respectively.

Announcements regarding Bristol’s two scheduled dates for next season along with the full 2024 NASCAR schedule have yet to be announced.

The Race Is On: NASCAR Arcade Rush Out Now On PC & Consoles

By
Official Release
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Experience high-speed family fun with wild spins on NASCAR’s most iconic tracks!

MINNEAPOLIS – Sept. 15, 2023 – NASCAR Arcade Rush launches today for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Jump into the driver’s seat for heart-pumping, high-speed NASCAR competition and excitement like you’ve never seen before on wildly reimagined versions of the motorsport’s most iconic racetracks!

Experience the thrill of NASCAR racing in a completely new way with intense arcade races on real-world NASCAR tracks, totally reengineered with jaw-dropping twists, hair-raising turns, gravity-defying jumps, nitro boosts, and other surprises. Customize your car and driver as you compete to take the top position across a variety of game modes, including the Career NASCAR Cup Series plus online and local multiplayer.

Key Features

  • Iconic Tracks, Wild Twists: Experience real-world NASCAR locales like Talladega Superspeedway, Daytona International Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and more in all-new ways that will thrill your imagination and deliver a new level of playability within the vaunted NASCAR video game franchise.
  • Race Your Way: Choose from a full array of vehicles spanning 75 years of stock car racing history and horsepower. Customize your car and driver to suit your style with new paint schemes, rims, spoilers, visual effects, suits, helmets and more, with thousands of combinations to discover.
  • Robust Racing Modes: NASCAR Arcade Rush features expansive single-player modes, including the Career NASCAR Cup Series, Quick Race and Time Attack. Take on your friends in thrilling head-to-head local multiplayer*, or race rivals around the world in 12-player online multiplayer.

NASCAR Arcade Rush is available now for $49.99 on digital stores and at major retailers.

Fans can also purchase the NASCAR Arcade Rush Project-X Bundlefor NASCAR Arcade Rush for $59.99. This fully loaded digital exclusive features the complete base game, as well as a ton of bonus NASCAR Arcade Rush Project-X playable content, including:

●        A hovercraft car model developed as part of Project-X
●        Project-X paint scheme, rims, wheels and spoiler
●        Project-X themed drivers suit and helmet
●        Project-X team sponsorship option
●        Project-X vehicle FX package
●        A set of four additional in-game emojis to showcase your style

NASCAR Arcade Rush is published by GameMill Entertainment. For more information, visit NASCARArcadeRush.com.

*Local multiplayer available only on PC, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.

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 GameMill Entertainment

GameMill Entertainment, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a third-party publisher of console and mobile games for passionate fans around the world. Development platforms include PC, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft consoles including the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Sony consoles including the PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4, and mobile devices. With development across the globe, GameMill is a source of entertaining and fun games for all ages. For more information, visit https://gamemill.com, as well as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.

Joe Graf Jr. | RSS Racing Bristol Motor Speedway September NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Preview

By
Official Release
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RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway | Food City 300

Fast Facts

No. 38 RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers Team:

Driver: Joe Graf Jr.

Primary Partner(s): Food City | Bucked Up Miami Energy Drink

Manufacturer: Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Steve Addington

Spotter: Joe Campbell

Engine: Roush-Yates Engines

Driver Championship Point Standings: 23rd

Team Championship Point Standings: 28th

Notes of Interest:

Settled In: After spending the last three seasons with SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (2020 – 2022), Joe Graf Jr. moved to RSS Racing during the offseason, where he’ll spend the majority of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season competing for the Sugar Hill, Ga.-based team.

In addition to RSS Racing, Graf will also compete in a limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule, driving the No. 19 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Welcome Aboard: RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers Racing and driver Joe Graf Jr. welcome race entitlement partner Food City as a co-primary partner for Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, Food City is a local, family-owned company operating 152 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia and Alabama.

The company serves as the title sponsor of the Spring Cup Series Food City Dirt Race and fall Food City 300 Xfinity race.

Celebrating more than 30 years of racing, Food City is Bristol Motor Speedway’s longest-running sponsor and the second-longest in NASCAR Motorsports.

Glad To Have You Back: Joining Food City as a co-primary partner this weekend at Bristol is Bucked Up Energy Drink.

The team will promote Bucked Up’s Miami flavor for the first time this year and the second time in Graf’s Xfinity Series career.

Party in the city where the heat is on, all night energy till the break of dawn. Welcome to Miami — Bienvenidos a Miami!

Let the strawberry, mango, and pineapple whisk you away from daily drudgery and drop you off at your dream destinations.

Sip that neon-berry bliss, feel the energy surging and listen.

Because in Miami, the music never ends — pop the tab and taste vacation.

More Than Just Energy: Did you know that Bucked Up has continued to expand its footprint since

debuting its relationship with Joe Graf Jr. during the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

Bucked Up is a sports nutrition and lifestyle brand focused on helping all athletes and individuals achieve their health and fitness goals. Offering over 500 different products ranging from supplements and energy drinks to apparel and accessories,

Bucked Up is committed to providing customers with the best products available. Dedicated to using high-quality ingredients and non-proprietary blends, Bucked Up’s pre-workout is the No. 1 best-selling product in its class.

The brand’s products are now offered in over 25,000 stores worldwide, including Walmart, Amazon, GNC and Vitamin Shoppe.

Driven To Support: Graf will sport a unique pair of driving gloves this weekend at Bristol as part of the Driven to Give Glove Program in collaboration with the Dale Jr. Foundation.

At the conclusion of Friday night’s race, Graf will autograph the two-toned gloves, featuring exclusive

skeleton imagery, and they will be auctioned off to raise money for the foundation.

From Friday night through Monday, September 18, 2023, the gloves will be up for bid at thedalejrfoundation.org.

Thanks For Your Support: With a little more than 78 percent of the 2023 Xfinity Series season complete, Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing would like to thank their associate marketing partners: ArmsList.com, AVOID, Bass Reaper Bait Company, Bucked Up Energy Drink, CoverSeal, EAT SLEEP RACE Apparel, fgrACCEL, G-Coin®, GTECHNIQ, JACOB Companies, Lefcourt Brothers Racing, Love Motorsports, Model Electronics and ShopRite for their continued support.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Bristol Motor Speedway Stats: Friday night’s Food City 300 will mark Graf’s fifth Xfinity Series start at the famed 0.533-mile track.

In his previous four Bristol efforts, he delivered a track-best of 13th after starting 36th for SS GreenLight Racing in his Thunder Valley debut in June 2020, running of the Cheddar’s 300 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mahwah, New Jersey native also earned a respectable 17th place finish in the 2021 running of the Food City 300 at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile.”

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Speedway Stats: At tracks classified as a short track, Graf has competed in 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 25.5 and an average result of 24.7.

Joe Graf Jr. NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In 119 career Xfinity Series starts, Graf has earned four top-10 finishes, including a seventh-place outing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2023. During that tenure, he also holds an average finishing position of 25.7.

He earned a career-best Xfinity Series qualifying effort of fifth in 2020 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with SS GreenLight Racing.

With Joe Gibbs Racing, he earned his non-superspeedway career-best qualifying effort of 11th at Kansas Speedway in September 2023.

Kansas Speedway | Kansas Lottery 300 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway, Graf hunted for his second top-10 finish of the season.

In his penultimate Xfinity Series race driving the No. 19 car for Joe Gibbs Racing, Graf was able to improve on his practice result and qualify his No. 19 RUT machine 11th and utilized that track position to maintain a strong presence inside the top-15 for a majority of the race.

Graf and his car in the closing laps of Stage 3 were mounting lap times equal or better to eventual race winner John Hunter Nemechek, which allowed the former ARCA Menards Series winner to pick up five spots over the closing 30 laps of the race to net a ninth-place result at the checkered flag.

The finish delivered Graf his second top-10 finish of the season and his best result for JGR, bettering his 11th-place effort at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway in February.

Late Model racer Nick Leitz drove RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers Racing No. 38 Ford Mustang to a 31st place finish after encountering some setbacks throughout the 200-lap race.

Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 90 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow monthly.

The current estimated value of his collection tops $100,000.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Steve Addington is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.

He will be crew chief for his 290th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Friday night and his 18th at the historic track in Bristol, Tenn.

In his previous 289 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected 11 wins, 10 poles, 68 top-five and 118 top-10 finishes.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has two teammates at RSS Racing.

Veteran Ryan Sieg will drive the No. 39 Sci Apps Ford Mustang, while younger brother Kyle Sieg will drive the No. 28 Cooks Comfort Ford Mustang.

Ryan Sieg is set to make his 328th career Xfinity Series start overall and 17th at Bristol.

Kyle Sieg is poised to make his 44th career Xfinity Series start and first at Bristol.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on TikTok (@JoeGrafJr), X | Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

For more on RSS Racing, please like them on Facebook (RSS283839) and follow them on Instagram (@rss283839) and X | Twitter (@RSS283839).

Joe Graf Jr. Quoteboard:

On Bristol Motor Speedway: “I always enjoy going to Bristol. It is a fun short track, and I have learned a lot in my previous races. After a strong run at Kansas Speedway, I am feeling pretty good about climbing back behind the wheel of the No. 38 Food City | Bucked Up Miami Energy Drink Ford Mustang.

“I hope to return that momentum with the RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers Racing team and contend for another top-10 on Friday night. In my previous four races, I learned that track position is everything, so we’ll work hard to start as close to the front as possible and let the race play out and hope for a strong showing at the checkered flag.”

On The 2023 Season: “The end of the season is on the horizon, and I am working hard between my responsibilities with RSS Racing with Lefcourt Brothers Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing to ensure I can give 100 percent the wheel.

“I want to make the most of these last two months and deliver some strong results.

“I just need to stay focused, communicate with my team, and utilize the knowledge I’ve gained over the past three years to recover and end the season on a high.”

Race Information:

The Food City 300 (300 laps | 159.9 miles) is the 26th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, September 15, from 2:35 p.m. – 3:10 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows at 3:10 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on the USA Network, the Performance Racing Network (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are Eastern (ET).

About RSS Racing:

RSS Racing fields multiple entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series led by mainstay driver Ryan Sieg.

RSS Racing has competed in NASCAR events since 2009 from its headquarters in Sugar Hill, Ga.

Heim Makes Late Move to win UNOH 200 Presented by Ohio Logistics at Bristol Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Corey Heim celebrates in Bristol's elevated Victory Lane Thursday after winning the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 15, 2023) — Corey Heim moved one step closer to a championship title with a victory in the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoff race on Thursday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Heim, driving the No. 11 Toyota for TriCon Garage, opened up the playoffs’ Round of 8 by weaving his way through lapped traffic and, on Lap 194, perfectly timing a pass of runner-up Christian Eckes, who had dominated throughout, including winning Stages 1 and 2.

“This is insane,” said Heim, who led the race’s final six laps and registered his 13th straight top-10 finish after beating Eckes to the checkered flag by .218 seconds. “I feel like I’ve given so many away this year. To win like that is unreal. We finally got one back.”

Eckes was followed by fellow championship contenders Grant Enfinger in third and Carson Hocevar in fourth while rookie Taylor Gray placed fifth.

“We got really tight at the end,” said Eckes, who led a race-high 150 laps. “That one stinks for sure. We’ve got to move on and go on.”

Heim, the Truck Series’ regular season champion, was near the front throughout but couldn’t reach the top spot until the final pass for the lead.

“I was in the zone,” Heim said. “I just focused forward. I’m out of breath, but to going to Phoenix [as a championship contender] is awesome.”

Heim averaged 84.047 mph around the .533-mile concrete oval at The Last Great Colosseum, completing the 200 laps in 1 hour, 16 minutes and 6 seconds. Four caution periods took up 33 laps.

Among other playoff contenders, Ben Rhodes finished seventh, defending race champion Ty Majeski was 19th and defending Truck Series champion Zane Smith placed 24th despite leading 43 laps in the second stage.

UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs Round of 8
Bristol Motor Speedway
Final Results

  1. Corey Heim
  2. Christian Eckes
  3. Grant Enfinger
  4. Carson Hocevar
  5. Taylor Gray
  6. Rajah Caruth
  7. Ben Rhodes
  8. Chase Purdy
  9. Nick Sanchez
  10. Matt DiBenedetto
  11. Jake Garcia
  12. Carson Kvapil
  13. Bayley Currey
  14. Stewart Friesen
  15. Conner Jones
  16. Matt Crafton
  17. Hailie Deegan
  18. Parker Kligerman
  19. Ty Majeski
  20. Jake Drew
  21. Daniel Dye
  22. Colby Howard
  23. Tyler Ankrum
  24. Zane Smith
  25. Kaden Honeycutt
  26. Timmy Hill
  27. Bret Holmes
  28. Lawless Alan
  29. Tanner Gray
  30. William Sawalich
  31. Spencer Boyd
  32. Stephen Mallozzi
  33. Memphis Villarreal
  34. Greg Van Alst
  35. Dean Thompson
  36. Jack Wood

RACE SCHEDULE

The remaining NASCAR Playoff Weekend schedule includes:

Friday, Sept. 15: Food City 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race (7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio)
Saturday, Sept. 16: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio).
FAN ACTIVITIES

Off-track activities for the weekend include:

Friday, Sept. 15: Tim Dugger concert (following Food City 300)
Saturday, Sept. 16: Kenny Wallace and John Roberts host Trackside Live (Food City Fan Zone Stage, 4 p.m.)
Saturday, Sept. 16: Midland concert (5:30 p.m.)
See a full entertainment schedule on www.BristolMotorSpeedway.com.

TICKETS

To purchase tickets, visit www.BristolMotorSpeedway.com or call (866) 415-4158.

GMS Racing NCTS Race Recap: Bristol Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Grant Enfinger, No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 13TH
FINISH: 3RD
POINTS: 4TH

Post-Race Quote: Grant Enfinger is opening up round two of the playoffs with his third place finish; you said that you wanted to come into this one aggressive, is that what we saw displayed from the No. 23 tonight?

“Yeah, I feel like overall, we executed almost to the best of our ability. I feel like maybe I gave up one point coming to the end of that first stage, but overall, Jeff made some really great adjustments. We weren’t really all that great in practice, but he made it better towards the end of practice. When we fired off for the start of the race I thought we were pretty good. The last, the only set of tires didn’t really like it quite as much there. I wish we could have contended for the win, but overall I feel like we got all we could get out of our Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet. Lacking a little bit to contend for a win, we always want to fight for a win and we couldn’t do that, but I think overall we executed well on pit road. Tyler Monn made some great calls. Overall, I’m not happy, but I’m satisfied.”

Rajah Caruth, No. 24 Wendell Scott Foundation Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 5TH
FINISH: 6TH
POINTS: 17TH

Post-Race Quote: “It was a complete night. I felt like I was definitely better than the three or four in front of me there, just slot cars and dirty air with this hard tire and PJ1. Nonetheless, it was great to have a solid complete night. Hopefully we can take it to the next few races and make something happen. Very proud of our No. 24 Wendell Scott Foundation team. It was a complete night on pit road, on my side I didn’t mess up too bad, and we made good adjustments. Thank you to Mike Beam, Maury Gallagher, Ron Booth, and Team Chevy. This definitely helps with the job search for next year.”

Daniel Dye, No. 43 Champion Container Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 16TH
FINISH: 21ST
POINTS: 18TH

Post-Race Quote: “We had good speed all day; it felt like we were able to run well but I picked the wrong lane on a restart and lost all of our track position. Basically after that, it was game over. So it was a rough way to finish a promising race for us, but I am thankful to all of the guys on my No. 43 team and to Champion Container and all of our partners for their support of our team. I had fun tonight but it was really hard to pass, so hopefully we won’t have to worry about that much next race at Talladega.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series operating the No. 23, No. 24, and No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs for drivers Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, and Daniel Dye. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, a team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

Toyota Racing – NCTS Bristol Post-Race Report – 09.14.23

By
Official Release
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COREY HEIM CLINCHES FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP 4 BERTH
The Toyota development driver will run for the Truck Series championship in Phoenix

BRISTOL, Tenn. (September 14, 2023) – Corey Heim made the final pass with six laps to go and drove to his third win of the season and fifth win of his career. Heim, the regular season champion, will now be one of the four drivers competing for the Truck Series championship in Phoenix. With the finish, Heim is the youngest driver in Truck Series history with 13 consecutive top-10 finishes. Heim has an incredible 17 top-10 finishes in 19 races this season.

Heim’s teammate, Taylor Gray, finished fifth, which gives him consecutive top-five finishes for the first time in his Truck Series career.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Bristol Motor Speedway
Race 20 of 23 – 200 Laps, 106.6 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, COREY HEIM

2nd, Christian Eckes *

3rd, Grant Enfinger*

4th, Carson Hocevar*

5th, TAYLOR GRAY

14th, STEWART FRIESEN

20th, JAKE DREW

23rd, TYLER ANKRUM

26th, TIMMY HILL

29th, TANNER GRAY

30th, WILLIAM SAWALICH

35th, DEAN THOMPSON

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 1st

How much teamwork went into making it happen?

“Teamwork is everything. Huge thank you to TRICON Garage, Toyota Racing, Safelite – this is insane. I feel like I’ve given so many away this year and to win one at the end like that is so special. David Gilliland, Johnny Gray Kevin Ray (team owners) – everyone at TRICON Garage, Scott Zipadelli (crew chief) – thank you. To win one like that is unreal. I feel like I’ve given so many away, but I feel like I’ve got one back.”

You said that you thought you had the best truck the last three races, how much thought to that did you give on that last pass?

“I was in the zone. I was thinking about all of the races that we gave away, and didn’t give away, and I just focused forward and set my pass up right where I needed to. Tony Hirschman, my spotter, did an awesome job getting me through there. I’m out of breath. It’s just so awesome to know we are in Phoenix. It’s awesome.

TAYLOR GRAY, No. 17 Dead On Tools Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 5th

How was your race tonight?

“Yeah, overall just making strides with the 17 group – closing out the year here. Just the kind of momentum we needed to close out the year after a pretty rough start of the year. I can’t thank all of my guys enough – everybody involved. I feel like we had a pretty good Dead On Tools Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Just needed some more track position.”

WILLIAM SAWALICH, No. 1 Starkey/Soundgear Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 30th

Crazy day for you – winning the ARCA title to running the Truck race within the hour. Can you talk about how it was for you?

“It was awesome celebrating with the guys with the ARCA championship and then we moved straight on to the Truck race. I didn’t really have any time between the two to collect my thoughts. I fired off pretty decent – lost some spots there early, before the first caution. We just blew a right front or had a right front going down within the last few laps. I think we were running inside top-15. All-in-all,we had a really fast Starkey/Soundgear Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.”

About Toyota

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

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – NCTS Bristol Post-Race Quotes (9.14.23)

By
Official Release
-

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
UNOH 200 | Thursday, September 14, 2023

Ford Finishing Results:

7th – Ben Rhodes

15th – Conner Jones

16th – Matt Crafton

17th – Hailie Deegan

19th – Ty Majeski

24th – Zane Smith

34th – Stephen Mallozzi

33rd – Memphis Villarreal

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Speedco/Delo Ford F-150 – “It’s really a cool racetrack, but a terrible race. It’s just wherever you are is where you are. They said I was pitted outside my box by a little bit and I had to start at the tail end. I mean, we definitely had a rough night. You saw it, wherever you were gonna restart is where you’re gonna run. My truck was terrible in the second stage, but I had clean air. You just can’t pass. It just sucks.”

HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT TWO? “I’m not trying to be a negative Nellie, but it’s just an odd round for the final four. This is exactly how I raced last year and then Talladega to get in the final four is a little odd, so who know on that one. We’ve obviously won on superspeedways with FRM, but it’s anyone’s battle, and then I feel like the only real place that’s a true tell is Homestead, so hopefully we’ll run well there.”

IS THIS A SHORT TRACK PACKAGE PROBLEM BEING STUCK WHERE YOU ARE? “No. I don’t know. I mean, you just can’t move around and the PJ1 is so dominant. Like I said, you saw how dominant it was. I had 100 laps on tires and almost won the stage somehow. It just is what it is.”

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Kubota Ford F-150 – “A good finish, but we didn’t run where we needed to all night long to maintain our points coming out of here, so that’s a little bit disappointing. That comes from a bad qualifying effort and then ultimately just getting run over by Rajah and the 4 tonight. It doesn’t seem like if they mess up a corner and you get down they just run you over. I don’t know what that’s all about, but us racing the playoffs I think everybody in the playoffs is on edge, so I don’t think many of us will take that much longer.”

TY MAJESKI, No. 98 Road Ranger Ford F-150 – “It just was not our night. We were in a bad position with a lapped truck. He was kind of going and making decent time on the bottom and the 11 pinned me and I just didn’t anticipate how much he was going to lift going in the corner. I got in the brake hard and had to in order to prevent from hitting him and got into the 11. That cut my right-front down and this track is honestly just really terrible. With the PJ1 on the bottom it’s so dominant. I mean, I’m three or four tenths faster than the guys in the back and you just can’t go anywhere. In my opinion, it’s a terrible product on such a great racetrack. I just wish we could pass and move around. You like to have options as a driver and I feel like the way this track is it doesn’t give us options.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE NEXT TWO RACES IN THE ROUND? “We won Homestead last year. Talladega, anybody can win there, so I don’t know. I’m not a huge fan of the plate races, but at the end of the day we have a chance to win there. If we repeat at Homestead again, we’re in the final four, so a lot to look forward to. We have a lot of good things going on within our race team, so we’ll keep our heads down and keep digging.”

Toyota driver William Sawalich earns first ARCA championship

By
Official Release
-

BRISTOL, Tenn. (September 14, 2023) – Camry driver William Sawalich won his first ARCA Menards Series East title after earning the victory at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday evening. Sawalich’s championship marks the third consecutive ARCA Menards Series East title for a Toyota driver.

The 16-year-old has delivered consistent race results across all ARCA Menards Series racing action this season. In ARCA East competition, Sawalich won four of the eight events, with top-five finishes in the balance. The Toyota development driver has also had an impressive start on the national ARCA tour with three wins, 10 top-fives and six poles in 11 starts.

“We are very excited for William and his family on achieving this title at such an early stage in his NASCAR career,” said Paul Doleshal, Group Manager, Motorsports, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). “William’s poise and race craft has been impressive at just 16-years-old. We look forward to celebrating many more titles with William in years to come as he continues to grow as part of the Toyota driver development program.”

Along with his ARCA success this season, Sawalich has also ran several races in the NASCAR Truck Series for TRICON Garage, including competing later this evening, driving the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD PRO. Sawalich has earned three top-10 finishes in five starts, including a career-best sixth-place run at Indianapolis Raceway Park last month.

Sawalich drives a Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in ARCA competition. This is the second ARCA Menards Series East title for the team after current Xfinity Series driver Sammy Smith’s 2021 championship. Sawalich is the seventh Toyota driver to win the ARCA East title. He joins a list that includes Ryan Truex (2009 and 2010), Max Gresham (2011), Kyle Larson (2012), Harrison Burton (2017), Tyler Ankrum (2018) and Smith (2021 and 2022).

About Toyota

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

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.

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