Home Blog Page 1306

Toyota Racing – NXS Playoff Media Day Quotes – John Hunter Nemechek – 09.12.23

By
Official Release
-

Toyota Racing – John Hunter Nemechek
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

CHARLOTTE (September 12, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver John Hunter Nemechek was made available to media as part of the NASCAR Playoff Media Day.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

You come into the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs as a huge favorite. Does that excite you or cause some extra stress?

“To be honest, that’s just extra noise to us. We’re not focused on being the favorite to win the championship or not. We’re focused on running every race how we do and going out and race every single racetrack every single week. Putting an emphasis on trying to win, but also coming out with good weeks to not let bad ones affect your playoff run. I don’t think the standpoint of being a favorite or not really affects us or the mental side of things.”

With the successful season you’ve had thus far this year, is anything less than making the Championship 4 a disappointment in your eyes?

“I think so. I think the way we’ve run this year and with the speed we’ve had, we want to make the final four and definitely feel we have a shot to do so. We just can’t beat ourselves to get there.”

Looking ahead to next year a little bit, have you already started integrating yourself at Legacy Motor Club?

“No, I’m focused on this year. Once we signed with Legacy, it’s full focus back for me on the Xfinity Series, Joe Gibbs Racing and trying to go to win this 2023 Xfinity Series championship.”

When you look at the way champions are now crowned compared to what it used to be, is that something you still value or is it a matter of winning races and whatever happens, happens?

“I think that winning a championship is winning a championship, no matter which way you do it. No matter how good you are or how it works out, you’re still a champion. That’s what the record books say. For us, times have changed, and a lot has changed since my father (Joe Nemechek) won the Xfinity Series in 1992. If you base it off points, we got our butts beat by Austin Hill for the regular season championship. Our strong point has been to have speed and win races this year, and we’re looking forward to doing so here in the playoffs.”

Big picture Xfinity Series question, you’ve had the good fortune to drive a lot of different race cars the last decade. Where does the Xfinity Series car rank?

“I enjoy the Xfinity car. It’s a lot of fun to drive with the low downforce package. You’re slipping and sliding around, always searching for grip, able to run a bunch of different grooves at different racetracks, and the aerodynamic effects of being behind another car aren’t as big as some of the other series I’ve run in. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Xfinity Series racing.”

You know what you’re doing next year, but Joe Gibbs Racing hasn’t announced a replacement yet for you. Do you feel any angst from your team on that uncertainty?

“No, I don’t think so. I think all the guys are focused on this year and a lot of them are set to be at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) for the future. I think for them, it’s about being a part of a great organization and working for some great people and putting a lot of wins together over the years with a lot of great drivers. I wouldn’t say there’s anxiety about next year. It’s all focused on this year so we can go out and achieve a solid playoff and championship run.

Last year, you went into the playoffs not exactly knowing what you’d be doing the following year. This year, you do. Is there a difference in mindset?

“No distractions, you’re 100% focused on the task at hand and you don’t really have to think about anything else with your future. If anyone tells you they’re not worried about their future, I feel like they’re lying to you. They always have that thought at the back of their head of what they may do. Knowing the plan and having everything set provides more time and availability to focus on what you need to be focusing on.”

What would it mean to you to be the first father-son duo to win the Xfinity Series championship if you were to match your father’s feat?

“I didn’t know we’d be the first, but that’s a super cool stat. It’s neat to see the father-son drivers that have been able to race against each other or at the same level throughout their careers. For me to win an Xfinity Series championship would mean a lot, and to be the first father-son duo to accomplish that would be special. Hopefully we can do it. That’s what we’re here for.”

With the news this morning about the return of stage breaks at the Charlotte ROVAL, what are your thoughts and how does that change strategy?

“It’ll change strategy, it always does. You’re not just pushing the entire time, you’re able to work on your car, and you’re not pitting under green. I don’t think it matters if you have stage breaks or not. You have to race the race and race the racetrack, focusing on the best possible outcome. It does eliminate a little bit of strategy on when you could jump stages beforehand with cautions and what not. All in all, it’s still the same hard racing.”

Your lone season in the Cup Series was in 2020, where there was little-to-no practice time. How do you think that affected you and how much do you think having that track time next year will help further your development?

“It was hard without any practice, coming into a new car and package I’ve never run — a lot of unknown factors. I feel like we had some good runs and some okay runs. But I think looking forward to next year, getting into the NextGen car again and going to work to figure out this car with practice is helpful to try to learn.”

You had some experience with the NextGen car driving it last year at Homestead. What have you learned about driving the car and how does it differ from what you’re used to with the Xfinity car?

“It’s way different, all different. You can take a lot of things from racing in the past and still apply them. But the way the car handles and how you set it up is all different. It’ll be a learning experience for me for sure, but hopefully we can tackle it well and hit the ground running.”

You talked about your strong points earlier, where do you feel this team needs to improve so you can win the championship?

“Just execute. Road courses haven’t been our greatest strength, but they’re not our worst race tracks. We’ve had some really good runs and some not so great runs, but execution. Not beating ourselves, not getting ahead of ourselves, and staying in contention every single week.”

How has having children changed your life?

“(Laughs) It’s changed my life a lot. The things that you focus on, the things you used to think were important aren’t as much anymore. For me, it’s been a lot of growing in a very short period of time. It definitely makes you think about different situations and the thoughts you have toward situations like dwelling on a bad race, like one we had at Daytona where we wrecked — I was very frustrated. First thing that happens when I get back to the bus, Aspen (daughter) comes up and says ‘I love you.’ That puts a smile on your face and helps you move onto the next week.”

Do you carry anything from your kids in the car?

“Aspen hasn’t given me anything yet. Our pre-race ritual is that she always gives me a hug and kiss, and she has her fist bump. She loves giving fist bumps. Just chatting with her before I get in the car, with her saying ‘Go Fast!’ That kind of sticks with you. When she says to go fast or go win, you better go do it! She won’t forget it.”

Where did the fist bump come from?

“I don’t know. When she was young, Taylor (wife) and I taught her how to high-five, fist bump, and how to shake hands. The first time she was at the track, and we won, we taught her how to hold up the number one sign. We’ve taught her a lot from then, but ever since, she leans to the fist bump. She loves it.”

You’ve been a part of the sport forever. When’s the first time you remember going to Bristol and what was your reaction/any memories?

“Going there as a kid, I was probably 4 or 5 years old the first time, and one of the first memories was that we raced scooters around the motorhome lot. There were a few of us drivers’ kids that grew up together and went to Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) and such. We also always got to sing the National Anthem at the fall race, which was iconic. To have that tradition still happening today is unique. As far as racing there, I started at 16 or 17-years-old. Walking into that place, it’s amazing. You don’t really know what to think the first time you go in there with the stands filling up, the energy inside the place, and racing under the lights. It’s super unique and special, and probably one of the coolest venues we go to in terms of energy standpoint. It’s not your typical short track, that’s for sure.”

What was doing the National Anthem at Bristol at a young age like with Motor Racing Outreach?

“I always remember that rehearsals went great as no one was afraid of anything, but once we got out there to go sing, everyone got real quiet. It was a very fun thing to be a part of and something as a tradition that MRO, NASCAR, and Bristol have kept going. And to have kids who will be a part of it in the future is unique and special as well.

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 48,000 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 22 electrified options.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Stewart-Haas Racing: Bristol NXS Advance (Cole Custer | Riley Herbst)

By
Official Release
-

COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST
Bristol NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

  • Event: Food City 300 (Round 27 of 33)
  • Date: Friday, Sept. 15
  • Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
  • Layout: .533-mile, concrete oval
  • Time/TV/Radio: 7:30 p.m. EDT on USA/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

  • Cole Custer kicks off the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs determined to emerge with a championship while honoring a NASCAR Cup Series champion and potential future Hall of Famer during Friday night’s opening event at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will sport a new look in the Food City 300 that pays tribute to SHR teammate Kevin Harvick’s 2018 and 2019 Mobil 1 scheme. Harvick drove to victory lane three times in that span en route to Championship 4 appearances both seasons. The silver flames that saw victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway will return for one weekend only on Custer’s No. 00 Ford Mustang. Harvick, who made the playoffs 17 times in his Cup Series career, has a strong history at Bristol – winning in April 2005, August 2016, and September 2020. Harvick’s most memorable victory with the Mobil 1 scheme came in his 2019 Brickyard 400 win on the iconic 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.
  • Friday night’s Food City 300 will mark Custer’s seventh Xfinity Series start at Bristol. In his prior six visits to the high-banked, .533-mile concrete oval, Custer has scored four top-10 finishes and started from the pole twice – August 2018 and April 2019. He led 25 laps in that April 2019 race en route to his best Bristol finish of third. He has an additional nine Bristol starts outside of the Xfinity Series – four in the NASCAR Cup Series, three in the NASCAR Truck Series, and two in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Best of those outings was a sixth-place finish in the 2016 NASCAR Truck Series race.
  • While the Cup Series playoff contenders will be finishing up their Round of 16 this weekend at Bristol, Custer will be one of 12 Xfinity Series drivers beginning their chase for a championship. Custer starts his playoff run with 2,017 points, 32 behind leader Austin Hill and 11 ahead of the Round of 8 cutline. The Round of 12 takes the Xfinity Series contenders to some of Custer’s best tracks. After Bristol, the series heads to the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval, and the 2.28-mile, 17-turn Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval. Custer has only finished outside the top-eight once at Texas and scored a victory in November 2018 on his way to an appearance in the Championship 4. In his two prior starts on the Roval, he posted finishes of seventh in 2017 and eighth in 2018.
  • Custer will sport a unique pair of 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, Custer will autograph the two-toned gloves, featuring red skeleton imagery, and they will be auctioned off to raise money for the foundation. From Friday night through Monday (Sept. 18), the gloves will be up for bid at www.thedalejrfoundation.org.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

  • While Riley Herbst will not be among the 12-driver playoff field for the first time in his four fulltime Xfinity Series seasons, he’s on a mission to achieve another one of his primary goals of the 2023 season – winning his first career Xfinity Series race. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for SHR has shown the speed and determination to do so this season, but bad luck and unlikely circumstances over the middle part of the season hindered multiple shots at victory lane. With the weight of making the playoffs off his shoulders in Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol, Herbst can focus on picking up where he left off at another iconic short track, Richmond (Va.) Raceway, and contend for the win. Herbst’s history at short tracks has been strong, as was shown when he was leading 27 laps and running up front in this year’s April race at Richmond. Contact with another car sent his day into a downward spiral but, nonetheless, Herbst remains confident in the speed and experience he brings to the short ovals of NASCAR, which are similar to what he grew up racing on.
  • Friday night’s race will mark Herbst’s fifth Xfinity Series start at Bristol. Of his four prior starts, Herbst has three top-10 finishes with a best finish of third in the September 2021 race in the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang. Since joining SHR in 2021, he’s never finished outside the top-five at Bristol. He has an additional three starts there outside the Xfinity Series – two in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and one in the NASCAR Truck Series. Best of those outings was his 10th-place effort in the 2016 K&N Pro Series East race.
  • Last year’s September Bristol race was the regular-season finale for the Xfinity Series. Herbst finished fifth for his second consecutive Bristol top-five. After starting 12th, he proved his resiliency after a spin on lap 13 put him outside the top-20. He worked his way up to 15th by the end of the first stage, then found himself back inside the top-10 during most of the second stage before ultimately finishing fifth. In the final stage, he struggled with the balance of his Ford Mustang, but a late-race strategy call from his No. 98 team on lap 270 for four fresh tires and fuel proved to be just the call he needed. He was able to start fifth with 20 to go and stayed there to secure his third career Bristol top-10. He finished third there in 2021 and 10th in 2020.
  • Like his teammate Custer, Herbst will also be supporting the Dale Jr. Foundation this weekend. His pair of Monster Energy green skeleton gloves will join the Driven to Give Glove Program effort to benefit the Dale Jr. Foundation. The initiative supports Nationwide Children’s Hospital and its efforts to help courageous patients and their families in areas of pediatric injury rehabilitation, research and cancer prevention. After Friday night’s race, Herbst will autograph his gloves and put them up for auction at www.thedalejrfoundation.org from Friday night through Monday.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang

This weekend, you’re running a special paint scheme to honor Kevin Harvick’s final season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Your No. 00 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang will mimic Harvick’s iconic silver flame 2018 and 2019 Mobil 1 Ford. From 2020 through 2022, you were one of his fulltime teammates in the Cup Series. What has Harvick meant to you, the sport, and Stewart-Haas Racing?

“Kevin Harvick has meant a lot to me and the organization. He was such an integral part of the organization when the Xfinity Series team was started. Honestly, he was a key part in helping us get it figured out. I think there are a lot of things that he’s done behind the scenes that people don’t realize. On the track, though, he’s been a huge mentor to a lot of people, including me. As a rookie in 2020, I didn’t know what to expect from weekend to weekend. He helped give me a lot of that information. Getting that information from a champion means everything to a rookie driver and I felt like I had this extremely credible source that I could just pick their brain on this and that in the Cup Series. I’ll forever be thankful for his help over the years, and I’m excited to pay tribute to his career this weekend with the No. 00 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang.”

We’re kicking off the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs this weekend at Bristol. How do you approach the playoffs after having made it to the Championship 4 in two of your past three Xfinity Series seasons?

“Honestly, I think you have to take it race by race. One bad race can put you in a difficult situation, which is why those stage points were so crucial. You just try to focus on what’s ahead of you. Anything can happen, but I’m pretty confident with the tracks in this round. We just have to do our job and bring fast cars to the racetrack. It would be cool to kick the playoffs off on a strong note and lock ourselves into the Round of 8 with a win this weekend at Bristol.”

Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

You’ve repeatedly talked about Bristol being your favorite track on the Xfinity Series schedule. What is it about this short track that appeals to you?

“I think it’s just short-track racing, in general. Most of the guys in the garage will say this, but these types of tracks take us back to our roots. Bristol is obviously unique with its layout, but I think it still has the same elements as other short tracks. That track is hectic. It’s so crazy. It’s so fast. It’s a little half-mile, and it’s high-banked. It’s so much fun to go and battle there and rub some fenders. I’m excited to head back to Bristol after our third place in 2021 and a fifth-place run last year. We’ve brought speed to short tracks this year, so I’m hoping we can do that and show it again. We don’t have the pressure of the playoffs on us now, so we can just focus on winning.”

After having such a roller-coaster of a season, what would it mean to have strong runs in the final seven races of the 2023 season?

“It would mean a lot for myself and the No. 98 Monster Energy team. This season started off on such a high note, and I feel like we just haven’t had a break since then. We haven’t been lacking in speed or determination, so hopefully that will shine in these final races of the season. While we aren’t racing for a championship, we’re going back to our original goal of just going for the win. There’s nothing to lose now. We can focus on getting ourselves better and running up front.”

Jack Wood – No. 51 Rowdy Manufacturing Silverado Craftsman Trucks Bristol Preview

By
Official Release
-

Jack Wood: Driver, No. 51 Rowdy Manufacturing Chevrolet
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Overview:
Event: UNOH 200, Race 20 of 23, 200 Laps- 55/55/90; 106.6 Miles
Location: Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Sept. 14, 2023, at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Double Shot of Jack at Bristol:

Jack Wood will make his 10th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start of 2023 for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) behind the wheel of the No. 51 Rowdy Manufacturing Chevrolet in Thursday night’s UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Wood has one prior start at “The Last Great Colosseum,” a 20th-place finish in last year’s race. He also has one ARCA Menards Series race under his belt at the half-mile oval, a 13th-place finish in 2021.

Wood has finished inside the top 10 in two of his nine Truck Series starts this season, including a career-best ninth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Across 44 career Truck Series starts, he has produced four laps led and three top-10 finishes. Last week at Kansas Speedway, he qualified fourth, led one lap and brought home a 16th-place finish.

The California native will be pulling double duty on Thursday night at Bristol as he will also be competing in the ARCA Menards Series race for Rev Racing as part of his limited schedule with the team. Wood has two top-five and five top-10 finishes with an average result of 10.6 across seven ARCA Menards Series starts this season. Across 16 career ARCA Menards Series starts he has recorded three top-five and nine top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.4.

The No. 51 team qualified for the owner’s playoffs after finishing seventh in the regular season owner point standings but did not make it out of the Round of 10. Across 19 starts in 2023, the team has recorded two wins, one pole, 170 laps led, seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.1. Owner-driver Kyle Busch recorded both of the 51 team’s victories winning the second race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and most recently collecting his organization’s historic 100th win July 22 at Pocono Raceway.

Veteran crew chief Brian Pattie is calling the shots for the No. 51 team this year in his first season at KBM after spending the last 14 seasons atop the pit box in the NASCAR Cup Series. It took the veteran signal caller just two races to get his first win at KBM, winning with owner-driver Kyle Busch at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The duo won again in July at Pocono Raceway and collected KBM’s 100th career Truck Series victory. In the Cup Series, his drivers produced six wins, nine poles, 57 top-five and 131 top-10 finishes across 528 starts. The Florida native has also recorded 11 wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and now has three wins as a crew chief in the Truck Series. This will be Pattie’s first time calling the shots for a race on the concrete surface at Bristol in the Truck Series. His best result across 28 cup starts at Bristol was fourth with Clint Bowyer in 2012 and equaled by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2018.

Rowdy Manufacturing will serve as the primary sponsor on Wood’s No. 51 Silverado Thursday night. Rowdy Manufacturing offers precision machining of components from concept to completion across all industrial sectors including automotive, aerospace and NASCAR teams. Rowdy Manufacturing builds the chassis that KBM races as well as several other teams in the Truck Series including race-winning organizations Spire Motorsports and Henderson Motorsports. The same attention to detail that has made Rowdy Manufacturing owner Kyle Busch a two-time Cup Series champion goes into every component that comes out of his organization’s Mooresville, N.C. facility. 
Jack Wood, Driver Q&A:

Where does Bristol rank on your list of favorite tracks

“I’ve run there a couple times. It’s a pretty cool venue, it’s tough to race around, it’s tough to pass there. I think our trucks are going to be good. For me, I am just mentally preparing on how I’m going to run up front and what I want to do on restarts. Running both the truck race and ARCA race will be a long day for me running 400 laps. I’m just trying to get prepared to go out and have ourselves a good weekend.”

How beneficial will it be to you to run the ARCA race before the Truck Series race?

“Hopefully it will be very beneficial. I think every time I’ve done it this year it has helped me knock the rust off, especially at a track that I haven’t been to since last year. Hopefully the ARCA car will be good, and we can go out and make laps and run up front the whole race. It’s really just to compliment what we’re doing in the truck and if it can help us just five percent than it’s more than worth it.”

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

“I just want to put together four solid races to end the year on a high note. I think we just need to turn the tide. We’ve shown speed most weeks and there’s just things that have happened that have kept us from reaching our full potential with our finishes — some of it being my own doing and some of them random things that happen like a pit gun breaking in the middle of a stop last week.”

Jack Wood Career Highlights:

  • Has produced three top-10 finishes across 44 career starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Posted a series-best ninth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
  • Has compiled 14 laps led, three top-five and nine top-10 finishes across 16 career ARCA Menards Series events.
  • Has totaled three top-five and eight top-10 finishes across 12 career starts in the ARCA Menards West Series.
  • Compiled one top-five and three top-10 finishes across 24 starts in the SRL Spears Southwest Tour from 2017 to 2021.
  • Jack Wood’s No. 51 Rowdy Manufacturing Chevrolet Silverado RST:

KBM-62: The No. 51 Rowdy Manufacturing team will unload KBM-62 for Thursday night’s race at Bristol. In its most recent outing, this Chevrolet finished 18th with Wood behind the wheel at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch has finished second with this chassis twice, earlier this year at Martinsville Speedway and in 2021 at Richmond Raceway.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected four wins, five poles, 628 laps led, 11 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.5 across 34 starts at Bristol. Owner-driver Kyle Busch collected the first three of his organization’s victories at the half-mile oval, winning the Craftsman Truck Series race as a part of his historic Bristol Sweeps in 2010 and 2017 and he also won the 2013 event. Chandler Smith picked up the organization’s most recent win in 2022.
  • KBM holds the Craftsman Truck Series records for most career wins (100) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). Kyle Busch picked up his organization’s first-ever win at Nashville Superspeedway in April of 2010 and also picked up its 100th Truck Series victory at Pocono Raceway in July of 2023. In addition to collecting a series-record seven owner’s championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • With 42 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

Zane Smith and the No. 38 Speedco/ Chevron Delo Ford F-150 Team Bristol Motor Speedway Competition Notes

By
Official Release
-

TEAM AND RACE NOTES:

It’s the first race of the second round of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs this week at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Zane Smith comes into Thursday night’s race seeded fifth for the second round.

Smith will be in the Speedco colors this weekend with Chevron Delo also on the truck. Chevron Delo is the maker of top performing heavy duty engine oils, coolants, antifreezes, transmission fluids, gear oils, greases and hydraulic oils.

The race is Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. ET on FS1.

COMPETITION NOTES:

Smith is fifth in the playoff standings and is eight points out of first. A win will propel the reigning champion back into the championship race.

Smith will be making his fourth start on the concrete track in the truck series. He best finish is second for FRM just last year.

CREW CHIEF CHRIS LAWSON:

“We know that we need to be a little bit better right now. I like the tracks in this round for us. Bristol, Talladega and Homestead are good tracks for us and we’re going to be ready.”

DRIVER ZANE SMITH:

“It’s always great to have Speedco on the truck and now being joined by Chevron Delo. It seems like we have a lot of success with Speedco.

“For Thursday night, I think we should have a good shot at it. The team has been working really hard, especially on a short week like this, to put in time to have the truck ready. I love that effort.”

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.

Chase Purdy- No. 4 Bama Buggies Silverado Craftsman Trucks Bristol Preview

By
Official Release
-

Chase Purdy: Driver, No. 4 Bama Buggies Chevrolet
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Overview:
Event: UNOH 200, Race 20 of 23, 200 Laps- 55/55/90; 106.6 Miles
Location: Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Sept. 14, 2023, at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

‘Chase’n Wins:

Chase Purdy and the No. 4 Bama Buggies team head to the Bristol Motor Speedway for Thursday night’s UNOH 200. The 23-year-old driver is looking to close out his debut season with KBM strong to gain momentum towards a championship run in 2024. Last week at Kansas Speedway, Purdy earned his first career pole and finished the opening stage in the second position before a loose wheel early in Stage Two forced him to pit road and when he returned to the track had gone a lap down. The end result would be a disappointing 14th-place finish.

The Mississippi native has gained two positions in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series point standings over the last two races and now ranks 11th, which is the highest that a non-playoff driver can finish. Purdy entered the 2022 season having never earned a top-five result in Truck Series action but has produced two across 19 races in his first season at KBM, including a career-best runner-up finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April. He has also produced a career-high eight top-10 finishes this season, after posting just two each in 2021 and 2022.

Purdy is in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and first with KBM. He finished 16th in the Truck Series final standings in 2022 after competing in 22 of the 23 events. He posted two top-10 finishes and nine laps led, with a season-best finish of seventh coming at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

Across two Truck Series starts at Bristol, Purdy has an average finish of 30.0, but has produced an average running position of 19.05. He finished 12th in the 2017 NASCAR K&N East Series race at the half-mile oval in 2017 and scored a ninth-place finish in the CARS Pro Late Model Tour race there the same year.

Jimmy Villeneuve is atop the pit box for Purdy and the No. 4 Chevrolet team this season. Prior to being promoted to crew chief for the 2023 season, Villeneuve had served as a Truck Chief at KBM since the 2017 season and in that role was a part of 18 wins, a driver’s championship with Christopher Bell in 2017 and the 2019 owner’s championship with the No. 51 team. This will be Villeneuve’s second race calling the shots for a race at Bristol. He earned a 10th-place finish with John Wes Townley in the 2016 event.

Bama Buggies, your one-stop shop for all the biggest names in powersports and utility vehicles, will be the primary sponsor on Purdy’s No. 4 Chevrolet Thursday night and for the majority of the events on the 2023 schedule. They are Central Alabama’s powersports experts, serving as an authorized dealer of Polaris, Slingshot, and Seadoo.
Chase Purdy, Driver Q&A:

Even though you didn’t get the result you wanted, does showing speed last week at Kansas build confidence?

“I think some of the struggles I’ve had this year have been from some of my execution. We showed up for practice and we were fast in practice and the fastest one in qualifying and sat on the pole. Those are the kind of things that we’ve had to improve on, and we did a good job of that at Kansas. We’re hoping to bring that same pace and execution to Bristol.”

Do you enjoy racing at Bristol?

“Yeah, it’s a really neat place to go race. We had a lot of speed this past weekend at Kansas and the weekend before at Milwaukee. We’re hoping to bring that same speed into Bristol, a high-banked short track, more of my wheelhouse. Like I’ve mentioned before, Kansas and Bristol are two of my favorites. I’m really excited to get there and get a little redemption after our weekend in Kansas and have a race where we execute as a team to our capability and reach our full potential. It seems like we are a little bit snake bitten with our luck and the weeks that our Bama Buggies Silverado is really fast we have something go wrong like it did last week with the loose wheel. I’m just excited to get to Bristol.”

What does it take to be fast at Bristol

“Well, if it’s anything like last year, I feel like the driver who qualifies up front and can wrap the bottom the best is going to be the one to beat there. It’s so hard to pass there, so qualifying is very crucial. Track position will be everything this weekend.”

Chase Purdy Career Highlights:

  • Across 71 career Truck Series starts, has produced one pole, 20 laps led, two top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. Posted a career-best runner-up finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April of 2023. Earned first career pole in September of 2023 at Kansas Speedway.
  • Finished 16th in Truck Series championship standings in 2022.
  • Finished fourth in the 2018 ARCA Menard’s Series championship standings after recording 84 laps led, 10 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.
  • Earned the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East rookie of the year honors and finished fourth in the championship standings after posting four poles, 200 laps led, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes across 14 starts.
  • Won the prestigious Snowflake 100 Pro Late Model race at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., in Dec. of 2018.
  • Chase Purdy’s No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado RST:

KBM-58: The No. 4 Bama Buggies team will unload KBM-58 for Thursday night’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. This Silverado raced most recently with Purdy at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, where he brought home a 14th-place finish. John Hunter Nemechek raced this truck three times in 2022, with a best result of second coming at Richmond Raceway. In 2021, Nemechek piloted KBM-58 to three wins: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. KBM-58 has recorded four career wins, three with Nemechek in 2021 and one with owner-driver Kyle Busch at Charlotte in 2019.

Click Here for KBM-58 Performance Profile:

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected four wins, five poles, 628 laps led, 11 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.5 across 34 starts at Bristol. Owner-driver Kyle Busch collected the first three of his organization’s victories at the half-mile oval, winning the Craftsman Truck Series race as a part of his historic Bristol Sweeps in 2010 and 2017 and he also won the 2013 event. Chandler Smith picked up the organization’s most recent win in 2022.
  • KBM holds the Craftsman Truck Series records for most career wins (100) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch picked up his organization’s first-ever win at Nashville Superspeedway in April of 2010 and also picked up its 100th Truck Series victory at Pocono Raceway in July of 2023. In addition to collecting a series-record seven owner’s championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • The No. 4 has 18 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Racing: Chase Briscoe Bristol Advance

By
Official Release
-

CHASE BRISCOE
Bristol Advance
No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)

● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 16

● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway

● Layout: .533-mile, concrete oval

● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/266.5 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps

● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), makes his third start on the high-banked, half-mile concrete oval at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Saturday night. The 28-year-old has a best finish of 13th earned in his first Bristol start in 2021.

● Last year at Bristol, Briscoe qualified second to start on the front row alongside his SHR teammate Aric Almirola. He entered the race, the third and final event of the opening Round of 16 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, as a playoff contender but sitting below the top-12 cutline. He overcame the points deficit with finishes of fourth and third in the opening two stages, respectively. And after several other playoff contenders saw their nights end early, the No. 14 team elected to push for a strong finish rather than a win, ultimately advancing to the Round of 12 with a 14th-place result. Briscoe would go on to advance to the Round of 8 and nearly made his way into the Championship 4 after leading laps in the season’s penultimate race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

● In September 2020, Briscoe claimed his first Bristol NASCAR Xfinity Series victory after leading only 11 laps. It was his sixth Xfinity Series start at the Tennessee short track. The Mitchell, Indiana, native also has two NASCAR Truck Series starts there – one on the traditional concrete surface on which he earned a 12th-place finish in 2017, and one on the dirt surface in 2021 that resulted in a fifth-place finish.

● 14 Years Together: Rush Truck Centers returns to the No. 14 Ford Mustang this weekend at Bristol as the company and SHR continue a 14-year partnership, with Rush Truck Centers serving as a primary sponsor for 11 of those years. All of the SHR cars travel from race to race in haulers from Rush Truck Centers, the premier service solutions provider to the commercial vehicle industry. And those haulers are supported by the RushCare Customer Support team of parts and service experts, who also provide concierge-level service for scheduling maintenance, technical support, mobile service dispatch and roadside assistance, help in locating the nearest dealer, and more. Rush Truck Centers is the largest network of commercial vehicle dealerships in North America with 150 locations in the United States and Ontario, Canada, and takes pride in its integrated approach to customer needs – from vehicle sales to aftermarket parts, service and body shop operations, plus financing, insurance, leasing and rental, as well as alternate fuel systems and other vehicle technologies.

● Rush Truck Centers is proud to employ 2,500 talented service technicians throughout the largest network of commercial truck and bus dealerships in North America, operating in 23 states and Ontario, Canada. At Rush Truck Centers, service technicians are the heartbeat of its dealerships, and the company is always looking to add the best and brightest technicians to its team. Service technicians interested in taking the next step in their careers can find additional information and listings of open positions on the Rush Enterprises Technician Careers page.

● Cummins joins Rush Truck Centers for this weekend’s race. Cummins Inc., is a global power technology leader that designs, manufactures, distributes and services a broad portfolio of power solutions. These solutions include advanced diesel, natural gas, hybrid, electric, fuel cell and other technologies. Cummins powers the future through innovations that make people’s lives better. From buses that get kids to school, to the trucks that carry essentials, to construction, mining equipment, trains and ships, and critical backup power for places like data centers and hospitals, Cummins is doing it with the cleanest solutions available. Learn more at Cummins.com.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

As a driver who has been locked into the playoff field in prior years but now is an observer, do you notice a difference in how you or others race during the playoff races?

“Yes, there is definitely a difference. We always race with intensity – it’s what make NASCAR so great – but when the playoffs start, everything goes to the next level. I think I noticed that being part of the playoff field, but it’s a different kind of intensity when you aren’t in and you’re watching the guys who are go at it. When you’re in the middle of it, you’re probably getting a little more forceful and you justify it but, watching it now, there are guys making moves for track position where you’re like, ‘Wow, it’s a little early for that.’ It’s a lot better to be in the middle of it and racing for your spot in the Championship 4, but it’s still a good challenge to try to beat those guys.”

Bristol is one of the races you have been looking forward to. What are your expectations for the No. 14 team, and how are you going to meet those with that added intensity with this being a cutoff race?

“Bristol is a great chance for us to get back on the right side of things. We’ve been strong on short tracks this year and we know that we had a really good car at Bristol last year. This is one of those times where not being in the playoffs might work to our advantage. Those guys are going to be doing everything they can to make it to the next round at the end of the night, to where we can just focus on staying out of the mess and being there with a shot at a win in the end.”

The No. 14 team has been strong on the short tracks the last two years, but Bristol isn’t a short track that can be compared to others. What makes it so much harder to get dialed in?

“Everything. The banking, the concrete, the tire wear. Pit road is difficult to manage. There are just all these things that, when you add them up, make it such a tough track. The car has to be good, but so does the team and the driver. One thing goes wrong, and it can ruin your race, so it’s really about putting it all together and not taking yourself out early.”

No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe

Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell

Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: J.D. Frey

Hometown: Ferndale, California

Engineer: Mike Cook

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Spotter: Joey Campbell

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala

Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Jack Man: Dylan Moser

Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams
Hometown: Naples, Florida

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips
Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Rob Fink

Hometown: Mocksville, North Carolina

Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford Mustang Team Bristol Motor Speedway Competition Notes

By
Official Release
-

TEAM AND RACE NOTES:

One of the most popular races of the NASCAR Cup Series season is on deck this Saturday night. The famed night race at the Bristol Motor Speedway will see thousands of fans in attendance at the coliseum-style, high-banked short track. The race is known for its nonstop action and excitement.

Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Ford Mustang team will race this weekend with partner, Speedy Cash.

You can learn about Speedy Cash at www.speedycash.com

The 500-lap race will air on the USA network at 7:30 p.m.

COMPETITION NOTES:

Gilliland will make his fourth start at the Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. On the dirt at Bristol, Gilliland took the Speedy Cash Ford to an eighth-place finish earlier this season.

Last year, Gilliland finished 18th in his first Bristol night race.

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

“I think everyone in the industry loves this race. There is so much electricity in the air when this race starts and the lead into it. I don’t think it’s a crown jewel race, but it’s close.

“For us, on the track, Todd is pretty good at Bristol. He knows it’s a long night and you have to be there at the end for a good finish. I think we can get another top-10.”

DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:

“Bristol is cool, and I’ve always liked racing there. Either dirt or concrete, it doesn’t matter to me. But there is something special about the night race. Just racing on Saturday night on a high-banked short track makes you go back to grassroots racing. It’s fun.

“It’s also a hard race and 500 laps is no joke. It’s a long night and it’s demanding. So, being there at the end, that will give Speedy Cash another top-10 finish because I know we can do it this Saturday.”

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_frmand Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Bass Pro Shops Racing: Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Advance

By
Official Release
-

Martin Truex Jr.
Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Advance
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD for Joe Gibbs Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)

● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 16

● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway

● Layout: .533-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/266.5 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps

● TV/Radio: USA Network / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Martin Truex Jr., and the No. 19 team for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) set the tone for the season right out of the gate by winning the 150-lap feature in the non-points Clash at the Coliseum on Feb. 5 in Los Angeles. Truex won his heat race, then went on to lead the final 25 laps of the feature en route to a victory that gave him and the team much-needed momentum heading into the 2023 season. While the team was knocking on the door over the first 10 points-paying races, the breakthrough win finally came at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway on May 1, and Truex has added two more points-paying victories and four overall this season – June 11 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and July 17 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

● Playoff Time: Truex started the playoffs with an 18th-place finish at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, then last weekend at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City saw his day end on lap three due to a cut tire. That leaves him 13th in the playoff standings, seven points below the 12th-place cutline with Bristol as the final race of the opening Round of 16.

● 34 and Counting: Truex’s win at New Hampshire was the 34th of his Cup Series career, putting him in a tie with 2004 Cup Series champion Kurt Busch for 25th on the all-time win list in NASCAR’s top series.

● Truex has two top-five finishes, four top-10s and has led a total of 287 laps in 32 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol. Truex’s average Bristol finish is 20.8.

● So far this season, Truex has scored three points-paying wins, nine top-five finishes, 15 top-10s and has led an impressive 832 laps through 27 races. To put the laps-led number in perspective, Truex led just 572 during the entire 36-race season in 2022.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD

What are your thoughts on racing at Bristol?

“Bristol hasn’t been my favorite place, but we’ve had some good runs there, too. I think we’ve been competitive there over the years. It’s a place that’s tight and things happen fast there, so you have to be on your toes. Always really excited to be a part of how great the crowd is there, and the fans love that place. Bass Pro Shops is the sponsor there again and they do a lot of cool stuff for the fans. Hoping we can have a strong run there for them and get to the next round of the playoffs. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Has the makeup of your team changed over the years, and how do you feel about its playoff savviness?

“I feel like our team is very experienced, playoff-wise. The core group has been together and has the same mindset that we had in 2017. That is always good, and it gives me a lot of confidence when something that happens like last week at Kansas that’s totally out of our control. The guys put their head down and keep working and we’ll do the same this week in Bristol. I still have a huge amount of confidence in my team. They are doing a great job and pushing all of the right buttons, so we just have to keep doing that and see where things fall.”

Is the competition as close as it’s ever been?

“Ever since we went to the NextGen car, everything has been closer, and you can see that in the standings, as well – it’s pretty tight. It is harder to find an advantage, it’s harder to run at the front every week consistently. Everything is tighter, closer together, less room for error, and you really have to be on top of things. The points situation is the same as every other race. This weekend, we just need to qualify the best we can, run up front and hope for good things to happen, but we really just have to control what we can control.”

No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Martin Truex Jr.

Hometown: Mayetta, New Jersey

Crew Chief: James Small

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Car Chief: Chris Jones

Hometown: Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia

Engineer: Nick Burton

Hometown: Arvada, California

Engineer: Jeff Curtis

Hometown: Fairfax Station, Virginia

Spotter: Drew Herring

Hometown: Benson, North Carolina

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Ryan Martin

Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Virgina

Mechanic: Todd Carmichael

Hometown: Redding, California

Interior/Tire Specialist: Tommy DiBlasi

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Engine Tuner: Gregg Huls

Hometown: Beatrice, Nebraska

Transporter Driver: Kyle Bazzell

Hometown: Fairbury, Illinois

Transporter Driver: Eddie DeGroot

Hometown: Baldwinsville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Jackman: Kellen Mills

Hometown: Mesa, Arizona

Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey

Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Front Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham

Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Danny Olszowy

Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky

Ford Performance NASCAR – Bristol Night Race Advance

By
Official Release
-

BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY NOTES

Thursday, September 14 – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 9 p.m. ET (FS1)
Friday, September 15 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (USA)
Saturday, September 16 – NASCAR Cup Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (USA)

All three major NASCAR Series are in postseason action for the first time this season as the NASCAR Xfinity Series kicks off its seven-race playoff on Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. That will be preceded by the start of the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on Thursday and followed by the Round of 16 finale for the Cup Series on Saturday night.

CURRENT CUP PLAYOFF STANDINGS

With one race remaining in the Round of 16, here’s a look at where Ford drivers stand.

5th – Brad Keselowski (+33)
6th – Ryan Blaney (+25)
9th – Chris Buescher (+13)
11th – Joey Logano (+12)
12th – Kevin Harvick (+7)
16th – Michael McDowell (-40)

Note: Top 12 advance after Bristol Night Race

Chris Buescher: “I love that racetrack. We’re always really good there, and that makes it exciting. Just pulling up the ramp into Victory Lane was the big moment when it really sunk in. It’s a long race, and there was definitely a lot going on during the race. We knew we were fast but had to run with it there at the end. That first win for RFK as a company was huge. We’ve had a couple since then, and they’ve been no less special, but that first one was a good time which set us on the right track.”

Brad Keselowski: “It was super rewarding – a lot of elation whenever you win. But, when you win a major race, which I think the Bristol Night Race is, and win in the fashion we did with both cars running up-front, it’s really confidence-inspiring.”

Michael McDowell: “I think all these first three races are a wild card, and the only reason I say that is because Darlington has a lot of attrition and action, and then Kansas on a pretty calm and tame racetrack, we’ve seen a lot of tire failures and engine issues. This first round has little nuances I feel like. But Bristol – short track, high banks and everything happens fast. When somebody starts to spin or something is about to happen, it’s easy to get collected up in the fishbowl aspect of it. That’s probably the toughest thing about Bristol. It’s one of those races that we’ve seen guys overcome issues, come and go. Usually the fastest cars are up front. If you bring speed, you can cover a lot of those issues. There are a lot of variables you can’t control there. Just high-speeds and not a lot of room to get out of the way.”

Ryan Blaney: “It’s a tough race, that’s for sure. Not making any mistakes and staying in for 500 laps is tough. It’s a super tough race – kind of like Darlington. Same thing – hard to run all 500 miles of that place and Bristol is in that same category. Things happen really quickly at Bristol and anything you get behind is super fast. That’s something you have to look out for.”

Joey Logano: “I like Bristol. It’s my favorite track. I love going there. It’s a great stadium environment with the fans right there. It’ll be a tough, grueling 500 laps around there. The track changes a lot from what you have in practice to what you have at the end of the race. It’s pretty cool.”

BUESCHER GOING FOR BRISTOL REPEAT

Chris Buescher has been on a hot streak of late having won three of the last six NASCAR Cup Series races, and this weekend he goes into the annual Bristol Night Race looking for a repeat victory. Buescher earned the first win for the rebranded Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing a year ago when he and his team opted for two tires on their final pit stop with 61 laps remaining. That decision got Buescher the lead and enabled him to register his second career Cup triumph. The last driver to win back-to-back Bristol Night Races was Joey Logano in 2015 (See note below).

LOGANO WINS BACK-TO-BACK NIGHT RACES

Joey Logano held off a hard-charging Kevin Harvick over the final 25 laps to win the Bristol Night Race for the second consecutive year in 2015. Logano led four times for 176 laps, including all but four of the final 147 laps and that was because he pitted when the caution came out with 71 laps to go while Penske teammate Brad Keselowski opted to stay out for track position. Even though Keselowski had the lead on the ensuing restart, Logano’s four fresh tires enabled him to get the lead immediately and he held on over the final 64 circuits to post his 11th career victory.

A THREE SERIES SWEEP

One of the most memorable Ford weekends at Bristol came in August of 2014 when Ford swept all three NASCAR series races – Craftsman Truck, Xfinity and Cup. Brad Keselowski captured his first NCTS victory while Ryan Blaney took the Xfinity event. Joey Logano capped the weekend sweep when he passed Matt Kenseth with 45 laps to go and then had to hold off Keselowski to post his third win of the 2014 season. Logano was in control until caution came out with 69 laps to go. While he pitted for four tires, Kenseth and others stayed out which put Logano sixth on the ensuing restart with 63 to go. With fresh tires, however, he was able to move to the front in less than 20 laps and then hold off his Penske teammate down the stretch. It marked the first time Ford swept all three divisions in the same weekend since 2006 when Mark Martin (NCTS) and Kenseth (NXS and NCS) did it, ironically, at Bristol.

CUSTER READY FOR POSTSEASON

Cole Custer enters the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs as the fourth seed after winning twice during the regular season (Portland and Chicago). This will mark Custer’s fourth playoff appearance in the series. He finished fifth in 2017 and then posted back-to-back second place finishes in 2018, when he delivered the owner’s championship to Stewart-Haas Racing, and 2019. Friday night will mark Custer’s seventh series start at Bristol Motor Speedway and while he’s still looking for his first win, he does have four top-10 and a pair of top-5 finishes.

THREE FORD DRIVERS STILL ALIVE

Defending series champion Zane Smith of Front Row Motorsports, along with ThorSport drivers Ty Majeski and Ben Rhodes, all advanced to the Round of 8 and will continue their respective championship runs on Thursday night. Majeski will be going for back-to-back victories at Bristol after he led the final 45 laps in winning his debut series start last year. Smith will be making his fourth start and looking to improve one spot from a year ago when he finished second while Rhodes attempts to continue a string of Bristol consistency that has seen him post five top-10 finishes in eight starts.

FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS

AT BRISTOL (DOES NOT INCLUDE DIRT)

1963 – Fireball Roberts and Fred Lorenzen

1964 – Fred Lorenzen (Sweep)

1965 – Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett

1966 – Dick Hutcherson (1)

1968 – David Pearson (Sweep)

1969 – David Pearson (2)

1970 – Donnie Allison (1)

1971 – David Pearson (1)

1988 – Bill Elliott (1)

1990 – Davey Allison (1)

1991 – Alan Kulwicki (2)

1992 – Alan Kulwicki (1)

1993 – Mark Martin (2)

1994 – Rusty Wallace (2)

1996 – Rusty Wallace (2)

1997 – Dale Jarrett (2)

1998 – Mark Martin (2)

1999 – Rusty Wallace (1)

2000 – Rusty Wallace (Sweep)

2001 – Elliott Sadler (1)

2002 – Kurt Busch (1)

2003 – Kurt Busch (Sweep)

2004 – Kurt Busch (1)

2005 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2007 – Carl Edwards (2)

2008 – Carl Edwards (2)

2014 – Carl Edwards and Joey Logano

2015 – Joey Logano (2)

2018 – Kurt Busch (2)

2020 – Brad Keselowski (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)

2022 – Chris Buescher

FORD’S NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS

AT BRISTOL

1989 – Mark Martin (2)

1994 – Kenny Wallace (2)

1996 – Mark Martin (1)

1997 – Jeff Burton (1)

2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2007 – Carl Edwards (1)

2009 – David Ragan (2)

2014 – Ryan Blaney (2)

2015 – Joey Logano (1)

2020 – Chase Briscoe (2)

FORD’S NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT BRISTOL

(DOES NOT INCLUDE DIRT)

1995 – Joe Ruttman

2004 – Carl Edwards

2006 – Mark Martin

2014 – Brad Keselowski

2015 – Ryan Blaney

FOR KURT BUSCH, BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY HAS PROVIDED A WEALTH OF CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

By
Official Release
-
Kurt Busch won six Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway during his career, including the 2018 Night Race, which has been tagged as an "Instant Classic" by journalists and historians of the sport. Following the win, Busch famously called BMS, "The Holy Grail of Short Tracks."

Recently retired driver will be special guest of Bristol Motor Speedway during Bass Pro Shops Night Race weekend

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 12, 2023) – Of the six NASCAR Cup Series victories Kurt Busch has earned on Bristol Motor Speedway’s challenging high banks, he will always point to his first win as the one that is most special to him. His 2002 Food City 500 victory was not only his first Bristol win, but also his first NASCAR Cup Series victory.

That ceremonious start on the iconic bullring in Northeast Tennessee led to quite a bit of success for the Las Vegas racer over his 20-plus year career.

When he took part in a wild celebration at the track’s unique elevated Victory Lane following his last BMS victory, the 2018 Night Race, Busch had just won a race that was labeled an “Instant Classic” due to its many lead changes, incredible action and surprise ending. He then famously christened the beloved oval with a new nickname, the “Holy Grail of Short Tracks.”

Busch, 45, announced his retirement from the sport last month — officially on Saturday, Aug. 28 at Daytona International Speedway. The 2004 Cup champ was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers earlier this year.

Busch will be a special guest of Bristol Motor Speedway during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race weekend, Sept. 14-16 (USA Network/PRN Radio, 7:30 p.m. ET).

The track is celebrating Busch’s 20th anniversary of his first Night Race victory, which came in 2003. In addition to visits with guests in skybox suites, media members and Fan Zone stages while he is here, Busch will also be featured in the commemorative souvenir program in a story written by veteran NASCAR reporter Reid Spencer.

The feature does a remarkable job of highlighting the two aforementioned epic Busch performances at Bristol. The story will be available to read in its entirety in the Playbill size program, which will be available free to guests in limited printed copies at the track during the weekend and also in a digital version online, which launched on Friday, Sept. 8. To checkout the feature story, you can access the digital program by clicking this link.

Of the 2018 victory, which so many fans still talk about today with great reverence, Busch found his way to the front in the late goings and as many have seen in the past, that usually spells trouble for all challengers.

“I think if you give somebody with the last name ‘Busch’ the lead at Bristol with 25 to go, you’re going to have a hard time getting it back,” Busch told Spencer with a laugh.

Busch finally passed Clint Bowyer for the lead in that race in the late stages and couldn’t be caught until the checkered flag waved.

“It was one of those days where I felt like I was in the zone,” Busch told Spencer. “The team was doing their job to patch the car up and find the right strategy and put us back in position to win, and things unfolded perfectly in the latter part of that race.

“We knew we were a championship contender, and we got the win that night, and we almost made it into the final four that season.”

As good as the 2018 race was, as Busch notes, nothing can compare to his first time. The victory that afternoon in the 2002 Food City 500 established him as a force to be reckoned with on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit.

“In 2002, beating Jimmy Spencer and winning my first-ever NASCAR race period, that one’s going to be tough to beat,” Busch said. “You always talk about your first one…”

As Busch tells Spencer in the story, all of his Bristol hardware is on display at his home. Each one proving that he was a gladiator who dared take the challenge of Bristol. And he passed with flying colors.

“The wins at Bristol—to have my first one there and then to have the one in 2018, those are the two furthest apart—16 years—at one particular race track,” Busch said. “That’s something I show everybody when they come to the house. I show them the Bristol trophies—2002 and 2018.”

The Bristol race weekend also includes the return of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Bristol’s high banks in the Food City 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Friday night, Sept. 15 (7:30 p.m., USA Network and PRN Radio). The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will get the fun started on Thursday night, Sept. 14, with the running of the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (9 p.m., FS1 and MRN Radio). The ARCA Menards Series will open Thursday’s racing to make it a doubleheader night with the Bush’s Beans 200 (6 p.m., FS1 and MRN Radio).

Off the track there’s tons to do during your Bristol visit with lots of activities available in the BMS Fan Zone and BMS Fan Midway. Kenny Wallace and John Roberts will host Trackside Live at the Food City Fan Zone Stage on Saturday at 4 p.m. where drivers and other newsmakers will be interviewed. Country music band Midland will perform the pre-race concert Saturday at 5:30 p.m. to get the fans revved up for the traditional driver introductions, where each driver enters to a favorite song or music. There will be post-race entertainment on Thursday and Friday, as DJ Sterl the Pearl will host the world-famous Foam Party after the Thursday night double-header, and country music singer Tim Dugger will perform after Friday night’s Food City 300.

To purchase tickets, visit the Bristol Motor Speedway website or call (866) 415-4158.

About Bristol Motor Speedway
Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race, and in 2021 began converting to a temporary dirt track each spring to take the Cup Series back to its racing roots. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.

1...1,3051,3061,307...6,660Page 1,306 of 6,660