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Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops/Chevron Delo Ford Mustang Team Bristol Motor Speedway Competition Notes

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TEAM AND RACE NOTES:

The final race of Round 1 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is set for Saturday night at the Bristol Motor Speedway.

The race will eliminate four drivers from the championship hunt as the playoff field will be cut from 16 to 12.

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team will have Love’s Travel Stops and Chevron Delo racing with them on Saturday. Chevron Delo is the maker of top performing heavy duty engine oils, coolants, antifreezes, transmission fluids, gear oils, greases and hydraulic oils.

Saturday night’s 500-lap race is live on the USA Network at 7:30 p.m. ET.

COMPETITION NOTES:

After their finish at the Kansas Speedway, McDowell and the team are in a must-win situation to advance to the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

McDowell comes into Bristol on the concrete surface with 23 previous starts.

His best start is ninth and best finish is 10th in 2020. He finished 11th in this race last season.

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“It’s just about getting in the position to win this weekend. We’ve qualified great in the playoffs but haven’t had good races. Saturday night is a long race and we just need to be there at the end and in a position to race for the win.”

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“It’s a win-and-advance situation for us. Our backs are against the wall, but we still have a lot of fight left in us.”

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.

GMS Racing NCTS Race Preview: Bristol Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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Race Information

  • Round: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race no. 20 of 23 (Playoffs Round of 8)
  • Track Location: Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tennessee
  • Race Name: UNOH 200 Presented by Ohio Logistics
  • Broadcast: Thursday, September 14th at 8:00 PM ET live on FS1 (TV), MRN (Radio), and Sirius XM NASCAR Channel 90
  • Team Entrants:

No. 23 | Grant Enfinger & Jeff Hensley – Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet
No. 24 | Rajah Caruth & Chad Walter – Wendell Scott Foundation Chevrolet
No. 43 | Daniel Dye & Blake Bainbridge – Champion Container Chevrolet

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

Bristol Motor Speedway Stats

  • NCTS Starts: 6; Poles: 1 (2020); Best finish: 2nd (2021); Top 5s: 4; Top 10s: 6; Laps led: 57

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

  • Starts: 19; Wins: 3 (Kansas I, WWT Raceway, Milwaukee); Poles: 1 (Milwaukee); Stage wins: 3; Top 5s: 7; Top 10s: 10; Laps led: 232; Current points position: 3rd
  • About Champion Power Equipment: Since 2003, Champion Power Equipment has earned a reputation for designing and producing the market’s finest power equipment. From our original headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California, Champion has expanded its North American footprint to include facilities in Jackson, Tennessee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Toronto Canada. Today, Champion’s product line has expanded to include portable generators, home standby generators, inverter generators, engines, winches and log splitters. With over 2.5 million generators sold in North America, Champion is a market leader in the power equipment field. Visit ChampionPowerEquipment.com for more information.
  • Chassis History/Info: Enfinger and the No. 23 team will compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 357 at Bristol on Thursday night. This chassis, which was the newest built by GMS Fabrication, only has one race on its rep sheet. The race? Milwaukee, where he used it to dominate just a few weeks ago. Winning the pole, both stages, and the race win making it a clean sweep, this Silverado RST is a beast, toting 95 laps led out front.
  • Bristol Strength: One of the series’ best short track racers, Enfinger has had Bristol circled on his calendar all year long. He says that a win here would be crucial for the entire team, because it gives them the most time to prepare for Phoenix. Out of all current NCTS drivers with multiple starts in “Thunder Valley”, Grant holds the best average finish of 5.2, as well as the best average start of 6.2. Though he hasn’t won before at the track yet, he’s come very close – finishing second in 2021 and fourth in 2017 and 2022.
  • Hensley at Bristol: Jeff Hensley has been coming to Bristol for a long time, calling his first race in 1987. Since 2004, he has made 18 total Truck Series starts at the short track, visiting victory lane once before with Mike Skinner in 2005 on top of his pole with Enfinger in 2020. Hensley’s trucks have led 303 laps and finished in the top-10 10 times, with five of those finishes also being top-five results. Jeff has also called 29 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at BMS, with highlights that include a pole award in 1991 and a runner up finish the following year. His Xfinity Series cars have led 122 laps and finished in the top-10 eight times, including three top-five finishes.
  • GMS Racing at Bristol: As a whole, GMS Racing as an organization has been very successful at Bristol Motor Speedway. With four Truck Series wins (including 2016 with Ben Kennedy, 2018 with Johnny Sauter, 2019 with Brett Moffitt, and 2020 with Sam Mayer), one ARCA win (2020 with Sam Mayer), and two ARCA East Series wins (sweeping 2019 with Sam Mayer), the team has always been one of the top contenders at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile”.
  • FearTheFinger Playoffs Profile: Grant Enfinger enters the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs “Round of 8” seeded third in the points standings. Hoisting three wins this season at Kansas Speedway, World Wide Technology Raceway, and the Milwaukee Mile, on top of three stage wins, his total playoffs points count is 24, tied for second highest in the series. Due to a tight points battle, he enters the round only two points above the cutline. The good news for him: he’s ran well in the past at all three of the tracks in this round, and looks to earn his second birth in the Championship 4 at Phoenix.
  • From The Drivers Seat: How much pressure, if any, are you putting on yourself in the Round of 8? Which race is going to be the most important to shine in?

“Obviously this Round of 8 is tough, and we have three very different tracks in this round. Our GMS team puts a lot into every race, but we’ve put everything we have into Bristol. It’ll be important to have speed, but it’s just as important to have a truck that you can drive hard every lap. Everything happens so fast at Bristol so you have to be on your game all race long. GMS Racing has had a lot of success at Bristol in the past, and we are hoping to add to that on Thursday.”

  • From The Pit Box (Jeff Hensley): What’s going to be the main focus for you as you approach these next three races from a strategy perspective?

“Well, for us the easiest way to get to Phoenix is to win, obviously. That’s always been our main emphasis. I mean yeah, you can point your way in because there’s four spots and only three races, so you’ll only have the three winners, but we want to win. Bristol this weekend, track position will be everything, so we need to go there and be fast. If we can win Bristol, that’ll be a game changer for us through to Phoenix. If we can do that, then we can be even more aggressive at Talladega and Homestead. You’ve got to be aggressive at all three of these racetracks, because winning is the main goal, but you have to be aware of if you can get stage points and good finishes. I’d rather win Bristol though because that way, you don’t have to worry about anything.”

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

Bristol Motor Speedway Stats

  • Rajah Caruth will compete in his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol on Friday night.
  • NCTS Starts: 1; Best start: 14th (2022); Best finish: 34th (2022)
  • ARCA Starts: 2; Best start: 7th (twice); Best finish: 4th (2022); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 2

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

  • Starts: 19; Best start: 3rd (Nashville); Best finish: 6th (Darlington); Top 10s: 2; Laps led: 1; Current points position: 17th
  • About the Wendell Scott Foundation: Founded in 2011, The Wendell Scott Foundation, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization inspired by Wendell Scott, Sr. and provides services such as job-skill training, STEM education opportunities, mentoring, and other supportive services to at-risk, underserved youth between the ages of 8-18 years in Danville, Virginia and surrounding areas.

The Foundation’s mission of using educational attainment to end racial disparities in education and health is vital in addressing economic inequality and improving future success in African-American communities. For more information, please visit www.wendellscott.org.

  • Chassis History/Info: Caruth and the No. 24 team will race with GMS chassis no. 302 at Bristol. Rajah has driven this truck on three separate occasions this season – Darlington Raceway, Nashville Superspeedway, and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. He’s gotten both of his top-10 finishes racing this chassis, and had a shot to make it three for three at Nashville before mechanical gremlins sat him out early. “302” has only raced at Bristol once before, back in 2018 with Justin Haley, who finished sixth with it. Sheldon Creed has one pole (Texas Motor Speedway in 2020) and one race win (Darlington II in 2021) with this truck.
  • Kansas Recap: Rajah Caruth gelled well at Kansas in both races this season, showing large amounts of speed in May and September. Last week, he had speed all race long, earning points in stage two with an eighth place finish. Staying on the lead lap all night in a race that saw many trucks go at least one lap down, Rajah was in position to earn his third top-10 finish of the season. However, it was not meant to be, as he got spun on a late race caution, sustaining damage that hindered his finish. The No. 24 team was able to repair it as best as they could, and Rajah was able to rally back to cross the line in 12th place.
  • Bristol Experience: Caruth has raced at Bristol three times before, including a Truck Series start from last year, which was cut short following an early crash on lap 40 that resulted in a 34th place finish. He has also competed in two ARCA Menards Series races at BMS, qualifying seventh both times. In 2021, Rajah finished sixth in the ARCA race, and last year, he improved two spots to finish fourth.
  • Walter at Bristol: This historic half mile might just be Chad Walter’s best track on the schedule. Walter has made 11 starts as a Crew Chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Bristol, winning twice. His first victory at this track was back in 2006, when he had Kyle Busch as his driver, and he was able to win again with Justin Allgaier in 2010, adding to the total of three top-fives and five top-10 finishes. He has led the team in two Truck Series starts at Bristol, both with GMS Racing drivers, in 2020 where he finished seventh with Tyler Ankrum and 2021 where he finished 12th with Doug Coby.
  • Wendell Scott at Bristol: NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Wendell Scott, who’s foundation bares his name on Caruth’s No. 24 Chevrolet, raced at Bristol Motor Speedway 20 times during his NASCAR Cup Series career. Scott drove his way to five top-10 results in ten seasons of racing at BMS, finishing as high as fifth place in 1965. Always known as a tough competitor, Scott was his best on the short tracks.
  • Double Duty: For the third time in a row, rookie Rajah Caruth will compete in two races in one weekend. After the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race comes to a close, Rajah plans to stay around an extra night to drive the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro entry for Alpha Prime Racing in Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race. He looks to run a total of 500 grueling laps around Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, the most consecutive laps in his career.
  • From The Driver’s Seat: Has anyone given you any advice for preparing for a double duty weekend at a physically-demanding track like Bristol?

“Double duty shouldn’t be too much of a challenge this weekend. I prepare just as diligently as I would for any other race weekend, and having had a few doubleheaders under my belt certainly helps. This weekend at Bristol, I feel a really good opportunity is in place for us at a track that both myself and Chad have a great track record at.”

Daniel Dye, No. 43 Champion Container Chevrolet Silverado RST

Kansas Speedway Stats

  • Daniel Dye will make his first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Bristol on Thursday
  • ARCA Starts: 2; Best start: 3rd (2021); Best finish: 5th (2022); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 1
  • CARS Tour Pro Late Model Starts: 1; Best start: 14th (2020); Best finish: 4th (2020); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 1

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

  • Starts: 19; Best start: 5th (Milwaukee); Best finish: 11th (Gateway); Laps led: 5; Current points position: 18th
  • About Champion Container Corporation: Founded in 1968, Champion Container has evolved into the premier general line packaging container distributor in the Northeast. From our seven strategically based locations we provide packaging container solutions to our valued domestic and international customers.

We serve a diverse customer base in the chemical, flavors and fragrances, paint, cosmetic, food, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries. Small, medium, and Fortune 500 companies rely on Champion to deliver quality and service at a competitive price. Our strength, “just in time” shipments, is the value added provided through our own fleet of trucks and significant investment in inventory.

Our knowledgeable sales representatives and customer service associates have the expertise required to provide packaging guidance and solutions for the most unique and demanding projects. Companies rely on us to be their technical source in the ever-changing packaging container landscape. For more information, please visit www.championcontainer.com.

  • Chassis History/Info: Dye and the No. 43 team will compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 343 at Bristol on Thursday. Daniel has only raced this chassis three times this season, and has finished in 19th both times with it at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway. Those are the only two races that the chassis has on its build sheet, so it will make its first race in Thunder Valley this weekend.
  • Kansas Recap: For the most part, Daniel and the No. 43 team put together a pretty solid outing last weekend in Kansas. Staying on the lead lap throughout the race, Dye was in position to have a top-15 finish before the final pit stop of the evening, where he was caught speeding and had to serve a pass-through penalty under the green. He was credited with a 23rd place finish due to that setback, but the speed was there.
  • Bristol Experience: Dye has raced three times at Bristol Motor Speedway before, including two ARCA Menards Series races with GMS Racing and one CARS Tour Pro Late Model race when he was only 16 years old. In his lone CARS Tour start here, Dye finished in fourth place at the prestigious 2020 Short Track US Nationals race. In his first ARCA start, he raced inside the top-five for a considerable amount of the race before a flat tire relegated him to a 12th place finish. Last year in ARCA, Daniel finished in fifth place, one spot behind his future teammate, Caruth.
  • Bainbridge at Bristol: No. 43 Crew Chief, Blake Bainbridge, has made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, finishing a best of sixth place in 2005 with Jeremy Mayfield at the helm. His most recent race held in Thunder Valley was back in 2020, where he coached Taylor Gray to a seventh place finish in the ARCA Menards Series race. Blake also has called two ARCA Menards Series East races, and in 2019, he finished second here with Ty Gibbs as his driver.
  • News on the Horizon: Following the news that GMS Racing would be coming to a close at the season finale in Phoenix, many fans have questioned where the team’s drivers may end up. Dye has hinted that he has a ride secured for the 2024 season, and also has some other exciting plans to be announced soon regarding this year.
  • From the Driver’s Seat: You’ve had the chance to race at Bristol a few times in the past, so do you like this track? What do you think is going to be the most important goal for you on Thursday night?

“I like Bristol for the most part, for sure. Having two ARCA races under my belt is going to be helpful, I also ran fourth there in a Super Late Model as well a couple years ago, so I’ve got quite a few laps around that joint. Just looking forward to getting there with Champion Container on board. It’s their last race with us for this year, and it’s been a pleasure having them at the racetrack. I think one of the most important things will be track position. You hear that about a lot of places on our schedule, but Bristol is so tiny and fast, so we have to make sure that we can turn well enough to get under guys and pass them, but we also have to qualify good and maintain our track position.”

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.

STENHOUSE JR. ROLLS INTO BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY WITH NO. 47 SCOTT ® BRAND CAMARO TO BATTLE FOR ROUND OF 12 SPOT IN PLAYOFFS

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HARRISBURG, N.C. (September 12, 2023) – Another trusted brand from Kimberly-Clark’s portfolio takes over the No. 47 Camaro wheeled by 2023 DAYTONA 500 CHAMPION and NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Playoffs’ contender Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Bristol Motor Speedway. Kimberly-Clark is a longstanding partner of JTG Daugherty Racing and is one of the founding partners of the Kroger® Racing program. Now, thanks to Kimberly-Clark’s SCOTT® Brand, JTG Daugherty Racing will “Keep Life Rolling” to survive the night race and rollover the competition for a coveted Round of 12 Playoffs’ spot.

“Going into Bristol, just survive,” said Stenhouse Jr., who won the iconic Daytona 500 with another Kimberly-Clark hero brand (Cottonelle®) and aims to capture SCOTT Brand’s second NCS victory with JTG Daugherty Racing. “I feel like watching the Playoffs there last year, just surviving 500 laps really hits the nail on the head. There were so many parts failures and crashes in that race last year.”

Surviving and not overanalyzing 500 laps will lead to a good night for Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 47 SCOTT Brand Camaro team at “The Last Great Colosseum.”

“For me, Bristol is by far my favorite racetrack, and I’m going to not overthink or overdrive my favorite track,” said Stenhouse Jr. “I’ll make sure I put myself in a good position all night. I’ve never run Bristol in the Playoffs. So, it will be the first time for me to race it in the Playoffs at the Colosseum.”

It’s easy to see why Bristol Motor Speedway is an all-time favorite track for Stenhouse Jr. on the NASCAR circuit. His resume includes almost winning – a pair of runner-up finishes, four top-five and six top-10 finishes. However, the pressure is on, and the intensity level will be at an all-time high at the .533-mile concrete oval. Cooler heads will prevail to advance to the next round and JTG Daugherty Racing’s veteran racer knows it’s crucial to remain calm and laser-focused to avoid mayhem.

“It’s an intense racetrack,” said Stenhouse Jr. “15 second laps. You’re on edge all the time. You’re constantly pushing your car to its limits whether you run the bottom or top of the racetrack. You also have to look super far ahead. I’ve had a crash well in front of me take me out because you just can’t get slowed down in time. Every battle there is super intense and we’re ready for battle with our No. 47 SCOTT Brand Camaro.”

Live coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday, September 16 begins at 7:30 PM ET on USA, PRN and SIRIUSXM NASCAR Radio.

Kaulig Racing and Food City Team Up to Bring Iconic Brand Back to NASCAR Cup Series

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Justin Haley to Pilot No. 31 Mountain Dew Camaro ZL1 for Bristol Night Race

LEXINGTON, N.C. (September 12, 2023) – Kaulig Racing and Food City announced today they are teaming up once again to bring back the iconic Mountain Dew brand to the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“Food City is proud to team up with our friends from Kaulig Racing and Mountain Dew to sponsor Justin Haley and the Kaulig Racing No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the running of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer.

Kaulig Racing and the supermarket retailer will partner with Pepsi Beverages of North America’s Mountain Dew, as the thirst-quenching, citrus beverage returns as a primary partner in the NCS for the first time since 2020.

“Pepsi Beverages of North America is honored, proud and excited to partner with Food City and Kaulig Racing to showcase our iconic Mountain Dew brand on Kaulig Racing’s No. 31 Chevrolet piloted by Justin Haley,” said Jason Smith, senior account manager for Pepsi Beverages of North America. “Let’s Go Racing!”

Born and bottled in Johnson City, Tennessee, to where Mountain Dew is the highest consumed soft drink per capita, not only in the United States, but in the world, creating the perfect opportunity to showcase the brand in its return to NASCAR.

“We are super excited to be teaming back up with Food City at the Bristol night race to showcase yet another one of its great retail partners,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “It is our hope we continue to strengthen this partnership for many years to come and bring back Mountain Dew’s iconic brand into the NASCAR Cup Series.”

Kaulig Racing and Justin Haley will #DotheDew with Food City and Mountain Dew at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 16 at 7:30pm ET.
 
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.

About Food City:

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.

About Mountain Dew:

Born in the great state of Tennessee, Mountain Dew is a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse brand with deep roots in the sport of NASCAR! Mountain Dew’s first sponsorship with NASCAR dates back to 1982 and the brand could not be more excited to re-enter the sport at Bristol Motor Speedway! Mountain Dew has been “tickling the innards” of proud DewNation supporters in the Volunteer state since 1940 and continues to be one of the most popular soft drinks in the nation!

Wyatt Coffey signs with MPM Marketing

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Wyatt Coffey; Summer Shootout; 2023; Charlotte Motor Speedway (Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Sept. 11, 2023) – McCallister Precision Marketing officials are excited to announce the signing of 10-year-old up-and-coming racer Wyatt Coffey.

The young racer from Waynesboro, Virginia, is the latest addition to MPM Marketing’s growing client list that includes some of the fastest rising racing stars from the Southeast region.

“We’re honored that Wyatt and his parents, Jeremy and Amanda, trust MPM Marketing to help prepare Wyatt for what I’m sure is going to be an incredible future in racing,” said MPM Marketing founder Tonya McCallister. “He’s already enjoyed so much success at such a young age and I’m certain it’s just the beginning.

“We’ve already got some exciting things lined up for Wyatt. You’ll be seeing a lot of him in the coming years.”

This year alone Coffey has done more than many young racers accomplish in 10 years. He started the season with the goal of capturing the INEX Bandolero Bandit National Championship and is currently second in the standings in that division.

Racing all across the Southeast, this season Coffey has captured 30 victories, 20 of which have counted towards the National Championship.

His victories have come at a variety of tracks, including Charlotte Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Auburndale Speedway, Florence Motor Speedway, Caraway Speedway, Wake County Speedway and Dominion Raceway.

This year Coffey has already captured three championships at Atlanta Motor Speedway: the Atlanta Motor Speedway Track Championship, the Furious 5 championship and Thursday Thunder championship. He also captured the Bandolero Bandit Winter Nationals championship this season and currently leads the Virginia State Bandolero Bandit championship standings.

“We are very excited to partner with MPM Marketing,” said Amanda Bradley, Wyatt’s mom and his biggest supporter. “We feel Tonya and her staff are going to do all they can to get Wyatt’s name out there to help him pursue his dreams. She has already helped us in numerous ways and I cannot wait to see where this partnership takes us.

“Her business longevity and what they do as a company speaks for itself. I see and hear things about MPM and their clients everywhere. I can’t wait to see how they help promote Wyatt.”

Coffey is excited for the opportunity to work with McCallister and MPM Marketing as he looks ahead to his racing future.

“I’m really happy I get to work with Miss Tonya,” Coffey said. “She’s already helping me in a lot of ways and I know she’s going to help me as I work towards my dream of racing in NASCAR.”

—————

About McCallister Precision Marketing

McCallister Precision Marketing (MPM) focuses on assisting up-and-coming race car drivers with career advancement and promotion. McCallister Precision Marketing helps drivers build confidence in front of and behind the camera, giving them the tools they need to advance to the next level. The company also provides companies with a strategic plan for their sales, marketing and promotional needs. We believe in building positive relationships with our clients so that we may provide them with the most professional, yet personal guidance they need, in order to achieve their racing goals. Our clients include race car drivers, race team owners, companies and racing series’. We also work closely with charities and charity events. For more information on McCallister Precision Marketing, visit www.MarketWithMPM.com, email TonyaMac44@MarketWithMPM.com or call 803-361-6199.

Sam Mayer Inks 2024 Extension with JR Motorsports

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Wisconsin native to return to Xfinity Series competition with No. 1 team

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 12, 2023) – Sam Mayer will return to a familiar seat in 2024 as JR Motorsports announced today that the 20-year-old will drive its No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season, marking what will be Mayer’s third full-time season with JRM’s NXS program.

A native of Franklin, Wis., Mayer is in the midst of a breakout season in which he has raced into the playoffs for the second consecutive year through a pair of victories. The first was a popular win at his home track of Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., and the second at Watkins Glen International. He enters the opening round of the playoffs this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway seeded fifth in points.

“We’ve seen so much potential in Sam and we’re proud of all he’s accomplished this year,” said JRM CEO Kelley Earnhardt Miller. “The victory at Road America was huge for him and his family. Getting things solidified for next year will allow him to focus on the remainder of 2023 as he competes for the championship.”

Mayer began his journey with JRM in the company’s Late Model program in 2018 before graduating to make his NXS debut in 2021 via a part-time schedule. He has competed full-time in the No. 1 Chevrolet the past two seasons with career stats totaling two victories, 21 top-five and 40 top-10 finishes.

“It’s been a great year for our No. 1 team,” said Mayer, who will make his 100th series start with JRM next season. “Finally getting that first win was like a weight lifted and so energizing. I’m really grateful to continue my career with JR Motorsports and thankful to Dale Jr., Kelley and Mr. Hendrick for making it happen. Now we can turn our attention to a championship run this year.”

Crew duties and sponsorship details for Mayer and the No. 1 team will be announced at a later date.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 22nd year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also races in Late Model competition and owns five championships in regional Late Model divisions and added a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

RFK Advance | Bristol II

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Bristol II Event Info:
Track Info: Bristol Motor Speedway, .5-mile concrete short track
Date: Saturday, Sept. 16
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Bristol, Tennessee
Format: 500 laps, 266.5 miles, Stages: 125-125-250
TV: USA
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Friday: 4:35 p.m. ET, Practice (USA, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday: 5:20 p.m. ET, Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 7:30 p.m. ET, Race (USA, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • Bristol Motor Speedway hosts its annual night race, and third race in the Round of 16 in the NASCAR Playoffs.
  • Chris Buescher enters as the defending race winner, as RFK in total led 278 laps in this race a season ago.
  • Brad Keselowski is coming off three-straight top-10 results dating back to Daytona, and is also coming off his 500th consecutive start in the Cup Series. He’s the seventh driver to pilot a Ford for Jack Roush to have accomplished the feat.
  • In support of The Dale Jr. Foundation (TDJF) and Nationwide Children’s, both Keselowski and Buescher will participate in the Driven to Give Glove campaign and wear the skeleton gloves made famous by Jr. Signed by each respective driver and Jr., the gloves will be available for auction from Sept. 14-18, with all proceeds benefitting TDJF and Nationwide Children’s.

6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Partner: Castrol Edge

17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: BuildSubmarines.com

Keselowski at Bristol
Starts: 24
Wins: 3 (2011, 2012, 2020)
Top-10s: 8
Poles: 2 (2020 x2)

  • Keselowski makes his 25th Cup start on the concrete at Bristol this weekend, a track where he has a 16.7 average finish with three wins and eight top-10 finishes.
  • Last season, Keselowski led 109 laps, won the opening stage, and was leading with 86 laps remaining when his right-front tire went down, pushing him to put road with no caution. He went on to finish 13th as teammate Chris Buescher earned the victory.
  • Keselowski’s three wins at BMS came back in 2011-12, and most recently in 2020. He’s finished 13th or better in four of the last five races overall at Bristol, including a sixth-place finish in the 2021 fall race, and a third-place result in 2019.
  • Keselowski has led laps in 14 different Bristol races totaling 1,013 laps, his best total of any track on the circuit outside Richmond (1,280).
  • Keselowski has started top-10 in four-straight Bristol races, including a pair of poles in 2020. Overall he has a 9.6 average starting position – his best of any track outside of Homestead (9.2). He has 15 starts inside the top-10 in 24 Bristol events.
  • Keselowski also made 14 Xfinity starts at Bristol with one win and eight top-10s, and seven Truck starts with one win and three top-10s.

Buescher at Bristol
Starts: 13
Wins: 1 (2022)
Top-10s: 3
Poles: —

  • Buescher enters the weekend as the defending race winner of the Bristol Night Race, as he earned his second Cup victory (at the time) last September. The victory snapped a then 223-race winless streak, as he led 169 laps in total.
  • Overall, Buescher has three Cup top-10s at Bristol, with an eighth-place finish in the 2020 fall race, and a fifth-place run back in 2016.
  • Buescher has an average starting position of 23.4 with a career-best starting position of 12th (2016).
  • Buescher made five Xfinity Series starts at Bristol with three top-10s and a best finish of third (2015).

RFK Historically at Bristol
Cup Wins: 12 (Mark Martin, 1993, 1998; Kurt Busch, 2002, 2003, 2003, 2004; Matt Kenseth, 2005, 2006; Carl Edwards, 2007, 2008, 2014; Chris Buescher, 2022)

  • Runner Up: RFK’s storied history at Bristol began on April 10, 1988 with the No. 6 NCS car earning a second-place finish. Since that time, in addition to the organization’s 11 NCS wins at the track, RFK Fords have finished second at Bristol on 15 occasions (7 NCS, 4 NXS, 4 NCTS).
  • History and Hot Streaks at “Thunder Valley”: RFK’s history at Bristol has been one of hot streaks, including trips to victory lane in 10 of the last 21 seasons at the famed short track. RFK swept the track in 2003 and put a NCS car in victory lane at least once in every season from 2002-2008.
  • Tale of the Tape: RFK has started 219 NCS races at Bristol, recording 12 total wins with 51 top-five and 89 top-10 finishes. RFK Fords have an average finish of 15.9 with 3674 laps led all-time.

RFK Bristol Wins

1993-2 Martin Cup

1996-1 Martin NXS

1997-1 Burton NXS

1998-2 Martin Cup

2002-1 Busch Cup

2003-1 Busch Cup

2003-2 Busch Cup

2004-1 Busch Cup

2004 Edwards Truck

2005-2 Kenseth Cup

2006-2 Kenseth Cup

2006 Martin Truck

2006-2 Kenseth NXS

2007-1 Edwards NXS

2007-2 Edwards Cup

2008-2 Edwards Cup

2009-2 Ragan NXS

2014 -1 Edwards Cup
2022-2 Buescher Cup

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Kansas: RFK again had a strong showing in Kansas last weekend, until a blown tire with seven laps to go ruined Buescher’s day. He was 11th at the time, and earned stage points along the way, but was credited with a 27th-place finish. Keselowski finished ninth after winning stage two, and leading laps en route to his 13th top-10.

Points Standings (6: 5th, 17: 9th): Keselowski enters the weekend with a 33-point advantage to the cut line in 12th. Buescher sits tied for ninth with a 13-point advantage.

By the Numbers at Bristol

Race      Win       T5           T10         Pole       Laps       Led        AvSt      AvFn     Miles

219         12           51           89           11           103681  3674       18.2        15.9        51840.5
98           5              23           37           4              24218    1653       13.2        15.8        12109
23           2              4              9              3              4097       318         12.6        14.5        2048.5
340         19           78           135         18           131996  5645       16.4        15.8        65998

GEARWRENCH Racing: Kevin Harvick Bristol Night Race Advance

By
Official Release
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KEVIN HARVICK
Bristol Night Race Advance
No. 4 GEARWRENCH® 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

● Kevin Harvick comes into the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway 12th among the 16 drivers in the NASCAR Playoffs. Only the top-12 drivers in points after Bristol advance to the next playoff round, and Harvick sits on the playoff bubble with just a seven-point advantage over 13th-place Martin Truex Jr. Harvick can either maintain that advantage at the end of Saturday night’s 500 lapper around the .533-mile oval or punch his ticket to the Round of 12 with a victory. Of Harvick’s 60 career NASCAR Cup Series victories, 26 have come at playoff tracks, and since the advent of elimination rounds in 2014, the driver of the No. 4 GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has scored 11 playoff victories.

● Harvick is a three-time winner at Bristol, and his last two victories at the high-banked half-mile have come in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Harvick’s first NASCAR Cup Series win at Bristol was in April 2005. It was his ninth start at the concrete-clad track, and Harvick beat Elliott Sadler by an impressive 4.652 seconds for his fifth career Cup Series victory. It would be another 23 races before Harvick scored his second Bristol win. In the 2016 Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Harvick beat Ricky Stenhouse Jr., by 1.933 seconds to take his 33rd career Cup Series victory. Harvick only had to wait four years to collect his third Bristol Cup win. He won the 2020 Bass Pro Shops Night Race in dominating fashion by leading four times for a race-high 226 laps, including the final 32 tours where Harvick beat Kyle Busch by .310 of a second to take his 58th career Cup Series victory, his third at Bristol and his 35th since joining SHR in 2014.

● How did Harvick do in his last race at Bristol? It doesn’t matter, because the track was covered in dirt. Harvick finished ninth in the April 9 Food City Dirt Race to score his first top-10 in the event. Still, with 1,209 laps led on Bristol’s concrete and zero laps led when it has been covered in dirt, count Harvick among the drivers happy to return to traditional racing at Bristol.

● The Bass Pro Shops Night Race will be Harvick’s 43rd career NASCAR Cup Series start on Bristol’s concrete, and it will be the most among active Cup Series drivers. The only active driver even close to Harvick in this category is Kyle Busch with 33 starts. In fact, there are only two other active drivers with 30 or more starts at Bristol – Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., with 32 starts apiece.

● Harvick enters Bristol riding a wave of front-running consistency on the track’s concrete surface. He has an average finish of sixth in his last four races, with his best result being a victory in the 2020 Bass Pro Shops Night race and his worst effort being an 11th-place drive in May 2020. Harvick finished second in 2021 and 10th last year.

● Harvick has proven prolific at Bristol outside of the NASCAR Cup Series. He has made 29 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track, winning five times and scoring 15 top-fives and 24 top-10s while leading 1,217 laps. Harvick also has five NASCAR Truck Series starts at Bristol, winning once and finishing in the top-10 in his last four starts on the concrete surface.

● GEARWRENCH is a premier mechanic hand-tool brand built for technicians who crave more. GEARWRENCH understands the environment techs work in because GEARWRENCH works side-by-side with them to learn about their frustrations firsthand to develop innovative, new hand tools that solve day-to-day problems. GEARWRENCH forges quality and innovation into everything it makes, so techs don’t have to settle for anything less than the highest professional quality. It started with a ratcheting wrench that changed the industry and it continues with a full lineup of mechanic hand tools, tool storage and automotive lifting equipment. These tools are built to help techs do their job on their terms, no matter what.

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang

With eight races to go in your final season, fans are rallying behind you, wanting you to win. Do you feel that support?

“It’s definitely something that you recognize, feel and try to appreciate, just because that’s what our goal was this year? You want to go out and do everything right, as you walk out the door and have everybody’s respect and like the things you’ve done throughout your career. Really, your first impression is kind of like your last impression, right? As you walk out, you try to do as many things right as possible, and one of our main goals this year was to be competitive and be in contention, and try to have a chance to win races… race for the championship and walk out that way. Obviously, being in position to win the Southern 500, and having all those people root for you and want that to happen is exactly what we want. There’s no way to force that stuff. You can’t control so many things that happen, but I can definitely sense the support and it’s really been that way since we started this season. The fan support and the industry support has been over the top. I told somebody, ‘You almost can’t screw this up.’ But, it would be spectacular if you could win, and do those things that so many people are coming to the racetrack hoping that they get to witness in person, no matter what market it is. But, it’s a brutal sport – you win one week, and the next week you’ll be wrecked-out and finish last. It’s been that way for as long as I’ve been around it, but I think it is different this year just because it’s the last year with the fans, the people and everything they have going on. They want you to achieve that moment.”

With this being your final season, do you view the playoffs as more work or is it actually fun?

“It’s always work, and I’m fortunate to have this ability to kind of separate the two, because when you plug yourself into that car and turn the rest of it off, it’s just work. That’s my job, that’s what I do, that’s what we do together as a team. This year is a little bit different because of all the things that are happening around the last season that you can enjoy, but I’ve never really had a problem turning it on or off.”

Does being a part of the playoffs in your final year mean more because it is your last season and there are only eight races left?

“The expectation is really no different. I think the biggest difference this particular year is you’ve got a lot of things going on outside the car with it being the last year, and to be able to celebrate all the things that we’ve done in the past and making sure that we’re still competitive. Really, this all started at the end of last year in laying out a good plan, and I think everybody’s done a good job in executing that plan and allowing us to execute that plan. Executing that plan has allowed us to be competitive in the car and do the things that we need to do on the racetrack because of everything being structured and organized. The expectation is always to be competitive and be in this position to have a chance to at least go for a championship, and it all starts by qualifying for the playoffs. For us, that’s been the expectation since I came to SHR and we’ve been fortunate to succeed at that through the years.”

Bristol at night has a different vibe, as if there’s more adrenaline flowing. Do you feel that way too?

“Bristol, the night race, especially, is a place that just has a special feel. Being in the playoffs now and being a part of that event for a long time just gets you jacked up as a driver. It’s just a very intense place to race. It’s an intense place to just make laps, honestly. As you get into that race and understand the magnitude of the situation, especially with Bristol being in the playoffs, it’s something that I just think is very challenging and exciting to be a part of.”

Is Bristol about survival, or is it more involved than that?

“I think the thing that people kind of lose track of in these playoffs, and especially in this particular instance with Bristol, is that a lot of your strategy is dictated off of what happened the first two weeks. Last year for us, going into Bristol we needed to win because of what happened at Darlington when the car caught on fire and then you were behind right off the bat. The ‘just survive’ strategy at Bristol is great as long as you’re up in the points or in the middle of the pack in the points. But if you’re in the bottom third of those points, you’ve got to make some stuff happen and try to get points in the stages and try to win the race.”

How do you stay out of trouble at Bristol?

“As Bristol goes, you can wind up in somebody else’s mess. You can create your own mess too, but it’s usually something that’ll jump out and bite you in a hurry. As soon as you let your guard down, something happens, and the next thing you know, your hood’s up over your windshield because they’ve spun out and wrecked, or you’ve been hit in the back, whatever the case may be. It just happens really quickly there. Bristol is a high-speed racetrack, but it’s also a racetrack where you can’t see the exit of the corner until you round the center part of the corner. Sometimes you come up on the wrecks before you even see them, and you can hit stuff really hard there.”

No. 4 GEARWRENCH Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Kevin Harvick

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Stephen Doran

Hometown: Butler, Pennsylvania

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Spotter: Tim Fedewa

Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard

Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Nick DeFazio

Hometown: Orange, California

Tire Specialist: Jamie Turski

Hometown: Trumbull, Connecticut

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Rick Hodges

Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

Cadillac at Indy: Searching for gold at Brickyard

By
Official Release
-

Scoring maximum points the goal for Cadillac V-Series.R cars in penultimate race

DETROIT (Sept. 12, 2023) – “Everybody wants to kiss the bricks, right?”

Sebastien Bourdais, co-driver with Renger van der Zande of the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, is looking forward to earning that reward this weekend when the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship charges into Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks.

The 2-hour, 40-minute race will mark the first time the premier North American sports car racing series competes on the IMS road course since 2014. The event will expand to a six-hour race in 2024.

Bourdais is no stranger to the Brickyard. The four-time CART champion has made 10 INDYCAR starts on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course (best finish of fourth in 2014, ’15 and 2018) and nine Indianapolis 500 starts.

He co-drove a Daytona Prototype with Alex Popow to victory in the 2012 NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race and co-drove a Chevrolet Corvette DP to 11th place in 2013 on the previous (2.534-mile) circuit configuration.

A decade later, the hybrid Grand Touring Prototype racecar he and van der Zande drove to victory in May at Laguna Seca makes its debut at the iconic racetrack.

“It’s a very different era,” Bourdais said. “Those DP cars back then were a little lighter but not a crazy amount. The biggest difference is the redesign of the track. We used to go backward in Turn 1 and it was a cool track. This one is a whole different challenge. With our cars not having as much downforce, being heavy and having quite a bit of power, we’ll get to Turn 1 and the backstraight quite quickly. But the feel is actually not all that different from back then. There are just a few nuances.”

Bourdais and van der Zande teamed with No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R drivers Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims to work through a testing program in late July at IMS that they hope delivers results. Derani and Sims enter the penultimate race of the season a close second in the GTP Team and Driver Championship standings. They sit atop the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup standings ahead of the 10-hour season finale at Road Atlanta in October.

Bourdais and van der Zande are sixth in the regular-season championship chase, though only 118 points out of the top spot. Cadillac Racing paces the field in both the GTP regular season and endurance Manufacturer Championship points.

“I think we have a solid baseline coming away from the test, so hopefully we can hit the ground running and be strong as we felt we were during the test,” said Bourdais, who recorded the third-quickest lap over the two days of testing. “Conditions could be very different compared to the heat that we had to deal with during the test, but overall looking forward getting there and scoring maximum points. We’re in the (championship) mix and have to stick with it and see what we can do.”

NBC will telecast the race live at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 17. Peacock streaming in the U.S. begins at 1 p.m. ET, while viewers outside the U.S. can tune in to IMSA.com. Both Peacock and IMSA.com will stream qualifications at 12:55 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 16. IMSA Radio will air on-track sessions at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.

What they’re saying

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Sebastien Bourdais: “I’m looking forward to the Indy road course. As far as the racing community and us in IMSA and Cadillac, it’s one that everybody wants to be a part of. It’s a very different setting as far as the racetrack is concerned compared to most of the other places we go. Very heavy braking, which will open up opportunities for passing. I think it will be extremely challenging in traffic because it’s a track that isn’t easy to manage multi-class racing. Once you hit Turn 4 and then the Esses, you’re kind of stuck. Same thing with (Turns) 7, 8, 9, it’s a one-groove place. You can try to divebomb someone, but that’s until the marbles build up and it will be a lot trickier. It will be a game of patience and a game of aggression. I think it’s easy to make a mistake and end up in the grass in Turn 1 or the last couple of corners. I think we have a solid baseline coming away from the test, so hopefully we can hit the ground running and be strong as we felt we were during the test. Conditions could be very different compared to the heat that we had to deal with during the test, but overall looking forward getting there and scoring maximum points. We’re in the (championship) mix and have to stick with it and see what we can do.”

Renger van der Zande: “Indianapolis is a home race for the team and that brings a great atmosphere to the team for the race weekend. It will be nice to see the families coming to the racetrack. Indianapolis is a track that is not my favorite, but most of favorite tracks are the ones that I have won on. Hopefully, after this weekend I can say this will be one of my favorite tracks.”

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R

Pipo Derani: “We had a productive test at Indianapolis back in July; learned quite a few things about the car in general and how it performs in extreme heat. I don’t think we’ll see those conditions for the race weekend. It is an important race for the team as we’re right in the mix for the championship. We won the pole at Road America in our last race, though we didn’t have the results we were looking for. Still, the car is fast and we look forward to putting on a great race for the fans as IMSA returns to Indianapolis.”

Alexander Sims: “I’m looking forward to racing at Indianapolis for the first time. The July test was useful – even under hot conditions. Nevertheless, we collected a lot of useful information to understand how the car performs at the track. The track itself is fairly straightforward, so it’s mainly fine-tuning things from a driving point of view. We have two races left and we’re right in the hunt for the championship. It’s a very tight championship at the moment, so it is crucial for us to have two very strong races. That’s going to come about by us doing the basics right and executing well to maximize our performance. The car is fast; the team is operating well and generally I’d say Pipo and I are in a good place for Indianapolis. We were very competitive at the test. The race at Indy will be a challenge with traffic. There are a lot of corner combinations at Indy where you turn left-right, left-right continuously and it’s difficult to get past cars in those sequences of corners without taking sometimes an unnecessary amount of risk or sometimes it’s just not possible to get past. Sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it goes against you. It’s just part of multi-class endurance racing.”

3 Things to Consider Before Buying an Electric Car

By
SM
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Photo by Rathaphon Nanthapreecha

Electric cars— the future of driving. What once was deemed nothing more than a distant idea, hasn’t just come to fruition, but electric vehicles are expected to be the primary form of mobility in the future.  

And while initially, the idea of being able to simply plug in your car as opposed to filling it with gas may seem appealing, there are a few factors to consider. Some people may not realize the limitations that electric cars impose until it’s too late. Before you buy your first electric car, here are some important things to consider.

​Home Setup

One of the appeals of an electric car is the capability of charging at home.  You could conceivably plug your car in, play your piano or even do some gardening all while your car charges which is incredibly convenient.   

However, before you assume that it’s possible, it’s important that you determine whether your home has the correct elements to be able to set up an at-home charging station. You might want to consult with an electrician before you purchase your car to ensure you can charge it at home. 

Otherwise, you may find yourself struggling to find a charging station close enough and convenient enough. One of the most unpleasant aspects of electric car life is having to charge in a location where there’s nowhere to comfortably wait. If there are no restaurants or cafes nearby, you could find yourself sitting on the side of the road potentially for hours, waiting for your battery to top up.

Your Driving Range

Electric cars are not ideal for people who drive for long periods of time. If you have a two-hour commute every day, then an electric car is not the way to go. This is because charging takes a considerable amount of time. Even quick charging stations take as long as 30 minutes, with traditional charging stations more along the line of two hours for a full charge. 

When you compare this kind of time commitment to being able to simply fill up your tank at a gas station and immediately hit the road, you start to realize that an electric car may not be the best choice when it comes to time management. However, if you’re the kind of person who only drives a few miles a day for errands or short distances then an electric vehicle may just be perfect.  In other words, people who work at home, are retired, or work close to home are likely to be the kind of people who will get the most out of their electric car.

Maintenance and Repairs

Although electric cars have been around for a while, they’ve only recently started being produced on a wide scale. The truth is that electric car batteries last less time than a car engine. They need replacement more often and can be a significant expense. Make sure that you take this into consideration when calculating all of your costs.

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